Georgia Force fall to 1-3 after tough loss to Orlando 50-45

Sunday March 23, 2008

ORLANDO, FL – The Georgia Force dropped their third game of the season as the Orlando Predators held on for a 45-50 win. Georgia appeared to win the game on the final-play, but after the officials discussed the play WR Charles Pauley was ruled out of bounds at the one-yard line with no time remaining in the game. Pauley led all receivers with 14 receptions for 170 yards and three touchdowns in his second game as a member of the Force. Georgia will look to re-group next week as they travel to Utah to battle the Blaze on Saturday, March 29.

At the end of the first quarter of play, Georgia led Orlando by a score of 21-10. The 21 points by the Force in the first quarter are the most they had scored in an opening quarter of action this season. Georgia’s defense held the Predators to a field goal on the opening possession of the game, and the Force offense was able to produce a touchdown on their first drive of the contest when WR Willis Marshall pounded the ball into the endzone on the ground from one-yard out. The two teams traded scores with Orlando’s WR T.T. Toliver and Georgia’s WR Carl Morris accounting for the scores. The Force defense created the first turnover of the game when rookie DB Stephen Cason intercepted Predators’ QB Shane Stafford, but fumbled short of the goal line where rookie DB/LB Cam Newton recovered the ball in the endzone for a Force touchdown.

Orlando won the turnover battle in the second quarter, which resulted in a 31-28 lead heading into the half. Stafford connected with Toliver for the Predators first points of the quarter and Orlando’s defense intercepted Greisen on the ensuing possession to gain the momentum. Toliver and Stafford combined for another score to give the Predators a 24-21 lead. Georgia responded with their first touchdown of the quarter when Greisen found Pauley on a crossing route in the back of the endzone. Orlando would score on a one-yard pass from Stafford to WR Chas Gessner to end the first half.

Georgia battled back in the third quarter by outscoring the Predators 10-7, knotting up the contest at 38 entering the final quarter of action. Greisen opened the scoring with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Pauley and the defense forced an Orlando fumble the FB/LB Matt Huebner recovered for the Force. Georgia capitalized on the turnover with a 23-yard field goal by K Carlos Martinez. Orlando rebounded with a two-yard touchdown run by FB/LB Marlon Moye-Moore to end the third quarter.

The final quarter of play was highlighted by defensive stops and one final attempt by the Force offense that fell short. Georgia opened the quarter with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Greisen to Pauley, but failed to score again in the quarter as the Predators would manage two scores. On the final play of the game, Greisen completed a pass to Pauley for 19-yards for an apparent game-winning touchdown. Following a brief discussion by the officials, Pauley was ruled out of bounds at the one-yard line and that Orlando had won the game.

SCORE             1          2          3          4          TOTAL
GA                   21        7          10        7          45      
ORL                  10        21        7          12        50

PASSING
GA – Chris Greisen                  24-46-287-4-1
ORL – Shane Stafford              20-28-278-6-1

RECEIVING
GA – Charles Pauley               14-170-3
ORL – Ron Johnson                   9-76-1

RUSHING
GA – Fred Coleman                1-8-0
ORL – Odie Armstrong 3-9-0

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: WR T.T. Toliver, ORL
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: DB Kenny McEntyre, ORL
IRONMAN OF THE GAME: FB/LB Marlon Moye-Moore, ORL