After the loss HC Victor Lindsay was quoted as saying: "Losing is nothing new in Tulsa, but this game was close and should have been won by our guys."
Even though the team lost by 4, there were a few positives out of this game. Rookie [b18c8529]RB Butch Fulton[/b18c8529] saw his first real football action and he impressed the fans on limited carries. The team tried to limit his carries in the first game of the season, but he still ended up carrying the ball 17 times for 90 yards (a new team record). He also caught 2 passes for 7 yards. The coaching staff was very happy with his preformance and is looking to up the amount of times he touches the ball from now on, expect him to see the ball atleast 25 times a game.
Another suprise was free agent [b18c8529]WR Michael Freeny[/b18c8529]. In his first start as a Talon he caught 8 passes for 121 yards and 2 TDs. The 2 TDs set a team record for TDs in a game. Freeny was very important in the teams early lead, scoring both his TDs in the first quarter. Coaches were not as happy with rookie [b18c8529]WR Daniel Campbell[/b18c8529]- he caught 2 passes for only 17 yards, he was targeted 5 times and had 1 drop. Campbell should continue to develop and hopefully be able to contribute a lot more by the end of the season.
The defense played better than it has in the past, but it still has a way to go before it is considered a top defense in the league. They allowed only 227 yards but did not sack the QB once, and only forced 1 INT. Overall the team is happy they are improving but would have loved to get a win to start the season. Next week the team faces Memphis at home in what should be another great game!
_________________
Home of Marvin "Muddy Waters" Raffo