Printable View
Smooth, I don't know practically anything about Booth's ratings, but if he's fast you should definitely look at the plays I sent you. You can do some serious ball control with it. It might help mitigate your defensive depth woes if they start to suffer.
Yeah, I can't remember off the top of my head how fast Booth is. I know he's got some speed to him as I've been able to pull a couple triple options out of the playbook now and then. I'll make sure I add those plays to my custom playbook before the Oklahoma game. The Sooners being rated 99 overall, 97 on offense and 95 on defense, I think I'm gonna need every single bit of help I can get.Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffHCross
Alright, firing up Oklahoma right now. Gonna squeeze this game in before the Cleveland-Denver game at 4pm. After Cleveland-Denver wraps up, it's back into it with Akron later tonight.
My god, just getting to halftime, this Oklahoma game could not possibly be any more completely opposite of what it was last season. :D
Hopefully that means you're kicking the shit out of them instead of it being a ridiculous barnburner like it was last year. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by SmoothPancakes
No, we're not kicking the shit out of them, but it is sure as hell not a barn burner. Lets just say the defenses are having a career day today for both teams.Quote:
Originally Posted by morsdraconis
Game Three
#12 :Tulsa: :@: #5 :Oklahoma:
Game Notes
--- After finding little fight in what turned out to be an overmatched Utah squad, it was now time our first and biggest test of the season. The #5 Oklahoma Sooners. Going up against the #4 defense in college football was going to be a massive challenge for our young squad, and even tougher by being on the road. We were going to find out quickly how well prepared our boys were. We won the coin toss and elected to kick.
A 25 yard kickoff return, and the game was underway as Oklahoma began at their 23 yard line. It was quick moving for the Sooners, as Tony Moore picked up 5 yards on the ground, followed by an 11 yard pass from C.J. Cannon to Brian Bowen for a first down at the 39 yard line. Bowen was tackled on the next play for a loss of three yards, followed by a 7 yard rush by Ryan Washington to leave Oklahoma with third and 7. A 13 yard pass to Scott Tidwell and the Sooners had a new set of downs at our 45. An 8 yard rush by Cannon was followed with a pass to Alfred Barnes for a gain of 23 yards and first down at our 14 yard line. The defense would stiffen up and hold Oklahoma there, as three straight incomplete passes forced the Sooners to kick a 31 yard field goal, making it 3-0 with 6:59 left in the quarter.
A touchback on the kickoff and we were on the field at our 25 for our first drive of the game. Our offensive line was no match for the high rated Oklahoma defense, as Kiel Fletcher was quickly brought down for no gain on first down. Going into the air, Brandon Booth was able to sling a pass just past the outstretched arms of the defender and into the hands of Conner Jefferson for a 23 yard gain and first down at our 48 yard line. A first down pass to Eric Silva went for a gain of 8 yards. Going back to the ground, it was no go for Fletcher, as the defensive tackle fought through the block and tackled Fletcher for a loss of two yards. A blitz on third down left our offense no chance, as Booth was sacked for a 9 yard loss before having any chance to get rid of the ball. Left with fourth and 13 from our 45 yard, Carlos Wilcox’s punt sailed 41 yards, going unreturned to give Oklahoma the ball at their 14 yard line. It was into the air for the Sooners right out of the gate, as Cannon hit Jay Riley for a gain of 6 yards, followed by a 10 yard pass to Bowen for first down at the 30 yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down, Washington gained 7 yards on the ground, leaving the Sooners with third and three from their 37. The defense would rise to the occasion once again, tackling Washington for a loss of one yard to bring about fourth down. A 52 yard punt was returned for 5 yards by Fletcher and our offense was back on the field at our 17 yard line, 3:53 left in the first quarter.
Thanks in part to an outside rush by the Sooners, Fletcher was left with a gap up the middle, picking up 9 yards to set up second and one. Despite what looked like a promising gain, the blitzing middle linebacker blew through on the opposite side of the center, diving at Fletcher’s legs and bringing him down for no gain, leaving us with third and one at the 26. Roy Strong would get the job done on the next play, busting it up the middle for a gain of 10 yards and first down at our 36 yard line. Trying to catch the defense sleeping with a speed option, Booth was able to pick up four yards on the first down play. Fletcher never had a chance on second down, as the defense broke through, tackling him for a loss of three yards to leave us with third and 9. Booth’s pass on third down to Jefferson went for a 10 yard gain over the middle, just getting the first down and keeping our drive breathing at the 47 yard line. The defense continued to have their way with Booth, sacking him for a loss of 10 yards on the first down pass attempt to leave us with second and 20. Just getting the pass off before being hit, Booth found Mark Thompson for a gain of 13 yards, leaving us third and 6 at the Oklahoma 49. Booth’s pass to Strong wasn't enough, only picking up four yards to leave us with fourth and two at the 45. The final seconds would tick off the clock and the first quarter would come to an end, Oklahoma leading 3-0.
Punting on fourth down to start the second quarter, it was an absolute shank by Wilcox, going only 15 yards before going out of bounds, giving Oklahoma the ball at their 30 yard line. The Sooners would come up short on the drive, as two incomplete passes and an 8 yard pass to Moore left Oklahoma with fourth and two. The 49 yard punt was returned for 8 yards by Fletcher and we were back on the field at our 22.
Fletcher got us moving on first down, finding a small hole up the middle and fighting forward for an 11 yard gain. Oklahoma seemed to suddenly forget how to defend the run, as Fletcher broke another run for a gain of 13 yards and a first down at our 45 yard line, nobody managing to touch Fletcher until the safety brought him down. A 5 yard rush by Fletcher was followed with a gain of four yards by Strong and we were left with third and inches at the Oklahoma 45 yard line. Despite the outside linebacker blitzing in late, Fletcher was able to just barely fall forward over the line of scrimmage for a one yard gain and a first down at the 44 yard line. Fletcher continued to pound it against the Sooners defense, picking up a gain of 9 yards on first down and exposing a weakness against the run game in that previously impenetrable armor of the Oklahoma defense. A gain of three yards by Fletcher gave us first down at the 32 yard line. Fighting off of a tackle attempt, Fletcher was able to continue pushing forward for a three yard gain before finally being brought down. Left with second and 7, Booth went into the air, his pass attempt off his back foot falling woefully incomplete, leaving us with third down and 3:42 left in the first half. The third down pass attempt to Thompson went for a big gain, as Thompson rolled his way out of two consecutive tackle attempts before being pushed out of bounds at the three yard line, a 25 yard gain in all to give us first and goal, our first real chance of the game to put points on the board. Fletcher would find the end zone on the next play, pushing off of a tackle attempt and racing the Oklahoma defense to the far corner for the three yard touchdown rush and a 7-3 lead with 3:03 left in the first half.
A touchback on the kickoff left Oklahoma starting on their 25 yard line, 2:55 left to work their magic. Our defense showed its might on first down, tackling Washington for a loss of four yards, before a 9 yard pass from Cannon to Eric Green left Oklahoma with third and four. Washington would return with a vengeance, picking up 6 yards on the ground and giving Oklahoma a first down at their 37. A pair of rushes by Cannon for no gain and a pickup of 6 yards, Oklahoma was left facing third and four. Cannon would go to the air on the next play, finding Barnes for a gain of 12 yard and first down at our 45 yard line, 1:45 left to go in the half. Another pass, this time to Moore for a 13 yard gain, Oklahoma had a first down at our 32. After a pass to Alfred Reid for 7 yards, an incomplete pass intended for Moore left Oklahoma with third and three from our 25 yard line. Cannon would pick up the first down himself, rushing for three yards to our 22 yard line with 1:18 left on the clock. A 16 yard pass to Washington gave Oklahoma first and goal at our 6 yard line. A gain of 5 yards on the ground by Washington, and Oklahoma had second and goal from our one yard line, 1:04 left to go. The Sooners would find the end zone on the next play as Cannon punched it in himself from one yard out, the PAT giving Oklahoma a 10-7 lead with 53 seconds left to play.
A 21 yard kickoff return by Jefferson left us starting on our 20 yard line with 42 seconds to go, all three timeouts still in the bag. Booth’s pass on first down, intended for Thompson fell incomplete, leaving us second down. A misalignment by the defense left Fletcher wide open on the next play, hauling it in for a 53 yard gain before being tripped up by the safety at the Oklahoma 27 yard line. A timeout stopped the clock with 32 seconds to go. A pass to Eric Hayden went for a gain of 11 yards to the Oklahoma 16. An incomplete pass on first down left us second down with 23 seconds to go in the half, still two timeouts to use. Booth’s second down pass to Hayden went for a gain of only four yards, leaving us third and 6 from the 12 yard line, our second timeout stopping play with 18 seconds to go. A pass from Booth to Strong on third down went for a gain of 6 yards, the chain measurement giving us the first down by just a couple inches, setting us up with first and goal at the 6 yard line, 13 seconds left on the clock. Rushing to the line, the first down pass intended for Jefferson was knocked incomplete, leaving us second and goal with 10 seconds to go. Another incomplete pass, intended for Hayden left us third and goal, just 6 seconds remaining. Calling quick slants, the pass from Booth to Jefferson was broken up and left with fourth and goal and three seconds to go, we were forced to settle for a 23 yard field goal. With the clock expired, we headed into halftime all tied up at 10-10.
Receiving the kickoff to open up the second half, Jefferson returned the ball for 24 yards, getting our offense started at the 28 yard line. The Oklahoma defense seemed ready for our run game to start the half, as Fletcher was quickly brought down for no gain on the first down rush. Another rush, Fletcher was able to gain only two yards, leaving us with third and 8 from our 30. Booth’s pass to Hayden was completed, but Hayden was tackled for a gain of only four yards, and left facing fourth and three, our punt team came out. A fair catch on the 46 yard punt gave Oklahoma the ball to start at their 19 yard line. It was a short drive also for Oklahoma, as the Sooners started with a pass for no gain from Cannon to Washington, before Washington was tackled for a loss of two yards, followed by an 8 yard rush to leave Oklahoma with fourth and four at their 25. The 43 yard punt was returned for 8 yards by Fletcher and we took over on our 39 yard line.
Fletcher got us moving to start our drive, picking up 6 yards on first down. A gain of only one yard by Fletcher on the next play, and we were left facing third and three. A third down pass play to Silva turned into a huge gain, as all three linebackers blitzed, leaving the middle wide open for Silva to catch the ball and pick up 23 yards before the safeties brought him down at the Oklahoma 31 yard line. Strong took the ball on the ground on the next play, managing only a gain of one yard to the 30. The first turnover of the game would take place on the next play, as Booth tried to thread the needle to Jefferson, but outside linebacker Sam Vogel grabbed the ball out of the air for the interception, being immediately tacked by the tight end at the Sooners 24 yard line, 3:51 left to go in the third quarter. The Sooners got moving quickly, as Washington picked up 5 yards on the ground, followed by a 12 yard pass to Green for a first down at the 42 yard line. The defense fought back on first down, sacking Cannon for a 5 yard loss. A dropped pass on second down was followed with a 13 yard strike to Green, leaving Oklahoma with fourth and two at midfield. The Sooners would go for it on fourth down, Washington picking up three yards on the ground to give Oklahoma first down at our 47 yard line. Three straight incomplete passes would bring Oklahoma’s drive to an end. The 41 yard punt went unreturned, leaving our offense to start its next drive from the 6 yard line, 2:16 left in the quarter.
We quickly got out of the shadows of our end zone, as Hayden took advantage of a blitzing defense, hauling in a quick pass from Booth for a gain of 25 yards and a first down at the 31 yard line. Our drive nearly turned calamitous on the next play, as Fletcher was quickly wrapped up, the ball being knocked loose. Fletcher would end up owning a big fat steak to left guard Daniel Peters, who jumped on the ball to recover the fumble, leaving us with second and 8. The booth would challenge the fumble, and after review, it was determined that Fletcher had been down by contact before the ball came out, resulting in second and 10 instead of second and 8. Fletcher took it off left tackle on the next play, gaining 5 yards to leave us third and 5. After being forced to take a timeout to avoid delay of game, Booth’s third down pass intended for Thompson went wide incomplete, and with 38 seconds left in the quarter, we were forced to punt away. A fair catch on the 50 yard punt gave Oklahoma the ball at their 14 yard line. Cannon picked up four yards on first down to get Oklahoma started, before the defense struck back, tackling Washington for a loss of three yards, leaving the Sooners with third and 9 from the 15. Cannon would hit Barnes for a 7 yard gain, leaving Oklahoma with fourth and two from their 22 yard line, where the final couple seconds would tick off and the third quarter would come to an end, still all tied up at 10-10.
Oklahoma got the fourth quarter started with a 49 yard punt, returned 7 yards by Fletcher to start our offense at our 35 yard line. Breaking off a tackle, Fletcher rushed ahead for a gain of 6 yards on first down. The defense was more than ready on second down, tackling Fletcher for a loss of one yard to leave us with third and 5 at our 40. Thompson would come through with a huge gain on third down, hauling in a pass from Booth for a gain of 22 yards and a first down at the Oklahoma 37 yard line. The defense refused to let our running game get going again, as the defense brought Fletcher down for a loss of one yard on the first down play, leaving us second and 11 from the 38. We continued going backwards, as Booth’s pass to Silva went for a loss of one yard as well, leaving us facing third and 12 at the 39. The third down pass intended for Jefferson was broken up by the safety, leaving us with fourth and 12. Coach Ludwig would take a chance at the long shot, but the 56 yard field goal attempt by Alphonso Pratt was no good, and Oklahoma took over at their 39 yard line, 5:35 left to go in the game.
Washington started the drive with a four yard rush, before a 15 yard strike from Cannon to Barnes gave Oklahoma a first down at our 42 yard line. An 11 yard rush by Washington set up a 16 yard pass from Cannon to Moore and Oklahoma had a first down at our 15 yard line. After a two yard rush by Cannon, Oklahoma would take the lead, as Washington broke a rush off the right tackle, taking it 12 yards to the house for the 17-10 lead with 4:15 left in the game. Only four minutes left to go, a 21 yard kickoff return by Fletcher got our drive starting at our 22 yard line. The first down pass to Hayden was dropped and we were left with second down. Thompson would get us a first down, hauling in a pass from Booth for a gain of 14 yard out to our 37 yard line. Booth’s first down pass fell incomplete, again leaving us second down, 3:31 left on the clock. The dagger would be plunged into our heart on the next play, as Booth was intercepted by Brett Flowers, who took it 43 yards to the house for the interception return, giving Oklahoma a 24-10 lead with 3:23 to go.
A touchback on the kickoff got us started at our 25, only 3:15 now remaining. A first down pass to Hayden went for a gain of 17 yards and a first down at the 42. Booth’s first down pass intended for Thompson sailed wide and we were left with second down. A pair of 7 yards passes to Hayden and Silva kept our drive alive, giving us first down at the Oklahoma 44 yard line, 2:39 left on the clock. Three straight incomplete passes left us facing fourth and 10. Fletcher would keep the drive alive, hauling In a 22 yard pass from Booth, giving us a first down at the 23 yard line, 2:16 to go in the game. A 15 yard pass to Antoine Banks on the next play gave us first and goal at the 8 yard line, 2:02 left. Jefferson would get us in the end zone on the next play, hauling in the 8 yard touchdown pass from Booth to make it 24-17 with 1:52 left on the clock.
Oklahoma would recover the onside kick, giving the Sooners the ball at our 40 yard line with 1:49 left to play, only two timeouts left for our defense to stop the clock. An 8 yard rush by Washington got Oklahoma to our 32 yard line, our timeout stopping play with 1:43 left. Washington would pick up 5 yards on the next play for the first down at our 27, 1:38 left to play after our final timeout. Washington would keep pounding it ahead, picking up 7 yards to set up second and three, 1:26 remaining. Washington would get brought down for a loss of one yard on the next play, leaving Oklahoma with third and four, 44 seconds left to play. A loss of one yard by Tidwell and Oklahoma had fourth and 6 at our 23 yard line with 30 seconds to remaining. Trying to make it look better on paper, Oklahoma attempted a 40 yard field goal with 10 seconds left, the kick bouncing off the left upright. Our offense took over at our 23 yard line with three seconds left. The Hail Mary would not be answered this time around, as Booth’s pass deep to Fletcher was batted incomplete, the Sooners prevailing 24-17.
With the loss, we drop to 2-1 on the year. With the win, #5 Oklahoma stays perfect at 3-0. Up next, it’s back home to take on Akron. Akron started their year with a 35-7 win over FCS Southeast, before losing two straight, 34-10 to South Florida and 37-21 to Temple, heading into their first road game of the season at our house.
Final Score
#5 :Oklahoma: 24, #12 :Tulsa: 17
Stat(s) of the Game:
Tulsa Offense – An alright day by Booth, 319 yards passing and one touchdown, but two interceptions pretty much cost us the game. The first interception killed a drive that had momentum, the second interception killed our chances at winning, as the pick six gave Oklahoma a 14 point lead, leaving us playing for a huge comeback instead of just trying to tie it back up. A so-so day by Fletcher, 73 yards rushing and a touchdown on 21 carries. 7 receivers caught a ball today, everyone getting at least 10 or more yards. Fletcher ended up leading the way with 100 yards receiving on 3 catches, thanks in part to that 53 yard catch early in the game. Jefferson had the only receiving touchdown for the game to go along with 41 yards receiving on 3 catches.
Tulsa Defense – An incredible job today. They did give up 17 points, but against a powerful offense like Oklahoma, that was a hell of a job just to hold them to that. The two touchdowns the defense gave up came on drives that Oklahoma just bent them over, but at other times, the defense stood strong and killed drives that the Sooners very well may have scored on. Held Oklahoma to only 293 yards of offense, and despite not forcing any turnovers, the defense pretty much singlehandedly kept us in the game.
Tulsa Kicking – Pratt ended the day 1-2 in field goals, hitting the 23 yard kick to end the first half, and then missing that 56 yard prayer kick in the fourth quarter. He did go 2-2 in PATs.
Scoring Summary
Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score :Tulsa: 0 10 0 7 17 :Oklahoma: 3 7 0 14 24
Time Team Result Play Score First Quarter 7:02 :Oklahoma: Field Goal G. Weber, 30 yard field goal :Oklahoma: 3-0 Second Quarter 3:03 :Tulsa: Touchdown K. Fletcher, 3 yard run (A. Pratt kick) :Tulsa: 7-3 0:53 :Oklahoma: Touchdown C. Cannon, 1 yard run (G. Weber kick) :Oklahoma: 10-7 0:01 :Tulsa: Field Goal A. Pratt, 23 yard field goal TIED 10-10 Third Quarter Fourth Quarter 4:15 :Oklahoma: Touchdown R. Washington, 12 yard run (G. Weber kick) :Oklahoma: 17-10 3:23 :Oklahoma: Touchdown B. Flowers, returned interception 43 yards (G. Weber kick) :Oklahoma: 24-10 1:52 :Tulsa: Touchdown C. Jefferson, 8 yard pass from B. Booth (A. Pratt kick) :Oklahoma: 24-17
Game Stats
Tulsa Stat Oklahoma 17 Score 24 19 First Downs 15 389 Total Offense 293 28 - 70 - 1 Rushes - Yards - TD 28 - 102 - 2 22 - 39 - 1 Comp - Att - TD 17 - 28 - 0 319 Passing Yards 191 2 Times Sacked 1 8 - 15 (53%) 3rd Down Conversion 4 - 12 (33%) 1 - 1 (100%) 4th Down Conversion 1 - 1 (100%) 0 - 0 (0%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%) 6 - 2 - 1 (50%) Red Zone - TD - FG 6 - 2 - 1 (50%) 2 Turnovers 0 0 Fumbles Lost 0 2 Intercepted 0 28 Punt Return Yards 0 66 Kick Return Yards 25 483 Total Yards 318 4 – 38.0 Punts - Average 5 - 47.2 0 - 0 Penalties 0 - 0 20:22 Time of Possession 15:44
Tulsa Contract Goals Update
Fail Impact Goal Progress Pass Impact Win 8 games in one season :check: :5greenarrow: :3redarrow: 13+ passing TD in one season :check: :5greenarrow: 14+ points per game in each season 42 :5greenarrow: :3redarrow: 7+ rushing TD in one season :check: :5greenarrow: :5redarrow: 2400+ total offensive yards in one season :check: :5greenarrow: :6redarrow: 2400+ total offensive yards in each season 1571 :3greenarrow: :3redarrow: Win 4 games in one season :check: :3greenarrow: :5redarrow: 2000+ total offensive yards in one season :check: :2greenarrow:
Job Security Status
100%
Time for another look around the nation. Starting in the Top 25, in the game of the week, #17 Michigan State pulls off the 31-13 upset of #3 Notre Dame. #25 Ohio State scored an upset over #6 Nebraska 35-19. #7 Alabama has an easy day with #15 Arkansas, 38-17. #23 TCU blew out #16 Texas Tech 56-27. Duke gets their first win of the year, knocking off #18 Florida state 24-21. #20 Fresno State keeps their win streak going at 14 straight with a 38-17 shellacking of winless Utah, and Florida International loses and falls to 2-1 on the year, but not before they put a scare into #22 Washington, 26-14.
For our readers, souljahbill, Southern Miss gets their first win of the year, whipping Louisiana Tech 19-7 to improve to 1-2 (1-0 C-USA). Jaymo, Arizona State falls to 1-2 (0-1 Pac-12) with a 44-28 whooping at the hands of Minnesota. Mors, it took double overtime, but West Virginia improves to 2-1 (1-1 Big 12) with a 30-27 win over Baylor. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State is now 3-0 on the year with a 27-7 victory over Memphis, and Iowa State falls to 0-2, losing 42-35 to Illinois.
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches poll, the top 2 remain the same. Wisconsin (getting 34 first place votes) and USC (23 votes) stay at #1 and #2. Georgia (2 votes) and Oklahoma (1 vote) both move up one to #3 and #4. Alabama (1 vote) jumps two to #5. Iowa, LSU, Auburn and Clemson all jump two to #6, #7, #8 and #9. Notre Dame drops seven spots to #10. Michigan and Kansas State both jump two to #11 and #12. Michigan State climbs four spots to #13. Nebraska falls eight ranks to #14, Tulsa falls three to #15. Virginia Tech and Fresno State both jump three to #16 and #17. TCU jump five to #18. Texas climbs two to #19 while Arkansas drops five to #20. Washington moves up one to #21, Ohio State jumps three to #22 and Stanford climbs one to #23. Texas Tech drops eight to #24 and Texas A&M enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week was Florida State (from #18). Looking at Other Receiving Votes, Temple is #26 (188 votes), followed by North Carolina, Tennessee, Penn State, and Florida State to round out the top 30. Two teams of interest receiving votes, FIU (69 votes) at #31 and Arkansas State (35 votes) at #32.
Tulsa adds home-and-home series with Oklahoma, Texas State and UNLV
TULSA — Following the latest battle between the Golden Hurricanes and the Oklahoma Sooners, it was announced by both athletic directors that an agreement had been reached to extend the series between Oklahoma and Tulsa that had produced two close, hard fought battles, including the 65-56 overtime game in 2014 that lit up highlight shows for weeks.
Following a two year absence from each other's schedules, Oklahoma will make the trip to Tulsa during the 2018 season, with Tulsa returning to Norman in 2019.
Director of Athletics Ross Parmley also announced the additions of Texas State and UNLV to the future schedule, with Texas State coming to town in 2016 and Tulsa making the return trip to San Marcos in 2018. Tulsa will host UNLV in 2017, heading on the road to Las Vegas in 2018.
The addition of Texas State rounds out the 2016 schedule, with road trips to Fresno State and Ohio State, to go along with a home contest against the Toledo Rockets. The UNLV addition completes the 2017 schedule along with road contests at Oklahoma State and Toledo, while Tulsa will host New Mexico.
The new series with Oklahoma extends the list of highly competitive non-conference opponents on the future schedules of the Golden Hurricanes, with games against Fresno State, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State coming up on the schedule in future seasons.
With the addition of Oklahoma, Texas State and UNLV, the Golden Hurricanes have filled out their 2016 and 2017 non-conference schedules and set the ground work for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Listed below are the upcoming and future non-conference schedules for Tulsa:
2016
at Fresno State
at Ohio State
Toledo
Texas State
2017
New Mexico
at Oklahoma State
at Toledo
UNLV
2018
Oklahoma
at Texas State
at UNLV
2019
at Oklahoma
At halftime of the Akron game, there was a reason I didn't even want to think about national title games (not even taking my game against Oklahoma into consideration). :fp:Quote:
Originally Posted by morsdraconis
Game Four
:Akron: :@: #15 :Tulsa:
Game Notes
--- It was tough, but we had to bounce back from the disappointing loss to #5 Oklahoma and get ready for the Zips. Akron was a heavy underdog coming into the game, but we were not about to start taking anybody for granted, lest we end up with a second loss and risk dropping from the rankings. We won the head to head in every statistic except turnover differential, and all the analysts were picking us to win handedly. We just had to keep our team focused on the goal so there wouldn’t be any let downs. We won the coin toss and elected to kick.
It was a touchback to start the game and Akron began from their 25. It was a very quick three and out, as two incomplete passes and a rush for no gain by Will Whitmore left Akron punting right from the start. A fair catch on the 43 yard punt gave us the ball at our 31 yard line. Kiel Fletcher got us started on offense, breaking a 10 yard run on first down to get us out to the 41. Bringing out the option, Booth picked up gains of four and 8 yards to give us a first down at the Akron 47. After a dropped pass on first down, Booth committed the first miscue of the day, as his pass intended for Max Thompson was intercepted and returned 59 yards for the touchdown, giving Akron a 7-0 thanks to their defense. A 17 yard return on the kickoff found us starting at our 15 yard line this time.
A 6 yard run by Fletcher followed by a gain of four from Ryan Strong left us facing third and inches. Fletcher would avoid the blitzing safety and pick up 10 yards up the gut for the first down at the 36 yard line. Taking another chance through the air, this time Conner Jefferson held onto the ball for a gain of 13 yards and a first down at the 48. Following an incomplete pass, Booth was flushed out of the pocket, scrambling for a gain of 5 yards to leave us with third and 5. It was Strong getting the first down and then a whole lot of more, hauling in a pass from Booth right at the first down line, then thanks to a downfield block, a juke away from a defender and three broken tackles, the play turned into a gain of 43 yards when all was said and done, Strong finally being brought down by three players at the four yard line for first and goal. Fletcher would fight ahead for a gain of two yards on first down, before being wrapped up for a loss of one yard, leaving us third and goal from the three. Booth’s pass into the end zone would be dropped, in and out of Jefferson’s hands, and we were forced to disappointingly settle for a 20 yard field goal to make it 7-3 with 4:06 left in the quarter.
Following the touchback on the kickoff, Akron started quickly moving the ball, as Tim Brown hit Seth Scott for a gain of 12 yards to the 37 yard line. After an incomplete pass, Brown found Mario Logan for 12 yards and another first down at the 49. Following another incomplete pass, Brown hit Chad Jansen for 5 yards, before the third down pass fell incomplete, and Akron was forced to punt from our 47. The 42 yard punt went unreturned and we were left buried at our 4 yard line. Fletcher would manage only three yards on the first down rush. Booth was hit as he tried to throw on the next play, resulting in an incomplete pass and third down from our 7. Booth’s pass would sail long and we were forced to punt on fourth and 7. A fair catch on the 43 yard punt left Akron starting at midfield. Brown hit Jansen through the air on first down for an 18 yard gain to get down to our 32. After a two yard rush by Jermaine Merrick, Brown was sacked for a loss of 5 yards and Akron was left with third and 13 from our 36. An incomplete pass would leave Akron’s drive stranded, punting out of the end zone for a touchback.
A pair of rushes by Fletcher for three and 6 yards left us facing third and one from our 29. Strong would manage to fight across the line for a two yard gain to give us a first down at our 32 yard line. Trying our chances through the air, Jefferson dropped his third pass of the day, setting up second down with only two seconds to go in the quarter. Booth’s pass to Thompson went for an 8 yard gain and we ended the first quarter trailing 7-3.
Booth’s pass on third down sailed over Thompson’s head to start the second quarter, and left with fourth and two, we were forced to punt away. The 48 yard punt from Carlos Wilcox was returned for 10 yards and Akron was back on the field at their 21 yard line. A penalty against our defense gave the Zips 8 free yards and a first down. A pass from Brown to Whitmore for 5 yards was followed with an incomplete pass, leaving third and 5. Akron would keep their drive alive as Brown found Jansen for a gain of 5 yards and a first down at the 39 yard line. The drive would quickly stall out, as Whitmore was tackled for a two yard loss, followed by a one yard rush by Brown and an incomplete pass, leaving the Zips punting on fourth and 11. A fair catch on the 42 yard punt gave us possession at our 20 yard line. It was a one play drive for us, as Booth committed his second error of the game, his pass intended for Thompson being intercepted by Marcus James and Akron had the ball at our 25 yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down, our defense would answer back, Darnell Turner intercepting Brown to get our offense back on the field at our three yard line.
Fletcher picked up 5 yards on first down, before fighting forward for a gain of 8 yards and first down at the 16 yard line. In what was becoming a familiar scene, Fletcher was slow getting up after the play and went to the locker room to be evaluated. Taking over on first team, Strong pounded the rock ahead for a gain of 7 yards, followed by a gain of 5 yards. After the play, it was revealed that Fletcher had suffered a bruised knee and would be back a bit later in the game. It was a huge sigh of relief as our running back corps was starting to get a little thin with Roy Smith still sidelined for another four weeks from a broken collarbone. Fighting off a tackle in the backfield, Strong fought forward for a gain of three yards to leave second and 7. Going deep down the right sideline, Booth found Eric Hayden past his man, Hayden catching the ball and just getting his foot down before falling out of bounds for a 33 yard gain to the Akron 37 yard line. After a pair of rushes by Strong for gains of 5 and two yards left us with third and three. Eric Silva would see his first action of the day, catching a pass over the middle from Booth, before fighting off a tackle and running down the 11 yard line for a 19 yard reception and a first down. A 5 yard pass to Hayden left us with second and 5 from the 6 yard line. Booth found Hayden in the far corner of the end zone on the next play, and we finally got our first touchdown of the day on the 6 yard touchdown pass, making it 10-7 with 3:49 left in the first half.
Following the touchback on the kickoff, Brown got the Zips moving with a 14 yard first down pass to Whitmore to get out to the 39 yard line. After a four yard rush by Whitmore, Brown was sacked for a loss of one yard, before an incomplete pass on third down left Akron punting on fourth and 7 from their 42. A fair catch on the 44 yard punt left us with 2:48 on the clock and the ball on our 13 yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down, Booth found Thompson along the left sideline for a gain of 19 yards and a first down at the 32 yard line. A 9 yard pass to Jefferson was followed with a 14 yard strike to Silva and we had first down at the Akron 46. Strong picked up four yards on the pass from Booth, before an incomplete pass that was nearly intercepted left us with third and 6. Thompson would keep the drive alive for us, hauling in a pass from Booth for a gain of 16 down to the Akron 26 with 1:20 left in the half. Hayden would keep us moving, hauling in a pass for a gain of 13 yards and a first down at the 13 yard line as the clock ticked under one minute. Booth’s first down pass was again nearly intercepted, falling incomplete. Strong would haul in a pass from Booth, tackled at the one yard line for a gain of 11 yards to set up first and goal. Our first timeout would stop the clock with 48 seconds. Back in action after being injured earlier, Fletcher would punch it in from one yard out on the next play, giving us a 17-7 lead with 46 seconds to go.
A 19 yard kickoff return left Akron starting on their 18 yard line and just 35 seconds to work with. After an incomplete pass on first down, Akron got flagged for holding and was left with second and 20 from their 8 yard line, 21 seconds left on the clock. A rush by Whitmore went for one yard, setting up third and 19, our second timeout stopping the clock at 16 seconds. Brown would get tackled for a loss of three yards, leaving Akron punting on fourth and 22 from their 6 yard line, our final timeout stopping play with 12 seconds. A 7 yard return on the 44 yard punt gave us the ball at the Akron 43 yard line and 5 seconds remaining. The stupidly decided 60 yard field goal attempt by Coach Ludwig was no good, the ball barely getting into the end zone before landing and Akron regain possession with one second still on the clock. The Hail Mary pass was intercepted by Clay Weiss at our 11 yard line to bring the half to a close, our lead holding at 17-7.
A touchback on the kickoff and we were underway to start the second half at our 25 yard line. Fletcher picked up 6 yards on first down, before an off-tackle rush went for a gain of 11 yards, a pair of blocks allowing Fletcher to get to the outside and take it up the sideline. Trying our luck with the speed option, it never had a chance, Booth being tackled in the backfield for a loss of four yards. Going into the air to try and get back the yards we lost, Booth winged a pass right over the head of the middle linebacker to Hayden, who managed to turn upfield and beat the safety, picking up 28 yards before finally being brought down at the Akron 35 yard line. Taking the deep shot, Booth’s pass to Jefferson was nearly intercepted, batted up in the air, and then was nearly completed, Jefferson diving for the batted ball, getting his hands on it but unable to control it as he fell to the ground. Catching the defense snoozing, Fletcher came out of the backfield on a wheel route on the next play, leaving the outside linebacker sprinting to chase him. Booth’s pass sailed over the linebacker’s head, Fletcher jumping up in the air to grab it and then taking it 28 yards down to the 7 yard line before being tackled by the safety, setting us up with first and goal. Strong would rumble forward, getting hit at the two yard line, but rolling over top of the defender and landing on his back across the goal line for the 7 yard touchdown rush. Pratt’s PAT was no good and our lead stood at 23-7 with 7:06 left in the third quarter.
Following a touchback on the kickoff, Akron’s spirits seemed to be breaking, as a pair of incomplete passes and a three yard rush by Scott was all the Zips would muster, punting away on fourth and 7 from their 28. The 49 yard punt was returned for 10 yards by Fletcher and we were back on the field at our 32 yard line, our offense gearing up for the kill shot. Fletcher would pick up four yards on first down, but while fighting forward for yards on the next play, our offense was tagged with holding, and we were left facing second and 15. Booth’s pass to Jefferson went for a gain of 12 yards to set up the third down play at the 39 yard line. Jefferson would haul in the pass from Booth on the deep curl for a gain of 27 yards and we had a first down at the Akron 34 yard line. Nicholas Roberts caught his first pass of the day, hauling on a pass from Booth for a gain of 32 yards on the hitch corner route and we had first and goal at the two yard line, our offense finally starting to find its rhythm. Fletcher was stood up for no gain on first down. We’d return to the end zone on the next play, Booth finding Randy Newman on the quick slant route for the two yard touchdown and a 30-7 lead with 4:35 left in the third quarter.
A 24 yard kickoff return left Akron starting on their 25 yard line and searching for answers. Our defense would help out on the next play, as pass interference gave Akron the ball at their 48 yard line and a new set of downs. After an incomplete pass, our defense got tagged for a facemask on a deep pass, tagging 15 yards on to the play for a total of 44 yards in net gain, and Akron found themselves with first and goal at our 8 yard line after the penalty was added on. The Zips would finally return to the end zone as Brown hit Evan Young for an 8 yard touchdown. Akron would attempt to go for the two-point conversion, but the Zips were flagged for holding and pushed back to the 13 yard line. Akron would still convert, Brown finding Jansen in the end zone and our lead was cut to 30-15 with 3:58 to go in the third quarter.
A touchback on the kickoff got us started at our 25 yard line. Breaking a tackle, Fletcher was able to turn a gain of one into a gain of 6 yards to start our drive. Fletcher never had a chance on the next play, the defensive tackle pushing through his block to bring Fletcher down for a loss of one yard to leave us with third and four. Booth would find Jefferson for a gain of 13 yard and we would keep the drive alive at our 44 yard line. Trying the option on first down as a lesson in futility as the linebacker broke through unblocked, tackling Booth for a loss of three yards. Booth would find Roberts on an out route from the tight end position for a gain of 10 yards to leave us with third and two at the Akron 48. Fletcher would convert the third down, rumbling, bumbling and stumbling forward for a 9 yard gain to the 39 yard line. Fletcher fought forward for a gain of 8 yards on the next play, but the tackle got flagged for holding, negating the gain. Fletcher would fight forward for a gain of around two yards, before fumbling the ball. The ball was picked up by right guard Marcel Morris for an additional two yards to leave us with second and 16 at the 45. The third quarter would end on that play, our lead standing at 30-15 with a final 9 minutes to play in the game.
After an incomplete pass to start the fourth quarter, Booth found Thompson on an out route, but it would only go for a gain of 10 yards, leaving our drive stuck at the 35 yard line on fourth and 6. Pratt would bomb a 53 yard field goal through the uprights, extending our lead to 33-15 with 8:36 left in the game. A 22 yard kickoff return and Akron was in action at their 27 yard line. Two straight incomplete passes left Akron looking deep. Brown’s pass didn’t find its intended target, instead landing in the hands of Andy Malone for the interception, giving our offense the ball at the Akron 48 yard line. Akron’s defense never had a chance on the first down pitch play, the quick pitch from Booth and some beautiful downfield blocking leaving Fletcher a massive running lane all the way down the right sideline, finally being run out of bounds by the safeties at the Akron 7 yard line for a 41 yard gain and first and goal. A two yard rush by Fletcher was followed by an incomplete pass to leave us with third and goal. The corner would swat the ball incomplete and we were forced to settle for a field goal. The 23 yard kick made our lead 36-15 with 6:52 left in the game.
A 17 yard kickoff return left Akron starting at their 19 yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down, it was backwards for the Zips as the center got flagged for holding, leaving Akron with second and 20 from their 9 yard line and our defense licking their chops. A three yard rush by Brown would be all Akron would manage, the third down pass falling incomplete and the Zips forced to punt on fourth and 17. A fair catch by Fletcher on the 46 yard punt got our offense started from our 40 yard line. Fletcher was able to pick up gains of three and four yards on a pair of rushes and we were left looking at third and three from the 48. Fletcher would fight forward through the middle linebacker, falling forward for a gain of 6 yards and a first down at the Akron 46. After getting stopped for only a gain of two yards, Fletcher was able to pick up four yards on the toss play, setting up third and four. Strong would end up being tackled for a loss of one yard on the jet sweep and we were forced to punt away on fourth and 5 with 2:56 remaining.
A touchback on the punt left Akron at their 20 yard line. It was nothing but backwards for the Zips, as Brown was sacked on first down for a loss of 6 yards, then sacked again on the next play, this time for an 11 yard loss, leaving Akron with third and 26 from their four yard line. A 5 yard facemask penalty on the end of the 11 yard pass play gave Akron a new set of downs at their 20 yard line. After rushing for a four yard gain, Brown went to the air, hitting Logan for 8 yards and a first down at their 33. A loss of two yards on the ground by Whitmore was quickly erased, as Whitmore hauled in a pass from Brown on second down for a 13 yard gain to get the first at the 43 yard line. The defense fought back on the next play, sacking Brown for a loss of 8 yards to leave Akron with second and 18 from their 36 with 1:23 to go. Two incomplete passes and Akron would bring on the punt unit. A fair catch by Fletcher on the 46 yard punt put the ball in our offense’s hands at our 18 yard line and only a minute on the clock. The second team offense would come out to close out the game, Casey Bishop kneeling the ball twice to run out the final 60 seconds.
With the win, we improve our record to 3-1 as our non-conference schedule comes to a close. With the loss, Akron drops to 1-3 on the season. Up next, it’s the start of our conference slate, as we head on the road to Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs enter the game at 2-2 on the season. They opened with a 27-14 win at Ken State, before losing two straight, 35-17 to Wyoming and 19-7 to Southern Miss. The Bulldogs finally got back on track with a 30-17 win over Eastern Michigan before their game with is.
Final Score
#15 :Tulsa: 36, :Akron: 15
Stat(s) of the Game:
- Tulsa Offense – A so-so day for Booth. He did end the game with 375 yards passing and two touchdowns, but he also threw two interceptions, including a pick six for the second straight game. Fletcher had a monster day today, ending with 152 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. Receiving, 8 different players caught a ball today, 7 of them ending the game with 28 yards or more. Hayden led the way today with 85 yard receiving and a touchdown on 5 receptions.
- Tulsa Defense – A damn good day, only being responsible for 8 points given up and holding the Zips to 159 yards of total offense, along with three interceptions.
- Tulsa Kicking – A pretty good day by Pratt. Went 3-4 in field goals, missing an absurd 60 yard kick, but hitting from 20, 23 and a career high 53. Went 3-4 on PATs.
Scoring Summary
Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score :Akron: 7 0 8 0 15 :Tulsa: 3 14 13 6 36
Time Team Result Play Score First Quarter 7:14 :Akron: Touchdown D. Sims, returned interception 59 yards (R. McClain kick) :Akron: 7-0 4:08 :Tulsa: Field Goal A. Pratt, 20 yard field goal :Akron: 7-3 Second Quarter 3:49 :Tulsa: Touchdown E. Hayden, 6 yard pass from B. Booth (A. Pratt kick) :Tulsa: 10-7 0:46 :Tulsa: Touchdown K. Fletcher, 2 yard run (A. Pratt kick) :Tulsa: 17-7 Third Quarter 7:06 :Tulsa: Touchdown R. Strong, 7 yard run (missed kick) :Tulsa: 23-7 4:35 :Tulsa: Touchdown R. Newman, 2 yard pass from B. Booth (A. Pratt kick) :Tulsa: 30-7 4:06 :Akron: Touchdown E. Young, 7 yard pass from T. Brown (2-pt conversion good) :Tulsa: 30-15 Fourth Quarter 8:40 :Tulsa: Field Goal A. Pratt, 53 yard field goal :Tulsa: 33-15 6:55 :Tulsa: Field Goal A. Pratt, 23 yard field goal :Tulsa: 36-15
Game Stats
Akron Stat Tulsa 15 Score 36 8 First Downs 24 159 Total Offense 567 11 - 11 - 0 Rushes - Yards - TD 41 - 192 - 2 13 - 36 - 1 Comp - Att - TD 23 - 40 - 2 148 Passing Yards 375 5 Times Sacked 0 1 - 12 (8%) 3rd Down Conversion 9 - 15 (60%) 0 - 0 (0%) 4th Down Conversion 0 - 0 (0%) 1 - 1 (100%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%) 5 - 1 - 0 (20%) Red Zone - TD - FG 7 - 4 - 2 (85%) 3 Turnovers 2 0 Fumbles Lost 0 3 Intercepted 2 10 Punt Return Yards 17 82 Kick Return Yards 17 251 Total Yards 601 9 – 44.0 Punts - Average 3 - 44.3 2 - 20 Penalties 6 - 63 12:24 Time of Possession 23:36
Tulsa Contract Goals Update
Fail Impact Goal Progress Pass Impact Win 8 games in one season :check: :5greenarrow: :3redarrow: 13+ passing TD in one season :check: :5greenarrow: 14+ points per game in each season 41 :5greenarrow: :3redarrow: 7+ rushing TD in one season :check: :5greenarrow: :5redarrow: 2400+ total offensive yards in one season :check: :5greenarrow: :6redarrow: 2400+ total offensive yards in each season 2138 :3greenarrow: :3redarrow: Win 4 games in one season :check: :3greenarrow: :5redarrow: 2000+ total offensive yards in one season :check: :2greenarrow:
Job Security Status
100%
Time for another look around the nation. Starting in the Top 25, it was a very slow start for #1 Wisconsin, as they trailed Indiana 10-0 at halftime and 10-7 after the third quarter. A 21-0 fourth quarter advantage keeps Wisconsin on top of the college football world for at least one more week with a 28-10 victory. It took overtime, but #2 USC prevails, dropping Utah to a 0-4 start with a 41-34 win. Ball State put up one hell of a fight, including only trailing 27-21 at halftime, but in the end #5 Alabama proved too much, using a 20-0 third quarter advantage to pull out the 54-30 win.
One year after finishing in the top 20, Rutgers is now 0-4 on the season, losing 37-0 to #6 Iowa. #17 Fresno State's 14 game winning streak dating back to last season is no more. The Bulldogs suffer their first loss, 31-7, at the hands of #7 LSU. #9 Clemson had to use a 17-0 fourth quarter to pull away late and get the 37-21 win over Duke. Winless Troy nearly had the upset of the day, taking #11 Michigan down to the wire, but the Wolverines would hold on for the 27-24 victory thanks to a touchdown with 2:42 left to play.
Temple is now 4-0 after they score the shocker of the day, upsetting #12 Kansas State 31-17. #13 Michigan State hands #22 Ohio State their first loss, 34-31. #18 TCU wins a shootout with Oklahoma State 45-38. Bevo pulls one out, as #19 Texas hangs on for the 20-17 win over Oregon State. #23 Stanford barely stays undefeated, beating winless Washington State 34-31 courtesy of touchdown with 1:20 left in the game. #24 Texas Tech will be saying goodbye to their ranking, as Georgia Tech wins 30-14.
For our readers, souljahbill, Southern Miss improves to 2-2 (1-0 C-USA) as they just utterly destroy 0-4 Baylor, 37-7. Jaymo, Arizona State falls to 1-3 (0-2 Pac-12) with a 49-21 loss to UCLA. Mors, West Virginia falls to 2-2 (1-1 Big 12) with a 55-13 whooping at the hands of Maryland. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State had a bye week, and Iowa State get their first win of the year with a 41-0 shutout of Idaho.
In the C-USA, UTEP fires the first shot in the division races, the Miners knocking off Florida International 24-14 and UTSA is a surprising 3-0 after a 14-13 win over 0-4 Florida Atlantic.
Elsewhere, in the laugher of the week, SMU improves to 3-1 with an 80-14 tidal wave of whoop ass on Big East foe Memphis, dropping to Tigers to 0-4.
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches poll, the top 10 remained the same. Wisconsin (getting 37 first place votes) and USC (21 votes) stay at #1 and #2. Georgia (1 vote), Oklahoma (1 vote) and Alabama (1 vote) all remain #3, #4 and #5. Iowa, LSU, Auburn, Clemson and Notre Dame all remain #6 through #10. Michigan stayed at #11, Michigan State and Nebraska both climbed one to #12 and #13. Tulsa jumps one to #14, Virginia Tech moves up one to #15, TCU and Texas both jumped two to #16 and #17. Kansas State fell six slots while Arkansas and Washington both moved up one to #19 and #20. Stanford jumped two to #21, Fresno State fell five to #22, Temple enters the poll this week at #23, Texas A&M moved up one to #24 and North Carolina enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Ohio State (from #22) and Texas Tech (from #24). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Ohio State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Penn State and Air Force round out the top 30, Arkansas State is sitting #31.
Taking a look at the very first Media poll, Wisconsin (44 first place votes), USC (21 votes) and Oklahoma make up #1, #2 and #3. Georgia and Alabama round out the top 5 at #4 and #5. The rest of the top 10 consist of LSU, Iowa, Michigan State, Auburn and Clemson. Notre Dame is next at #11, followed by Michigan, Nebraska, Tulsa at #14, and Virginia Tech to close out the top 15. The final 10 spots on the poll are made up of TCU, Texas, Temple, Arkansas and Ohio State #16 through #20, and Kansas State, Stanford, Washington, Texas A&M and Fresno State #21 through #25. Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Penn State, Louisville and Texas Tech round out the top 30.
Holy crap Jeff, I LOVE that QB Power play. I just ripped the Louisiana Tech defense a new one on the QB Power play I just ran with Booth. Booth does have some jets on him. He's not gonna set any speed records, but an 83 speed rating is more than enough to do some damage against a weaker or unprepared/sleeping defense.Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffHCross
Game Five
#14 :Tulsa: :@: :Louisiana_Tech:
Game Notes
--- After sleeping walking through the first half last week against Akron, our offense finally started to come alive in the second half. Hopefully that would be the only wakeup call our team would need as we left the non-conference schedule in the rear view mirror and entered the conference slate for the final 8 games of the season. One slipup along the way could cost us a shot at the C-USA Championship Game. We needed to keep our eyes on the prize and come out every game ready to hit someone and leave them laying the field blowing snot bubbles. First up on the conference schedule was Louisiana Tech, entering the game at 2-2, and while undermanned and outgunned by our squad on paper, no doubt a dangerous team. After taking Akron lightly, hopefully we would be able to bury the Bulldogs early and not let them get momentum and heart on their side and make a battle out of it. We lost the coin toss and Louisiana Tech elected to kick.
A touchback on the kickoff and we were off and running from our 25 yard line. Kiel Fletcher got us moving on the ground to start the drive, picking up 7 yards on the first down carry. Fletcher fought ahead for a four yard gain to give us first down at our 35. Getting some downfield blocks on the pitch, Fletcher was able to pound the ball ahead for a 12 yard gain to get us out to our 47. Fletcher fought forward on the next play, picking up three yards to leave second and 7. Brandon Booth went to the air for the first time today, finding Conner Jefferson for a gain of 11 yard to give us a first down at the Bulldogs 39 yard line. Keeping through the air, Booth found Eric Silva along the right sideline for a gain of 12 yards and a first down at the 27. Booth kept to the air game, hitting Ryan Strong for a gain of 15 yards and we had a first down at the Louisiana Tech 12 yard line. Going back to the ground, it was no going for Fletcher, who was tackled for a one yard loss on the play. A pitch left to Fletcher went for a gain of three yards and we were left with third and 8 at the 11. Max Thompson would get us in the end zone, hauling in a pass from Booth at the two yard line, before keeping the legs pumping and pushing through the middle of two defenders to fall into the end zone for the 11 yard touchdown reception and a 7-0 lead with 3:54 left in the first quarter.
A touchback on the kickoff and Louisiana Tech came out on offense for their first drive of the game. It was an incredibly poor start for the Bulldogs, as Paul Kelly went deep into the air on first down, Darnell Turner intercepting the pass and giving our offense the ball right back at our 48 yard line. Fletcher fought ahead for a gain of 5 yards. Bringing out the option pass from the depths of the playbook, Booth pulled out of the option when the blitz started coming, and instead found Nicholas Roberts over the middle for a 13 yard gain and a first down at the LTU 34. Another carry by Fletcher went for a 5 yard gain. Fletcher took it once again on the ground, fighting forward for two yards to leave third and three. Silva caught the pass from Booth just behind the first down line, fighting against the defender to get three yards and the just get the first down at the 24 yard line. The Bulldogs’ defense was more than ready for us on the ground, as Fletcher could only manage one yard on the carry. Booth was drilled on the next play as he tried to pass to Eric Hayden, the ball falling short and incomplete to leave third and 9. Booth’s next pass was long, sailing over the heads of Hayden and Fletcher and out of the back of the end zone.
Alphonso Pratt would kick a 39 yard field goal and we would extend our lead to 10-0 as the first quarter came to an end. It was a quarter of pure domination as our offense controlled the clock and ball the entire quarter, Louisiana Tech getting only a single offensive play the entire quarter, that play resulting in the interception.
A touchback on the kickoff started the second quarter, Louisiana Tech beginning their second drive, and about to snap the ball for only the second time today, from their 25 yard line. The start of this drive was just about as poor as the last one, as Kelly was sacked for an 8 yard loss and Louisiana Tech immediately found themselves facing second and very long. After an incomplete pass, the Bulldogs finally gained their first positive yards of the day, as Kelly hit Lorenzo Bolden for a gain of 6 yards, but it wouldn’t be enough as the Bulldogs were forced to punt on fourth and 11. A 10 yard return by Fletcher on the 40 yard punt and our offense was back in action on our 45 yard line.
Fletcher would get us moving quickly, picking up gains of 8 and three yards on the ground to give us a first down at the LTU 44. Fletcher continued to pound it down the defense’s throat, gaining 6 yards on the first down carry, following that up with a 10 yard gain and a first down at the 28. Keeping the ball himself and getting some big blocks at the line, Booth ran to left around the tackle and turned the corner for the sideline, taking it 19 yards all the way down to the 9 yard line before being pushed out of bounds by the only defender left between him and the end zone, giving us first and goal. The speed option play on first down went nowhere, Fletcher getting driven away from Booth and Booth, unable to pitch the ball, was quickly wrapped up for no gain. Going to the air on second and goal, it was Jefferson getting us into the end zone as he hauled in the 9 yard touchdown pass from Booth and our lead grew to 17-0 with 4:47 left to go in the second quarter.
A touchback on the kickoff left Louisiana Tech again on their 25 yard line to start their drive. This time the Bulldogs got positive yards right out of the gate, Kelly finding Austin James for an 8 yard gain. The Bulldogs would find a way to screw the drive up, as an incomplete pass and a loss of one yard on the carry by Bolden left Louisiana Tech again punting away on fourth and three from their 32. Fletcher returned the 44 yard punt for 9 yards to set our offense up at our 33 yard line. We wasted no time in moving the ball, as Booth hit Jefferson for an 11 yard gain and first down at the 44. Fletcher continued to punish the defense on the ground, bouncing outside on the carry, beating the blitzing linebacker, and thanks to a block from the fullback to close off the left side of the defensive line, Fletcher was able to race up the left sideline for a gain of 16 yards before being pushed out of bounds by the safety at the 41 yard line. After a three yard rush by Fletcher, Booth again called his own number, taking it off the right tackle, getting a block and beating the linebacker to turn it up field, then racing the safety the rest of the way for the 38 yard touchdown rush and a 24-0 lead with 2:24 left in the half.
Louisiana Tech got started on their 23 yard line following the 23 yard kickoff return. Kelly came out slinging, hitting Chris Humphrey for a gain of 5 yards. Two incomplete passes however would end the drive in a hurry, as the punt again came out for the Bulldogs on fourth and 5. The 38 yard punt was returned 9 yards by Fletcher and our offense was back in action on our 42 yard line with 1:45 left go and looking for the dagger to the heart before halftime. Not even trying to hide our intentions, it was straight and deep in the air on first down, Booth connecting with Hayden on a 39 yard bomb and we had a first down at the 19 yard line, 1:39 left and ticking. A first down rush by Fletcher managed only a single yard and it was back to the air as the clock dipped under a minute. Jefferson would get us into striking position, hauling in a pass from Booth for a 15 yard gain to set up first and goal from the three yard line with 48 seconds to go. Strong would fight and pound his way forward, finally falling forward while being tackled into the end zone for the three yard touchdown, opening our lead even wider to 31-0 with 27 seconds left to play.
After the touchback on the kickoff, Louisiana Tech seemed to signal surrender and try to hurry to the locker room, as Kelly rushed forward for a three yard gain with 17 seconds left. The clock would expire before another snap and we headed into halftime with a 31 point lead.
A touchback got the second half underway and Louisiana Tech was back on the clock, starting at their 25. This time the Bulldogs would come out striking, as Kelly rushed forward for a four yard gain on first down, before finding James through the air for a 13 yard gain and first down at the 42 yard line. Another 13 yard pass, this time to Humphrey and the Bulldogs were sitting at our 45 yard line. Kelly hit James for a gain of one yard, followed by a pass to Bolden for an 8 yard gain, leaving Louisiana Tech with third and one at our 36. Kelly’s third down pass would fall incomplete, bringing up fourth down. The Bulldogs attempted to go for a fake punt pass, but with everyone covered up, the punter Jesse Hickman was forced to throw it away and turn the ball over on downs at our 36.
Fletcher got us started, picking up 6 yards on first down, before pounding the rock up the middle for a gain of 12 yards and first down at the LTU 47 yard line. Fletcher took the handoff on first down, racing to the left towards the sideline and turning the corner, eventually being tripped up at the 37 yard line for a 10 yard gain to leave us second and inches. An 8 yard rush by Fletcher would convert the second down and we had a new set of downs at the 28. Booth called his own number again, this time managing only three yards before being brought down from behind. Fletcher picked up four yards on the second down rush and we were left facing third and three at the 22 yard line. Going into the air, it was Jefferson hauling in the pass over the middle from Booth for an 11 yard gain and we had first down at the 11 yard line. Louisiana Tech still had no answer to our running game, as Fletcher took the ball and rumbled straight up with nothing but green in front of him for the 11 yard touchdown and a 38-0 lead with 3:28 left to go in the third quarter.
Another touchback and the Bulldogs again found themselves starting at their 25. A pair of quick passes to Humphrey went for gain of 5 and 8 yards and the Bulldogs had a quick first down at their 38. This time Kelly went deep, hitting Jeremy Morse for a 29 yard gain and Louisiana Tech found itself clear down to our 32 yard line. A 12 yard pass to Humphrey gave LTU first down at our 20 yard line. James attempted to take it on the ground on the next play, but the defense took him down for a loss of three yards. Louisiana Tech would watch the drive die at the 23, as two incomplete passes left them facing fourth and 13. Instead of kicking a field goal, the Bulldogs attempted to convert fourth down, but Kelly was sacked for a 7 yard loss and the Bulldogs turned the ball over on downs at our 31 yard line.
Fletcher got the drive started with a three yard gain, before breaking a 10 yard run off the right tackle and a first down at the 44 yard line. Fletcher picked up gains of one and 5 yards to leave us with third and 4 from the 49 yard line as the final seconds ticked off the clock, our lead holding at 38-0 at the end of the third quarter.
Starting the fourth quarter, it was into the air to convert the third down. The pass from Booth to Silva went for a gain of 5 yards and we were left with fourth and inches. Going for it, Fletcher picked up 9 yards up the middle and we kept the drive moving and clock running down. Fletcher picked up 8 yards on first down, before being tackled for no gain to leave third and two at the 30 yard line. Fletcher picked up 9 yards on the third down conversion and we had a first down at the 21 yard line, the clock continuing to wind down towards 6 minutes. Our clock killing drive would come to an end, as Fletcher would fumble the ball on the next play, Steve Fry recovering it for Louisiana Tech and returning it 6 yards out to the 24 yard line before being brought down. Kelly hit Humphrey for 5 yards on the first down pass, before an incomplete pass left the Bulldogs facing third and 5. They would get the conversion, Kelly finding Tanner Clayton along the right sideline for a 14 yard gain and a first down at the 43 yard line. An 11 yard strike to Morse and the Bulldogs were sitting at our 46. Kelly found James on first down for a gain of only one yard, before two incomplete passes left fourth and 9. The Bulldogs would settle for the punt, the ball sailing 47 yards for the touchback and our offense was back on the field at our 20 yard line, 4:53 remaining in the game.
Our second team offense on the field to close out the game, Silva got us moving with a gain of 7 yards. A 5 yard rush by Silva would give us a first down at the 32 yard line as the clock ticked under four minutes left. Silva took the handoff around the left tackle, fighting forward to the first down marker for a 10 yard gain and first down at the 42 yard line. It was nothing going on first down, as the middle got completely clogged up, leaving Travis Stephens nowhere to go and being brought down for only a one yard gain. Most importantly, the clock was now less than three minutes remaining. Silva would pick up the first down with a 13 yard rush to the right side and we had a first down at the 44 yard line, only 2:31 left on the clock. A three yard rush by Silva left us second and three, before an 8 yard gain by Stephens around the left tackle secured the shutout, giving us a first down with only 1:17 left on the clock and only needing to kneel the ball twice. Casey Bishop kneeled the ball for a second time with only 8 seconds left and that was all she wrote, as we picked up our second shutout of the season, 38-0 over Louisiana Tech.
With the win, we improve to 4-1, 1-0 in C-USA action. With the loss, Louisiana Tech falls to 2-3 and 0-2 in C-USA play. Up next, it’s our conference home opener as the Florida International Golden Panthers come to town. FIU enters the game at 3-2 on the season, 0-1 in C-USA play. The Golden Panthers started the year with a 21-10 win over UCLA, following that up with a 28-23 victory at Minnesota. FIU would drop to 2-2 with a 26-14 loss to #20 Washington and a 24-14 loss to UTEP. The Golden Panthers would recover with a 24-19 win over Pittsburgh before their game in Tulsa.
Final Score
#14 :Tulsa: 38, :Louisiana_Tech: 0
Stat(s) of the Game:
Tulsa Offense – An almost perfect day today by Booth, ending the game 12-14 for 155 yards and two touchdowns. Booth also ran for 60 yards on four carries with a 38 yard touchdown run. Fletcher led the way on the ground, picking up 181 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries. 6 receivers touched the ball today, all them gaining at least 11 yards. Jefferson led the receiving corps this afternoon, gaining 57 yards and a touchdown on 5 receptions.
Tulsa Defense – A hell of a game by the defense. Pitched the shutout, never once let Louisiana Tech inside our red zone, and held the Bulldogs under 150 yards of total offense. The player of the game award might have gone to Fletcher, but game ball goes to the entire defense.
Tulsa Kicking – A perfect day today. Pratt made his only field goal kick from 39 yards out and went 5-5 on PATs.
Scoring Summary
Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score :Tulsa: 10 21 7 0 38 :Louisiana_Tech: 0 0 0 0 0
Time Team Result Play Score First Quarter 3:54 :Tulsa: Touchdown M. Thompson, 11 yard pass from B. Booth (A. Pratt kick) :Tulsa: 7-0 0:00 :Tulsa: Field Goal A. Pratt, 39 yard field goal :Tulsa: 10-0 Second Quarter 4:47 :Tulsa: Touchdown C. Jefferson, 9 yard pass from B. Booth (A. Pratt kick) :Tulsa: 17-0 2:24 :Tulsa: Touchdown B. Booth, 38 yard run (A. Pratt kick) :Tulsa: 24-0 0:27 :Tulsa: Touchdown R. Strong, 3 yard run (A. Pratt kick) :Tulsa: 31-0 Third Quarter 3:28 :Tulsa: Touchdown K. Fletcher, 11 yard run (A. Pratt kick) :Tulsa: 38-0 Fourth Quarter
Game Stats
Tulsa Stat Louisiana Tech 38 Score 0 24 First Downs 7 444 Total Offense 142 46 - 289 - 3 Rushes - Yards - TD 4 - 3 - 0 12 - 14 - 2 Comp - Att - TD 15 - 27 - 0 155 Passing Yards 139 0 Times Sacked 2 4 - 6 (66%) 3rd Down Conversion 1 - 7 (14%) 1 - 1 (100%) 4th Down Conversion 0 - 2 (0%) 0 - 0 (0%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%) 5 - 4 - 0 (80%) Red Zone - TD - FG 0 - 0 - 0 (0%) 1 Turnovers 1 1 Fumbles Lost 0 0 Intercepted 1 28 Punt Return Yards 0 0 Kick Return Yards 23 472 Total Yards 165 0 – 0.0 Punts - Average 4 - 42.3 0 - 0 Penalties 1 - 33 26:51 Time of Possession 9:07
Tulsa Contract Goals Update
Fail Impact Goal Progress Pass Impact Win 8 games in one season :check: :5greenarrow: :3redarrow: 13+ passing TD in one season :check: :5greenarrow: 14+ points per game in each season 40 :5greenarrow: :3redarrow: 7+ rushing TD in one season :check: :5greenarrow: :5redarrow: 2400+ total offensive yards in one season :check: :5greenarrow: :6redarrow: 2400+ total offensive yards in each season :check: :3greenarrow: :3redarrow: Win 4 games in one season :check: :3greenarrow: :5redarrow: 2000+ total offensive yards in one season :check: :2greenarrow:
Job Security Status
100%
Time for another look around the nation. Starting in the Top 25, it took a touchdown and two field goals in the second half, but #6 Iowa holds on to beat Illinois 20-13. #7 LSU pulls a win out of their ass, holding off 1-4 Missouri 33-24. After knocking off Texas Tech last week, Georgia Tech continues to play upset specialist, knocking off #9 Clemson this week, 33-20. #16 TCU needed 14 points in the fourth quarter, but they hold on to beat SMU 35-24.
Colorado State improves to 4-0 on the season, shocking #18 Kansas State 31-24. It was all Rams in this one, 28-10 at halftime, 31-10 after the third, Kansas State only making it close thanks to 14 points in the early fourth quarter. #24 Texas A&M wins the game of the week, knocking off #19 Arkansas 49-35 thanks to 21 points in the fourth quarter. After starting the season 0-4, Utah finally breaks into the win column with a 24-17 overtime victory over previously undefeated #21 Stanford.
One week after suffering their first loss in 15 games, #22 Fresno State just barely gets back on the winning track, edging out Florida 21-20 down in The Swamp. #23 Temple survives their first test since entering the rankings and improves to 5-0 with a 28-23 win over East Carolina. After just entering the polls, #25 North Carolina suffers their first loss to 4-1 Virginia, the Cavaliers using a 21-3 fourth quarter advantage to pull away for the 42-23 win.
For our readers, souljahbill, Southern Miss improves remains 2-2 (1-0 C-USA) as they had a bye week this week. Jaymo, Arizona State improves to 2-3 (0-2 Pac-12) with a 24-17 win over Western Kentucky. Mors, sorry, West Virginia drops their second straight, falling to 2-3 (1-2 Big 12) with a 35-28 loss to 3-1 Kansas. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State had a second straight bye week, remaining at 3-0 on the season, and Iowa State took the week off as well.
In the C-USA, Florida Atlantic wins the battle of suck over Mid Tennessee State, the Owls improving to 1-4, MTSU dropping to 0-5. UTEP is now 4-1 (2-0) with a 20-16 win over winless Marshall, and UAB improves to 3-2 (2-0), handing UTSA (3-1, 1-1) their first loss, 31-28.
Elsewhere, on a note of epic suck, Memphis loses to 2-3 Vanderbilt this week, 45-17, dropping Memphis to 0-5 on the season, and 0-17 total over the last season and a half. Will Memphis get a win this season to avoid going 0-12 for two straight seasons? Well, in my opinion, the odds don't look too pretty.
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches poll, the top 8 remained the same. Wisconsin (getting 40 first place votes) and USC (21 votes) stay at #1 and #2. Georgia, Oklahoma and Alabama all remain #3, #4 and #5. Iowa, LSU and Auburn all remain #6, #7 and #8. Notre Dame and Michigan both move up one to #9 and #10. Michigan State and Nebraska also moves up one to #11 and #12. Tulsa jumps one to #13, Virginia Tech, TCU and Texas all climb one to #14, #15 and #16. Clemson drops eight spots to #17, Washington jumps two to #18. Fresno State moves up three ranks to #19, Texas A&M jumps four to #20, and Temple moves up two to #21. Georgia Tech enters the poll this week at #23, Arkansas drops four to #23, Kansas State falls six to #24 and Louisville enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Stanford (from #21) and North Carolina (from #25). Taking a look at Others Receiving Votes, Air Force (106 votes) is #26, following by Colorado State (105), Arkansas State (76), Stanford (26) and Texas Tech (12) rounding out the top 30.
Taking a look at the new Media poll, the top 7 remain the same. Wisconsin (44 first place votes), USC (21 votes) and Oklahoma make up #1, #2 and #3. Georgia and Alabama round out the top 5 at #4 and #5 while LSU and Iowa remain #6 and #7. Auburn swaps places with Michigan State, the Tigers moving up one to #8, the Spartans dropping one to #9. Notre Dame climbs one to #10. Michigan and Nebraska both climb one spot to #11 and #12. Tulsa climbs one spot to #13. Virginia Tech, TCU and Texas all jump one to #14, #15 and #16. Clemson drops seven to #17. Georgia Tech enters the poll at #18. Temple drops one to #19, Texas A&M jumps four to #20, Washington climbs two to #21, Fresno State climbs three to #22. Arkansas falls four to #23, Louisville enters the poll at #24 and Kansas State falls four to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Ohio State (from #20) and Stanford (from #22). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Air Force (82 votes) sits at #26, followed by Colorado State (71), Texas Tech (41), Tennessee (27) and Arkansas State (21) to round out the top 30.
Yeppppppppppppppp.Quote:
Originally Posted by SmoothPancakes
My QB is currently the nation's leading rusher, through Week 5 of the Powerhouse OD, thanks to his 93 SPD and the Read Option and other plays I can run with him.
Oh yeah, those plays were great suggestions. They are definitely going to be getting used every now and then in every game from now on. That will help to really open up my running game and screw with the defenses. And with Florida International and Southern Miss the next two games on the schedule, I'm gonna need some plays to screw with the defenses.Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffHCross
Game Six
:FIU: :@: #13 :Tulsa:
Game Notes
--- As we entered the midway point of the season, it was time for our second game of the conference schedule. And who else to face in our second conference clash of the season than Florida International. The Golden Panthers were scrambling to get back on track, losing two of their last three games, but with 12 points be the largest margin of score in any of their previous five games, it was clear their defense was going to be coming out ready to play regardless of the situation or season record. FIU won the coin toss and elected to kick.
A touchback on the opening kickoff and our offense was off and running from the 25. It was all Kiel Fletcher getting us our initial first down, taking the ball to begin the game for a four yard gain, before pounding it up the middle for a gain of 10 and first down at the 39 yard line. Proving our dominance on the ground, Fletcher took the ball off the left tackle, fighting forward for an 11 yard gain, before Brandon Booth kept the ball himself on the next play, rushing it around the right end and up the sideline before finally being pushed out for a 22 yard gain, giving us first down at the FIU 28 yard line. Fletcher continued to shove it down the defense’s throats, breaking runs for 7 and 10 yards to give us a first down at the 11 yard line. It took nearly the entire drive, but FIU finally found an answer to the run game, as Fletcher was tripped up by the right linebacker for only a one yard gain on first down. A pass to Conner Jefferson went for a gain of 5 yards and we were left with third and four from the 5 yard line. Max Thompson would put us in the end zone, hauling in the 5 yard touchdown pass from Booth to give us a 7-0 lead with 4:27 to go in the first quarter.
A touchback on the kickoff and Florida International was on the field for the first time today at their 25. After throwing away the ball on first down, Chris Rankin found Scott Murray for a gain of 8 yards, before Dominic Pittman picked up 10 yards and a first down on the ground, out to the 43 yard line. The defense would get their first sack of the day, taking down Rankin for a loss of one yard, before a two yard scramble by Rankin left FIU with third and 9. A pass to James Weber went for a gain of 13 yards and FIU had a new set of downs at our 43 yard line. Following an incomplete pass intended for Pittman, Rankin hit Murray over the middle for a 20 yard gain and first down at our 23. After another incomplete pass, Pittman took the ball for a gain of 8 yards, leaving FIU with third and two. Rankin would try to pick up the yards himself, but was brought down for a loss of one yard to leave fourth and three at the 16. The 33 yard field goal by Jordan Vaughn was good and the score was 7-3 with 2:06 left in the quarter.
A 25 yard kickoff return on the 66 yard kick and we were back on the field at our 28 yard line. A 6 yard rush by Fletcher was followed by a gain of 7 yards and we had a first down at our 41. Another rush by Fletcher went for a gain of 6. An incomplete pass on the play action attempt and we were left with third and four. Eric Silva would get us a new set of down, hauling in a 13 yard pass from Booth for a first down at the FIU 40 yard line, as the final few seconds ticked off the clock, the first quarter coming to an end, the score 7-3.
Opening up the second quarter at the FIU 40 yard line, we took a home run chance, Booth throwing deep to Jefferson, but the play was broken up by the corner, denying us the touchdown chance. After the incomplete pass, an 8 yard pass to Jefferson left us with third and two. Fletcher would pick up the first down, fighting ahead for a gain of 5 yards to the 27 yard line. Continuing on the ground, Fletcher could only manage one yard. The second down pass, intended for Eric Hayden, was broken up and we were left with third and 9. The out pass to Fletcher was batted down and we were forced to kick the field goal. The 43 yard attempt by Alphonso Pratt was no good, the score remaining 7-3 with 6:58 left in the half.
Starting on their 26 yard line, an incomplete pass opened up the new drive for Florida International, before Pittman hauled in a pass for 8 yards from Rankin, leaving FIU with third and two. Our defense would give the Golden Panthers a free first down, getting flagged for pass interference, moving the ball out to the 49 yard line. A 17 yard pass from Rankin to Weber and FIU had a new set of downs at our 34. After being tackled for a loss of two yards, Rankin turned around and hit Martin Blanks for a 7 yard gain, before converting third and 5 with an 18 yard strike to Weber, getting a first down at our 12 yard line. A pair of rushes by Pittman for 6 and two yard gains left FIU with third and two from our four yard line. We would catch a break, as the offense was flagged for false start, pushing them back to the 9 yard line and left with third and 7. The drive would collapse on the next play, as Tyler Fountain intercepted a pass from Rankin, giving our offense back the ball at our one yard line.
Starting on our one yard line, Fletcher gave us breathing room and got us out of our end zone with a 7 yard rush, before getting three timely downfield blocks, allowing him to break it off the left tackle and sprint downfield for a 39 yard gain before being brought down by the safety at the 47 yard line. Calling his own number again, Booth was able to turn on the jets just in time and pick up 10 yards on the ground before being brought down by the defensive end, giving us a first down at the FIU 43 yard line. The defense was more than ready for us on first down, Fletcher brought down instantly for a gain of only one yard. Jefferson would haul in a pass from Booth for 8 yards and we were left with third and one at the 34. Fletcher would get the job done, rushing up the middle for a 7 yard gain and a first down at the 27 yard line. It was Jefferson coming through for us, getting past the corner and beating the safety on a cut inside to haul in an 18 yard pass from Booth, giving us first and goal from the 9 yard line. We got some bad news from the trainers. In what was becoming a weekly occurrence, Fletcher was being sideline for a while due to an injury, this time a strained shoulder, bringing in Ryan Strong to take over the rushing duties for the rest of the half. A one yard rush by Strong and an incomplete pass intended for Hayden and we were left with third and goal from the 8 yard line, 42 seconds left in the half. Taking our chances on a ballsy pass play, Thompson was able to yank the 8 yard pass out of the air above the corner’s head for the touchdown and extend our lead to 14-3 with 38 seconds left in the half.
FIU started on their 25 following the touchback, two incomplete passes leaving the Golden Panthers with third and 10. Rankin would finally connected with a receiving, hitting Blanks for a 39 yard gain and first down at our 36 yard line with 17 seconds to go. After a thrown away pass, Rankin found Pittman for a gain of 8 yards, FIU’s second timeout stopping the clock with 10 seconds. Another incomplete pass left FIU with fourth and two at our 28 yard line, only four seconds to go. Saying to hell with the field goal, Rankin launched up a pass, finding Blanks for the 28 yard touchdown as time expired, cutting our lead to 14-10 going into halftime.
A 21 yard return on the kickoff to open the second half and FIU was back in action on offense from their 25. Pittman was stood up for no gain, before Rankin hit Donald Porter for 11 yards and a first down at the 37. Following a loss of two yards by Pittman, Porter again kept the offense breathing, hauling in a 16 yard pass from Rankin to get out to our 49. Following a 5 yard rush by Rankin, it was all Pittman, embarrassing our defense on his way to a 44 yard touchdown rush, giving FIU a 17-14 lead with 7:28 left in the third quarter.
A penalty against the kickoff team gave our offense excellent field position, starting our drive at our 35. Taking the ball on first down, Fletcher seemed about ready to break up a hole, before it quickly closed and a diving linebacker jarred the ball loose. Multiple people diving for the ball caused it to go bouncing around along the left hash, before defensive end Curtis Franklin picked it up for FIU, and with no one around to grab him, he took it 33 yards for the touchdown, giving FIU a 24-14 lead in a sudden and shocking shift in momentum. A touchback on the kickoff and we were back on our 25 yard line to start. Choosing to go to the air this time, it was Jefferson hauling in a pass from Booth, managing a 16 yard gain to get us out to our 41 yard line. Taking our chances on the ground again, Fletcher was able to pick up 7 yards on first down, but on the next play Booth was swarmed in the backfield as he tried to pick up the first down himself, going down for a loss of two yards and leaving us with third and 5. Booth got extremely lucky on the next play, the linebacker breaking on his pass trying to go for the interception and what would have inevitably been a pick six down the right sideline, but Thompson was able to grab the ball before the linebacker could and with a block by Jefferson, was able to gain 19 yards and a first down at the 34. A pass over the middle of Nicholas Roberts went for a gain of 16 yard and we had a first down at the 18. We would find the end zone on the next play, Fletcher hauling in the 18 yard pass behind the linebacker’s back for the touchdown, cutting FIU’s lead to 24-21 with 4:16 left in the third quarter.
A 17 yard kickoff return, and FIU was back on the field at their 22. This time the Golden Panthers would find nothing going, as two incomplete passes and a loss of two yard by Pittman left FIU punting away on fourth and 12 from their 20 yard line, the very first punt by either team today. The 8 yard return by Fletcher on the 50 yard punt gave us the ball at our 38 yard line. Coming out firing on first down, Booth hit Thompson for a gain of 16 yards and we had a quick first down at the FIU 47 yard line. Fletcher fought forward on first down for a 6 yard gain, followed by a one yard pickup to leave us third and three. The dropped ball by Silva left us with fourth and three at the 40. Taking our chances on fourth down, Jefferson hauled in the pass from Booth for a gain of 15 yards and our offense had new life at the FIU 25 yard line. Breaking a pair of tackles, Fletcher fought and spun his way forward for a gain of 11 yards and we were left with first down at the 14 yard line. The middle linebacker would blitz through untouched and Fletcher was brought down on first down for no gain. A pair of incomplete passes and we were forced to settle for a field goal. The 31 yard kick by Pratt tied it all up at 24-24 with four seconds left in the third quarter. A touchback on the kickoff would bring the third quarter to an end, only 9 minutes remaining a team to make their move.
It was a poor start for FIU, as Pittman was tackled on first down for a two yard loss, but Rankin would make up those yards, hitting Porter for a gain of 18 and first down at the 42. A 13 yard pass to Blanks was followed with a 7 yard rush by Pittman, before Pittman was tackled for a loss of three yards and FIU was left with third and 6 from our 41. Rankin would again convert third down, hitting Weber for a gain of 9 and a first down at our 32. Following a 7 yard rush by Pittman, Rankin hit Dan Davidson for a 25 yard touchdown pass and a 31-24 lead with 7:08 left in the game. A 19 yard kickoff return got us started at our 24 yard line. A 12 yard pass to Hayden, his first reception of the game, and we were off and moving, a quick first down at our 35. After an incomplete pass intended for Hayden, Booth found Fletcher for a 14 yard gain and a first down at our 49 yard line. A failed assignment by the defense allowed Thompson to haul in a pass from Booth and then race up the left hash for a 28 yard gain before finally being run down from behind, but not before we had a first down at the 23 yard line. A pass to Silva went for a gain of 7 yards, before a 12 yard strike to Hayden gave us first and goal at the four yard line. Fletcher would get the job done on the next play, bouncing out towards the left tackle, before rolling forward during a tackle attempt for the four yard touchdown rush, tying the game up at 31 points-all with 5:32 left to go in the game.
A touchback got the Golden Panthers back in action at their 25. Ronald Thomas started the drive with a 6 yard rush. A loss of one yard by Davidson was followed with a four yard gain by Rankin to leave fourth and two at the 34 yard line. The Golden Panthers would rely on their defense to finish the job, punting away. A 6 yard return by Fletcher on the 44 yard punt gave our offense the ball at our 28 yard line, 4:33 left to go in the game. A one yard rush by Fletcher and an incomplete pass intended for Jefferson left us with third and 9. Thompson would keep us moving, hauling in a 21 yard pass from Booth to give us a first down at midfield, 3:46 remaining. Keeping it going through the air, a blitzing defense allowed Jefferson to get open cutting across the middle, hauling in a 14 yard pass from Booth for a first down at the 36 yard line. Strong would haul in a pass from Booth for a gain of 8 yards to leave us second and two at the 29. Fletcher would pick up 7 yards, giving us a first down at the 22 yard line as the clock dipped up two minutes remaining.
With such little time remaining, we changed up our offense. Fletcher took the ball on the next two plays for gain of three and 6 yards, leaving us with third and inches, and the clock continuing to run each play. Running off the entire play clock before snapping, there were only 45 seconds left on the clock after Fletcher’s second run. Keeping it in Fletcher’s hands on third and inches, we snapped the ball with 19 seconds left in the game. Fletcher rumbled ahead for a 6 yard gain and we had first and goal from the 7 yard line. Our first time out stopped the clock with 16 seconds to go. Keeping it going up the middle, Fletcher picked up four yards, leaving us with second and goal at the three yard line, our second timeout stopping the clock with 10 seconds remaining. If Fletcher couldn’t punch it in here, a very short field goal attempt from the one or two yard line would hopefully get the job done. Fletcher was nearly into the end zone on the second and goal play, but a quick diving tackle by the safety saved the defense. Our third and final timeout stopped the clock with two seconds left, our field goal unit coming out on third and goal for the game winning 18 yard attempt. Leave it to Pratt, the 18 yard field goal attempt went wide right and no good, and it was off to overtime we go.
Florida International won the coin toss and elected to go on defense first. Taking over at the 25 yard line, it was do or die for our offense. Thompson gained 5 yards on the first down pass from Booth, but the defense gave us a present, as right linebacker Kenny Burke was flagged for a facemask penalty. The penalty, the half the distance to the goal, gave us a first down at the FIU 10 yard line. We would find the end zone on the very next play, Fletcher hauling in the 10 yard pass from Booth to give us a 38-31 lead. The Golden Panthers wasted little time in moving the ball on first down, as Rankin hit Blanks for a 13 yard gain to give FIU a first down at our 12 yard line. After an incomplete pass, Rankin found Porter for 9 yards to leave third and one at the three yard line. An incomplete pass on the next play, and FIU’s hopes were left with a fourth and one play from our three yard line. The defense would come through huge, knocking down Rankin’s pass intended for Murray and sealing the overtime victory, 38-31.
With the extremely hard fought win, we improve our record to 5-1, 2-0 in C-USA action. With the loss, Florida International drops to 3-3 on the season, 0-2 in C-USA play. Up next, it’s off to face a new opponent, as we hit the road to Hattiesburg, Mississippi to play the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. Southern Miss enters the game 2-3, 1-0 in C-USA action. Southern Miss started their year with back to back losses, losing 38-30 at Virginia, before falling 17-6 at #17 Clemson. The Golden Eagles fought back to .500 with a 19-7 win at Louisiana Tech, followed by dishing out a 37-7 ass whooping at Baylor. Southern Miss would drop to 2-3 with a 30-27 overtime loss against Nevada in their home opener heading into our game.
Final Score
#13 :Tulsa: 38, :FIU: 31 - OT
Stat(s) of the Game:
- Tulsa Offense – A great day for Booth. Only ten incomplete passes, ended with 295 yards passing and 4 touchdowns, as well as 30 yards rushing. A great day for Fletcher, 180 yards rushing and one touchdown on 29 carries, to go along with 42 yards receiving and two touchdowns on three receptions. Looking at the receiving corps, 7 receives caught a ball today, 6 of them getting at least double digit yards. Thompson led the way with 97 yards and two touchdowns on six receptions.
- Tulsa Defense – A rather poor day. Gave up a lot of yards and a lot of points. Only forced two punts throughout the game, the first one not even coming until well into the game. Thanks to that it was a back and forth slug-fest the entire game. The defense did get one interception at our one yard, which did kill a FIU drive and a potential (if not likely) touchdown, so there was at least that one positive.
- Tulsa Kicking – An absolute piss poor job today by Pratt. 1-3 in field goals, making a 31 yard kick, but then missing from 43 yards out and shanking the game winning 18 yard attempt at the very end. Last time I run down the final two minutes of a game, settling for killing off the remaining time and kicking a game winning field goal. I'm going for the touchdown from now on, since Pratt decided he wanted to be completely useless today. Only positive for Pratt was that he went 5-5 in PATs, thankfully not fucking any up (especially the PAT in overtime) as it would have cost us the game in the end.
Scoring Summary
Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Overtime Final Score :FIU: 3 7 14 7 0 31 :Tulsa: 7 7 10 7 7 38
Time Team Result Play Score First Quarter 4:27 :Tulsa: Touchdown M. Thompson, 5 yard pass from B. Booth (A. Pratt kick) :Tulsa: 7-0 2:10 :FIU: Field Goal J. Vaughn, 32 yard field goal :Tulsa: 7-3 Second Quarter 0:38 :Tulsa: Touchdown M. Thompson, 8 yard pass from B. Booth (A. Pratt kick) :Tulsa: 14-3 0:00 :FIU: Touchdown M. Blanks, 27 yard pass from C. Rankin (J. Vaughn kick) :Tulsa: 14-10 Third Quarter 7:28 :FIU: Touchdown D. Pittman, 44 yard run (J. Vaughn kick) :FIU: 17-14 7:08 :FIU: Touchdown C. Franklin, returned fumble 33 yards (J. Vaughn kick) :FIU: 24-14 4:16 :Tulsa: Touchdown K. Fletcher, 18 yard pass from B. Booth (A. Pratt kick) :FIU: 24-21 0:07 :Tulsa: Field Goal A. Pratt, 31 yard field goal TIED 24-24 Fourth Quarter 7:08 :FIU: Touchdown D. Davidson, 25 yard pass from C. Rankin (J. Vaughn kick) :FIU: 31-24 5:32 :Tulsa: Touchdown K. Fletcher, 4 yard run (A. Pratt kick) TIED 31-31 Overtime --- :Tulsa: Touchdown K. Fletcher, 10 yard pass from B. Booth (A. Pratt kick) :Tulsa: 38-31
Game Stats
Florida International Stat Tulsa 31 Score 38 13 First Downs 26 368 Total Offense 506 19 - 44 - 1 Rushes - Yards - TD 33 - 211 - 1 18 - 32 - 2 Comp - Att - TD 23 - 33 - 4 280 Passing Yards 295 1 Times Sacked 0 5 - 11 (45%) 3rd Down Conversion 8 - 11 (72%) 1 - 2 (50%) 4th Down Conversion 1 - 1 (100%) 0 - 0 (0%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%) 2 - 0 - 1 (50%) Red Zone - TD - FG 7 - 5 - 1 (85%) 1 Turnovers 1 0 Fumbles Lost 1 1 Intercepted 0 0 Punt Return Yards 14 38 Kick Return Yards 67 406 Total Yards 587 2 – 47.0 Punts - Average 0 - 0.0 3 - 20 Penalties 1 - 15 16:37 Time of Possession 19:23
Tulsa Contract Goals Update
Fail Impact Goal Progress Pass Impact Win 8 games in one season :check: :5greenarrow: :3redarrow: 13+ passing TD in one season :check: :5greenarrow: 14+ points per game in each season 40 :5greenarrow: :3redarrow: 7+ rushing TD in one season :check: :5greenarrow: :5redarrow: 2400+ total offensive yards in one season :check: :5greenarrow: :6redarrow: 2400+ total offensive yards in each season :check: :3greenarrow: :3redarrow: Win 4 games in one season :check: :3greenarrow: :5redarrow: 2000+ total offensive yards in one season :check: :2greenarrow:
Job Security Status
100%
Time for another look around the nation. Starting in the Top 25, the game of the week turned out to be the battle of the kickers, as #1 Wisconsin's kicker was better than #6 Iowa's kicker, the Badgers winning 12-3 on four field goals. #3 Georgia survives an upset bid, holding on to beat 3-3 Tennessee 38-33. #4 Oklahoma has a field day with #24 Kansas State, 38-10. It was a wild one, but a 31-13 second half advantage helps #7 LSU prevail 52-30 over Florida.
In this week's ass whooping of the week, #9 Notre Dame opens up a whole barrel of whoop ass on 0-6 New Mexico State, 63-7. #11 Michigan State has to score a touchdown with 3:02 left to hold off Illinois 28-24. #12 Nebraska ended up with stained underwear, outscoring Penn State 15-7 in the fourth quarter, including the game winning touchdown with 2:04 left to edge out Penn State 25-24. Wake Forest improves to 4-1, knocking off #14 Virginia Tech 28-12. Texas Tech, in overtime, knocks off #16 Texas 37-31. And #17 Clemson scores 18 points in the fourth quarter to come back for a 31-17 win over #25 Louisville.
For our readers, souljahbill, Southern Miss falls to 2-3 (1-0 C-USA), losing 30-27 in overtime to Nevada. Southern Miss outscored the Wolfpack 21-3 in the second half to make the comeback. Southern Miss kicked a 42 yard field goal in OT, Nevada got a touchdown to win it. Jaymo, Arizona State improves to 3-3 (1-2 Pac-12) with a 34-23 win over Washington State. Mors, sorry, West Virginia drops their third straight straight, falling to 2-4 (1-3 Big 12) with a 38-17 loss to Iowa State. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State suffers their first loss of the year, dropping to 3-1 with a 38-31 loss to Missouri. It was all Arkansas State in the first half and a touchdown to start the third quarter making it 31-7 for the Red Wolves, but a 31-0 run the rest of the game by Missouri won the game for the Tigers.
Elsewhere, on a note of epic suck, Memphis loses to #21 Temple this week, 21-7, dropping Memphis to 0-6 on the season, and 0-18 total over the last season and a half.
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches poll, some movement taking place. Wisconsin (40 first place votes) remained #1. The surprise moves, Georgia (21 votes), Oklahoma, and Alabama all moved up one to #2, #3 and #4. USC, despite beating Arizona 41-14 last week, DROPS three spots to #5. LSU and Auburn both moved up one to #6 and #7. Also moving up one spot were Notre Dame, Michigan and Michigan State to #8, #9 and #10. Iowa dropped five spots to #11, Nebraska stayed at #12. Tulsa remains unchanged at #13. Texas A&M jumped six spots to #14, Washington moved up three to #15. TCU dropped one to #16, Clemson stayed at #17, Temple moved up three to #18, Fresno State stayed at #19 and Georgia Tech moved up two to #20. Air Force enters the poll this week at #21, Texas dropped six to #22, Arkansas stayed at #23, Colorado State enters the poll at #24 and Texas Tech enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Virginia Tech (from #14), Kansas State (from #24) and Louisville (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Virginia Tech (252 votes) sits at #26, followed by Houston (134), Louisville (124), Kansas State (108) and Miami (86) rounding out the top 30.
Taking a look at the new Media poll, Wisconsin (41 first place votes) remains #1. Oklahoma (22 votes) jumps one to #2. Georgia (1 vote) and Alabama (1 vote) both jump one spot to #3 and #4. USC, despite the blowout win, drops three spots to #5. LSU stayed still at #6. Auburn and Michigan State both climb one to #7 and #8. Notre Dame and Michigan also both climb one to #9 and #10. Nebraska bumped up one to #11, Iowa dropped five to #12. Tulsa remains unchanged at #13. Texas A&M jumped six spots to #14. TCU remained #15, Timple jumped three to #16, Washington climbed four to #17. Clemson and Georgia Tech both dropped one to #18 and #19. Fresno State climbed two to #20, Air Force enters the poll at #21. Texas dropped six to #22, Arkansas remained at #23, Colorado State enters the poll at #24 and Texas Tech is new to the poll at #25. Dropping out this week were Virginia Tech (from #14), Kansas State (from #24) and Louisville (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Virginia Tech (270 votes) sits at #26, followed by Louisville (127), Houston (43) UCLA (41) and Kansas State (38) to round out the top 30.
Whew, got it done just in time. I gotta start getting dressed for work and head out to clean to snow off the car in the next 5-10 minutes, so just everything done. Wasn't sure I was gonna make it earlier as I still had to do recruiting for the week before I could play FIU.
What a hell of a game that was. I thought it was slipping away when that touchdown and the returned fumble to start the third quarter made the giant swing from a 14-10 lead to a 24-14 deficit. Still had a hell of a fight on my hands the rest of the way. When FIU got to our 12 with one play and then down to our three yard line, I thought sure as hell we were gonna end up in double overtime. But the defense held on for their life.
And with that, I gotta head out to work. Should be done for the day and back home by 10 or 10:30am, so hopefully I can get recruiting knocked out and be playing Southern Miss before noon.