Vitals: Tulsa vs. Bowling Green

Originally Published: Sep 10, 2010 10:4 PM CDT

Tulsa Preview | Vitals | Recap | Box Score

Grant Belcher
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

Tulsa Golden Hurricane (0-1) vs. Bowling Green (0-1)
6:05 p.m.
H.A. Chapman Stadium, Tulsa, Okla.

Statistical leaders (After Week One):

Injury Report:

Bowling Green: No major injuries to report

Tulsa: OL Jared Grigg (back, out for year); LB Kenny Sims (left team, out for year); WR AJ Whitmore (academics, out for year); K Cory Jefferis (undisclosed, out for year) S Dexter McCoil (knee, questionable)

Where to find it?

On TV: None
On Radio: KRMG 740 AM/FM 102.3 (Bruce Howard, Rick Couri, Chris Kaiser)


What you need to know?

Both teams will enter this game after suffering heartbreaking losses in their first week. Tulsa lost 51-49 on a Hail Mary to East Carolina as time expired, while Bowling Green 30-27 on a late field goal. This is the third meeting between Tulsa and Bowling Green, with Tulsa leading the series, 2-0 and oustscoring the Falcons 108-17 in the previous two games. The first meeting came in 1989 when Tulsa picked up a 45-10 win at home.

The Golden Hurricane has been impressive in home openers, with a 57-23 record at Skelly Field. However, they are just 12-8 since the 1990 season in home openers. The last time Tulsa picked up a home opener loss was in 2005 to Minnesota, and it has since picked up four straight home opener wins against Steven F. Austin, BYU, New Mexico and Sam Houston State.

The previous time the two teams met was just three seasons ago in the GMAC Bowl on January 6, 2008 in Mobile, Alabama. Tulsa quarterback Paul Smith had his 14th consecutive 300-yard passing game in a 63-7 rout of Bowling Green. The Golden Hurricane established an NCAA record for largest margin of victory in bowl history with its 56-point win.

Who to watch?

Tulsa quarterback G.J. Kinne threw for career highs of 399 yards and five touchdowns in week one despite the loss. His performance was the second-best passing performance of the opening weekend in the NCAA, behind North Carolina's T.J. Yates (412 yards, three touchdowns).

Receiver Damaris Johnson set Tulsa's all-time record for kickoff return yardage, passing Jason Jacoby's 2,572 yards. Johnson now has 2,664 career return yards. Johnson is moving up the Conference USA lists for kickoff return yardage and all-purpose yards. He ranks third on Conference USA's all-time kickoff return yardage list and sixth on the all-purpose yardage list.

Bowling Green defensive back Keith Morgan was named the Mid-American Conference East Defensive Player of the Week for his 11-tackle performance against Troy in week one. He also added an interception on the first play of the second quarter. Punt returner Eugene Cooper was explosive in the first week, averaging 36 yard per return and taking one punt to the house for a touchdown.