Tulsa Oilers football squad took control of the game in the second quarter, cruising to a 55-41 win over the Sioux Falls Storm, Saturday night at the BOK Center, in front of 13,475 fans.
With the win, Tulsa swept the season series between the two teams, having won at Sioux Falls, 56-40, on April 14. The Oilers improved to 4-8 on the season while the Storm dropped to 3-8.
Sioux Falls got on the scoreboard quickly with a two-yard touchdown run by Draysean Hudson, capping the team’s first possession.
The Oilers also scored on their fist possession, when Andre Sale completed a two-yard touchdown pass to Alexis Rosario, with 10:19 remaining in the first quarter.
Both teams continued to exchange scores on their next two possessions, as KeShawn Williams ran the ball into the end zone from seven yards out to put the Storm on top, then Tulsa’s Joshua Crockett caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Dale, to even the score at 14-14 with 5:12 left in the first quarter.
Williams scored again before the end of the first quarter, on a three-yard run to give the Storm a 21-14 lead.
The second quarter would prove to be all Tulsa’s as the Oilers defense held the Storm scoreless. Rosario caught a 13-yard pass from Dale for his second touchdown of the game, followed by a 21-yard field goal by Michael Hall to give Tulsa the lead, 24-21 with 3:56 to go in the quarter.
On the next Sioux Falls possession, a fumble was recovered by the Oilers and a few plays later, Dale connected with Jarrod Ware Jr. on an 11-yard touchdown play with less than a minute before halftime, giving Tulsa a 31-21 lead going into the intermission.
Tulsa opened the second half with the same momentum they had in the second quarter, as Jonathan Nance caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Dale to extend the Oilers lead to 38-21.
The Storm cut the Oilers lead with another rushing touchdown by Hudson, then Nance answered for the Oilers with an eight-yard touchdown catch, putting Tulsa ahead 45-28 with 7:29 left in the third quarter.
Williams then pushed his way through the Tulsa defenders and into the end zone for his third touchdown of the game, bringing the Storm to withing 10 points of the Oilers, 45-35.
Just before the end of the third quarter, Tulsa’s Crockett scored his second of the day on a seven-yard touchdown pass from Dale, making the score 52-35.
The Storm opened the fourth quarter with Hudson scoring his third touchdown of the game.
Before the end of the fourth quarter, Hall kicked his second field goal of the game, a 31-yarder, to extend Tulsa’s lead to 55-41.
Sioux Falls gained 259 total yards on offense while the Oilers gained 224 total yards.
Tulsa’s quarterback, Sale, completed 25-of-37 passes for 216 yards, with seven touchdowns and one interception.
The Oilers are on the road this Saturday at Iowa, at 7:05 p.m. CDT. The team’s next home game at the BOK Center will be June 29, at 7:05 p.m. against Green Bay.