Breaking it Down – Week 17 2011

Andy Lopusnak
Thursday July 7, 2011

• The Jon Norris era began in New Orleans just like it did in Bossier-Shreveport last year – with a surprising win.
• The VooDoo trailed by a point but scored as time expired in the first half to take a 31-35 lead and never looked back. New Orleans outscored Tampa Bay 40-8 in the final 30 minutes of game play (including the score at the first-half buzzer).
• Tampa Bay had five turnovers and New Orleans scored four touchdowns on those while not turning over the ball.
• VooDoo do-it-all WR/KR P.J. Berry was held to a season-low 71 all-purpose yards with two touchdowns.
• In a losing effort, Tampa Bay WR Amarri Jackson caught 11 passes for 123 yards with two touchdowns.
• New Orleans QB D. Bryant had five passing scores and a rushing touchdown.
• VooDoo players Alvin Jackson and Damon Mason each picked off two passes in the game.

• The Predators trailed 13-0 to start the game and were down by 20 in the final minute of the first half before scoring the game’s next 28 points to take its first lead, which was never relinquished.
• Orlando’s Chris Duvalt recovered back-to-back net recoveries off kickoffs in the third quarter.
• Predators WR/KR Josh Bush had a 54-yard kickoff return for a score, which was Orlando’s first KOR TD of the season (ORL was the last team to score on a kickoff in the league this season). Bush ended with 192 all-purpose yards with two scores.
• Both teams combined to convert all fourth down conversions (PITT: 3/3; ORL: 1/1).
• Orlando QB Collin Drafts completed 67.7% of his passes for 264 yards with five touchdowns, but he had two turnovers in the first half.
• Down by eight with a minute left, the Power got down to the Orlando 18, but QB Bernard Morris was picked off and that gave the Predators the victory.

• Iowa kicker Nick Pertuit, who missed attempts from 61 and 41 yards in the second quarter, hit a 20-yard field goal with 47 seconds left to give the Barnstormers a two-point lead.
• Tulsa drove down to the Iowa six yard line, but kicker Juan Bongarra missed a 21-yard field as time expired that secured the win for Iowa.
• Iowa QB Brad Banks completed 62.1% of his passes for 264 yards with six TDs and no interceptions. He also added a rushing score.
• AFL leading scorer Jesse Schmidt added four more touchdowns (along with ten catches for 150 yards) and now has 44 touchdowns and 268 total points.
• Tulsa scored touchdowns on its first four possessions, but fumbled on a missed field goal and gave up a safety on back-to-back plays.
• All four teams that Iowa has beaten (San Jose, Utah, Spokane and Tulsa) are battling for a playoff berth.

• The Rush trailed by four with less than five minutes left in the third quarter, but scored the game’s final 28 points en route to clinching the team’s tenth straight playoff berth.
• Utah QB Tommy Grady was injured in the second quarter and missed the rest of the game. The Blaze was outscored 31-7 without Grady.
• Three different Blaze passers were picked off in the game (Grady, Jordan Rasmussen and Ernest Pierce). After Grady was hurt, the backup also was injured. It's unsure if Grady will be out this week or possible the rest of the season.
• Rush QB J.J. Raterink had four passing touchdowns and a rushing score in his first start under center for Chicago since being traded for from Kansas City.
• Chicago WR/KR Reggie Gray caught just five passes, but those went for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Both of his scores came from long distances (37 and 45 yards).

• The SaberCats ended their record seven-game losing skid by stopping the Sharks’ 13-game winning streak.
• San Jose scored 55 points in the second half after trailing 42-28 at the half.
• The teams combined to convert all fourth down conversions (JAX: 1/1; SJ: 2/2).
• Both QBs tossed for over 350 yards and nine touchdowns.
• San Jose QB Mark Grieb had 401 passing yards, nine passing scores and a rushing touchdown. He was picked off twice and lost a fumble on a bad center exchange.
• Jacksonville QB Aaron Garcia had 354 passing yards and nine touchdowns, while misfiring on just seven passes (including an interception).
• Both QBs went over 4,000 passing yards on the season during the game.
• Sharks WR/KR Jeff Hughley fumbled on back-to-back kickoffs that lead to two San Jose touchdowns.
• Two Jacksonville players had over 200 all-purpose yards (Hughley, 232 with one TD; Jomo Wilson had 204 with five scores).
• San Jose WR James Roe had 12 catches for 143 yards with three touchdowns. Roe passed Cory Fleming for seventh all-time in AFL history in receiving touchdowns on his first score of the night.
• In the second half, the SaberCats scored TDs on seven of eight possessions (plus a net recovery TD), while Jacksonville had four turnovers and just four TDs.
• 2010 AFL Defensive Player/Lineman of the Year Gabe Nyenhuis recorded his first sack since Week Two (the game’s lone sack). He also forced a fumble and broke up a pass that would have likely been called a sack if there was instant replay.
• Sharks DB Michaeux Robinson posted three breakups that gave him a new AFL single-season record of 43 on the year. He also had 10.5 tackles and an interception.
• San Jose converted all four of its third-down conversions in the second half.
• SaberCats FB Chad Cook scored three touchdowns (two receiving, one rushing).

• Milwaukee took its first lead since early in the second quarter with 41 seconds left on a 41-yard touchdown from Gino Guidugli to Dwayne Eley, Jr. on a first down play. However, the Mustangs scored with too much time remaining as QB Kurt Rocco ran in the game-winning score from eight-yards out with three ticks remaining.
• Rocco tossed four scores and added three rushing TDs.
• Four of the final six touchdowns were rushing scores – two each by each starting quarterback.
• Eley caught touchdowns on 50% of his catches (8-143-4).
• The Gladiators scored touchdowns on a fumble return and an interception return.
• Cleveland’s Tim Cheatwood posted two sacks, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble.

• The Rattlers won their first ever game against the Shock after losing their first four matchups (including last year’s playoff loss).
• Arizona never trailed.
• Rattlers QB Nick Davila had more passing scores (nine) than incompletions (six) while completing 79.3% of his passes for 291 yards with no interceptions.
• Arizona WR Rod Windsor had four receiving scores on nine catches for 125 yards.
• Spokane went with Erik Meyer at starting QB and he completed 21-of-30 for 243 yards with four scores and an interception before suffering an injury late in the third quarter. He also had a rushing score.
• ArenaBowl XXIII MVP Kyle Rowley came into the game down ten points and tossed an interception on his first pass attempt. On his five drives, Rowley tossed three interceptions, was called for intentional ground on fourth down and had one touchdown.
• In a losing effort, two Shock receivers posted over ten grabs and 100 yards (Chas Gessner: 12-109-1; Adron Tennell: 11-160-3).
• Arizona is the first team to reach 14 wins in a season since 2007 when the Dallas Desperados (15-1) and Georgia Force (14-2) did so. In the playoffs, both teams lost to 7-9 Columbus Destroyers team.
• Rattlers WR/LB Jason Geathers scored three touchdowns on offense, then added an interception on defense and had a half tackle on special teams.
• The 14 regular season wins for Arizona is the most in the franchise's 19-year AFL history (the previous high was 12 set in 1997 and 2000 - the Rattlers won the ArenaBowl in 1997, but came up a game short in 2000).

• The Vigilantes took a 13-0 lead and never trailed en route to the team’s tenth win of the season.
• Dallas FB Derrick Ross had three rushing touchdowns and became just the second player in league history to reach the 30 rushing scores in a season.
• In a losing effort, Soul WR Donovan Morgan caught eight passes for 135 yards with three touchdowns. It was his league leading 12th game with at least 100 yards.
• Philadelphia QB Ryan Vena had 354 yards with five scores, but he was picked off three times that led to two Dallas touchdowns.