Tulsa
Golden Hurricane

Tulsa Team Report

Updated: February 03, 2012 03:30 EST

In his first year as head coach of Tulsa, Bill Blankenship's team

showed resilience.

Before any games, he had to deal with the suspension of his best player -- receiver and kick returner Damaris Johnson -- because of an embezzlement case. It didn't get any easier once the games started, as Tulsa faced three teams in the top ten within the season's first month.

Golden Hurricane quarterback G.J. Kinne suffered a knee injury early, throwing doubt into a September that already provided plenty of reasons to fret.

But Tulsa bounced back, won seven straight games, and was in contention for the Conference USA title going into the final week of the season.

No, the Golden Hurricane didn't have a great year, but it was memorable due to the obstacles that Tulsa overcame. The team did enough to get back to where Tulsa fans expect it to be -- contending for conference titles and playing in bowl games.

Blankenship will have to show long-term resilience with his program too. Tulsa lost Kinne, one of the top quarterbacks in school history, and several other key playmakers from 2011.

How Blankenship and his staff mold and compose the new team will determine Tulsa's success in 2012, and it could steer the momentum for the program.

"Obviously, some real key battles for us are going start at the quarterback spot," Blankenship said. "We're going to have four scholarship quarterbacks in camp and several walk-ons that will compete for that spot."

TOP OF THE CLASS

WR Joshua Atkinson (Oak Ridge High, Arlington, Texas) -- He has the length, hands and size to get on the field early in his career. Atkinson also is faster than he looks in games, and has shown focus. He does need to refine fundamentals, specifically with route running.

QB Dane Evans (Sanger High, Sanger, Texas) -- Evans isn't an athletically elite quarterback, but he has shown all the skills and fundamentals necessary to be an effective quarterback. He has a quick release, but is not a great runner, which has been an important part of Tulsa's offense recently.

RB James Flanders (Midwest City High, Midwest City, Okla.) -- The younger brother of a Tulsa defensive back, this running back is slippery with great vision. He doesn't have ideal size, but that might not matter much in Tulsa's spread offense.

--A hometown hero is coming back to Tulsa. Former all-American receiver Dan Bitson, who is from Tulsa, played for the Golden Hurricane, then spent the last several years coaching at a local high school, will be the running backs coach this year.

--Upon early review, the Tulsa schedule for 2012 seems considerably easier than the 2011 schedule. The Golden Hurricane do play five teams that played in bowls last year, including Arkansas, which could be a top 10 team. But in 2011 Tulsa played four top 10 teams.

SPRING SNAPSHOT:

Practice begins/ends: March 6/April 7

Practice priorities: Finding and developing a quarterback to replace Kinne is important, and so is gaining continuity on the offensive line. Tulsa still has several key playmakers, but those are worthless if they can't get a quarterback to get them the ball, or linemen to block.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "The thing that keeps you awake is when someone starts trying to feed on your guys. There are times when someone in the family tree always wanted you to go to their school or a last-minute phone call changes the world. You don't rest until you see that signature on signing day." -- Tulsa coach Bill Blankenship.

KEY LOSSES: The obvious void is at quarterback, where Tulsa lost G.J. Kinne. But Tulsa also lost significant offensive lineman depth and the two tight ends that played the most. Tyrunn Walker, who was the team's best pass rusher last fall, is gone. So is the school's all-time leading scorer, Kevin Fitzpatrick.

PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2012:

RB Ja'Terian Douglas -- He had a breakout sophomore year. He led the team in rushing, averaging 70 yards per game.

DB Dexter McCoil -- He intercepted four passes last season, which tied him with Milton Howell for the team lead. Tulsa ranked 15th nationally in interceptions. Creating turnovers was critical to the team's defense, and McCoil played a big role in nabbing all those errant passes.

LB Shawn Jackson -- Jackson ranked second in sacks last year from the linebacker position. He should be one of the primary playmakers in 2012.

K Daniel Schwarz -- He could be the first player from the 2012 class to start. Tulsa lost its all-time leading scorer in Kevin Fitzpatrick. Schwarz was recruited by defending national champion Alabama.

PLAYER NOTES

--DB Dexter McCoil was named one of the MVPs of the Armed Forces Bowl. He intercepted two passes and had another interception nullified by a penalty.

--Former WR Damaris Johnson was suspended his senior season after an embezzlement case. He left the school early this year to pursue a pro football career.