It was a back-and-forth battle but in the end the Tulsa Oilers Football team got past the Iowa Barnstormers, 49-48, Saturday evening in Des Moines, Iowa. The win extended the Oilers franchise-record winning streak to six games.

Tulsa improved to 8-5 on the season, while the hapless Barnstormers dropped to 1-12.

The Oilers opened the scoring early as TJ Edwards II found Jerminic Smith Sr. with a three-yard pass for a touchdown with 10:31 remaining in the opening quarter. Iowa fumbled the ball during their next possession, recovered by Tulsa’s Craig Evans. The Oilers capitalized immediately, as Edwards connected with TJ Davis on a 25-yard touchdown pass to extend the Tulsa lead to 14-0 with 10:00 left in the first.

Iowa answered with a 2-yard quarterback run by Noah Bodden to cut the deficit to 14-7.

On Tulsa’s next possession, an Edwards pass was intercepted, setting up another Iowa scoring drive culminating with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Demonte Martin, tying the game at 14-14 with 31 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

Iowa took the lead early in the second quarter after intercepting another Edwards pass, setting up a field goal to give the Barnstormers the lead, 17-14. The Oilers responded quickly, as Edwards found Smith for his second touchdown reception of the game to regain the lead at 21-17.

Next it was Iowa’s turn to take the lead and they did so after Edwards threw his third interception of the game.

Tulsa flipped the game just before halftime when Tre Harvey returned a missed Iowa field goal from his own endzone for a touchdown, putting the Oilers back on top, 28-24. The Barnstormers added a field goal as time expired in the half, sending Tulsa into the locker room with a slim 28-27 lead.

Iowa opened the second half with another touchdown drive to reclaim the lead at 34-28. Tulsa responded late in the third quarter as Smith ran the ball into the end zone from three yards out for his third touchdown of the night, giving the Oilers a 35-34 advantage with 4:00 remaining in the third quarter.

The lead continued to change hands throughout the fourth quarter. Iowa scored on a quarterback sneak from the one-yard line to move ahead 41-35 before Caleb Ramseur answered with a touchdown run on a counter play to give Tulsa a 42-41 lead. The Barnstormers responded with another quarterback rushing touchdown to retake the lead, 48-42, but Ramseur delivered once more, scoring his second touchdown of the quarter to put the Oilers ahead for good, 49-48.

Iowa had one final opportunity in the closing seconds but missed a 56-yard field goal attempt.

Smith Sr. tied the franchise record for career receiving touchdowns with 33, matching Alexis Rosario atop the Oilers record book.

Tulsa will be off this week before hosting the Jacksonville Sharks on July 11, kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. at the BOK Center.