Game Notes: TU vs. New Mexico

Written By: Parrish Purnell Jr. 

The Golden Hurricane is set to travel to Albuquerque to face the New Mexico Lobos on Saturday night. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. at Branch Field at University Stadium.

Last week, Tulsa survived its season opener, winning an overtime thriller against Florida Atlantic. TU looks to have the same outcome this week as they had last week when they face New Mexico (1-0 overall, 0-0 Mountain West Conference).

Tulsa played well in spurts in its first game under new Head Coach Phillip Montgomery. The Hurricane won in a clutch overtime performance when senior running back Zach Langer found the end zone, defeating FAU 47-44.

New Mexico is coming off an annihilating, 66-0 victory against Mississippi Valley State.

The upcoming contest is sure to be a shootout, but Montgomery is focused on the defensive side of the ball; in particular, stopping the option. "We've got to be really sound defensively from an assignment standpoint,” said Montgomery. “You've got to read your keys and know who you've got because they've got a lot of unique weapons and they do a lot of different things from a motion and alignment standpoint. [So], we've got to be disciplined enough to sit in there and do what we're supposed to do."

After the first week of football, Tulsa ranks fifth in the nation for passing offense, while New Mexico’s defense ranks third for fewest passing yards allowed.

This will be the seventh meeting between Tulsa and New Mexico. TU currently leads the series 4-2 and are 2-1 in Albuquerque, finishing their last contest with a 44-10 victory. The Golden Hurricane holds an average of 42.3 points in the four wins, holding UNM to a 21.0 scoring average.

Key Tulsa players to watch:

QB Dane Evans: Ranks second in the nation for passing yards (424.0)

Safety Michael Mudoh: Leads the nation in tackles with 20 in his first game.

Wide Receiver Keevan Lucas: Ranks second in the nation for receiving yards (193). He earned his first American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week award this season.

FYI

You can stream the game on ESPN3 or listen to it on Big Country 99.5 FM.