Talons out officiated, lose to Dallas 55-48

Well that was just about the worst officiated game I have ever seen. Yet, the Talons were still in it at the end.

The officials allowed Dallas to have their way with Talons receivers all night and allowed multiple late hits on Allgood. As such, the Talons offense was out of rhythm most of the game. Allgood went just 25-52 but threw 5 TDs and no interceptions. Troy McBroom was held beneath 100 yards for the first time, in like, forever.

However, down 21 at one point, the defense held their ground. Forcing a couple of turnover on downs and J.C. Neal added another 12 yards to his INT return yardage. Down 48-55, with less than half a minute left, the Talons defense was able to force a fumble and give the Talons offense one last chance to tie the game up. Will 11 seconds left Allgood threw to Trent Shelton at about the 10 yard line. Trent was jarred before the ball got there, and appeared to be facemasked. But there was no laundry on the field. The Talons took one more shot at the endzone that was batted away from Troy McBroom. At the end of it the Talons lost.

Both Utah and Spokane won this week, leaving the Talons one game out of the playoffs. The Talons also slid 3 games behind Dallas. Next week the Talons travel to Iowa.

Dallas Vigilantes at Tulsa Talons: Pregame Primer

vs.

Dallas Vigilantes (8-5, 3-4 road) vs. Tulsa Talons (6-7, 3-3 home)

TV: N/A
Stream: Click here
Radio: KRMG 740 (740 AM)
Time: 7:00 CT

Passing Yards per Game: Talons – 230.2 (16th), Vigilantes – 266.6 (11th)
Rushing Yards per Game: Talons – 47.5 (1st), Vigilantes – 46.2 (2nd)
Total Yards Allowed per Game: Talons – 281.5 (8th), Vigilantes – 319.0 (18th)

View from the enemy: N/A

Tulsa is coming off a strong road win over the Philadelphia Soul last Friday. Justin Allgood over the last couple of weeks has just been outstanding.

Dallas coming in: The Vigilantes had a strong victory over the Iowa Barnstormers last Saturday.

THE MATCHUP

Dallas is a team that has struggled on the road this season. Dallas QB Dan Raudabaugh has been on and off throughout the season. On top of that, the Vigilantes give up more yards than any other team in the league.

QB Justin Allgood has not thrown a pick in two games now. His timing with the receiving corps is improving as well. Troy McBroom is looking to be even better than Donovan Morgan last year. If the Talons continue to click, it will be hard for Dallas to stop them.

On Defense, J.C. Neal has become a force to be reckoned with. Neal is currently 10th all time in INT return yards in a season. If the Talons can get some pressure, Raudabaugh is a QB that will make mistakes. The front line will need to stay on their heels however as Vigilantes FB Derrick Ross is probably the best FB in the league.

With a win, the Talons would move one game behind the Vigilantes for the 3 seed in the Playoffs.

Kickoff at 7:00 CT.

Headlines - June 25, 2011

J.C. Neal is just a beast: "Talons rookie defensive back J.C. Neal has three of the 12 longest interception returns in franchise history in the past two weeks."

Neal is breaking all sorts of records: "Neal has already found a place in AFL record books for most interception return yards in a rookie season (177), most interception return yards in a game (95) and is tied for the most interceptions returned for touchdowns in a game with two. His three interception returns for a touchdown this season is tied for second in AFL history."

Tonight's game will be won on the ground: "The Talons lead the league in rushing defense, but are sure to be tested Saturday. The Vigilantes' Derrick Ross leads the league in rushing with 502 yards and 28 touchdowns - 15 more rushing TDs than the Talons have allowed in 13 games."

Allgood's return to Philly was all good: "Philadelphia Soul fans have to be wondering, “Where did THAT Justin Allgood come from, or where was he a few weeks ago?” Allgood made a successful return against the team he began this season with, throwing six touchdowns without an interception in the Talons’ 48-42 win. In the end, though, Philly almost stole the game. Tulsa’s Juan Bongarra missed a would-be game-clinching field goal in the final seconds that gave the Soul life, but Philly couldn’t get the final touchdown. In Allgood’s last two games with the Talons, he’s 2-0, and has 12 touchdown passes without an interception, and if the season ended today, Tulsa would grab the last playoff spot in the National Conference."

Neal snags another weekly award: "Neal (6-0, 200, North Carolina State) caught his third interception for a touchdown this season in the 48-42 win over Philadelphia. The interception for a touchdown was his third in back-to-back games. With seven minutes left in the second half, Neal scored the first points of the quarter with a 50-yard interception return, putting the Talons up 13-7. Neal totaled two interceptions and a team-leading 6.5 tackles against the Soul. Neal ranks eighth in the League in tackles with 76.5 this season."

Chef 'Zo: Lorenzo Breland, an offensive lineman for the Tulsa Talons, is well-known for his turkey burger recipe. “You have to add bell pepper, diced onions, and before you cook the burger, you add pepper jack cheese balls into the patty. This recipe is one of my favorite things to eat during the season,” Breland said. Breland is originally from Picayne, Miss. His favorite foods as a child represent the flavor of the south. From gumbos and Creole seasoning, Breland is fond for his grandmothers cooking. “Growing up I loved to eat my grandmother’s red-beans and rice, gumbo and catfish. She could make anything and it was all good,” Breland said.

Arena Pigskin's preview for tonight: "The Talons will win because a) they’re at home and b) this is a totally different team from week two. Allgood has come back to Tulsa and went 2-0 last year against Dallas. And with their additions, they have made themselves a serious contender to make the playoffs and possibly make a run."

Football Gameplan's Preview

More love for Neal: "In the past two weeks, Tulsa defensive back J.C. Neal has posted three interceptions returned for touchdowns. These include gallops from 43, 50 and 52 yards. It's unclear if he's the first player to post at least three 40-yard pick sixes in a season, but nonetheless it's pretty damn repressive."

Talons at Soul - Pregame Primer

vs.

Tulsa Talons (5-7, 2-4 road) vs. Philadelphia Soul (5-8, 3-2 home)

TV: N/A
Stream: Click here
Radio: KRMG 740 (740 AM)
Time: 6:05 CT

Passing Yards per Game: Talons – 225.8 (16th), Soul – 228.0 (10th)
Rushing Yards per Game: Talons – 50.3 (1st), Soul – 14.9 (14th)
Total Yards Allowed per Game: Talons – 278.1 (7th), Soul – 268.0 (2nd)

View from the enemy: N/A

Tulsa is coming off a huge blowout win over the Utah Blaze behind QB Justin Allgood and a strong defensive peformance.

Philadelphia coming in: The Soul played last Friday in a big loss to the Spokane Shock on the NFL Network.

THE MATCHUP

QB Justin Allgood will be looking for revenge against the team that benched and then traded him earlier in the season. Having knowledge of the Soul defense should help Allgood with his reads this week. The most interesting dual of the game will be between Soul WR, and former Talon, Donovan Morgan and new Talons WR Troy McBroom. McBroom, if he had been with the Talons all season, would be 3rd in the league in receiving yards. Morgan is 1st in the league with 124 yards per game. (McBroom has a little over 119 yards per game)

On Defense, the Talons will face a QB who hasn't played organized football in 3 years in Brandon Kirsch. Hopefully the Talons defensive line, lead by Victor DeGrate, can get pressure and force some mistakes. Fred Shaw and league MVP J.C. Neal will have their hands full this week with a slew of strong Soul receivers lead by Donovan Morgan.

Kickoff at 6:05 CT.

Headlines - June 17, 2011

Tulsa World's recap of the Utah Blowout: "Rookie defensive back J.C. Neal returned two interceptions for scores and scored on an onside kick as the Talons blitzed the Utah Blaze 81-51 before an estimated 5,000 spectators. Veteran linebacker Jamar Ransom scored with a fumble and Victor DeGrate made two game-changing plays as the Talons (5-7) broke a two-game losing streak and put themselves back into the running for a National Conference playoff berth."

Talons QB Matt Bassuener gets a Special Honor: "Tulsa Talons quarterback Matt Bassuener is one of 39 players selected for the U.S. Men's National Football Team that will compete in the International Federation of American Football Senior World Championships next month in Austria."

Talons finally faceoff against Donovan MorganCoach Mitch Allner will see a familiar face Friday as his team lines up against one of his former players, Donovan Morgan. He played for the Talons last season and was the leading receiver with 1,707 receiving yards. This year, he is second in the AFL with 1,614 yards. "Donovan is a very good ballplayer," Allner said. "I definitely know what he can do."

The Blaze Blowout has the league watching: "I was expecting offense in the Utah-Tulsa match up, but the wrong one showed up. It was an 81-point night for the Talons. Justin Allgood looked to regain his magic in Tulsa, with six touchdowns and no interceptions. It always helps to get a couple of scores from the defense. That was only the third time all year the Talons put up over 50 points. Last year with Allgood at the helm, the Talons scored at least 74 points three times, and were held under 50 points only once in the regular season."

The Soul will be braking in a new QB tonight

Two Talons received honors this week: "Hunt (5-11, 205, Northwestern Oklahoma State) hauled in a 7-yard, touchdown pass from quarterback Justin Allgood in the second quarter with 55 seconds left on the clock. Hunt fell in the endzone and still managed to catch the ball as it bounced off the wall. The touchdown gave Tulsa a 34-33 lead."

JC Neal named Week 14 National Guard MVP: "In a race that was tied up with less than two hours remaining of voting, Neal defeated Meyer by six votes on Facebook.com. Neal had an explosive evening in the 81-51 win over Utah on Saturday. Neal hauled in two interceptions for touchdowns, totaling 95 return yards. He also returned an onside kick for a touchdown. Neal ended with the night with six tackles, placing him eighth in the League in total tackles (70.0)."

A look at the new Soul QB for tonight: In 2008 with Colorado, Kirsch tore his right anterior cruciate ligament while playing linebacker. He was the backup quarterback, and the team needed some help on defense. "Since then I haven't played organized football other than, say, flag football tournaments the past three years," Kirsch said. During his career at Purdue from 2002 to 2005, Kirsch completed 292 of 489 passes for 3,532 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also rushed for 757 career yards and five touchdowns and started at least one game in each of his four years.

Utah Blaze at Tulsa Talons: Pregame Primer

vs.

Utah Blaze (5-6, 1-4 road) vs. Tulsa Talons (4-7, 2-3 home)

TV: N/A
Stream: Click here
Radio: KRMG 740 (740 AM)
Time: 7:00 CT

Passing Yards per Game: Talons – 222.3 (18th), Blaze – 301.5 (1st)
Rushing Yards per Game: Talons – 51.4 (1st), Blaze – 14.2 (15th)
Total Yards Allowed per Game: Talons – 273.0 (6th), Blaze – 303.5 (14th)

View from the enemy: N/A

Tulsa is coming off a last second loss to the Chicago Rush. The return of Justin Allgood in last week's game was a surprise to many.

Utah coming in: The Blaze were rocked last weekend by the Arizona Rattlers.

THE MATCHUP

Utah is a team that has struggled on the road this season. Also, Utah QB Tommy Grady was tormented by the Talons last season. This could be the key to Tulsa picking up a win.

QB Justin Allgood should get his second start for the Talons this season. If he can continue to gel with the new set of Talons receivers the Talons offense should start to catch fire like last season. The return of Al Hunt off injured reserve this week should help.

On Defense, the Talons have continued to make teams work for every score and grind out situations where the team can win. The loss of DL Colin Bryant to suspension this week may end up being a big factor as pressure on Grady is key.

Also, with a win the Talons will move into a four-tie for the 4th seed in the Conference with San Jose, Utah, and Spokane! Go Talons!

Kickoff at 7:00 CT.

Headlines - June 11, 2011

Allgood is getting adjusted to his new teammates: "Allgood said getting acquainted with his teammates will help. Over the offseason, the Talons lost most of the veterans Allgood played alongside the past four years, going 45-12 as the team's starting quarterback. Most of his new teammates are playing arena football for the first time."

A great look at scoring to win: "the only team to lose a game despite scoring more than 5 points per offensive possession is the Iowa Barnstormers. Iowa put up 6 points per drive against Tulsa and managed to lose, thanks to a last second field goal on Tulsa's extra possession (the Talons had 11 possessions to Iowa's 10)."

Talons Playoff Hopes: "The Utah Blaze visits Saturday for a game that is vital to the Talons' playoff hopes. The Blaze and San Jose Sabercats lost last weekend, leaving Tulsa just a game out of the fourth National Conference playoff spot, currently held by the Blaze, which is second in the West Division."

Timing issues between McBroom and Allgood: "We had some timing issues, especially between Justin and (Talons receiving leader) Troy McBroom," Allner said. "Troy has been banged up and Justin hasn't thrown a (practice) pass to him in the two weeks that he's been here."

All eyes are on the Utah/Tulsa game: "Out in the National Conference, the Utah Blaze-Tulsa Talons game is shaping up like an early playoff game as well. The Blaze hold the last spot in the playoffs, and Tulsa is one game back. If the Talons can get the “w,” they’d tie Utah and have the head-to-head tiebreaker as well."

Arena Pigskin takes the Talons tonight: "It may not look like much, but this is a pivotal game when it comes to the National Conference side of the playoffs. If Utah takes the win, they will have the upper hand in for the forth seed. If Tulsa wins, the Talons will be part of a three-way tie for the forth seed. Utah has been a trendy team through out the season after a really rough 2010. Quarterback Tommy Grady has been a big reason why. But Tulsa has been on the upswing after a rough first couple of weeks and will be a team to contender with. And they will force a three-way tie for the forth seed."

Talons are contenders: "After a tough, rough start, the Talons have made a charge back into the playoff picture. With a win over Utah this week, Tulsa will be tied for the fourth and final playoff spot in the National Conference. And I like their chances to get that spot. If you take off those first few weeks when Bobby Reid was their quarterback, the Talons would be in a much better position. The best part about this team is that they are also improving every week. With Utah, Philly, Iowa and Kansas City left on their schedule, The Tulsa Talons are contenders."

Football Gameplan's Preview for tonight's game.

One final look at the Rush game: "As for the dramatic finishes that are trademark in the AFL, QB Russ Michna dove over the Tulsa Talons defensive line with no time on the clock to get a 49-48 for Chicago. The Rush began its drive with over a minute left, but ran the clock all the way down without a second to spare. The Talons defense wasn’t letting Chicago go through it, so the Rush had to go over it."

Playoffs? You're talking about Playoffs?

Well actually I am. A lot of people have made comments about how much of a disappointment this season has been. Starting out 0-3. Losing on last second plays on back to back weeks. Countless injuries. Losing veteran players.

However, will all that a side. The Talons are just one game out of the playoffs with 7 more games to play. Even more, the game against Utah this week is much more important than we realize. Utah currently is the four seed in the conference. With a win on Saturday Tulsa would be in a three way tie with Utah and San Jose for the four seed. That's pretty exciting!

Also, the Talons are playing good ball right now. We are the only team on the outside looking that is in the top five in scoring defense (we are third). The Offense has been getting better and if Allgood can click with Copeland and McBroom we could be more dangerous that last season's league leading team.

All this combined with a pretty easy remaining schedule (at least according to arenafootball.com) the Talons are poised to make a strong run into the playoffs and face either Chicago or Arizona. I plan to make either trip if we get there!

So get excited Talons nation because the season really is just starting! Bring all your friends out to the BOK center at 7pm on Saturday and lets help push this team in a victory over the Blaze!

Talons at Rush - Pregame Primer

vs.

Tulsa Talons (4-6, 2-3 road) vs. Chicago Rush (7-3, 4-1 home)

TV: Comcast Sports Network Chicago (DirectTV 665)
Stream: Click here
Radio: KRMG 740 (740 AM)
Time: 3:00 CT

Passing Yards per Game: Talons – 222.2 (18th), Rush – 228.0 (14th)
Rushing Yards per Game: Talons – 53.7 (1st), Rush – 28.9 (6th)
Total Yards Allowed per Game: Talons – 279.7 (6th), Rush – 299.9 (12th)

View from the enemy: N/A

Tulsa is coming off a tough loss to the Kansas City where the Talons lost on a last second KC touchdown, when Tulsa failed to recover a fumble on the play before.

Chicago coming in: The Rush played last Sunday with an impressive win over the Dallas Vigilantes to regain the lead in the division.

THE MATCHUP

The stats and matchups aren't much different that the team played a fews week ago: See the last preview.

QB Matt Bassuener is likely to get the start. However, Mitch Allner has said that Justin Allgood will get playing time. What concerns me is that Allgood looked terrible is his last start against Chicago, going 12-22 and 2 TDs to 3 INTs. Matt wasn't impressive either is their last matchup going 17-31 and 3TDs to 3INTs.

On Defense, the Talons pass rush of Victor DeGrate, Collin Bryant, and Nekos Brown will need to be stellar once again. In the previous matchup, Rush QB Russ Michna was harassed all game long and the Rush committed 6 turnovers. The Defense will need to continue to force turnovers to help the team to a big road win.

Kickoff at 3:00 CT.

Headlines - May 29, 2011

Turnovers hurting the Talons last week: Allner first thought the ball would be batted down easily. Then he saw Devoe and Talons defender Fred Shaw jostling for position. "(Devoe) did a good job of getting a body on (Shaw) and almost blocking him out like a low-post player in basketball," Allner said. Allner said the last play didn't beat the Talons as much as three turnovers did. Tulsa missed out on points when McBroom fumbled at the Kansas City 10 just before halftime.

On the botched fumble recovery: On first down from the Talons 9, defensive end Colin Bryant slapped the ball out of Raterink's hand. Nekos Brown tried to scoop it on the run, but the ball skittered to a Command player. Should Brown simply have tried to fall on the ball? "You can't really fault him because it's in the heat of the moment," nose guard Reggie Paramoure said. When the play was over, Kansas City had the ball and four-tenths of a second remained - way too much time for a Talons team that lost consecutive games on untimed downs after the clock had run out at Arizona and Jacksonville last year.

Allgood's status for this week: Head coach Mitch Allner said he would give veteran quarterback Justin Allgood his first playing time since Allgood rejoined the team last week. But whether Allgood will start ahead of rookie quarterback Matt Bassuener is likely to be a game-time decision.

Tulsa least penalized team in the league: "Tulsa is a world by itself when it comes to penalties. The Talons, just like last season, are by far the least penalized team in the league. Tulsa averages 5.8 penalties per game while the next closest team averages 7.8 penalties. Looking at the Talons' 13 regular season home games since joining the AFL, the numbers are shocking compared to the rest of the league. In those games, Tulsa has yet to be called for more than nine penalties and had more penalties than its opponents had in just two games. Seven opponents had more than ten penalties in games, while just three had five or fewer flags. Tulsa has had seven home games with four or fewer flags."

Football Gameplan's preview for today.

Great league story on Talon's public service.

The ending Saturday made the top 5 observations from the week: "5. Fans in Tulsa saw a classic AFL ending Saturday. On the last play of the game, Kansas City scored on a 16-yard desperation pass from JJ Raterink to Bradly Chavez. That has to be deflating to the Talons, who came into the game 4-2 in their last six games. With four turnovers and six other stops, it wasn’t a pretty game. But in the end, the Command made the play when it counted."

Great article on NFL players transitioning to arenaball.

YouTube Tuesday - May 24, 2011

This week, in honor of the trade last week, the interview of Justin Allgood from the Coach's show:

Command at Talons: Pregame Primer

vs.

Kansas City Command (2-7, 1-4 road) vs. Tulsa Talons (4-5, 2-2 home)

TV: N/A
Stream: Click here
Radio: KRMG 740 (740 AM)
Time: 7:00 CT

Passing Yards per Game: Talons – 217.7 (18th), Command – 297.2 (3rd)
Rushing Yards per Game: Talons – 59.1 (1st), Command – 18.2 (13th)
Total Yards Allowed per Game: Talons – 278.2 (5th), Command – 299.4 (14th)

View from the enemy: N/A

Tulsa is coming off a National televised win against the New Orleans VooDoo. The return of Justin Allgood this week has added a lot more attention to the Talons this week.

Kansas City coming in: The Command played last Friday losing a tough one to the Tampa Bay Storm.

THE MATCHUP

Just as in the Chicago game two weeks ago, the numbers lie in this one. The Command is near the top of the league on the offensive side of the ball. However, Kansas City is just 2-7 and put their top 2 receivers on Injured Reserve this week. While Tulsa continues to prove that defense and rushing still matter in this league.

QB Matt Bassuener will get a break this week playing against one of the worst defenses in the league. However, as stated above, he will have Justin Allgood standing behind him the whole game. It will be fun to see how Matt responds to that.

On Defense, the Talons will need to continue to be physical and cause turnovers. While the Talons are -5 in turnover differential, they have come alive since the Arizona game and have a +1 turnover differential and are getting more turnovers on downs.

Kickoff at 7:00 CT.

Headlines - May 21, 2011

Tulsa World recapping the VooDoo game: "Tulsa (4-5) has won four of its last six games after an 0-3 start. With last week's 64-45 win over Chicago, the Talons have now won two in a row for the first time this season. The Talons return home to play the Kansas City Command, a Central Division rival, next Saturday night."

Monday Philly.com broke news of the Allgood trade: "The Soul pulled the plug on quarterback Justin Allgood yesterday, sending him back to the Tulsa Talons in a three-team deal that netted Philadelphia an offensive lineman and future considerations. Allgood was one of the first players signed in the offseason by the Soul, who were rebuilding from scratch following two seasons off. Injuries and inconsistency stunted Allgood's transition here. His departure leaves Ryan Vena as the only quarterback on the roster."

Mitch Allner has assured that Bassuener will start: A trade sending former Tulsa Talons quarterback Justin Allgood back to his old team won't affect the status of current starter Matt Bassuener, at least not for now. "Matt is our starter. He's done a great job and definitely earned that spot," head coach Mitch Allner said.

Allgood is happy to be back in Tulsa: "It takes leaving something to miss it," said Allgood, who signed with the Soul after quarterbacking the Talons for the past four seasons. Allgood took part in Wednesday's practice at the Convention Center and started getting acquainted with teammates old and new. He played alongside current Talons receiver Al Hunt at Oklahoma City in 2006 as Craig Strickland's backup, before coming to Tulsa the following season.

Physical practices have improved the defense: "We have very active, very physical practices, and you're seeing that reflected on the weekends," Allner said. Tulsa's defense went from not stopping anyone six weeks ago to playing like one of the Arena Football League's best units.

AFL Midseason Report: "Looking ahead, the team will play just four playoff contenders over the next ten weeks. To help matters, they’ll play three of those games at home and will have one more shot at division leaders Chicago and Dallas. The chips could fall in Tulsa’s favor."

More talk of Bassuener in the Allgood trade: “We are pretty happy with where we are at with our quarterback right now. Matt is our starting quarterback and has done a great job so far,” Talons Head Coach Mitch Allner said. “It was great to get Allgood back home and to the team he has played with for the past few years. We are going to feel out how things go as far as his playing time. Bassuener has been here from the start of the season and our team is in a pretty good place right now where we are playing good ball.”

Football Gameplan's Preview for tonight

Allgood to return to the Talons?

One Philadelphia outlet is reporting it:

The Soul pulled the plug on quarterback Justin Allgood yesterday, sending him back to the Tulsa Talons in a three-team deal that netted Philadelphia an offensive lineman and future considerations.

I don't really know what to think. Allgood put up impressive numbers last season with the Talons. But this is Matt Bassuener's team now. As much as we loved Justin, he was inconsistent. He will lack the chemistry Bassuener has created with Troy McBroom and Brandon Copeland. So easily stated, I can't see Allgood starting.

However, it does give the Talons a better backup. We saw how Bobby Reid did at the end of the Chicago game. He could not get the ball off. Took a safety. Not something to inspire confidence in a backup. With Allgood the Talons will have a quality backup.

All in all, it could be good news for Allgood who has been benched in Philadelphia. Now he can return home to his child and girlfriend in Tulsa.

Headlines - March 13, 2011

Today's starting QB is still unknown: "Bassuener battled in training camp with former Oklahoma State starter Bobby Reid, who has never thrown a pass in the indoor game. Who starts Sunday? Allner said he wouldn't disclose his choice until just before kickoff. 'That doesn't change how you prepare," Bassuener said. "You have the mentality that you're going to be out there.'"

Allner is concerned about lack of experience: "Only linebacker Jamar Ransom returns from Tulsa's inaugural Arena Football League season in 2010. Allner has several players who had never been exposed to the indoor game until going through training camp, which ended last weekend."

Arena Pigskin has Tulsa ranked at 17th: "Tulsa lost it’s best QB-WR duos, possibly the best the AFL has ever seen. Can the Talons recover?"

AFL Insider has Tulsa at 12: "A lot of people will have Tulsa low on the rankings as their roster is filled with a bunch of unknowns to Arena Football. However, Head Coach Mitch Allner is extraordinarily high on the roster, believing that he has two recievers that are better than former star wideout Donnovan Morgan. There are a lot of question marks here, but this team could be very dangerous if everything comes together."

The Talons did not make it into the Top 10 of the Coaches Poll

The Talons offer a Q&A with Bobby Reid: "What game are you looking forward to most this season? BR: I'm looking forward to the PLAYOFFS!"

Arena Pigskin picks Tulsa to win: "I’m not which sure of which way to lean. Both teams aren’t appetizing picks. Tulsa does return FB/LB Jamar Ransom and head coach Mitch Allner which will help. Not sure who Georgia will have at the quarterback position. Tulsa should be able to prevail fairly easily."

Looks like the Arena Bowl will be at the highest seed again: "Answering a question from the public about whether the league is considering holding the ArenaBowl at a neutral site, rather than at the home of the highest-seeded team in the championship game, Kurz said that ownership decided to leave things the way they have been. Neutral sites take time to put together, and home field advantage is something for players to work for and for fans to be excited about."

An interesting article on last year's duo: "Last season for the Tulsa Talons, Allgood threw for 4,359 yards for a league-leading 109 touchdowns. Morgan was the recipient of 52 of those touchdowns."

Donovan Morgan on last year: "Last year, I ventured off to somewhere else, and I really didn't like the situation I was in. Coach Honensee gave me a call when the free agency period came, and it was all over after that. Once he called, I knew this is where I wanted to be."

By the way, interesting stat from Friday night's game: Justin Allgood threw all his touchdowns to Donovan Morgan.

Allgood to Soul looking likely

Today the Philadelphia Daily News is reporting that the Philadelphia Soul are close to signing former Talons QB Justin Allgood. This follows a week of speculation and rumors after a facebook post by former Talons WR Donovan Morgan implying that Allgood could be following him to the Soul. Several former Talons have also commented that the Allgood to Philly rumor is true.

Last season Allgood lead the AFL with 109 TD passes. A large portion of those were to Donovan Morgan. The Soul offense is sure to look a lot like Tulsa's from last year.

In other news, the Talons inked two more players yesterday:

WR Reynaldi Audate 6’2 210 5/3/86 Merrimack
DB Abdal Morris 6’0 180 1/7/88 Western Kentucky

EDIT 4:34 P.M. CST: It's official, Allgood to Philly. The Philadelphia Soul just released a press release announcing the signing of Justin Allgood.