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Week Eight: Friday Night Matchups

Published on May 14, 2009 under arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


TULSA TALONS (6-1) AT MILWAUKEE IRON (2-5)

FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2009 - Bradley Center (7,017) 8:00 P.M. ET

Week 8 begins in Wisconsin with the expansion Milwaukee Iron playing host to the Tulsa Talons in the first-ever meeting between the two clubs. The No. 2-ranked Talons are currently riding a five-game winning streak. Their most recent victory came at the expense of their in-state rivals from Oklahoma City, 75-56. QB JUSTIN ALLGOOD completed 22-of-30 passes for 270 yards and eight touchdowns. Allgood ranks as the third best passer in the league so far this season, with a 70.5% completion rate and an average of 298 yards per game while throwing seven interceptions. WR ZACH EDWARDS had nine catches for 65 yards and four touchdowns. WR CARLESE FRANKLIN also impressed with seven catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing three times for 19 yards and a touchdown. WR/KR JEFF HUGHLEY leads the league in all-purpose yards, averaging 248.1 per game. As a team, Tulsa ranks second in the league in scoring (65 points per game). The Talons also lead the af2 in passing yards per game (307.1). Tulsa has beaten opponents by an average of 19.9 points per game with the team's closest victory coming in the season opener against Kentucky (3 points). Since Week 3, the Talons have scored at least 58 points per game, while Oklahoma City's 56 were the most they've allowed all season. The Iron haven't enjoyed as much success so far. They are coming off their second win of the season last week at Peoria. Milwaukee QB SHANE ADLER was only intercepted once in his four touchdown performance. Trailing by 22 points entering the fourth quarter, the Iron outscored the Pirates 27-0 over the final 15 minutes. His favorite target was WR SCOTT BURNOSKI who had seven catches and two touchdowns. Burnoski is averaging 7.71 receptions per game for 101.3 yards. WR ANTOINE BURNS had a strong overall effort with 253 all-purpose yards (3 rushing, 88 receiving, 162 ko return) and two touchdowns. A thorn in the side of the Iron this season has been a self-inflicted one-they rank last in the league in turnover margin at minus-13 (23 lost, 10 gained). Milwaukee has also allowed the most sacks this season with 23. Despite these flaws, the Iron defense has been a plus. They lead the league in total defense (211.1 yards per game) and passing defense (188 yards per game). Milwaukee is still searching for its first win at home (0-3). This week the Iron defense will need to come up with its best effort yet if they hope to contain the high-flying Talons.

PEORIA PIRATES (1-5) AT GREEN BAY BLIZZARD (3-3)

FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2009 - The Resch Center (7,695) 8:30 P.M. ET

The second Friday night contest in the state of Wisconsin has the Peoria Pirates visiting the Green Bay Blizzard in the first of two head-to-head meetings this season. The Pirates are having a tumultuous sixth season, coming into Green Bay with a record of 1-5, their worst performance through the first six games in team history. This week the team announced that Bruce Cowdrey was relieved on his duties as head coach. Therefore, the club will use a coach-by-committee approach on Friday night. Last week the Pirates blew a 19-point fourth quarter lead at home and lost to the Milwaukee Iron, 62-57. QB KENT SMITH completed just 11-of-27 passes with no interceptions, but threw only two touchdowns. He also had a 23-yard rushing score for the game's first touchdown. LUKE DRONE also saw action at quarterback and completed two of five tosses for one touchdown and rushed in one of his own. WR BRIAN ALLBROOKS has been the team's top playmaker, averaging 19.3 points per game and 192.2 all-purpose yards. Against Milwaukee, Allbrooks caught six passes for 83 yards and one touchdown and added 120 kickoff return yards. While their offense can score (54.5 points per game), the defense is having trouble containing the opposition. The Pirates allow the most points per game with 66.2, and nearly 300 yards of offense (297.3). Green Bay fell to .500 last week with a home loss to Iowa, 46-41. The Blizzard are now 1-3 at the Resch Center this year. They haven't lost three regular season games at home since 2006. In the team's most recent contest against the Barnstormers, QB GINO GUIDUGLI completed 25-of-37 passes for 326 yards and five touchdowns, a season-high. WR NATE FORSE continues to lead the team in receptions, grabbing eight last week, two for touchdowns. WR ROBERT GARTH added a pair of touchdowns himself on eight catches for 88 yards. It was an aerial assault mostly for Green Bay despite the fact that they are generally a rushing team with the second highest rushing yard average in the league (43.3 yards per game). FB ORLANDO MEDLOCK leads the team with 128 yards this season. Another big offensive contributor for the Blizzard is their kicker BOB FORSTROM. Forstrom has a league-best 11 field goals made this season. Although the team averages only 48.3 points per game, the Green Bay defense is holding opponents to 46.8, thanks to players like DB TRACY BELTON. Belton has tallied 37.5 tackles on the year, including seven against Iowa. Fellow DB RAYSHAUN KIZER is the team leader in interceptions (3) and pass breakups (7). Green Bay looks to have the upper hand this week against a Peoria club facing a lot of adversity. That adversity, however, may also make the Pirates a dangerous adversary.

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