Tulsa Golden Hurricane:
Year 1 for a new head coach always presents a set of challenges, but the goal is to improve as the season goes along. Well, the Golden Hurricane went 3-2 over their first five games and only won one more. Nobody had delusions of grandeur about the games against Washington and Oklahoma, so being 3-2 felt “on schedule” for Kevin Wilson and Tulsa.
In the end, the finale win over East Carolina felt like a good way to go into the offseason with some kind of momentum, especially for a team that nearly knocked off Tulane on the road a couple weeks prior. Unfortunately, it looks like the building process has at least another year to go.
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Offense
When Davis Brin transferred to Georgia Southern, the hope was that Braylon Braxton would be able to take over and thrive. Instead, Cardell Williams got the most pass attempts and freshman Kirk Francis played out the string, including the win over ECU. Braxton only had 50 pass attempts and he bounced to Marshall.
It had to be a frustrating season for an offensive mind like Wilson, but the Golden Hurricane did achieve balance, gaining over 2,000 yards on the ground and through the air. All in all, they finished 84th in yards per play, but they racked up 477 yards in that 24-22 loss to Tulane, 434 against North Texas, and 446 against Tulsa. Maybe there were some positive signs at year’s end after all.
Defense
There were virtually no positive signs for the defense. Tulsa finished 127th in yards per play allowed with 6.58 and only mustered 21 sacks. Only UNLV allowed more plays of 30+ yards and only five teams allowed more plays of 20+ yards. Opponents had 53 pass plays of 20+ yards and 13 runs of 30+ yards. So, to say there were some holes in the defense would be an understatement.
Wilson did seek out a lot of help in the transfer portal to bolster the front seven. It may take time for those guys to gel, but the talent level is certainly improved. Wilson’s influence in the Midwest has been a big part of the portal after spending six seasons at Ohio State and six as the head coach at Indiana.
Outlook
This is a team that still ranks behind a lot of AAC squads and needs more than just one round of transfers to make bowl eligibility a reality in my opinion. My projections call for 4.87 wins, though I do think this could be a decent ATS team because they have upgraded the talent. Their season win total of 4.5 is juiced to the Over and I’d lean that way, as they avoid Tulane, Memphis, and have a more manageable non-conference slate.
Pick: Over 4.5 Wins
