Boise State vs Tulsa
Written by Kyle Hunter - Google +
The Boise State Broncos are the biggest name school not from a major conference in college football right now and deservedly so. The Broncos have had quite a bit of success in big games against major conference foes and have proven they belong in the talk of the best teams in the country. This week they face a tough midweek test in the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. Tulsa is an up and coming team that is looking for the right stage to prove that they can play with the best of the best, and this is about the best opportunity they could ever hope for.
The Broncos of Boise State have a great sophomore quarterback in Kellen Moore. Moore has shown great efficiency and the ability to take of the ball and lead a football team. It isn’t all just about the passing game though, as the Broncos have two very talented speedsters out of the backfield in Jeremy Avery and DJ Harper. Both of their star running backs are averaging more than 6 yards per carry. Though the offense is definitely the strongest point, the defense isn’t shabby at all either. The Boise State defense is holding opponents to just 14.4 points per game so far this season. If there is one weakness it would be in the run defense, where Fresno State exposed a potential weakness that other teams might try to exploit.
The Tulsa Golden Hurricane have been a very successful team over the last few years, but they haven’t quite been able to get on the national map. This is their chance. Tulsa has been well-known for their explosive offenses capable of putting up 40 or 50 points a game now for the last few years. This year’s team is averaging 33 points per game, but was shutout against Oklahoma in their toughest test this season. G.J. Kinne is a dual threat quarterback with a good arm and elusive footwork. Damaris Johnson is a bigtime play maker for them on offense and in the kicking game. This year the Golden Hurricane seem to have made great strides on the defensive side of the ball. Other than the Oklahoma game, the Tulsa defense hasn’t given up more than 13 points in a single game. The team is more vulnerable against the run than the pass.
Looking at the lines for this game, Tulsa comes into this Wednesday night battle as 9 point home underdogs to the number five team in the country. Look for both teams to try to establish a running game early on, and use that to open up the ability to throw the ball downfield later on. The Boise State defense has been tested more by better opposition, so that might bode well for the Broncos.
Tulsa will fight very hard in this one and will probably be able to slow down the Broncos more than most teams have, but in the end I don’t think their run defense will be able to stop Avery and Harper from bursting through for big runs. Boise State will establish themselves as a physical running team and pull away in the second half of what should be a hard fought football game.
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