In what definitely has to rank as a mild upset, Tulsa picked off highly-regarded QB Paul Pinegar twice in the 4th quarter to preserve the win. Tulsa has no super stars and they did it with pure team worker, hustle and a better "want to." Fresno has not played well at all since they nearly upset USC, dropping their last four games of the season after opening 8-1. Their defense was particularly ineffective in this one. Richard Marshall played well, but he was the only real star on a defense that was uncharacteristically ripped through the air.
SCOUTING SUMMARY:
College: Tulsa Conference: Conference USA Columnist: Greg Herrington
Name # Ht Wt Speed Pos Class
Ashlan Davis 3 507.7 179 4.38 WR 2006: Ashlan is one of those guys (like Ted Ginn, Devin Hester and Rhyne Robinson) that people always think of as a return man first. Well, that may be true, but he did very little on the return game in this one, but looked solid catching the ball. He had only 27 catches all season prior to the game and had 4 big ones in this contest including a nice 54-yard grab where he got behind Tyrone Culver in the endzone. Ashlan's greatest asset is his speed. His hands are small and average. He does cut very well and seems to have gotten better at understanding the nuances of the position. He will always be a better returner than receiver because of his size though, and he looks like a solid 6-7th rounder. POSITIVE
Nick Bunting 41 601.0 233 4.77 LB 2007: Nick was the best defender on the Tulsa squad. He is a very active guy who diagnoses well, and is always around the football. He is smallish though and will have a very hard time at the point of attack at the next level without another year in the wieghtroom. He needs to come back at at least 245 next year without losing any flexibility or quickness to have any shot of hearing his name called in April 2007. POSITIVE
Garrett Mills 20 602.0 232 4.80 TE 2006: I love this kid's game, but I am really struggling to try to figure out how it translates to the next level. He is definitely not big enough or strong enough to stay at TE. He is not fast enough or quick enough for WR. He will have to become an H-back, and he doesn't look to me like a very good blocker. His hands are his best asset. He knows how to get open. In short, he is a great college TE. He might be looked at as a big-hitting strong safety. He definitely will not be a TE at the next level in most schemes. I would like to see him run with the ball a couple of times...NEUTRAL
College: Fresno State Conference: Western Athletic Columnist: Greg Herrington
Name # Ht Wt Speed Pos Class
Richard Marshall 24 511.0 190 4.45 CB 2006: Richard was not challenged that much in the passing game, but he did a terrific job in run support crashing down off the corner. He had 4 tackles and a TFL by my count and one very nice PD. This guy has the package. Speed, size, strength, hitting ability, quick twitch adjustment, great hips, fluid back pedal. The only thing I worry about a little is that he has done so much to support the running game in college that I wonder if he's had enough reps in the passing game to come out as a junior and be the force he would be were he to wait for the '07 NFL draft. I would certainly take him in the second round with no hesitations this year anyway though. He is a hard worker, he is confident, and he is a leader. VERY POSITIVE
Paul Pinegar 13 604.0 220 5.05 QB 2006: Paul was very solid for most of the game. You really have to love this guy's setup, size, pocket presence, arm strength, accuracy and delivery. Some people remember how negative I was on him last year, and some of that feeling came back tonight as I watched him revert to the woefully-poor decision maker he was for much of the 2004 season in the fourth quarter. He threw two picks that gave Tulsa the game. The first one was really dumb, but the second one he actually displayed nice touch floating a bubble pass over an oncoming LB--he just didn't get quite enough air under the ball. If we are talking about measurables and mechanics this guy is a first-rounder, but if we are talking about decision-making and other intangibles we're looking at a 5th rounder--so, I'd average it out to the 3rd round. NEUTRAL
Dwayne Wright 32 601.0 210 N/A HB 2006: DNP
Bryson Sumlin 34 510.0 200 N/A HB 2006: Sumlin got a lot more reps in this game than he has all season. He looked healthy and fast, and did a nice job of waiting for his blockers and hitting the holes quickly. He is just not big enough to be a between-the-tackles type of guy at the next level, and that's what he runs like in college. I think he could be a change-of-pace back with a real pounder or a real scat back at the next level, but he doesn't appear to have the extra gear or exquisite shiftiness, so I personally would not waste a draft pick on him. NEUTRAL
Wendell Mathis 22 509.0 185 N/A HB 2006: Wendell is still plugging along. he has been like the Energizer bunny this year. He is also a Timex piece, continually taking the licking and yet keeping on ticking. He is a fine college feature back who is too small to be featured at the next level. If he had elite topend speed or moves he might be productive in the NFL, but he is marginal (to my current knowledge) in both areas, and will struggle to be more than a 3rd down back at the next level. Still, he shows toughness, competitiveness and enough elusivness to be in a camp. He's a tad better than Sumlin and would be a nice 7th-round flyer for some team who lacks his type of game among their RB corps. NEUTRAL
Kyle Young 59 605.0 320 5.25 C 2007: Kyle is one of the better centers in the college game right now. You've got to love his size and his dependable hands. he uses a very low squat and plays with his head up. He is always aware of where he is going well before the snap, and gets into his man quickly. When he locks on he usually does what he is supposed to do--drives his man where he wants him to go, and frequently winds up on top of him. He is one of the quicker Cs from snap to initial contact I have seen this year. His unusual stance may not work with some NFL O-line coaches though who prefer the center's butt to be up so that the QB doesn't have to squat at the LOS and can see the field better. I am not sure how much of an issue that will be, but Kyle has another year of eligibility and should take it and work as well next year with another QB. He hand fights a bit too much on running plays for my taste. If he came out now, he would be just behind Degory and Eslinger in my book. POSITIVE
Tyrone Culver 36 601.0 200 4.5 S 2006: Tyrone is a guy who grows on you the more you watch him. Fresno has been producing quality DBs for quite some time, and even though he was victimized by Ashlan Davis for a momentum-shifting TD in the third quarter, Tyrone is a fundamentally sound guy who knows where to be and does a good job in both run support and defending the deep third. NEUTRAL
Others: Why is Garrett McIntyre (Fresno DE--the WAC defensive POTY) not in the database, Nolen? Greg, can you get on that?...He does not deserve that appellation from what I saw yesterday, but still, if you get that much praise it means he deserves to be looked at. Paul Williams (Fresno, JR, WR) will be a first-round receiver in 2007 if Pinegar's replacement gets him the ball enough next year. The guy is a major league talent. 3 big catches, a huge tackle on a fake punt attempt by Tulsa, and he blocks pretty well too. He needs to work on his hands, but he has everything else.