We lost one of the unbeaten teams this week as the Pittsburgh Maulers defeated the Washington Federals, leaving both tied atop the Atlantic with 3-1 records. Five of our eight divisions have two teams with 3 or 4 wins, so we could see some wild division races for the playoff push. Statistically, we are on pace to have 14 1,000 yard rushers and WR Mark Hsu is on pace for 3,000 receiving yards which would shatter the record of 2,548 set in 1976 by Oklahoma WR Dusty Heckman. New Jersey is throwing the ball 56 times a game despite having 3 competent RBs, so I guess more game plan changes coming. We also had our first kick/punt return score this week as Birmingham took the opening kickoff to the house. There are 6 kickers on pace for 40 made FGs, and the last 3 years we've had no more than 2 over a full season. DE Shawn Hicks of New Jersey is on pace for 24 sacks and 60 hurries, and nobody has had 20 sacks or 30+ hurries since Portland's Fred Baker in 1990 (Joseph Gerald of Baltimore also had 32 hurries but just 16 sacks). Florida FS John Osbourne already has a Rookie of the Year and a Defensive MVP award and he seems to be aiming for another MVP as he has 5 INTs already, allowing just 22.2% completions. Houston CB Paul Sabella has the same 22.2% catch allowed and he is one of three players with 4 INTs already.
Maulers 26 Federals 9
This was a FG kicking contest through the first half and most of the 3rd qtr, with each team nailing 3. Late in the 3rd, Pittsburgh intercepted Scott Bieber for the 2nd time of the game, turning that into the game's first TD, a 5 yard TD pass by Will Allison to Franklin Cherry. On the next Maulers possession, the pair hooked up again, this time for 61 yards as Pittsburgh surged to a 14 point lead early in the 4th. The Pittsburgh defense held Washington to just 174 total yards, which is usually just the combined yards of that game's top playmaker for the usually prolific Federals offense. WR Franklin Cherry caught 5 passes in all for 107 yards and those 2 TDs to lead the Pittsburgh offense.
SaberCats 14 Outlaws 7
Most of this game was punts, though San Jose had 3 good drives to one for Oklahoma. For the most part, the Outlaws defense held their own against the big play offense of San Jose but a 10 play, 86 yard TD drive followed by a 95 yard 1 play drive on the next series gave the SaberCats a 14-0 lead. Jake Plummer threw for both TDs, the first one to Curt Boren and the 95 yard bomb went to Mark Hsu. Hsu had 158 yards today, giving him 758 for the season, a pace which, if continued, would see him with 3,032 receiving yards. Wow!
The game remained 14-0 until early in the 4th, when Oklahoma got a 1 yard TD run by Mark Johnson to cut the deficit in half. That capped an 11 play, 54 yard TD drive set up by the Outlaws defense forcing a three and out following a punt at the 4 yard line. Unfortunately for the Outlaws, they would only get the ball one more time as the SaberCats ran out the final 4:46 after an exchange of punts to hang on for the victory.
Blazers 29 Renegades 3
Florida had it all working today against division rival Orlando. The Blazers defense allowed just 194 yards and intercepting Emory Howard twice. Three Florida RBs combined for 40 carries and 134 yards while Sidney Maggard threw for 3 TD passes. Maggard was 21/25, 308 yards and 0 INTs, and he produced a pair of 100 yard receivers. WR Ray Parker caught 6 for 122 yards and 2 TDs while TE William Merkel caught 7 for 120.
Storm 31 Bulls 3
Portland had it all working today against Jacksonville, and I just realized Portland and Florida will play this season, in Week 12. Will they both be 11-0 by then? Portland's defense limited the Bulls to 145 total yards, intercepting 2 passes and recovering a fumble. The Storm had 5 players run the ball for 168 yards, though Jose Moses (19-82) and Timothy Roquemore (12-53) did most of the heavy lifting. QB Melvin Driggers threw for 290 yards, 3 TD and 1 INT, with the leading receiver, RB James Pritchard, getting 75 yards. Pritchard also ran 3 times for 25 yards, giving him exactly 100 for the game. Driggers TD passes all went to different receivers.
Bell 16 (NY) Stars 10
Philadelphia scored on 4 of their first 5 drives, although 3 scores were just 3 points each, and the Bell defense barely hung on at the end to survive New York. Philadelphia WR Craig Hines caught a 40 yard TD pass from Robert Hernandez to give the Bell a 10-0 lead, and Hines finished the day with 127 yards on 5 receptions. Philadelphia would add a couple of FGs for a 16-0 lead midway through the 3rd before the Stars tried to bounce back. A FG and a Willie Bust TD pass to Don Freeman got New York within 16-10 with plenty of time left. New York's last drive began with 5:05 to go and the Stars kept the ball 14 plays, advancing as deep as the Bell 6. Three plays later, they turned it over on downs and Philadelphia hangs on for the win.
Express 31 Hawaiians 28 (OT)
Los Angeles QB William Mauriello threw 3 first half TD passes and Gary Sappington had a 76 yard TD run as the Express enjoyed a 28-7 halftime lead. Honolulu came alive in the second half, as the Hawaiians defense shut down the Express offense and could have won in regulation. First, they got a 70 yard TD run from Robert Schuler to cut it to 28-14. Then Carlton Allen had a short TD run and Derek Henry threw a short TD pass to Anthony Davis to tie the game at 28. David McInnis was wide left on a 37 yard attempt with 2:34 to go and the next drive, Henry was intercepted as Honolulu was just outside the red zone.
Overtime started and Henry threw his 2nd late game INT, setting up Los Angeles in FG range. Six plays later, Mario Price splits the uprights for a 28 yard FG to give the Express their first win of the season.
Showboats 20 Force 19
Memphis QB Norman Maldonado threw a 64 yard TD pass to Mark Glenn on the opening drive before the game saw 5 straight FGs in the first half. The Showboats led 13-9 at the break but Georgia QB Milton People threw a 7 yard TD to Louis Gonzalez to take a 16-13 lead. Midway through the 4th, the Force added a FG for a 6 point, short lived lead. A few minutes later, Maldonado closed out the scoring with a 66 yard scoring strike to Omar Jenkins, with the XP giving Memphis the slim 1 point lead. Georgia had one last gasp at a win, but their 61 yard FG attempt was short, allowing the Showboats to hang on for victory.
Panthers 20 Wheels 13
The good news for Detroit QB Gabriel Flanagan is that only 3 of his 38 pass attempts hit the ground. The bad news is that he only completed 30 of those 38 to his teammates, with the Michigan defense intercepting 5 passes, 3 by Ronald Sparling. Wheels WR Matthew Houston had a big game, catching 9 for 144 yards and a TD, but it wasn't enough. Michigan ran the ball 44 times, limiting Larry Henderson's opportunities but he still completed 13/19 for 163 yards and a TD with no INT. RB Walter Simmons ran in a score and 2 John Hensley FGs were enough to win the first battle of Detroit.
Thunderbolts 20 Wranglers 17
Arizona QB Zachary Kinkead threw 2 first qtr TD passes as the Wranglers got out to a 14-0 lead over Cleveland. The Thunderbolts were able to cut the lead down to 17-6 at halftime. Kinkead threw his 2nd INT of the game on the Wranglers first drive of the second half, and the Arizona offense went nowhere the rest of the game. Cleveland QB Tony Romo came alive in the 4th qtr, leading the Thunderbolts to a pair of TD drives, the 2nd one coming with 1:15 left to give Cleveland their first lead of the game. This game ultimately hinged on field position, and Cleveland's average start was 20 yards closer than Arizona, thanks to Thomas Brott pinning 5 of 7 punts inside the 20.
Invaders 19 Gold 10
Denver is finding out that it's not all fun and games being the hunted as their World Bowl hangover continues. QB Andrew Brewer threw an interception on the opening drive, giving Oakland a short field. Andrew Moreno took advantage, firing a TD pass to Jessie Heidt for an early 7-0 lead. Oakland built that lead up to 16-0 after 3 quarters thanks to 3 Robert Albertson FGs and a defense that was overly stingy. Denver are the defending champs for a reason though, and they fought back with a 14 play, 75 yard drive for a TD early in the 4th. Andrew Brewer found Douglas Crowley for a 6 yard TD pass that cut the deficit to 16-7, then the Gold defense intercepted Moreno, leading to a FG, and just like that Denver is back in the game, down 6. Brewer threw an interception of his own on Denver's next drive, leading to an Oakland FG and a 19-10 lead. There were less than 2 minutes remaining at this point, and the final Gold drive ended on downs, enabling Oakland to even their record at 2-2.
Blitz 32 Stars 14
Denver isn't the only team facing a World Bowl hangover, as Baltimore falls to 2-2, 3rd place in the Atlantic. Chicago was led by RB Dale Davis, who ran 26 times for 140 yards to help the Blitz hold the ball for nearly 36 minutes. QB Ronald Brown threw for 290 yards and 2 TDs to Ian Gordon and Chicago played turnover free football. Defensively, they prevented Baltimore from hitting big plays, as their longest gain was just 35 yards, and the Blitz forced 5 consecutive three and out drives.
Bandits 41 Hornets 31
Charlotte and Tampa Bay had a wild game in Florida today, as both teams had over 400 yards of offense, mostly through the air. In fact, all 9 TDs scored in this game through the air. Charlotte got out to a 10-0 lead before 3 Antonio Martinez TD passes in the 2nd qtr gave the Bandits a 21-10 lead. Charlotte QB Robert Ament threw his 2nd TD pass in the final minute of the first half to give us a score of 21-17 Tampa Bay at the break.
Martinez would throw 2 more TD passes in the 3rd qtr as the Bandits opened up a 35-17 lead entering the 4th. Ament would throw 2 TD passes in the 4th, and a 2 point conversion pass as well, as the Hornets got within 38-31 inside the 2 minute warning. The onside kick failed and Tampa Bay killed the clock, sealing the win.
For Charlotte, Robert Ament was 37/47, 333 yards, 4 TD and an INT. Edward Conley was their leading receiver, catching 6 for 98 yards and a TD. Tampa Bay QB Antonio Martinez only completed 17 of 39 passes, but those 17 completions covered 426 yards, and Martinez threw 5 TDs to 1 INT. Garry Fowler caught 5 passes for 204 yards and 2 TDs while Darren Colton caught 8 for 138 and a TD.
VooDoo 30 Stallions 10
New Orleans RBs Thomas Thomas and Donald Briggs combined for 142 rushing yards and QB James Jones tossed 2 TD passes to lead the VooDoo to a division win over Birmingham. VooDoo LB Gene Gilbert intercepted a Willie Benge pass midway through the 2nd qtr and took it to the house for a TD, and an early 27-0 lead. Hopes of a Stallions comeback quickly faded as their next 4 drives went three and out.
Steamer 34 Breakers 6
Shreveport had a 14-6 lead after the 1st quarter despite scoring zero offensive points. James McMahon returned the opening kickoff 101 yards for a score and Christopher Landreneau intercepted a Joseph Haight pass and returned it for a TD. From there, the interceptions kept flowing, with both QBs throwing 4 each by game's end. The big difference was the running game, where Boston ran for 24 yards on 16 carries while Shreveport ran for 282 yards on 40 carries. Jeffrey Morris led the way with 19 carries, 177 yards and a TD.
Gamblers 26 Gunslingers 0
Tony Dean threw a 1st qtr TD pass to Anthony Fulks and a 4th qtr TD pass to Hugh Chance, while K Earl Castro nailed 4 FGs in between as Houston shutout San Antonio. Houston had 3 RBs get more than 1 carry and as a team, they ran for 150 yards in support of Tony Dean's spread the ball passing attack. RB Lloyd Ellis led the way with 73 rushing yards and 28 receiving. San Antonio was able to run the ball on Houston, with 113 yards on 24 carries, but they only had 113 passing yards and turned the ball over twice.
Generals 44 Sun 3
QB Don Ferguson continues to lead the league in passing yards, thanks to throwing way more passes than anyone else, and the trend continued today. New Jersey ran the ball 20 times for 112 yards, so they can run, they just don't. Ferguson was 41/58, 480 yards, 4 TD and an INT, with the scoring passes going to 4 different receivers. Cody Schiavo led in yardage, catching 6 for 124 and a TD, while WR Eric Davis (10-94-1) and TE Redd Foxx (10-84-1) caught 10 passes each to lead the Generals offense to victory. Defensively, New Jersey had 3 sacks and 3 INTs.
