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| | Tuesday, September 5 Tulsa out to back up Burns' talk | |||||
| By Stephen Tsai Special to ESPN.com Tulsa Golden Hurricane 1999 record: 2-9 (1-6 WAC) Coach: Keith Burns Starters returning: 13 (5 offense, 8 defense) Outlook Since being named head coach on Dec. 7, Burns, who seems to have been born without a "pause" button, has spent as much time on RSVPs as Xs and Os. He has spoken to more than 150 community groups and businesses since April, and has vowed to go helmet-to-helmet with Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in recruiting battles for the state's top prospects. Burns already has a head start with quarterback Josh Blankenship, who was named the WAC Freshman of the Year in 1999 after passing for 1,416 yards and seven touchdowns. Blankenship was the first Oklahoma high school player of the year to sign with the Golden Hurricane since Kevin Andrews in 1982. Burns will tone down the Golden Hurricane's hurry-up offense. For starters, Tulsa will huddle before each play. In addition, Tulsa would like to improve a rushing attack that averaged 3.3 yards per carry in 1999. "Up front, our guys have to be strong, they have to be mean," Burns said. The Golden Hurricane could find inspiration from back-side tackle Kevin Shaffer. Shaffer, who did not play football until his junior year of high school, is Tulsa's best one-on-one blocker. Tulsa also altered its defense, adding a "bandit" -- a hybrid of linebacker and defensive back -- to provide extra quickness. Keep an eye on ... Blankenship, a coach's son who appears to have overcome his habit of holding onto the football too long, a large source of his 15 interceptions last year. It's a good season if... It's a good season if: Tulsa, which has not had a winning season in eight years, can get close to .500. |
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