Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz game notes
July 26, 2005 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz News Release
QUICK FACTS:
Tulsa Talons (11-4)
At Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (9-6)
Date: Saturday, July 30, 2005
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. CST
Site: Ford Center (18,000)
National Anthem: Kerry Anderson
Coin Toss: Dr. John Belardo (Advanced Laser Center)
Officials: Matt Loeffler (Referee), Michael Cooper (Umpire), Gerald Woodruff (Head Linesman), Keith Garmond (Line Judge), Derrick Rhone-Dunn (Back Judge)
Radio: KEBC-AM - 1340 AM - Robert Allen (Play-by-Play)
Webcast: www.kgff.com AND www.okcyarddawgz.com
Series Record: Tied 2-2
Streaks: Tulsa W-3, Oklahoma City W-1
Coaches: Yard Dawgz: Jeff Jarnigan (9-6, 1st season);
Talons: David Alexander (11-4, 1st season)
TEAM WEBSITES: Yard Dawgz: www.okcyarddawgz.com
Talons: www.tulsatalons.com
THE STAKES: The Yard Dawgz are trying to solidify their seed in the 2005 playoffs. After winning last week over the Rio Grande Valley Dorados, the Yard Dawgz clinched their second consecutive playoff berth.
THE SERIES: This will be the fifth meeting in the series for the two teams as they are tied 2-2. The Talons won the last meeting between these two teams on April 30, 2005 47-34 in Tulsa.
THE Ifs:
If Oklahoma City defeats Tulsa, it would ...
Give Oklahoma City a 3-2 series record with Tulsa
Give Oklahoma City a 6-2 home record in 2005
Give Jeff Jarnigan a 10-6 career record as head coach
Give Oklahoma City a two-game win streak
OKLAHOMA CITY YARD DAWGZ (9-6, WON 1)
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
5/7 @ Memphis L 38-43 2-4
5/21 BOSSIER SHREVEPORT W 52-17 3-4
5/28 @ Quad City W 56-49 4-4
6/4 RIO GRANDE VALLEY W 59-35 5-4
6/11 AMARILLO W 74-67 6-4
6/18 @ Bossier-Shreveport L 46-54 6-5
6/24 MEMPHIS W 50-47 7-5
7/10 @ Amarillo W 77-52 8-5
7/16 LOUISVILLE L 45-47 8-6
7/23 @ Rio Grande Valley W 71-40 9-6
Date Opponent Time Streak Series
7/30 TULSA 7:30 W-3 TIED 2-2
TULSA TALONS (11-4, WON 3)
Date Opponent Result Score Record
4/1 @ Amarillo L 55-62 0-1
4/9 @ Bossier-Shreveport W 61-51 1-1
4/23 @ San Diego W 55-37 2-1
4/30 OKLAHOMA CITY W 47-34 3-1
5/7 CENTRAL VALLEY L 63-64 3-2
5/13 @ Bakersfield W 41-31 4-2
5/21 MACON W 61-39 5-2
5/28 BAKERSFIELD W 56-43 6-2
6/4 @ Central Valley W 54-53 7-2
6/11 @ Rio Grande Valley L 64-65 7-3
6/18 SAN DIEGO W 91-68 8-3
6/25 ARKANSAS L 48-54 8-4
7/9 @ Memphis W 44-41 9-4
7/16 RIO GRANDE VALLEY W 58-49 10-4
7/23 AMARILLO W 42-34 11-4
Date Opponent Time Streak Series
7/30 @ Oklahoma City 7:30 W-1 TIED 2-2
(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.
TULSA HEAD COACH AT A GLANCE: David Alexander, a 40 year old native of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma joins the Talons after serving a year as the Talons GM and ten years in the NFL. Alexander was drafted as a center in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. In the NFL (1987-1996), Alexander spent his first eight years with the Philadelphia Eagles and his last two years with the New York Jets. Alexander started 108 consecutive games and never missed one NFL game. A graduate of Broken Arrow High School, Alexander played college football at the University of Tulsa.
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 5th Total Offense 3970
Craig Strickland 7th Total Offensive Plays 536
Craig Strickland 8th Total Offensive TDs 84
Jarrail Jackson 6th Scoring 216
Craig Strickland 3rd Total Offensive Avg/Play 7.4
Jarrail Jackson 1st All-Purpose Yards 2978
Jarrail Jackson 6th Scoring (TDs) 36
Craig Strickland 4th Passing Avg/Game 264.2
Craig Strickland 5th Pass Yards/Catch 13.1
Craig Strickland 5th Pass Attempts 518
Craig Strickland 3rd Passing TDs 83
Craig Strickland 6th Pass Rating 114.2
Craig Strickland T-3rd Pass Yards/Att 7.7
Craig Strickland 4th Passing Yards 3963
Craig Strickland 6th Pass Completion 303
Jarrail Jackson 4th Receptions 118
Brandon Daniels T-9th Receiving Yards/Catch 14.3
Jarrail Jackson 4th Receiving Yards 1551
Jarrail Jackson 7th Receiving TDs 32
Jarrail Jackson T-2nd MFG Returns 6
Jarrail Jackson 5th MFG Return Yards 118
Jarrail Jackson 1st Kick Return Avg 26.2
Jarrail Jackson 4th Kick Return Yards 1309
Jarrail Jackson T-3rd Kick Return TDs 4
Jeromy Flowers T-3rd Fumbles Recovered 3
A.J. Haglund 4th PAT Kick % 84.8
TALONS
Player Rank Category Stat
LOOKING BACK: The Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz rolled over the Rio Grande Valley Dorados 71-40 in front of 5,519 fans at Dodge Arena in Hidalgo, Texas. Yard Dawgz quarterback Craig Strickland was named Offensive Player of the Game for his 17-of-22 for 260 yards and six touchdowns.
TALE OF THE TAPE: Here's how OKLAHOMA CITY and TULSA rank in the league this season.
Statistical YARD DAWGZ TALONS
Category Rank Stat Rank Stat
Scoring Offense 3rd 56.0 5th 54.1
Scoring Defense 8th 47.1 9th 48.3
Total Offense 5th 280.9 9th 266.6
Total Defense 10th 260.0 19th 282.3
Pass Offense 4th 265.7 11th 241.3
Pass Defense 12th 246.2 19th 266.1
Rushing Offense 15th 15.1 5th 25.3
Rushing Defense 3rd 13.8 5th 16.2
Pass Rating 4th 114.2 6th 113.4
Pass Def. Rating T-13th 107.7 14th 108.5
Kickoff Return Yards 3rd 1907 10th 1672
Turnover Margin T-3rd +10 11th 0
Sacks By 11th 17 T-2nd 28
Sacks Against 16th 24 14th 20
First Downs 9th 281 T-10th 280
Opp. First Downs 11th 276 T-9th 270
Penalty Yards 20th 1151 2nd 666
Opp. Penalty Yds 3rd 1024 7th 894
Red Zone Offense 11th 56-72(77.8%) 9th 54-69 (78.3%)
Red Zone Defense 10th 48-61 (78.7%) 7th 42-55 (76.4%)
OKC YARD DAWGZ INJURY REPORT:
Pos. Name Injury Status
FB/LB Eric Butler Short Term IR
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: (Notable quotes):
JEFF JARNIGAN, On the win over Rio Grande Valley: "That was a huge game for us. We were upset at the outcome of the Louisville game and needed some redemption for ourselves."
CRAIG STRICKLAND, On the game at Rio Grande Valley: "It was a big win for us. I felt very comfortable that night and the line gave me great protection and I was able to make good throws early."
ADVANCE BOOKING: (A look at upcoming Yard Dawgz games):
The Yard Dawgz will begin their road to the af2 championship next week in the first round of the 2005 af2 playoffs.
DAWG BONES: (A look at team trends and tidbits):
FIRST DRIVE OF THE GAME: This season the Yard Dawgz have taken their first drive of the game and scored ten out of fifteen 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
5/7 @ Memphis Missed Field Goal LOST
5/21 Bossier-Shreveport Turnover (Downs) WON
5/28 @ Quad City TOUCHDOWN WON
6/4 Rio Grande Valley TOUCHDOWN WON
6/11 Amarillo TOUCHDOWN WON
6/18 @ Bossier-Shreveport TOUCHDOWN LOST
6/24 Memphis TOUCHDOWN WON
7/10 @ Amarillo Missed Field Goal WON
7/16 Louisville TOUCHDOWN LOST
7/23 @ Rio Grande Valley TOUCHDOWN WON
TALE OF TWO HALVES, NOT ANYMORE!!: Earlier this season the Yard Dawgz struggled in the first half against their opponents as they were outscored in the first half in five out of their first six games, however the Dawgz rebounded in the second half. But now, the Dawgz have outscored their opponents in both halves on the season. They have outscored their opponents 377-369 in the first half and 434-338 in the second half.
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
5/7 @ Memphis -10 +5 LOST
5/21 Bossier-Shreveport +7 +28 WON
5/28 @ Quad City -5 +12 WON
6/4 Rio Grande Valley +2 +22 WON
6/11 Amarillo +8 -1 WON
6/18 @ Bossier-Shreveport 0 -8 LOST
6/24 Memohis +1 +2 WON
7/10 @ Amarillo +17 +8 WON
7/16 Louisville +10 -12 LOST
7/23 @ Rio Grande Valley +7 +21 WON
SEASON TOTALS +8 +96
MAKING HISTORY: Beginning the 2005 season, Yard Dawgz quarterback Craig Strickland had 14,415 yards in his af2 career. In week two versus the Arkansas Twisters Strickland eclipsed the 15,000 yard mark, becoming the first af2 player ever to throw for over 15,000 yards. Below is a look at the yards Strickland has thrown for in each game this season.
CRAIG STRICKLAND PASSING YARDS
Date Opponent Passing Yards Career Yards GAME RESULT
4/1 @ Wilkes-Barre 281 14,696 LOST
4/9 @ Arkansas 352 15,048 WON
4/16 Central Valley 212 15,260 WON
4/23 Quad City 311 15,571 LOST
4/30 @ Tulsa 240 15,811 LOST
5/7 @ Memphis 189 16,000 LOST
5/21 Bossier-Shreveport 180 16,180 WON
5/28 @ Quad City 317 16,497 WON
6/4 Rio Grande Valley 233 16,730 WON
6/11 Amarillo 361 17,091 WON
6/18 @ Bossier-Shreveport 258 17,349 LOST
6/24 Memphis 209 17,558 WON
7/10 @ Amarillo 313 17,871 WON
7/16 Louisville 238 18,109 LOST
7/23 @ Rio Grande Valley 260 18,369 WON
TEAMS NOT RUNNING WITH THESE DAWGZ: Coming into this week's game versus the Tulsa Talons, the Yard Dawgz are the #3 ranked rushing defense in af2. They have only given up 207 yards rushing this season for an average of 13.8 yards per game.
MANY HAPPY RETURNS: The Yard Dawgz kick return team is ranked #1 in af2 with a kickoff return average of 22.7 yards per return, and they currently rank 3rd in the league in kickoff return yards with 1907.
HOME SWEET HOME: The Yard Dawgz are now 12-3 all-time in side the friendly confines of the Ford Center.
CATCH AND RUN: The Yard Dawgz make sure that after they catch the ball they get as many yards as possible. This season, the Yard Dawgz rank 2nd in the af2 in pass yards per catch with 12.7.
ANOTHER AWARD FOR THE DAWGZ: B.J. Barre was named U.S. Army Ironman of the Week for his performance against the Amarillo Dusters in week 15.
Barre finished the night with six catches for 103 yards and three touchdowns, rushed three times for 14 yards, and recorded an interception on defense. This marks the second time in his career that Barre has been named Ironman of the Week. Last season, he won the award in week 4 as a member of the Tulsa Talons.
GETTING DEFENSIVE: Jeromy Flowers became the first Yard Dawgz player of 2005 to earn a league award this season as he was named af2 ADT Defensive Player of the Week for his week 10 performance against the Rio Grande Valley Dorados on June 4, 2005. Flowers had two interceptions and three pass defenses to go along with his six tackles in the victory over the Dorados.
Flowers (6-0, 200, Arkansas) has played in nine games for the Dawgz and has compiled 45.0 tackles, two interceptions, and five pass defenses.
DUSTING AWAY THE DUSTERS: The Dawgz completed the season sweep of the Amarillo Dusters two weeks ago as they defeated them for the second time this year. The Dawgz outscored the Dusters 151-119 this season. The Dawgz added the Dusters to the list of winless opponents against the Dawgz. The list includes Arkansas (0-2 versus OKC), and Central Valley (0-2 versus OKC).
KEY MATCH-UPS AND PLAYERS TO WATCH THIS WEEK:
Yard Dawgz offensive specialist Jarrail Jackson: In week #11, Jackson surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the season, becoming only the fourth receiver in Yard Dawgz history to achieve this mark.
Three weeks ago in the first half against Amarillo, Jackson caught seven passes to reach the 100-reception mark on the season and become the only player in Yard Dawgz history to achieve this feat. In week 13 against Memphis Jackson broke the single season reception record by catching nine passes to reach 93 on the season. The previous record was held by Kris Peters, who caught 92 passes in 2004.
With one game remaining in the 2005 regular season, we will take a look at the playoff race in the National Conference.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE PLAYOFF PICTURE
1. Memphis Xplorers (12-3) - Current Midwest Division Leader
2. Tulsa Talons (11-4) - Current West Division Leader
3. Quad City Steamwheelers (9-6) - Holds Better Win % over common opponents than OKC, RGV
4. Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (9-6) - Holds HTH over RGV
5. Rio Grande Valley Dorados (9-6)
6. Amarillo Dusters(8-7)
* All above teams have clinched a playoff spot, now the only thing to be determined is the seeding of the teams.*
YARD DAWGZ PRACTICE PLAN: (A look at the Yard Dawgz schedule this week)
Tuesday: 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. (FORD CENTER)
Wednesday: 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. (FORD CENTER)
Thursday: 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. (FORD CENTER)
Friday: OFF
Saturday: 7:30 p.m. - KICKOFF!!! Vs. Tulsa Talons (FORD CENTER)
**All Times are central**
RECENT YARD DAWGZ ROSTER MOVES (most recent first):
Date Action Player
7-15 PLACED ON SHORT TERM IR Eric Butler-FB/LB
7-15 ACTIVATED FROM LONG TERM IR John Williamson-FB/LB
6-16 TRAN SFERRED FROM SHORT TERM IR TO LONG TERM IR John Williamson-FB/LB
6-9 PLACED ON RE-ASSIGNMENT Will Goodloe-OL/DL
6-9 HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED Mike Pruitt- OL/DL
6-8 ACTIVATED FROM REFUSED TO REPORT DaQuan Davis-WR/DB
6-8 PLACED ON SHORT TERM IR Chris Archie-WR/LB
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
6 @ Memphis Brian Jones-Memphis
8 Vs. Bossier Jarrail Jackson - Oklahoma City
9 @ Quad City Jarrail Jackson - Oklahoma City
10 Rio Grande Valley Jarrail Jackson - Oklahoma City
11 Amarillo Craig Strickland - Oklahoma City
12 @ Bossier-Shreveport Reggie Perkins - Bossier-Shreveport
13 Memphis Jarrail Jackson - Oklahoma City
15 @ Amarillo Jarrail Jackson - Oklahoma City
16 Louisville Rob Mager - Louisville
17 @ Rio Grande Valley Craig Strickland - Oklahoma City
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
6 @ Memphis Ryan Karr-Memphis
8 Vs. Bossier B.J. Barre - Oklahoma City
9 @ Quad City Tim Dodge - Quad City
10 Rio Grande Valley B.J. Barre - Oklahoma City
11 Amarillo Al Hunt - Oklahoma City
12 @ Bossier-Shreveport Adrian Burnette - Bossier-Shreveport
13 Memphis Al Hunt - Oklahoma City
15 @ Amarillo B.J. Barre - Oklahoma City
16 Louisville Al Hunt - Oklahoma City
17 @ Rio Grande Valley Marquis Floyd - Rio Grande Valley
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
6 @ Memphis Dahnel Singfield-Memphis
8 Vs. Bossier Rickie Davis - Oklahoma City
9 @ Quad City John Culp - Quad City
10 Rio Grande Valley Jeromy Flowers - Oklahoma City
11 Amarillo Jeromy Flowers - Oklahoma City
12 @ Bossier-Shreveport Joe Wesley - Bossier-Shreveport
13 Memphis B.J. Barre - Oklahoma City
15 @ Amarillo A.J. Haglund - Oklahoma City
16 Louisville Dennis Fryzel - Louisville
17 @ Rio Grande Valley Rickie Davis - Oklahoma City
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
6 Juston Wood-Central Valley William Haith-
Manchester Nathan Munson- Bakersfield
7 Kyle Rowley-Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Ryan Bowers-Green Bay Joe Wesley-Bossier-Shreveport
8 Detronn Harris-Birmingham Norman Mason-Rio Grande Valley Robert Kilow-Arkansas
9 Juston Wood - Central Valley Norman Mason - Rio Grande Valley Demetrius Forney - Louisville
10 D Bryant - Albany Jeromy Flowers-Oklahoma City Asi Faoa - San Diego
11 Dwight Counter - Rio Grande Valley Ryan Smith - San Diego Matt Jackson - Macon
12 Sam Clemons - Quad City Dahnel Singfield - Memphis Marquis Floyd - Rio Grande Valley
13 Cesare Manning - Louisville David Crocker - Green Bay Reggie Perkins - Bossier-Shreveport
15 Brian Zbydniewski - South Georgia Chris Canty - Tulsa B.J. Barre - Oklahoma City
16 Donovan Morgan - Tulsa Khreem Smith - Memphis Nick Onaindia - Bakersfield
17 Chris Johnson - Macon Andrew Tippins - Louisville Terrell Adams - Memphis
• Discuss this story on the arenafootball2 message board...
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