Putting Stock in Defense

Originally Published: May 26, 2010 8:14 PM CDT

Bobby Lewis
Oklahoma Sports Mobile Journalist

TULSA, Oklahoma – The Tulsa Talons’ defense was tired of hearing it.

Can’t make the big play?

Too many holes in the secondary?

Not good enough for the AFL?

So, they did something about it.

Tulsa shut down the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz Saturday night holding their cross-state rivals to just 41 points. The Talons allowed nearly half of those points in the game’s final quarter, when a home town win was already secure.

“Definitely the best we played all year long. I thought we were aggressive,” said head coach Mitch Allner. “That’s something we definitely lacked in the Cleveland game. We stressed it all week long and the guys came out, and we finally played a complete four-quarter football game.”

The impressive defensive showing came just seven days after perhaps the team’s worst performance of the season. Tulsa dropped its third road game of the season by giving up 68 points to the Cleveland Gladiators.

“I think we really came out and played the way we expected to play all year,” said linebacker Steve Watson. “We’ve got a great front five. We’ve got good (defensive backs) back there. This is the first time it all came together, and we played the way we should have played all year.”

Oklahoma City scored just one touchdown in the first quarter and trailed 33-21 at halftime. The Talons kept the Yard Dawgz out of the end zone entirely in the third quarter. Tulsa held their I-44 neighbors to 250 yards of total offense on 56 plays.

“It’s an offensive game,” said linebacker Jamar Ransom. “To get a little recognition on defense and go out there and make some stops definitely helps us and makes us feel good.”

Ransom picked up an impressive diving interception on OKC’s the first possession. Later in the half, Steve Watson and Terrance Carter picked up sacks on back-to-back plays.

“We’ve been having games where the front five were on and the (defensive backs) were off, and vice versa,” said Ransom. “You see when we put it together how effective we can be. It’s just finally good to get it on. Maybe we can get it on track.”

Talons defensive lineman Gabe Nyenhuis earned the league’s Riddell Defensive Player of the Game award for his effort against the Yard Dawgz. Nyenhuis finished the game with three tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and one of the Talons’ three sacks.

The Talons will hit the road this Saturday for the fourth time this season. They will face off against the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings. That game time is set for 7:05 p.m.

“Week in and week out, we really feel like we’ve got the best defensive front in the AFL,” said Watson. “We’ve got to build on this momentum and go to Bossier this week and let it show there too.”