Week 4 Roundup

There's a new sheriff in town out West.

Dustin Nichols, QB, Denver

Denver limited Portland to 214 net yards Tuesday as the Gold stunned the previously unbeaten Storm, 23-7, to force a four-way tie in the West Division. Denver, Portland, Arizona, and Oakland are all 3-1.

The Storm scored first, but did not score again for the final 55 minutes. Gold QB Dustin Nichols threw a pair of TD passes and Robert Allison kicked three field goals. Portland went three-and-out on its first four drives of the second half and never got closer than the Denver 41. The Gold ran off more than 6 minutes on their final drive before Allison's 33-yard field goal with 1:05 remaining concluded the scoring and gave Denver just its second victory in seven all-time games against Portland.

Denver is off to the first 3-1 start in franchise history, but its next four games are against Oakland (twice), Portland (again) and Arizona.

In other Week 4 games:

• Curtis Scott, converted from RB to WR last season by Arizona, returned to his old position and had a huge day during a 41-17 defeat of the Southern California Sun. Scott ran for 147 yards and three TDs on just seven carries, caught four passes for 33 yards and another score, and ran back two kickoffs for 61 yards.
• Eric Pierce's 53-yard pass to William Delatorre with 5:37 to play gave Boston a 24-17 lead, and the Breakers held on to edge the New Jersey Generals, 24-23. New Jersey drove inside the Boston 30 twice in the fourth quarter, but had to settle for field goals on both occasions.
• The Los Angeles Express regained the Pacific Division lead with a 34-6 win over the Honolulu Hawaiians. Seth Wynn ran for 165 yards on 18 carries (9.17 per carry) and WR Robert Herrera caught a pair of TD passes from Gene Nowlin for LAX (3-1).
• Birmingham QB Agustin Crook passed for 530 yards and four TDs, but the Stallions fell, 44-41 in overtime, to the Memphis Showboats. Memphis led, 41-27, with 1 minute to play. Crook found Lee Rice for a 58-yard TD to make the score 41-34. Then, after Birmingham recovered an onside kick, Crook hit Rice with a 54-yard score with 4 seconds to play, forcing overtime. Late in overtime, Donald John of the Showboats recovered Stallions TE David Albrecht's fumble, setting up Chris Farrel's game-winning 37-yard field goal.
• Shreveport (3-1) took over the South Division lead, rallying in the fourth quarter to edge the Houston Gamblers, 19-13, 
• Charlotte CB Joseph Abernathy had two pickoffs in a 33-27 win over the Florida Blazers. The Hornets (2-2) are off to the best four-game start in franchise history.

Week 5 Preview

The logjam atop the West Division may get sorted out a little after the Portland Storm (3-1) host the Detroit Wheels (4-0), the Arizona Wranglers (3-1) travel to the Los Angeles Express (3-1) and the Oakland Invaders (3-1) face the Denver Gold (3-1) on Oakland's home turf. The Tampa Bay Bandits (4-0) are at the Orlando Renegades (3-1) in a Southeast Division showdown.

Record Book

Among players with 52 or more career kickoff returns, three players are averaging exactly 34 yards per kickoff return for their career—Memphis RB Gregory Shea, retired Boston RB Nicholas Wingfield, and Georgia WR Dean Williamson. Orlando RB Matthew Mitchell has averaged 35.0 yards per return on 51 returns. Birmingham WR Bruno Fredericks has averaged 9.2 yards per punt return, San Antonio WR Donnie Baker 8.0.