The Associated Press No. 25 Tulsa Golden Hurricane (8-1, 5-0 Conference USA) looks to jump back in the win column on Saturday as it heads to Houston after suffering its first loss of the season to Arkansas 30-23 on Nov. 1.
The Golden Hurricane will defend its newly acquired ranking against a Cougar team whose fast paced, high-octane offense is something Tulane has become all too familiar with in its schedule.
"During the last two weeks, we’ve played some explosive, fast teams," head coach Todd Graham said in a press conference on Monday. "Arkansas was a great rushing offense. Houston is one that’s very prolific in being able to pass the football."
Graham also said Houston poses a threat on the ground.
"We have to make sure again that – every week it’s the same thing – that we stop the run and make them one-dimensional," he said. "We can’t give up the big play in the passing game."
Against Arkansas, Tulsa gave up 385 yards in the air, including a 13-yard touchdown in the Razorbacks’ first drive that would give them the early lead in the first quarter.
One-play drives are among Graham’s top concerns, and Tulsa will not ignore the Cougars’ capabilities.
"Their big-play tape is very extensive," Graham said. "The thing that is real critical is Case (Keenum) has a great ability to evade. When he evades and gets out of trouble, they’ve got great speed and athleticism, and he hurts you down field.
"To me, that’s the key for us. They’re one of the top offenses in the country, and we’ve got to go out there and figure out a way to slow them down."
The Golden Hurricane has been able to slow the rushing game against its opponents significantly in its victories and one defeat on the season.
During Tulsa’s bye week, Graham and his staff have been emphasizing the importance of execution and ball control in Saturday’s game.
"What we’ve done the past two weeks is get back to our fundamentals and back to emphasizing the things that we talk about every week, but we haven’t executed the way we need to," he said. "The last seven weeks, we’ve turned the ball over steadily more and more each game. "
Three turnovers haunted the Golden Hurricane against Arkansas. Tulsa quarterbacks senior David Johnson and sophomore Jacob Bower threw a combined two picks in Saturday’s game, and senior running back Tarrion Adams coughed up a fumble after a 19-yard completion in Razorback territory.
A team known for its high-scoring offense and owning the fourth quarter was held to 23 points and didn’t score in the last quarter of play, despite winning the battle on the ground and total yards.
The Cougars, however, are also known for their fourth-quarter heroics. Whoever wins the quarter could decide the game.
"That’s going to be key. There’s a lot of plays in this football game," Graham said. "They have almost 80 plays a game offensively. We’re right in the same boat. You add that up and throw in some kicking game plays, that’s a lot of football plays."
With so much production from both teams, Graham said the endurance of his team will be crucial.
"Our conditioning is going to be tested big time. We’ve got to play 60 minutes," he said. "These guys are very capable. We have to score points."
Not scoring in the fourth cost the Hurricane a win, as a 96-yard Razorback kickoff return in the third quarter was the difference between success and failure.
Tulsa’s final three games of the season are against conference rivals. Starting with Houston, Graham and his squad will come out firing, aiming for a conference championship.
"This game is the next one up and the most significant," he said. "The winner of this game is in the driver’s seat and controls their own destiny."
