Birmingham Steeldogs game notes
May 4, 2005 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Alabama Steeldogs News Release
STEELDOGS HOST DIVISION RIVAL SOUTH GEORGIA
Despite their 0-4 record, the Birmingham Steeldogs are in prime position to jump ahead in the American Conference South Division as they welcome the South Georgia Wildcats to the BJCC Arena. Birmingham is in a three-way tie for third place in the division, along with the Wildcats and the Arkansas Twisters, and are just two games back of Macon for the second-best record in the division. The Wildcats (0-4) relocated in the off-season from Fayetteville, N.C., where they were known as the Cape Fear Wildcats. Cape Fear defeated the Steeldogs, 54-53, in the first round of the af2 playoffs in 2004.
COACHES
BOBBY HUMPHREY, BIRMINGHAM STEELDOGS
YEARS IN THE AF2: 6 YEARS AT BIR: 6
OVERALL RECORD: 49-40 (.550)
REGULAR SEASON: 47-37 (.559)
POSTSEASON: 2-3 (.400)
RECORD VS WILDCATS: 0-1 (.000)
Coach Humphrey returns for his sixth season as the head coach of the Birmingham Steeldogs. He is the longest-tenured coach in af2 football, as well as the all-time winningest. In 2004, Humphrey surpassed friend and long-time rival Kevin Porter as the league's most victorious head man with his 46th win. Humphrey's next win will be his 50th career victory, another af2 milestone.
Bobby is a 2004 inductee into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. He currently resides in Birmingham with his wife Barbara and their five children.
CHRIS SIEGFRIED, SOUTH GEORGIA WILDCATS
YEARS IN THE AF2: 4 YEARS AT SGA: 4
OVERALL RECORD: 38-20 (.655)
REGULAR SEASON: 35-17 (.673)
POSTSEASON: 3-3 (.500)
RECORD VS STEELDOGS: 1-0 (1.000)
Coach Siegfried enters his fourth season as head coach of the Wildcats. In the 2004 season, the Wildcats averaged 53 points per game and earned their third straight trip to the playoffs with a 12-4 record. In three seasons with the Wildcats, Siegfried has an overall record of 38-20 and has guided the Wildcats to two Atlantic Division titles and an appearance in the American Conference championship. Prior to joining the Wildcats, Siegfried served as Offensive Coordinator for the Macon Knights during the 2001 season.
2005 STEELDOGS SCHEDULE
REGULAR SEASON: 0-4
DATE OPPONANT TIME SERIES/RES.
4/9 San Diego 7:00 L, 57-58
4/14 at Macon 6:30 L, 50-67
4/23 Memphis 7:00 L, 24-60
4/30 at Louisville 6:30 L, 46-48
5/7 South Georgia 7:00 SGA Leads 1-0
5/14 at San Diego 9:00 SD Leads 1-0
5/21 at Arkansas 7:00 BIR Leads 4-3
5/28 Green Bay 7:00 BIR Leads 1-0
6/4 at Florida 6:30 BIR Leads 3-2
6/11 Louisville 7:00 BIR Leads 3-2
6/18 at Memphis 7:00 BIR Leads 3-1
6/24 at Green Bay 7:00 BIR Leads 1-0
7/9 Macon 7:00 BIR Leads 4-3
7/16 at South Georgia 6:30 SGA Leads 1-0
7/23 Arkansas 7:00 BIR Leads 4-3
7/30 Florida 7:00 BIR Leads 3-2
GAME INFORMATION:
Date: Saturday, May 7
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m.
Arena: BJCC Arena
Capacity: 16,000
Television: None
Steeldogs Radio Network:
Flagship: WJOX AM-690
Play-By-Play: Matt Coulter
Color: Roger Shultz
Series Records: SGA leads 1-0
Officials: R: Rusty Wynn, U: Mike Cullin, HL: Jeff
Heaser, LJ: Harold Mitchell, BJ: Ronnie Stewart
STEELDOGS-WILDCATS SERIES
This is the second meeting between the Wildcats and the Steeldogs, with the first coming in the first round of the 2004 af2 playoffs.
The South Georgia Wildcats, based in Albany, Ga., are actually last year's Cape Fear Wildcats, who were based in Fayetteville, N.C. The team moved during the 2004 off-season and now plays its home games at the Albany Civic Center.
On Aug. 7, 2004, the Steeldogs traveled to the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville for a first-round playoff match-up with the Wildcats. The Steeldogs had lost four of their previous six games going into the postseason, having been just one regular-season victory shy of clinching a division title weeks prior.
The Steeldogs led by 13 points with less than 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter in what had been a highly-competitive and close game. In the second quarter alone, the lead changed hands six times, including three times in the final 1:51.
In the end, it was Jake Eaton's 9-yard touchdown pass to Matt Burstein that clinched a 54-53 win for the Wildcats. Birmingham's Rhett Gallego missed a long field goal attempt as time expired that would have sent the Steeldogs into the second round of the playoffs.
Birmingham was led offensively by QB Jeff Aaron and FB Dontae Walker. Aaron completed 12 of 21 pass attempts for 144 yards and four touchdowns. Walker rushed eight times for 32 yards and a touchdown.
SERIES BY THE NUMBERS*
Record vs. S. Georgia: 0-1
Last regular season game: Wildcats, 54-53 at SGA (8/7/04)
Steeldogs' largest margin of victory: N/A (53-54 at SGA (8/7/04))
S. Georgia's largest margin of victory: 1 (54-53 at SGA (8/7/04))
Current streak: S. Georgia won the last meeting
Steeldogs' longest win streak vs. S. Georgia: N/A
S. Georgia longest win streak vs Steeldogs: 1 (8/7/04 to present)
Most points, Steeldogs: 53 (53-54 at SGA (8/7/04))
Most points, S. Georgia: 54 (54-53 at SGA (8/7/04))
Most points, both teams: 107 (SGA, 54-53 at SGA (8/7/04))
Fewest points, Steeldogs: 53 (53-54 at SGA (8/7/04))
Fewest points, S. Georgia: 54 (54-53 at SGA (8/7/04))
Fewest points, both teams: 107 (SGA, 54-53 at SGA (8/7/04))
STEELDOGS BESTS VS. SOUTH GEORGIA*
Most rushing yards: 32, Dontae Walker (8/7/04 at SGA)
Most receiving yards: 58, Anthony Jordan (8/7/04 at SGA)
Most passing yards: 144, Jeff Aaron (8/7/04 at SGA)
Most touchdowns: 4, Jeff Aaron (4 pass.) (8/7/04 at SGA)
Most tackles: 6, Anthony Jordan (8/7/04 at SGA)
*The South Georgia Wildcats were known as the Cape Fear Wildcats from 2002 to 2004 and were based in Fayetteville, N.C.
LAST SERIES GAME
8/7/2004 â CAPE FEAR DEFEATS BIRMINGHAM IN FIRST-ROUND MATCH-UP
FAYETTEVILLE, NC- Birmingham's Rhett Gallego missed a 45-yards field goal attempt as time expired to give the Wildcats a 54-53 victory.
The win advances Cape Fear to the second round and will face the Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton Pioneers.
Starting for the second time in as many weeks, Wildcats quarterback Jake Eaton finished the game 18-of-28 for 211-yards and five touchdowns including one rushing score. Matt Burstein led all Wildcats receivers with seven catches for 94-yards and three touchdowns and finished the evening with 237 all-purpose yards. Ironman of the Game George Williams caught seven passes for 92-yards and one touchdown, returned a 56-yards kick-off return for a score and recorded 3.5 tackles and recovered a fumble for the Wildcats.
Birmingham's Jeff Aaron was 12-of-21 for 144-yards and four touchdowns. Anthony Jordan and Carlos McNeary combined for eight receptions for 106-yards and five touchdowns including a rushing touchdown by McNeary.
LAST WEEK: BIRMINGHAM
5/2/2005 - Steeldogs Fall at Louisville
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The awkward bounce of the football was all that separated the Steeldogs from a shot at defeating the No. 4 team in the af2. Unfortunately for Birmingham, the ball bounced in favor of the Louisville Fire.
The Fire improved their record to 4-0 with a 48-46 victory over the Birmingham Steeldogs in front of 9,151 fans at Freedom Hall Arena. The Steeldogs dropped to 0-4.
Down by as many as 10 points in the fourth quarter and nine with less than one minute left in the game, Ray Nelson found Dre Fulgham from16-yards-out to pull the Steeldogs to within two points with 11 seconds remaining. Vinny Cirrincione's ensuing onsides kick attempt landed in the arms of the Fire's Rob Mager at the Birmingham 15. From there, Louisville drained the final seconds off the game clock.
The Steeldogs got on the board early in the second quarter after a Larry Paul three-yard touchdown run. Tony Stallings answered with a two-yard touchdown rush of his own. On the ensuing Birmingham possession, Demetrius Forney, US Army Ironman of the Game, sacked Ray Nelson in the end zone for a safety. The Steeldogs cut the lead to 22-12 at halftime after Nelson found Miles Randle on a 14-yard strike.
The second half got underway with Louisville QB Matt Sauk hitting Mager on a 48-yard strike to put the Fire up 28-12 with 13:19 left in the third. After Larry Paul found the end zone twice more on the ground, Louisville's WR/DB Cesare Manning snagged a four-yard touchdown reception to give the Fire a 35-32 lead after three.
The scoring continued into the fourth quarter when Herman Bell scored the fourth of the Steeldogs' fifth rushing touchdowns. The Fire's James Scott answered, keeping the Fire on top, 42-32, with 12:37 left in the game. The teams traded touchdowns with Sauk hitting Mager on a 20-yard touchdown reception to put the Fire up 48-39 and give the quarterback his fifth touchdown pass of the evening.
COMPARISON STATS AND AWARDS
WILDCAT WIDEOUTS: The South Georgia Wildcats possess one of the af2's most talented receiving corps. Led by af2 veterans Adrian Cockfield and Matt Burstein, the Wildcats have plenty of options to move the pigskin quickly down the field. Check out the stats...
Player Catches Yds TD
Adrian Cockfield 39 405 9
Chris McKinney 26 256 7
LaRico Cole 23 301 5
Matt Burstein 10 153 2
TALE OF THE TAPE: Here's how the Wildcats and Steeldogs match-up statistically...
Statistical BIRMINGHAM WILDCATS
Category Stat Rank Stat Rank
Scoring Offense 44.2 10th 40.8 15th
Scoring Defense 47.5 12th 58.2 18th
Total Offense 308.0 1st 284.5 3rd
Total Defense 247.8 2nd 247.8 7th
Pass Offense 246.2 7th 307.8 1st
Pass Defense 232.8 8th 172.2 2nd
Rushing Offense 38.2 3rd 0.2 20th
Rushing Defense 15.0 9th 29.8 16th
Scoring (Kicking) 5.8 3.8
Pass Rating 90.3 16th 100.3 14th
Pass Def. Rating 113.1 16th 110.8 14th
Kickoff Returns 24-432 13th 17-164 20th
MFG Returns 1-5 13th 0-0 t-16th
Turnover Margin -7 19th -2 t-11th
Field Goals 3-5 5th 1-4 12th
PAT Kicking 14-18 11th 12-21 20th
Sacks By 3 t-16th 3 t-16th
Sacks Against 9 t-16th 3 t-4th
First Downs 79 6th 76 8th
Opp. First Downs 64 t-7th 63 5th
Penalties 41 11th 36 14th
Opp. Penalties 45 9th 24 18th
OFFENSIVE MVP AWARD (selected by media)
Game Opp. Player
1 San Diego Anthony Buich (San Diego)
2 Macon Chris Johnson (Macon)
3 Memphis Kevin Prentiss (Memphis)
4 Louisville James Scott (Louisville)
6 South Georgia
7 San Diego
8 Arkansas
9 Green Bay
10 Florida
11 Louisville
12 Memphis
13 Green Bay
15 Macon
16 South Georgia
ADT DEFENSIVE MVP AWARD (selected by media)
Game Opp. Player
1 San Diego Eldrick Hill (Birmingham)
2 Macon Anthony Collins (Macon)
3 Memphis Dahnel Singfield (Memphis)
4 Louisville Terrance Harris (Birmingham)
6 South Georgia
7 San Diego
8 Arkansas
9 Green Bay
10 Florida
11 Louisville
12 Memphis
13 Green Bay
15 Macon
16 South Georgia
U.S. ARMY IRONMAN AWARD (selected by media)
Game Opp. Player
1 San Diego Anthony Griffin (San Diego)
2 Macon Matt Jackson (Macon)
3 Memphis Scott Cunningham (Memphis)
4 Louisville Demetrius Forney (Louisville)
6 South Georgia
7 San Diego
8 Arkansas
9 Green Bay
10 Florida
11 Louisville
12 Memphis
13 Green Bay
15 Macon
16 South Georgia
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