TU Men's Football News

West Virginia's Don Nehlen (Bowling Green '58) is in his 19th season leading the Mountaineers. He has compiled an overall 131-78-4 mark at West Virginia and a 184-113-8 mark in 28 years as a collegiate head coach. Before coming to WVU, Nehlen was an assistant coach at Michigan for three years and before that compiled a 53-35-4 mark in nine seasons as the head coach at Bowling Green. Nehlen has taken 12 West Virginia teams to Bowl Games.

This season Tulsa is the only team in the Western Athletic Conference to return a 2,000-yard passer in John Fitzgerald, a 1,000-yard rusher in the likes of Charlie Higgins and a 1,000-yard receiver with Damon Savage. Fitzgerald threw for 2,003 yards, Higgins ran for 1,043 yards and Savage had 1,084 receiving yards in 1997. That accomplishment by Tulsa's trio is a rarity. It is the first time since the 1989 season in which Tulsa had a 2,000 yard passer, 1,000 yard rusher and 1,000 yard receiver in the same season. The last trio to turn the trick was passer T.J. Rubley (2,292), runner Brett Adams (1,071) and receiver Dan Bitson (1,425). Despite the return of all three players, only Fitzgerald is a current team leader with 588 passing yards. Seniors Reggie Williams, with 212 rushing yards, and Wes Caswell, with 258 receiving yards, leads the team in those categories.

In the final three games last year -- BYU, SMU and New Mexico -- the Hurricane offense was in high gear averaging 432.7 yards and 31 points. Tulsa has picked up this year where it left off a year ago. In the season opener Tulsa gained 640 yards and scored 49 points against SW Missouri State. The next week Tulsa gained 439 yards and scored 35 points against Oklahoma State. Dating back to last year, Tulsa's offense has averaged 475.4 yards and 35.4 points in the last five games. This season Tulsa has averaged 539.5 yards in total offense and 42.0 points. The Hurricane ranks third nationally in total offense and 10th in passing offense. From a year ago, Tulsa has back the top two passers - John Fitzgerald and Michael Wall - threw for 2,480 of Tulsa's 2,483 yards; the top five rushers return - Charlie Higgins, John Mosley, Kevin Isham, John Fitzgerald and Reggie Williams - gaining 1,619 yards, while as a team Tulsa rushed for 1,540 yards; and the top four receivers return - Damon Savage, Jerrold Smith, Charlie Higgins and Jeremiah Brister - with 2,058 of Tulsa's 2,483 receiving yards.

After finishing the 1997 season ranked 112th in rushing defense and 111th in total defense, the Hurricane "D" started out the 1998 campaign strong by allowing SW Missouri State just 37 rushing yards on 12 carries. It was the least given up by a Tulsa team since limiting Montana State to -17 rushing yards on Nov. 17, 1990. The defensive unit turned in another solid performance a week later against Oklahoma State by allowing just 119 yards rushing. After two games, Tulsa has given up just 78.0 rushing yards per game and has allowed an average of 290.5 yards in total offense.The Hurricane ranks 16th nationally in rushing defense and 24th in total defense.

Most experts were expecting an Oklahoma State blowout when the Cowboys visited Skelly Stadium to face Tulsa. But it was quite the opposite as the Hurricane built a 21-0 halftime lead and increased that to 35-0 before OSU could get into the end zone. Tulsa held on for a 35-20 victory in front of a sellout crowd of 40,385.

Tulsa began the game a little shaky gaining just 32 yards on the first two possessions, but on the third possession a 37-yard pass from John Fitzgerald to Wes Caswell set up a 10-yard scoring strike from Fitzgerald to Jeremiah Brister for a 7-0 lead with 6:31 left in the first quarter.

The Hurricane scored on its final two possessions of the first half. The first coming on a seven-yard John Fitzgerald run capping a 10-play, 72-yard drive and the second on a 14-yard pass from Fitzgerald to Damon Savage, culminating a 49-yard, 11-play drive.

Tulsa took a 21-0 lead into intermission, as well as a 269 to 101-yard edge in total yards.

In the second half, the Hurricane picked up where it had left off with an 26-yard, three-play drive following a OSU fumble. Reggie Williams ran the final 13 yards for the TU score.

Tulsa added to the score on a two-yard Fitzgerald pass to John Mosley, capping a 64-yard, eight-play drive at the 4:14 mark of the third period and making it Tulsa 35, OSU 0.

It wasn't until the 0:29 mark of the third quarter that OSU put its first points on the scoreboard.

For the game, Tulsa held a 439 to 353-yard edge with 180 yards on the ground and 259 yards through the air.

Tulsa's 2-0 start is the best start for the Hurricane since the 1991 season. Ironically, that Freedom Bowl season started the same way as Tulsa defeated SW Missouri State and Oklahoma State in the first two games.

Tulsa's 35-20 victory over Oklahoma State was the most lopsided TU win in the turnpike series since a 64-14 win in 1964.

Tulsa has held its first two opponents - SW Missouri State and Oklahoma State - scoreless in the first half.

Tulsa's 97 total plays against SW Missouri State was two shy of tying the school record set in 1968 against Memphis and 1988 against Houston.

Tulsa's 49 points in the season opener was the most scored by a Tulsa team since Nov. 6, 1993, a 52-26 win over East Carolina. It was the most points scored in a season opener for the Hurricane since scoring 57 points in a 57-11 win against Tampa on September 17, 1966.

Dating back to the 1997 season, John Fitzgerald's 329 passing yards in the opener was the second straight home game in which he passed for over 300 yards. He threw for 355 yards vs. SMU last year. In the opener, Fitzgerald played the entire first half and only the first series of the second half.

John Fitzgerald's four TD tosses in the season opener were the most since Gus Frerotte threw six TDs against East Carolina on Nov. 6, 1993.

Tulsa's 640 yards of total offense in the season opener was the most for a Dave Rader-coached Tulsa team. The previous best was 622 yards against Southern Mississippi on Nov. 20, 1993.

Wes Caswell, back for his sixth year after sitting out last year with an injury, caught eight passes for 164 yards and three TDs against SW Missouri State. It was his eighth career 100-yard receiving game.

Tulsa's 42 first half points against SW Missouri State was more points than Tulsa had scored in an entire game in the last 29 contests. Tulsa scored a 45-20 win over East Tennessee State on Sept. 23, 1995.

Senior receiver Wes Caswell (Tulsa, Okla.), who was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA, returned to the Tulsa lineup against SW Missouri State in the opener with a bang. He caught eight passes for 164 yards and three TDs, covering 19, 19 and 45 yards. A week later, Caswell caught a team-leading eight passes for 94 yards. Caswell received a medical redshirt year in 1995 and then in 1997 missed all but two games with a knee injury. Caswell was a second-team all-Western Athletic Conference Mountain Division selection in 1996 after catching a team-best 817 yards and five TDs on 49 receptions. He now has 2,222 career yards on 160 receptions, which ranks fifth on the school's all-time chart. Caswell holds the school record for longest pass reception in school history, a 99-yarder against Oklahoma in 1996.

Year	Opponent	Rec	Yds	Tds
1994	Missouri	6	114	0
1994	Wyoming	9	117	1
1994	UTEP	10	141	0
1994	Louisville	9	118	1
1996	Iowa	7	120	1
1996	Oklahoma	7	194	1
1996	BYU	6	106	0
1998	SW Missouri	8	164	3

After two games, quarterback John Fitzgerald (Seminole, Okla.) ranks eighth nationally in passing efficiency with a rating of 170.9. He has thrown for 588 yards and seven TDs while completing 66-percent of his passes. In just the first half and first possession of the second half in the season opener vs. SW Missouri State, Fitzgerald completed 21 of 31 passes for 329 yards and four TDs. Against Oklahoma State, he completed 23 of 36 passes for 259 yards and three TDs. For his performance against OSU, which also included one rushing TD, Fitzgerald was named the WAC's Mountain Division Offensive Player of the Week. In 30 career games and 22 as the starting quarterback, Fitzgerald has completed 388 of 721 passes for 4,953 yards, 22 touchdowns and a .538 completion percentage. He now ranks third on Tulsa's all-time passing chart and needs 528 yards to surpass Gus Frerotte (1990-93) for second place. Dating back to last season, Fitzgerald has completed 63-percent of his passes (90-144) for 1,395 yards (279.0) and 13 TDs in the last five contests. In 1997, he completed 54-percent of his passes for 2,003 yards, a 182.1 yard average per game and nine touchdowns. In the final three games of the '97 season, Fitzgerald completed 60-percent of his passes (46 of 77) for 807 yards and six touchdowns. In his career, Fitzgerald has four career 300-yard passing games, becoming only the fourth Tulsa quarterback in school history to do so -- Billy Guy Anderson, T.J. Rubley and Gus Frerotte -- each had five in their careers.

Senior running back Reggie Williams (Blytheville, Ark.), nicknamed the "BIG HURT", regained his starting position in the spring and held onto it during preseason camp. In the first two games, Williams has rushed for a team-leading 212 yards, a 6.4 average and two TDs. He had his ninth career 100-yard rushing game against Oklahoma State with 142 yards on 19 carries. In the opener, Williams rushed for 70 yards and one TD on 14 carries, an average of 5.0 yards per carry. Tulsa is 7-2 when Williams rushes for 100 yards. In 1997, he gained only 35 yards on 12 attempts. In the two previous seasons, Williams rushed for over 100 yards in eight of 17 games and gained 1,488 yards. He had a team-high 729 yards for a 5.1 average in seven games as a redshirt freshman in 1995 and led the team with 759 yards for a 5.0 average in 10 games in 1996. He now has 1,735 yards for a 5.1 average in 25 career games. Williams needs 106 yards to move into a tie for 10th place on Tulsa's career rushing chart.

Year	Opponent	Att	Yds	W/L
1995	East Tennessee St.	29	165	W
1995	Louisiana Tech	30	155	L
1995	Wyoming	33	166	W
1995	UTEP	32	157	W
1996	Oklahoma State	19	131	L
1996	Iowa	24	115	W
1996	Oklahoma	27	105	W
1996	Colorado State	20	104	W
1998	Oklahoma State	19	142	W

After missing the 1997 season from a summer job-related injury to his forearm, cornerback Marshall Gordon (Tulsa, Okla.) made his return to the starting lineup in the season opener. He tallied a team-leading five tackles including four solos vs. SW Missouri State. Gordon suffered nerve, artery, and tendon damage to his arm prior to the 1997 preseason camp. He started 10 games in the 1996 season at cornerback and tallied 33 tackles and seven pass breakups.

Tulsa has 10 new junior college players on the 1998 roster, seven of whom played in the season opener. Four JUCO transfers are listed on the two-deep -- Don Douglass (Stanton, Calif.) at offensive tackle,Andy Taylor (Peoria, Ariz.) at defensive tackle, Mike Jones (Duarte, Calif.) at linebacker are all backups, while Bryan Archibald (Chico, Calif.) handles the placekicking duties. Defensive back Gavin Engle (Scottsdale, Ariz.), who was the starting free safety, suffered a broken leg in preseason drills and will miss most of the season. Defensive Back Chris Miller (St. Louis, Mo.), has gotten off to a slow start due to an injury during two-a-day drills, and Da'mond Robinson (Mesa, Ariz.) was a second-team defensive end until suffering a knee injury against Oklahoma State. Donavon LaViness (Midwest City, Okla.) and Dani Mouri (Diamond Bar, Calif.) add depth at linebacker.

Junior Charlie Higgins (Hominy, Okla.) became only the ninth TU player to surpass the 1,000-yard plateau for a season last year. He had a team-leading 1,043 yards on 202 carries for a 5.2 average and added 11 rushing TDs. In the 1998 opener against SW Missouri State, Higgins ran only twice for 17 yards, due to a hamstring strain he suffered early in the game. The injury limited Higgins to just two snaps against Oklahoma State. Higgins was a first-team all-WAC Pacific Division selection. Although Higgins started all 11 games, he only carried the ball eight times in the first three contests. Over the final eight contests, Higgins gained 1,005 yards for an average of 125.6 yards per game. The last 1,000-yard rusher for a single season was Solomon White when he gained 1,003 yards in 1994. Higgins started the first three games at w-back and the last eight games at tailback. He turned in five 100-yard plus rushing games last season, including four of the final six games. Higgins had a career-best 180 yards on 31 carries against SMU, the nation's 17th-ranked defense. He was named the WAC's Offensive Player of the Game when he rushed for 175 yards and two TDs on 30 carries against Utah.

Year	Opponent	Att	Yds
1996	New Mexico	14	106
1997	Rice	23	169
1997	TCU	31	175
1997	Colorado State	28	138
1997	Utah	30	175
1997	SMU	31	180

Junior Damon Savage (Tulsa, Okla.), a first-team all-WAC Pacific Division performer last year and named to the all-Western Athletic Conference first team by the Football News, was among the nation's leaders in receiving. He ranked second in the WAC and 14th nationally in receiving yards per game and led the WAC and was 16th in the nation in receptions per game. He is the first 1,000+ yard receiver for Tulsa since Chris Penn led the nation with 1,578 yards in 1993. Savage is quickly beginning to be compared to former TU receiving greats -- Howard Twilley, Drew Pearson, Steve Largent, Dan Bitson and Chris Penn. In 1997, Savage had a team-leading 1,084 yards on 66 receptions for a 16.4 average per catch and a 98.5 average per game. He also caught six TDs, including five in the final four games. He had a career-best 151 yards three times in 1997, on six catches vs. BYU and SMU and nine catches vs. Rice. He has five career 100-yard plus receiving games, including four in 1997. This year Savage is second on the team with 140 yards on 13 receptions. He had seven catches against Oklahoma State for 81 yards and one TD, and six receptions for 59 yards in the opener against SW Missouri State. Savage now has 1,852 career yards to rank eighth on the school's receiving chart.

Year	Opponent	Rec	Yds	Tds
1996	Iowa	4	101	0
1997	Cincinnati	6	127	0
1997	Rice	9	151	0
1997	BYU	6	151	1
1997	SMU	6	151	3

Senior quarterback John Fitzgerald was selected as the Western Athletic Conference's Offensive Player of the Week for the Mountain Division with his performance against Oklahoma State.He passed for 259 yards and three touchdowns, while completing 23 of 36 passes. He also rushed for 28 yards and one TD. It marked the second time in his career that he earned the honor. He was named the WAC's Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against Iowa in 1996. In that game, he completed 22 of 37 for 357 yards and one TD.

Thus far this season five true freshmen have seen action for the Hurricane. Placekicker Chris Earnest (Houston, Texas), receiver Willie Ponder (Tulsa, Okla.) and linebacker Brad Hawkins (Jenks, Okla.) have played in both games. Offensive linemen Aaron Haddock (Butler, Pa.) and Kevin Shaffer (Leola, Pa.) are listed second on the depth chart at their respective positions and played in the season opener.

Rushing Offense…15th (233.0)
Passing Offense… 10th (306.5)
Total Offense… 3rd (539.5)
Scoring Offense… 6th (42.0)
Net Punting… 41st (37.3)
Punt Returns… 93rd (5.0)
Kickoff Returns… 112th (9.7)
Rushing Defense… 16th (78.0)
Passing Eff. Defense… 29th (101.4)
Total Defense… 24th (290.5)
Scoring Defense… 31st (17.0)
Turnover Margin… 40th (.50)

Rushing… Reggie Williams, 20th (106.0)
Passing Efficiency… John Fitzgerald, 8th (170.9)
Total Offense… John Fitzgerald, 8th (323.5)
Receptions Per Game… Wes Caswell, 7th (8.0); Damon Savage, 24th (6.5)
Receiving Yards Per Game… Wes Caswell, 8th (129.0)
All-Purpose Yards… Wes Caswell, 37th (135.5)