Brutal Force
Scott Miller
Wednesday February 23, 2005
With a 28-13 deficit, the game was not out of reach at halftime. Then, as in every game this season, the Gladiators were shut out in the third quarter and for the second time this year failed to score at all in the second half. 13 points is a record low for the franchise. Rod Robinson had five turnovers (three interceptions and two fumbles) and two touchdowns. Craig Whelihan did not fair much better. He took over for Robinson in the middle of the fourth quarter. In two drives, the team did not score, including the final drive of the game that ended on the Force’s two-yard line.
Head coach Ron James described Robinson’s performance as an "off night". Since this is Robinson’s second start, and both times his turnovers have equaled or exceeded his touchdowns, he is not quite ready to be starting quarterback. A return date has not been determined for Clint Dolezel (out with a finger fracture).
The Friendly Skies
While not threatening any individual player or hinting at personnel changes, coach James talked about the team’s performance. "We have to determine exactly what the problems were and determine if it is correctable by scheme or correctable by personnel….The offensive production is abysmal…. I could get an af2 team in here and score more than thirteen points....If we can improve by changing our personnel, the message is easy, just go to the terminal at McCarran (International Airport)."
Sin City
Penalties continue to be a problem for Las Vegas and for teams visiting Las Vegas. Both teams outdid themselves: Las Vegas with 20 and Georgia with 14 combined for a league record-high 34 penalties. They eclipsed the previous record of 21 penalties set in 2003 (Georgia vs. Orlando 04/20/2004).
The Gladiators go to Nashville to face the Kats (1-3) on Saturday.
Mea Culpa
In my last article, I erroneously identified a missed extra point as a missed field goal. I apologize; readers have a right to expect journalists to get the facts correct and kudos to the reader who caught my error.
Scott Miller is a professional computer geek and talk show host in Las Vegas. His show is streamed live from klav120am.com on Fridays at 8PM. Archives of his show, The Usual Suspects can be found at his website.
