Tulsa Golden Hurricane at No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners
Saturday, 9/3/11, 8:00 PM EST, TV: FX
Opening Point Spread: Oklahoma -20
Current Betting Line: Oklahoma -24
Opening Total: 61.5
Current Total: 64.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Tulsa will be meeting Oklahoma for the 25th time in school history and currently trails 16-7-1 in the series. The Golden Hurricane have lost the last five meetings, including a 45-0 defeat in Norman in 2009. Head coach Bill Blankenship has already dealt with a major issue during the offseason, suspending star wide receiver Damaris Johnson indefinitely. “Every time there’s an injury or a guy that’s out, you just try to move on and get to that next spot,” Blankenship commented. “Our guys have done a good job of trying to refocus.” It’s highly unlikely the program comes away with a victory in this contest due to being outscored by a 233-36 margin in the last five meetings. Tulsa is 0-2 ATS in its last two tries against Big 12 competition.
The Golden Hurricane will be opening the season on the road for the fifth consecutive year, posting a 3-1 mark in those contests, falling short in last year’s 51-49 loss to East Carolina on a “Hail Mary” pass. Tulsa will be facing a daunting schedule to open the 2011 campaign, facing three teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25 poll in the first four weeks. Blankenship does take over a team that finished last year on a seven-game winning streak, outscoring opponents 45.9 to 30.9 points. Quarterback G.J. Kinne leads the offense and threw for 3,700 yards and 31 touchdowns a season ago.
Oklahoma opens the season as the top dog in all polls and hasn’t lost to Saturday’s opponent since the 1996 campaign. Head coach Bob Stoops is a perfect 5-0 in this series and has tallied a 129-31 overall record in his 13 seasons in Norman. The Sooners have tallied a dominating 88-22-6 record in season openers, including a 45-9-5 mark when starting at home. In last year’s contest, the program survived a scare against the Utah State Aggies, coming away with a 31-24 win. Oklahoma is 7-4 ATS at home the last two seasons.
The Sooners have won a school record 36 consecutive home games, which is the longest streak of any team in the nation. Ironically enough, it started with a 31-15 win over Tulsa in 2005. Oklahoma’s offense has been explosive during the run, outscoring opponents by an incredible 44.6 to 14.5 margin a contest. Quarterback Landry Jones returns, the 2010 Sammy Baugh Award winner, after throwing for 4,718 yards and pacing the nation with 405 completions. His main target will be wide receiver Ryan Broyles, who has caught 35 career touchdowns and led the nation with 9.4 catches per game a year ago.
Bettors will likely back the Golden Hurricane due to their 5-0 ATS mark in road games, while the Sooners are just 2-5 ATS in their last seven non-conference contests.
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