GAME #2-Amarillo Dusters

After the tight win last week, the 1-0 Arkansas Twisters will be playing on the road for the first time this 2009 season and will be looking to improve to 2-0 tonight against the Amarillo Dusters. If the twisters can win tonight, it will mark only the second time in their 10 year existence that they have won their first two games back to back. The Twisters sputtered at times but came through and were able to hold off Bossier Shreveport in last weeks close battle. Though this game is not a divisional game, this is still an important test for Arkansas as the Twisters still have a way to go and need to work out the crinkles in the offense before they can officially make a run for the Southwest title and hopefully a National Conference title and first ever arenacup apperance.

HISTORY OF OPPONENT
The Amarillo Dusters were formed back in 2004 and were originally a charter member of the Intense Football League, a small indoor football league based in Texas. After winning the IFL championship they left the league and joined the AF2 and have been a part of the league ever since. In their first season the Dusters dominated, going 13-3. Since then mediocre has been the term in describing Amarillo's overall performance, with their best record being 8-8 despite surprising successes in the playoffs.

Scouting the Dusters
The Dusters lost most of their players that helped lead the team to last season's 2008 National Conference Title Game. In fact only three are returning, which include WR/DB Craig Fulton, Jr., OL Aaron Turner and DL Jared Williams. Despite this, The Dusters do have some key players to watch out for, like DB/KR Donta Bright. Bright stood out with Oklahoma City last season, recording 38 total tackes and four interceptions in addition to leading the club in MFG return yards, KR yards and total return TDs (4 – 3 kick return, 1 missed field goal). Another player to watch out for is WR/DB/KR Kendrick “Boss” Walker. Walker played last year in Lubbock and showed he’s still in top form (57 tackles, 5 INTs, team-best 31 PBUs). Amarillo seems to have a very capable defense (despite it not showing against Oklahoma City last Saturday). Offensively, the Dusters have a lot of question marks and youth. Amarillo lost many stars on their offensive line up which include QB Julian Reese, WR Jim Lukowiak, and K Jacob Felton. Coach Ben Bennett (3rd winning-est coach in AF2 history) is still looking for QB to step up and take charge. Who that will be remains to be seen.

Thoughts On The Game
As I mentioned in my last blog, Twisters sputtered offensively throughout the game against the Wings. If Rowley wasn't the capable veteran that he is and without the help from the defense, the game would've have belong to Bossier Shreveport. The Dusters looked absolutely awful against the Yard Dawgs last Saturday, giving up a safety 40 seconds into their first offensive possession of the game and being down 30-7 half way to go in the 2nd quarter alone and ultimately lost 76-29. Amarillo couldn't stop Oklahoma City, and struggled to score. Although the Twisters don't need to treat this as a tune up game, this game is essentially one. The Twisters need to tweak the problems that they were having last week and this is a good time to try out plays and schemes that they'll want to use down the line for divisional match ups against a down Amarillo club. When you look at the history between these two teams, Arkansas has simply put dominated, leading the series 7-1.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN
Unless a miracle has been bestowed upon the Dusters from within the week of their humiliating season opener, I look for the twisters to dominate again. Although Arkansas is not at full potential yet, this game will defiantly send them on their way to the right direction. Amarillo will not be able to stop the Twisters scoring and I believe the defense will have a field day against the green quarterbacks. Arkansas will win in awesome fashion, and look forward to the Rio Grande Valley Dorados next week at 2-0.

PREDICTION
Arkansas-68
Amarillo-34