TU Falls 31-7 To UCF

The University of Tulsa was beat by UCF, 31-7, in Friday night's game.

Tulsa's struggling defense initially looked decent coming out. Linebacker Jake Sizelove and defensive end Chris Hummingbird combined for two big tackles, stopping UCF from gaining much yardage. By the 8:53 mark TU had held the Knights to 13 scoreless plays, followed by 3 more scoreless plays at the first and goal.

With a little less than three minutes in the first, Golden Hurricane quarterback Dane Evans threw his first interception in over five games. Derrick Alexander then stepped up and sacked UCF quarterback Justin Holman, forcing the Knights to punt with 40 seconds left. The third quarter ended with UCF leading TU 3-0.

The momentum shifted early in the second quarter after the Knights started making big gains. By 12:53 Tulsa had given up well over 36 yards in 36 plays. Although the Knights struggled in the red zone, they still continued to consistently pick up first downs. With 11:08 to go in the second, Holman threw a touchdown pass to UCF wide receiver J.J. Worton. The Golden Hurricanes remained scoreless with eight minutes to go, losing 17-0.

Towards the end of the quarter Tulsa recovered a loose ball, and took advantage of their offensive possession. With 5:41 before the half, Evans connected with Keevan Lucas in the end zone, getting TU on the board (17-7).

After the half, UCF quickly picked up another touchdown. TU struggled to contain the Knights on both sides of the ball. Tulsa remained at seven points all throughout the third quarter, while UCF extended their lead to 31-7.

Going into the fourth and final quarter, Evans threw a pass picked off by defensive back Brandon Alexander. This was Evans second thrown interception of the game. Michael Mudoh then helped his team regain possession by picking a pass from the Knights' offense.

As the game came to a close, the score remained 31-7.

TU hits the road again next week, November 22, to take on the University of Houston. The game time has not yet been announced.