NCAA Football FanHouse

Turkey Legs to Go: GMAC Bowl Travel Guide, Tulsa vs. Ball State

Will Brinson — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Ball State, Tulsa, Conference USA, MAC, Campus, Coaching, Fans, Bowl Games

Turkey Legs to Go is FanHouse's complete travel guide for all of the 2008-2009 college bowl games. Here, we cover the GMAC Bowl (Mobile, Alabama), which pits Tulsa against Ball State.

Overview/Matchup: If you're Ball State, you are most likely doing your best David Byrne impression and wondering, "How did I get here?" This is not my undefeated season. This is not my BCS bowl. And so on. After Nate Davis and crew coughed up a horrid MAC Championship loss to Buffalo, they crushed any argument they had to go anywhere but Mobile. And waiting for them, in the next to last bowl of the year, is Tulsa, who just lost to East Carolina in the championship game. Third place is the second loser!

Hotels: Already one of the finest hotels in Mobile, the Renaissance Riverview Plaza is almost finished with a US$60 million overhaul that will make it one of the finest hotels in southern Alabama. Bowl travelers will also be happy with the hotel's proximity to the stadium; Ladd-Peebles Stadium is just minutes away.

On the opposite side of town from the Renaissance, there's a second clustering of hotels around I-65. The Drury Inn Mobile is a great option for travelers seeking midrange to budget accommodation. Located 10 to 15 minutes from the stadium, the Drury Inn offers excellent service and a surprising number of amenities and accommodations for the price. Just down the highway, the Ramada Inn I-65 offers even lower rates than the Drury but with fewer amenities and less consistent service.

Restaurants: If you're dining in the downtown area, try Wintzell's Oyster House. Wintzell's has been serving Mobile fresh gulf seafood for more than 70 years. For a cheap and delicious meal, head to The Dew Drop Inn Restaurant. The Mobile landmark -- where Jimmy Buffett said he learned to "love cheeseburgers" -- has been serving top-notch cheeseburgers, po-boys and hot dogs since 1924 and they're still crowded every day at lunch

Turkey Legs to Go: GMAC Bowl Travel Guide, Tulsa vs. Ball State originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

East Carolina Overcomes Mid-Season Swoon, Beats Tulsa, Wins Conference USA Title

Will Brinson — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: East Carolina, Tulsa, Conference USA, Coaching, General CFB Insanity

I tell you what -- "East Carolina is your conference champion" is not a phrase I really planned on hearing (or wanted to hear, for that matter) in 2008. However, after the Purple Pirates defeated Tulsa, 27-24, on a late field goal to win the Conference-USA championship and a Liberty Bowl berth, it's just a phrase everyone is going to have to get used to hearing.

The Pirates, though, without delving into some ridiculous coming-of-age type of storyline, are once again fun to root for; the first few weeks of this season, the Pirates were America's sweetheart, rising up in the polls as they continued to upset bigger name teams.

And people whispered those magic "BCS" letters, because the Pirates, could have, conceivably, run the table in their Conference and landed in a big January bowl. They didn't make it all the way to the top, but a resurgent second half of the season has them headed towards the Liberty Bowl now (as I predicted elsewhere).

Oh yeah -- the game itself was interesting too.

David Johnson had a shot at breaking the single-season passer rating heading into this game and everyone and their brother with a prophetic mouthpiece was picking Tulsa to head towards Memphis.

But then Skip Holtz's defense happened, and Johnson, one of the most turnover-free passers in the nation (hence the rating) threw an insane five interceptions -- one of which was returned for a touchdown --and fumbled once. The Pirates still didn't blow out the Golden Hurricane, despite all the freebies from Johnson.

Patrick Pinkney was just good enough (10-of-24 with a pretty abysmal 5.1 YPP), especially compared with Johnson, and an interception returned for six by Travis Simmons was enough to push Petey's crew past the Canes.

East Carolina Overcomes Mid-Season Swoon, Beats Tulsa, Wins Conference USA Title originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 06 Dec 2008 16:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Tulsa's Undefeated Hopes Dashed in Arkansas

Brian Grummell — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 22:17:00 EST

Filed under: Arkansas, Tulsa, Conference USA, SEC

It was a nice story -- aren't they all? -- but things aren't always meant to be. The boy doesn't always get the girl. Some Cinderellas don't get to ride in giant pumpkins. Tulsa won't get its undefeated, BCS dream season after falling to Arkansas 30-23.

The Golden Hurricanes' vaunted offense staggered early, trailing 17-7 before rallying to within three points at halftime, 23-30. The difference was an Arkansas kickoff return touchdown in the third quarter. Scoring was frozen after that as Arkansas' defense tightened. Tulsa did manage over 500 yards of offense but could not score in the decisive fourth quarter.

Although defeated, the Hurricanes' heads should be held high. Offensive Coordinator Gus Malzahn was unable to exact revenge against former employer Arkansas, but his team put up a ton of yards against an SEC defense and was a 4th and goal play in the final minute from tying the game and putting their 30th point on the board.

They should now return to dominating C-USA competition, finishing with Houston, Tulane and Marshall. They're still a threat to finish the year with a scoring average of more than 50 points/game, phenomenal by any standard.

They're good, they know it, just not BCS good and not quite good enough to take down a surging SEC team in their home stadium. This isn't the last we'll see of Tulsa.

Tulsa's Undefeated Hopes Dashed in Arkansas originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 01 Nov 2008 22:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments