To say that Tulsa has been one of the worst first half teams imaginable would be an understatement. It is at epic proportions.

Getting outscored 170-24 in the first half of FBS home games plus all conference games is beyond bad. Averaging a halftime deficit of 28.3 to 4 in those six contests is humiliating.

To find worse, maybe try Cumberland College 108 years ago.

But still, amazingly, Tulsa won one of those games two games ago against UTSA with an amazing comeback, and, as a result, still has a chance to go to a bowl game.

Tulsa (3-6, 1-4 AAC) will get a chance to keep its .500 season hopes and bowl possibility alive when it hosts East Carolina on Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. at H.A Chapman Stadium.

Keeping motivated after such dismal showings can be a challenge, but one of Tulsa’s few bright spots this season, leading receiver Kam Benjamin (55 catches, 683 yards, 5 TD’s, 12.4 yards per catch), still has plenty of reasons to be hyped about playing.

“This is the only year this team is going to be together. So, we’re fighting for the team,” Benjamin said. “We’re just wanting the best for everybody who is a part of it to make this year the best it can be.

“Obviously, it hasn’t gone great so far, but we still have time to turn it around to fight for a bowl game and fight to extend our season.”

The odds of Tulsa winning its last three games this season to become bowl eligible aren’t high, to put it mildly. TU is even a 13-point underdog at home this week. And even that non-favorable point spread for TU might be a low total. But stranger things have happened.

The biggest problem is solving the first half woes. To their credit, the Golden Hurricane hasn’t been giving up at the end of blowouts, oftentimes playing their best football at the end of lost games.

“We have to go out there with some energy and put up some points, move the ball, get some stops, and get some momentum early so we can get rolling early, so we can stop coming from behind,” Benjamin said.