Game Fifteen Preview: Tampa Bay Storm
July 17, 2015 - Arena Football League (AFL)
New Orleans VooDoo News Release
PREVIOUS MEETINGS IN 2015: APRIL 17 | MAY 30
ALL TIME SERIES:
Tampa Bay Leads 12-6
IN NEW ORLEANS: New Orleans leads 5-3
THE MATCHUP: TAMPA BAY STORM (6-8)
Its been an up and down season so far for the Tampa Bay Storm who make the trip over to New Orleans two games under .500 after losses to the Philadelphia Soul and Orlando Predators in back-to-back games. The roller coaster nature of their season has been personified by the play of starting quarterback Jason Boltus. Despite ranking third in the lead in passing yards with 3,938 and throwing 81 touchdowns this season Boltus leads the AFL in interceptions with 20. One of the most decorated receivers in AFL history T.T. Tolliver is having another strong campaign with 1,309 yards on 93 catches and enters the game second in AFL history in receptions (1,060) and touchdowns (268). This season in two games against the VooDoo Tolliver has 11 catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns, and caught his 250th career touchdown receptions on April 17. Defensively for the Storm defensive back Alfred Phillips ranks second in the league in tackles with 93.5, while defensive back James Harrell is tied for fourth in interceptions with six, including a game clincher vs. the VooDoo on May 30.
STEADY KENNEDY
Quarterback Adam Kennedy has been a steady hand since recovering from a shoulder injury sustained against the Spokane Shock on May 2 that caused him to miss four games. In his last four outings Kennedy has completed 97-of-165 passes for 1,090 yards with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions, adding four rushing touchdowns on the ground as well. Despite missing four games with injury Kennedy ranks ninth in the league in total offense with 2,398 total yards, averaging 239.9 per contest. To date this season Kennedy has completed 218-of-353 passes for 2,320 yards with 33 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, and has rushed 24 times for a team-leading 86 yards and six touchdowns.
SPIDERMAN STICKING AROUND THE TOP
Despite being inactive last week Roger "Spiderman" Jackson enters this week's contest at San Jose closing in on a pair of franchise rookie records. With 67 catches for 684 yards and 12 touchdowns, Jackson is now within striking distance of Kenny Henderson's rookie records for receiving yardage (895) and touchdowns (18) set in 2007. Among AFL rookies this season Jackson ranks second in receptions behind Spokane's Anthony Amos (81), third in receiving yards behind Amos (894), and Tampa Bay's Kendrick Ings (820) and fourth in receiving touchdowns behind Tampa Bay's Julius Gregory (21), Ings (14) and Amos (13).
DUVALT CLOSE TO CENTURY MARK
With 96 catches this season Chris Duvalt enters Saturday night's game needing just four catches to become the first VooDoo wide receiver to haul in 100 balls since Josh Bush and L.J. Castille caught over 100 passes each in 2012. Last week against the top defense in the league, Duvalt had a career night, setting new career-highs in receptions (15), yards (165), and matching a career high in touchdowns with three. To date this season Duvalt has 96 catches for 1,116 yards and 21 total touchdowns (20 receiving).
WRAPPING UP RECORDS
Now in his third season in the Crescent City former All-Arena defensive back Cameron McGlenn enters Saturday night's home finale just two tackles shy of the VooDoo career tackles record set by Demarcus Robinson from 2012-13. McGlenn has been credited with sixty tackles this season, good for 17th best in the AFL, and enters the game against Tampa Bay with 203 career tackles in New Orleans. He and Robinson remain the only pair of VooDoo players to finish their time in the Crescent City with over 200 career tackles.
STRONG TACKLING SECONDARY
The defensive backfield trio of Cortez Stubbs (62), Tracy Belton (61) and Cameron McGlenn (60) have been tackling machines this season, ranking fifth in the league with 183 total tackles despite a rotating front five in front of them. The trio have started eight of New Orleans' games this season together, and have combined for nine interceptions despite playing with 12 different starting front fives this season featuring 19 different players and a pass rush that has generated just six sacks since season.
HALFTIME BEWITCHMENT
Halftime seems to bewitch the VooDoo this season. New Orleans has been outscored 190 to 70 so far this season in the third quarter, and recently had given up 70 straight third quarter points before scoring against Cleveland three games ago. Nine times this season the VooDoo have been outscored in the third quarter, and the VooDoo has been held scoreless during the third quarter in six of the last eleven contests. Turnovers have come in bunches just after halftime, with eight turnovers on downs, six lost fumbles and four interceptions all coming during the third quarter this season.
LAST TIME: VOODOO LOSE HEARTBREAKER IN TAMPA BAY
A pair of miscues broke New Orleans hearts as Tampa Bay held on to a 35-34 victory on May 30 at Amalie Arena. Chris Duvalt caught a seven yard touchdown pass from Brian Reader that appeared to tie the game at 35 with 6:28 to play in the game before Garrett Lindholm's missed extra point kept Tampa in the lead. Following a defensive stop, New Orleans had the ball at the Tampa 14 before a pair of incompletions then an interception by James Harrell locked up the game for the Storm. New Orleans was led by Duvalt with four catches for 34 yards and a touchdown, while the Storm were led by wide receiver Julius Gregory who finished with nine catches for 74 yards and three touchdowns.
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