Tulsa World: Talons open playoffs with Yard Dawgz

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Talons open playoffs with Yard Dawgz

Talons quarterback #16 Justin Allgood gets rid of the ball from his own endzone.. BRAD BRUGGER/For The Tulsa World

By MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer
Published: 7/27/2009 2:20 AM
Last Modified: 7/30/2009 6:01 AM

The Tulsa Talons started their run to the af2 championship in 2007 with a first-round playoff win over the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz. Can they do it again in 2009?

The league won't announce playoff pairings until Monday, but the Talons are headed for a third 2009 meeting with their Central Division rivals at 7 p.m. Saturday in the BOK Center.

Tulsa locked up the No. 2 National Conference playoff seed with its 63-42 win over Amarillo. Oklahoma City was locked into the No. 7 seed before Saturday's 63-59 loss at Iowa.

"Watching them on film, they're a lot different from the team we've played the last couple of times," Talons head coach Mitch Allner said Sunday of the Yard Dawgz.

Tulsa swept the regular-season series, winning 75-56 at the BOK Center on May 9 and 73-46 in Oklahoma City three weeks later.

The Yard Dawgz finished 7-9 in a season of streaks. They won their first four games, lost their next five, won their next three and finished with four straight losses.

"Tommy Grady has been playing quarterback for them the last couple of games, and they have a whole different look defensively," Allner said. "They have some new pass rushers and they've changed up some things in the secondary, so it's not exactly the same team we played a few weeks back."

Yes, it's the same Tommy Grady who battled Rhett Bomar and Paul Thompson for the starting job at the University of Oklahoma before transferring in 2005 to finish his college career at Utah.

Robert Kent started Oklahoma City's first 14 games and remains one of af2's top dual-threat quarterbacks, third in the league in passer efficiency and rushing and fifth in total offense.

But with a playoff berth secured the past two weeks, Yard Dawgz head coach Sparky McEwen gave Grady a chance to show what he could do. He threw six touchdown passes in a 69-67 loss to Bossier-Shreveport and seven at Iowa, the American Conference's Midwest Division champion.

The Yard Dawgz almost upset the Barnstormers. After trailing 42-27 in the third quarter, OKC rallied to lead 53-49 with 3:04 left, but Iowa scored the next two touchdowns.

Allner said the win over Amarillo was just what the Talons needed after subpar performances the previous three weeks. Tulsa lost by blowout margins at Arkansas and Tennessee Valley and had to rally in the fourth quarter to win at home over Rio Grande Valley.

"It's the most solid (defensive) game we've played in a while," Allner said of the Amarillo win. "Our pass rush was good (against Amarillo), and getting Kamau Jackson back really helped."

Jackson recovered a fumble in his first game since hurting his knee against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on June 6. Allner said the middle pass rush was energized by former Oklahoma State lineman Tonga Tea, playing his first game after signing with the team earlier in the week.

In other first-round National Conference pairings, top-seeded Spokane hosts Stockton, third-seeded Bossier-Shreveport is at home to Rio Grande and fourth-seeded Boise hosts Arkansas.

The Talons would host the Bossier-Rio Grande winner if they advance to the second round.

Tulsa Talons

Oklahoma City

7 p.m. Saturday • At BOK Center

TV: None • Radio: KRMG am740, 102.3 fm

Mike Brown 581-8390
mike.brown@tulsaworld.com By MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer

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	Report Comment M_Sizzle, Tulsa (7/27/2009 1:20:29 PM) Go Dawgs!
	Report Comment John H, Keystone Lake (7/27/2009 1:57:14 PM) Go Talons! Let's send them back to OKC crying!
	Report Comment JKW, Tulsa (7/28/2009 7:26:01 AM) Go Talons

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