Post by alecs on Jul 13, 2024 20:54:05 GMT -8
Steamwheelers 39, Oilers 35
7/13/24 --
TULSA, OK - The eyes of the Eastern Conference were glued to the action at BOK Center on Saturday evening, with the Tulsa Oilers hosting the Quad City Steamwheelers in a game that Tulsa had to win in order to retain a hope at making the postseason. The back-and-forth tussle truly came down to the final series of the ballgame, with Mike Irwin delivering a second consecutive week with late-game magic to ensure the Steamwheelers of a spot in the upcoming playoffs. His three-yard keeper with five seconds left would boost Quad City to a 39-35 road win.
Irwin and his Steamwheelers began the game with the football, stretching out a seven-minute drive that ended in a 32-yard field goal by Kyle Kaplan to start things off. Tulsa's first possession could not make much ground, forcing them into a 61-yard field goal attempt effectively serving as a punt. The Oilers were able to force a three-and-out of their own on Quad City's next drive, and Kaplan's field goal attempt from 51 yards sailed wide to the right. Tulsa held the ball upon the end of the first quarter, trailing by three points.
The first touchdown of the game would finally come early in the second quarter, with Andre Sale firing a five-yard touchdown pass to Alexis Rosario. Another three-and-out drew Kaplan's third attempt at a field goal - a boot of 42 yards that came up short and allowed for a solid return by Romon Morris into Steamwheeler territory. Two plays later, disaster would strike the Oilers, with Jarrod Ware Jr. fumbling on a second down rush, the fumble both forced and recovered by Ka'ron Ashley of Quad City. The momentum swing continued with the ensuing drive ending in a Quad City touchdown on a one-yard sneak from Judd Erickson. Shortly after, the Oilers again were prevented from a touchdown, and a potential game-tying 37-yard field goal by Ross Moore missed the mark, giving the Steamwheelers a chance at adding to the lead before the half. They were unable to move the ball outside their own territory; however, Kaplan would bail the offense out with a 47-yard field goal, which doubled the lead to six points. A last-gasp attempt at an Oiler touchdown before time expired came up about five yards short, with the halftime score reading Quad City's 13 points compared to Tulsa's seven.
In pursuit of more output on offense to begin the second half, the Oilers returned to a familiar connection to kickstart their comeback bid, with Sale and Rosario dialing up their second touchdown pass of the contest from nine yards out. The Steamwheelers were able to grind out a drive in response, ending with a three-yard touchdown pass from Erickson to Keyvan Rudd. The score remained in their favor 19-14 even after a failed two-point rush. Tulsa got a short field on their next drive and capitalized with a two-yard pass from Sale to new signing C.J. Tate, and another thwarted two-point conversion meant the Oilers led by just one point. Before the end of the quarter, Quad City was able to regain the advantage with a two-yard rush from receiver Jarrod Harrington. After a successful PAT, Quad City's lead stood at 26-20, with 15 more minutes separating them from a third consecutive playoff berth.
Needing to answer the call, Tulsa made some big plays on its next drive to regain the lead, the decisive play being a 13-yard pass from Sale to D'Marcus Adams. Undeterred, Quad City engineered a lengthy touchdown drive of nearly seven minutes, reclaiming the lead on a two-yard touchdown run by Erickson. The go-ahead run came at a steep price, though, as Erickson took a vicious shot by a combination of hard contact on the far side boards and multiple Oiler defenders; he was able to get up under his own power moments later, but was taken out of the game to be evaluated for further injury. With time winding down near a minute to go, Tulsa's hopes rode on a fourth-and-eight from Quad City's nine yard line, a play where Sale confidently delivered a jump ball in the far right corner of the endzone, where Adams was able to elevate and catch the ball, maintaining possession as he ventured over the boards and giving the Oilers a late lead. Adams would complete his "Octopus" bid with a two-point conversion catch, stretching the margin to a field goal. Suddenly, the Steamwheelers found themselves calling upon backup quarterback Mike Irwin to lead a game-winning drive. With no timeouts and just nine seconds remaining on a third-and-goal from Tulsa's three-yard line, Irwin took a shotgun snap on a designed delay-and-keep, and barreled his way across the goal line with five seconds left to push Quad City ahead by four points. Tulsa would try for a miracle kickoff recovery as time expired to steal the win, but Jonathan Nance's return attempt came up well short. As the final buzzer sounded, Quad City keeps their season going and effectively ends Tulsa's with the 39-35 victory on the road.
Prior to leaving the game in the fourth quarter after his injury, Judd Erickson completed 15 of 21 passes for 124 yards, with one touchdown and no interceptions, adding seven carries for 20 yards and two touchdowns. Eddie Vander rushed 11 times for 41 scoreless yards, hauling in two targers for 26 more yards. Warren Newman was the go-to receiver of the evening, finishing with eight catches for 68 yards. Keyvan Rudd had the lone receiving touchdown on three catches for 15 yards, while Jarrod Harrington caught two passes for 22 yards and added a touchdown rush. Ka'Ron Ashley, listed as a wide receiver, made his biggest impact defensively tonight, leading Quad City with eight tackles and a fumble recovery that he also forced. Jaylin Swan had the only sack of the ballgame for the Steamwheelers.
Andre Sale dealt well all evening despite the loss, completing 20 of 27 of his attempts for 172 yards, with five touchdowns and zero interceptions, adding 24 yards on three rushes. Jarrod Ware Jr. returned from IR tonight and rushed eight times for 29 yards and caught four passes for 23 yards. Alexis Rosario had the biggest day amongst the receiver group (8/72/2), while D'Marcus Adams (4/39/2) and C.J. Tate (4/38/1) each found the endzone as well. In his Oiler debut, Calvin Bundage led all defenders with nine tackles, two of which were for a loss. Tulsa recorded four sacks tonight, two by Tre Smalls and one each by Noah Lyles and Chima Dunga.
Offensively, Tulsa outgained Quad City in yardage 219 to 196. The second quarter fumble by Ware Jr. was the only turnover of the evening on either side, resulting in a plus-one turnover margin for the Steamwheelers. Penalties were also fairly costly to the Oilers, who were flagged nine times for 81 yards, compared to just six calls for 54 yards against Quad City. The visitors also wound up with a steep advantage in time of possession totaling nearly ten minutes, with 34:20 of time with the ball compared to just 25:40 for the Oilers.
As was the case last season, the regular season series between the Oilers and Steamwheelers is split one game apiece, with the road team winning both installments this year (Tulsa won a highly entertaining 72-59 decision in Moline back on April 28). Entering 2025, the all-time series now returns to level terms, with each team staking claim on two wins.
The Steamwheelers (8-7) close out the regular season on Saturday July 20 with a trip to the Jacksonville Sharks (4-11), with kickoff set for 4:05 p.m. The Oilers (5-10) have been eliminated from playoff contention and will close out their season with a home date against the Massachusetts Pirates (8-7) on Friday July 19 for a 5:05 p.m. kickoff. Times listed are pacific daylight time. Quad City would have a shot to climb up to the third seed in the East with a win against Jacksonville on Saturday, but only if the Pirates lose on Friday
Both games, as well as all IFL games this season, will be streamed live on the IFL YouTube Channel. SCtoC will present previews of those, and all, games this season. Those previews will be posted on the board of the home team in each game. Click for our complete IFL 2024 Schedule.
7/13/24 --
TULSA, OK - The eyes of the Eastern Conference were glued to the action at BOK Center on Saturday evening, with the Tulsa Oilers hosting the Quad City Steamwheelers in a game that Tulsa had to win in order to retain a hope at making the postseason. The back-and-forth tussle truly came down to the final series of the ballgame, with Mike Irwin delivering a second consecutive week with late-game magic to ensure the Steamwheelers of a spot in the upcoming playoffs. His three-yard keeper with five seconds left would boost Quad City to a 39-35 road win.
Irwin and his Steamwheelers began the game with the football, stretching out a seven-minute drive that ended in a 32-yard field goal by Kyle Kaplan to start things off. Tulsa's first possession could not make much ground, forcing them into a 61-yard field goal attempt effectively serving as a punt. The Oilers were able to force a three-and-out of their own on Quad City's next drive, and Kaplan's field goal attempt from 51 yards sailed wide to the right. Tulsa held the ball upon the end of the first quarter, trailing by three points.
The first touchdown of the game would finally come early in the second quarter, with Andre Sale firing a five-yard touchdown pass to Alexis Rosario. Another three-and-out drew Kaplan's third attempt at a field goal - a boot of 42 yards that came up short and allowed for a solid return by Romon Morris into Steamwheeler territory. Two plays later, disaster would strike the Oilers, with Jarrod Ware Jr. fumbling on a second down rush, the fumble both forced and recovered by Ka'ron Ashley of Quad City. The momentum swing continued with the ensuing drive ending in a Quad City touchdown on a one-yard sneak from Judd Erickson. Shortly after, the Oilers again were prevented from a touchdown, and a potential game-tying 37-yard field goal by Ross Moore missed the mark, giving the Steamwheelers a chance at adding to the lead before the half. They were unable to move the ball outside their own territory; however, Kaplan would bail the offense out with a 47-yard field goal, which doubled the lead to six points. A last-gasp attempt at an Oiler touchdown before time expired came up about five yards short, with the halftime score reading Quad City's 13 points compared to Tulsa's seven.
In pursuit of more output on offense to begin the second half, the Oilers returned to a familiar connection to kickstart their comeback bid, with Sale and Rosario dialing up their second touchdown pass of the contest from nine yards out. The Steamwheelers were able to grind out a drive in response, ending with a three-yard touchdown pass from Erickson to Keyvan Rudd. The score remained in their favor 19-14 even after a failed two-point rush. Tulsa got a short field on their next drive and capitalized with a two-yard pass from Sale to new signing C.J. Tate, and another thwarted two-point conversion meant the Oilers led by just one point. Before the end of the quarter, Quad City was able to regain the advantage with a two-yard rush from receiver Jarrod Harrington. After a successful PAT, Quad City's lead stood at 26-20, with 15 more minutes separating them from a third consecutive playoff berth.
Needing to answer the call, Tulsa made some big plays on its next drive to regain the lead, the decisive play being a 13-yard pass from Sale to D'Marcus Adams. Undeterred, Quad City engineered a lengthy touchdown drive of nearly seven minutes, reclaiming the lead on a two-yard touchdown run by Erickson. The go-ahead run came at a steep price, though, as Erickson took a vicious shot by a combination of hard contact on the far side boards and multiple Oiler defenders; he was able to get up under his own power moments later, but was taken out of the game to be evaluated for further injury. With time winding down near a minute to go, Tulsa's hopes rode on a fourth-and-eight from Quad City's nine yard line, a play where Sale confidently delivered a jump ball in the far right corner of the endzone, where Adams was able to elevate and catch the ball, maintaining possession as he ventured over the boards and giving the Oilers a late lead. Adams would complete his "Octopus" bid with a two-point conversion catch, stretching the margin to a field goal. Suddenly, the Steamwheelers found themselves calling upon backup quarterback Mike Irwin to lead a game-winning drive. With no timeouts and just nine seconds remaining on a third-and-goal from Tulsa's three-yard line, Irwin took a shotgun snap on a designed delay-and-keep, and barreled his way across the goal line with five seconds left to push Quad City ahead by four points. Tulsa would try for a miracle kickoff recovery as time expired to steal the win, but Jonathan Nance's return attempt came up well short. As the final buzzer sounded, Quad City keeps their season going and effectively ends Tulsa's with the 39-35 victory on the road.
Prior to leaving the game in the fourth quarter after his injury, Judd Erickson completed 15 of 21 passes for 124 yards, with one touchdown and no interceptions, adding seven carries for 20 yards and two touchdowns. Eddie Vander rushed 11 times for 41 scoreless yards, hauling in two targers for 26 more yards. Warren Newman was the go-to receiver of the evening, finishing with eight catches for 68 yards. Keyvan Rudd had the lone receiving touchdown on three catches for 15 yards, while Jarrod Harrington caught two passes for 22 yards and added a touchdown rush. Ka'Ron Ashley, listed as a wide receiver, made his biggest impact defensively tonight, leading Quad City with eight tackles and a fumble recovery that he also forced. Jaylin Swan had the only sack of the ballgame for the Steamwheelers.
Andre Sale dealt well all evening despite the loss, completing 20 of 27 of his attempts for 172 yards, with five touchdowns and zero interceptions, adding 24 yards on three rushes. Jarrod Ware Jr. returned from IR tonight and rushed eight times for 29 yards and caught four passes for 23 yards. Alexis Rosario had the biggest day amongst the receiver group (8/72/2), while D'Marcus Adams (4/39/2) and C.J. Tate (4/38/1) each found the endzone as well. In his Oiler debut, Calvin Bundage led all defenders with nine tackles, two of which were for a loss. Tulsa recorded four sacks tonight, two by Tre Smalls and one each by Noah Lyles and Chima Dunga.
Offensively, Tulsa outgained Quad City in yardage 219 to 196. The second quarter fumble by Ware Jr. was the only turnover of the evening on either side, resulting in a plus-one turnover margin for the Steamwheelers. Penalties were also fairly costly to the Oilers, who were flagged nine times for 81 yards, compared to just six calls for 54 yards against Quad City. The visitors also wound up with a steep advantage in time of possession totaling nearly ten minutes, with 34:20 of time with the ball compared to just 25:40 for the Oilers.
As was the case last season, the regular season series between the Oilers and Steamwheelers is split one game apiece, with the road team winning both installments this year (Tulsa won a highly entertaining 72-59 decision in Moline back on April 28). Entering 2025, the all-time series now returns to level terms, with each team staking claim on two wins.
The Steamwheelers (8-7) close out the regular season on Saturday July 20 with a trip to the Jacksonville Sharks (4-11), with kickoff set for 4:05 p.m. The Oilers (5-10) have been eliminated from playoff contention and will close out their season with a home date against the Massachusetts Pirates (8-7) on Friday July 19 for a 5:05 p.m. kickoff. Times listed are pacific daylight time. Quad City would have a shot to climb up to the third seed in the East with a win against Jacksonville on Saturday, but only if the Pirates lose on Friday
Both games, as well as all IFL games this season, will be streamed live on the IFL YouTube Channel. SCtoC will present previews of those, and all, games this season. Those previews will be posted on the board of the home team in each game. Click for our complete IFL 2024 Schedule.
-AS