Kickoff: The Pirates will look to extend their winning streak to four games on Saturday night at the Tsongas Center when they host the Tulsa Oilers. The Pirates (5-5) are currently in fifth place in the Eastern Conference.Tulsa is tied with Jacksonville for fourth place with a 7-4 record.
Four Keys for the Pirates
1st Down: Offense needs a fast start: The offense needs to replicate last week’s performance against Iowa and get off to a fast start. Tulsa is explosive on offense and they can score in a hurry. Getting off to fast start is important. The Pirates are scoring 38.6 points per game which is good for 10th in the IFL in scoring. Tulsa is sixth in the league in scoring, averaging 43.5 points per game.
2nd Down: Battle of the quarterbacks: Kenji Bahar has to be better than T.J Edwards, period! Edwards leads the IFL in three categories. He is number one in rushing attempts with 148, leads in yards with 560, and rushing touchdowns with 24. His average of 50.9 yards per game ranks fourth in the IFL. His 13.5 points per game rank 6th.
3rd Down: Ground and pound will be the difference: The game within the game will be the Pirates’ ability to run the football. Massachusetts is sixth in the league, rushing for 91.5 yards per contest, while Tulsa is best in the league in stopping the run, giving up just 59.7 yards each time out.
4th Down: D must win on 4th Down: The Pirates defense has been good of late and they will need to be once again tonight. The defense has allowed the fewest first downs in the league at 14.2 and boasts the best defense on fourth down, with opponents succeeding just 34.5 percent of the time. Winning fourth down will be key.
Extra Point: The Pirates are 3-1 all-time against Tulsa. Massachusetts won the first three meetings before ending the 2024 regular season with a loss to the Oilers on the road.
Final Drive: Expect a high scoring affair between two teams that are explosive offensively. The key will be the Pirates defense. They must make stops in the fourth quarter. If they do, they win this game.