Avengers Set Team Record for Fewest Points Allowed
Steven Herbert
Sunday March 16, 2003
The Avengers set a team record for fewest points allowed in a 42-20 victory over host Indiana, keeping the Firebirds out of the end zone until the fourth quarter.
“I’m real proud of them,” Los Angeles coach Ed Hodgkiss said of a defense that had allowed more yards per game than any other Arena Football League team entering the weekend’s play. “Any time you hold a team in this league to six points after three quarters, you`re doing something right.”
The previous record was 24 points in a 38-24 victory over Tampa Bay May 17.
After recording just one stop in a 65-61 victory at New York last Sunday and two in a 46-35 loss to the Georgia Force March 2 at Staples Center, the Avengers defense made four against the Firebirds.
“The best thing we did was we were physical,” Hodgkiss said. “We tackled well, we were also aligned correctly. When we do those things, we usually have some success. Our defense will continue to improve every week.”
A key factor to the victory was recently-signed defensive specialist Cornelius Coe, who made six tackles and broke up two passes, both team highs, starting in place of Wasswa Serwanga.
“He added a little bit of excitement and had some good hits and kind of got the guys pumped up,” Hodgkiss said. “He seemed to be in the right alignment at the right time.”
Overall, Los Angeles played “really well,” Hodgkiss said.
“We did more than matched their intensity, I think we rose above it,” Hodgkiss said. “Our guys knew it would be a bit of a street fight. They were ready for it.”
Facing a team Hodgkiss called the AFL’s most physical, the Avengers avoided losing a fumble, unlike last season’s 56-53 loss at Indiana where they lost a team-record three.
Offensively, the Avengers reached the end zone five of seven times it had the ball, not including its final possession designed to run out the final two minutes, 24 seconds on the clock. The offense scored on its first play as Tony Graziani threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Chris Jackson, the 10th time this season Los Angeles has had a one-play drive for a touchdown.
The score also extended Jackson’s streak of scoring a touchdown in every AFL game he has played to 40.
Graziani was sacked once and threw two incomplete passes on the Avengers next possession, forcing Remy Hamilton to try a 64-yard field goal, which was short.
Los Angeles embarked on what is likely the longest drive in team history the next time it had the ball – 17 plays taking 10:47 off the clock. (No records are kept as to the length of drives.)
The Avengers needed just six plays to go from their own three-yard line to Indiana’s one before the problems began.
On Los Angeles’ initial play from the one, Graziani was stopped for no gain, but the Firebirds were offsides, giving up a first down.
The Avengers then faced a third-and-goal after fullback Lonnie Ford was unable to run in from the one and Graziani threw an incomplete pass. Los Angeles appeared to be stopped when a Graziani pass to Greg Hopkins went incomplete, but Indiana was called for holding, giving the Avengers another first down.
Ford was stopped again on a first-and-goal, with Los Angeles losing a yard as his fumble was recovered by Graziani at the Firebirds two.
Kevin Clemens replaced Ford at fullback and gained a yard back to the one. An illegal formation penalty set the Avengers back to the Indiana six. Graziani’s third-down pass was incomplete, but the Firebirds were again called for holding, giving Los Angeles another first down.
After both Clemens and Graziani were stopped for no gain, Clemens ran one yard up the middle for a touchdown, putting the Avengers up 14-3 with 3:17 left in the first half.
In the third quarter, Graziani threw touchdown passes to Hopkins and Jackson and defensive lineman Mike Ulufale recovered a fumble by Indiana quarterback Jose Davis in the end zone for a touchdown as Los Angeles increased its lead to 35-6.
Graziani completed 14 of 29 passes for 181 yards and four touchdowns and was intercepted once. Graziani was held to season lows in completions, yards and completion percentage.
“Against a team that rushes pretty well, we did a good job protecting,” Hodgkiss said. “Against one of the top-ranked defenses, we were efficient enough. Overall, I think we did a pretty good job.”
Steven Herbert began covering Arena Football in 1988, the league’s second season. He has covered the sport for The Associated Press, Arizona Republic, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Providence Journal-Bulletin, Palm Beach Post, Daily Oklahoman and other publications. Herbert has also written on college and NFL football for The Washington Post and spent five years as a Los Angeles Times staff writer.
