Georgia Force Game Notes

Published on April 19, 2005 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Georgia Force News Release


QUICK FACTS:

Georgia Force (9-3) at Orlando Predators (8-4)

Date: April 22, 2005
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
Site: TD Waterhouse Centre (13,692)
Television: FSN South/ Sun Sports (Rick Peckham: play-by-play, James Bates: analyst).
Radio: WQXI 790 AM The Zone (David Hubbard: play-by-play, Chuck Oliver: analyst).
Coaches: Doug Plank, Georgia (9-3, 1st Year).
Jay Gruden (61-34, 6th Year).
Series Record: Georgia leads the all-time series 5-2
@ Georgia 67, Orlando 49 (4/20/02)
Georgia 41, @ Orlando 40 (7/13/02)
Georgia 38, @ Orlando 36 (3/23/03)
@ Georgia 27, Orlando 38 (4/26/03)
Georgia 52, @ Orlando 44 (3/12/04)
@ Georgia 7, Orlando 30 (4/18/04)
@ Georgia 49, Orlando 47 (3/19/05)

THE OPPONENT:

Last week the Predators scored a season-high 72 points in their 72-60 win over New York, but the victory did not come without its consequences. Quarterback Joe Hamilton suffered a Grade 2 separation of the AC Joint (shoulder) in the first half and did not
return to action against the Dragons. Backup passer Chris Sanders stepped in for Hamilton and lead Orlando to the come-from-behind win completing 12-of-17 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns, while adding two rushing scores. Hamilton is being listed as doubtful for Friday's match-up with the Force.

THE GAME:

The Georgia Force travel to the TD Waterhouse Centre in a battle for the top spot in the Southern Division as they face the Orlando Predators on Friday, April 22nd at 7:30 p.m. ET. Despite being one of the toughest venues in the AFL to play, Georgia is a perfect 3-0 all-time at the TD Waterhouse Centre.

Georgia enters the contest holding the AFL's best overall record at 9-3 and could be the first team in the League to reach double-digit victories. The nine wins for the Force is the most regular season victories in club history.

The Force-Predators match-up should live up to the defensive battles these two teams have shared over the years. Earlier this season, Georgia captured a two-point victory over Orlando 49-47 in Philips Arena. The contest will pit the AFL's #1 and #2 ranked scoring defenses against each other with Georgia only allowing 45.3 points per game and Orlando allowing just 45.5 points per game.

While the defensive side of the ball has been the Force's strong point, the Georgia offense has been hot over their last two games scoring touchdowns on 17 of their last 18 possessions. Newly acquired WR/LB Chris Jackson has scored 8 touchdowns in his first two games with Georgia, while rookie WR/LB Derek Lee has added 6 touchdowns in those two games.

Georgia is entering a key stretch of their season in the final four games of the regular season as they will face all potential playoff teams (Orlando, Tampa Bay, Dallas and San Jose) who combined have a 64% (28-16) winning percentage this year.

THE SCHEDULE:

GEORGIA FORCE (9-3)

Date OPPONENT RESULT SCORE
Jan. 30 NEW ORLEANS W 46-44
Feb. 4 @ Los Angeles L 41-46
Feb. 12 ARIZONA W 61-47
Feb. 20 @ Las Vegas W 38-13
Feb. 25 @ Austin W 66-63
March 6 COLUMBUS W 55-48
March 12 @ New York L 51-53
March 19 ORLANDO W 49-47
March 26 @ New Orleans W 43-40
April 2 @ Tampa Bay L 38-48
April 8 AUSTIN W 56-53
April 15 GRAND RAPIDS W 62-41
April 22 @ Orlando
BYE WEEK
May 8 TAMPA BAY
May 14 DALLAS
May 21 @ San Jose



GEORGIA FORCE NEXT WEEK:

The Force have no scheduled game next week as they have the AFL's Week 14 bye. Georgia will return to action on Sunday, May 8th when they host the Tampa Bay Storm at 1:00 pm at Philips Arena. The game will be televised on NBC marking the Force's only appearance of the regular season on the network. Earlier this year, the Storm defeated the Force 48-38 at the St. Pete Times Forum on April 2nd.


CONNECTIONS:

Georgia DS Kevin Gaines played for the Predators in 1998-1999...Force OL/DL Jermaine Smith played for the Predators during the 2004 season...Orlando WR/DB Bret Cooper played for Georgia in 2003...Predators OL/DL Doug Miller was with the Atlanta Falcons from 2000-2001 and DS Reggie Doster went to training camp with the Falcons in 2000...Orlando quarterback Joe Hamilton attended Georgia Tech from 1996-1999 and was one of the most successful and decorated passers in school history.






THE FORCE THIS SEASON ARE:

6-0 at home
3-3 on the road

1-0 vs. Central Division
1-1 vs. Eastern Division
5-1 vs. Southern Division
2-1 vs. Western Division

3-1 on Fridays
3-2 on Saturday
3-0 on Sundays

1-0 in January
3-1 in February
3-1 in March
2-1 in April
0-0 in May

4-3 in televised games

9-1 when leading at the half
0-0 when tied at the half
0-2 when trailing at the half

9-0 when leading after 3 quarters
0-1 when tied after 3 quarters
0-2 when trailing after 3 quarters

1-0 outcome 7 points or less
5-2 outcome 3 points or less
0-0 overtime games

5-1 when the Force scores first
4-2 when opponent scores first

4-2 when the Force win the coin toss
5-1 when opponent wins the coin toss



THINGS TO WATCH:

CLOSE SITUATIONS:

This season, the Force have shown a toughness for winning the close game. Of their nine wins on the year, six of those contests have been decided by 7 points or less with five of those games being decided by 3 points or less.

DATE OPPONENT RESULT SCORE
1/30 vs. New Orleans W 46-44
2/25 at Austin W 66-63
3/6 vs. Columbus W 55-48
3/19 vs. Orlando W 49-47
3/26 at New Orleans W 43-40
4/8 vs. Austin W 56-53


THUNDER AND LIGHTING:

Georgia's rookie tandem of WR/LB Derek Lee and OS Troy Bergeron have been tearing up the AFL. "Thunder and Lightning" lead the League with a combined 52 touchdown receptions. The following is the top five duos in touchdown receptions:

TOP FIVE TOUCHDOWN DUOS

PLAYERS TEAM TDS
1. Derek Lee & Troy Bergeron Georgia 52
2. Siaha Burley & Randy Gatewood Arizona 43
3. Steve Smith & Sean Scott Philly 41
4. Aaron Bailey & Thabiti Davis N. Orleans 40
5. Rashied Davis & James Roe San Jose 40


DEFENSIVE TOUGHNESS:

Georgia is currently ranked 1st in the AFL in points allowed per game (45.5) and 6th in red zone defense only allowing opponents to score on just 45-of-58 tries on the season inside in the 10 yard line.


FLAG ON THE PLAY:

The Force and Las Vegas Gladiators combined for 34 penalties in their game on February 20th to set a new AFL record. The previous mark for most penalties in a contest was 21, which had been done twice (once by the Georgia on 4/20/02 vs. Orlando). That next week, Georgia and Austin combined for 30 penalties in their game on February 25th for the second most penalties in League history.


Currently, the Force are the fifth most penalized team in the League averaging 60.3 yards per game in penalties while Georgia opponents are ranked first in the AFL in most penalty yards per game with a 67.9 average.


HOME SWEET HOME:

Since the League extended its regular-season schedule from 14 games to 16 games prior to the start of the 2003 season, no team has gone undefeated at home. Entering Week 13, Georgia, Tampa Bay and San Jose remain undefeated at home.

2005 BEST HOME RECORDS

TEAM HOME AWAY OVERALL
Georgia 6-0 3-3 9-3
Tampa Bay 6-0 1-4 7-4
San Jose 5-0 2-4 7-4


HOME COOKING:

For the first time in the team's four-year history, Georgia has started a season 6-0 at home. Currently, the Force are riding a team-record eight game winning streak at home dating back to last season.

Georgia has never finished the season with a winning home record.

YEAR RECORD VENUE
2002 3-4 Philips Arena
2003 3-5 Arena at Gwinnett Center
2004 3-5 Arena at Gwinnett Center
2005 6-0 Philips Arena


MAKING A HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE:

The Force have established a new record for home attendance in each of their first four home games this season.

DATE OPPONENT ATTENDANCE
March 19 Orlando 14,226
March 6 Columbus 14,104
Feb. 12 Arizona 13,297
Jan. 30 New Orleans 11,328

Before this season, the previous record for a Force home crowd was 11,200, which happened twice with home opener sell-outs at the Arena at Gwinnett Center in 2003 and 2004.


AND THE AWARD GOES TO:

The Force have been recognized for some of their achievements this season, both as a team and as players by being honored with the following awards:

AFL Rookie of the Month (February)
OS Troy Bergeron

ADT Defensive Player of the Month (March)
DS Kevin Gaines

AFL Defensive Player of the Week
DS Kevin Gaines- Week 3

U.S. Army Ironman of the Week
WR/LB Chris Jackson- Week 11

AFLWA Top 8 Team Poll
# 1 ranking- Week 9
# 1 ranking- Week 10

AFLWA Player of the Week
WR/LB Derek Lee- Week 7



ACTION JACKSON- BY THE NUMBERS:

It is pretty amazing to look how much Chris Jackson has done in just five seasons. Here is a look at what he has done in his 73 career AFL games.

71 games with at least one TD
70 games with at least one receiving TD
50 games with at least 2 TDs
30 games with at least 3 receiving TDs
15 games with at least 4 receiving TDs
6 games with at least 5 receiving TDs
2 games with at least 6 receiving TDs
1 game with at least 7 receiving TDs
37 100-yard receiving games
18 games with 10+ receptions

* Only player to win the AFL Rookie of the Year, then later capture AFL Offensive Player of the Year.

* 8th all-time in AFL history in receiving touchdowns.

* 11th all-time in AFL history in scoring.

* 1,200+ yards in 4 of 5 seasons.




AMONG THE BEST:

Here is a break-down on where some of the Georgia Force players rank in the AFL in various categories:


PLAYER CATEGORY AFL RANK


OS- Troy Bergeron
Scoring 7th
All-Purpose Yards 2nd
Receptions T-8th
Receiving Yards 4th
KO Return Avg. 12th
MFG Return Avg. 4th

DS- Kevin Gaines
Interceptions T-1st
Tackles T-4th

DS- Willie Gary
Tackles 6th

K- Nelson Garner
Scoring (Kickers) 7th

WR/LB Chris Jackson
All-Purpose Yards 8th
KO Return Avg. 8th
MFG Return Avg. 7th

WR/LB- Derek Lee
Receptions 5th
Receiving Yards 9th
Receiving TDs T-3rd
Scoring 4th

QB- Matt Nagy
Passer Rating 4th Pass Yards per Att. 6th
Completion Pct. 4th

OL/DL- Jermaine Smith
Sacks 12th

OL/DL- Gillis Wilson
Sacks 5th



HEAD COACHES:

DOUG PLANK, Georgia (9-3, 1st Year): On July 30, 2004, Doug Plank was announced as the new head coach of the Georgia Force becoming the fourth head coach in the team's history. Plank comes to the Force having served as the defensive coordinator for the Arizona Rattlers from 2002-2004, which included three consecutive ArenaBowl championship game births.

Following a 3-5 start in 2004, the Rattlers turned their season around to finish with a league-tying best 11-5 record and secure the top seed in the AFL playoffs. In 2002, Plank helped guide the Rattlers defense to a number one regular season ranking in rushing defense and scoring defense. In his three years with the Rattlers, he coached four First Team All-Arena selections, two Second Team All-Arena players and four All-Ironman Team choices, including 2003 AFL Ironman of the Year Randy Gatewood.

A former member of The Ohio State University football team, Plank played in three consecutive Rose Bowls, 1973, 1974, and 1975. While at Ohio State, he played for legendary coach Woody Hayes.

Plank brings with him a wealth of football experience that includes an impressive career in the NFL. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 12th round of the 1975 NFL Entry Draft and started at safety for eight seasons. The "46 Defense" created by Buddy Ryan was named for Plank's jersey number and aggressive style of play. Plank was also the first Bears rookie to ever lead the team in tackles.

Following his playing career, Plank became a franchisee for the Burger King Corporation owning and operating 17 restaurants in three different states.


Plank's professional history also includes experience as a member of the Rattlers broadcast team. Prior to becoming defensive coordinator, he spent five years as the Rattlers' radio analyst and two seasons as their television color analyst.

His broadcasting experience also includes stints with the Arizona Cardinals, Arizona State University Football, Fox Sports Net, Westwood One and Sports USA Radio Network.


JAY GRUDEN, Orlando (61-34, 6th Year): Beginning his sixth season as Head Coach and Director of Football Operations and his eighth season of affiliation with the Predators, Gruden has built a championship legacy during his 13-year AFL career.

Gruden arrived in Orlando prior to the start of the 1998 season, after serving one season as offensive coordinator of the Nashville Kats. At age 30, he became the youngest head coach in the Arena Football League when he replaced AFL coaching legend Perry Moss on Aug, 15, 1997.

For his Arena Football League career, Gruden has posted some truly remarkable numbers. As a head coach, he is 58-32 overall and ranks in the top 10 among active coaches for career wins. He ranks in the top 10 all-time in AFL history with more than 20,000 passing yards and close to 400 touchdowns. As a player, Gruden won 15 of 19 post-season starts with 4,761 passing yards and 77 touchdowns. He was 84-25 (.770) as a starting quarterback and 10-5 as an assistant coach. Counting his 53-30 mark as a head coach, Gruden takes an all-time AFL record of 147-60 (.710) into the 2005 season.

In addition to his duties with the Predators, Gruden has spent the last three years as an offensive assistant with the Tampa Bay Bucs of the NFL. In that capacity, Gruden earned a championship ring with the Bucs in 2002, his seventh championship ring in professional football.

A four-year letterwinner at the University of Louisville (1985-88), Gruden finished his career with 7,024 passing yards, completing 572 of 1049 passes for 44 touchdowns. All four stats still rank as the third best career totals in Cardinal history. As a senior, he led Louisville to an 8-3 record, the first winning season in 10 years for the Cardinals. Following graduation with a degree in Communications, Gruden spent two seasons as a graduate assistant on Coach Howard Schnellenberger's staff.

Gruden hails from a football family. His father Jim is a long-time NFL assistant coach and scout with Tampa Bay and San Francisco and currently works as a consultant for the Tampa Bay Bucs; while his brother Jon is the Head Coach of the Tampa Bay Bucs.

LAST TIME THESE TEAMS MET:

ATLANTA, GA - In a battle for the top spot in the Southern Division, the Georgia Force (6-2) defeated the Orlando Predators (5-3) 49-47. The victory keeps the Force's perfect home record in tack at 4-0 as Georgia set a new attendance mark for the fourth consecutive game with 14,226 fans at Philips Arena.

Orlando WR/LB Cory Fleming scored on a nine-yard touchdown reception with 16 seconds remaining in the game to cut to Georgia lead to two points, but Force WR/LB Derek Lee's recovery of the ensuing onside kick sealed the win for Georgia.

Throughout the first half both teams were stricken with turnovers combining for five in the first two quarters (Georgia- 2 interceptions, 1 fumble; Orlando- 1 interception, 1 fumble). The Force were paced by Lee, who caught three touchdown receptions in the first half. Georgia was able to build a 21-7 lead thanks to a 37-yard interception return for a touchdown by DS Kevin Gaines. Orlando fought back to cut the Force advantage to 28-21 at the half as FB/LB Rupert Grant rushed in for his second score of the game from two-yards out with six seconds left before the break.

Each team was only able to manage one score apiece in the third period as long drives seemed to be the pattern. Orlando put together a 10 play possession capped with a FB/LB Marlon Moye-Moore one-yard rush, while Georgia scored on a 7-play drive finished by a two-yard touchdowns reception by WR/DB Ricky Parker.


Score 1 2 3 4 Final
Orlando 7 14 6 20 47
Georgia 7 21 7 14 49


Offensive Player of the Game: Derek Lee, Georgia
ADT Defensive Player of the Game: Kevin Gaines, Georgia
U.S. Army Ironman of the Game: Ricky Parker, Georgia



LEADERS

Passing
OR- Joe Hamilton, 23-31-307-4-1
GA- Matt Nagy, 23-34-239-5-2

Receiving
OR- Cory Fleming, 8-87-3
GA- Derek Lee, 9-86-3

Rushing
OR- Rupert Grant, 7-14-2
GA- Robert Thomas, 5-24-1


ORL GEO

FIRST DOWNS 23 19
Rushing 4 3
Passing 15 14
Penalty 4 2
NET YARDS RUSHING 22 39
Rushing Attempts 15 7
Average Per Rush 1.5 5.6
Yards Gained Rushing 31 39
Yards Lost Rushing 9 0
NET YARDS PASSING 304 239
Completions-Attempts-Int 23-31-1 23-34-2
Average Per Attempt 9.8 7.0
Average Per Completion 13.2 10.4
TOTAL OFFENSE YARDS 326 278
Total offense plays 47 41
Average Gain Per Play 6.9 6.8
Fumbles: Number-Lost 1-1 1-1
Penalties: Number-Yards 9-62 13-84
KICKOFFS-YARDS 7-380 8-438
Average Yards Per Kickoff 54.3 54.8
Net Yards Per Kickoff 45.3 49.1
Touchbacks 3 3
MFG Returns: Number-Yards-TD 0-0-0 1-7-0
Average Per Return 0.0 7.0
Kickoff returns: Number-Yds-TD 5-45-0 4-63-0
Average Per Return 9.0 15.8
Interceptions: Number-Yds-TD 2-10-0 1-37-1
Fumble Returns: Number-Yds-TD 0-0-0 0-0-0
Miscellaneous Yards 4 0
Possession Time 32:07 27:53
Third-Down Conversions 3 of 7 1 of 2
Fourth-Down Conversions 2 of 2 1 of 1
Red-Zone Scores-Chances 5-5 2-3
Sacks By: Number-Yards 0-0 1-3
PAT Kicks 5-6 7-7
Field Goals 0-1 0-0



FORCE LAST WEEK:

ATLANTA, GA – The Georgia Force (9-3) won their team record ninth win of the regular season with a 62-41 victory over the Grand Rapids Rampage (1-10). The win secured the Force's first winning season in club history and upped their team record home winning streak to eight games.

Georgia scored touchdowns on all nine of their possessions throughout the game, as QB Matt Nagy completed 19-of-27 passes for 193 yards and a game-high six touchdowns. Force WR/LB's Chris Jackson and Derek Lee both added three receiving touchdowns, while Jackson added a fourth score with a five-yard rush. For the Rampage, QB Michael Bishop rushed for a game-high three touchdowns and threw for two more score completing 22-of-39 passes for 257 yards.

The Force took a 15 point lead, 35-20, into the halftime break scoring a season-high tying 35 points in the first half. Nagy connected for three touchdowns through the first two quarters of play, while the Force ground attack added two rushing scores in the half. The Rampage were held to missed field goals on their first two drives of the game, but responded with a touchdown toss and rush by Bishop and a pair of field goals by K Peter Martinez.

Both teams traded a touchdown reception and a rushing score in the third quarter, as Georgia kept their double-digit advantage. In the fourth quarter, Jackson hauled in two touchdown passes from nine and seven yards out to put the game away.


Score 1 2 3 4 Final
Grand Rapids 7 13 14 7 41
Georgia Force 14 21 13 14 62


Offensive Player of the Game: Matt Nagy, Georgia
ADT Defensive Player of the Game: Nate Coggins, Georgia
U.S. Army Ironman of the Game: Derek Lee, Georgia


LEADERS

Passing
GR- Michael Bishop, 22-39-257-2
GA- Matt Nagy, 19-27-193-6

Receiving
GR- Josh Bush, 8-86-1
GA- Chris Jackson, 6-64-3

Rushing
GR- Michael Bishop, 5-35-3
GA- Chris Jackson, 1-5-1



GRA GEO
FIRST DOWNS 16 10
RUSHES-YARDS (NET) 6-39 5-14
PASSING YDS (NET) 235 193
Passes Att-Comp-Int 39-22-0 27-19-0
TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS 49-274 32-207
Fumble Returns-Yards 0-0 0-0
Kickoff Returns-Yards 5-91 6-111
Interception Returns-Yards 0-0 0-0
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 0-0
Penalties-Yards 6-38 3-17
Possession Time 38:07 21:53
Third-Down Conversions 2 of 10 3 of 4
Fourth-Down Conversions 3 of 4 1 of 1
Red-Zone Scores-Chances 5-5 8-8
Sacks By: Number-Yards 0-0 4-22






WEEKLY GAME AWARD WINNERS:



Offensive Player of the Game


WK TEAM PLAYER
1 GA Troy Bergeron
2 LA Remy Hamilton
3 GA Troy Bergeron
4 GA Jim Kubiak
5 GA Matt Nagy
6 GA Troy Bergeron
7 GA Derek Lee
8 GA Derek Lee
9 GA Troy Bergeron
10 TB Shane Stafford
11 GA Matt Nagy
12 GA Matt Nagy
13
14
15
16


ADT Defensive Player of the Game

WK TEAM PLAYER
1 GA Dialleo Burks
2 LA Antuan Simmons
3 GA Gillis Wilson
4 GA Kevin Gaines
5 GA Kevin Gaines
6 GA Gillis Wilson
7 NY Chris Angel
8 GA Kevin Gaines
9 GA Kevin Gaines
10 TB Mike Sutton
11 GA Willie Gary
12 GA Nate Coggins
13
14
15
16


U.S. Army Ironman of the Game

WK TEAM PLAYER
1 GA Robert Thomas
2 LA Brian Sump
3 GA Ricky Parker
4 GA Derek Lee
5 GA Troy Bergeron
6 GA Chris Demaree
7 NY Corey Johnson
8 GA Ricky Parker
9 GA Derek Lee
10 TB Lynarise Elpheage
11 GA Chris Jackson
12 GA Derek Lee
13
14
15
16


AFL WEEK 13 SCHEDULE (all times are EST):


Friday, April 22
Dallas at Columbus, 7 pm
Georgia at Orlando, 7:30 pm
San Jose at Colorado, 9 pm
Austin at Arizona, 10 pm

BYE: Las Vegas

Saturday, April 23
New Orleans at Grand Rapids, 7:30
Chicago at Los Angeles, 10:30 pm

Sunday, April 24
Philadelphia at New York, 1 pm
Tampa Bay at Nashville, 1 pm


AFL ON TV (all times are EST):


Friday, April 22 Sunday, April 24
Dallas at Columbus, 7 pm Philadelphia at New York, 1 pm
Georgia at Orlando, 7:30 pm Tampa Bay at Nashville, 1 pm
Austin at Arizona, 10 pm

Saturday, April 23
Chicago at Los Angeles, 10:30 pm

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 19, 2005


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