They don’t ask how; they ask how many. And Arkansas State is 1-0. The Red Wolves squeaked out a “questionable” 34-31 win over Central Arkansas with a “questionable” game-winning touchdown pass with three seconds left.
Meanwhile, Tulsa had a disappointing 4-8 season in its first year under head coach Kevin Wilson, and expectations weren't much higher entering this year. The Golden Hurricane started the year with a dominant 62-28 win over Northwestern State in the opener.
Controversy aside, both teams are 1-0 and look to keep things going as the Red Wolves are a touchdown favorite at home. Check out my Tulsa vs. Arkansas State prediction and best bet below.
Tulsa vs Arkansas State Prediction
Arkansas State will have to listen to people all week say it didn’t deserve to win that game, and I'm betting that will fire them up. As a result, I like the Red Wolves to cover this number.
- Tulsa vs. Arkansas State Pick: Arkansas State -7
Tulsa vs Arkansas State Odds for NCAAF Week 2
| Tulsa Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7.5 -110 | 66 -110 / -110 | +240 |
| Arkansas State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7.5 -110 | 66 -110 / -110 | -300 |
- Spread: Tulsa +7 (-110) · Arkansas State -7 (-110)
- Total: Over/Under 65.5
- Moneyline: Tulsa +215 · Arkansas State -265
College Football Week 2: Tulsa vs Arkansas State Preview
Tulsa Golden Hurricane Betting Preview: Francis Emerges as QB1
Tulsa juggled four different quarterbacks last season and appears to be unable to commit to one starter once again.
However, Kirk Francis is clearly pulling away. Francis started the opener and went 23-for-30 for 299 yards and four touchdowns. Cardell Williams and Cooper Legas both played as well, although neither attempted a pass.
Leading rusher Anthony Watkins returns after averaging nearly 75 yards per game but had just four rushing scores on the year.
Top receiver Kamdyn Benjamin is also back and developed great chemistry with Francis at the end of last season. Benjamin had five catches and a touchdown in the season opener.
Defensively, the Golden Hurricane were a mess last season. They ranked 115th in Defensive Success Rate and were dreadful against the pass. Tulsa allowed 280 passing yards per game last season, only three teams in the country allowed more.
Tulsa returns just four defensive starters and is led by Owen Ostroski on the defensive line. Safety Dayne Hodge is a tackling machine, but the Golden Hurricane will rely on transfer additions to fill the void at linebacker.
Arkansas State Red Wolves Betting Preview: Offense Remains Loaded
True freshman Jaylen Raynor took over at quarterback in Week 4 and the team finished 5-4 under him. Raynor finished the year with 17 touchdown passes and added five scores with his legs.
Ten starters are back on this offense, including Raynor.
Starting running back Ja’Quez Cross and running mate Zak Wallace both return for the Red Wolves. They averaged 103 yards per game together a season ago and combined for 13 scores. Wallace had two touchdowns in the season opener.
On the outside, Arkansas State is loaded. Wide receivers Corey Rucker and Courtney Jackson are both studs and averaged over 17 yards per reception in this explosive offense. Four of the five offensive linemen are back to give Raynor time to find his weapons.
Remember when Corey Rucker went for over 300 yards at Arkansas State? I'll never forget it. And now he's back with the Red Wolves!pic.twitter.com/mSKr5ofmjP
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) July 21, 2023
However, the defense was brutal last season.
Linebacker Charles Willekes and safety Trevian Thomas return, but that's about it. A bunch of transfer portal additions will look to fill out the defensive line while last year’s depth pieces will need to step up in the secondary.
At first glance, giving up 31 points and 432 yards to an FCS team in a season opener seems to be a major cause for concern.
While it wasn’t a great sign, it was not as bad as it appeared. The Red Wolves looked solid against the pass, allowing less than 200 yards through the air, and even though they gave up a ton of rushing yards, a large chunk of that came on one 81-yard touchdown run.
Tulsa vs Arkansas State Pick & Prediction
Arkansas State is a team I was high on coming into the year, and I still am.
Raynor threw for 317 yards and added 50 yards and a score on the ground in the opener. Rucker and Jackson both played great, with Rucker going off for nine receptions, 179 yards and a touchdown.
The Red Wolves defense was burned on a few plays, but Central Arkansas only had a 37% Success Rate in the game and went 4-for-13 on third downs.
The problem for Tulsa is that it ranked 91st in explosiveness last season. Watkins is a fine running back, but he had just 20 carries of 10-plus yards all of last season.
Similar to Arkansas State, this Golden Hurricane defense was horrible last season. They ranked 115th in Success Rate and 116th in preventing big plays.
So, for all the flaws Arkansas State has, Tulsa is worse.
The difference is that the Red Wolves have the weapons to take advantage. Arkansas State ranked 18th in explosiveness last season. The Red Wolves have guys all over the field who can make a big play at any moment.
I expect this team to create plenty of big plays against Tulsa's defense, and the Golden Hurricane's offense won’t be able to match it.
When the Arkansas State offense clicked last year and they won, it crushed teams. It averaged 45.8 points in their six wins last season. After spending the entire week listening to how they didn’t deserve to win, I think they'll have a strong showing on Saturday.
Pick: Arkansas State -7
How to Watch Tulsa vs Arkansas State
| Location: | Centennial Bank Stadium, Jonesboro, AK |
| Date: | Saturday, Sept. 7 |
| Kickoff Time: | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | ESPN+ |
Tulsa-Arkansas State Weather
