Tulsa, Okla. — Tulsa Oilers Football, proud member of the IFL, make their way to the revolution state in pursuit of ending the Pirates' home winning streak on June 24.
LAST TIME OUT The Oilers hosted the Sioux Falls Storm during their first Kids Day game on June 17. After giving up the opening two touchdowns of the game, Tulsa responded with a 1-yard QB rushing score by Andre Sale to cut the lead down to 13-7 with 3:00 left in the opening frame. The Oilers took their first lead after a 7-yard receiving touchdown by Joshua Crockett to make the game 14-13 Tulsa with 14:14 left in the second. Sale recorded his second 1-yard rushing score of the game to help Tulsa bring the deficit to just one point, 21-20 Storm, a missed extra point kept the game where it was at with 0:32 remaining in the half. Tulsa made it interesting again on a Dalton James 1-yard rushing score to the right side to make the game 27-27 with 10:10 left in the third quarter. The fourth quarter started with a James 5-yard touchdown run with 7:23 left in the game to bring the Sioux Falls lead down to just one point, 35-34. Tulsa forced the Storm into a fourth down scenario with 0:06 left and forced an incompletion with 0:02 left in the game, but a roughing of the passer penalty ended the success and the game with a final of 35-34 Storm. The Oilers earned the Fan Base of the Week Award for the fourth time this season with a crowd of over 7,000 helping in the cause.
FOCUS AHEAD The Oilers take their journey to Worcester, Massachusetts, to take on the Pirates in what will be their final road game of the season. The Pirates have not lost at home this year, giving Tulsa an opportunity to get back in the win column as well as end the Pirates' home winning streak. Tulsa will finish the year with two home games, one being on July 1 against the Green Bay Blizzard and the final on July 15 versus the Quad City Steamwheelers. Tulsa is looking to bounce back from a less-than-average productive second half just a week ago. The Oilers will look to have more balance in the turnover margin against a team like Massachusetts. Tulsa running back Dalton James found the end zone twice in his debut, the Oilers will be focusing on riding his confidence and momentum into Week Fifteen in order to help open up the run game and add more balance to the offensive attack as a whole.
HOW TO PULL OFF A "MASS"IVE WIN It is no secret now that the Pirates are a real threat to take over the top spot in the East by the season's end. Tulsa had Massachusetts in a close game, tied 40-40 with most of the fourth quarter left to play, the last time these two teams met, but it was the last quarter that wrote the ultimate story. The Pirates run the ball and have unique success when it matters most at times. Tulsa will need to utilize the rover position well, as Oilers' linebacker Jordan Jones can be a key factor in this week's matchup. Mistakes happen, but they must stop soon. Tulsa threw three interceptions last week, quarterback Andre Sale will need to match his performance on the road in San Diego to help keep pace with a Pirates team that scores on average 53 points per game. Games on the road in Massachusetts can be one of the most difficult. It is the farthest travel distance for any team in the league and can wear you down if you're not careful. The Oilers will need to be prepared physically, considering the long travel and the fact that it is a late-season matchup on the road. The Oilers are certainly healthier than they have been as of recently, we will see if that helps create the perfect storm to pull off a massive victory against the Eastern Conference's second-place team.
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