The Grand Rapids Rampage had the chance to win a game against a Tampa Bay Storm team that wasn't impressive on offense Friday night.

But the Rampage couldn't hang on to the ball.

Six turnovers proved to be the undoing of the Rampage, and the Storm escaped with a 58-50 win at Van Andel Arena.

The Rampage could have scored over 70 points in the game, which was the case in their three wins this season. But quarterback James MacPherson threw four interceptions and lost a fumble and the Storm got a net recovery for a touchdown. Turn those possessions around to Grand Rapids scores and the Rampage win easily.

"It's frustrating because you know you can't turn the ball over in this league," Rampage coach Steve Thonn said. "It's going to happen a couple of times and we know that."

Thonn noted MacPherson had problems all night.

"Twice he (MacPherson) was getting hit and falling back when he threw it," Thonn said. "I can make excuses for him but we can't make those turnovers. He knows it."

The first throw to the Storm was on the Rampage's first series of the second quarter. Tampa's Nyle Wiren got his first interception of the season, and the Storm converted it into seven points. That was followed on the next kickoff by Traco Rachal running back a three-year net recovery for another score.

Phil Glover recovered MacPherson's botched snap to lead to another seven in the last minute of the first half, then MacPherson was picked off by Lawrence Samuels on the first drive of the second half. That too helped gave the Storm seven points.

The Rampage were somewhat lucky on the next interception. Tampa Bay kicker Seth Marler missed a 26-yard field goal after MacPherson's third giveaway on the first play of the fourth quarter.

But not the last one. Marler nailed an 18-yard boot after Rayshaun Reed's first takeaway of the season.

"It's huge when you win by eight," Storm coach Tim Marcum said about the turnovers. 

The Storm offense may have converted 31 points off turnovers, but that left 27 points the offense got on their own without a defensive helper.

"We dug ourselves in a pretty good hole early," Marcum said. "We got sloppy at the end offensively."

Neither team lit it up offensively. That's what kept the Rampage in the game. Storm quarterback Brett Dietz was only 20-of-40 for 293 yards and five touchdowns with one pick. MacPherson finished 26-of-35 for 268 yards, six scores and the four interceptions. 

If there's any good news for the Rampage in their sixth loss in seven games, it's that they still can make the playoffs because of the bad American Conference. Thanks to the Utah Blaze and Kansas City Brigade both losing, the Rampage still are a game ahead of the Brigade and 1 ½ games ahead of the Blaze for the final playoff spot in a conference where only the division leaders, the San Jose SaberCats and Chicago Rush, are over .500.

The Storm, meanwhile, are 5-6 on the season, but they are in the tough National Conference. As of the end of Week 12 they would be one of the three teams that would miss the playoffs on that side of the standings. Had they played in the American Conference they would be in the fourth seed despite being tied with the Arizona Rattlers. Arizona would have the head-to-head tie-breaker because they beat the Storm 63-62 in Week 7.