Colonials Look To Bounce Back Against Omaha
October 14, 2010 - United Football League (UFL 1)
Hartford Colonials News Release
In what is expected to be a hard-fought and physical matchup, the Hartford Colonials look to halt a two-game losing streak Saturday, Oct. 16, when they take on the Omaha Nighthawks at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.
It will be the second meeting between the teams this season. With strong winds in the forecast, both teams may look to establish the run early by controlling the line of scrimmage.
"I think it's going to be an all-out war, that's why they call it the trenches. It's just going to be a straight battle in there," Colonials center Keith Gray said. "We're expecting their best and we're going to give our best. We'll see who walks out a winner."
The Colonials suffered a tough loss when the teams played Sept. 24 in Omaha. The Nighthawks erased a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeated Hartford, 27-26, at Rosenblatt Stadium. Omaha quarterback Jeff Garcia threw a 12-yard touchdown pass on fourth down in the closing seconds to stun the Colonials.
The Colonials committed two costly penalties in the fourth quarter. Hartford was leading 23-13 with less than 12 minutes remaining when Garcia threw an incomplete pass on third down. But the Colonials were called for personal foul, resulting in a first down for Omaha.
Then with 9 minutes left, the Colonials appeared to take over when defensive tackle Adrian Grady intercepted a pass from Garcia. But Hartford was called for roughing the passer, allowing Omaha to retain possession. The Nighthawks took advantage of the penalty, scoring a touchdown to cut the deficit to 23-20.
The Colonials answered with a field goal, padding their lead to 26-20 with 2:43 remaining. But the defense couldn't stop Garcia from leading the Nighthawks on a 9-play, 59-yard touchdown drive with 6 seconds left.
"You can take a play here, a play there, from the last game and you want to build off that," Colonials defensive end Maurice Fountain said. "I think because of the way they won the first game, it's really a heated rivalry. But really for us it's just coming out and trying to get win No. 2."
Hartford's defense will attempt to put pressure on Garcia, a four-time Pro Bowl QB in the NFL, and contain the Omaha receivers.
"I expect it to be a great game," Colonials cornerback Manny Collins said. "We've got a lot more film on their receivers. This is going to be a physical matchup, going play for play."
A victory by Hartford (1-2) on Saturday would pull them even with Omaha (2-1) in the standings. If that happens and Sacramento (1-2) defeats Las Vegas (2-1) on Friday night, all five teams in the UFL would be 2-2 at the midway point of the season. Florida (2-2) is idle this week.
The top two teams in the league will play in the UFL championship game in late November.
The Colonials are coming off a 33-20 loss to Florida. Hartford committed four turnovers and was flagged for seven penalties. In the last two games, the Colonials have turned the ball over seven times and committed 14 penalties for 178 yards.
"We know what we have in this locker room. It's not like we're losing our mind or our focus," said Colonials linebacker Frantz Joseph, the defensive captain. "Now our next game is a must-win situation."
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