In pursuit of perfection
No. 19 Tulsa off to best start since WWII
Bart Pohlman
Issue date: 10/31/08 Section: Sports
It's been 66 years since No. 19 Tulsa has been in this position.
Not since 1942 has the Golden Hurricane started a season 8-0, something Tulsa has now done six times in school history.
That was also the last time a Tulsa team finished the regular season undefeated, a feat the Golden Hurricane are on pace to achieve this season.
Tulsa coach Todd Graham said the team doesn't need to focus on going unbeaten, and needs to take one game at a time.
"We had a definite plan when we came into the season," Graham said. "We really planned where we're at right now. The key to that is for our kids to stay grounded on the next step. The time we spend speculating doesn't do any good. We have to be focused on one thing right now, that's being 9-0."
Graham said the team knows the road to an undefeated season goes through Arkansas.
"I know how much this game means to us," Graham said. "Make no bones about it, it's a big game for me and our program and where we're at as a program, and what an opportunity we have. We're going to do everything we can to make it a successful opportunity. I'm very aware of the history, especially going to Fayetteville."
Tulsa and Arkansas have met 70 times on the gridiron dating back to the end of the 19th Century, with the Razorbacks holding a 51-16-3 advantage.
But the two teams haven't played since 2003, when Arkansas defeated Tulsa 45-13. The Golden Hurricane haven't won in Fayetteville since 1976.
Graham said he knows winning a game against a Bowl Championship Series conference team would be a big step for the Tulsa program.
"As a program, this is the next step for us to take," Graham said. "Those steps aren't easy. This will be a very difficult game. It'll be a big challenge for us, and we're up for the challenge and the opportunity. The hardest thing to do in college football is win on the road, and that's what we have to do and this is the next step for our program. If we want the national recognition, you have to go out and win these kind of games."
Not since 1942 has the Golden Hurricane started a season 8-0, something Tulsa has now done six times in school history.
That was also the last time a Tulsa team finished the regular season undefeated, a feat the Golden Hurricane are on pace to achieve this season.
Tulsa coach Todd Graham said the team doesn't need to focus on going unbeaten, and needs to take one game at a time.
"We had a definite plan when we came into the season," Graham said. "We really planned where we're at right now. The key to that is for our kids to stay grounded on the next step. The time we spend speculating doesn't do any good. We have to be focused on one thing right now, that's being 9-0."
Graham said the team knows the road to an undefeated season goes through Arkansas.
"I know how much this game means to us," Graham said. "Make no bones about it, it's a big game for me and our program and where we're at as a program, and what an opportunity we have. We're going to do everything we can to make it a successful opportunity. I'm very aware of the history, especially going to Fayetteville."
Tulsa and Arkansas have met 70 times on the gridiron dating back to the end of the 19th Century, with the Razorbacks holding a 51-16-3 advantage.
But the two teams haven't played since 2003, when Arkansas defeated Tulsa 45-13. The Golden Hurricane haven't won in Fayetteville since 1976.
Graham said he knows winning a game against a Bowl Championship Series conference team would be a big step for the Tulsa program.
"As a program, this is the next step for us to take," Graham said. "Those steps aren't easy. This will be a very difficult game. It'll be a big challenge for us, and we're up for the challenge and the opportunity. The hardest thing to do in college football is win on the road, and that's what we have to do and this is the next step for our program. If we want the national recognition, you have to go out and win these kind of games."
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