TULSA WALKS OFF ON ORLANDO

Tulsa, Okla. — Tulsa Oilers Football, a proud member of the IFL and powered by Community Care, secured a dramatic walk-off victory at home, defeating the Orlando Pirates, 52-50, in a back-and-forth thriller.

Tulsa opened the scoring midway through the first quarter, as Jerminic Smith Sr. hauled in a 5-yard touchdown pass in the back left corner of the endzone to give the Oilers a 7-0 lead with 10:25 remaining in the first. Orlando responded with a 5-yard touchdown pass to NyQuan Murray to tie the game at 7-7 with 5:29 to go in the frame.

The Oilers regained the lead late in the quarter, as TJ Edwards II powered in a 1-yard rushing touchdown to make it 14-7 with 1:32 remaining in quarter one. 

Orlando answered early in the second quarter with an 18-yard quarterback keeper from Paxton DeLaurent, but a blocked extra point kept Tulsa in front, 14-13. Tulsa extended its lead with 9:26 remaining in the half, as Edwards II connected with Smith Sr. on a 30-yard touchdown strike to push the advantage to 21-13. Orlando responded again with a 5-yard touchdown reception by Thomas Owens but missed the extra point, bringing the score to 21-19.

The Edwards-to-Smith Sr. connection continued to dominate, as the duo linked up for a third touchdown on a 7-yard lob pass with 2:25 remaining in the half to make it 28-19. Orlando closed the half with a 1-yard rushing touchdown by DeLaurent, but a failed two-point attempt left Tulsa ahead 28-25 at the break.

Orlando came out strong in the second half, taking their first lead of the game on a 1-yard rushing touchdown by Pooka Williams with 10:21 remaining in the third quarter to make it 32-28. Tulsa answered late in the quarter, as Caleb Ramseur powered in a 2-yard touchdown run to give the Oilers a 35-32 lead.

The Pirates responded quickly, as Williams added a 7-yard touchdown run with 0:56 remaining in the third, though another missed extra point kept the score at 38-35 in favor of Orlando.

Tulsa reclaimed the lead early in the fourth quarter, as TJ Davis recorded his first touchdown reception as an Oiler on a 15-yard catch to make it 42-38 with 12:17 to play. Orlando capitalized on a short field following a failed onside kick attempt, scoring on a 1-yard run by Williams to take a 44-42 lead after another missed extra point.

With the game hanging in the balance, Smith Sr. delivered once again, hauling in his fourth touchdown reception of the night on a 4-yard catch with 3:51 remaining to give Tulsa a 49-44 advantage, tying his own franchise record for receiving touchdowns in a single game.

Orlando answered in the final seconds, as DeLaurent found the endzone on a 4-yard run with 0:13 remaining to take a 50-49 lead after a failed two-point attempt.

Tulsa had one final opportunity and capitalized. With two seconds remaining, Axel Perez drilled a 28-yard field goal to walk it off and secure the 52-50 victory.

With the win, Tulsa improves to 6-5 on the season, matching Orlando's record in one of the most thrilling finishes of the year.

Tulsa will host the San Antonio Gunslingers on June 20,^, kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. CT at the BOK Center. 

Season tickets and group outings are available for the 2026 season.

 Call the Tulsa Oilers front office at 918-632-7825 or visit tulsaoilersfootball.com for more information

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