Tulsa Overpowers New Mexico, Advances To 2-0

The Golden Hurricane is now 2-0 (overall) after tallying another win Saturday night against the New Mexico Lobos. With the team off to a good start, many wonder if this is the beginning of Tulsa’s up rise.

Game Synopsis

The game heated up early after both teams exchanged touchdowns just a few minutes into the first quarter. Lobos’ running back Teriyon Gipson rushed and rushed until he reached the end zone, putting New Mexico up 7-0. Tulsa then answered when Dane Evans found Josh Atkinson with a deep ball, tying it 7-all.

The Golden Hurricane took its first lead after Redford Jones kicked for 34 yards, giving Tulsa a three-point head.

At this point, TU’s passing game looked decent but the secondary was struggling against the option-heavy Lobos. On third down, expecting a run, New Mexico quarterback Lamar Jordan burnt Tulsa with a deep bomb to Dameon Gamblin helping the Lobos take a 14-10 lead.

Luckily for the Golden Hurricane, the offense prevailed again early in quarter two when Evans connected with Keevan Lucas in the end zone, giving TU its lead back. By the end of the first half, Tulsa’s defense stepped up and made a few stops to help the offense reach a 20-14 lead.

Late in the third quarter, TU showed off a slight run game, scoring off a carry from D’Angelo Brewer. At this point, the Golden Hurricane had a 30-21 advantage over the Lobos. By using multiple offensive weapons, and taking some of the pressure off of Zack Langer, Keyarris Garrett, and Lucas, Tulsa’s offense looked more developed than it did in Game 1 vs. FAU.

Tulsa’s secondary continued to improve throughout the second half, stopping big plays and forcing turnovers. With 12:25 left to play, TU recovered a fumble. The Golden Hurricane then used the next possession to tally three more points to their lead.

New Mexico got a boost when Jordan found one of his receivers deep in the end zone, but unfortunately for the Lobos the touchdown was called back due to an illegal shift. Tulsa took advantage of the penalty, snagging an interception that eventually led to another Tulsa score (by Langer).

With Tulsa now dominating on both sides of the ball and less than two minutes to play, New Mexico was finished. TU soon ended the game with a 40-21 win over the Lobos.

Numbers Don't Lie

-Langer and Brewer combined for 272 yards. Langer had 139 and Brewer had 133.

-Evans passed for 321 yards and two touchdowns. Garrett had seven catches for 102 yards. Atkinson had three catches for 119 yards.

-Tulsa gained 600 total yards, making it the second straight game the Golden Hurricane has gained at least 600 yards and scored 40+ points.

Up Next

Tulsa will face Oklahoma on September 19 at 11:00 a.m. in Norman.