Tulsa's Youth Movement

Originally Published: Apr 15, 2010 3:29 PM CDT

Bobby Lewis
Oklahoma Sports Mobile Journalist

TULSA, Oklahoma – The youth movement has landed at the corner of 11th and Harvard. The Tulsa football program graduated a lot of star power and leadership in 2009, smashing open the door of opportunity for young players to shine in this weekend’s spring game.

“I think it’s great,” said head coach Todd Graham. “We’ve had a couple of scrimmages, but it’s the first game-like evaluation for us to see how guys will react in the heat of battle.”

This year’s squad looks quite different from the one that finished a disappointing 5-7. The Golden Hurricane lost 17 seniors, including six defensive starters and five offensive starters from 2009.

Linebackers Mike Bryan and George Clinkscale are gone. Linemen Curt Puckett and Wilson Garrison graduated. Tulsa lost its sack leader from a year ago, its third leading receiver and interceptions leader.

In other words, playing time is up for grabs. There’s no better time to catch the coaching staff’s eye than in the annual spring game. Tulsa will play a full contact scrimmage on Saturday at 6 p.m.

“We’re going to do a lot of ones versus ones and just see how our units operate together,” said Graham.

Tulsa won just 3 of 8 conference games last year. It’s first three league games of the 2010 season will be away from H.A. Chapman Stadium.