Nighthawks Take On Virginia Destroyers In Home Opener
October 10, 2012 - United Football League (UFL 1)
Omaha Nighthawks News Release
Game: 3
Virginia at Omaha
TD Ameritrade Park
Friday, Oct. 12, 2012
Kickoff: 6 p.m. (CDT)
Radio: KOZN (1620AM)
TV: CBS Sports Network
2012 Nighthawks Schedule
Date Opponent Time/Score
9.28 at Sacramento W 24-20
10.3 at Vegas L 6-41
10.12 Virginia 6 p.m. CDT
10.17 Las Vegas 8 p.m. CDT
10.23 Sacramento 8 p.m. CDT
10.31 at Vegas 8 p.m. CDT
11.9 at Virginia 8:30 p.m. CST
11.16 Virginia 6 p.m. CST
2012 UFL Standings
Team W-L Pct.
Las Vegas 2-0 1.000
Omaha 1-1 .500
Virginia 1-1 .500
Sacramento 0-2 .000
This Week's Games
10.10 Las Vegas at Sacramento, 8 p.m. CDT
10.12 Virginia at Omaha, 6 p.m. CDT
Last Week's Results
Las Vegas - 41, Omaha - 6 (at Vegas 10/3)
Virginia - 37, Sacramento - 29 (at Virginia 10/5)
Game Day Information
Lots open at 3 p.m., gates at 4 p.m.
Parking is $8
Tailgating is allowed
Lots close 90 minutes after the game
Tonight's Officials
Referee-Perry Havener; Head Linesman-Harold Mitchell; Umpire-Al Granado; Line Judge-Ralph Newell; Field Judge-Scott Koch; Side Judge-Wade Wagner; Back Judge-Craig Griffith; Replay-Jim Blackwood; Observer-Carl Paganelli
THE GAME
After a tough schedule of back-to-back road games in weeks one and two of the 2012 season, the 1-1 Omaha Nighthawks will host the 1-1 Virginia Destroyers this Friday night at TD Ameritrade Park. This is the second consecutive season that the Nighthawks will play their home opener against Virginia. The action begins at 6 p.m. with live broadcasts on KOZN (1620 The Zone) and CBS Sports Network (Cox channel 234). A live stream of the radio broadcast will be available online at 1620thezone.com. Radio play-by-play will be provided by Gary Sharp, with color commentary by Mike'l Severe. Howard David will provide play-by-play coverage for the television broadcast, with analysis by Jaime Dukes and sideline reporting by Jackie Montgomery.
Five days after opening their season with an impressive comeback victory over the Sacramento Mountain Lions, the Nighthawks were unable to find their rhythm in Las Vegas as they fell to the Locomotives 41-6. After eight full days of game prep, the Nighthawks should be feeling fresh and confident as they take on the Destroyers.
This week's game kicks off the second season of professional football that has been played at TD Ameritrade Park. This is the Nighthawks' third season of professional football and the United Football League's fourth year of play.
THE SERIES
The only time these two teams have met on the field was for the Nighthawks' 2011 home opener. Virginia emerged victorious from that match-up, beating the Nighthawks 23-13. Omaha's loss was largely attributed to mistakes on the field, including three interceptions. The Nighthawks will be looking to avenge that loss as they head into this week's match-up against the Destroyers.
THE MISSION
The Omaha Nighthawks will endeavor to produce a great football organization that will be a credit to the Omaha community and the United Football League. We will strive to provide our city and region with a successful team that personifies qualities of integrity, sportsmanship and competitive respect for each other, our opponents and our fans. Our organization will provide an environment wherein our players, coaches, staff and partners can improve and enhance their personal careers and aspirations. We are all in it together. The right way. The Nighthawk way.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
The Nighthawks had arguably the toughest schedule in the UFL for weeks one and two, with back-to-back away games both of which were two time zones away in the span of only five days. Omaha rallied to win its season opener 24-20 on the road in Sacramento despite trailing the Mountain Lions for most of the game. The travel and shortened game preparation week caught up to the Nighthawks last week in Las Vegas, as they fell 41-6 to the Locomotives in a game full of mistakes and missed opportunities. After an extended game preparation week the Nighthawks had a full eight days between the Vegas game and this Friday's home opener Omaha should be ready to roll as they take on the Destroyers.
EVENLY MATCHED
Not only do the Destroyers and the Nighthawks enter this week's game with the same record, but also their wins and losses have come from the same teams. The Nighthawks beat the Sacramento Mountain Lions 24-20 in their season opener, and the Destroyers outscored the Mountain Lions 27-29 in week two. The Destroyers fell 19-6 to the Las Vegas Locomotives in week one, and the Nighthawks lost to the Locos 41-6 in week two.
STAYING POSITIVE
There were a lot of factors working against the Nighthawks last week in Vegas. Nevertheless, the players left the field disappointed in themselves and their performance. Although he was not pleased with the outcome of the game, head coach Bart Andrus pulled some positives out of the experience. "They played hard from start to finish, and that's a good sign," Andrus said. "And they were upset with themselves after the game. They were not happy with what they did, and that's a good sign also."
MAKING CORRECTIONS
Mistakes on both the offensive and defensive sides were the biggest factor in last week's loss. Omaha's four turnovers two of which occurred in the first 6 minutes of the game and resulted in Vegas touchdowns hindered the Nighthawks' offensive efforts and gave the Locos more scoring opportunities. On the defensive side, missed tackles, substitution issues and inability to stop Vegas in the backfield allowed the Locos offense to move the ball and make big plays. "All of the things that happened in the game, defensively and offensively, are correctible," Andrus said. "That's usually a sign of a young team."
QB SWITCH
When the Nighthawks offense struggled to find any momentum during the first half of last week's game in Vegas, Andrus decided to pull starting quarterback Jason Boltus to give backup QB GJ Kinne a chance. Kinne also had difficulty sparking the Nighthawks' offensive attack, completing 6 of 15 passes for 53 yards and throwing two interceptions in his pro debut. Boltus will start the game against the Destroyers this week.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
After a disappointing game in Las Vegas, running back Preston Brown will be hungry for another outstanding performance like the one he had in Sacramento in week one, when he rushed for 89 yards and logged 60 yards receiving. Linebacker Phillip Dillard and cornerback DeMarcus Faggins emerged as defensive leaders in Las Vegas, recording four solo tackles apiece.
BLAST FROM THE PAST
Nighthawks wide receiver Chris Davis and Destroyers offensive lineman Mario Henderson played together at Florida State. Both were drafted into the NFL in 2007 Henderson in the third round (Oakland Raiders) and Davis in the fourth round (Tennessee Titans). Virginia defensive back Jerome Carter also played for the Seminoles and was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL draft.
2012 OMAHA NIGHTHAWKS PRONOUNCIATION GUIDE
Bart Andrus AND-russ
Marcel Bellefeuille BELL-fay
Pete Kuharchek Kah-HAR-check
Brandon Akpunku ACK-a-POON-koo
Brandon Coutu KOH-too
DeMarcus Faggins FAY-ghins
Antonio Fenelus Fen-ELL-us
GJ Kinne KIN-nee
Franklin Okam OAK-um
Cory Ohnesorge O-nez-ORG-ah
Schuylar Oordt SKY-ler ORT
Aaron Pflugrad FLEW-grad
Nicholas Saenz SINES
2012 NIGHTHAWKS COACHING STAFF
Bart Andrus Head Coach
Marcel Bellefeuille Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers
Pete Kuharchek Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
Don Lawrence Assistant to the Head Coach
Russ Purnell Special Teams Coordinator
Ron Heller Offensive Line
Rex Norris Defensive Line
Richard Kent Defensive Backs
Mike Morand Defensive Quality Control
Robert Hunt Tight Ends
Steve Heimann Running Backs
Travis Andrus Special Teams Quality Control
James Kerwin Head Strength Coach
Tom Lechtenberg Head Athletic Trainer
2012 COACHES' BIOS
Bart Andrus, Head Coach
Bart Andrus returns to Omaha for his second season with the Nighthawks after serving as the team's offensive coordinator for the 2011 season. Andrus has more than 30 years of coaching experience and has coached in five championship games at the professional level. Prior to joining the Nighthawks, Andrus spent one season as the head coach of the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League in 2009. From 2001 to 2007, he served as the head coach of the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe, leading the team to two World Bowl championship berths. In 2005, Andrus was named NFL Europe Coach of the Year after the Admirals won their first championship title in franchise history. He spent a total of four seasons with the Tennessee Titans as a quarterbacks coach and offensive assistant, helping former NFL great Steve McNair lead the team all the way to Super Bowl XXXIV. Andrus also enjoyed great success at the collegiate level, culminating with the 1996 NAIA Coach of the Year Award.
Marcel Bellefeuille, Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers
Marcel Bellefeuille comes to Omaha following a successful 15-plus-year career in Canada. Most recently, Bellefeuille served as the head coach of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League from 2009-2011. During that time, he led the Tiger-Cats to three playoff appearances and their first playoff victory in 10 years. He also has served as the offensive coordinator for the Montreal Alouettes and the Saskatchewan Roughriders. During his tenure at the University of Ottawa, Bellefeuille coached the Gee-Gees to a national championship title in 2000.
Pete Kuharchek, Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
Pete Kuharchek returns for his second season with the Nighthawks, having served as the team's defensive backs coach in 2011. He brings more than 40 years of coaching experience to Omaha. During his ten seasons as an assistant coach and head coach in NFL Europe, Kuharchek earned a reputation as one of the best defensive coaches in league history. As the defensive coordinator for the Rhein Fire, Kuharchek won two World Bowl titles. He later took over head coaching duties for the Fire and led the team to two World Bowl appearances in five seasons. Kuharchek also has coached for the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League (2006 and 2008) as well as the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (2009).
Russ Purnell, Special Teams Coordinator
Russ Purnell has more than 40 years of coaching experience. After beginning his coaching career at the high school and collegiate levels, he joined the Seattle Seahawks staff in 1986 as an assistant tight ends and special teams coach. Since then, he has coached for the Tennessee Titans, the Baltimore Ravens, the Indianapolis Colts and, most recently, the Jacksonville Jaguars. He won two Super Bowl rings as a special teams coach, with Baltimore in 2000 and with Indianapolis in 2006.
Don Lawrence, Assistant to the Head Coach
Don Lawrence's career in football spans more than 50 years. He played three years for the Washington Redskins before beginning his coaching career at the collegiate level. He spent three seasons as Virginia's head coach (1971-1973) and also served as an assistant on the coaching staffs at Kansas State and Missouri. At the professional level, Lawrence is one of the most accomplished coaches on the Nighthawks staff. As a tight ends coach for the Buffalo Bills in the 1990s, Lawrence coached in four-straight Super Bowls. He also coached in four-straight World Bowls with the Frankfurt Galaxy and the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe. He served as the offensive line coach for the Nighthawks during the 2011 season.
Gene Dahlquist, Quarterbacks
Gene Dahlquist has more than 30 years of collegiate coaching experience at top football programs across the country. He spent six seasons from 1992-1997 as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Texas, where he helped produce some of the best offenses in Texas history en route to three conference championships. Dahlquist previously held the same coaching position at Illinois, where he twice saw his offense lead the league in passing and helped the team secure four bowl game appearances in four years. As the offensive coordinator at Boise State, Dahlquist helped the Broncos capture five Big Sky Conference titles, along with a Division I-AA national championship title in 1980. Dahlquist also has coached at Idaho State, Utah, Oregon, Iowa State and the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. After leaving the collegiate ranks, Dahlquist spent three seasons as the head coach of the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europe from 2001-2003. Since then, he has lent his expertise to Football University and has served as an NFL personnel consultant.
Steve Heimann, Running Backs
Steve Heimann returns to Omaha for his second season with the Nighthawks. He was an offensive quality control/assistant quarterbacks coach during the 2011 season. Heimann previously served as the tight ends coach at Nebraska Wesleyan University and was promoted to special teams coordinator before accepting his position with the Nighthawks. He coached defensive backs for the Nebraska Bears indoor professional football team in 2005.
Robert Hunt, Tight Ends
Robert Hunt returns for his second season with the Nighthawks after serving as an assistant offensive line/quality control coach in 2011. Hunt played briefly for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the New Orleans Saints, the Frankfurt Galaxy of NFL Europe and the New York/New Jersey Hitmen of the XFL before starting his coaching career in 2005 as an intern with the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe. From 2007-2008, Hunt served as the offensive line and run game coordinator at Howard University. He then spent one season as the tight ends/offensive quality control coach for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League in 2009. He was an offensive line coach at Bridgewater College in 2010.
Ron Heller, Offensive Line
Ron Heller spent 12 seasons as a starting tackle in the NFL, playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Miami Dolphins. He began his coaching career in 2004 as an assistant offensive line/tight ends coach for the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe. In subsequent seasons with the Admirals, he was promoted to offensive line coach and offensive coordinator. He spent one year as the offensive line coach for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League in 2009 before accepting a position as an offensive assistant with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He coached in Jacksonville for two seasons, 2010 and 2011.
Rex Norris, Defensive Line
Rex Norris brings more than 40 years of college and NFL coaching experience to the Nighthawks staff. After playing linebacker in college, Norris began his coaching career and quickly moved up the collegiate coaching ranks with stints at Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Arizona State. He later spent time at Florida, Tennessee and Texas. In the NFL, Norris has coached for the Detroit Lions, the Denver Broncos, the Tennessee Titans and the Chicago Bears. In 2004, he joined the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe as a defensive line coach and helped lead the team to a 2005 World Bowl victory. He also spent one season with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League in 2009.
Richard Kent, Defensive Backs
Richard Kent returns to Omaha for his second season after coaching special teams for the Nighthawks in 2011. He spent 16 seasons coaching at the collegiate level before moving to NFL Europe, where he filled a variety of roles as a coach, personnel director and scout. Kent reached the World Bowl four times, winning titles in 2002 with the Berlin Thunder and in 2005 with the Amsterdam Admirals. He served as a secondary coach for the Toronto Argonauts for one season in 2009.
Mike Morand, Defensive Quality Control
Mike Morand returns to Omaha for his second season with the Nighthawks after serving as an assistant wide receivers/quality control coach during the 2011 season. Morand brings with him 12 years of college coaching experience, and he spent half of those as an offensive coordinator. His coaching stops include North Carolina A&T, Virginia Union, Virginia State, Wingate, Barber-Scotia, Livingstone and West Georgia. In 2009, he completed an NFL coaching internship with the Houston Texans. He attended training to become a head coach with the NCAA Expert Coaches Forum in 2008 and the NCAA Coaches Academy in 2009. From 1996-1999, Morand played quarterback at Florida A&M University, where he was coached by the legendary Billy Joe, the fourth winningest head coach in NCAA Division I history.
Travis Andrus, Special Teams Quality Control
Travis Andrus, the son of head coach Bart Andrus, makes his coaching debut this season after playing football at the University of Montana.
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United Football League Stories from October 10, 2012
- Nighthawks Take On Virginia Destroyers In Home Opener - Omaha Nighthawks
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