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Final Step: Tuskers Face Locomotives For Championship

November 22, 2010 - United Football League (UFL 1)
Florida Tuskers News Release


Game: 9

Florida Tuskers vs. Las Vegas Locomotives

Rosenblatt Stadium, Omaha, NE

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Toe-To-Leather: 12 Noon (EDT)

TV: VERSUS

Radio: WTKS (104.1 FM)

2010 Tuskers Schedule

Date Opponent Time/Score

9/18 at Las Vegas W, 27-20

9/25 at Sacramento L, 20-24

9/30 LAS VEGAS L, 17-20

10/9 at Hartford W, 33-20

10/21 SACRAMENTO L, 17-21

11/5 OMAHA W, 31-14

11/11 HARTFORD W, 41-17

11/19 at Omaha W, 27-10

UFL CHAMPIONSHIP

11/27 vs. LAS VEGAS 12 Noon

2010 UFL Standings

Team W-L Pct.

Las Vegas 5-3 .625

Florida 5-3 .625

Sacramento 4-4 .500

Omaha 3-5 .375

Hartford 3-5 .375

This Week's Games

UFL Championship

Florida vs. Las Vegas (Omaha)

Last Week's Results

Florida 27, Omaha 10

Hartford 27, Las Vegas 14

Florida Tuskers Public Relations

Dan Pearson, Director

407-791-4663

dan.pearson@ufl-football.com

Jason Lucas, Assistant Director

407-925-8610

jason.lucas@ufl-football.com

Neil Tredray, Student Assistant

407-432-0679

neil.tredray@ufl-football.com

IT'S LIKE DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN: TUSKERS FACE LOCOMOTIVES FOR UFL TITLE

After securing a spot in the UFL title game with an impressive 27-10 road win over Omaha, the Florida Tuskers will face an old nemesis in the title game as they square off against the Las Vegas Locomotives. The title game will be contested on a neutral site, as Omaha's historic Rosenblatt Stadium will host the game on Saturday, Nov. 27 with a 12 noon kick (EST). The game will be a rematch of the 2009 UFL title game, where the Locomotives upset previously undefeated Florida, 20-17, in overtime. The Locomotives, by virtue of a 5-1 start, had clinched their spot in the title game several weeks earlier. But the Locomotives have struggled of late, losing their final two games, while Florida comes into the game with three consecutive wins and four victories in their last five games.

THE SERIES

Although the league is only in its second season of operation, a fairly extensive history already exists between these two teams. In 2009, they met three times, including twice in the regular season. The Tuskers would sweep the regular season series, beating the Locomotives by a 29-15 count in Las Vegas back on Oct. 14 and taking a 27-24 decision in an Oct. 30 game that was played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. The Tuskers would conclude the regular season with a perfect 6-0 record; while Las Vegas would finish with a 4-2 mark. The two teams would meet in the first UFL Championship Game, where Las Vegas would record a 20-17 upset win in overtime to claim the title. The two teams opened the 2010 season in Las Vegas on Sept. 18, with the Tuskers once against winning - this time by a 27-20 count. In a rematch at the Florida Citrus Bowl just two weeks later, the Locomotives defeated the Tuskers on a last second field goal, 20-17.

Series Results (Florida Leads 3-2)

10/14/09 at Las Vegas W, 29-15 Bollinger throws for 310 yards, 3 TD

10/30/09 at Florida

* W, 27-24 Matt Bryant's 40-yard FG wins it

11/27/10 at Las Vegas*

* L, 20-17 Nick Turbull's INT sets up FG in OT

9/18/10 at Las Vegas W, 27-20 Bollinger, Defense lead the way

9/30/10 at Florida L, 17-20 Douglass FG on Final Play beats Tuskers

*game played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg **UFL Championship Game

LAST TIME OUT: TUSKERS EARN SPOT IN TITLE GAME WITH BIG WIN

Florida's defense returned two interceptions for touchdowns and Nick Novak drilled two long field goals to lead the Tuskers to a 27-10 win over the Omaha Nighthawks. With the victory, Florida won its third straight game and improved to 5-3. The win also sent the Tuskers back to the UFL Championship Game for a rematch with Las Vegas. Omaha, who was blown out of their last two games by a 72-17 count - including a 31-14 loss to Florida two weeks ago, made it tough on the Tuskers. The game was 10-3 at the half and the Tuskers did not get any breathing room until Calvin Russell's 35-yard touchdown reception with six minutes left in the third finally gave Florida a two-score lead. "It was exactly what I expected," Tuskers head coach Jay Gruden said. "Omaha had nothing to play for, but I know they have a lot of NFL vets on that side that would have liked nothing better than to spoil our day. It was a credit to their players and coaches that they fought so hard tonight." Still, the Tuskers would finish the season on a roll. After Omaha cut the lead to 20-10 in the fourth, Keiwan Ratliff intercepted DJ Shockley and returned it 58-yards for a touchdown to ice the game. "We were far from perfect tonight. We turned the ball over on the goal line, allowed too many sacks and took some bad penalties" Gruden said. "But we made some plays when we had to and we won the battle of field position. It would be hard for me to call a 17-point win a sloppy win. Our guys played hard and once again our defense was outstanding."

2009 UFL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME SUMMARY: Las Vegas 20, Florida 17 (November 27, 2009)

First quarter: Florida (the designated home team by virtue of their 1st place regular season finish) took the ball first after winning the opening coin toss, but they and Las Vegas traded punts on their opening possessions. The Tuskers' second possession saw Brooks Bollinger connect with long throws to o "Taye Biddle" Taye Biddle for 32 yards, and o "Jayson Foster" Jayson Foster for 15 yards, and ended with Bollinger connecting up the middle with o "Marcus Maxwell" Marcus Maxwell on an 8-yard touchdown throw. Second quarter: The Locos moved the ball to the Florida 2-yard line where, on 2nd and Goal, Tuskers linebacker o "Odell Thurman" Odell Thurman forced a fumble by Locos running back o "Marcel Shipp" Marcel Shipp that was recovered by defensive end o "Patrick Chukwurah" Patrick Chukwurah. After a o "Three-and-out" 3-and-out by the Tuskers' offense, the ensuing Locos drive was kept alive when a Darrius Vinnett interception was negated by a Tuskers penalty. On the next play, Losman connected with o "Samie Parker" Samie Parker on a 16-yard completion for a 1st down before having to depart with an injury. o "Tim Rattay" Tim Rattay finished the drive at QB, moving the Locos to the Florida 35, where o "Graham Gano" Graham Gano missed wide on a 53-yard field goal attempt. The ensuing Tuskers drive also ended on a missed field goal, as o "Matt Bryant" Matt Bryant hooked a 51-yard try to the left. The Tuskers' next drive ended in an interception, which the Locos turned into a 45-yard field goal by Gano to end the half and make the score 7-3 in favor of the Tuskers. Third quarter: There was little offensive momentum in the 3rd quarter, with both teams having 3 possessions that ended in punts, keeping the score the same as it was at the start of the quarter. Fourth quarter: Ending a Locomotives' drive that carried over from the 3rd quarter, o "DeDe Dorsey" DeDe Dorsey sprinted down the right sideline for a 38-yard TD run, giving the Locos their first lead at 10-7 with 12:53 left. Unbowed, the Tuskers responded in quick fashion; starting from his own 20, Bollinger connected with o "Taye Biddle" Taye Biddle on a 15-yard pass play, immediately followed by a 10-yard o "Tatum Bell" Tatum Bell run. On 2nd and 5 from the 50-yard line, Bollinger went deep and connected with o "Marcus Maxwell" Marcus Maxwell on a 40-yard throw, the longest offensive play of the game. The Tuskers regained the lead on the next play, as Bollinger threw up the middle to o "Frank Murphy (gridiron football)" Frank Murphy on a 10-yard TD catch. The five-play, 80-yard drive gave Florida a 14-10 lead with 10:27 left. A Tuskers fumble set up Las Vegas inside of Florida 5-yard line. Three plays later, Dorsey snuck into the end zone up the middle for his second touchdown of the quarter, giving Las Vegas a 17-14 lead with 5:58 left. Much in the same way as they responded after the first Locos' touchdown, Florida quickly moved the ball down the field on the next drive. Bollinger started with 2 quick completions to Biddle (18 yards) and Maxwell (15 yards). Two plays later, on 2nd and 6 from the Locos 41, Bollinger found o "Jayson Foster" Jayson Foster, who broke a tackle and sprinted 41-yards down the left sideline to the end zone. Fassel and the Locos immediately challenged the call, and after review it was determined that Foster was down by contact at the Las Vegas 35-yard line, The Tuskers would settle for a 27-yard field goal by Bryant, which tied the game at 17. Overtime: Winning the coin toss, Florida elected to receive the ball. o "Michael Spurlock" Michael Spurlock's kickoff return was pushed back to the Tuskers' own 9-yard line after a holding penalty. Two plays later, on 3rd and 7, Bollinger escaped a sack but his pass was intercepted by Locos' defensive back o "Isaiah Trufant" Isaiah Trufant. Trufant fumbled but the ball was immediately recovered by Locos' cornerback o "Trey Young (page does not exist)" Trey Young. After one running play to center the ball for a field goal attempt, o "Graham Gano" Graham Gano connected on a 33-yard attempt, sneaking the ball just inside the right upright to give the Locomotives the first UFL title, and denying the Tuskers a perfect season, with a final score of 20-17.

NEW LOOK TUSKERS

It's interesting to note that of the 26 guys who started the Tuskers first game against Las Vegas, only 13 started against Omaha in the team's final game of the season.

TUSKERS WIN COMES SHORT HANDED

Florida was able to post a big win on Friday night, despite once again having to play a game short-handed. Two key starters on defense (DE Patrick Chukurwah and LB Odell Thurman) and a key starter on offense (Guard Adrien Clarke) did not dress for the game, leaving the Tuskers with only 47 players in uniform. But that has been the modus operandi for the Tuskers for the entire season. Consider the following: Counting last week's game, the Tuskers have had 12 defensive starters or key reserves miss a total of 46 games. The tally: Safety JR Reed (ankle-7 games), DE Eric Powell (ankle-7 games), DE Patrick Chukurwah (biceps tear/hip flexor-3 games), CB Fahkir Brown (neck-5 games), LB Weston Dacus (hamstring-6 games), DE Chris Harrington (knee-5 games), Tim McGarigle (concussion, thumb-4 games), DT Langston Moore (biceps tear-4 games), and LB Anthony Schlegel (shoulder-3 game), Odell Thurman (knee-2 game), DeJaun Tribble (Knee-1 Game), Nate Salley (Knee-1 game).

DOMINATING THE FIRST HALF

In the last three wins, the Tuskers have dominated the first halfoutscoring opponents 79-3. The totals included a 31-0 lead over Omaha on Nov. 5 and a 38-0 lead over Hartford on Nov. 11. The Tuskers have now outscored opponents 126-43 in the first half of games this season.

DEFENSE BECOMING OFFENSIVE WEAPON

After going 11 games in franchise history without a defensive touchdown, the Tuskers defense has scored four times in the last three games, including three "pick sixes" and a fumble return for touchdown. Florida won all three of those games and back-up defensive back Keiwan Ratliff accounted for two of those scores.

Date Opponent Result Play

11/5 Omaha W, 31-14 Keiwan Ratliff 29-yard interception return

11/11 Hartford W, 41-17 Terrance Melton 70-yard fumble return

11/19 at Omaha W, 27-10 Darrius Vinnett 45-yard interception return

Keiwan Ratliff 58-yard interception return

ADD AND ADJUST

Florida earned a spot in the UFL Championship game by its uncanny ability to bring in new players to replace injured players without missing a beat. On the defensive side of the ball, DB Keiwan Ratliff, LB J Leman, DL Claude Wroten, DE Eric Moore, DE Darion Scott, DB Keith Tribble and LB/DE Darryl Blackstock are just a few examples of players that came in during the season and have made significant contributions. Head Coach Jay Gruden deflects much of the credit to defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan and Player Personnel Director Bret Munsey for the Tuskers success in this area. "With such a short season, it's important to not only find a good player but the right player for an injury replacement," Gruden said. "Chuck and Bret have done a great job in this area. Several times we have brought in players who have played for Chuck before and know his system. Other times it's a matter of finding the right player to fill in. We have been fortunate to bring in some guys that have picked up our system quickly. It doesn't do any good to find a great athlete if he's running around out there out of position all the time."

Lord Of The Rings, Gruden Goes for Eighth Pro Football Championship

Tuskers Head Coach Jay Gruden will be going for his eight professional football championship ring on Saturday. Those totals include four Arena Football League titles as a player (Tampa Bay Storm 1991-93-95-96), two Arena Football League championships as a head coach (Orlando Predators 1998-2000), and one National Football League title as an assistant coach (Tampa Bay Bucs 2002). Gruden has come close to several other titles. As offensive coordinator, Gruden saw his Florida Tuskers lose in overtime to Las Vegas last season. As a head coach, his Predators lost in the ArenaBowl in both 1999 and 2006. Still, Gruden has managed to run a pretty impressive string of firsts as the chart below indicates:

Year Occurrence Result

1991 First season as a player in AFL Led Storm to ArenaBowl Championship over Detroit (48-42)

1998 First season as a head coach in AFL Led Predators to ArenaBowl Championship over Tampa Bay (61-13)

2002 First season as an NFL assistant On staff for Tampa Bay's win over Oakland (48-21)

2010 First season as an UFL Head Coach ????????????????????????

TAKING IT AWAY

In the Tuskers recent 3-0 run, the Tuskers won the turnover battle by a 10-6 margin. The Tuskers have had seven interceptions and three fumble recoveries in the last three games and its defense has scored 24 points. But that has been nothing new for the Tuskers. Florida has forced two or more turnovers in its last five games and in six of eight regular season games. For the season, the Tuskers have a +7 margin in turnovers. With Las Vegas tossing three interceptions in Saturday's night loss to Hartford, the Tuskers finish as the league's top team in the turnover category.

Game Takeaways Turnovers Margin

Las Vegas 4 2 +2

At Sacramento 1 1 ---- Las Vegas 1 0 +1

At Hartford 4 2 +2

Sacramento 2 4 -2

Omaha 2 2 ----- Hartford 5 3 +2

At Omaha 3 2 +1

Season Totals 22 16 +6

Team Takeaways Turnovers Margin

Florida Tuskers 22 16 +6

Las Vegas 21 16 +5

Sacramento 15 16 -1

Hartford 13 16 -6

Omaha 15 19 -4

Season Totals 86 86 ---- AND THAT COULD EXPLAIN WHY THEY ARE IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP

A final note on turnovers during the 2010 UFL seasonThe Tuskers (+6) and the Locomotives (+5) were the only two teams to finish on the plus side of the takeaway-giveaway game. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that they are also the two teams to make it to the championship game this year.

RHODES WINS RUSHING AND TOUCHDOWN TITLE

Although he was held to less than 60 yards rushing and no touchdowns on Friday against Omaha, it did not keep Florida running back Dominic Rhodes from leading the United Football League in both rushing and touchdowns. Rhodes toted the ball 22 times for 52 tough yards against the Nighthawks to finish the season with 557 yards. That total was good for first place in the UFL, as Rhodes finished in front of both Sacramento's Cory Ross (435) and Hartford's Lorenzo Booker (410). Rhodes' nine rushing touchdowns was five more than any other player in the UFL; while his 10 total touchdowns was also five more than his closest UFL competitor. Ross finished second in both of those categories with four rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown for five total.

TUSKERS MAY HAVE OPTIONS NEXT WEEK

Other than the players that are on injured reserve (and that list is extensive) the Tuskers may be as healthy as they have been in the last month. DE Patrick Chukurwah, LB Odell Thurman, and OG Adrien Clarke may all be available this week, giving head coach Jay Gruden an option of which two players inactivate this week. "For the last four games, it was easy to decide who to place on inactive, because we always had two or three guys who could not even dress because of injury," Gruden said. "At least this week, I may have to make some choices. Relatively speaking, it will be as healthy as we have been in a long time."

TUSKERS DEFENSE LOSES TWO MORE DEFENDERS

The Florida Tuskers defense took another hit last Tuesday, when the team learned that starting cornerback DeJaun Tribble would miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. Tribble has a torn meniscus, which will require surgery. He was placed on the team's injured reserve list. Tribble, a mid-season replacement, played in the last four games for the Tuskers. His stats have included 9.5 tackles with an interception, a tackle-for-loss and one pass defense. He becomes the 11th defensive starter or key reserve on the Tuskers team to go down with injury. Those players have missed 46 games so far. On Tuesday, the Tuskers also placed WR Huey Whitaker (sprained MCL) on injured reserve. Whitaker has played in all nine games this season with five catches for 38 yards and one score. He also contributed on special teams with a tackle and fumble recovery. To replace Tribble on the roster, the Tuskers resigned cornerback Corey Small - who is starting his third stint this season with the Tuskers. A former standout at Florida Atlantic, Small was among the last players cut in Florida Tuskers training camp. He resigned with the team prior to Hartford game (10/9) and appeared on the active roster for one week before being released. Whitaker's spot on the roster will be filled by former Tampa Bay Bucs wide receiver Brian Clark. A seasoned veteran with four years of NFL experience, the 6-3, 205-lb. Clark spent two seasons with the Denver Broncos and two years with the Bucs. He played in 34 NFL games, recording 11 receptions for 100 yards to go with a 21.9 average on 34 kickoff returns. He also had 18 special team tackles and a blocked punt. Clark played two seasons at NC State (2004-05), where he emerged as a deep threat. In his senior season, he averaged more than 21 yards a reception (25-537) and scored six touchdowns. For his career, he had 43 receptions for 748 yards and nine scores.

As of a result of a physical exam on Tuesday, the Tuskers placed defensive back Nate Salley on injured reserve the following day, effectively ending his 2010 season. Salley was signed prior to Week 3 to replace the injured JR Reed. He played in five games at strong safety, recording eight tackles and a pass defense. Salley becomes the 12th defensive starter or key reserve on the Tuskers team to go down with injury.

To replace Salley, the Tuskers signed NFL veteran Kevin Kaesviharn. A former standout at Augustana College in South Dakota, Kaesiviharn went undrafted by the NFL in 1998 and signed a contract with the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League. He posted two outstanding seasons, including earning first team All-Arena in 2000 with 10 interceptions. Kaesviharn was drafted by the San Francisco Demons of the XFL in 2000. He played in 10 games for the Demons that season making 41 tackles with three interceptions. He caught the attention of NFL scouts and signed a free agent contract with the Green Bay Packers in 2001. After being waived in training camp, Kaesviharn joined the practice squad of the Cincinnati Bengals and was later promoted to the active roster. He would go on to play nine seasons in the NFL for the Bengals (2001-06), New Orleans Saints (2007-08) and Tennessee Titans (2009). In 126 career NFL games, Kaesviharn made 58 career starts and recorded 479 total tackles with 41 pass defenses, 17 interceptions and six quarterback sacks. His top season came in 2006 when he had six interceptions in 14 games for the Bengals. He also started all 16 games for Cincinnati in 2007.

IT WASN'T THAT FAR FROM PERFECT AGAIN

Although the Tuskers finished 5-3 on the season, one could make the argument that the team could just as easily be 8-0 and could have improved on last season's perfect 6-0 regular season record. Consider the following:

*Florida had 4th quarter leads in all three of its losses

*Opponents had to convert 4th down plays on its game-winning drive three times

*Florida 20-17 loss to Las Vegas on Sept. 30 came on a field goal on the game's final play

Had the team stopped the fourth down plays, the Tuskers most likely would have won both Sacramento games. With the score tied at 17-17, the Tuskers failed to convert on a third and three play, and the subsequent punt set up Las Vegas on its game-winning drivethus an 8-0 was not far out of reach.

TUSKERS HAVE THREE UNDER CONSIDERATION

The Florida Tuskers have three players under consideration for post-season honors. Running back Dominic Rhodes (Offensive Player of the Year/MVP), kicker Nick Novak (Special Teams Player of Year) and DE Patrick Chukurwah (Defensive Player of the Year) are all expected to receive votes for post-season honors.

HIGH SCORING TUSKERS

For a second consecutive year, the Florida Tuskers led the UFL in scoring with 213 points. The Tuskers 26.6 points per game was more than three points better than the league's second best offensive team Las Vegas, who averaged 23.3 points per game. Florida's 38 points in the first half of the Hartford game two weeks ago set a record for the most points in a half of a UFL regular season game, while the Tuskers 41 points was the most this season in the UFL. Before Sacramento laid a 41-3 beat down on Omaha two weeks ago, the Tuskers were the only team in the UFL to score 30 or more points this season. Still, the Tuskers have scored three of the four highest point totals this season and six of the ten highest point totals in UFL history.

Single Game Points, 2010

41, Florida Tuskers vs. Hartford (Nov. 11, 2010)

41, Sacramento vs. Omaha (Nov. 14, 2010)

33, Florida Tuskers vs. Hartford (Oct. 9, 2010)

31, Florida Tuskers vs. Omaha (Nov. 5, 2010)

Most Points, Single Game in League History

41, Florida Tuskers vs. Hartford (Nov. 11, 2010)

41, Sacramento vs. Omaha (Nov. 14. 2010)

41, Las Vegas vs. New York (Nov. 4, 2009)

41, Las Vegas vs New York (Nov. 20, 2009)

35, Florida Tuskers vs. New York (Oct. 10, 2009)

34, Florida Tuskers vs. California (Oct. 22, 2009)

34, Florida Tuskers vs. California (Nov. 19, 2009)

33, Florida Tuskers vs. Hartford (Oct. 9, 2010)

31, Florida Tuskers vs. Omaha (Nov. 5, 2010)

30, Las Vegas vs. California (Oct. 8, 2009)

TUSKERS CHASING THIRD DOWN BLUES

From Week 2 of the regular season (at Sacramento 9/25) through Week 6 (vs. Sacramento 10/21), the Tuskers struggled on third down plays. In fact, Florida converted just 22% of its third down plays (11 of 50), while going 1-3 in that stretch. In its last three wins, the Tuskers have been a lot better on that front, converting 20 of 40 third down plays for 50.0%. When the Florida converts 35% or more on third downs it is 4-0, but is 1-3 when converting less than 35%. Tuskers on third down this season:

At Las Vegas 8-17 47.5% W

At Sacramento 3-14 21.4% L

Las Vegas 3-11 27.3% L

At Hartford 3-14 21.4% W

Sacramento 2-11 18.2% L

Omaha 10-15 66.7% W

Hartford 5-11 45.4% W

Omaha 5-14 35.7% W

GREISEN PROVIDES THE SPARK

Although the Tuskers defense has been playing some outstanding football - especially in the later part of the seasonperhaps one of the most important players has been quarterback Chris Greisen. Now in his second UFL season, Greisen spent all of the 2009 season and the first five games of this season as back-up to Brooks Bollinger. With Bollinger hurting with rib, thumb and neck problems, Greisen took over as starter and had led the Tuskers to three consecutive wins. Although he has not tossed for a ton of yards and has been sacked eight times in three games, Greisen has been extremely efficient (56 of 77, 72.7%) and he has put points on the board. More importantly, he has kept drives alive and moved the chains, which has helped the Tuskers defense stay fresh.

RHODES MAKING BID FOR MVP AWARD

Could a Tuskers player take the MVP Awards for a second consecutive season? Running back Dominic Rhodes has been making enough of a wave to garner some attention for league MVP honors. Rhodes has rushed for a league-leading 557 yards this season, including three 100-yard games. Rhodes has also scored a league-leading 10 touchdowns, five more than anyone else in the UFL. To date, Rhodes owns five of the top seven rushing games in Tuskers's franchise history, including the top three games.

TUSKERS TOP SINGLE GAME RUSHING HIGHS

Player No.-Yards Avg. Opponent Date

Dominic Rhodes 11-111 10.1 Omaha 11.5.10

Dominic Rhodes 20-103 5.2 Hartford 10.9.10

Dominic Rhodes 20-102 5.1 Hartford 11.11.10

Tatum Bell 15-70 4.7 New York 10.10.09

Tatum Bell 20-65 3.3 Las Vegas 10.30.09

Dominic Rhodes 18-60 3.3 Sacramento 10.21.10

Dominic Rhodes 11-59 5.4 Las Vegas 9.30.10

SACK MACHINE

With three quarterback sacks against Omaha, the Tuskers held on to lead the UFL in total sacks with 26 for the season. Florida defensive end Joe Clermond led the league with 6.5 quarterback sacks, while Patrick Chukurwah finished second with 5.5, although he missed three games with assorted injuries. Here are the league and team leaders in this category.

NOVAK HOT/TAKES LEAGUE SCORING TITLE

Florida Tuskers kicker Nick Novak has been all but automatic since joining the team right before the start of the regular season. In seven games, Novak has hit 15 of 18 field goal attempts (83.3%). Including extra points, Novak has made his last 28 kicks and has hit his last 10 field goal attempts. Novak has not missed a kick of any type since his 43-yard field goal attempt against Las Vegas on Sept. 30 sailed wide left. Novak also ended up as the league's scoring leader with a record with 69 points. In addition to being 15 of 18 on field goals, Novak is a perfect 24 of 24 on point after attempts.

FIELD GOALS 1-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ Total

Novak,Nick 0-0 3-3 3-3 7-10 2-2 15-18

Florida Comes Up Short of Daily Double Repeat

The Florida Tuskers came up a little bit short in their quest to be the highest scoring offense and stingiest defense for a second consecutive year. Last season, the Tuskers led the UFL in both scoring offense (30.5 ppg) and scoring defense (15.1 ppg). And, as mentioned earlier, the Tuskers were the UFL's top offense again in 2010, scoring 213 points and averaging 26.6 points per game. But Florida came up just short in leading the UFL in scoring defense this season. The Tuskers allowed just 17.0 points per game this season, but came in second in scoring defense behind the Locomotives, who allowed just 16.1 points per game this season. Overall, Florida allowed 136 points this season, compared to 129 by Las Vegas.

TUSKERS/UFL ANYTHING BUT MINOR LEAGUE

While many UFL coaches, players and administrators often cringe when casual football fans use the phrase "minor league" or "semi-professional" to describe any brand of football that is not the NFL, it helps to sometimes look at the facts to show just how impressive the playing resumes are for UFL players. Here some eye-opening facts concerning the Florida Tuskers current 52-man roster:

50 of 52 Tuskers players have been through at least one NFL training camp

41 of 52 Tuskers players have been on an NFL active roster

37 of 52 Tuskers players have played in NFL games

27 of 52 Tuskers players have played in 10 or more NFL games

23 of 52 Tuskers players have played in 20 or more NFL games

21 of 52 Tuskers players have made NFL starts

18 of 52 Tuskers players have played in 30 or more NFL games

14 of 52 Tuskers players have played in 40 or more NFL games

9 of 52 Tuskers players have played in 50 or more NFL games

The Tuskers 52 current players have played in more than 1,400 NFL games and have made close to 500 Starts

The Tuskers offensive line (excluding tight ends) has played in 224 NFL Games and made 139 starts

EXPERIENCE PART II

Here are some more NFL facts in figures concerning the Florida Tuskers 2010 roster

TE Jermaine Wiggins has played in the most NFL games (105)

OL Shane Olivea has made the most NFL starts (57)

QB Brooks Bollinger has passed for 2,256 yards and 9 TDs in NFL games

RB Dominic Rhodes has 3,114 NFL Rushing Yards, 1021 receiving yards, 3,122 kickoff return

Yards, 7272 all-purpose yards and has scored 32 touchdowns

DB Keiwan Ratliff has 145 total tackles, 4 interceptions and 9 PD in 73 NFL games

LB Odell Thurman has 98 tackles and 5 Interceptions in 16 NFL games

DE Darrion Scott had 128 tackles and 10 quarterback sacks in 48 NFL games

DT Grady Jackson has 359 tackles, 35.5 sacks, and 129 NFL starts in 185 career games played

DB Kevin Kaesviharn has played in 126 NFL games and has 17 career interceptions

LAST TIME THEY MET: Setember 30, 2010- Las Vegas 20, Florida 17 (OT)

When Parker Douglass drilled a 21-yard field goal as time expired last Thursday, it secured a 20-17 win for the Locomotives and gave the Tuskers its first losing streak in franchise history. Although the game was close throughout, many aspects of the loss were troubling, promising and explainable for the Tuskers. Among the interesting nuances:

*Orlando was playing short-handed as it was without the services of two key defenders. Starting linebacker

Tim McGarigle and defensive end Patrick Chukwurah both missed the game with injuries.

*Still, the Tuskers held Las Vegas to just 20 points in the game.

*But Vegas dominated. The Locos piled up 485 yards of total offense in the game and ran for 174 yards. Orlando had

only one possession in the first quarter and ran just 53 offensive plays in the game.

*For a second consecutive game, defensive breakdowns led to huge plays. Las Vegas had completions of 68 and 59 yards

and De De Dorsey has a 47-yard run. All three plays led to points for the Locomotives.

*Still Florida battled back, erasing a 10-0 deficit and actually grabbed a 17-10 lead with just six minutes to go.

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