Homecoming Preview: Tulsa and SMU have many similarities

Homecoming for Tulsa will be a wide receiver showcase, with newly anointed, reigning TU record holder Keylon Stokes looking to add to his already impressive totals in a game of mirror images.

Stokes will lead Tulsa Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. in a quest to defeat SMU at H.A. Chapman Stadium in an annual game that has become a heated rivalry.

As for the mirror images, Tulsa and SMU are both 3-4 overall, and 1-2 in AAC play.

But in a freakish, coincidental way, Stokes and SMU's Rashee Rice both are tied for second in the nation in receiving yards at 802. Both also have 4 TD catches.

The only differences this season are that Stokes averages more per catch (16.7) with 48 receptions, while Rice (15.1) has 53 catches. Overall, Rice in his fourth year has 190 catches for 2,558 yards for his career, while Stokes has 214 catches for 3,352 yards in his 6th season at TU.

That career yardage last week surpassed the great Howard Twilley's mark of 3,343 that had stood for 57 years.

Tulsa coach Philip Montgomery was obviously thrilled for Stokes last week when he broke the record, but was especially happy with a 27-16 win at Temple last Friday night.

"What a tremendous feat," Montgomery said. "There's a lot of unbelievable names on that list, Howard Twilley being at the top of it. Just a legend in himself and throughout his career.

"Happy for Keylon and his accomplishment there. I think he'd be the first to tell you that it's not about him, it's about the team. Proud of him and the accomplishments that he made."

While Rice and Stokes are having career seasons so far, Rice is way overdoing himself. His previous high yardage mark was 683 yards in 2020, while Stokes had 1,040 yards in 2019. The 6-1 Rice is a bit taller than the 5-10 Stokes.

"Rahsee is a good player, and has been a good player for them for a lot of years," Montgomery said. "Obviously he's having a fantastic year for them right now. It is kind of ironic that he and Sleep (Keylon) have the exact same numbers.

"He plays a little bit more outside. Keylon plays a little bit more inside for us, but both of them are tremendous players."

Another note of interest is that both are coming off their low receiving yard totals for the season, with Rice catching 4 for 41 yards last week at home versus Cincinnati, while Stokes had 4 catches for 37 yards at Temple last week.

Both SMU and TU feature prolific passing attacks. Davis Brin is averaging 284.9 yards per game with a 61.5 completion rate. SMU's Tanner Mordecai is averaging 303 yards per game while completing 60.8 percent of his passes. Both Brin and Mordecai have 16 TD passes and 7 interceptions.

But Mordecai, a fifth year senior and transfer from OU after three years there, had to exit last week's game at the end of the third quarter at home against Cincy's savage pass rush. Mordecai approached first year coach Rhett Lashlee near the end of the third quarter about being injured.

Lashlee said this week they now think Mordecai suffered a concussion against Cincy. So his status for the Tulsa game is up in the air.

With Mordecai out, a more mobile, redshirt freshman Preston Stone came in and rallied the Mustangs with two fourth quarter TD's in the last 5:09 to close a 29-14 margin to 29-27.

Although Stone's two-point conversion pass to tie the game with 1:57 left failed, he was still impressive in relief. His stats of 6 of 15 for 74 yards and a touchdown don't seem like a lot, but he brought the team back to within a play of tying No. 20 Cincinnati.

Mordecai had a rough game, going 15 of 25 for only 105 yards, while being sacked 5 times for minus 41 yards. Mordecai had only 64 yards of total offense, while Stone's rushing totals of 4 for 22 yards gave him 96 yards total offense in much less playing time.

Still, Montgomery expects Mordecai to be the starter, but is preparing for both. SMU has considered both Mordecai and Stone all year to both be qualified as starters.

Mordecai had a good year last year for SMU, averaging 302.3 yards in 12 games while completing 67.8 percent of his passes for the 8-4 Mustangs.

Tulsa's defensive strength this season is defending against the pass, as it is giving up only 164.7 yards per game, and allows only 53 percent of passes to be completed, and 11.8 yards per catch. SMU isn't quite as good, allowing 220 yards passing, 56.2 percent of passes, and 13.1 yards per catch.

For Tulsa, Brin was averaging 402 yards after three games before he injured his ankle at Ole Miss. Although his ankle is improving, a less mobile Brin, combined with an improved running attack, especially last week, has meant less passing yards the last few weeks.

Deneric Prince is coming off the best game of his career against Temple, with 20 carries for 231 yards (11.5 yards per carry) and a TD, while also catching 2 passes for 29 yards, including an 18-yard TD pass that was mostly yards after the catch.

Prince is getting back into form after being declared eligible to play, gaining 297 yards at 7.1 yards per carry in the last 3 games.

Tulsa's running game has improved lately after a slow start to the season with an entirely new offensive line, now averaging 136.3 yards per game at 3.7 yards per carry. Steven Anderson leads the Golden Hurricane with 300 yards (4.1 ypc).

SMU has battled through injuries this year at running back and averages 130.1 yards and 4.1 yards per carry.

The Ponies and TU both aren't great against the run, as SMU gives up 204.1 yards per game at a 4.5 yard clip, while Tulsa gives up 217.4 yards and 5 yards per carry.

It is curious that Southern Methodist is favored by 2.5 points on the road at Tulsa. Especially considering the equal nature of the teams this year, and the fact that Tulsa has won the last 5 games in the series in Tulsa.

The series has become a heated one between the schools that are only 250 miles apart, and have been in the same conference all but one year and have played every year except for 2013 while being in the WAC, Conference USA, and the AAC.

Although Tulsa is 11-14 over that span, after losing the first 7 games in a down period of TU football history, Tulsa is 11-7 since 2003 against SMU.

Since Montgomery took over at Tulsa in 2015, TU is 5-2 against SMU, including 4-2 in the last 6 years. After winning by 9 points in 2015, the rest of the games have been incredibly close, with all games being within 4 points at the end of regulation, while splitting 2 overtime games.

Coach Monty is 3-0 at home against SMU. And TU is coming off a 34-31 victory at SMU last season that elevated Tulsa to 6-6 after the last game of the regular season and got Tulsa into a bowl game.

So recent history favors Tulsa, while suggesting this game will likely come down to the last play of the game.

"We've had some great games with SMU throughout the years. They all come down to the wire," Montgomery said. "They're all very physical types of games."

Montgomery would probably be shocked if the game isn't decided in the last minute.

"These two teams have great respect for each other, but they've been in the same conference for a long time, and I think there's a natural rivalry that takes place there, whether we want to talk about it or not, I think that's there," said Montgomery.

"Anytime you're in those type of rivalry type games, I think they are always close. You can throw the records out. This has been one of the few times the records are kind of the same coming in."

It should be a fantastic homecoming game that will also mark the 100th anniversary year of Tulsa being named the Golden Hurricane.