Final
Tulsa returns to C-USA play against Houston
Nov 11, 2008 - 6:33 PM (24) Tulsa (8-1) at Houston (5-4), 8:00 pm ESTHOUSTON (Ticker) -- Still stinging from its first loss of the season, 24th-ranked Tulsa returns to Conference USA play Saturday night when it visits Houston.
The Golden Hurricane (8-1, 5-0 C-USA West) won their first eight games this season thanks to a high-powered offense that eclipsed the 40-point plateau seven times.
But Tulsa's surprising run toward an unlikely BCS bowl berth ended in disappointing fashion on November 1, when the Golden Hurricane stalled offensively in a 30-23 loss at Arkansas.
Despite rallying from an early 17-0 deficit to tie the score twice, the Golden Hurricane managed just three second-half points against the Razorbacks, who sealed the victory when Tulsa's David Johnson threw an incomplete pass on fourth down from the Arkansas 7-yard line.
"Arkansas' defense did a great job up front, especially early," Johnson said. "They did some things that confused us a little bit, and came at us hard from the get-go."
Arkansas took the lead for good when Dennis Johnson scored on a 96-yard kickoff return in the third quarter to provide the final margin.
Tulsa head coach Todd Graham blamed himself for the loss, claiming that the Golden Hurricane's coaching staff had second- and third-string players on the field for Johnson's TD return.
"We let our players down as a coaching staff," Graham told the Tulsa World. "We didn't have our best players in there, which was inexcusable."
Thanks to a bye week, Graham and the Golden Hurricane have had plenty of time to prepare for their return to league play.
Tulsa has won 11 of its last 14 Conference USA games, including the first five this season.
The Golden Hurricane have been led by the dynamic Johnson, the highest-rated passer in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Johnson has completed just under 67 percent of his attempts for 2,983 yards and 33 TDs. But the senior struggled against Arkansas, finishing just 17-of-31 for 322 yards, a TD and an interception.
Johnson and Tulsa figure to get back on track offensively against Houston (5-4, 4-1), which has yielded an average of 29.7 points over its last three games.
The Cougars rebounded from their first C-USA loss of the season with last Saturday's 42-14 victory over Tulane.
Houston's Case Keenum threw for 384 yards and four touchdowns, recording his 10th consecutive 300-yard passing effort.
The Golden Hurricane crushed Houston, 56-7, last season in Tulsa and own a 16-17 all-time record in this series.
- NCAAF FINAL
1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
TULANE 0 7 0 7 14
HOUSTON 7 14 21 0 42 FINAL
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: HOUSTON - TD, BRYCE BEALL 15 YD RUN (BEN
BELL KICK), 6:26. HOUSTON 7-0
2ND QUARTER: TULANE - TD, NATHAN AUSTIN 11 YD RUN (ROSS
THEVENOT KICK), 4:57. TULANE
7-7
HOUSTON - TD, BRYCE BEALL 19 YD PASS FROM
CA
Nov 8 11:42 PM - NCAAF
TD TULANE
NATHAN AUSTIN 1 YD RUN
(ROSS THEVENOT KICK)
TULANE 14
HOUSTON 42 9:17 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Tulane 14, Houston 42 4th - 9:17Nov 8 11:22 PM - NCAAF END, 3RD QTR
1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
TULANE 0 7 0 7
HOUSTON 7 14 21 42 END, 3RD QTR
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: HOUSTON - TD, BRYCE BEALL 15 YD RUN (BEN
BELL KICK), 6:26. HOUSTON 7-0
2ND QUARTER: TULANE - TD, NATHAN AUSTIN 11 YD RUN (ROSS
THEVENOT KICK), 4:57. TULANE
7-7
HOUSTON - TD, BRYCE BEALL 19
Nov 8 11:17 PM
TD HOUSTON TIM MONROE 49 YD PASS FROM CASE KEENUM (BEN BELL KICK)
Tulane 7, Houston 42 3rd - 0:17Nov 8 11:02 PM
TD HOUSTON TIM MONROE 49 YD PASS FROM CASE KEENUM (BEN BELL KICK)
Tulane 7, Houston 42 3rd - 0:17Nov 8 11:02 PM
TD HOUSTON TIM MONROE 49 YD PASS FROM CASE KEENUM (BEN BELL KICK)
Tulane 7, Houston 42 3rd - 0:17Nov 8 11:02 PM- NCAAF
TD HOUSTON
TIM MONROE 49 YD PASS FROM CASE KEENUM
(BEN BELL KICK)
TULANE 7
HOUSTON 42 0:17 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Tulane 7, Houston 42 3rd - 0:17Nov 8 11:02 PM
TD HOUSTON MARK HAFNER 4 YD PASS FROM CASE KEENUM (BEN BELL KICK)
Tulane 7, Houston 35 3rd - 3:31Nov 8 10:45 PM
TD HOUSTON MARK HAFNER 4 YD PASS FROM CASE KEENUM (BEN BELL KICK)
Tulane 7, Houston 35 3rd - 3:31Nov 8 10:45 PM
TD HOUSTON MARK HAFNER 4 YD PASS FROM CASE KEENUM (BEN BELL KICK)
Tulane 7, Houston 35 3rd - 3:31Nov 8 10:45 PM- NCAAF
TD HOUSTON
MARK HAFNER 4 YD PASS FROM CASE KEENUM
(BEN BELL KICK)
TULANE 7
HOUSTON 35 3:31 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Tulane 7, Houston 35 3rd - 3:31Nov 8 10:45 PM
TD HOUSTON CHAZ RODRIGUEZ 38 YD PASS FROM CASE KEENUM (BEN BELL KICK)
Tulane 7, Houston 28 3rd - 13:31Nov 8 10:19 PM
TD HOUSTON CHAZ RODRIGUEZ 38 YD PASS FROM CASE KEENUM (BEN BELL KICK)
Tulane 7, Houston 28 3rd - 13:31Nov 8 10:19 PM
TD HOUSTON CHAZ RODRIGUEZ 38 YD PASS FROM CASE KEENUM (BEN BELL KICK)
Tulane 7, Houston 28 3rd - 13:31Nov 8 10:19 PM- NCAAF
TD HOUSTON
CHAZ RODRIGUEZ 38 YD PASS FROM CASE KEENUM
(BEN BELL KICK)
TULANE 7
HOUSTON 28 13:31 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Tulane 7, Houston 28 3rd - 13:31Nov 8 10:19 PM - NCAAF HALFTIME
1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
TULANE 0 7 7
HOUSTON 7 14 21 HALFTIME
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: HOUSTON - TD, BRYCE BEALL 15 YD RUN (BEN
BELL KICK), 6:26. HOUSTON 7-0
2ND QUARTER: TULANE - TD, NATHAN AUSTIN 11 YD RUN (ROSS
THEVENOT KICK), 4:57. TULANE
7-7
HOUSTON - TD, BRYCE BEALL 19 YD PASS
Nov 8 9:51 PM - NCAAF
TD HOUSTON
BRYCE BEALL 2 YD RUN
(BEN BELL KICK)
TULANE 7
HOUSTON 21 3:27 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Tulane 7, Houston 21 2nd - 3:27Nov 8 9:25 PM
TD HOUSTON BRYCE BEALL 19 YD PASS FROM CASE KEENUM (BEN BELL KICK)
Tulane 7, Houston 14 2nd - 6:33Nov 8 9:11 PM
TD HOUSTON BRYCE BEALL 19 YD PASS FROM CASE KEENUM (BEN BELL KICK)
Tulane 7, Houston 14 2nd - 6:33Nov 8 9:11 PM
TD HOUSTON BRYCE BEALL 19 YD PASS FROM CASE KEENUM (BEN BELL KICK)
Tulane 7, Houston 14 2nd - 6:33Nov 8 9:11 PM- NCAAF
TD HOUSTON
BRYCE BEALL 19 YD PASS FROM CASE KEENUM
(BEN BELL KICK)
TULANE 7
HOUSTON 14 6:33 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Tulane 7, Houston 14 2nd - 6:33Nov 8 9:11 PM - NCAAF
TD TULANE
NATHAN AUSTIN 11 YD RUN
(ROSS THEVENOT KICK)
TULANE 7
HOUSTON 7 10:03 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Tulane 7, Houston 7 2nd - 10:03Nov 8 9:07 PM - NCAAF END, 1ST QTR
1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
TULANE 0 0
HOUSTON 7 7 END, 1ST QTR
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: HOUSTON - TD, BRYCE BEALL 15 YD RUN (BEN
BELL KICK), 6:26. HOUSTON 7-0
Nov 8 8:50 PM - NCAAF
TD HOUSTON
BRYCE BEALL 15 YD RUN
(BEN BELL KICK)
TULANE 0
HOUSTON 7 8:34 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Tulane 0, Houston 7 1st - 8:34Nov 8 8:24 PM
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