Hawaii Bowl Preview - Running Game

In a game between two teams that can score a lot of points, the running game may be crucial in deciding a winner.

Thursday, May 26th 2011, 12:05 pm

By: News On 6

Originally Published: Dec 8, 2010 6:29 PM CDT

Bobby Lewis
Oklahoma Sports Reporter

TULSA, Oklahoma – If Tulsa has any advantage in the Christmas Eve bowl game against Hawaii, it’s the running game. The Golden Hurricane enters the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl after an outstanding season rushing the football with over 2,632 yards on the ground.

Hawaii, however, did not have great year. Hawaii didn’t even have a good year. The Warriors bettered just twenty Division-I teams by rushing for a paltry 1,148 yards. Hawaii ranked 100th in the nation compared to Tulsa’s No. 16 mark. As a team, the Golden Hurricane more than doubled the Warriors’ ground production this season.

Tulsa did it in a variety of ways. The Golden Hurricane has nearly a dozen players in the mix to run the football each game. Eleven players ran the ball for TU against Memphis. Ten did against Tulane. Both of those wins were blowout wins for Todd Graham’s team. Their success running the football was a major component in Tulsa’s rise to the Top-11 in the nation in points per game (39.3).

Hawaii can score too (39.9 points per game), but that’s almost entirely through the air. Bryant Moniz threw for 36 touchdowns this season. That mark was tied for best in the country. Hawaii needed his production because Hawaii managed just 23 total touchdowns as a team on the ground.

Hawaii does have one threat on the ground. Alex Green carried the ball 133 times this season for 1,168 yards. He scored 17 of the team’s 23 rushing touchdowns and averaged nearly nine yards per carry. He himself outgained Tulsa’ top two rushers, but he had little help from his teammates.

After him, there is a huge drop off for the Warriors. Six other players have carries for Hawaii and only one of them amassed 100+ yards (Chizzy Dimude 258). Running the ball is clearly not Hawaii’s strength.

Tulsa thrives in the running game because of its diversity. Thirteen players have carried the ball for the Golden Hurricane this season, and nine of them have rushed for 100+ yards. Quarterback G.J. Kinne led the team with 557 yards on the ground (190 of that came against Houston on the road).

After Kinne, the rushing talent continues to light up the stat sheet. Damaris Johnson averaged over nine yards per carry this season and scored six times. He’s used on receiver sweeps, wildcat snaps and reverses. Alex Singleton is a load at 245 pounds. The sophomore scored a team-high nine touchdowns this season and rushed for 391 yards. After those three, Hawaii will have to worry about JaTerian Douglas, Trey Watts, and Charles Clay.

Singleton led the team in rushing four times this season. Johnson (three times) and Kinne (twice) also led the team in rushing.

Tulsa has a noted advantage rushing the football because of the way the team utilizes its weapons. Hawaii has a one-man wonder, but the Golden Hurricane is total team on the ground.