The Tulsa Golden Hurricane (1-2, 1-0 AAC) swept through Boca Raton, FL, to face the 0-2 Florida Atlantic Owls, who appeared to be licking their wounds after being outscored 96-7 in their first two contests.
By the time the final whistle blew in Saturday night’s game, Tulsa had withered into a golden sprinkle and FAU resembled the stereotypical fast, explosive Florida team — a mini-me of the Florida school currently defending its national title.
In its decisive 50-21 victory over Tulsa, Florida Atlantic proved its blown-out performances in week one and two were, truly, blown out of proportion. The Golden Hurricane — if it still deserves the nickname — proved its beating at the hands of Oklahoma in Week 2 may have foreshadowed a team spiraling out of control, not just one blasted by a superior opponent.
“I’m just shocked, stunned,” Tulsa head coach Bill Blankenship said after the game. “We just got whipped in every phase of the game.”
Blankenship should be shocked. Tulsa vs. FAU was virtually a pick’em game, according to Vegas, who had the Golden Hurricane as slight favorites. Ten points is the closest Tulsa ever got and the game was, by all accounts, out of reach when the Owls took a 33-7 lead into half-time.
So, how did Tulsa get blown away by a team with similar talent that had mustered a single touchdown in its first two games? A slew of negative stats attributed to Tulsa in last Saturday’s game narrate the team’s ineptitude.
- Tulsa’s secondary — considered a strength entering the season because of experience and depth — has given up big play after big play for the third consecutive week. FAU quarterback Jaquez Johnson threw a 74-yard touchdown pass and another 59-yard pass in the first six minutes of the game Saturday.
- The Golden Hurricane defense has yet to hold an opponent to less than 500 yards of total offense (FAU gained 518 yards).
- Dane Evans threw a pick-6, a second interception that set up an Owls’ scoring drive, and was penalized for intentional grounding in the end zone, resulting in a safety. Evans also struggled to complete passes, completing just under 50 percent of his passes against FAU.
- Evans’ poor decision making isn’t all from his choosing, though. Tulsa’s O-line has struggled to keep him safe in the last two games. Evans was sacked four times by FAU and was hurried into ill-advised throws as the game progressed and the Owls’ lead grew larger.
- Tulsa has not scored a point in the first quarter in all three of its game. The first and third quarters are arguably the two most important quarters of a football game. Tulsa’s lack of first quarter scoring aided in a 17-0 deficit to FAU in the first eight minutes of play. Dane Evans and company proceeded to score just seven points in the third quarter when they desperately needed a big quarter down 33-7.
So what exactly does Tulsa’s “shocking” loss mean for the team going forward?
For one, it means the Golden Hurricane offensive attack is not back to being explosive on a consistent basis, as we had initially expected following the offense’s big night against Tulane in Week 1. The offense has fallen completely off the map on some deserted island the last two games and is demonstrating a unit incapable of scoring in the first half.
Defensively … what are we kidding? The defense doesn’t deserve the distinction of defense, because it obviously isn’t playing any.
Golden Hurricane fans should be ecstatic their team has a bye week before playing its next home game against Texas State, a game that now is unquestionably a must-win for the program. Tulsa players and coaches can use the extra time to figure out, if even possible, how to right the ship, and Tulsa fans won’t have to see their team pasted for a third straight week.
Between the two units, it’s excruciatingly obvious the defense is the team’s Achilles heel. As much as the offense struggled against FAU, the defense was far worse. At least the offense has had one inspiring performance against Tulane this season. The Tulsa defense is already portraying, to the dismay of Tulsa fans, a unit bound to give up big plays and chunks of yards from start to finish of each game.
For Tulsa to amend its horrendous 1-2 start, the offense must lead the way and figure out how to put points on the board. Expectations for defensive improvement should be limited if your a Tulsa fan. Dane Evans and the Golden Hurricane attack have shown signs of strength in the first three games, where the defense has not.
Evans needs to use the bye week to reconnect with receiver Keevan Lucas and configure a plan for getting him the ball so he can break open the offense much like he did against Tulane (233 yards receiving against the Green Wave).
The offense can’t rely on the defense to improve in time to win games. Its easier to improve a unit that you can dictate, rather than one that opponents dictate.
The next few games for Tulsa after the bye will indicate if losing 50-21 is a seldom occurrence or the narrative for a season bent on disappointment.
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