Blaze Rolls to Fourth-Straight Victory
May 5, 2012 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Utah Blaze News Release
SALT LAKE CITY - The Utah Blaze (6-2) put on an offensive show while coasting to an 84-63 victory over the Spokane Shock (3-4) in front of a crowd of 6,195 on Tim Dahle Field at EnergySolutions Arena. The win marks Utah's fourth in a row and keeps the Blaze atop the National Conference's West Division.
Blaze QB Tommy Grady turned in a record-setting performance, as he tied an Arena Football League record with 11 touchdown passes. His favorite target on the night was WR Aaron Lesue, who caught 11 passes for 136 yards and five touchdowns. Despite being assigned to the team earlier this week, WR Shaun Kauleinamoku managed to find the end zone four times, as he totaled six receptions for 56 yards. As a unit, Utah's offense set a team record by putting 84 points on the board.
Utah set the tone for the night on the second play from scrimmage. Shock QB Kyle Rowley fumbled the snap and LB Joe Mortensen took him down in the end zone for a safety. From there, the Blaze built a 43-21 halftime lead off of four touchdown receptions by Lesue, a seven-yard scoring grab by Bocage, and an 11-yard catch by Kauleinamoku. The Blaze retained a three-score lead throughout much of the second half while cruising to victory.
Rowley tossed nine touchdowns for Spokane, but was intercepted three times on the night. Shock WR Brandon Thompkins tied for second in AFL history with seven touchdown receptions, as he hauled in 10 passes for 168 yards. DB Terrance Sanders paced Spokane's defense with 8.5 total tackles, including one tackle for loss and a pass breakup.
The Blaze will look to gain ground in the West Division again next week, as the team hits the road to take on the San Jose SaberCats. Utah defeated San Jose in a Week 3 matchup earlier this season, 60-59. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:30 PM MT.
• Discuss this story on the Arena Football League message board...
Arena Football League Stories from May 5, 2012
- Two Sergio Gilliam Interceptions Lead Strong Defensive Performance - Kansas City Command
- Soul Fall to Mustangs in Final Seconds, 64-63 - Philadelphia Soul
- Georgia Force Beat Pittsburgh Power 55-52 - Georgia Force
- Predators Fall to Tampa Bay Storm in 'War on I-4' Rivalry Matchup - Orlando Predators
- Mustangs win nail-biter - Milwaukee Mustangs
- Tampa Bay Storm Swamps Orlando Predators In "i-4" Battle, 55-3 - Tampa Bay Storm
- Blaze Rolls to Fourth-Straight Victory - Utah Blaze
- VooDoo Squander 23-Point Lead in Loss at Sharks - New Orleans VooDoo
- Afl Week 9 - Shock Can't Control Blaze in 84-63 Defeat - Spokane Shock
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
