2026 Week 2 Preview: Tulsa Golden Hurricane @ Sam Houston Bearkats
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Game notes
- Time and date: Saturday, September 12 at 7:00 p.m. ET
- Network: ESPN+
- Location: Bowers Stadium — Huntsville, TX
- Spread: Boise State (-13.5)
- Over/under: 51.5
- All-time series: Tulsa leads, 1-0
- Last meeting: Tulsa 56, Sam Houston 3 — September 26, 2009
- Current streak: Tulsa, 1 (2009)
Setting the scene
The 652-day wait is over. The Sam Houston Bearkats are finally home.
Last season, the Bearkats didn’t have the luxury of a single home game. Instead, they played their “home” games 70 miles south in downtown Houston, competing in a relatively empty Shell Energy Stadium deprived of a true student section, while Bowers Stadium in Huntsville underwent renovations.
The renovations are now complete. A refurbished Bowers Stadium opens its gates to the public for the first time since 2024, when the Bearkats enjoyed a triumphant 10-3 season. And what better way to open the venue than against arguably the most marquee opponent to visit Huntsville since the Bearkats rose to the FBS?
Tulsa is the first American Conference team to visit Bowers Stadium. The Golden Hurricane are coming off a statement 24-10 upset over Oklahoma State, where their defense dominated from start to finish. Now Tre Lamb and his team must avoid a road letdown in Huntsville against a Sam Houston team which looks vastly improved from last season.
Tulsa Golden Hurricane outlook
Tulsa (1-0, 0-0 American) recorded one of the most impressive victories in all of Week 1.
The Golden Hurricane defeated Oklahoma State last September for the first time since 1998, but the double-down was even sweeter. Oklahoma State hired the head coach who ran the No. 1 offense in the country last season, bringing in the No. 1 passer, No. 5 rusher, and No. 3 receiver in the FBS. Yet, Tulsa held those offensive superstars in check and limited the Cowboys to a field goal and one touchdown.
Tulsa commandingly won the turnover battle, 4-1, but the Golden Hurricane didn’t use turnovers as a crutch. They generated frequent stops as well. The stops started on the first series of the game when inside linebacker Chris Thompson Jr. prevented a 4th and 1 conversion. Thompson, who missed all of last year due to injury, claimed the American Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors in his first action back. He produced a team-high 10 tackles, as well as a fumble recovery and quarterback hurry in the upset.
The Golden Hurricane were also tremendous in coverage. Mestemaker averaged 313 passing yards per game in 2025 but was limited to 247 on a 29-of-49 performance. Free safety Zach Williams stood out among the group, making a spectacular leaping grab in the end zone to deny Oklahoma State of a fourth quarter comeback. Most impressively, Tulsa shined against the Cowboys without their top defender — reigning First Team All-American Conference cornerback Elijah Green, whose status remains unclear for Week 2. But cornerback Tyson Williams excelled in Green’s absence with a pass breakup and interception in the defensive-driven win.
But the unsung hero of it all was Appalachian State transfer defensive end Thomas Davis. He recorded a sack, a forced fumble, and four quarterback pressures in his Tulsa debut, serving as the engine which made the pass rush and coverage work harmoniously.
Tulsa outscored an elite offense, but the Golden Hurricane still have a long way to go on that side of the ball. They didn’t convert a third down until roughly three minutes remained in the game, finishing 1-of-11 for the game. Still, redshirt sophomore quarterback Baylor Hayes looked like an improved version of himself, throwing for 227 yards and connecting regularly with transfer receivers Jimmy Calloway and Oran Singleton Jr.
The Golden Hurricane have more verticality in the offense this year, but they also demonstrate plenty of experience at running back. Auburn transfer Damari Alston is the feature back after a 73-yard, 2-touchdown opener, but Trequan Jones — who rushed for 792 yards at Old Dominion last season — is a viable secondary option.
The offense’s biggest limitation in the opener was penalties, which negated several considerable pickups for Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane were flagged nine times for 102 yards, wiping away one touchdown and three additional 15+ yard gains — including a 59-yard pass.
Sam Houston Bearkats outlook
Sam Houston (0-1, 0-0 CUSA) is still winless, but the Bearkats showed plenty of signs of promise in its 2026 road opener at Troy. They stormed into the house of the reigning Sun Belt West champions (and preseason division favorites) and put up a valiant fight in a 24-21 defeat. The game was tied at halftime, and Sam Houston was a 3rd and 6 stop away from having a chance at a game-winning or tying drive.
The most promising feature of the Bearkats was their quarterback. Landyn Locke started the final three games of the 2025 campaign and engineered an upset win over Delaware. Now, an even better version of the quarterback has been unlocked. He delivered three touchdown passes on 335 yards — the highest output by a Sam Houston quarterback since the Bearkats joined the FBS in 2023. Locke stepped in and delivered great velocity on a good portion of his 46 throws, showing early signs that he could be one of the CUSA’s top quarterbacks this season.
Sam Houston’s most experienced position group is its receiver corps, and the unit looked the part in the opener. Each of the team’s top three wide receivers from 2025 returned, and they all excelled at Troy. Grady O’Neill posted 86 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions, Tim Burns Jr. added 63 yards on four catches, and Chris Reed rounded out the trio with 52 yards and a touchdown.
The passing game was sharp, but only when Locke had time. Sam Houston’s offensive line struggled mightily against a formidable Troy front, surrendering four sacks and 13 tackles for loss. The disparity in the trenches prevented the Bearkats from a productive showing on the ground, and they were limited to 38 yards on 24 attempts (counting sacks). When Locke isn’t dropping back, Sam Houston will attack with the running back duo of Landan “Coco” Brown and Alton McCaskill, who ranked first and third in rushing last year, respectively, in the nation’s 97th-ranked run game.
Sam Houston’s defense had a serviceable effort in Week 1. The Bearkats applied heaps of pressure to Troy quarterback Goose Crowder, limiting the veteran to a 12-of-24 showing and sacking him on four occasions. The most promising player was NC State transfer outside linebacker Elijah Groves. In his first collegiate action, the 6’5”, 245-pounder produced 1.5 sacks and showed signs he could be the team’s new lead pass rusher.
The defense also flew around to force a slew of incompletions. Cornerback Ishmel Atkins, a transfer from FCS Elon, was the star of the secondary with three pass breakups in his FBS debut. However, Sam Houston still allowed a slew of 20+ yard pickups and failed to generate a takeaway. Considering Troy managed three points off takeaways, that proved to be a difference in the contest.
Prediction
Expect this matchup to be on the lower-scoring side, with the defenses prevailing more often than the offenses.
Sam Houston is a far improved offense with Landyn Locke at quarterback, but the Bearkats still have weakness Tulsa should be able to exploit. The Golden Hurricane defense led by Thomas Davis had their way with Oklahoma State’s offensive line in Week 1, and the unit should be able to handle a struggling Sam Houston front.
Additionally, Tulsa fields one of the best secondaries in the American Conference. Whether Elijah Green is available or not, the Golden Hurricane are very sound in coverage and can cause inaccurate performances from opposing quarterbacks.
Tulsa’s offense still needs to make strides for the Golden Hurricane to be an American contender. The Sam Houston defense could show some pushback at the line of scrimmage, but Baylor Hayes and his new receivers will ultimately lead enough productive drives for a two-score victory, spoiling the Bearkats’ grand return to Huntsville.
Prediction: Tulsa 28, Sam Houston 14
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