It’s an in-state rivalry, of sorts, when No. 16 Oklahoma plays host to Tulsa on Saturday. Oklahoma has won eight straight games over the Golden Hurricane, and is 19-7-1 against them overall. Tulsa’s only beaten Oklahoma once since World War II, so it’s quite unlikely that 2015 will be their second.
How to watch Tulsa vs. Oklahoma on TV or online, plus 3 things to know
Will the Sooners be in for a letdown after their big win over Tennessee?
The Sooners are coming off a comeback win at Tennessee last week, in which they overcame a 17-0 deficit to beat the Volunteers in Knoxville 31-24 in double overtime. There’s always the chance of a letdown after such a big win on the national stage, but it’s not the most likely outcome.
Tulsa also comes into the game 2-0, owning wins over Florida Atlantic and New Mexico. It’s a good start for new head coach Phil Montgomery, who formerly served as the offensive coordinator at Baylor. As you might expect from a team coached by a former Baylor offensive coach, they can throw the ball around pretty well. Quarterback Dane Evans has 745 yards and four touchdowns in the first two games, but it’ll take a massive effort to pull the upset in Norman.
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: 12 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1 (Tim Brando, Spencer Tillman, Bruce Feldman)
Online streaming: Fox Sports Go
Spread: Oklahoma is favored by 30.5-points.
Make friends: Get to SB Nation’s team blog chats for this game at Crimson and Cream Machine (for Oklahoma fans) and Underdog Dynasty (for Tulsa fans).
Three big things to know
1. Can the Sooners jumpstart the running game? Oklahoma has been anemic so far on the ground, which is shocking considering they have Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon taking the carries. The two backs are only averaging 88 yards per game combined so far this season, but that should improve against Tulsa's 120th ranked rushing defense, which has surrendered 262 yards per game this season.
2. Can Tulsa keep slinging it? The Golden Hurricane have a potent passing attack, averaging over 372 yards per game so far this season. Keyarris Garrett and Keevan Lucas are both averaging well over 100 receiving yards per game, and having multiple big-time targets should put some stress on the Sooner defense. Oklahoma, for their part, is only allowing 106 yards per game through the air so far.
3. Just don’t do anything stupid. We’ve seen highly regarded teams already stumble this season against competition most people overlooked. I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but if Jacksonville State can take Auburn to overtime and Toledo can beat Arkansas, anything can happen.
See More:
