Opening the football season against a non-major college team, whether it is called FCS, D-II, or whatever else, can be a tricky proposition. The same can also be said for that type of game any time of the year.
Especially when the team in question is likely to be pretty good, as is the case with Central Arkansas, which Tulsa faces Saturday night at 6 p.m. at H.A. Chapman Stadium in the season opener for both schools.
If the past is any indication, it could be an interesting game. New UCA head coach Nathan Brown is certainly familiar with playing at Tulsa.
Brown lit up Tulsa as Central Arkansas’ quarterback in 2008, completing 24 of 33 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns while leading the Bears to 34 points.
Fortunately for the Golden Hurricane, they had Gus Malzahn as the offensive coordinator, David Johnson at quarterback, Charles Clay and “The Milkman”, aka Brennan Marion, at receiver, and Tarrion Adams at running back. That resulted in 62 points for TU.
The contest was billed as a battle between mid-round NFL draft picks at quarterback, although neither was drafted. Brown later spent some time in NFL camps.
It was a somewhat close game for much of the time, as UCA only trailed 38-26 late in the third quarter. Johnson finished with 286 yards passing, completing 18 of 22 for four touchdowns. Marion had six catches for 136 yards and two touchdowns, and Tarion Adams rushed 13 times for 120 yards and two touchdowns.
That Golden Hurricane team went on to win its first eight games and was nationally ranked before finishing 11-3. Johnson passed for 4,059 yards (third in TU history) and 46 touchdowns (second in TU history), while Brown was D-II All-American and is their all-time leading passer, as well as a member of the UCA Athletic Hall of Fame.
As for season openers against non-major college teams, in the 22 years since Tulsa got out of the Missouri Valley Conference, TU has hosted six such games. The last two times weren’t close, as TU defeated Stephen F. Austin 45-7 in 2006, and Indiana State 51-0 in 2001.
But the four games before that were much better, as Tulsa hosted SW Missouri State (now called Missouri State) three times in the 1990’s, with the scores being 45-21 in 1999, 49-14 in 1998, and 34-13 in 1991.
The first time in that stretch did not turn out well, as Tulsa lost 22-17 in 1986 to Louisiana Tech (before it became a major college team). It didn’t ruin Tulsa’s season, as the Golden Hurricane finished 7-4, but it certainly didn’t help.
Coming off a 2-10 season in 2017, the Golden Hurricane can ill afford a slip up like the one in 1986. That isn’t likely, but the Bears are dangerous and are used to winning.
Brown takes over as head coach (replacing new South Alabama head coach Steve Campbell) after the last four years as offensive coordinator. His offenses at UCA have been prolific, and UCA finished 10-2 in 2017.
Something that might help Tulsa is that Central Arkansas has a new quarterback, as inexperienced but talented Breylin Smith takes over for graduated Hayden Hildenbrand. And TU can also be happy that sixth-round NFL draft pick, defensive back Tremon Smith, is no longer around.
But a first-class pass rusher in Chris Terrell is still there. Terrell recorded 11 sacks in 2017 and is one of 11 returning starters for UCA.
The task of Tulsa quarterback Luke Skipper playing well will be paramount. It is imperative that Skipper and the Tulsa passing game start off the season well. An improved passing game is the number one priority of the Golden Hurricane in 2018.
Skipper is one of six returning starters on offense. The others are receivers Justin Hobbs and Keenen Johnson, tight end Chris Minter, and offensive linemen Chandler Miller, Willie Wright and Tyler Bowling.
“We’ve been waiting for the start of the season for what seems like a long time,” Miller said. “We can’t wait to put last season behind us and try to win the conference championship.”
On defense for TU, there are 10 returning starters, including defensive linemen Shemarr Robinson, Myles Mouton and Garrett Flanary; linebackers Cooper Edmiston and Diamon Cannon, and defensive backs McKinley Whitfield, Jordan Mitchell, Manny Bunch, Reggie Robinson and Akayleb Evans.
The most important returnees who were not considered starters last season are running back Shamari Brooks and defensive end Trevis Gipson. Both are expected to make a huge impact this season.
Among the newcomers, defensive tackle Jaxon Player is the one to watch. Player was a dominant high school player at Midway High School in Waco, Tx. Another newcomer to watch is another defensive tackle, JaJuan Blankenship, a juco transfer from Independence CC.
Every year, there is always someone unexpected who steps up. This year should be no exception.
One thing is for certain. Tulsa cannot afford a loss to Central Arkansas. A win will send the Golden Hurricane off on a positive note when it travels to Austin next week to play Texas.
MORE TULSA FOOTBALL COVERAGE:
• Chandler Miller once again anchors the Tulsa OL
• Tulsa QB Luke Skipper says, "I want to win every game."
• Shamari Brooks ready to lead TU ground game
• WR Keylon Stokes following in brother's footsteps
• Former CBB player joins Tulsa as tight end
• Trevis Gipson ready to step up at DE for Tulsa
• Central Arkansas at Tulsa - News & Notes
• Tulsa commit Drew Rawls ready for senior season at West Brook
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