Game Preview: Utah Blaze Vs. Iowa Barnstormers
April 18, 2012 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Utah Blaze News Release
SALT LAKE CITY - The Utah Blaze (3-2) face the Iowa Barnstormers (3-2) for the second time this season on Friday, April 20th. In their previous meeting, Utah went on the road and defeated Iowa in decisive fashion, 69-49, while setting an all-time Arena Football League record with 10 sacks.
The Blaze was vaulted back into first place in the West Division of the National Conference after outlasting the Jacksonville Sharks in a shootout last Friday, 75-67. The Barnstormers rank second in the Central Division of the National Conference after earning a 56-54 victory over the Arizona Rattlers on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM on Tim Dahle Field at EnergySolutions Arena.
The Utah Blaze offense finally engineered the explosive performance it was looking for last week, displaying the effectiveness that made the unit the AFL's best in 2011. After turnovers and miscues plagued Utah two weeks ago, the group put forth an incredibly efficient effort, scoring on all 11 offensive possessions.
QB Tommy Grady threw for 325 yards and 10 touchdowns, tying for second in single-game Arena Football history for passing touchdowns. He added another score on the ground via a quarterback sneak, and is now the league leader in total touchdowns (39). WR Aaron Lesue also tied for second on the AFL single-game record chart, as he hauled in seven touchdown passes. Lesue ranks first in the AFL in touchdown receptions (19) and scoring (23.2 ppg), as well as fourth in receptions (48).
Utah will look to continue its offensive potency this week against the league's lowest-ranked defense, as Iowa has allowed 320.2 yards in total offense per game. Furthermore, the Barnstormers have surrendered 307.6 yards through the air per game this season, also placing at the bottom of the AFL.
"It's always tough to play a team twice in such a short period of time," said President & Head Coach Ron James. "Iowa is a team playing with great confidence as of late and we will have to be up to the challenge come Friday night."
The Blaze will need another dominant performance from its defensive front wall as it takes on one of the league's most efficient passers in Iowa QB J.J. Raterink. In five games, Raterink has thrown just two interceptions compared to 26 touchdowns. His favorite target thus far has been WR Jesse Schmidt, who caught six touchdowns last week against the Rattlers and ranks third in the AFL in scoring (21.0 ppg).
Utah employs two of the league's top three sack artists in a unit that has come to be known as "Sack City." DE Mike Lewis is atop the AFL statistics chart with 7.0 sacks, while DE Caesar Rayford places third with 4.5 sacks. As a group, the Blaze defensive line has been relentless in its pursuit of the quarterback, and ranks first with 18.0 total sacks on the year.
"Our defense is led by the pass rush. They set the tone for our play game-in and game-out. We will need them to rise to the occasion again this week as we face a strong Iowa offense."
The Utah Blaze versus The Iowa Barnstormers will be broadcast live on KMYU TV (Channels 2.2 on digital cable and 12 on Comcast and DirecTV), with Mychal Clanton (Play-by-Play) and Kevin White (Color Commentary) calling the action. The game can also be viewed online through the Arena Football League's exclusive partnership with Ustream, the leader in live and interactive video streaming. Visit www.ustream.tv/UtahBlaze to stream the game live and at no cost! Friday's game coverage can be heard in the Salt Lake City area on The Zone 1280 AM/97.5 FM, the radio home of the Utah Blaze.
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