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Destroyers fall on the road to Georgia, 55-48

March 7, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Columbus Destroyers News Release


ATLANTA – Georgia fullback/linebacker Chris Demaree recovered a mishandled kickoff late in the fourth quarter resulting in a touchdown to propel the Georgia Force (4-1) to a 55-48 victory over the visiting Columbus Destroyers (1-4) in front of 14,104 fans at Philips Arena Sunday afternoon.

Destroyers quarterback Matt D'Orazio finished the game having completing 28-of-33 passes (84.8 percent) for 251 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. It was the second time in the past three games D'Orazio completed over 78 percent of his passes. His 84.8 completion percentage was the highest single-game completion rate in franchise history. Cornelius White led all Destroyers receivers with 11 catches for 95 yards and two scores. Offensive specialist Damien Groce followed with eight catches for 89 yards and two touchdowns.

In his first start this season, Georgia quarterback Matt Nagy led his club to their fourth win of the season by completing 24-of-37 passes for 275 yards and six touchdowns with one interception. Georgia offensive specialist Troy Bergeron finished with ten catches for a game-high 169 yards receiving and four touchdowns before being named Offensive Player of the Game.

With the game tied at 14 after one quarter of play, Bergeron caught touchdown passes on Georgia's first two possessions of the second quarter to give the Force a 14-point cushion midway through the quarter.

The Destroyers would cut the deficit in half late in the second quarter on a 10-yard touchdown connection between D'Orazio and White. The score pulled Columbus to within seven at 28-21 heading in to the break.

D'Orazio completed 16-of-18 pass attempts in the first half for 141 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Groce led Columbus through the air with seven catches for 84 yards and a touchdown in the game's first 30 minutes.

Following Bergeron's third receiving touchdown of the game, the Destroyers kept pace with the Force, this time scoring on the defensive side of the ball. Late in the third, trailing 35-21, defensive specialist Brandon Hefflin intercepted a Nagy pass and returned it 47 yards for a touchdown. The score pulled Columbus to within eight at 35-27 at the end of the third quarter.

White added his second receiving touchdown of the game early in the fourth quarter on a fourth and one play from the Force 10 yard-line. D'Orazio rolled to his right and found White in the back of the endzone for his third of four touchdown passes in the game. The Score pulled Columbus to within one at 35-34 with just over eleven minutes remaining in the contest.

Bergeron added his fourth and final receiving touchdown of the game on Georgia's ensuing possession midway through the fourth quarter just before Demaree's game-altering fumble recovery. The Destroyers added two touchdowns late; however the club's comeback bid fell short following an unsuccessful onside kick attempt in the game's final seconds.

The Destroyers return home this Saturday when the club hosts the Las Vegas Gladiators at Nationwide Arena. The game is set to kickoff at 7 p.m. (ET).



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 7, 2005


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