Vipers fall 65-39 at Oklahoma City
May 28, 2010 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Alabama Vipers News Release
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - The Alabama Vipers had a tough Friday night in Oklahoma City. The Vipers held a four-point lead early in the second quarter, but things went downhill from there during a 65-39 loss to the Yard Dawgz before more than 4,500 fans at the Cox Convention Center. Alabama fell to 4-4 on the season, while Oklahoma City snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 3-5. Oklahoma City held a 32-20 advantage after Chad Cook's 4-yard run that closed out the first half and then took control when David Hyland scored off a Vipers onside kick to open the second half for a 19-point advantage. Alabama pulled within 45-33 late in the third quarter on ailing quarterback Kevin Eakin's 46-yard bomb to Larry Shipp, but the Yard Dawgz pulled away from there. "It was a nasty road loss and there is not a lot I can say. It's tough to play in a hostile environment,'' said Alabama head coach Dean Cokinos, whose team travels to Iowa next weekend. "We have to move on and make some adjustments." Things didn't look good for the Vipers straight out of the gate. The Yard Dawgz blocked an early long field goal try by Alabama fill-in kicker Steve Azar and came away with a safety before jumping ahead 9-0 on Tommy Grady's 17-yard pass to Hines. AJ Haglund's extra point made it 9-0 with 10:29 left in the opening quarter. A 55-yard ensuing kickoff return by CJ Johnson got Alabama on the scoreboard, before Al Hunt's 2-yard dive - set up by Vipers starting quarterback Tony Colston's tipped interception - had Oklahoma City ahead 16-7 at the 5:22 mark of the opener. Eakin then entered the game and led Alabama on a 45-yard scoring drive, capped by his 6-yard pass to Johnson. Azar's kicked missed, but the Vipers got an interception and 25-yard return by Eric Crosby that led to Alexander's 6-yard run and Alabama's first lead at 20-16 early in the second quarter. The advantage didn't last. A 24-yard pass from Grady to Timon Marshall and a failed extra point gave the Yard Dawgz a 22-20 edge with 9:49 left in the second. Then Oklahoma City held the Vipers on downs and got a 37-yard field goal from Hugland. From there the Yard Dawgz turned an Eakin interception into seven more points with 2.6 to go for their 12-point cushion at the half.
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Arena Football League Stories from May 28, 2010
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