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Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz game notes

May 3, 2005 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (2-3)
At Memphis Xplorers (4-1)
Date: Saturday, May 7, 2005
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. CST
Site: Desoto Civic Center – Southaven, MS
National Anthem: TBA
Coin Toss: TBA
Officials: Ken Antee (Referee), Rico Orsot (Umpire), Britt Choate (Head Linesman), Victor Pettus (Line Judge), Rod Holloway (Back Judge)
Radio: KEBC-AM - 1340 AM - Robert Allen (Play-by-Play)
Webcast: www.kgff.com AND www.okcyarddawgz.com
Series Record: First Meeting
Streaks: Oklahoma City: L-2, Memphis: L-1
Coaches: OKC: Jeff Jarnigan (2-3, 1st season); MEM: Danton Barto (25-28, 4th season)

TEAM WEBSITES: Yard Dawgz: www.okcyarddawgz.com
Xplorers: www.xplorersaf2.com

THE STAKES: The Yard Dawgz are trying to get their first Midwest Division win and snap a two-game losing streak, while the Xplorers are trying to snap a one-game losing streak.

THE SERIES: This game marks the first time that these two teams have played one another.

THE Ifs:
If Oklahoma City defeats Memphis, it would ...
· Give OKC a 1-0 series record with Memphis
· Give Oklahoma City a 2-2 road record in 2005
· Give Jeff Jarnigan a 3-3 career record as head coach
· Give Oklahoma City a one-game win streak


OKLAHOMA CITY YARD DAWGZ (2-3)
Date Opponent Result Score Record
4/1 @ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton L 47-59 0-1
4/9 @ Arkansas W 71-48 1-1
4/16 Central Valley W 48-41 2-1
4/23 Quad City L 43-61 2-2
4/30 @ Tulsa L 34-47 2-3
Date Opponent Time Streak Series
5/7 @ Memphis 7:30 L-1 First Meeting
5/21 Bossier City 7:30 W-1 First Meeting
5/28 @ Quad City 7:30 W-3 QUA1-0
6/4 Rio Grande Valley 7:30 L-1 RIO 2-1
6/11 Amarillo 7:30 W-2 First Meeting
6/18 @ Bossier City 7:00 -- --
6/25 Memphis 7:30 -- --
7/10 @ Amarillo 3:00 -- --
7/16 Louisville 7:30 W-4 First Meeting
7/23 @ Rio Grande Valley 7:30 -- --
7/30 Tulsa 7:30 -- --

MEMPHIS XPLORERS (4-1)
Date Opponent Result Score Record
4/3 @ Bossier-Shreveport W 63-24 1-0
4/8 @ Amarillo W 66-41 2-0
4/15 ARKANSAS W 54-13 3-0
4/23 @ Birmingham W 60-24 4-0
4/30 @ Quad City L 42-45 4-1
Date Opponent Time Streak Series
5/7 OKLAHOMA CITY 7:00 L-2 First Meeting
5/14 AMARILLO 7:00 W-2 MEM 1-0
5/21 @ Albany 6:30 W-1 First Meeting
6/4 @ Arkansas 7:00 L-4 Ark 2-6
6/11 QUAD CITY 7:00 W-3 QUA 3-0
6/18 BIRMINGHAM 7:00 L-4 BIR 3-0
6/25 @ Oklahoma City 7:30 -- --
7/9 TULSA 7:00 W-3 TUL 4-0
7/16 MANCHESTER 7:00 W-3 MEM 1-0
7/23 @ Central Valley 9:30 W-1 MEM 1-0
7/30 BOSSIER-SHREVEPORT 7:00 W-1 MEM 5-3
(All times Central)


YARD DAWGZ HEAD COACH AT A GLANCE: Jeff Jarnigan served as the Defensive Coordinator in 2004 with the Austin Wranglers of the Arena Football League. The Wranglers were one of three expansion teams for the AFL and they finished their inaugural season at 8-8. Defensively, the Wranglers tallied 4.1 stops per game and finished 3rd in the AFL in sacks, 3rd in third downs allowed, 8th in turnover margin and 12th in total defense. After a slow start, the Wrangler pass defense held their opponents to an average of 210 passing yards over the final eight games of the season.

Jarnigan spent the 2001 –2003 seasons as the defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach for the Tulsa Talons of af2. While with Tulsa, Jarnigan's defense was known for its hard-hitting, high-pressure defense that traditionally finished in the top third of the league in several defensive categories. During Jarnigan's three seasons with the Talons, they accumulated a 44-10 record, won two National Conference Central Division championships and won the ArenaCup in 2003.

MEMPHIS HEAD COACH AT A GLANCE: Danton Barto is beginning his fourth year as the Head Coach of the Memphis Xplorers. The Xplorers put together their most impressive year in 2004 under Coach barto. The Xplorers won ten games and earned their first trip to the af2 playoffs, before falling to the eventual af2 champion, Florida Firecats on a last second field goal miss.

Coach Barto is still considered a University of Memphis legend; he currently is the only player to be named All-American three different years. He is still ranked number one in career tackles for the University of Memphis with 473 total tackles. Coach Barto also enjoyed a five-year professional career in the CFL and AFL leagues. Coach Bartos currently resides with his wife Rachel and his six-year old son Will in Bartlett, Tennessee.

LEAGUE TOP 10s: Players from this week's match-up who rank among af2's statistical leaders in 2005:
YARD DAWGZ
Player Rank Category Stat
Craig Strickland 1st Total Offense 284.8
Craig Strickland 1st Total Offensive Plays 202
Craig Strickland 3rd Total Offensive TD's 28
Jarrail Jackson T-7th Scoring 60
Craig Strickland 1st Total Offensive Yards 1184
Jarrail Jackson 3rd All-Purpose 849
Jarrail Jackson 7th Scoring (TDs) 10
Craig Strickland 3rd Passing Avg/Game 279.2
Craig Strickland T-10th Passing Yds/Catch 12.9
Craig Strickland 1st Pass Attempts 197
Craig Strickland T-2nd Passing TDs 28
Craig Strickland 1st Passing Yards 1396
Craig Strickland 1st Pass Completions 108
Jarrail Jackson T-2nd Receptions 37
Brandon Daniels T-10th Receptions 26
Jarrail Jackson 2nd Reception Yards 487
Jason Ball T-1st PAT Kicking 4/4 (100%)
Jarrail Jackson 5th Kick Return Avg 25.2
B.J. Barre 9th Kick Return Avg 23.6
Jarrail Jackson 5th Kick Returns 14
B.J. Barre 10th Kick Returns 12

XPLORERS
Player Rank Category Stat
Brian Jones 4th Total Offense 1122
Brian Jones T-9th Total Offensive Playes 134
Brian Jones 2nd Total Offensive TDs 32
Kevin Prentiss 1st Scoring 108
Steven Azar 1st Scoring (Kick) 53
Brian Jones 1st Total Offensive Avg/Play 8.4
Brian Jones 4th Total Offensive Yards 1122
Kevin Prentiss 1st All-Purpose 994
Kevin Prentiss 1st Scoring (TDs) 108
Brian Jones 4th Rushing 74
Brian Jones T-6th Rush Attempts 16
Brian Jones 2nd Rushing TDs 7
Brian Jones 7th Pass Yards/Catch 13.6
Brian Jones 4th Passing TDs 25
Brian Jones 4th Pass Rating 129.5
Brian Jones 6th Pass Yards/Att 8.9
Brian Jones 4th Passing Yards 1048
Brian Jones T-10th Pass Completions 77
Kevin Prentiss 7th Receptions 31
Kevin Prentiss 1st Reception Yards 516
Kevin Prentiss T-1st Reception TDs 16
Steven Azar 1st Field Goals 8-11 (72.7%)
Steven Azar 1st Field Goal % 72.7%
Kevin Prentiss T-3rd MFG Returns 2
Scott Cunningham T-1st Interceptions 5
Dahnel Singfield T-4th Interceptions 5
Kevin Prentiss 1st Kick Return Avg 31.2
Kevin Prentiss 2nd Kick Return Yards 406
Kevin Prentiss 1st Kick Return TDs 2

LOOKING BACK: The Yard Dawgz fought back from 14-points down to tie the Tulsa Talons in the third quarter, but could never capture the lead against the Tulsa Talons as they fell 47-34 in front of 6.797 fans at the Tulsa Convention Center on Saturday night.

The Yard Dawgz played most of the game without two of their offensive weapons in Brandon Daniels and Jarrail Jackson, who each left the game with pulled hamstrings. After trailing, 28-14 early in the third quarter, the Yard Dawgz scored 14 unanswered points to tie the game at 28-28. B.J. Barre led the charge for the Dawgz by scoring on a two-yard run at the 6:22 mark and then by catching a 13-yard pass to tie the game up.

The Talons would come right back and break the tie when Aleric Clark took the ensuing kick-off 47-yards for a touchdown giving the Talons a 35-28 lead at the end of the third quarter and it was one they would never relinquish.

TALE OF THE TAPE: Here's how OKLAHOMA CITY and MEMPHIS rank in the league this season:
Statistical YARD DAWGZ XPLORERS
Category Rank Stat Rank Stat
Scoring Offense 6th 48.6 1st 57.0
Scoring Defense 17th 51.2 1st 29.4
Total Offense 3rd 283.6 14th 229.2
Total Defense 15th 271.8 5th 211.6
Pass Offense 2nd 271.2 14th 208.8
Pass Defense 17th 261.4 6th 195.0
Rushing Offense 12th 12.4 7th 20.4
Rushing Defense T-4th 10.4 10th 16.6
Pass Rating T-10th 106.3 2nd 129.1
Pass Def. Rating 16th 119.1 1st 69.0
Kickoff Returns 3rd 23.3 1st 27.1
MFG Returns Yards 13th 9 2nd 93
Turnover Margin T-14th -3 1st +15
Sacks By T-7th 7 1st 14
Sacks Against T-16th 9 T-13th 9
First Downs 3rd 92 T-10th 69
Opp. First Downs T-12th 81 15th 82
Penalty Yards 17th 318 20th 388
Opp. Penalty Yds 16th 190 2nd 388
Red Zone Offense T-9th 15-20 (75.0%) T-6th 14-18 (77.8%)
Red Zone Defense 16th 11-14 (78.6%) 5th 13-20 (65.0%)

OKC YARD DAWGZ INJURY REPORT:
Pos. Name Injury Status
DS Orlando Green Long Term IR
FB/LB John Williamson Long Term IR

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: (Notable quotes):
JEFF JARNIGAN, On the loss to Tulsa: "We felt really good going into the game and the loss of Brandon Daniels and Jarrail Jackson was difficult to overcome."

On the upcoming game against Memphis: "This will be a really tough road test for us. They have six guys that gives them a really good pass rush."

On the key to victory versus Memphis: "The key to the game will be to protect our quarterback and get after theirs as much as possible."

ADVANCE BOOKING: (A look at upcoming Yard Dawgz games):
The Yard Dawgz will enjoy a bye week next week before returning home on May 21st against the Bossier-Shreveport Battlewings. The Yard Dawgz will take to the road again on May 28th to face the Quad City Steamwheelers.

DAWG BONES: (A look at team trends and tidbits):
YARD DAWGZ RETURNERS: The Yard Dawgz return seven players from the inaugural squad in 2004. They return quarterback Craig Strickland, quarterback Josh Stewart, wide receiver/defensive back Al Hunt, wide receiver/linebacker Chris Archie, fullback/linebacker Chris Toney, offensive/defensive lineman James Landers, and offensive/defensive lineman Chuck Little.

FIRST DRIVE OF THE GAME: This season the Yard Dawgz have taken their first drive of the game and scored three out of five times. Below is a chart detailing how the Yard Dawgz have fared on their first drive in each game thus far this season.

YARD DAWGZ FIRST DRIVE OF THE GAME
Date Opponent Result Game Outcome
4/1 @ Wilkes-Barre Turnover (Downs) LOST
4/9 @ Arkansas FIELD GOAL WON
4/16 Central Valley TOUCHDOWN WON
4/23 Quad City Missed Field Goal LOST
4/30 @ Tulsa TOUCHDOWN LOST

TALE OF TWO HALVES: This season, the Yard Dawgz have been outscored by their opponents 110-142 in the first half and they have outscored their opponents in the second half 133-114. The chart below details the point differential of the Yard Dawgz in each half of every game compared to their opponents.

YARD DAWGZ POINT DIFFERENTIAL BY HALF
Date Opponent First Half Second Half Game Outcome
4/1 @ Wilkes-Barre -5 -7 LOST
4/9 @ Arkansas -12 +35 WON
4/16 Central Valley +1 +6 WON
4/23 Quad City -9 -9 LOST
4/30 @ Tulsa -7 -6 LOST

KEY MATCH-UPS THIS WEEK:
Yard Dawgz quarterback Craig Strickland versus the Memphis Xplorers defensive specialists Dahnel Singfield and Scott Cunningham: Coming into this week's game Craig Strickland is leading the af2 in numerous passing categories and he will be up for the test this week as he faces two of the leading interceptors in af2.

YARD DAWGZ PRACTICE PLAN: (A look at the Yard Dawgz schedule this week)
Tuesday: 6:30 p.m. – 8:45 p.m. (Ford Center)
Wednesday: 6:30 p.m. – 8:45 p.m. (Ford Center)
Thursday: 6:30 p.m. – 8:45 p.m. (Ford Center)
Friday: 12:00 a.m. – Board Bus for Memphis, Tennessee
Saturday: 7:00 p.m. – KICKOFF at Memphis Xplorers (Desoto Civic Center – Southaven, MS)
**All Times are central**

RECENT YARD DAWGZ ROSTER MOVES (most recent first):
Date Action Player
4-28 PLACED ON RE-ASSIGNMENT Dylan Pohlman-K
4-28 HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED Jason Ball-K

GAME AWARD WINNERS
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME (selected by media)
Week Opp. Player
1 @ Wilkes-Barre JR Thomas –Wilkes Barre
2 @ Arkansas Craig Strickland-Oklahoma City
3 Central Valley Brandon Daniels-Oklahoma City
4 Quad City Jarrail Jackson-Oklahoma City
5 @ Tulsa Donovan Morgan-Tulsa

IRONMAN AWARD (selected by media)
Week Opp. Player
1 @ Wilkes-Barre Demetrius Austrum – Wilkes Barre
2 @ Arkansas B.J. Barre-Oklahoma City
3 Central Valley Al Hunt-Oklahoma City
4 Quad City Tim Dodge-Quad City
5 @ Tulsa B.J. Barre-Oklahoma City

ADT DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME
(selected by media)
Week Opp. Player
1 @ Wilkes-Barre Ameer Riley – Wilkes Barre
2 @ Arkansas Al Hunt-Oklahoma City
3 Central Valley Clint Merz-Central Valley
4 Quad City Matt Forbes-Quad City
5 @ Tulsa Chris Canty-Tulsa

af2 WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
Week Offensive Defensive Ironman
1 Julian Reese-Amarillo Demetrius Austrum-Wilkes-Barre Khreem Smith-Memphis
2 Kevin Prentiss-Memphis Ahmad Willis-Tulsa Tony Stallings-Louisville
3 Jake Eaton-Manchester Matt Forbes-Quad City Matt Jackson-Macon
4 Julian Reese-Amarillo Matt Forbes-Quad City Chris Robinson-Rio Grande Valley
5 Bo Smith-Bossier-Shreveport Travis Coleman-Albany J.J. McKelvey-Manchester



arenafootball2 Stories from May 3, 2005


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