Tulsa travels to take on the Houston Cougars at 7:00 pm on Thursday evening at TDECU Stadium. Below is our list of Keys to Victory for the Golden Hurricane in a difficult game against a West Division rival.

• Seth Boomer needs early confidence

Barring a significant change in the next 24 hours, we expect redshirt freshman Seth Boomer to get his first start at quarterback for the Golden Hurricane on Thursday. In practice, Boomer has been calm in the pocket, he protects the ball and appears to keep his emotions in check. He’ll need to keep that same approach when facing a Houston defense that includes one of the nation’s top defensive linemen. Boomer has matured physically, and if he can have early success against the Cougars, it could do wonders for the TU offense. But he’ll have to keep his nerves in check and make good decisions.

• Connect on some deep shots downfield

Tulsa often relies on a rugged ground game, but the Hurricane needs to connect on some deep throws to keep the defense honest. That has been a struggle this season due to inconsistency, and with Boomer behind center, TU may not want to take as many chances. However, in scrimmages, Boomer has shown an accurate deep ball, which could lead to explosive plays.

• Pound the rock

As usual, expect Tulsa to try and establish the running game early and often, setting up for opportunities in the passing game. It all starts with the big guys up front, who will have their hands full against Houston’s defensive front. Shamari Brooks and Corey Taylor will be relied on to take some pressure off of Boomer.