2011 Armed Forces Bowl, BYU Vs. Tulsa: Cougars Score Go-Ahead TD In Final Seconds, Win 24-21

BYU Vs. Tulsa Recap, Armed Forces Bowl 2011: The Numerical

The numbers that mattered in BYU's 24-17 win over Tulsa in the Armed Forces Bowl, from defensive domination, to an unexpected injury, to Cody Hoffman's timely brilliance.

2011 Armed Forces Bowl, BYU Vs. Tulsa Final Score: Cougars Win, 24-21, On Fake Spike Pass

The BYU Cougars were down for most of the 2011 Armed Forces Bowl, never taking a lead in the game until late in the third quarter. When the Tulsa Golden Hurricane promptly retook the lead on a 30-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback G.J. Kinne, things looked bleak for a BYU squad led by the struggling Riley Nelson at quarterback. The Cougars would get the ball back with 4:18 left in the game down just four points, however, and Nelson would atone for the poor decisions he made throughout the day. With the clock running, Nelson faked the spike with 11 seconds left and found Cody Hoffman for the duo's third touchdown connection on the day.

Tulsa fumbled the ball away on a last-ditch desperation pass, sealing the 24-21 victory for BYU. Golden Hurricane quarterback G.J. Kinne played well in his final college game, going 17-for-31 passing for 210 yards and three touchdowns. He couldn't overcome the constant pressure from the Cougars' front seven, however, nor the complete ineffectiveness of his running game. Tulsa managed just 37 total yards on the ground.

Nelson went just 17-for-40 passing, including two interceptions thrown straight into the arms of waiting Tulsa defenders. Luckily, he had the 6-4 Hoffman on his side. The sophomore receiver caught eight passes for 122 yards in addition to his three scores, none bigger than the last one. The spike formation left Hoffman one-on-one with a defensive back, who he easily boxed out for the catch. That play would not have happened if not for a play made earlier on the drive by Nelson. Facing 4th-and-9 on the Tulsa 47-yard line Nelson improvised, tucking the ball in and breaking tackles on a 14-yard run to keep the game-winning drive alive.

For more on the Armed Forces Bowl, visit BYU blog Vanquish The Foe. Visit our StoryStream for more updates from today's game. For more news and analysis from this bowl season, check out our College Football hub.

BYU Vs. Tulsa Score: Golden Hurricane Retake Lead On G.J. Kinne Pass

The Tulsa Golden Hurricane notched their first score of the second half of the 2011 Armed Forces Bowl to retake the lead, 21-17, over the BYU Cougars early in the fourth quarter. G.J. Kinne hit Bryan Burnham for yet another big play, this time for a 30-yard touchdown. The junior wideout now has four catches for 107 yards on the day.

Kinne is now 15-for-27 passing for 192 yards and three touchdowns on the day. He hasn't had much opportunity to run against the Cougars' defensive front, however. The Golden Hurricane have just 23 total yards rushing for the game.

BYU quarterback Riley Nelson continues to be hit-or-miss. He has made some nice throws when he has had time, which hasn't been often. Both quarterbacks have been sacked three times on the day. Nelson is just 15-for-36 passing for the game. Receiver Cody Hoffman has helped him plenty, catching seven passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns so far.

For more on the Armed Forces Bowl, visit BYU blog Vanquish The Foe. Visit ourStoryStream for more updates and previews from today's game. For more news and analysis from this bowl season, check out our College Football hub.

BYU Vs. Tulsa Score: Cougars Take Lead Late In Third Quarter

The Tulsa Golden Hurricane could not capitalize a great opportunity, and the BYU Cougars have taken a lead for the first time in the 2011 Armed Forces Bowl as a result. After a 30-yard touchdown pass from Riley Nelson to Cody Hoffman, the Cougars are up 17-14 with under two minutes left in the third quarter.

Nelson made a nice throw, hitting a Hoffman in stride in the end zone. He made what could have been a fatal error on BYU's previous drive, however, throwing straight into the arms of a waiting Tulsa defender while getting hit. The Golden Hurricane took over on the Cougars' 35-yard line, but would go on to miss a field goal from 46 yards out, giving Nelson a chance to redeem himself.

BYU drove 71 yards in nine plays for the score. Nelson completed three straight passes for 57 yards on the drive.

For more on the Armed Forces Bowl, visit BYU blog Vanquish The Foe. Visit our StoryStream for more updates and previews from today's game. For more news and analysis from this bowl season, check out our College Football hub.

2011 Armed Forces Bowl Halftime Score: Late Touchdown Puts BYU In Striking Distance

The Tulsa Golden Hurricane seemingly had a stranglehold on the BYU Cougars with less than 1:30 left until halftime in the 2011 Armed Forces Bowl. The Cougars had just been forced to punt for the fifth in the first half, and were down 14-3 thanks to big plays given up on defense.

Then J.D. Ratliff muffed the kick for the Golden Hurricane, giving the Cougars the ball back on the 17-yard line and a chance to redeem themselves. One play later, quarterback Riley Nelson scrambled left under pressure before throwing across his body to Cody Hoffman, who dove the ball just over the goal line with defenders on him. The Cougars entered halftime down 14-10.

Nelson's touchdown pass was by far his best of the game. Otherwise, the junior quarterback has been spotty, making poor decisions under constant duress. For the game, he is just 8-for-18 passing for 116 yards and an interception in addition to his lone touchdown. His Tulsa counterpart G.J. Kinne has been better, going 9-for-16 for 115 yards and two touchdowns.

Both teams will look to establish some offensive rhythm in the second half. Together, Tulsa and BYU have combined for 306 yards of offense at halftime, or less than a quarter of the 1,397-yard outburst of Thursday's night's Alamo Bowl between Baylor and Washington.

For more on the Armed Forces Bowl, visit BYU blog Vanquish The Foe. Visit ourStoryStream for more updates and previews from today's game. For more news and analysis from this bowl season, check out our College Football hub.

BYU Vs. Tulsa Score: Golden Hurricane Expand Lead, Up 14-3

For those still riled up from last night's 67-56 points-fest in the Alamo Bowl, the Armed Forces Bowl between the BYU Cougars and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane has been like a cold shower. After a methodical 76-yard touchdown drive on Tulsa's first possession, the two teams have combined for seven 3-and-outs, including four in a row early in the second quarter. Tulsa found its offensive spark again with eight minutes left until halftime, however, with G.J. Kinne finding Clay Sears on a 14-yard touchdown pass. The touchdown was set up by a 50-yard jump ball pass to 6-2 Bryan Burnham down the left sideline.

The Cougars, meanwhile, haven't gotten anything going offensively. Quarterback Riley Nelson has gone just 4-for-8 passing so far, leading BYU to just 69 total yards with intermission approaching. He hasn't had any help from his running game, either. BYU has just 15 total yards rushing so far, compared to 46 from Tulsa.

For more on the Armed Forces Bowl, visit BYU blog Vanquish The Foe. Visit ourStoryStream for more updates and previews from today's game. For more news and analysis from this bowl season, check out our College Football hub.

BYU Vs. Tulsa Score: Golden Hurricane Find The Endzone First

G.J. Kinne and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane did not show any rust from their long layoff after their last game of the regular season. They struck first in the 2011 Armed Forces Bowl, scoring on a methodical 11-play opening drive, capped by an 8-yard touchdown pass from Kinne to Ricky Johnson. Kinne accounted for 51 yards of offense, passing and rushing, on the drive.

Expect the BYU Cougars to respond in due course. After all, as Bill Connelly points out, they are essentially the same team. Both squads feature balanced offenses and shaky defenses, and both squads struggled against the better teams they faced this season. If you're looking for an anti-offense remedy for last night's sugar rush of an Alamo Bowl, this might not be the game to tune into.

For more on the Armed Forces Bowl, visit BYU blog Vanquish The Foe. Visit our StoryStream for more updates and previews from today's game. For more news and analysis from this bowl season, check out our College Football hub.

BYU Vs. Tulsa, Armed Forces Bowl 2011: Balance And Even Matchups

If you see BYU and Tulsa on the same field, you might immediately think the final score will be 63-60. But between BYU's beefy 3-4 and Tulsa's fast, active unit, the defenses might hold an advantage in this one. "Might" is the key word, of course -- Tulsa doesn't tend to play in defense-oriented bowl games.

Armed Forces Bowl 2011, BYU Vs. Tulsa: Time, TV Schedule, Odds And More

Friday's Armed Forces Bowl could be one of the most even matchups of the postseason. The BYU Cougars and Tulsa Golden Hurricane followed similar paths to Dallas, letting their balanced offenses make up for their deficiencies on the defensive side of the ball.

Armed Forces Bowl 2011, BYU Vs. Tulsa: Former WAC Foes Face Off

Since September, there have been few teams hotter than the BYU Cougars and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. The former WAC rivals head into their 2011 Armed Forces Bowl matchup on Thursday having gone a combined 15-2 over the season's final two months, winning 12 of those games by double-digits.

Both teams have compiled those records mostly by beating teams who were clearly out-classed. Their two losses, in fact, were to the only two teams they each played that are currently ranked. The Cougars lost 38-28 to TCU -- unranked then but ranked No. 18 now -- back on Oct. 28. The Golden Hurricane -- now ranked No. 19 -- lost much more recently, falling in their regular-season finale to Houston 48-16.

Those losses aside, BYU and Tulsa have both looked very good and done it in different ways. While the Cougars have been more of a defensive team, the Golden Hurricane is very much offense-first.

The Cougars have outscored their opponents by an average of more than 10 points per game and have the 16th best defense in terms of yards allowed per game. Their defense is led by linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who has five sacks, four forced fumbles and 10 tackles for a loss.

The BYU offense, unsurprisingly, is not bad either. Wide receiver Cody Hoffman has been their biggest weapon, with 821 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Jake Heaps and Riley Nelson have both been taking turns at quarterback, with each eclipsing 1,400 yards passing and completing at least 57 percent of their passes.

Tulsa's defense is nothing to really speak of -- ranked 89th in yards per game -- but they make up for it with an explosive offense that has scored 34.1 points per contest. They are led by a pair of running backs -- Ja'Terian Douglas and Trey Watts -- who each eclipsed 800 rushing yards and quarterback G.J. Kinne, who has thrown for 2,876 yards and 25 touchdowns.

For the latest updates on the Armed Forces Bowl, be sure to follow this StoryStream.

Armed Forces Bowl 2011: BYU Confident In Riley Nelson

The confidence the BYU Cougars have in junior quarterback Riley Nelson has softened the blow of sophomore quarterback Jake Heaps leaving the program after the regular season, reports Jay Drew of The Salt Lake Tribune.

"Riley is the type of player that makes the rest of us believe we are going to win," said offensive tackle Matt Reynolds. "He gives everybody else around him that confidence that you need to win."

Nelson took over for Heaps midway through the 2011 season, passing for a team-high 1,467 yards with 16 touchdowns and just five interceptions. In nearly 100 more pass attempts, Heaps had 1,452 yards with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions. Nelson also rank for 376 yards and a touchdown on the ground, an area of the game that is not a strong suit for the Kansas-bound Heaps.

In other Armed Forces Bowl news, Utah-based coffee retailer Lock-n-Load Java has signed on as a sponsor for Friday's bowl game, The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

"We are very proud to be a sponsor of the Armed Forces Bowl, with its strong military focus. I am especially proud that part of our sponsorship fee goes toward providing free tickets to members of the military," company founder Carl Churchill said in a statement.

For more on the BYU Cougars, follow SB Nation's Vanquish The Foe. For more on the Armed Forces Bowl, follow our stream here.

Armed Forces Bowl 2011: Bronco Mendenhall Believes Team Is Ready

The 2011 Armed Forces Bowl may not be the most high-profile postseason college football game, but that won't cause next week's game between the BYU Cougars and Tulsa Golden Hurricane to be overlooked -- especially by the coaches.

BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall talked about that on Wednesday following what sounds like a spirited practice.

"It was good. More contact today, and we will alternate the contact and noncontact days, but I am impressed. I think there are a couple of elements as you go into bowl season, not only how you played in the season, but sometimes which is the more motivated and hungrier team?" Mendenhall said. "In this case, I think both teams will be excited to play. That has to be manifest in preparation, otherwise you just can't turn it on on game day. So practice is more key."

The game is still over one week away as it takes place Friday, Dec. 30, but it seems as though the Cougars are ready.

For more on the BYU Cougars, follow SB Nation's Vanquish The Foe. For more on the Armed Forces Bowl, follow our stream here.

Armed Forces Bowl 2011: Clint Roundtree Named Tulsa Running Backs

Tulsa Golden Hurricanes RB coach Holman Wiggins has left the program to take the same job at Memphis. With the Armed Forces Bowl approaching, head coach Bill Blankenship told reporters that Tulsa director of high school relations Clint Roundtree will take over for Wiggins in the bowl game.

Roundtree is a a 2005 Tulsa graduate and has had his current post since January after spending the 2010 campaign as a graduate assistant.

During his playing career, Roundtree was a four-year letterwinner. He began his career as a receiver and moved over to the defensive secondary as a sophomore. Roundtree totaled 137 tackles in 48 career games while started 27 games for the Hurricane.

Roundtree previously spent two seasons as the defensive secondary at Delta State University.

Blankenship said he will wait until after the new year to name a permanent replacement.

For more on the Armed Forces Bowl, follow our stream here.

Jake Heaps, BYU Quarterback, To Transfer Elsewhere

BYU quarterback Jake Heaps wil transfer, the school has announced.

Armed Forces Bowl 2011: BYU, Tulsa To Meet On Dec. 30

Tulsa is bowl bound, heading to Texas for the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 30, 2011. They'll take on the BYU Cougars, the first team to accept a bowl bid this go-round.

The 2011 Armed Forces Bowl is usually played at TCU's Amon G. Carter Stadium, but for a second year in a row renovation of the venue will necessitate moving the game to SMU's Gerald J. Ford Stadium at University Park, Tx. The game is scheduled to return to TCU's stadium in 2012.

The Mountain West and the Pac-12 usually send teams here, but Independent teams are eligible for the game as well. That allows the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen to play in a bowl game that would fit them well. But neither team was bowl eligible this season.

Game date, time: 12:00 p.m. ET, Friday, Dec. 30, 2011

Location: Gerald J. Stadium, University Park, Tx.

TV channel: ESPN

2010 winner and loser: Army def. SMU, 16-14

For more on each bowl game as it’s announced, stay tuned to SB Nation’s 2011 college football bowl game bids coverage. And visit our many college football blogs.

BYU Accepts 2011 Armed Forces Bowl Invitation

BYU has already found a bowl home, awaiting its Conference USA foe in the Armed Forces.