The swift turbulence of the hurricane winds devastated even the most minute of structures as it plowed through rural Oklahoma. Sooner wagons were released into the stormy sky, consumed by the hurricane’s immense power.
Oh, wait. We’re talking about football, not a weather report.
In that case: the Sooner football team — oozing with NFL talent — crushed its little brother from Tulsa, as the crimson-and-white clad fans made Chapman Stadium look like an Oklahoma vacation home.
Now that sounds more like the recap that will probably follow the finish of the Oklahoma, Tulsa game this Saturday.
Both the Sooners and Golden Hurricane are coming off impressive Week 1 victories. Tulsa came back from a 21-7 second quarter deficit to defeat Tulane last Thursday, and Oklahoma controlled its game against Louisiana Tech from start to finish, winning 48-16.
Tulsa players had a battle with adversity right out the gate against Tulane. Will last Thursday’s double-overtime win transition into momentum on Saturday against the Sooners?
The third-ranked Sooners (Coaches Poll) exponentially out-weigh Tulsa from a talent level. For Tulsa to defeat OU at home for the first time since 1996 (Pre-Bob Stoops era), it will need to unleash its inner hurricane and play a nearly flawless game. Tulsa fans are wishing their team could transform into an actual hurricane against the Sooners. That way the weather report at the top could be an actual game recap.
Let’s take a look at what each team needs to do to pull out a victory.
Oklahoma Will Win If…
It plays a smidge better against Tulsa than it did against Louisiana Tech.
The Bulldogs are a terrible squad that shows no signs of improving on their 2013 4-8 record, unlike Tulsa, which seems much improved after the first game. If the Golden Hurricane offense is back to being explosive like it had been for many years before the 2013 aberration, the Sooners shouldn’t be able to jump out to a 31-0 lead in the first half as it did against LA Tech.
Tulsa is not only better than the Bulldogs, but it is more motivated for the Oklahoma game with Golden Hurricane fans, players, and coaches viewing the boys from Norman, OK, as distant rivals. Oklahoma scored most of its points last week in drives lasting three minutes or less. That’s a good sign for Sooner fans if Tulsa comes out firing on all cylinders. If the game surprises everyone and becomes a shoot-out, Oklahoma’s more talented squad will have the advantage late in the game to pull out the W.
Tulsa Will Win If…
It plays turnover-free football (while the Sooners turn the ball over), gets a basket full of breaks, the offense doesn’t wait till the second-half to turn on the jets, and minor miracles are performed by coach Blankenship.
Defeating the confident, Big 12-talented, nationally-ranked Sooners is asking a lot from the Golden Hurricane. If Tulsa stands a chance against its rival from the Big 12, it must play with a “nothing to lose” attitude, while also keeping mistakes to the bare minimum.
Tulsa quarterback Dane Evans and his relationship with last weeks’ AAC Offensive Player of the Week Keevan Lucas will have to be the difference. Tulsa accumulated a whopping 592 yards of total offense against Tulane (Evans threw for 438 yards, Lucas had 233 yards receiving), but Tulane lost several key players from its 2013 defense that finished the season No. 22 in total defense. The Tulsa defense needs to vastly improve from last week where it gave up 516 yards to Tulane, with rushing and passing stats split virtually down the middle.
Coach Blankenship told the media this week that the Sooners’ offensive attack is like “the new option, if you want to say it that way.” Tulsa must play vastly better against the run this week than it did last Thursday, allowing Tulane to rush for 254 yards.
Prediction
Tulsa appears as though it is much improved from last season’s awful 3-9 season. The Sooners shouldn’t run the Golden Hurricane out of its own house in the first half like it did last season in Norman. Tulsa went into halftime last year against Oklahoma down 27-7; completely deflated and outmatched.
Tulsa will keep the game relatively close for much of the first half, until Sooners’ quarterback Trevor Knight turns up the volume before halftime. Blake Bell started for the Sooners against Tulsa last season, and it still won the game 50-20. Trevor Knight gives the Sooners a bigger threat at QB. Coach Blankenship will have his confident team ready to play from kick-off till the final whistle. Tulsa should hang around for three quarters, but discrepancies in talent and depth will help the Sooners notch win No. 2.
Oklahoma 52, Tulsa 28
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