NIFL Omaha Beef

Beef Robbed at Home; Coach Buda Still Looking for a Complete Game

June 3, 2004 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
Omaha Beef News Release


From the Stands

"The Beef were good; they've got a good offense, a good defense, and they've got speed. It was a great game except for the officials." -David Camp, Murray, NE, attending his first Beef game.

"I was absolutely disgusted with the officiating tonight." -Janet Hoyle, Papillion.

"We might have had a chance to win this game if we didn't have refs with their heads elsewhere." -Rump Roaster Ken "Rumpzilla" Budka, Omaha.

"It was a 100% surprise, I had no idea. It couldn't have been more perfect; I can't wipe the smile off my face." -Prime Dancer Hilary Cartin, on her surprise-wedding proposal from Beef WR Steve Lovell during the game.

From the Field

"We played a pretty good game on the whole, just couldn't pull it off there in the end. Had a few calls that would have been better to go our way, unfortunately they didn't. We'll be back next week." -#42, LB Cale Good.

"We were in the ball game right until the end and we just couldn't get it done tonight." -Beef line coach Bill James.

"We came into one of the most hostile environments in the whole entire league, against one of the great football teams in the league. We knew all that was going to be against us all night long." -#3 for Billings, DB Stacy Edwards.

"I think it was nice coming back here, getting the ‘W' obviously, because I know these guys were out for us. It is a competitive race trying to get into the playoffs, and it actually just felt good to get my first win." -#13 for Billings, QB Matt LaFleur.

"If someone had told me we were going to score over 50 points, I would have said there's not a chance of that happening." -Billings offensive coordinator Danny Ragsdale.

"It's our first loss at home in a long time. I've got to give some credit to Billings, they are a very good football team, but not much better than we are when we play well on both sides of the ball." -Beef boss Sandy Buda.

Hocus pocus, make the Beef focus......

Billings Head Coach Dan "Magic" Maciejczak and the Outlaws pulled off one of the greatest acts of prestidigitation ever witnessed at the Slaughterhouse. In front of 3,741 raucous Beef fans, the Outlaws used sleight of hand to give the Beef their first loss at home since the Pacific Conference Championship game almost a year ago. And they had a little help from the officials, too.

The Outlaws, known for having the most prolific passing attack in the NIFL, opted to use the running game to grind out a win against the Beef. The trend was set early in the contest when Outlaw RB Verna Owens ripped off runs of 17, 3, and 8 yards before Billings QB Matt LaFleur ever threw the pigskin once. "We were trying to run the ball a lot, limiting the number of possessions, and keeping the score in the area of 30-30 or 25-30. It ended up turning into a barnburner at the end, though," said Outlaw offensive coordinator Danny Ragsdale after the game. The Outlaws countered the fearsome Beef pass rush not only with the RB Owens, but also with the natural scrambling ability of QB LaFleur. LaFleur, a former Beef backup QB, led all rushers on the night with 77 yards on 11 carries for a 7.0 average. Owens wasn't far behind him with 63 yards and 2 touchdowns on 18 carries for the night. Overall, the Outlaws gained 140 yards on the ground against the Beef; Omaha only gives up 61.2 yards a game on the ground normally.

The damage wasn't done on just the ground, though; LaFleur was 17 of 21 for 186 yards and 6 TD's through the air against one of the league's best pass defenses in the Beef. "I told the guys when the offense was struggling and the defense was playing well, we win together and we lose together," was coach Buda's comment after the game. "If we would ever get together on both sides of the ball and play well at the same time, we'd be dangerous."

Where the defense may have been asleep at the wheel Saturday night, the Beef's dormant offense finally woke up. Beef QB Dusty Burk actually passed for more yards than LaFleur (13 of 21 for 189 yards and 3 TD's), and WR Steve Lovell caught six balls for 110 yards and two touchdowns on the night, not including the Prime Dancer he caught off guard with a wedding proposal. A.J. Street was second on the team in receptions for the game, catching 3 balls for 59 yards and the other touchdown. LeAndre Moore once again led the Beef rushing attack, netting 57 yards and two TD's on 16 carries for the night. "A game like this I think will help our offense's confidence," Buda said.

LB Donavon LaViness led the charge for the Beefense, totaling a whopping 18 tackles on the night (8 solo, 10 assisted). That puts LaViness back at the top of the chart in tackles in the league (82.5 on the season). Overall, the Beefense totaled 8 tackles for losses Saturday night for minus 31 yards. The Beef didn't get a sack on the night, but did hold Billings to just 1 of 7 on third down conversions.

So what do the Beef have to do now? "We've got two division games left, and if we win them, we're the division champs. It's that simple," says Buda. "We've just got to regroup and not let this get us down." The Beef are looking for a strong finish to the regular season, and that starts with this week's divisional match-up against the Lincoln Capitols at Pershing Auditorium. Double, double, boil and bubble; the Beef are on the playoff bubble........

On the Road at Stinkin' Lincoln

The Beef get another chance to show the Capitols why they should stop fielding a team this week when Omaha goes to Lincoln for a key Friday night divisional game. Lincoln is touting this one as another kicker's duel (at least that's what their NIFL press release looks like they're trying to say), but don't count on it coming down to that. The Beefense is downright mad after last week's performance, and there's no better cure for what ails them than the Caps offense. Lincoln has one of the worst scoring offenses in the league, averaging just over 30 points a game. Caps QB Justin Coleman (113 completions on 262 attempts for 1,151 yards, averages 115.1 yards/game) has almost as many INT's (16) as TD's (22) on the season, and the Caps running game is pretty one-dimensional with Marshall Dos Reis (134 attempts, 423 yards, 3 TD on the season, 52.9 yards/game average) plowing up the middle on every carry.

The Capitols, with attendance figures bordering on nonexistent, don't seem to have any type of home-field advantage at the venerable Pershing Auditorium. This bodes well for any Beef fans wanting to head west on I-80 this Friday in what could be our last look at the Capitols as they exist today.

Notes

BEEF FAN TRIP: The Meatheads are putting together a fan day trip to Lincoln on Friday, June 4th. $25 gets you a ride to and from Lincoln, a ticket to the game, and all the fun that goes on when the Meatheads, Jello Scientists, Jerkys, Rump Roasters, and Prime Dancers get on the same bus. Please call Phyllis & Duane at 402-422-0385 for more information. You may also request additional information by e-mailing paldel@cox.net or check out the website at www.themeatheads.com.

DAY TRIP TO SIOUX FALLS: Fans, don't forget about the upcoming bus trip to Sioux Falls on Saturday, June 19th. The package includes your bus ride to and from the game, a game ticket, a Quiznos box lunch (BYOBeverage), and adjustable hat and a $10 Gordmans gift card.... All this for only $45 per person. Call the office and let Jennifer know how many seats you want on the bus to see the Beef take on the Storm. This game could determine the Pacific North Division champion, so let's go up and cheer on the Beef! Money is not due until the week before the trip, so make a reservation now!

HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS FOR SHOW ME BELIEVERS GAME: For the Saturday, June 26 trip to the Show Me Believers the team will be staying at the Travelodge, 2781 I-70 South Service Road, St. Charles, Missouri 63303. The phone number for the hotel is 636-949-8700.

TICKETS FOR GAME IN LINCOLN - The Lincoln Capitols are offering all Omaha Beef fans an $8.00 ticket for our game at Pershing Center on Friday, June 4th. Please contact: Dawn at the Lincoln Capitols office at 402-477-8888 or e-mail her at lincolncapitols@yahoo.com.

LAST 2004 REGULAR SEASON HOME GAME PRE GAME PARTY & PEP RALLY SPONOSRED BY AUTO MART 150 - OMAHA FRIDAY, JUNE 11 – 8:00 to 10:00 PM GENERATIONS, 90th & FORT Street • BUFFET $5.00 PER PERSON - INCLUDES FOOD & NON-ALCHOLIC BEVERAGE • DJ MUSIC BEGINS AT 9:00 PM • HAVE YOUR POLORID PICTURE TAKEN WITH YOUR FAVORITE BEEF PLAYER, PRIME DANCER, RUMP ROASTER OR SIR LOIN. • AUTO MART 150 DRAWING FOR 100 GALLONS IN GAS • OMAHA BEEF PRIZES • $1.00 DRAWS ALL NIGHT LONG

MILITARY NIGHT – JUNE 12 vs. Wyoming Cavalry. Kickoff is at 7:05 PM. Anyone presenting a Military ID will receive a FREE ticket to the game plus $3 off all additional tickets purchased... no limit. For more information please contact Jen Good, Ticket Manager at jgood@beeffootball.com, or stop by the Omaha Beef Football office at 1907 Harney Street.



National Indoor Football League Stories from June 3, 2004


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