Utah blocks Preds 65-62

Friday May 25, 2007

ORLANDO, Fla.  (May 25)  -- In game that featured offensive fireworks galore, it was a single lone defensive play that made the difference.

Steve Knopka blocked a 4th quarter Jay Taylor extra point attempt and Chris Janek returned it for a two-point conversion, to lead the Utah Blaze to a 65-62 win over the Orlando Predators on Friday night.

“In a nutshell it was the game,” Predators head coach Jay Gruden said.  “It was a three-point swing and that’s what we lost by.” The loss dropped the Predators to 7-5 on the season; while the Blaze went to 6-7 after dropping five straight games.

“Right now I am a little frustrated with our defense.  Other than Greg White and Marlon Moye-Moore, we’re not doing anything well.  Our defensive backs are not covering and we’re only get pressure from one place.  It certainly doesn’t get any easier from here,”  Gruden added.

The key play of the game came after a Ron Johnson touchdown reception pulled the Predators to within one point at 56-55 at the 1:57 mark.  But on the ensuing extra point try, Knopka broke free up the middle, blocked Taylor’s kick and Janek scooped it up and ran it in for the conversion.

From there, the team’s traded touchdowns – with the Predators failing to convert a pair of on-sides kick attempts.

The loss spoiled some outstanding performances from Orlando’s offense and a great game by White.   Stafford threw for 326 yards and five touchdowns. He accounted for a sixth touchdown rushing.  Johnson grabbed eight passes for 114 yards and two scores.  Javarus Dudley caught 10 passes for 117 yards.  White recorded 2.5 quarterback sacks to bring his season total to 13.0 – just one-half sack from tying the Arena Football League single season record.

But Utah – one of the league’s highest scoring teams -- also had great individual performances.  Former Preds WR Siaha Burley burned Orlando for 191 yards and four touchdowns on a game-high 14 catches.  Joe Germain passes for 289 yards and seven touchdowns.

“We had no answer for Si Burley,” Gruden added.  “When we tried to jam him and rough him up, he ran by us, when we tried to play soft, he caught all the underneath stuff and made plays.  When we tried to zone him, Germaine read it and dumped it off.”

Orlando received the opening kickoff and needed just six plays to take a 7-0 lead.  Johnson’s 7-yard scoring reception on fourth down was the key play of the drive.

The Blaze answered with a quick drive of their own.  Although Greg White managed to pick up a sack, Germaine hit Burley in the back of the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown to make it 7-7 at the 7:14 mark of the first quarter.

Orlando needed to score on 4th down of their second possession. This time Stafford hit Kevin Nagle on a 1-yard screen to make it a 14-7 game at the 1:42 mark of the first.

But Utah came back and tied it on the second play of their next possession.   Following a short pass to Tom Pace, Germaine went up top and hit a wide open Burley on a 39-yard touchdown pass.  It was the final play of the first quarter.

A 32-yard completion from Stafford to Dudley set up Nagle’s 5-yard run to put the Predators up 21-14.  Orlando made Utah work on its next possession, but Germaine scored on a 1-yard run on a third and goal to tie it at 21-21 with 6:35 remaining in the second quarter.

Orlando would then make it four touchdowns on their first four possessions, as Stafford scored on a 1-yard keeper on second and goal.  Jimmy Fryzel set up the touchdown on a 23-yard reception to get the ball inside the one.

Utah battled back to knot the game at 28-28, as Germaine hit Pace on a seven yarder.  Orlando would recover an ensuing on-sides kick and Marlon Moye-Moore ran it in from the one to up the lead to 35-28.  But Utah came right back.   Rob Gatrell pulled in a 4-yard pass for a score.  On the play, it appeared that Predators linebacker Moore looked like he was held on the play, but no penalty was called and the first half ended in a 35-35 tie.

Taking the second half kickoff, Utah would grab its first lead of the game on Burley’s third touchdown reception of the game.  Leading 42-35, Utah would then come up with the first defensive stop of the game.   On a fourth and three from the Utah five,  Orlando was called for a false start.  Going for it from the 10, Stafford’s low pass to Dudley was batted away and Utah had its stop.

But Orlando would tie the game on the very next play.  White sacked Germaine and forced a fumble that Moye-Moore recovered on the seven and ran in for a touchdown.  Jay Taylor’s extra point made it a 42-42 game at the 3:19 mark of the third quarter.

Utah would then re-take the lead on a 4-yard run by Kevin Clements.  But the key play on the drive was a conversion of a third and 14-play.  Germaine hit Burley on a quick screen and Burley would break three tackles for a 12-yard gain that ended with a personal foul face mask penalty against the Predators.

Stafford would tie the game at 49-49 on Orlando’s next possession.  On a third and five, Stafford pump faked and sent two his receivers deep – crossing up Utah by dropping the ball short to Jimmy Fryzel, who caught the ball in stride, avoided two tacklers and ran into the end zone for a 21-yard score at the 9:02 mark.

Utah would answer Orlando’s touchdown at the 5:40 mark on Pace’s sensational one-handed 5-yard touchdown grab in the end zone to make it 56-49 at the 5:25 mark.