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IFL Tulsa Oilers

Game Preview: Tulsa Oilers at Jacksonville Sharks

June 7, 2024 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Tulsa Oilers News Release


Tulsa, Okla. - Tulsa Oilers Football, a proud member of the IFL and powered by Community Care, head out east to the Sunshine State for a conference matchup against the Jacksonville Sharks.

LAST TIME OUT Tulsa came up short in their effort at home against San Diego last weekend. Both teams turned the ball over on downs on their opening drives. Arthur Jackson slipped through zone coverage, putting the Strike Force up 6-0 with 5:41 remaining in the quarter. Rudy Johnson's first receiving touchdown in the final three minutes of the opening frame set San Diego up 14-0 following a successful two-point conversion. Oilers' quarterback Andre Sale cut the Strike Force lead to 14-7, floating a pass above coverage to Josh Crockett in the receivers' return from injured reserve, on the first play of the second quarter. Nate Davis answered with his third passing touchdown of the game, connecting with Jackson again on the following drive and restoring a two-possession lead for the Strike Force. Sale added a rushing touchdown with roughly nine minutes left in the frame, benefitting for a "tush push", bringing the score 21-14 after a Michael Hall extra point. On the following play, Johnson flew through the secondary a second time, hauling in Davis' toss, propelling San Diego to a 28-14 lead. Jonathan Nance turned on his own jets on the opening kick return of the second half, bringing the Oilers within one possession with a lightning-quick return. Jackson nabbed his third receiving touchdown with a little less than 10 minutes remaining in the game, securing a dart from Davis on a fourth-and-nine strike. Alexis Rosario outworked his opponents on another fourth-down play in the final quarter, putting the Oilers within a possession, but San Diego held on for the victory.

FOCUS AHEAD Tulsa looks ahead to their new opportunity, the Jacksonville Sharks. A loss at home on Friday, May 3rd certainly left a bad taste in the mouth as the team seeks revenge in the Sunshine State this weekend. The Sharks may be the most deceptive team in the league. A 1-8 record is what shows in the standings for Jacksonville but they are not a bad team in many ways. They are productive in the passing game, but only when they are not throwing interceptions of course, and they throw a lot. They are a tough team in the trenches, making Jarrod Ware Jr. a key player in this game to play a smash mouth style run game against his opponent. Tulsa has fallen into a habit of trailing early during this five-game losing streak. Another 14-0 deficit was the reality last week and the team is determined to end those predicaments on the road against a team that puts a ton of fans in their building and will be rolling with any momentum they can get. It is also a desperate Jacksonville team in regard to winning at home, they are currently 0-4 in VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.

HOW TO "BITE BACK" IN JAX The Oilers have Joshua Crockett back, and he now has a week under his belt and should be much more comfortable for his second game since returning. Utilizing Crockett and maxing out his potential this week could be the key to ending the losing curse at this point in the season. Andre Sale has been back in Tulsa for three games now, and it is high time for what could be his best performance yet to help lift this team to victory. If Sale can play a clean game in the turnover department it may allow the Oilers the leverage they need heading into the late portions of the game where they hopefully are not in a race to come back. Keeping the team light and loose is important for the coaching staff, it is never easy to be on this kind of losing streak but a confident Oilers team is a good team and can possibly prove this week to be a great team.

Tulsa Oilers Football Season and Group Tickets are on sale now! Call the front office at 918-632-7825 or visit www.tulsaoilersfootball.com for more information.

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