Sports stats

Command Week 11 Game Notes

May 17, 2011 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Kansas City Command News Release


QUICK FACTS:

Tulsa Talons (4-5)

Vs. Kansas City Command (2-7)

Date: Saturday, May 18, 2011

Kickoff: 7:00pm (Central Time)

Site: BOK Center

Officials: Joe Pester(Referee), Chad Bowers(Umpire), Marc Bovos (Head Linesman), Rick Podraza (Line Judge), Derrick Rhone-Dunn (Back Judge)

Radio: 810 WHB, Announcer Nick McCabe

TV: None

All-Time Series Record: This is the first meeting between the Talons and Command.

Last Meeting: First Meeting

Coaches: Mitch Allner (4-5; Fourth Season)

Danton Barto (2-7; First Season)

OVERVIEW:

The Talons and Command both started the 2011 season

0-3 but Tulsa has since won four of six while Kansas City is again trying to break a three-game losing streak. The two teams are close geographically and division foes so this first meeting in the series could be the beginning of a budding rivalry. The teams will meet again in the regular season finale for both teams on July 23.

THE SERIES:

This is the first meeting between the Talons and Command.

Last Time Out

The Command posted their lowest scoring total of the season in suffering their second-worst loss, falling to Tampa Bay 46-30.

A poor start to the game resulted in Kansas City falling behind early 20-3. However, the Command had reason for optimism going into halftime down just 27-16 and set to receive the second half kickoff.

After the offense scored on that opening possession of the third quarter to cut the Tampa Bay lead to four points, the defense and special teams were unable to take advantage of several opportunities to get the ball back. The Storm recovered two missed field goals off the rebound net and got a fresh set of downs after a roughing the passer penalty. Tampa Bay finally scored a touchdown after 16 plays and the Command never again got within one score of the lead.

The next two Kansas City possessions ended with turnovers after the offense reached the one yard line. Tampa Bay eventually built the lead to 23 points before KC scored late to set the final margin.

Up Next

The Command return home to University of Kansas Hospital Field at Sprint Center after two straight on the road for a rematch with the Spokane Shock. Spokane handed the Command their worst loss of the season back in Week 4 61-34. The Shock rolled to a 38-12 halftime lead and never trailed in the game.

New Receivers Added

Last week, Kansas City added former Central Missouri receiver Tod Devoe to the roster. Devoe was active against the Tampa Bay Storm but played only a handful of snaps on offense after having just a few days of practice to pick up the system.

While at CMSU, Devoe posted 98 receptions for 1,971 yards (20.1 avg.) with 21 touchdowns and finished his career ranked second in receiving yards and eighth in receptions. As a senior, Devoe led CMSU in receptions for the second consecutive year with 58 catches, which tied for the highest single-year reception total in school history and also set a school single-season record with 12 touchdowns.

Devoe's professional career includes playing for the NFL's Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, and the Tennessee Titans. As an Arena Football player he has played for the Arizona Rattlers and, most recently, the Chicago Rush.

This week, Kansas City added another receiver to the roster, signing former Nebraska Cornhusker Frantz Hardy. Hardy was a three-year letterman at Nebraska, averaging 18.0 yards per catch. For his career, Hardy finished with 54 catches for 971 yards and seven touchdowns in 38 games.

He was an undrafted NFL free agent in 2008, signing with Philadelphia but a leg injury ended his chances of making the squad.

Hardy was a second-team JUCO All-American in 2004, helping Butler County to the NJCAA championship game. He is originally from Miami, FL, where he played for Booker T. Washington High School.

Injury News

One silver lining of the lopsided loss in Tampa Bay was the team came out of the game relatively healthy. The one exception was backup defensive lineman Tre Bryant who suffered a hamstring injury. His evaluation is ongoing but it is expected he will miss at least this week versus Tulsa.

Wide receiver Steven Savoy missed the New Orleans game with a knee sprain and was subsequently placed on injured reserve last week. Defensive lineman Rico Reese was also placed on IR last week.

Two Command players, DL Bobby Payne and WR Bubby Gill, came off IR last week and both were active and played last week against the Storm.

Inside the Talons

After starting the season 0-3, Tulsa has won four of their last six games and can reach the .500 mark with a win against Kansas City Saturday night.

The Talons improvement marks a significant turnaround. The team hit bottom in Week 4 when they fell to Arizona 69-20. The Talons were shut out in the first half and trailed 42-0 at the break.

Tulsa promoted quarterback Matt Baussener into the starting lineup the next week and he led them to a win against Pittsburgh. He has started every game since and has been under center for all four Talons victories.

Since the quarterback change, Tulsa's scoring average has increased from 35.6 to 46.8 points per game.

Tulsa is entering the contest on their best two-game stretch of the year. They upset Chicago May 7 64-45, taking advantage of four Rush fumbles. Last week the Talons went to New Orleans and beat the VooDoo 48-35 as Baussener threw for four touchdowns and ran for two more.

About the COMMAND

After a two-season hiatus, the team formerly known as the Brigade is bringing the fast-moving, hard-hitting excitement of Arena Football back to Kansas City for the upcoming 2011 season. Originally granted a franchise in Jan. 2006, the Kansas City Brigade quickly established a reputation for the unique blend of football and entertainment - welcoming sellout crowds of more than 12,000 fans. In the 2008 season, the Brigade moved their home games to Sprint Center, Kansas City's award winning downtown arena, bringing action packed indoor football to capacity crowds.



Arena Football League Stories from May 17, 2011


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Kansas City Command Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central