http://www.yardbarker.com/colleges/tulsa_golden_hurricane/121 Recent articles about Tulsa Golden Hurricane en-us Last year, Tulsa began and ended with the same opponent — Iowa State. The Golden Hurricane lost the first contest at Ames, Iowa, but got revenge with a 31-17 Liberty Bowl victory. After that loss in the opener, the Hurricane won seven straight and then went 3-2 down the stretch, including a win in the Conference USA championship game. Head coach Bill Blankenship brings a 19-8 record into this third year at TU. He improved from 8-5 in 2012 to 11-3 a year ago. Eight starters return to TU’s lineup this year with senior quarterback Cody Green (6-4, 247) leading the pack. He completed 54.4 percent of his passes last year for 2,592 yards with 17 TDs and 11 INTs. Green also ran for 284 yards and four scores. The running game will be solid with the return of senior Trey Watts (5-11, 190), son of former OU star J.C. Watts. Watts rushed for 1,108 yards (6 yards per carry) and 3 TDs last season. Ja’Terian Douglas (5-11, 189, Sr.) picked up 936 yards (6.7 average) and 7 touchdowns... Wed, 01 May 2013 23:08:09 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/offseason_intelligence_tulsa_golden_hurricane/13532327 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/offseason_intelligence_tulsa_golden_hurricane/13532327 Offseason Intelligence: Tulsa Golden Hurricane http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/offseason_intelligence_tulsa_golden_hurricane/13532327 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The NCAA has denied Tulsa's appeal seeking a sixth year of eligibility for Bryan Burnham, the team's leading receiver two seasons ago. Burnham was seeking a waiver to play next season for the Golden Hurricane after sustaining a season-ending knee injury in last year's opener against Iowa State. He also missed the 2008 season due to an illness. The NCAA had previously rejected Burnham's request for a sixth season of eligibility, and an appeals committee rejected his appeal Wednesday. Burnham led Tulsa with 54 catches for 850 yards and nine touchdowns in 2011. Coach Bill Blankenship says Tulsa is ''extremely disappointed'' for Burnham, who had been preparing to play next season. Burnham says he's ''ready to move on now.'' Wed, 01 May 2013 22:52:35 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/tulsas_burnham_denied_extra_eligibility/13532270 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/tulsas_burnham_denied_extra_eligibility/13532270 Tulsa's Burnham denied extra eligibility http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/tulsas_burnham_denied_extra_eligibility/13532270 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The NCAA has denied Tulsa's appeal seeking a sixth year of eligibility for Bryan Burnham, the team's leading receiver two seasons ago. Burnham was seeking a waiver to play next season for the Golden Hurricane after sustaining a season-ending knee injury in last year's opener against Iowa State. He also missed the 2008 season due to an illness. The NCAA had previously rejected Burnham's request for a sixth season of eligibility, and an appeals committee rejected his appeal Wednesday. Burnham led Tulsa with 54 catches for 850 yards and nine touchdowns in 2011. Coach Bill Blankenship says Tulsa is ''extremely disappointed'' for Burnham, who had been preparing to play next season. Burnham says he's ''ready to move on now.'' Wed, 01 May 2013 21:16:02 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/ncaa_rejects_tulsas_appeal_on_burnham_eligibility/13531847 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/ncaa_rejects_tulsas_appeal_on_burnham_eligibility/13531847 NCAA rejects Tulsa's appeal on Burnham eligibility http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/ncaa_rejects_tulsas_appeal_on_burnham_eligibility/13531847 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Spring football is a terrific time for any program to stand out in a unique way, and it can serve as a terrific opportunity for any program to raise good relations in the media and with the fans. Yesterday we saw one of the best moments we may see in college football this calendar year when Nebraska let seven-year old pediatric cancer fighter Jack Hoffman run uncontested for a long touchdown during the Huskers' spring game. Meanwhile in Tulsa, fans were invited fans to get a closer look at their program by honoring a legend, fan contests and interviews to break up the typical spring game atmosphere. And of course, spring game admission was free. Prior to the game Tulsa unveiled a statue of Glenn Dobbs, a college football hall of fame player who played for Tulsa in the early 1940s before World War II, leading Tulsa to an undefeated season with All-American honors in 1942. A reported 1,200 fans showed up for the statue ceremony, many staking out a place to sit with lawn ch... Sun, 07 Apr 2013 14:33:08 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/tulsa_gives_fans_up_close_look_at_spring_practice/13339378 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/tulsa_gives_fans_up_close_look_at_spring_practice/13339378 Tulsa gives fans up close look at spring practice http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/tulsa_gives_fans_up_close_look_at_spring_practice/13339378 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Draft Zone Spotlight: Dexter McCoil, S, Tulsa University Dexter McCoil is probably one of the most underrated football players in the 2013 NFL Draft. I don’t know why media people are not pumping this guy more.  He is by far one of the hardest workers in college football.  The 6’4, 222 pound safety can play both D-Back and Outside backer.  He finished his career with 18 interceptions and has no problem with getting his nose dirty.  McCoil will fill a gap and is a very strong and gifted player. The kid is the total package and should hear his name called this month. How many teams were recruiting you coming out of high school and how did you make your decision? -I had a good bit of offers from schools coming out of high school. Schools like Auburn, TCU, Latech, and Tulsa. Who was your favorite NFL team growing up, and did you have a player you rooted for? -My favorite NFL team growing up is the Oakland Raiders and the player I always rooted for was Charles Woodson, Tim Brown, Zack Cr... Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:05:37 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/draft_zone_spotlight_dexter_mccoil_s_tulsa_university/13293175 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/draft_zone_spotlight_dexter_mccoil_s_tulsa_university/13293175 Draft Zone Spotlight: Dexter McCoil, S, Tulsa University http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/draft_zone_spotlight_dexter_mccoil_s_tulsa_university/13293175 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Chiney Ogwumike is accustomed to doing a little bit of everything for Stanford. The Cardinal needed all she had to get past the first round of the NCAA tournament - especially the spark she brings on both ends of the floor. Ogwumike scored 29 points and grabbed eight rebounds and top-seeded Stanford pulled away in the second half to survive a hard-fought effort by 16th-seeded Tulsa for a 72-56 victory in the first round of the NCAA tournament Sunday. Amber Orrange added 14 points, six rebounds and three assists for the Cardinal (32-2), who needed more than a half to get rolling while playing at home in Maples Pavilion coming off final exams and a two-week layoff since winning the Pac-12 tournament. Conference Player of the Year Ogwumike took charge in Stanford's quest for a sixth straight Final Four after her big sister, Nneka, became the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft and the league's rookie of the year with the Los Angeles Sparks. Up next for Stanford is a second-round date with either No. 8 seed Sun, 24 Mar 2013 19:52:32 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/no_4_stanford_72_tulsa_56/13224103 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/no_4_stanford_72_tulsa_56/13224103 No. 4 Stanford 72, Tulsa 56 http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/no_4_stanford_72_tulsa_56/13224103 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Starting linebacker Shawn Jackson has been suspended for the first three games of Tulsa's season. Coach Bill Blankenship announced Tuesday that Jackson would not play against Iowa State, Tulane or Nicholls State because of a violation of team policy. He will be eligible to return for a Sept. 22 game against Fresno State. Jackson started 23 games over his first two seasons with Tulsa and was second on the team last season with 101 tackles. Blankenship says the Golden Hurricane need Jackson ''to be a leader on and off the field, and I firmly believe that he has the character, determination and work ethic to be just that for this football team.'' Tue, 22 May 2012 15:46:50 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/tulsa_suspends_lb_shawn_jackson_for_3_games/10849913 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/tulsa_suspends_lb_shawn_jackson_for_3_games/10849913 Tulsa suspends LB Shawn Jackson for 3 games http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/tulsa_suspends_lb_shawn_jackson_for_3_games/10849913 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Shea Seals, the former Tulsa star whose NBA career was cut short by a knee injury, is returning to the Golden Hurricane to serve on new coach Danny Manning's staff. Manning announced Wednesday that he has hired Seals as the director of player development and team manager. He says Seals will be a mentor to Tulsa's players, incorporate life-skills opportunities into the program and reach out to the community. The 36-year-old Seals had his No. 21 jersey retired at Tulsa, where he holds the school's career scoring record and played on Golden Hurricane teams that went to the NCAA tournament four straight years in the mid-1990s. Seals has spent the past eight years as a high school coach in Tulsa, winning state championships at Booker T. Washington in 2010 and 2011. Wed, 09 May 2012 18:55:48 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/former_tulsa_star_seals_added_to_mannings_staff/10757042 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/former_tulsa_star_seals_added_to_mannings_staff/10757042 Former Tulsa star Seals added to Manning's staff http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/former_tulsa_star_seals_added_to_mannings_staff/10757042 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Tulsa coach Bill Blankenship hears the jokes that he may have gotten it backward in hiring his latest assistant coach. When looking to fill an opening for a cornerbacks coach, he hired the father of one of the Golden Hurricane's latest signees. Usually, he says, it goes the opposite way and a coach will occasionally hire a prospect's dad in a bid to lure the coveted player to campus. That's just not the way it went with hiring Darnell Walker Sr. Blankenship says he and his coaching staff got familiar with Walker while recruiting his son, Darnell, and decided to go after him when Van Malone left to take a job at Oklahoma State. Walker is one of three newcomers on Tulsa's staff as the Golden Hurricane opened spring practice last week. Sun, 11 Mar 2012 18:16:08 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/revamped_tulsa_staff_has_holes_to_fill_in_spring/10284046 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/revamped_tulsa_staff_has_holes_to_fill_in_spring/10284046 Revamped Tulsa staff has holes to fill in spring http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/revamped_tulsa_staff_has_holes_to_fill_in_spring/10284046 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Tulsa has fired men's basketball coach Doug Wojcik after seven seasons during which he recorded the most wins in school history. Athletic director Ross Parmley called Sunday's move a business decision and cited sagging ticket sales and ''growing apathy'' among the fan base as the reasons for Wojcik's dismissal. Wojcik was 140-92 with the Golden Hurricane but never was able to take the program to the NCAA tournament. Tulsa won the inaugural College Basketball Invitational postseason tournament in 2008 and went to the NIT the past two seasons. Parmley says there has been a 35 percent drop-off in season ticket sales and a 43 percent decline in basketball revenue since Wojcik took over the program in 2005. Sun, 11 Mar 2012 17:43:05 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/tulsa_fires_doug_wojcik_as_coach/10283836 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/tulsa_fires_doug_wojcik_as_coach/10283836 Tulsa fires Doug Wojcik as coach http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/tulsa_fires_doug_wojcik_as_coach/10283836 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Former Tulsa receiver Dan Bitson is returning to his alma mater to serve as an assistant coach. Head coach Bill Blankenship announced Friday that Bitson will be the Golden Hurricane's new running backs coach, filling a vacancy created when Holman Wiggins took a similar job at Memphis. Bitson, a 2007 inductee into the University of Tulsa Athletic Hall of Fame, has spent the past three seasons as the head coach at Tulsa's McLain High School. He previously coached the Golden Hurricane's receivers in 2001 and 2002. Bitson was Tulsa's second-leading receiver with 3,330 yards and 29 touchdown receptions when he finished his college career in 1991. He was a second-team All-American in 1989 with 73 catches for 1,425 yards and 16 touchdowns. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:02:59 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/bitson_hired_to_coach_tulsa_running_backs/9479597 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/bitson_hired_to_coach_tulsa_running_backs/9479597 Bitson hired to coach Tulsa running backs http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/bitson_hired_to_coach_tulsa_running_backs/9479597 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Both Tulsa head coach Bill Blankenship and BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall spent Thursday morning talking about how important turnovers would be in deciding the winner of Fridays Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. While turnovers will be key, they won't be the only factor in determining the winner of the 11 a.m. at SMUs Ford Stadium. Here are three keys to success for each team. TULSA 1. Establish the run The Golden Hurricane have a standout quarterback in Texan G.J. Kinne, but the key to them winning seven of their final eight games was the running attack. Sophomore Trey Watts and former Arlington Lamar standout Ja'Terian Douglas have each rushed for more than 800 yards this season. If Tulsa can keep the two-headed attack going, it will limit the scoring opportunities for BYU. Douglas is the home-run threat, with four touchdowns of at least 37 yards and a per-carry average of 8.2. 2. Shake off the rust When the ball is kicked off at 11:01 Friday morning, it will mark the first time Tulsa has Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:15:41 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/turnovers_wont_be_only_key_for_tulsa_byu/9012541 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/turnovers_wont_be_only_key_for_tulsa_byu/9012541 Turnovers won't be only key for Tulsa, BYU http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/turnovers_wont_be_only_key_for_tulsa_byu/9012541 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png KENNEDALE, Texas There's no questioning Tulsa quarterback G.J. Kinne's ability to adapt to different situations. The senior signal caller, who is playing his last collegiate game in Friday's Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl against BYU, has taken a winding route to becoming one of the best quarterbacks to play for the Golden Hurricane. The native Texan played for two different high schools before signing with Texas. He left Texas after his freshman season for Tulsa, where he took over as the starting quarterback in 2009. He'll wrap up his career Friday playing for his third college head coach in Bill Blankenship. Through all the changes, the 6-2 Kinne has continued to perform at a high level. "I think I'm a better quarterback this year," Kinne said. "The things I've done at the line of scrimmage are different. I've improved at the mental part of the game. We have a new offense and a totally new set of skill players. I take a lot of pride in what we've been Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:47:42 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/versatile_tulsa_qb_prepping_for_final_start/8992939 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/versatile_tulsa_qb_prepping_for_final_start/8992939 Versatile Tulsa QB prepping for final start http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/versatile_tulsa_qb_prepping_for_final_start/8992939 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Tulsa accepted an invitation Sunday to play BYU in the Armed Forces Bowl. The Golden Hurricane (8-4) have won seven of their last eight games. They finished second in the Conference USA's West Division behind 20th-ranked Houston, which was undefeated before losing in the C-USA championship game Saturday. BYU (9-3), which is wrapping up a season of football independence, officially accepted its invitation two weeks ago. The Cougars had been granted a provisional invitation to the Armed Forces Bowl in April, as long as they were bowl eligible. Tulsa's losses this season came against third-ranked Oklahoma State, No. 8 Boise State, No. 19 Oklahoma and Houston. This will be the Golden Hurricane's second Armed Forces Bowl. They lost 25-13 to Utah in 2006. Sun, 04 Dec 2011 20:13:13 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/tulsa_oks_invite_to_face_byu_in_armed_forces_bowl/8512981 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/tulsa_oks_invite_to_face_byu_in_armed_forces_bowl/8512981 Tulsa OKs invite to face BYU in Armed Forces Bowl http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/tulsa_oks_invite_to_face_byu_in_armed_forces_bowl/8512981 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The thing nobody really notices is Tulsa. Specifically, that Tulsa has a perfect Conference USA record and would, with a win on Friday over Houston, host the Conference USA championship game. This is because Tulsa scheduled itself into oblivion. Nobody notices the Golden Hurricane because it lost to Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Boise State and for that has been shooed off to the margins, while Houston is 11-0, ranked eighth in the nation and two wins from playing in a BCS bowl game. And people are criticizing Houston's schedule? Welcome to college football. The thinking goes something like this: Conference USA is not a strong enough league for its champion to be granted automatic qualification into the BCS bowl system, so in order to compensate for that and legitimize their seasons, C-USA teams should play difficult non-conference schedules, such as the one Tulsa played this year, or the one Houston played in 2009, when it beat Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. Ideally, this acts as something of a vetting process for non-automatic qualifying teams who end up with perfect records. But it fails to fully reconcile the most important question of all. What if you lose? Tulsa can answer that. The Golden Hurricane played the most glamorous nonconference schedule in the country this year. Oklahoma was No. 1 when it beat the Golden Hurricane 47-14 in Norman, Okla. Oklahoma State was No. 7 when it beat Tulsa 59-33 in Tulsa. Boise State was No. 4 when it beat Tulsa 41-21 in Boise, Idaho. Those teams now have a four losses among them. And what does Tulsa have? That schedule was all good and noble, and if for some reason Tulsa wants to go around saying, "We'll play anybody, anywhere, any time" as a way of trumpeting its fearlessness, all it has to do is pull out this season's pocket schedule. But goodwill and nobility aren't part of the BCS formula. You will hear suggestions in the coming weeks that Houston is undeserving of a BCS bid because it did not play a difficult enough schedule. It has not been vetted. But this is a paradox. The very reason Houston is in this conversation (and Tulsa is not) is that Houston did not play Tulsa's schedule. Unless you think the Cougars were going to win in Norman and in Boise and at home against Oklahoma State, then you're criticizing their schedule for doing exactly what any schedule supposed to do. "You can't have it both ways," Houston coach Kevin Sumlin said. "We are a non-AQ team. You cannot be a non-AQ team and play an AQ schedule." He's right. If you strip away all the messy rules, there are two basic ways to get into the BCS: (1) Have a very good (but not necessarily perfect) season against major-conference competition, or (2) have a perfect season against mid-major conference competition, which is its own kind of difficulty. It is not possible to do both, and teams should not be expected to play by two sets of rules. Which is what Tulsa tried to do. Houston probably is the better team, but it is not difficult to see their situations being perfectly reversed if their schedules were. If the scores in conference play are an indicator, these two teams are similar in quality (if not in style). This is not meant to detract from Houston's accomplishment, and the point isn't even to make a judgment about whether the Cougars would have beaten OU, OSU and Boise State. The point is that there is no point in attempting it. Not anymore. That's an outdated insecurity. It died a few years ago, probably when Boise State beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. If you want to prove a point by playing the big boys, don't do it in September. Win all your games, and you'll get to do it in January. Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:42:04 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/dont_knock_houstons_schedule_knock_tulsas/8273431 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/dont_knock_houstons_schedule_knock_tulsas/8273431 Don't knock Houston's schedule, knock Tulsa's http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/dont_knock_houstons_schedule_knock_tulsas/8273431 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png