UCF visits in a prime-time matchup on national TV.
Prime-time exposure awaits Tulsa on Sunday night.
The No. 22 Golden Hurricane, unbeaten and craving to be a BCS Bowl buster, gets to display its explosive team in a Sunday night ESPN matchup against the University of Central Florida. Kickoff is 7:18 p.m. at Chapman Stadium.
?I am really excited being the only college game on TV on Sunday night,? TU defensive end Moton Hopkins said. ?It?s a great opportunity for all of our fans to see us and for everyone around the country to watch us, those who have not seen us play yet, to get the chance to see what we can do.?
It will be a great way for our team to showcase our talents.?
Tulsa will try to improve its record to 8-0 overall and 5-0 in Conference USA.
Since the second BCS standings will be released before Sunday?s game (TU was No. 19 in the first poll), it could build upon its new number with a win.
Tulsa has celebrated 17 victories in Todd Graham?s two seasons as head coach.
Only four times have the Hurricane walked off the football field as losers ? and twice, it came at the hands of UCF.
?That?s half of our
losses,? TU tailback Tarrion Adams said. ?That has to be taken seriously. They always play us good.
?This has developed into a rivalry.?
Tulsa has wrangled with UCF three times since 2005, with all the games played in Orlando. TU captured the 2005 league title game, but lost the regular-season meeting and C USA championship to the Knights last year.
Both teams are playing without Smiths this season.
Tulsa quarterback Paul Smith and UCF running back Kevin Smith were voted the C-USA?s co-offensive players of the year by the media.
The Hurricane has absorbed its loss better. David Johnson has picked up where Paul Smith left off and leads the nation in passing efficiency.
He is directing the nation?s top-scoring team and best offense, statistically.
UCF (2-4, 1-1) is struggling offensively. The Knights rank last of 119 schools nationally in total offense.
Graham remains wary of a Knights team that played nationally ranked South Florida and Miami (Fla.) within a touchdown.
?We?re playing a very good football team,? Graham said.
?I think it?s the best team that we?ve played so far in how they match up with us.
They?ve got a very good defensive team.
?Offensively, they?ve struggled at times. But they are very capable. They?ve got wideouts that can stretch the field vertically and they do a very good job. How they match up with us ... it?s going to be important for us to not give up big plays.
We have to bring our ?A? game again this week.?
There is little doubt that Graham will bring up last year when talking about this one.
?The kids remember (last year?s) game,? the TU coach said. ?I don?t have to tell the players that we need to get ready to play because this team put it to us last year and physically got after our rear ends. We only lost to three teams, and they beat us twice.
?On the same hand, it?s the 2008 season and it?s a different season.?
Prime-time exposure awaits Tulsa on Sunday night.
The No. 22 Golden Hurricane, unbeaten and craving to be a BCS Bowl buster, gets to display its explosive team in a Sunday night ESPN matchup against the University of Central Florida. Kickoff is 7:18 p.m. at Chapman Stadium.
?I am really excited being the only college game on TV on Sunday night,? TU defensive end Moton Hopkins said. ?It?s a great opportunity for all of our fans to see us and for everyone around the country to watch us, those who have not seen us play yet, to get the chance to see what we can do.?
It will be a great way for our team to showcase our talents.?
Tulsa will try to improve its record to 8-0 overall and 5-0 in Conference USA.
Since the second BCS standings will be released before Sunday?s game (TU was No. 19 in the first poll), it could build upon its new number with a win.
Tulsa has celebrated 17 victories in Todd Graham?s two seasons as head coach.
Only four times have the Hurricane walked off the football field as losers ? and twice, it came at the hands of UCF.
?That?s half of our
losses,? TU tailback Tarrion Adams said. ?That has to be taken seriously. They always play us good.
?This has developed into a rivalry.?
Tulsa has wrangled with UCF three times since 2005, with all the games played in Orlando. TU captured the 2005 league title game, but lost the regular-season meeting and C USA championship to the Knights last year.
Both teams are playing without Smiths this season.
Tulsa quarterback Paul Smith and UCF running back Kevin Smith were voted the C-USA?s co-offensive players of the year by the media.
The Hurricane has absorbed its loss better. David Johnson has picked up where Paul Smith left off and leads the nation in passing efficiency.
He is directing the nation?s top-scoring team and best offense, statistically.
UCF (2-4, 1-1) is struggling offensively. The Knights rank last of 119 schools nationally in total offense.
Graham remains wary of a Knights team that played nationally ranked South Florida and Miami (Fla.) within a touchdown.
?We?re playing a very good football team,? Graham said.
?I think it?s the best team that we?ve played so far in how they match up with us.
They?ve got a very good defensive team.
?Offensively, they?ve struggled at times. But they are very capable. They?ve got wideouts that can stretch the field vertically and they do a very good job. How they match up with us ... it?s going to be important for us to not give up big plays.
We have to bring our ?A? game again this week.?
There is little doubt that Graham will bring up last year when talking about this one.
?The kids remember (last year?s) game,? the TU coach said. ?I don?t have to tell the players that we need to get ready to play because this team put it to us last year and physically got after our rear ends. We only lost to three teams, and they beat us twice.
?On the same hand, it?s the 2008 season and it?s a different season.?
