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Detroit Fury Game Notes

May 13, 2003 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Detroit Fury News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Orlando Predators (11-4) at Detroit Fury (8-7)
Date: May 16, 2003
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
Site: The Palace of Auburn Hills (14,826)
Officials: Bill Athan (Referee), Rick Nelson (Umpire), Neil Brunner (Head Linesman), R.G. Detillier (Line Judge), Andrew Panucci (Back Judge)
Radio: WXDX, 1310 AM Jamie Samuelsen (Play-by-Play) Marc Spindler (Color Analyst)
TV: None
Series Record: (0-0)
Last Meeting: None
Streaks: Orlando – Win 5 Detroit – Win 2
Coaches: Fran Papasedero (20-11, 2nd Year) Al Luginbill (8-7, 1st Year)

THE STAKES: For the Fury, there is always something on the line. Last week they clinched a playoff spot over, but this week they are looking to win the Eastern Division. The Fury can win the division with a win this Friday or a New York Dragons loss. Unfortunately for the Fury, New York plays the winless Carolina Cobras. The Orlando Predators have already secured a first-round playoff bye, but they will be playing to gain the highest playoff seed possible. The Fury are hoping to defeat the Predators, and lock up the team's first-ever playoff game at home. With a little luck, the Fury could finish as high as seventh in the playoff picture if they win and Grand Rapids defeated Dallas.

THE SERIES: The Fury have never played the Predators in the regular season. So far this season, the Fury are (2-0) against teams they have never played before (Colorado, San Jose).

HEAD COACHES:

AL LUGINBILL, Detroit (8-7, 1st Year): Luginbill enters his first season as head coach and general manager of the Detroit Fury and his first season coaching in the Arena Football League. He brings over 33 years of football experience to the Fury. Luginbill began his coaching career at Pasadena City College, where he guided Pasadena City College to Jr. Rose Bowl Championship in his final season as a head coach. He then moved on to Arizona State University and worked as an assistant coach from 1977-1984 with a one-year coaching stint at the University of Wyoming. Finishing his career as a Sun Devil, he left ASU to pursue a job with the San Diego State University Athletic department. After three years on the administrative side, Luginbill was given the control over the slumping Aztec football program, where he served as head coach of SDSU for five years. He is the only coach in SDSU to ever have five consecutive winning seasons. Luginbill's career turned when he left the collegiate ranks to coach in the NFL Europe (World League). He served as head coach and director of football operations of Amsterdam Admirals from (1995-2000). In his tenure there, he guided the Admirals to the World Bowl. Luginbill moved back to States and took a job with up-start XFL and guided the Los Angeles Xtreme to XFL's first and only league championship. Throughout his career, Luginbill is credited with finding and developing NFL stars such as Marshall Faulk (San Diego St. Player), Kurt Warner (NFL Europe / Amsterdam Player) and most recently, Tommy Maddox (XFL). Luginbill currently holds a 86-56-2 overall record as a head coach. He has won three championships and appeared in five bowl games during his coaching tenure.

FRAN PAPASEDERO, Orlando (20-11, 2nd Year): Papasedero, who is only the Predators third head coach in team history, returns to the Predators for his second year as the head coach. In his first season as head coach, he led his team to a 7-7 record and into the ArenaBowl Playoffs. Papasedero's Predators advanced through the first two rounds of the playoffs, but they were eventually defeated by the San Jose SaberCats in the semi-final round. Prior to being named head coach, Papasedero served as an assistant coach under then head coach Jay Gruden. He got his AFL coaching start with the Orlando Predators in 1997 as the line coach. Many of today's top AFL lineman developed and played under Papasedero. His experience as an AFL lineman helped to develop Papasedero's own style of line play. He played as a lineman in the AFL for five seasons, with stops in Albany (1993), Massachusetts (1994), St. Louis (1995-1996) and Nashville (1997). Papasedero spent two years in an NFL mini-camp with the New York Giants (1992-1993) as a defensive tackle and spent the 1994 season in training camp with the New York Jets.

FURY IN THE COMMUNITY:

FURY HOSPITAL VISITS

Members of the Fury Team visit local area hospitals to bring cheer and hope to children during their stay. Often, players and coaches will "take over" the ward, filling it with Fury decorations. Players and coaches spend time with the children, sign autographs and leave special gifts behind. The Fury hopes that these types of events will leave a lasting impression on the children and provide a life long memory they are sure to never forget.

The Fury's final Hospital Visit was be this week, on Wednesday, May 14 at St. Joseph's Mercy Macomb Hospital. Fury players, cheerleaders and mascot Frenzy toured the pediatric ward spreading joy in their afternoon.

FURY FIELD TRIPS PROGRAM

The Fury Field Trips program is designed to encourage young people's interest in science, math and technology by introducing them to real-life examples of how the sciences are used in the world around them. The goal of Fury Field Trips is to instill an interest in the sciences that they will carry through adulthood. The Fury Field Trips are proudly supported by the Metro Detroit Ford Dealers and the Towne Mortgage Company.

So far this season, the Fury have made many Fury Field trips. Their first trip of the season took five Fury players to the Ford River Rouge Plant in Dearborn, Michigan. Next, the Fury headed to Woodland Elementary School in Troy, where students were treated to an interactive science show done by students from Michigan State University. Students were able to see Fury players and MSU students demonstrate some of science's most basic principles. Lineman Jon McCall also led a group of Fury players to his former elementary school in Troy to read to children as a part of their reading month. The Fury's latest field trip will took them to Selfridge Air Base in Mt. Clemens, MI. The base, which is still an active base for the National Guard, has a military air museum on site. Fury players and local area children toured the facilities, while students learned about science and aviation. They received hands-on demonstrations and climbed into many cockpits of the planes to feel first hand what they were like.

Next week, Lineman Jon McCall is leading another group of Fury players to his mother's elementary school to talk and read to the students, as well as pass out Fury goodies.

LAST WEEK:

Auburn Hills, Mich. – The Detroit Fury kept their hopes for an Eastern Division championship alive with a 76-52 win over the Las Vegas Gladiators. The Fury (8-7) clinch a playoff berth with the win over the Gladiators (7-8) and move into first place in the Eastern Division with only one game remaining in the regular season.

The game was an offensive shootout for the first three quarters, with neither team able to make a defensive stop. It was finally the defense that stepped up for Detroit in the fourth quarter that allowed them to take control. Detroit held Las Vegas to only three and outscored them 28-3 in the final quarter of the game.

Following a Fury touchdown, lineman Curtis Eason sacked Gladiator quarterback Jay McDonagh and forced a fumble on the play. The Fury recovered the ball and converted the turnover into a touchdown. Gladiators' kickoff returner Sedrick Robinson fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and the Fury were able to recover again for their second turnover in a row. With 22 seconds remaining in the game, Fury quarterback Andy Kelly sealed the victory with a one-yard touchdown run.

Kelly, who was named the game's MVP, led the Fury's offensive charge with his best performance of the season. He played a flawless game, completing 25-of-40 passes for 310 yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions. Kelly's 300-yard passing yards is the first time all season he has eclipsed the 300-yard mark, and his nine touchdowns was one short of his career-best 10 passing touchdowns.

Detroit receiver Jason Kaiser led all receivers, catching nine passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns. Receivers Herman Bell and Marcus Nash stepped up for Detroit as well. Bell finished with six catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns, while Nash hauled in six catches for 73 yards and four touchdowns.

Detroit's kickoff return specialist Ron Carpenter continued to shine on special teams. He returned six kickoffs for 151 yards, including one return for 56 yards and touchdown. Carpenter also broke the AFL's record for most kickoff return yards in a single season during his touchdown return. Carpenter has already surpassed the previous record by 116 yards, and he still has one game remaining in the season to add to his numbers.

Defensively, Fury linemen Jon McCall and Curtis Eason each recorded sack number four on the season. They are tied as the Fury's sack leaders. DS Ron Carpenter led all players in tackles (7.5) and broke up three passes.

Las Vegas quarterback Jay McDonagh, who had picked apart the Fury defense the last time these teams met, led his team with an almost mistake-free performance. McDonagh completed 18-of-27 passes for 216 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. McDonagh also rushed in his 15th touchdown of the season. His number one target, OS Mike Horacek, caught eight passes for 82 yards and three touchdowns.

Today's game was only the second time all season that the Fury have not turned the ball over during an entire game. The Fury's other turnover-free game came against the San Jose SaberCats in April.

Next week, the Fury will finish out the 2003 regular season at home against the Orlando Predators. If the Fury can defeat the Predators (11-4), they will win the Eastern Division and host a playoff game in the first round.

Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Final
Las Vegas Gladiators 14 14 21 3 52
Detroit Fury 14 21 13 28 76
MVP: Andy Kelly (DET)
Ironman: Sedrick Robinson (LVG)

Attendance: (4,914)

FURY NEXT WEEK:

Next week, the Fury will prepare for their first-round playoff game. The Fury will not know until Sunday evening who they will face off against in the first round of the ArenaBowl playoffs.

The Fury are (0-1) in the playoffs. In their inaugural year, the Fury lost on the road in the first round of the ArenaBowl playoffs to the Arizona Rattlers.

FURY NOTES / TRENDS:

Rotating the Specialists: So far this season, no one person has held the offensive specialist position for the Fury for more than two weeks at a time. Today's game against Orlando will start the third different OS in three weeks. Also, look for DS Brent Browner to start for the third week in a row as the Fury's other DS. It will be only the second time all year, a player has started at that position for more than three weeks in a row.

Re-writing the Fury books: So far this season, with a new roster and coaching staff, members of the Fury have tied or set 48 Fury career, single-season and game records from almost every category. As a team, the Fury have reached new highs as well. They finished with a (.500) winning percentage on the road and their first eight-win season, and with a win this Sunday, they could finish with a winning record for the first time in team history. The Fury also set a new team high for points (76) with their win last week over Las Vegas.

13 isn't so unlucky: FB Errick Herrin only needs 13 more rushing yards this season to become the Fury's first-ever player to rush for 100 yards in a season.

Familiar Faces: For Fury players, Angel Rubio, Nick Gatto, Curtis Eason, and Junior Lord, Friday's game will be almost like a small reunion. All four of the players played last season as members of the Predators squad. Lineman Jon McCall was also a member of the Predators 2000 ArenaBowl Championship team, and Herman Bell was a member of Orlando's team during training camp in 2003.

No ties allowed: Currently, linemen Jon McCall and Curtis Eason are tied as the Fury's sack leader. Since Orlando has allowed the third highest sack total this season, both will be competing for number one.

Last Chance is Best Shot: So far this season, no team has "gone for it" on fourth down more than the Detroit Fury, and the Fury have come through as one of the AFL's best 4th down teams. The Fury are currently 21-of-32 on fourth down conversions, and they are (4-2) when they are 100% on 4th down conversions.

Second and Fourth Quarter Surges: This season, the Fury score consistently better in second part of each half. In the first half, the Fury have scored 45 more points in the second quarter than the first, and the Fury have outscored themselves by 176 points from the third to the fourth quarter. The Fury, who have scored more points in the fourth quarter than in any quarter in nine of their 15 games, have outscored themselves from the second quarter to the fourth quarter by 79 points.

RUNNING WITH THE RECORDS: Watch Fury Quarterback Andy Kelly continue his assault on the Arena Football League's record books. As the 2003 season winds down, he hopes to remain the league's all-time leading passer. AFL Veterans Aaron Garcia (NY) and Sherdrick Bonner (AZ) are right behind.



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 13, 2003


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