Tulsa QB has improved his passing

ORLANDO— As UCFandTulsa prepare for a rematch, one interesting area to keep an eye on may be the effectiveness of the Golden Hurricane passing game.

Tulsa (9-3, 7-1 C-USA) is a run-first team, and the Golden Hurricane boast three running backs with more than 650 rushing yards this season as a sign of their dedication to pounding the ball. However, during its win over UCF (9-3, 7-1) two weeks ago, the Golden Hurricane passed for three touchdowns. The Knights also struggled against the pass last week during a win over UAB, giving up 510 yards through the air.

Tulsa QB Cody Green has improved during his first season under center for the Golden Hurricane. The Nebraska transfer completed just 51.4 percent of his passes in the first six starts of the year, but he has improved to 58 percent during the last five games. Green has thrown three interceptions during the past five games compared to six in the first half of the year. He has three touchdown passes in each of the past two games.

“He’s definitely a better player than he was when we started the season,” Tulsa coach Bill Blankenship said. “Experience does that for any quarterback. The other thing that I think played into that is we have a better idea of what he does well and we’re relying more on the things we think Cody does well and howhe sees the field and the types of throws he makes. We’re doing a better job of putting him in that situation.” Next game: at Tulsa, Noon, Saturday, ESPN2 Game-day hashtag: #OSUCF