Tulsa Tops Tulane In 2OT: Instant Analysis

The Tulsa Golden Hurricane took down the Tulane Green Wave 38-31 in double overtime on Thursday night. Here's an instant analysis; click the link below for the full game recap.

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Positive takeaways:

TU has plenty to be excited about aside from a 1-0 record. Aside from a couple of bad decisions, quarterback Dane Evans looked excellent. Evans passed for 438 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Golden Hurricane. In addition, Keevan Lucas looked like a superstar. Lucas hauled in 13 balls for 233 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 36 yards. Also, it looks like TU has a running back to replace Trey Watts and Ja'Terian Douglas. Tavarreon Dickerson ran for 84 yards on just 15 carries, showing big-play ability on multiple occasions.

Negative takeaways:

The Golden Hurricane defense allowed too many big plays. TU let freshman running back Sherman Badie run for 215 yards on just 15 carries while also allowing some big plays through the air. Tulsa will need to sharpen up the defensive side of the ball.

What it means:

The Golden Hurricane is officially undefeated as a member of the American Athletic Conference. No doubt about it, this win is huge. It helps TU move past last season's 3-9 disaster and begin to focus on returning to the postseason in 2014. 1-0 is a good thing, but 1-0 in the conference is even better.

Tulsa MVP:

No doubter here…Keevan Lucas. The sophomore receiver announced his presence to the rest of the country by collecting 269 yards of total offense. He was completely unguardable, leaving the Tulane defenders a step behind on almost every snap. If Lucas can keep this type of play up, he and Keyarris Garrett will form a formidable duo in the TU air attack.

Welcome back:

Speaking of Garrett, TU's No. 1 receiver had a terrific showing in his first game back after missing last season to injury. Lucas will get the headlines, but Garrett's five grabs for 87 yards helped a lot, too. Also, defensive stalwart DeMarco Nelson played his first game since missing last season due to academic suspension. Nelson didn't play particularly well, but intercepted Tulane QB Tanner Lee in double overtime to clinch the victory. A bigtime player stepping up when he was most needed.

What's next:

The Golden Hurricane will stay in Tulsa to host the No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday, Sept. 6. It will be a golden opportunity for Tulsa to measure up against one of the nation's top teams.