Fan Breakdown of Tulsa

Today we will let Tulsa fans, not myself, defend the Golden Hurricanes for their date with BYU on September 15th in Tulsa.

A special thanks to Rippin for the great article:

Tulsa Football 2007 Preseason Team Analysis

Tulsa Offense:

QB:
The Golden Hurricane return two experienced QB’s in Paul Smith and David Johnson. Paul Smith will get the nod to start, but David Johnson may be the best backup in the country. Smith is very savvy in the pocket and is great at managing the game from the QB position. Johnson is a gamer. While Smith may be one of the best QB’s in school history, many fans believe Johnson’s height and tremendous arm strength make him a better NFL prospect. Redshirt freshman Clark Harrell is 6’2” 190 and chose TU over Wisconsin. He has a strong arm but is unlikely to take a snap behind Smith and Johnson.

Strengths: Smith is a two year starter and is approaching every school passing record. Depth is an obvious strength with Smith being a 5th year senior and Johnson a 4th year Junior. Both quarterbacks have accurate arms and can throw extremely well on the run.

Weaknesses: Smith proved to be durable last season, starting every game for the Golden Hurricane. However, at 6’2” 195 there is constant concern that a season ending injury could be a snap a way. While both Smith and Johnson are elusive and creative on the run, neither have exceptional speed at the quarterback spot. Third and finally, the Golden Hurricane is implementing a new offensive scheme under Gus Malzahn. This complex scheme will take some getting used to, so both quarterbacks could be affected by this early in the season.

RB:
TU returns senior Courtney Tennial and junior Tarrion Adams at tailback. Both started games last season at tailback and are proven playmakers. Two other players, both freshmen, are likely to see time in the backfield as well. Jamad Williams is a redshirt freshman who made a name for himself in Spring practice after switching from cornerback to running back. Charles Opeseyitan arrives in August and is expected to compete for playing time immediately.

Strengths: Tennial and Adams both have big-play ability. Adams is a great north-south runner and is more likely to break runs of 40+ yards. Tennial doesn’t have the speed as Adams but is better between the tackles. Tennial is a thicker back and has great feet. His shifty moves complement Adams’ speed in the backfield.

Weaknesses: Hands. Adams is yet to fumble in his career, but Tennial made bad habit of putting the ball on the turf last season. Many of Tennials fumbles came on key drives in the red zone. If TU wants to improve this year and have a better team, the fumbling issue with Tennial is going to have to be resolved, or it is possible Tennial’s spot will be taken over by Williams or Charlie O.

Injuries: Adams missed 4-5 games last season with a minor knee injury, and freshman Charlie O is coming off a torn ACL that caused him to miss his senior season.

TE:
Once known for having one of the best TE tandems in the country in Garrett Mills and Caleb Blankenship, TU has experienced a drop off in depth and talent at TE. Senior Ted Curtis and Sophomore Jacob Collums saw the most time in Spring practice. Collums has the prototype physique at 6’4” 250, while Curtis is a smaller, thicker TE at 6’1” 250.

Strengths: Blocking. Collums has the size and strength to be converted to offensive tackle if needed, and Curtis has been used in his career as a blocking back and H-back.

Weaknesses: Catching. Two or three interceptions last season were the result of tipped balls by Curtis. All were costly, one coming in a loss at BYU. Also, depth could prove to be an issue late in the season.

OL:
The rebuilding position for this season is the entire offensive line. TU lost 4 out of 5 starters on the O-line to graduation last year. The tackles appear to be solidified with senior Walter Boyd and junior Rodrick Thomas. Boyd switched from the DL during Spring practice. Thomas is 6’4” 350 and Boyd 6’2” 305. The guard spots will probably be manned by a combination of sophomores Jody Whaley and Curt Puckett and junior Justin Morsey. Of those three, whoever does not start at guard is likely to start at center.

Strengths: Size. The line averages over 300lbs. Boyd has great feet having played his entire career at DE or DT.

Weaknesses: Endurance. The hurry up-no huddle offense that Malzahn is implementing requires the entire line to be in superior athletic condition. The line will have to race to the line of scrimmage before every play.

WR:
The receiving corps is characterized as a stable of weapons. Many names such as Jesse Meyer, Dion Toliver, Nick Henderson, Corey Kizer, Kyle Grooms and Stephen Polk have proven they have the ability to make big plays. However, none have emerged to be the clear possession receivers that will be relied upon next season. Right now, the leader appears to be Toliver, a 5’10” JUCO transfer. The rest of the names mentioned have shown flashes of greatness but have yet to show up with the consistency that Toliver has. There will be new faces arriving in August that could see time at WR, including freshmen A.J. Whitmore, CJ Chaten and Phillip Dokes.

Strengths: Speed, depth. Toliver, Kizer, Henderson and Polk have shown the ability to stretch the field vertically. Redshirt freshman Daniel Morell deserves to be mentioned here, even though he’s probably a year away from seeing meaningful minutes. Depth is a strength here as well, as the coaches have stated they have six to eight receivers they plan to rely on next season.

Weaknesses: Catching, height. The main knock throughout Spring practice was that the WR’s were dropping way too many passes. This could have a bit to do with the implementation of the new offense. Furthermore, many of TU’s talented receivers have the physical attributes ideal for the slot receiver. Only Kizer and Meyer have the height and play-making ability to play split end/flanker. Grooms and Polk have the height but need to show more consistency before being relied upon.

Defense

D-line:
This may be the strongest position on the team. TU runs a 3-3-5 odd man stack defense. This requires the D-line to alternate full rotations every few snaps. Moton Hopkins and Anthony Egbuniwe will start at the DE spots. Hopkins is a 6’3” 255 junior and Egbuniwe is a 6’4” 225 sophomore. The depth at DE is strong with redshirt freshmen Popsie Floyd (6’1” 230) and Cedric Godfrey (6’1” 245). At DT, TU has 2 players likely to be playing on Sundays. Junior Terrel Nemons is a beast at 6’4” 330 and started most games last season. Senior Brandon Jones (6’2” 300) has been a contributor since he stepped on campus.

Strengths: Depth, experience. TU has two talented D-line rotations that will spell each other nicely throughout the upcoming season. That will be a key factor in keeping fatigue down in the 3-3-5 stack. Nemons, Jones, Hopkins and Egbuniwe have proven themselves on the field and will do a great job clogging up the middle, allowing the LB’s and DB’s to make plays.

Weaknesses: Size. While the DT’s and starting DE’s have great size, Floyd and Godfrey lack the ideal DE size. Because the defense only plays three down linemen, it is vital that the D-line have the ability to hold its own up front, otherwise teams will be allowed to run all day.

LB’s:
This may be the other strongest position on the team. TU returns three starters in seniors Chris Chamberlain, Nelson Coleman, and Alain Karatepeyan (AK). AK started three games last season in place of an injured Chris Chamberlain, but saw significant action throughout the season and became known for his pass rushing and reckless-abandon on the field. They are backed up by a solid trio of sophomores, Tanner Antle and Mike Bryan and junior George Clinkscale. Clinkscale will see the most minutes of these three, spelling both AK and Chamberlain. Clinkscale actually pushed for a starting spot in Spring practice. Bryan will be seen sparingly to spell Coleman at MLB. Redshirt-freshman Donald Gobert switched from safety this Spring and is coming along nicely.

Strengths: Depth, experience. The returning starters were part of the 2005 Liberty Bowl Championship team that won C-USA. They are seasoned and poised for nothing short of a championship. All have come through with big-time plays in game-winning situations in their careers. The depth TU has built is solid as well with Antle, Bryan and Clinkscale. Another name, Jon Piorkowski, a transfer from Baylor, could pop up in that second rotation of LB’s.

Weaknesses: As it is with the D-line, it’s hard to pinpoint at true weakness at the position, other than the lack of size in the second rotation. Clinkscale is ready to start immediately, but Antle and Bryan could add some pounds before being ready to start 13 games a season.

DB:
TU plays five defensive backs in the 3-3-5 stack defense. Two cornerbacks, two strong safeties (spur/bandit) who play up near the linebackers, and one free safety deep. TU returns two starters in junior cornerback Roy Roberts and senior strong safety Anthony Germany. The other corner looks likely to be filled by sophomore Charles Davis. Strong safety has the most depth, as Steve Craver will finally get to start again at this position for his senior season. Craver started two years ago and recorded two sacks and an interception against during an early season game against Oklahoma before being injured in the second half of that game. After his season ending injury, Germany stepped in as a sophomore and played so well that he earned the starting spot for the next three seasons. Germany and Craver will be backed by junior Ty Page, who has a reputation for being the best athlete on the team. The starting free safety spot appears to be firmly secured by junior Randy Duncan. Known for having the speed to play corner, Duncan is ideal at FS at 6’2”, the tallest of any of the DB’s. He is backed by sophomore Josh Burris.

Strengths: Play-making ability. Craver and Germany have come up big and often in their careers at TU. Both play strong safety and that bodes well for TU’s defense as it relies on relentless pressure and superior ability at the strong safety position. Charles Davis has a nose for the ball and will probably return punts as well this season.

Weaknesses: Depth, experience. The safety positions are in good shape but lack experience in the reserves. Page is known for being a freak in the weight room, but has yet to gain any in-game experience. Both Duncan and Burris have looked good in garbage minutes in the past, but both have yet to see meaningful minutes. Depth is a real concern at the cornerback position. TU lost two great ones in Nick Graham and Julian McGowan. Roberts is seasoned and has a great physique at 5’10” 210. Davis, on the other hand, could be a liability at 5’9” 160.

Five reasons TU beats BYU (in no particular order):

• The game is played at TU. There is a new energy in town around TU football with the opening of the new Case Athletic Complex and the recent announcement of plans to renovate Skelly Stadium. Coach Graham and Malzahn have created a buzz in the media, as TU had the largest crowd in school history at it’s recent Spring game. Expect this game to be played in front of a large crowd (for TU games, that is) of 30,000 or more.

• Malzahn’s offense. Many people doubt TU has the receivers yet to run Malzahn’s offense at its best. However, those people are disregarding the return of Paul Smith. Smith was limited in what he could do in Charlie Stubb’s offense and was often forced to throw passes late (after the receiver was open). Also, the majority of Smith’s completions last season were out-routes. Malzahn’s offense focuses on throwing the ball downfield and getting it out quickly. This will work in Smith’s favor, as he is a real student of the game and is as heady a QB as any around. Expect him to grasp the offense quickly and know exactly where each throw is going before the snap.

• TU’s Defense. When Todd Graham arrived in 2003 with Steve Kragthorpe, TU was returning what was arguably the worst defense in the country. Since then, Todd Graham has worked adamantly to change the character of TU’s defense. With the exception of those players recruited during Graham’s short stint at Rice, every player on TU’s defense has been recruited by Graham. The defense has improved steadily over the last four years and that trend will continue this year. The D-Line and LB’s are probably the best in TU history, as Hopkins, Jones, Nemons and MLB Nelson Coleman are sure-shots for the NFL. Expect them to hound and rattle Beck’s replacement from the start of the first quarter.

• The ground game. TU’s running backs are experienced and fit well into Malzahn’s offense. Both Tennial and Adams have shown high comfort levels running out of the shotgun formation. Tennial is great between the tackles and will be the ‘banger’ of the two. Both have proven they have the ability to catch and score on passes out of the backfield, and Adams has shown exceptional ability to catch balls out of the slot receiver position. BYU’s defense will have its hands full with Malzahn’s high-powered passing offense, and that could really open it up for Tennial/Adams. Expect at least 150 yards combined on the ground from these two.

• Revenge. TU lost more games than it anticipated last season, suffering a 3-game losing streak late in the season. However, even after losing to some patsies, no team embarrassed TU last season as badly as BYU. BYU soured a season with high hopes early and most TU players will still have a bad taste in their mouth from getting stomped in Utah last season. BYU made TU look like high schoolers last season. The last time that happened to a TU team, it occurred at home against Navy. The next season TU returned the favor, beating a strong Navy team on the road.

My 3 Cents: I'm glad I don't have to write a rebuttal against my own writing, that is just downright wrong. Again, thanks to Rippin for an excellent article.