Nashville turnovers key Rampage victory
Chip Burch
Monday May 7, 2007
The Grand Rapids Rampage got out to a quick start. The same can’t be said for the Nashville Kats.
The Rampage put up a team-record 34 first-quarter points and converted five Nashville turnovers to beat the Kats 71-55 Saturday night at Van Andel Arena.
The Rampage improved to 3-6 with the win. Nashville dropped to 4-6.
“It’s good to get back in the win column in a game that as we all know was almost mandatory,” Grand Rapids coach Sparky McEwen said.
The Rampage never trailed for the first time this season. They scored on the opening possession on a toss from Chad Salisbury to Jerome Riley from 15 yards out, recovered a fumble by Nashville’s Kenny Higgins on the first play after the kickoff, then Salisbury found Riley again from seven yards away for a 13-0 score.
Smoker got his rhythm back temporarily, needing only two plays to score two touchdowns. Smoker hooked up with Cornelius Bonner from 45 and 27 yards out sandwiching a Timon Marshall kickoff return for a touchdown for a 20-14 deficit halfway through the first quarter.
That would be the last points the Kats would score for the next 12 minutes.
“We stunk,” said Nashville Coach Pat Sperduto. “We played horrible. It was humiliating. There’s nothing else to say.”
Marshall’’s kickoff return moved him past current Rampage offensive coordinator Michael Baker in kickoff return yards in a career, and tied the Rampage record for kickoff return touchdowns in a season with Steve Smith, who had five in 2004.
Marshall, the Ironman of the game, then caught a 20-yard Salisbury pass for a score, then recovered a fumble by Maurice Brown on the ensuing kickoff and went five yards for another score and a 34-14 lead after one quarter.
Points were hard to come by in the middle two quarters. Both teams scored only 21 points in 30 minutes on three touchdowns. Grand Rapids was held scoreless until 47 seconds were left in the half when Salisbury found fullback Chris Ryan on a six-yard score.
That was sandwiched in between two Kenny Higgins touchdown receptions to make the score 41-28 Rampage at the half.
“We had a letdown in the second quarter,” McEwen said. “The AFL is so similar to the NBA. You can always expect the other team to make a run. The thing that I was looking for was to see how the men responded and they responded with a great effort.”
Nashville fumbled on the first drive of the second half, and Grand Rapids converted with the first of two touchdown tosses to Kenny Solomon. The second followed a Dan Alexander 1-yard run to pay dirt, making the score 54-35 after three quarters.
The Kats scored on the first play of the fourth quarter when Smoker found Higgins from seven yards away, but a Brian Gowins 24-yard field goal and Solomon’s third touchdown reception put the game away.
Salsibury was named offensive player of the game after going 27 of 37 for 282 yards and seven touchdowns. But he gave the credit to the Rampage defense for the win.
“It was nice to see them come out and shut a few people up that were talking about them this week,” he said.
So did McEwen.
“Our defense stepped up and made some big arena football stops,” he said. “There’s some things we need to work on there but for the most part they stepped up big.”
Smoker, who returned to Michigan as a pro football player for the first time since he set passing records at Michigan State University, ended up 29-of-41 for a season-high 407 yards and six touchdowns. He also threw an interception that set up Solomon’s third touchdown.
“We turned the ball over, we didn’t play defense, we didn’t play special teams, we just didn’t play,” Sperduto said. “It’s disheartening, and it will be addressed.”
Nashville hosts Colorado Sunday. Sperduto said he has some work to do to repair the damage from the loss.
“You go to work on Monday, you work hard, and you find a way to put the right guys in the right position,” he said.
Grand Rapids, who ended a three-game losing skid, will take on Columbus Friday at Nationwide Arena.
Notes: Marshall finished with 102 kickoff return yards for 3,081in his career. …… Grand Rapids suffered yet another injury to their receiving corps, losing Riley to what McEwen called a “popped hammy” (hamstring) in the second quarter. It was not known how long Riley would be out. If he misses the Columbus game the only receiver to have played in all 10 games this season would be Marshall. … Alexander’s rushing touchdown gave him 28 for the season, extending his AFL record. … The Rampage had forced only 11 turnovers in eight games previously.
