Beef defeat Ice 38-23 to win fifth game in a row
April 26, 2008 - United Indoor Football Association (UIF)
Omaha Beef News Release
Omaha, NE - Scoring 21 straight points in the first half, the Omaha Beef professional indoor football team held onto first place of the UIF's Western Conference by defeating the Colorado Ice 38-23 Saturday evening at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
The win moves the team to 6-2 on the season and marks the fifth win in-a-row for the BEEF, which ties for the third-longest winning streak in team history. Colorado kicked off the scoring with a 39-yard field goal by Deric Yaussi with 12:55 remaining in the first quarter. Omaha came right back, scoring five plays later on a five-yard run by running back R.J. Rollins to give the BEEF an early 7-3 lead. Colorado returned the favor when Ryan Clement hooked up with Brian Sump on a 16-yard touchdown pass as the Ice took the lead back 9-7. Ricky Lebeda finished off the BEEF's second drive of the game with a 19-yard field goal to regain the advantage for Omaha at 10-9. It would be the first three points of a 21-point spurt that gave the BEEF a lead they would not relinquish.
In the second quarter, Omaha scored on all but one of their possessions. Week 7 UIF Offensive Player of the Week James McNear capped an 11-play drive with a one-yard run as the BEEF went ahead 17-9 with 7:34 remaining. The BEEF added a point via a rouge when the Ice did not bring out the subsequent kickoff out of the end zone. McNear would throw touchdown passes on Omaha's next two possessions, connecting with Javon Bell from 13 yards out and Blake Fuchtman from 19 yards out. Colorado closed out the first-half scoring with a three-yard run by Garrett Mehl. The halftime score read Omaha 31, Colorado 16.
The second half was a defensive struggle as both teams only scored once, each in the third quarter. Mehl and Sump connected again, this time on a 19-yard strike to bring Colorado within eight at 31-23. The BEEF came back the very next possession, when David Horne ran one in from eight yards out to cap a four-play, 30-yard drive to put Omaha ahead by 15, 38-23. The score would turn out to be the final as neither team scored in the fourth quarter.
Offensively, McNear and Kenny Horton lead the way. McNear completed 18 of 24 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 62 yards and another score. Horton caught a team-high eight passes for 99 yards. The defense provided a solid all-around effort as Colin Bryant lead the way with 4.5 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack, Brent Hafford intercepted a pass while Chris Eads recovered a fumble and blocked a kick. The team also broke up four passes. On special teams, Lebeda contributed seven points via the 19-yard field goal and by going 4-5 on extra points. David Horne started two eventual BEEF scoring drives with two big returns as he returned a missed field goal 40 yards and also returned a kickoff 22 yards.
The BEEF will next be in action at home next Saturday when the Wichita Wild come to town on "Ladies Night." The teams have already met once this season, on April 10th, when Omaha defeated the Wild 31-24 at the Kansas Coliseum.
The Omaha Beef opened their 2008 home season versus the Bloomington Extreme on March 15, 2008. All home games will be played at the Omaha Civic Auditorium. The Beef are a member of the United Indoor Football Association, the premier indoor football league in America. The Beef are committed to making a positive difference in the Omaha area through football, fun and community service. For more information about the Beef, log on to www.beeffootball.com.
United Indoor Football Association Stories from April 26, 2008
- Beef defeat Ice 38-23 to win fifth game in a row - Omaha Beef
- New Rage Quarterback Shines in Loss - RiverCity Rage
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