Ranking the Sooners' opponents in 2023: Tulsa

Editor’s note: This is part two in a series previewing each of the Sooners’ opponents in 2023. OUInsider will rank all 12 games by their significance, difficulty and entertainment value on a 1-10 scale. This article previews Tulsa, which is ranked No. 11. The article on Arkansas state, ranked No. 12, can be found here.

Last season was a tough one for Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane posted a 5-7 record and fired coach Philip Montgomery at the end of the season.

It doesn’t get any easier for them to start 2023, as they host Brent Venables’ Sooners on Sept. 16.

The Sooners will host Arkansas State and SMU before traveling just a couple of hours to take on the Golden Hurricane, which concludes their non-conference schedule. On paper, the Week 3 matchup should be another tune up for the Sooners before they enter conference play.

Here’s an overview of Tulsa and what the Sooners can expect in Week 3:

Significance: 4

Difficulty: 3

Entertainment value: 4

2022 stats

Offense: 30.6 points per game (50th nationally)

Defense: 33.1 points allowed (117th nationally)

Key departures (2022 stats):

QB Davis Brin (2,138 passing yards, 59% completion, 17 TDs, 8 INTs)

RB Deneric Prince (729 rushing yards, 5 TDs)

WR Keylon Stokes (76 receptions, 1,224 yards, 8 TDs)

WR J.C. Santana (53 receptions, 859 yards, 7 TDs)

LB Justin Wright (101 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, 2 sacks, 2 INTs)

Key returners (2022 stats):

WR Malachi Jones (37 receptions, 470 yards, 2 TDs)

QB Braylon Braxton (1,133 passing yards, 56% completion, 10 TDs, 2 INTs)

S Kendarin Ray (86 tackles, 3 TFLs, 1 INT)

Key additions (2022 stats):

Braylin Presley, RB: The Oklahoma native spent last season at Oklahoma State and saw limited reps. But he was a four-star prospect out of Bixby High School and was named the 2021 Gatorade Oklahoma Player of the Year. He could see a significant role right away with Prince’s departure.

* Coaching connections: Sooner fans are very familiar with new Tulsa head coach Kevin Wilson, who spent eight seasons on Oklahoma’s coaching staff in the 2000’s. The Golden Hurricane hired Wilson during the offseason, marking his second tenure as a head coach.

Dominique Franks, who was a starting defensive back for the Sooners in the late 2000’s, was hired to Tulsa’s support staff back in January.

* Green Country battle: While the OU and Tulsa campuses are located within shouting distance of each other, the two in-state rivals rarely face off. They’ve played just 13 times since 1983, with the Sooners taking 12 of those games. That includes a 52-38 win in 2015, the last time these teams met.

The Sooners lead the series 20-7-1.

* On the road: This will be the Sooners' first road game of the season, though it's just a couple hours away.

Historically, the Sooners have dominated this matchup. They’ve scored 45 or more in the last six games against Tulsa while holding the Golden Hurricane to under 17 points per game.

Wilson has been tasked with leading a rebuild heading into 2023. Both teams are coming off disappointing 2022 campaigns, but the Sooners hold an overwhelming talent advantage. This should be an opportunity for the Sooners’ second-team players to see the field quite a bit.