The Michigan Panthers are down to one more historical hurdle to clear.
Michigan shut out the Los Angeles Express, 20-0, to earn its ninth victory of the season, a franchise record. The Panthers also have the first playoff spot in franchise history in their crosshairs.
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| John Brown, DT |
Michigan hosts Cleveland on Wednesday in sort of a pre-playoff playoff game. The Panthers wrap up their season at Oakland (6-8).
The Panthers offense managed only four first downs against Los Angeles, but the defense came through in a big way.
LAX quarterbacks Robert Burns and Kenneth Hernandez were a combined 24-for-55 passing for 153 net yards. The Express punted 16 times, fumbled the ball away once, and missed a field goal attempt. Only one LAX drive lasted longer than six plays. Michigan DT John Brown had a pair of sacks.
Michigan QB Jerry Ruiz threw TD passes of 74 yards to William Bartels and 53 yards to Charles Ahumada.
National Conference Playoff Picture
The National Conference playoff race couldn't get any tighter—six teams within one game of the final wild-card berth. The Birmingham Stallions (7-7) and Tampa Bay Bandits (7-7) hold a half-game lead over Baltimore (6-7-1) and a one-game lead over the New York Stars (6-8), Pittsburgh (6-8) and Shreveport (6-8).
Tampa Bay has a tough row to hoe, finishing with New Jersey (12-2) and Philadelphia (9-5). New York is also up against it, finishing with Portland (11-3) and Denver (8-6). Shreveport isn't much better off, wrapping up against Washington (11-3) and New Jersey (12-2).
We said all that to say this—Pittsburgh's game at Baltimore on Wednesday is going to be crucial for both of those teams as well as others. Both teams will be heavy favorite in Week 16.
Week 14 Highlights
- Birmingham moved closer to a playoff berth by throttling the Georgia Force, 51-21. Stallions QB Nolan Loos passed for 460 yards and five TDs.
- The Honolulu Hawaiians extended their winning streak to eight games with a 38-16 rout of the Baltimore Stars. Eugene Holland and Jeffrey Bonner both returned interceptions for TDs.
- Memphis CB Bradley Mondragon intercepted three passes in the Showboats' 16-6 win over the Arizona Wranglers.
- Oakland SS Corey Norwood made seven tackles, intercepted two passes, forced a fumble, and recovered a fumble during a 16-9 victory over the San Jose SaberCats.
Week 15 Preview
A huge game in the American Conference, with the Cleveland Thunderbolts (9-5) traveling to Michigan (9-5) to break the tie atop the Midwest Division. A huge game in the National Conference, with the Baltimore Stars (6-7-1) hosting Pittsburgh (6-8) as both teams try to stave off elimination. The Denver Gold (8-6), also fighting for their playoff lives, are at Memphis (10-4).Coach's Profile
ToroTex, San Antonio Gunslingers
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| ToroTex |
Current residence (town, state): San Diego, CA
Day job: Human resources technician (PeopleSoft monkey)
Favorite teams (all sports): Houston Texans, Texas Longhorns, New York Yankees/Houston Astros, San Antonio Spurs
A real-life sports experience: Mostly intramural sports but was my junior college free throw champion one year.
A fantasy sports experience: Have been a fantasy football commish since 1990, pre-internet sites, all pencil and paper ... felt like a part-time job back then!
Coach's Corner: (tip for a new MFN coach): Don't be afraid to experiment with your team and play calling. Scout. Don't miss too many draft picks!
