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DB
Bobby Blackshire |
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2005
Statistics |
Coach:
Steve Kragthorpe
21-17,
3 years |
2005
Record: 9-4 |
|
MINNESOTA |
LOST
10-41 |
at
Oklahoma |
LOST
15-31 |
at
North Texas |
WON
54-2 |
MEMPHIS |
WON
37-31 (OT) |
HOUSTON |
LOST
23-30 |
at
Southern Miss |
WON
34-17 |
at
Rice |
WON
41-21 |
SMU |
WON
20-13 |
at
UTEP |
LOST
38-41 |
EAST
CAROLINA |
WON
45-13 |
at
Tulane |
WON
38-14 |
CONF
USA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME |
vs.
UCF |
WON
44-27 |
LIBERTY
BOWL |
vs.
Fresno State |
WON
31-24 |
|
2005 Final Rankings
AP-UR, Coaches-UR, BCS-UR
|
2006
Outlook |
The
momentum from winning the conference
championship in just their first year
in the C-USA should continue with
the powerful offense and experienced
defense they boast. Kragthorpe has
one heck of a hand to play with so
many returning starters on defense
to compliment his juggernaut spread
attack on offense, and we can see
both sides improving most of their
statistical rankings. Eric Clapton
put it best, as opponents are usually
“living on Tulsa time”
via their disparaging time-of-possession
numbers – on average, they held
it 32:21 per game on offense which
means their defense is only on the
field 27:39 each week. Only marginal
special teams play can really affect
the potential for how far this Golden
Hurricane squad can go.
Paul
Smith is a smart, savvy dual-threat
at the helm, and with three big, strong
backs to churn yardage a full 60 minutes,
opposing defenses will be worn down
as they spread out to try and cover
Tulsa’s three- and four-WR sets
while stopping the run. The real creativity
is how they often utilize two TEs
for optimal effect, sometimes spreading
them and the RB(s) out wide just to
have Smith run it. They also send
the TE(s) out as their primary deep
threat. It all just gives defenses
headaches and results in continuous
yardage gains that make it impossible
to stop Tulsa for more than one play
at a time.
Their
3-3-5 defensive set is optimal for
stopping others from doing the same
to them – they are ready for
spread attacks with a floating extra
safety who reacts well to play developments.
Practicing against their own offense
means they have seen some weird sets
and can adjust accordingly, but then
foes’ more conservative two-back
sets (that result in power running
plays) need more attention after they
struggled last season in run stopping.
A newly shaped set of co-defensive
coordinators should help make the
needed adjustments.
The
schedule holds no BCS-aligned non-cons
(last year had two), but their second
game at BYU should be challenging
enough to give a feel for where the
Golden Hurricanes sit and what needs
improvement. The Southern Miss and
UTEP games look like their biggest
C-USA challenges, and both tilts are
at Skelly Stadium. Going to Houston
and Memphis could trip them up, but
unlikely if they are a “category
five” by then, as expected (no
jokes about ending with New Orleans-based
Tulane, since they are a home date,
too). Kragthorpe has the potential
to have an undefeated season, and
at a school with only 4,100 total
enrollments (2,600+ undergrad), Tulsa
knocking on the BCS door would really
make for a great story in the 2006
season.
Projected
2006 record: 10-2
|
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TULSA
*POWER RATINGS |
Offense |
Defense |
QB
- 4 |
DL
- 2.5 |
RB
- 3.5 |
LB
- 4 |
WR
- 2.5 |
DB
- 4.5 |
OL
- 3.5 |
.. |
|
RETURNING
LEADERS |
Passing:
Paul Smith, 364-227-6, 2847 yds.,
20 TD
Rushing: Tarrion Adams, 89
att., 574 yds., 8 TD
Receiving: Tarrion Adams, 24
rec., 273 yds., 2 TD
Scoring: Tarrion Adams, 10
TD, 60 pts.
Punting: Chris Kindred, 63
punts, 37.9 avg.
Kicking: Matt Schultz, 0-0
FG, 1-1 PAT, 1 pt.
Tackles: Nelson Coleman, 117
tot., 64 solo
Sacks: Nick Bunting, 5 sacks
Interceptions: Nick Graham,
6 for 66 yds.
Kickoff returns: Idris Moss,
6 ret., 18.8 avg., 0 TD
Punt returns: Idris Moss, 11
ret., 9.3 avg., 0 TD
|
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QB
Paul Smith |
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TULSA |
|
|
OFFENSE
- 7 |
----RETURNING
STARTERS---- |
DEFENSE
- 9 |
|
KEY
LOSSES |
OFFENSE:
Uril Parrish-RB, Ashlan Davis-WR/KR/PR,
Landon Keopple-WR, Richard McQuillar-WR,
Garrett Mills-TE, Jesse Stoneham-OG,
Brad DeVault-K |
DEFENSE:
Brandon
Lohr-DE, Bobby Klinck-FS |
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|
2006
OFFENSE |
Quarterback
Junior
Paul Smith is the best dual-threat QB you’ve
likely never heard of. In his first year
as a starter last campaign, he increased
Tulsa’s offensive production by nearly
50 yards and five points per game from what
they were averaging in 2004. The state’s
prep passing yardage record holder, he is
set for a breakout year after proving himself
by completing 62.8% of his attempts and
finishing with a 20:8 TD:INT ratio. This
Owasso-native has 4.7 speed and runs it
about 10 times a game, freezing LBs as he
opens other offensive options up via rollouts.
Sophomore backup David Johnson has similar
talents, and he is a step faster and a belt-size
bigger than Smith. Johnson saw limited action
in ’05, but proved reliable, so little
changes if/when he is inserted. Even third-stringer
Drew Westing shares this dual-threat profile,
meaning the offense isn’t in terrible
shape even if injuries hit here. Still,
ostensibly, Tulsa’s offense really
needs Smith to stay healthy to go its farthest.
Running
Back
Foes
pick their poison with the trio of big and
fast bruisers here. Senior Brandon Diles
looks like the starter, and this pure runner
gets yards when handed the rock (6.2 per
carry; lost only two yards on 40 attempts).
Sophomore Tarrion Adams was entrusted in
his first year (top yardage total for any
returning RB), picking up ground at an even
better clip than Diles (6.4 per carry),
while proving to be a major weapon with
his soft hands. Both run around a 4.5 second
40, but these accolades may not be enough
to hold back OU-transfer Courtney Tennial,
the state’s single-season record holder
(prep). This junior is a bowling ball (5’9”,
220lbs) and knocks defenders over, accordingly.
With great blocking skills to go with his
breakaway speed, he is expected to rotate
in often, and this means we could see two-RB
sets from this offense that usually only
fields one TB and often spits him out wide.
Add in the QBs’ running dimension(s),
and we expect to see a torrential Golden
Hurricane ground effort that earns around
200 yards per game while finishing better
than 2005’s modest rank of 40th.
Receiver
The
edge of offensive creativity at Tulsa is
most seen in the multi-receiver sets Charlie
Stubbs and Steve Kragthorpe employ. Opponents
have to be aware that anyone at a talent
position can be split out wide, so the versatility
of all their WRs is what gets a player reps
here. Idris Moss is the senior starter returning
with the most knowledge of this system.
Basically an underneath go-to type, expect
this ex-UCLA/JUCO-transfer’s role
to expend with the loss of all-world TE
Garrett Mills. Moss should open things up
as a deep threat, as will ex-DB Donnie Johnson,
the fastest of the WRs. At X receiver, the
three-deep has former JUCO-transfer Ryan
Bugg bringing size and now experience as
the starter. Underclassmen Jesse Myer and
Kyle Grooms round out a slot that has all
six-footers, and they each could be featured
field-stretchers. Six more recruits from
this year’s class mean Tulsa is just
lining themselves well with the position
they seem to covet most.
Tight
End
Losing
the nation’s seventh leading receiver
(Mills had 87 catches from this position)
will affect production, but the TEs lined
up behind him are no snarling slouches.
Ted Curtis, a junior ex-DB, has speed (4.49)
and ball handling credentials as a prep
that make him the logical next big target
coming off the line. He has size (that Mills
didn’t) for ample blocking skills,
as does returning starter Charles Ramsey,
an ex-OT/DE who has really honed a pair
of soft hands to go with his huge frame.
Depth here already exists, and with this
year’s only three-star recruit, Devin
Adair, running a 4.45-40, the drop off without
Mills won’t be nearly what many expect.
Two TEs often work together in very non-traditional
ways, so expect the unexpected, for this
position produces deep threats as often
as the WR corps does.
Offensive
Line
The
Golden Hurricane front force is strong,
with four returning senior starters of which
three are now logging two years at the top
of the depth chart. The left side looks
secured under the watch of guard John Hameister-Reis
and tackle Mike Mengers. Jeff Perrett on
the other wing (RT) is an obvious anchor
with his massive size, and running plays
to his side reflect his high grading. Aaron
Danenhauer calls the schemes intelligently
from his center spot. Danenhauer can play
anywhere along the line (started at guard
in ’04) and has really improved his
footwork on runs for which he pulls. The
lone newbie (RG) seems to be Rodrick Thomas,
who (at 347lbs.) becomes their biggest pusher.
His backup is Wade Whitlow, who returns
from injury with starting experience (from
’04). C Justin Morsey is a JUCO-transfer
from Miami (OK) who becomes their quickest
member. With depth and experience, expect
rushing totals to rise while sack totals
decrease.
OFFENSIVE
BREAKDOWN
This
offense and its truly efficient ways are
the main reason Tulsa won the league championship
in just its first year. Not much changes
as coordinator Charlie Stubbs and head coach
Steve Kragthorpe mastermind new ways to
exploit overmatched defenses. Multi-receiver
and/or two- to three-TE sets line players
up anywhere and everywhere, yet they still
use their huge, quick runners to set up
their creative passing schemes. Foes may
stop Tulsa on one play, but the next is
likely to blow by misdirected LBs for a
big gainer. QB Paul Smith is proven at the
controls of the ever-changing Golden Hurricane
offense, with feet to add even another dimension
foes often miscalculate. Proof of their
prowess is seen in three statistics –
third-down conversions that, at 49%, ranked
sixth nationally; a scoring rank (23rd)
that outpaced their rank for total offense
(39th); and a time-of-possession on offense
(32:21) that really tires opposing defenses
by the latter part of games. Rushing and
passing rankings (40th and 41st, respectively)
show the balance they attain in moving the
ball. Losses at WR and TE could set this
juggernaut back at first, but the new weapons
in place are sure to have production back
at or surpassing 2005’s strong numbers.
|
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OT
Jeff Perrett
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TULSA
2006 DEPTH CHART
Returning Starters/Key
Players |
OFFENSE |
QB |
Paul
Smith-Jr (6-2, 193) |
David
Johnson-So (6-2, 217) |
RB |
Brandon
Diles-Sr (6-0, 215) |
Tarrion
Adams-So (6-1, 204) |
WR |
Ryan
Bugg-Sr (6-0, 195) |
Jesse
Meyer-Fr (6-3, 198) |
WR |
Idris
Moss-Sr (5-10, 180) |
Donnie
Johnson-Sr (5-9, 208)
Cauvey Jackson-Jr (5-10, 188) |
TE |
Charles
Ramsey-Jr (6-4, 254) |
Aaron
Roupoli-Sr (6-2, 244) |
TE |
Ted
Curtis-So (6-1, 242) |
Jacob
Frank-So (6-1, 233) |
OT |
Mike
Mengers-Sr (6-4, 280) |
Jody
Whaley-Fr (6-3, 302) |
OG |
John
Hameister-Ries-Sr (6-6, 308) |
Curt
Puckett-Fr (6-3, 305) |
C |
Aaron
Danenhauer-Sr (6-5, 302) |
Justin
Morsey-So (6-2, 282) |
OG |
Rodrick
Thomas-So (6-4, 347) |
Wade
Whitlow-Jr (6-4, 310) |
OT |
Jeff
Perrett-Sr (6-7, 329) |
Kevin
Lane-Fr (6-5, 333) |
K |
Jarrod
Tracy-Jr (6-0, 165) |
Matt
Schultz-So (6-0, 154) |
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2006
DEFENSE |
Defensive
Line
The
three-man DL for Tulsa is meant to occupy
blockers so the LBs can make their way as
needed. But that doesn’t mean these
guys can’t shine, as junior end Chadd
Evans proves. This Colorado-transfer impressed
his first season here by leading all returning
starting linemen with seven TFLs and two fumbles
forced. Junior ex-TE Brandon Jones and classmate
Walter Boyd occupy two hats in the middle,
as does hulking sophomore NT Terrel Nemons,
who started the last six games of ’05.
At the other end, speedy (4.7) Moton Hopkins
earned freshman all-league status with three
starts in his first year, and his strong production
keeps him their other top DE. Senior Robert
Latu (former starter) and junior Kinny Spotwood
provide great outside depth, and are often
brought in to pose a four-man front if the
situation warrants such. Expect more plays
to be made by these bigmen to help bring down
foes’ average yards per run (4.3).
Linebacker
The
same trio that started every game in ’05
is back and all are upperclassmen. They
represent three of Tulsa’s top four
tacklers, combined for 28 TFLs, 13.5 sacks,
and each had two forced fumbles. Top tackler
Nelson Coleman is an opportunistic (three
fumble recoveries) run plugger who has speed
(4.7) and strength few blockers can stay
with as he roams the entire field from his
middle position (honorable mention all-American
for us). Fellow-junior Chris Chamberlain
is an ex-dual threat-QB whose nose for where/how
the play will develop makes him nearly impossible
to stop (11 TFLs) as he jams up the weakside.
Former-WAC Freshman of the Year (Tulsa’s
old conference, in case you were wondering)
Nick Bunting is the senior leader of the
“front six”. This local prep
legend still amazes fans as he blows up
plays at their inception. This is easily
one of the best starting groups in the nation,
and there is even an experienced trio of
backups who hold their own when inserted.
The overall unit will be the reason why
the Golden Hurricane defense stymies opponents
– they just have to get the 77th ranked
run stopping to improve to fulfill their
legacy.
Defensive
Back
Starting
five DBs helps Tulsa to keep the play in
front of them for optimal results, and with
the bulk of their starters and backups returning,
expect last year’s rankings (17th
in pass defense, 11th in efficiency) to
possibly improve. Senior corner Nick Graham
(honorable mention all-American, NationalChamps.net)
has great recovery speed (4.4) and is a
ball-hawk (eight INTs) who can be left on
an island to shut his side down. Sophomore
Roy Roberts got the starting nod several
times in his first year of eligibility,
and this corner has size to go with decent
speed (he could play safety the way he hits).
Senior JUCO-transfer Julian McGowan, who
also started at corner in ‘05, seems
to be the nickel back, but will be in for
plenty of reps with his strong production.
Senior free safety Bobby Blackshire earned
first-team all-conference due to his nose
for disruption, both in run support and
passing situations. Nothing gets by the
local native as he moves over from “Bandit”.
Replacing him there is 2003’s Bandit,
senior Kedrick Alexander, who didn’t
see action (for two years!) until last year’s
bowl game. Alexander also has great cover
skills, so Tulsa is ready when foes show
four-WR sets. Then there is floater Anthony
Germany, who led the team last year in TFLs
(13), pass breakups (eight), and forced
fumbles (three). Germany is often found
in the box, but his 4.4-speed allows him
to react to whatever happens, so he is rarely
out of position, even on play-action sequences.
Steve Craver and Ty Page are just two of
the many backups who will mean little drop
off occurs if injuries hit the deep men.
This group is the shizz, without a doubt
giving the Golden Hurricanes one of the
best secondaries in the nation.
DEFENSIVE
BREAKDOWN
New
co-coordinator Mark Nelson (DL coach) joins
Keith Patterson (safeties), and they should
provide the leadership and motivation to
ratchet this defense up another notch with
so many returning starters (all 11 started
sometime in 2005, with backups who can claim
such also). The strength of the 3-3-5 is
the “back eight”, and one is
hard pressed to say whether the LBs or secondary
will be the strongest unit. The same LB
trio started every game, while the secondary
is a gelled unit of five that can help in
run support and rarely get exploited, even
in today’s modern “spread”
schemes. Run stopping has to be a primary
concern after finishing 77th and allowing
4.3 yards per carry, 166 per game, and 23
TDs in ’05, but hard lessons learned
will pay off as the whole team helps cut
these numbers down. This defense knows how
to create big plays after finishing third
in the country with 36 total turnovers gained
(14 fumbles, 22 INTs), so Nelson and Patterson
just have to keep this D rolling the same
way to have Tulsa finish with a substantially
better total ranking (40th). Keep an eye
on how well they stop foes on third-downs
(modest 39% rate in ’05 wasn’t
very strong) to see just how much better
they, and the entire team, are doing.
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LB
Nelson Coleman
|
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TULSA
2006 DEPTH CHART
Returning Starters/Key
Players |
DEFENSE |
DE |
Chadd
Evans-Jr (6-4, 265) |
Robert
Latu-Sr (6-2, 271) |
NG |
Brandon
Jones-Jr (6-2, 297) |
Walter
Boyd-Jr (6-2, 317)
Terrel Nemons-So (6-4, 345) |
DE |
Moton
Hopkins-So (6-3, 275) |
Kinny
Spotwood-Jr (6-1, 232) |
SLB |
Nick
Bunting-Sr (6-1, 230) |
Alain
Karatepeyan-Jr (6-1, 250) |
MLB |
Nelson
Coleman-Jr (6-2, 235) |
Cody
Madison-Jr (6-3, 239) |
WLB |
Chris
Chamberlain-Jr (6-2, 225) |
George
Clinkscale-So (6-0, 241) |
BAN |
Kedrick
Alexander-Sr (6-2, 210) |
Steve
Craver-Jr (6-1, 212) |
CB |
Nick
Graham-Sr (5-11, 191) |
Marchon
Tatmon-Sr (6-1, 207) |
CB |
Roy
Roberts-So (5-11, 205) |
Julian
McGowan-Sr (6-0, 165) |
SPUR |
Anthony
Germany-Jr (6-1, 211) |
Ty
Page-So (6-2, 220) |
FS |
Bobby
Blackshire-Sr (6-3, 205) |
Randy
Duncan-So (6-2, 188) |
P |
Chris
Kindred-Sr (5-11, 205) |
Paul
Jurado-So (6-1, 195) |
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2006
SPECIAL TEAMS |
Kicker
Jarod Tracy leads the pack to replace Brad DeVault,
whose performance will not be easy to duplicate
after going 7-for-7 from outside of 40 yards. But
Tracy has a big leg, and if the team can again hold
foes to just over 17 per KO return, the junior should
replace DeVault with acceptable results.
Punter
The punting game needs marginal improvements.
Chris Kindred has to make his senior year that
much better than his past results (38 yard career
average), for net results of finishing 69th in
the nation won’t win Tulsa many field position
battles.
Return
Game
Idris Moss will likely inherit both return duties,
but with so many speedy DBs and other incoming
talent, Tulsa needs to keep an open mind so they
can make the most of it those few times after
they are scored upon. Nick Graham could do damage,
as could Ty Page or Roland Garrett, if given the
chance at either spot (PR or KOR). Coaches cannot
let this area be a weak link with so much going
for the team.
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