SMU vs. Tulsa

SMU and Tulsa first met in 1935 and have played 30 times; officially, SMU leads 16–⁠13; as played, 17–⁠13. Over the last 10 meetings it’s Tulsa 6–⁠4, and SMU has won the last 2. The NCAA vacated SMU’s win (1998); it doesn’t count officially. This page counts every game as it was played.

Official series
SMU leads 16–⁠13
SMU wins on file
17
Tulsa wins on file
13
Ties
0
First meeting
1935
Longest streak
7 SMU
Current streak
2 SMU
Last 10 meetings
Tulsa 6–⁠4
Most recent
2023

The series at a glance

Every meeting by decade, colored by the winner
’0’1’2’3’4’5’6’7’8’9W–L
1930s1–⁠0
1940s0–⁠1
1990s4–⁠1
2000s6–⁠4
2010s4–⁠5
2020s2–⁠2
Average margin
10.8 points; 17 decided by one score (8 or fewer)
At SMU
12–⁠5 SMU’s record at home
At Tulsa
8–⁠5 Tulsa’s record at home
Shutouts
1

Every meeting on file, as played. Ranks are the AP poll’s going in.

Games that tell the story

  1. SMU’s biggest win2023: SMU 69, Tulsa 10by 59 points
  2. Tulsa’s biggest win2011: Tulsa 38, SMU 7by 31 points
  3. Upset2009: SMU 27, Tulsa 13SMU had a 16% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  4. Upset2021: Tulsa 34, SMU 31Tulsa had a 28% chance, by our ratings before kickoff

Coach against coach

YearsSMUSeriesTulsa
2003–⁠2006Phil Bennett2–⁠2Steve Kragthorpe
2008–⁠2010June Jones2–⁠1Todd Graham
2015–⁠2017Chad Morris1–⁠2Philip Montgomery
2018–⁠2021Sonny Dykes1–⁠3Philip Montgomery

Head-coach pairings with three or more meetings on file, the series read from SMU’s side (Bennett 2–⁠2 against Kragthorpe). A season split between coaches goes to the one credited with the game.

Both programs through the years

End-of-season Elo ratings of SMU and Tulsa, 1935 on13001500170019401960198020002020

Our Elo rating at the end of each season, a measure of how strong a team was, not a forecast; 1500 is an average FBS team.

Stars of the series

Biggest days

Rashee Rice SMU9 catches, 180 yards, 2 TD2022 Receiving
James Proche SMU11 catches, 153 yards, 2 TD2019 Receiving

Biggest days: the week’s best individual games by our big-days rule, from box scores (2004 on).

Photos

From the rivalry’s and its games’ categories on Wikimedia Commons (free licenses only, each credited).

Every game

Oct 28, 2023SMU 69, Tulsa 10at SMU
Oct 29, 2022SMU 45, Tulsa 34at Tulsa
Nov 27, 2021Tulsa 34, SMU 31at SMU
Nov 14, 2020Tulsa 28, 19SMU 24at Tulsa
Oct 5, 201924SMU 43, Tulsa 37at SMU
Nov 24, 2018Tulsa 27, SMU 24at Tulsa
Oct 27, 2017SMU 38, Tulsa 34at SMU
Oct 7, 2016Tulsa 43, SMU 40at Tulsa
Oct 31, 2015Tulsa 40, SMU 31at SMU
Nov 8, 2014Tulsa 38, SMU 28at Tulsa
Nov 24, 2012SMU 35, Tulsa 27at SMU
Oct 29, 2011Tulsa 38, SMU 7at Tulsa
Oct 9, 2010SMU 21, Tulsa 18at SMU
Oct 31, 2009SMU 27, Tulsa 13at Tulsa
Oct 11, 2008Tulsa 37, SMU 31at SMU
Oct 27, 2007Tulsa 29, SMU 23at Tulsa
Nov 18, 2006SMU 34, Tulsa 24at SMU
Oct 22, 2005Tulsa 20, SMU 13at Tulsa
Nov 6, 2004SMU 41, Tulsa 35at SMU
Oct 25, 2003Tulsa 35, SMU 16at Tulsa
Nov 23, 2002SMU 24, Tulsa 21at SMU
Nov 17, 2001SMU 24, Tulsa 14at Tulsa
Nov 11, 2000SMU 24, Tulsa 20at SMU
Nov 20, 1999SMU 28, Tulsa 14at Tulsa
Nov 7, 1998SMU 33, Tulsa 3vacatedat SMU
Nov 15, 1997SMU 42, Tulsa 41at Tulsa
Aug 31, 1996SMU 17, Tulsa 10at SMU
Nov 30, 199122Tulsa 31, SMU 26at SMU
Sep 25, 1943Tulsa 20, SMU 7at SMU
Oct 5, 1935SMU 14, Tulsa 0at SMU

Every game is listed as played on the field; a win the NCAA later vacated is marked “vacated”; the official series above counts them the NCAA’s way.