From Underdog Dynasty...
Perfect Combinations: Dane Evans and Keevan Lucas of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane
By Nicolas A. Lewis
How can we talk about perfect combinations without bringing up one of the most underappreciated combinations in all of college football?
Last season was Keevan Lucas' first full season as a starter for Tulsa, and he was one of only six receivers in the entire country to post more than 100 receptions, 1200 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. This placed him in rarified company alongside Amari Cooper, Justin Hardy, Kevin White, Tyler Lockett and Nelson Agholor.
Every other name I just listed is probably more familiar to you, and that's in large part because they played for teams that collectively posted a 34-17 record, while Tulsa just wiggled their way into a 2-10 record. But don't let that distract you from how good Lucas has been, or how inseparable an offensive pairing he and Dane Evans have been.
After an atrocious freshman year that threatened to fully derail Tulsa's long and reasonably uninterrupted run of solid quarterback play, Evans came into last season as the incumbent looking to improve himself. He was no world beater, but he made dramatic improvements to the tune of 3,102 yards and 23 touchdowns.
He leaned heavily on Lucas, and was handsomely rewarded.
Whether you are measuring by total number of receptions/completions or total yards, Lucas was on the other end of nearly 40% of Evans' passes in 2014, as well as hauling in half of Evans' touchdown tosses. It's probably no surprise given the raw athleticism you see in that video highlight reel, but even more impressive is that 2015 appears to have picked up right where they left off.
In two games thusfar, Lucas is again on the receiving end of 36% of Evans' tosses, while also catching three of four touchdown passes to boot. He's "only" on pace for 84 catches 1.548 yards and 18 touchdowns, in part because he was only targeted seven times in Tulsa's week two win over New Mexico.
It's always enjoyable to see two players that click this well on the football field, and perhaps if the Golden Hurricane's 2-0 start is any indication of the season, a better record will lend itself to better exposure for a truly fun-to-watch pairing down in Oklahoma both this year and next.
Perfect Combinations: Dane Evans and Keevan Lucas of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane
By Nicolas A. Lewis
How can we talk about perfect combinations without bringing up one of the most underappreciated combinations in all of college football?
Last season was Keevan Lucas' first full season as a starter for Tulsa, and he was one of only six receivers in the entire country to post more than 100 receptions, 1200 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. This placed him in rarified company alongside Amari Cooper, Justin Hardy, Kevin White, Tyler Lockett and Nelson Agholor.
Every other name I just listed is probably more familiar to you, and that's in large part because they played for teams that collectively posted a 34-17 record, while Tulsa just wiggled their way into a 2-10 record. But don't let that distract you from how good Lucas has been, or how inseparable an offensive pairing he and Dane Evans have been.
After an atrocious freshman year that threatened to fully derail Tulsa's long and reasonably uninterrupted run of solid quarterback play, Evans came into last season as the incumbent looking to improve himself. He was no world beater, but he made dramatic improvements to the tune of 3,102 yards and 23 touchdowns.
He leaned heavily on Lucas, and was handsomely rewarded.
Whether you are measuring by total number of receptions/completions or total yards, Lucas was on the other end of nearly 40% of Evans' passes in 2014, as well as hauling in half of Evans' touchdown tosses. It's probably no surprise given the raw athleticism you see in that video highlight reel, but even more impressive is that 2015 appears to have picked up right where they left off.
In two games thusfar, Lucas is again on the receiving end of 36% of Evans' tosses, while also catching three of four touchdown passes to boot. He's "only" on pace for 84 catches 1.548 yards and 18 touchdowns, in part because he was only targeted seven times in Tulsa's week two win over New Mexico.
It's always enjoyable to see two players that click this well on the football field, and perhaps if the Golden Hurricane's 2-0 start is any indication of the season, a better record will lend itself to better exposure for a truly fun-to-watch pairing down in Oklahoma both this year and next.
