TU spring game on Saturday

It will be chilly outside, but the University of Tulsa will hold its spring football game at 11 a.m. Saturday. Admission is free.

For the typical University of Tulsa practice, coach Philip Montgomery wears two T-shirts and a pullover.

Several recent spring sessions, however, have been chilly enough to require a fourth layer. Saturday’s spring game will likely demand more than that, with temperatures expected in the mid-30s for the 11 a.m. start.

“(Saturday) will be everything I have in my locker,” Montgomery said. “I’ll walk out looking like the Michelin Man.”

The annual spring game wraps up the 15-practice spring period, time spent overhauling the offense and defense following a two-win season and lastplace finish in the American’s West Division.

“We just want to come out of it healthy and look sharp and crisp on both sides of the ball, kind of finish it up on the right note,” Montgomery said. “It’s been a good spring. We’ve been productive in what we wanted to accomplish.”

For the spring game, which is free to attend, gates open at 10. Activities for kids will be available on the northwest side of H.A. Chapman Stadium, and the team will sign autographs afterward.

“It will give fans a chance to meet our players, put a face with a number,” Montgomery said. “We look forward to the community coming out and seeing our guys.”

Here are five storylines to watch in the spring game:

Options abound

Although Luke Skipper has taken first-team snaps during the spring, the Hurricane has six other quarterbacks, including five on scholarship. New to the picture are Davis Brin, an early enrollee freshman, and Zach Smith, a Baylor transfer who will sit out 2018. Chad President has not participated in spring drills while recovering from a torn ACL.

Changing it up

TU has spent the spring experimenting with different defenses that might be on display Saturday. Although safeties McKinley Whitfield, Manny Bunch and Jordan Mitchell will be held out because of injuries sustained last season, the Hurricane has a package that could allow them to see the field at the same time.

New kids on the block

The spring game will be the first chance to see five junior-college transfers who enrolled in January and have jumped into the rotation at their respective positions: offensive lineman Judge Hartin, defensive tackle JaJuan Blankenship, defensive end Cullen Wick, linebacker Yohance Burnett and cornerback Malik Welch.

Take it on the run

Behind an offensive line again expected to be a strength, the run game will presumably be showcased in the spring game. Tulsa natives Shamari Brooks, who scored 10 touchdowns in nine games as a freshman, and Corey Taylor II, who missed 10 games because of a lingering injury, are projected as the top two backs.

Here’s the kicker

Kickoff, PAT and field goal duties are up for grabs following the graduation of Redford Jones, who became the top scorer in program history in 2017. A handful of walk-ons have been competing for the starting role, led by veteran Nathan Walker and Central Arkansas transfer John Parker Romo.