Desperados Season Comes To a Close With Upset Loss to Force
May 24, 2003 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Dallas Desperados News Release
The Central Division champion Dallas Desperados saw their season come to a close with a 49-45 upset loss to the Georgia Force in an AFL first-round playoff game at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The Desperados finish the season with a 10-7 record, while the Force advance to play the San Jose SaberCats next Saturday in a quarterfinal playoff game.
The Dallas defense stepped up on the game's first possession, forcing a missed 62-yard field goal attempt after three straight incompletions by Leon Murray. Dallas then drove to the to the Force three-yard line, but Patrise Alexander fumbled the ball at the goal line, giving the ball back to Georgia on the touchback. Eight plays later, Murray hooked up with Jarrick Hillery on a five-yard touchdown pass for the game's first score (PAT was blocked by Tim Martin). On the Desperados next play, Jim Kubiak found Dialleo Burks wide open down the middle of the field with a 45-yard scoring pass. Four plays later, the Dallas defense forced a 57-yard Georgia field goal attempt, which was blocked by Martin.
The Desperados opened the second quarter with a nine-yard Kubiak-to-Will Pettis touchdown pass for a 14-6 lead. Georgia quickly answered with a one-yard Darryl Hammond scoring run. Dallas again took an eight point lead as Kubiak and Burks hooked up on a three-yard touchdown pass. After the Forced cut their deficit to a single point with a seven-yard Murray-to-Tyronne Jones touchdown pass, Dallas was forced into a 35-yard Jason Wells field goal with 0:43 remaining in the first half. Steve McLaughlin connected on a 41-yard field goal just before the first half expired for a 24-23 Desperados halftime advantage.
Pettis fumbled the second half kickoff and Georgia recovered the ball at the Dallas 21-yard line. Three plays later, Murray found Hillery with a 10-yard scoring pass. The Desperados lost Lineman of the Year candidate Tom Briggs on Georgia's first play from scrimmage of the second half with a concussion. Dallas quickly answered the Force score with a two-yard Kubiak-to-Pettis scoring toss. The Dallas defense then forced Georgia to turn the ball over on downs to set up a five-yard Kubiak touchdown pass to Luke Leverson for an eight-point Desperados lead.
Early in the final frame, Murray hooked up with Hillery for a 25-yard scoring pass, cutting the Force deficit to two points following the missed two-point attempt. The Georgia defense, the top defense in the AFL during the regular season, then forced a 56-yard Wells field goal attempt, which was short and returned by Jones to the Dallas-16-yard line. Two plays later, the Force took a 42-38 lead when Murray rushed in for the score from seven yards out. Dallas answered the Georgia tally with an 11-yard Kubiak-to-Burks touchdown pass on fourth-and-two from the Georgia 11-yard line. The Force then put together a three minute drive, capped by a 15-yard Murray-to-Jones scoring pass with 0:37 showing on the clock. On their final possess, the Desperados drove to the Georgia 11-yard line with 0:05 remaining in the game, but two consecutive Kubiak passes to Andy McCullough fell incomplete at the goal line as the clock expired and the game ended.
Hillery was named the Game MVP after catching a game-high nine passes for 102 yards and three touchdowns, returning two kickoffs for 59 yards and posting two tackles and a forced fumble on the defensive side of the ball. Pettis was named the Ironman of the Game after leading Dallas with seven catches for 47 yards and two touchdowns, carrying the ball once for one yard, returning five kickoffs for 119 yards and posting four tackles on the defensive side of the ball.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 24, 2003
- Desperados Season Comes To a Close With Upset Loss to Force - Dallas Desperados
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