Tulsa @ Arkansas preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 3, 2012 ) Tulsa 15, Arkansas 19

The news from the injury front was mostly good for Arkansas as sophomore quarterback Ty Storey and leading rusher Rakeem Boyd appear ready to go when the Razorbacks host Tulsa on Saturday. Storey (head, ribs) and Boyd (back) left last week's 37-33 loss to Ole Miss -- Arkansas' sixth straight setback -- but second-leading rusher Devwah Whaley will have surgery and is expected to miss at least two weeks after sustaining an ankle injury against the Rebels.

"He's a player," left tackle Colton Jackson told reporters about Storey. "If you've got a quarterback that can take those licks though some might be unnecessary that just runs out of the pocket, scrambles and tries to get those extra yards. Man, you love a quarterback like that." Arkansas, which is paying Tulsa $1.45 million to play, must win its final five games to guarantee bowl eligibility after allowing a game-losing 97-yard touchdown drive to Ole Miss in the final 2 minutes, 2 seconds. The Golden Hurricane have dropped five straight after a 25-24 loss to No. 20 South Florida last week, blowing a 14-point lead in the last 7:10. “We just have to stay together,'' redshirt freshman quarterback Seth Boomer told reporters. "Losing sucks and I’m tired of it, but as long as we stay together that’s the most important thing.”

TV: Noon ET, SEC Network. LINE: Arkansas -7

ABOUT TULSA (1-5): Boomer is 19-of-52 for 306 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in the last two games after sophomore Luke Skipper completed 58.6 percent of his passes with four TDs and six picks in the first four contests. The Golden Hurricane are 32nd in the country at 209 rushing yards per game thanks to a two-pronged attack from sophomores Shamari Brooks (475 yards, six TDs) and Corey Taylor II (411, four). The defense, led by junior linebacker Cooper Edmiston (team highs of three interceptions and 54 tackles), is allowing 398.5 yards per game after yielding an average of 587.5 over the first six contests in 2017.

ABOUT ARKANSAS (1-6): Storey took a helmet-to-helmet hit from Ole Miss safety Vernon Dasher, who was ejected, and also absorbed a shot to the ribs before leaving in the second quarter. Boyd, a sophomore, had already racked up a career-high 109 yards on seven carries and also left before halftime. Tight end Cheyenne O'Grady has three touchdown receptions in the last three games after missing the first two contests because of suspension and playing sparingly in the next two, while wide receiver La'Michael Pettway caught a TD pass versus Ole Miss for his team-high fourth of the season.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Razorbacks junior LB De'Jon Harris leads the SEC with 77 tackles after recording 13 last week.

2. Tulsa, which has the smallest enrollment among FBS schools at 3,343 (Arkansas 27,558), is 22nd nationally against the pass at 184 yards per game but 114th among the 129 FBS teams in rushing defense at 214.5.

3. Arkansas leads the series 54-15-3 and has won 18 straight meetings, including 19-15 in 2012 in the last encounter.

PREDICTION: Arkansas 31, Tulsa 24