Projected 2017 record and S&P+ ranking: 6-6 (77th)
Biggest strength: The offense will feature DâAngelo Brewer behind maybe the AACâs best line. And Montgomery tends to maximize matchup advantages.
Biggest question mark: Do the Golden Hurricane have a quarterback?
Biggest 2017 game: Navy visits on September 29 in a game that will answer all sorts of questions about Tulsaâs defensive upside, its offensive stability, and its status as AAC contender.
Summary: Montgomery didnât need much time to bring success back to Tulsa, and if his offense avoids too much of a drop-off (a mighty âifâ), his Golden Hurricane could again threaten 10-plus wins.
Montgomery is a very solid coach and I expect the Hurricanes to be much better than 6-6. I know they must find a quarterback but I suspect they will. And donât forget, we have to play them on the road this year after beating them by a whisker last yearâŚ
http://tulsabeacon.com/tuâis-replacing-artificial-turf-at-the-football-stadium/
âFieldTurf was cleaning and performing preventive maintenance on the field when several concerns were identified, including an unforeseen reaction between the rubber infill and the cleaning chemical that was used,â said Brian Scislo, Tulsaâs senior associate athletic director. âThis series of events has culminated to the point that FieldTurf, under warranty of its product, is replacing the entire playing surface before the upcoming football season. This type of customer commitment is just one of the reasons we selected FieldTurf for our stadium.â
The neck-and-neck battle between third-year sophomore Chad President and redshirt freshman Luke Skipper will enter the second week of preseason practices, and it could continue beyond the Aug. 31 season opener at Oklahoma State.
Asked whether he could consider playing two quarterbacks, Montgomery said: âIf we donât (have a starter identified) when we get to the first game and we play them both, Iâm comfortable doing that. But hopefully weâll make a decision before then.â
TU went on to produce a thrilling 10-3 season in which it contended for the American Athletic Conference West Division title. Although this yearâs team doesnât have the same level of talent as the 2016 Hurricane, early outcomes against quality opponents are no indication of what will follow.
âThis is one game,â coach Philip Montgomery said Thursday night. âItâs just one. It doesnât make our season.
Defensive balance?
While sending Tulsa to the basement of early season defensive statistics, the first two Hurricane opponents have done their damage on the ground and through the air almost equally. Including the Week 1 lopsided loss at Oklahoma State and Saturdayâs shootout win against Louisiana, TU has surrendered 617 passing yards and 619 rushing yards, for an average of 618 that ranks last among FBS teams in total defense. The Hurricane is giving up 7.9 yards per rush and 10.3 yards per pass, and only Louisiana has allowed more points through two games, 57 compared to TUâs 50.5.
âThis comes down to personal pride, pride in what youâre putting on the field and pride in what youâre doing,â Montgomery said. âYouâve got to be realistic when you look yourself in the mirror and make sure weâre doing what weâve got to do to go win.â
I would not be surprised if the Tulsa team was looking past Tulane and thinking about us. We are their âBig Gameâ. We had better be ready for them to play way over their heads against us.
They made the switch at QB. However, their defense is atrocious, like 129th of 129 bad.
I agree, they are bad. I just donât want our team to take them lightly and wind up in a dog fight. I want to put them in a hole early and keep them there. Besides, Tulsa fans are disgusting. I can remember sitting in the stands while their fans pelted us and the team with snowballs.
⢠Houston leads the league in all-time conference wins. Since the Americanâs inception, the Cougars have 25 victories against other teams in the conference.
⢠The Cougars are allowing only 16.2 points per game, ranking 12th nationally in scoring defense. They also are eighth in red-zone defense.
Bad company for defense
While the American Athletic Conference boasts three undefeated teams â USF, Navy and UCF â the most of any league, it also has the three worst defenses in terms of yards allowed per game. The Hurricane is giving up 587.5 yards per game, second only to East Carolina, which reassigned its defensive coordinator in the second week of the season because of poor production. UConn, which hosts Tulsa on Oct. 21, is third from last. As a result of facing three consecutive option offenses, the Hurricane ranks last in run defense, having surrendered more than 2,000 rushing yards in six games.
UH and Navy have been the most consistent up to this point. I know many people feel Memphis is the biggest AAC West rival. I think it has to be navy. They are physical, smart, and rarely lose a conference game. We have not stopped the option attack yet.