Grind and Glory

[James]

Just caught up on this whole thing. Loved the move to Tulsa even though there has certainly been some growing pains. Hopefully things turn around sooner rather than later with a strong recruiting class.

Yeah I'm a Tulsa alum so we might just park it here for awhile.

I think I've settled in with this team and things are on the up and up right now.

[James]

Tulsa Rallies Late to Stun North Texas, 31-27
Week 9, 2026 - #UNTvTLSA
Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium — Tulsa, OK



-----------------------------------
UNT - 0 / 21 / 0 / 6 // 27
TLSA - 3 / 3 / 3 / 22 // 31
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Tulsa pulled off a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback on Saturday, scoring 22 fourth-quarter points to shock North Texas 31-27 at Skelly Field.

Trailing 21-6 at halftime and 21-9 in the fourth quarter, Tulsa (4-5) came alive behind backup quarterback Kirk Francis, who threw three touchdowns in the final 10 minutes to complete the comeback. Joseph Williams had a career day, hauling in six catches for 147 yards, including a 62-yard touchdown that ignited the Golden Hurricane’s rally.

The comeback was even more impressive considering Tulsa lost starting running back Brandon High to muscle cramps in the second quarter. High, who had been the focal point of the offense in previous games, did not return, forcing Tulsa to rely on the passing game in the second half.

"This team never gave up. We just kept believing, and Kirk came in and gave us a spark when we needed it," Tulsa head coach Chuck Martin said. "Joseph made some huge plays down the stretch, and the defense stepped up big when we needed them to."

North Texas (4-4) seemed in control for much of the game, led by quarterback DJ Lagway, who threw for 296 yards and four touchdowns. Lagway’s connection with Zach Evans on a 56-yard touchdown in the second quarter gave the Mean Green a commanding lead, and he found Zhighlil McMillan for two more scores, including a 1-yard pass in the fourth quarter that made it 27-24.

Francis engineered a comeback, hitting Joshua Smith for a 27-yard touchdown and following that up with the 62-yard bomb to Williams. But the game flipped when Tulsa’s DaShaun Combs returned a two-point conversion attempt for a score, cutting the deficit to 27-24. With just over a minute left, Francis capped the comeback with a 6-yard strike to Viron Ellison Jr., giving Tulsa their first lead of the game.

Francis, who replaced starter Cardell Williams at halftime, finished the game with 223 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Williams struggled early, throwing three picks, but added 62 rushing yards.

The Tulsa defense, led by Elijah Wilson’s 15 tackles, stiffened late, stopping North Texas on their final drive to seal the win. Will Upshaw added 1.5 sacks and three tackles for loss as Tulsa's defense held the Mean Green scoreless in the second half.
"We made some big mistakes early, but credit to the defense and special teams for keeping us in it. When we got our chance, we took it," Martin said.

For North Texas, it was a devastating loss after a dominant first half. Lagway was efficient for most of the game but couldn't find the same rhythm in the closing stages, as Tulsa's defense clamped down.

The victory keeps Tulsa's bowl hopes alive as they inch closer to .500, while North Texas will look to bounce back and stay in the hunt for a winning season.

Scoring Summary
1Q 3:27 - Michael Slaba 45 yard FG (TLSA)
2Q 10:44 - Zhighlil McMillan 6 yard pass from DJ Lagway (UNT)
2Q 6:00 - Michael Slaba 32 yard FG (TLSA)
2Q 1:38 - Zach Evans 56 yard pass from DJ Lagway (UNT)
2Q 0:35 - Dalton Carnes 10 yard pass form DJ Lagway (UNT)
3Q 4:42 - Michael Slaba (TLSA)
4Q 9:56 - Joshua Smith 27 yard pass from Kirk Francis (TLSA)
4Q 7:14 - Joseph Williams 62 yard pass form Kirk Francis, 2-pt conversion failed (TLSA)
4Q 4:01 - Zhighlil McMillan 1 yard pass from DJ Lagway, 2pt conversion returned by DaShaun Combs (UNT)
4Q 1:01 - Viron Ellison Jr 6 yard pass form Kirk Francis (TLSA)

North Texas Mean Green (4-4)
DJ Lagway: 26-40, 296 yards, 4 TD, 7 rush, 33 yards
Zach Evans: 22 rush, 71 yards, 3 catches, 83 yards, 1 TD
Zhighlil McMillan: 7 catches, 24 yards, 2 TD
Dalton Carnes: 5 catches, 48 yards, 1 TD
Jayven Anderson: 16 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack
David Spuriells: 8 tackles, 2 INT
Dante Goodson: 6 tackles, 1 INT
Taylor Starling: 3 tackles, INT

Tulsa Golden Hurricane (4-5)
Kirk Francis: 12-17, 223 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Cardell Williams: 5-10, 48 yards, 3 INT, 7 rush, 62 yards
Viron Ellison Jr: 21 rush, 99 yards, 2 catches, 16 yards, 1 TD
Brandon High: 15 rush, 79 yards
Joseph Williams: 6 catches, 147 yards, 1 TD
Joshua Smith: 3 catches, 49 yards, 1 TD
Elijah Wilson: 15 tackles, 1 TFL
Will Upshaw: 4 tackles, 3 TFL, 1.5 sacks

Player of the Game
WR Joseph Williams, Tulsa Golden Hurricane

[Count]

Damnnnnnn what a 4th quarter rally

[Google[Bot]]

how u liking Tulsa?

[djp73]

4-5, could make a push for a bowl

[The JZA]

Beating Utah St. & North Texas

[James]

Damnnnnnn what a 4th quarter rally

Yeah I had to keep telling myself "You got time" so I wouldn't start pressing too hard and forcing passes.

how u liking Tulsa?

I'm an alum so I really like it. The defense is stout and the offense just needs some work. I got two great running backs who are putting in great work, although HB1 is getting hurt more in the games these days.

4-5, could make a push for a bowl

It's not out of the question. We do have ranked East Carolina next, then Charlotte (who is at the bottom of the conference) and then Arkansas. It will be tough but it's possible.

Beating Utah St. & North Texas

Thanks! Getting better each game!

[James]

Week 9 American Results
Temple 14 - USF 35
Florida Atlantic 7 - UTSA 35
North Texas 27 - Tulsa 31
Army 10 - Memphis 31
#20 East Carolina 27 - Charlotte 10
Rice 14 - UAB 23
#24 Notre Dame 34 - Navy 11

American Players of the Week
LE Will Upshaw, Tulsa: 4 tackles, 1 sack
WR JeyQuan Smith: 6 catches, 118 yards, 4 TDs

Tulsa Injuries
None

American Athletic Conference Standings
1. USF (6-2, 5-0)
2. #20 East Carolina (6-2, 3-1)
3. UAB (5-3, 3-1)
4. Memphis (4-4, 3-1)
5. Temple (4-4, 3-1)
6. Navy (4-3, 3-1)
7. UTSA (7-2, 4-2)
8. North Texas (4-4, 2-2)
9. Army (3-5, 2-4)
10. Tulsa (4-5, 2-4)
11. Tulane (2-6, 1-3)
12. Florida Atlantic (3-5, 1-4)
13. Charlotte (2-6, 0-4)
14. Rice (1-7, 0-4)

Top 25
1. Alabama (7-1)
2. Oklahoma (7-1)
3. SMU (7-1)
4. Michigan (7-1)
5. Clemson (7-1)
6. Ohio State (6-2)
7. Miami (6-2)
8. Texas A&M (5-3)
9. Nebraska (6-2)
10. Washington (8-2)
11. Tennessee (7-2)
12. USC (5-3)
13. Florida State (6-2)
14. Minnesota (6-2)
15. Georgia (6-2)
16. Texas Tech (8-2)
17. Arizona State (6-2)
18. North Carolina (6-2)
19. Maryland (6-2)
20. East Carolina (6-2)
21. Colorado (6-2)
22. Kansas State (5-3)
23. Liberty (7-1)
24. Notre Dame (7-3)
25. Virginia (5-3)

Tulsa Upcoming Week
Vs #20 East Carolina (6-2, 3-1)

[James]

Tulsa Adds Two More Offensive Recruits

Tulsa added two more recruits to it’s 2027 class as they continue to pick up commitments week after week. This time both recruits were on the offense side of the ball getting commitments from kicker Julius Coffey, and offensive tackle Dennis Hubbard. That makes eight commits that Tulsa has gotten so far over the season.

Coffey is a 5-foot-10, 192-pound kicker from Manor, TX. The three-star prospect is most notably the No. 5 kicker in the nation. Coffey is known for being an extremely accurate kicker and has one of the leading field goal percentages with kickers of over 10 attempts at 95%. He will be a key signing for Tulsa with starting kicker Michael Slaba being a senior this season.

Hubbard is a 6-foot-6, 281-pound offensive tackle from Beggs, OK. Hubbard has primarily played on the left side of the line throughout his high school career. He is known for being agile which is beneficial in both the run and pass game. The 3-star recruit is ranked as the No. 17 recruit in the state of Oklahoma and the No. 42 recruit at left tackle. He is a key signing for a position that is lacking depth already and is losing a senior at the end of the season.

This moves Tulsa up to the No. 4 class in the American conference and No. 33 recruiting class overall. This is starting to develop into a class that could set the tone for the future of this football program.

[Google[Bot]]

ECU gonna be tough