PonyFans.com preview: TULSA

[PonyPride]

The SMU football team will try to close out its 2002 season on a two-game winning streak when the Mustangs (2-9 overall, 2-5 against Western Athletic Conference opponents) welcome the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (1-10, 1-6) to Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Saturday's game kicks off at 2 p.m. and can be heard locally on KTCK (1310 AM).

The Mustangs enter the game after winning their first road game of the year, having knocked off UTEP, 42-35, Saturday in El Paso. The Golden Hurricane, which lost at home Saturday, 49-38, to San Jose State, comes into Dallas hoping to end a three-game losing skid; Tulsa's lone win of the year game at home Oct. 26 when the Golden Hurricane knocked off UTEP, 20-0.

The Golden Hurricane has a dismal record, but Tulsa is not without its weapons. In Saturday's loss to the Spartans, TU splattered the stat sheet with 567 yards of total offense. Sophomore QB Tyler Gooch (5-11, 188) led the offense with 322 passing yards and two touchdown tosses. For the year, Gooch has completed177-of-323 passes (54.8 percent) for 1,939 yards, 8 interceptions and 16 touchdowns.

Through 11 games this year, the Golden Hurricane has been outscored by an average of 35.7-19.3 points per game. Unlike some other quick-strike teams, the point averages are fairly indicative of the TU games - the Golden Hurricane has 195 first downs through 11 games; TU opponents have 250. Tulsa and its opponents have been fairly even in passing yardage this year: TU passers have thrown for 2,160 yards, as opposed to 2,341 yards through the air by their opponents. But that statistic is deceptively close, since Tulsa has had to throw a lot when trailing. Where the Golden Hurricane gets killed, statistically, is on the ground: Tulsa opponents have rushed for 2,736 yards (248.7 yards per game), while allowing just 1,291 yards (117.4 per game) to the TU ground game. TU opponents have rolled up 5.6 yards per carry this year.

Gooch's favorite target is junior WR Romby Bryant (6-2, 180), who has a team-high 47 receptions for 558 yards and 7 touchdowns. Sophomore WR Montiese Culton (6-1, 174) is second on the team with 35 catches for 415 yards and 4 scores. Junior RB Eric Richardson is third on the team with 31 catches for 232 yards.

Richardson also is the team's leading rusher, racking up 818 yards on 161 carries through 11 games; he's reached the end zone a team-high four times this year. Gooch is second on the team in rushing, with 260 yards on the ground on 119 carries.

The offensive line has surrendered 34 sacks this year. The starting five, anchored by redshirt freshman LG Victor Mercado (6-4, 330) of Irving (Texas) HS, averages 6-3, 301 across the front line.

Defensively, the Golden Hurricane plays a 3-4 front most of the time. Tulsa has managed just 14 sacks this year of opposing quarterbacks, and has been on the field for most of the 52 touchdowns scored by opponents (Tulsa has found the end zone just 28 times). Opponents also have been able to convert third downs into first downs 45 percent of the time.

Senior ILB Michael Dulaney (6-2, 231), a transfer from Oklahoma, leads the TU defense with 100 tackles in 10 games played this year. He also has 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 QB sacks. Sophomore FS Jeff Thibodeaux (5-10, 164) is next on the team with 63 tackles, followed by junior LB Jorma Bailey (5-11, 194) and Rover Keithan McCorry (6-0, 181), who have 60 stops apiece. Senior DT Sam Rayburn (6-3, 303) leads the defensive line with 54 tackles, and leads the team with 15.5 tackles for loss and a team-high 4 QB sacks. Thibodeaux and junior CB Darrell Wimberly (6-0, 196) each have a team-high 3 interceptions.

Three Tulsa kickers -- Ricky Tallant, Cort Moffitt and Brad Devault -- have combined to hit 8-of-15 field goals this year. Devault has hit 7-of-12, and is the only TU kicker to connect from beyond 40 yards. Moffitt averages 40.1 yards on 69 punts. He's had 5 touchbacks, 13 downed inside the opposing 20-yard line and has had 1 blocked.

[Hoss]

Sounds like Tulsa can score some points, but that they're defense is pretty rotten. Are we looking at another shootout like the one in El Paso?

I'm coming down for the game, to give our seniors one last cheer!

[DallasDiehard]

Doesn't matter who you're playing — 567 yards of offense is a hell of a lot.
Tulsa is going to look at their game with us just like UTEP did, as a game they can win. We all feel good about the Ponies' win over UTEP, but we're going to have to play better to send our seniors out on a win streak.

And we, as fans, owe it to the players to be there early, late and LOUD!

[Otto]

Isn't LG Victor Mercado the kid that SMU wanted a couple of years ago? And he's starting as a redshirt freshman? Sounds like he might have made a fine Mustang.

[Casey]

When's the last time we were 9.5-point favorites?

[Hoofprint]

Weren't we favored by 11 or something against Navy?

[Otto]

That's true, but I think the team started to believe the hype surrounding Coach Bennett's arrival and read too many newspapers that said we were going to slap Navy around. With the record we have now, there's no way anyone will be overconfident.

SMU 39,
Tulsa 9

[PonyTales]

I remember when Dulaney signed with OU - they were acting like they'd just landed Lawrence Taylor. Does anyone know why he left Norman? Playing time? From what I remember, he's supposed to be really good. His stats seem to back that up.

[Pony4Life]

Did ya'll notice the size of their free safety, Jeff Thibodeaux (5-10, 164)? And they have a LB (Jorma Bailey) who's only 5-11, 194?

Looking at that, I say we have Hampton go up the seams and across the middle. He'll finish his career in style with another huge game!

[Troup32]

Keylon Kincade will run for 150+ yards and at least 2 touchdowns Saturday.
SMU 27
Tulsa 6

[Sam I Am]

In prison talk, if the ponies "[deleted] slap" Tulsa early in the game, the Hurricanes will fold quicker than a gambler's billfold in Vegas. Their losing record is worse than ours and their morale shows it. If we had a decent passing game, the score could be a rout.