WHEN: 6 p.m. Saturday, September 3, 2016
WHERE: H.A. Chapman Stadium, Tulsa, OK
TELEVISION: CBS Sports Network
SERIES: tied 3-3
LAST MATCHUP: TU defeated San Jose State 34-24 in Tulsa on Nov. 20, 2004
THREE THINGS TO WATCH
1. How much improvement will the TU defense show? The Hurricane defense returns 23 lettermen, including seven full-time starters and five others that have started at least one game. Four of Tulsa’s top-5 tacklers return to the field. Last week, TU head coach Philip Montgomery said, “I think our defense has made huge strides in the spring and fall camp, so I’m excited to watch them on Saturday.” Now it’s time to see the improvement manifest on the field.
2. Tulsa receivers versus San Jose defensive backs. The Hurricane has a talented group of receivers, led by senior Keevan Lucas, who is returning from injury. Josh Atkinson had a breakout season last year with over 1,000 yards, and Justin Hobbs made big strides as a freshman last season with over 550 yards. TU will likely test the Spartan secondary early and often, as San Jose lost Jimmy Pruitt and Cleveland Wallace, who combined for 62 career starts at corner and spent the past few weeks in NFL training camps.
3. Tulsa front seven versus San Jose ground attack. San Jose quarterback Kenny Potter can make plays with his feet and will need to be contained. While the Spartans lost their top running back to the NFL, they replace him with Deontae Cooper, a 7th-year graduate transfer from Washington. He’s had three knee surgeries, but SJSU is counting on him as its feature back. TU head coach Philip Montgomery: “That front seven has got to do a good job of limiting those explosive plays, a good job of stopping the run and then creating that pass rush so we can get off the field on third down.”
TULSA vs. SAN JOSE STATE QUICK LINKS
• Charting the course of Tulsa’s 2016 season
• Analyzing the depth chart. The Tulsa two-deep is a balance of youthful talent and veteran experience.
• San Jose State at Tulsa: Game Week Newsstand.
• Fan Predictions for TU's season opener
• Dane Evans and Keevan Lucas have a strong bond on and off the field.
• Tulsa Offense: How much improvement can be expected?
