The Tulsa Golden Hurricane enter the 2010 college football season with aspirations of a conference title. They missed out on a bowl game last year after winning just five games but return 14 starters. Head coach Todd Graham has accumulated a 33-20 record in three seasons and believes this is his most talented team yet. The Golden Hurricane will have to knock off Houston if they want to win the West division. View the full conference breakdown in our 2010 Conference USA football predictions article.
One thing you can always count on when you watch Tulsa play is a potent offense that will empty their playbook on the opposition. QB GJ Kinne will be the starter for the second straight year after a successful sophomore season. The transfer from Texas threw for 2732 yards and 22 touchdowns. His mobility gives the Golden Hurricane even more options behind center as he carried the ball over 150 times last year and led the team in rushing yards. Tulsa utilizes a stable of running backs and unique formations when they do decide to run the ball. Charles Clay is one of the more gifted runners, collecting a team high seven rushing tds in 2009. He is a bruising back that is used mainly down by the goal line. Derrick Hall is a player to watch in the backfield, gaining over 1000 yards in 2008 at his junior college. He originally signed with Texas A&M before making the switch to Tulsa. WR Damaris Johnson is undoubtedly the most talented player on offense. Coming off a season where he caught 78 balls for more than 1100 yards, Johnson earned 1st team all-conference accolades after being named to the freshman All-American team the previous year. Oklahoma transfer Jameel Owens received a waiver by the NCAA to play immediately for Tulsa after red shirting last year. This will only bolster an already strong receiving core.
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Tulsa will hang points on defenses quickly, but will give them up regularly also. Opponents averaged 27.3 points/game and Tulsa did not allow less than 30 points their final four games of the 2009 season. Five starters return on this side of the ball. The defensive line was average at best last year, allowing 147 yards on the ground. Sophomore DE Cory Dorris started as a true freshman and should produce better numbers with a year of experience gained. Linebacker is an area of concern for the Golden Hurricane. They lost their top two at this position and the only one that saw considerable action last season was Tanner Antle (78 tackles). There is a possibility that two underclassmen will fill out the other two linebacker positions. S DeAundre Brown is the best defensive player Tulsa has to offer. His 102 tackles led the team and he plays a hybrid version of linebacker/safety. Coach Graham calls Brown the best tackling safety he has seen. The kicking game is one of the best in Conference USA. K Kevin Fitzpatrick hit 13-14 field goals in 09', including a long of 51 yards. Damaris Johnson averaged over 14 yards/punt return and had one touchdown. Special teams is definitely a strength.
The schedule for Tulsa is not a walk in the park. Conference play begins immediately for the Golden Hurricane when they hit the road to take on East Carolina. Road games at Memphis and SMU make up their first three conference match-ups. Notre Dame has been added to the schedule for 2010 and will host Tulsa on October 30th. The West division of Conference USA will likely be decided November 13th at Houston. I love the offensive ability on this team, but their defense makes me a little weary. The defense will play well enough to reach at least 9 wins this season.
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