Oklahoma Outlaws Impact Division West Champions

Oklahoma City,Ok-"The GDFL Game of the Week," as many had designated Saturday evening's meeting between the 2x defending National Champions Oklahoma Thunder by way of Tulsa,Oklahoma and Oklahoma City's newest sports franchise the Oklahoma Outlaws, and your usually thinking a high scoring affair of epic proportions.

Not exactly.This was a defensive battle from beginning to end, the hitting equaled the hype. It wasn't pretty, mind you, but if nothing else, the Outlaws' 7-3 victory over the Thunder had a certain old school heavy weight , knock down, drag out flair to it.

"This was one of the best defensive football games I've seen on the pro minor league level and it happened within the Gridiron Developmental Football League," Outlaws Head Coach Ma Potts declared afterward.

As usual, the Thunder ran all their high powered plays: the smash mouth run tactics, the quick screens & deep passes to their top receivers, the throws to 2x GDFL MVP receiver Prentiss Elliott. Almost nothing worked and if it did, it didn't work for long.

An offensive festival, this wasn't. 

This was a game in which both teams went after each not once, but twice. Pleasantries were not exchanged.

The Outlaws raised their record to 5-1, which will help considerably when the home-field advantage is determined for the Impact Conference Championship. Meanwhile, the Thunder dropped to 4-2, their second loss to the upstart Outlaws on the season.

Controversy

Emotions were raw in the Oklahoma Thunder locker room after officials ruled a fumble recovery touchdown after Cotton'10-yard catch was fumbled and Nick Fowler pounced on the ball no one touch him down so he jumped up ran 53 yards towards the end zone for the game winning score with 3:02 remaining in the quarter. But the Thunder argued that the player recovered the fumble out of bounds, and should have remained with the Thunder. Officials never overturned the call so the play stands!!!   

"They called touchdown on the field, I thought it'd be overturned," Lowe said. "I don't know. It's tough, especially when it's called like that on the field. I understand it's tough on the officials. I'm not criticizing them, I'm just saying it's a tough way to lose."

GAMEDAY STATS