TU Hosts East Carolina In Primetime Midweek Matchup

The Tulsa football team faces a critical test on Thursday as it takes on East Carolina, with a renewed focus on strengthening its run game to match East Carolina’s surging offensive attack.

Run Game Needs Improvement, Say Coaches

With the Golden Hurricane producing just under 1,500 rushing yards this season, head coach Kevin Wilson says he’s looking for improvement from his squad’s ground attack, which has seen four different backs but no clear standout.

“All four of those guys are still our main guys,” Wilson said. “They’re all practicing, they’ve had a good week, and we do need to run the ball better. We’re doing okay in the running game, but we need to be better. No one has really separated themselves as being our feature back right now.”

Challenges Up Front with Young Offensive Line

The issues, however, aren’t solely with the running backs. According to News On 6's Jeremie Poplin, Tulsa’s offensive line has faced ongoing challenges, particularly due to youth and injuries.

“They were going to be young on the line coming into the season,” said Poplin. “Losing two starters added even more youth to the edges. They’ve been using tight ends to help support the tackles, not just in the passing game but in the run game as well. There just hasn’t been enough consistency.”

Poplin pointed out that Tulsa’s offensive line has struggled in matchups against teams with strong defensive lines, like Army. “The ability is there; they’re just very young up front,” Pop said.

Push for Bowl Eligibility Starts Thursday

With three games remaining in the season, Tulsa (3-6) needs to win out to earn bowl eligibility.

TU hopes that the groundwork they’ve laid so far will pay off in the final stretch, starting with their Thursday night game at H.A. Chapman Stadium against East Carolina.