Saturday's Win Proves What Golden Hurricane Is Truly Made Of

Prime time, under the lights, national TV, big crowd and your quarterback comes out and throws three interceptions, including two pick-sixes.

For most teams, that would be a recipe for a disastrous game and a program letdown. Not on Saturday, and not for Tulsa.

The Golden Hurricane had every reason to give up and lie down Saturday night, but instead, they made a statement about what kind of football team they want to be.

An inspired defensive effort kept the Hurricane in the game, while a short memory and strong leadership allowed the TU offense to keep grinding and make enough plays to win.

"This is a huge statement game for our defense" quarterback Cody Green said. "Not every day do you throw three interceptions, with two returned for touchdowns, and then come out with the win by one point."

Green is exactly right, because Saturday night had all the elements of turning into a meltdown comparable to the Iowa State game, but Tulsa wouldn't let that happen. While play was still sloppy at times and there are clear improvements to be made, this team has two things you can't coach: toughness and resiliency.

Fresno State coach Tim DeRuyter spoke to that in his postgame press conference.

"We talked all week about how the toughest team was going to find a way to win" DeRuyter said. "Tulsa found a way to get it done."

There's no question that Bill Blankenship and the TU coaching staff have plenty to work on, but Saturday's win proved a lot about what the Hurricane players are made of.

"I was so proud of the way everybody, players on offense and defense, responded" Blankenship said. "I think it says a lot about the bunch we have here. I think this is going to go a long way to help us, I really do."