Georgia Force game notes
May 31, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Georgia Force News Release
QUICK FACTS:
Georgia Force (12-5) vs. Orlando Predators (11-6)
Date: June 4, 2005
Kickoff: 3:00 p.m. ET
Site: Philips Arena (18,200)
Television: NBC (Bob Papa: play-by-play, Ray Bentley: analyst, Dave Burns: sidelines).
Radio: WQXI 790 AM The Zone (David Hubbard: play-by-play, Chuck Oliver: analyst, Brandon Leak: sidelines).
Coaches: Doug Plank, Georgia (12-5, 1st Year).
Jay Gruden (64-36, 6th Year).
Series Record: Never faced in the playoffs.
Georgia leads the all-time regular season series 5-3.
THE GAME:
The Georgia Force play host to the National Conference Championship Game against the Orlando Predators on Saturday, June 4th at 3 pm in Philips Arena. The winner will earn a berth to ArenaBowl XIX on Sunday, June 12th in Las Vegas.
This year, Georgia and Orlando split their regular season series with the home team winning each contest. Home-field advantage for the Force could play a key role in the game, as Georgia is a perfect 9-0 this season at home and riding an 11-game home winning streak dating back to last season.
Expect a hard fought defensive battle as Georgia finished the regular season with the AFL's 2nd ranked scoring defense (46.6), while Orlando closed the year ranked third in the League (47.2). In the two match-ups between these teams in the regular season, the final score was decided by a combined 5 points.
THE OPPONENT:
The third seed Orlando Predators advanced to the National Conference championship game against top seeded Georgia after knocking off the second seed New York Dragons 47-42 on the road last Sunday.
First Team All-Arena and All-Ironman team selection WR/LB Cory Fleming caught three touchdowns on nine receptions and 115 receiving yards versus New York. Quarterback Joe Hamilton, who missed the second game against the Force due to a shoulder injury, threw for four touchdowns and added a rushing score in the Predators Divisional Round victory.
THE SCHEDULE:
GEORGIA FORCE (12-5)
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 L 49-52
BYE WEEK
May 8 TAMPA BAY W 52-40
May 14 DALLAS W 63-56
May 21 @ San Jose L 48-54
AFL PLAYOFFS
May 29 TAMPA BAY W 62-46
June 4 ORLANDO
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:
9-0 at home
3-5 on the road
1-0 vs. Central Division
2-1 vs. Eastern Division
7-2 vs. Southern Division
2-2 vs. Western Division
3-2 on Fridays
4-3 on Saturday
5-0 on Sundays
1-0 in January
3-1 in February
3-1 in March
2-2 in April
3-1 in May
7-5 in televised games
11-1 when leading at the half
0-0 when tied at the half
1-4 when trailing at the half
12-0 when leading after 3 quarters
0-1 when tied after 3 quarters
0-4 when trailing after 3 quarters
2-0 outcome 7 points or less
5-3 outcome 3 points or less
0-0 overtime games
6-1 when the Force scores first
6-4 when opponent scores first
7-3 when the Force win the coin toss
5-2 when opponent wins the coin toss
GEORGIA FORCE NEXT WEEK:
If the Force defeat the Predators, Georgia would advance to ArenaBowl XIX on Sunday, June 12th at in Las Vegas at the Thomas & Mack Center at 3 pm ET. The Force would take on the winner of the American Conference championship game between the Colorado Crush and the Chicago Rush that is being played on Sunday, June 5th.
STATISTICS:
A look how Georgia and Orlando match-up on both sides of the ball based on 2005 final regular season statistics:
Statistical GEORGIA ORLANDO
Category Rank Stat Rank Stat
Scoring Offense 9th 51.1 11th 50.0
Scoring Defense 2nd 46.6 3rd 47.2
Total Offense (yds/g) 7th 282.5 8th 280.9
Total Defense (yds/g) 12th 294.0 5th 269.2
Pass Offense 7th 264.8 13th 248.2
Pass Defense 13th 275.9 6th 253.5
Rushing Offense 9th 17.7 3rd 32.7
Rushing Defense 6th 18.1 2nd 15.7
Pass Rating 3rd 120.0 6th 112.9
Pass Def. Rating 7th 107.8 2nd 98.9
Kickoff Returns 9th 17.4 11th 17.1
MFG Returns 8th 17.4 14th 13.0
Interceptions (int-yds) 14th 12-79 8th 15-131
Turnover Margin 11th -2 5th +6
Field Goals 5th 7-14 8th 14-31
PAT Kicking 10th 97-112 16th 82-105
Sacks By (sks-yds) 9th 15-80 4th 19-124
Sacks Against (sks-yds) 8th 13-91 14th 23-112
First Downs 5th 334 10th 319
Opp. First Downs 12th 333 2nd 307
Penalties (yds/gm) 13th 57.1 8th 52.4
Opp. Penalties (yds/gm) 1st 66.1 16th 47.6
Red Zone Offense 13th 57-73 1st 70-79
Red Zone Defense 3rd 60-78 10th 63-78
Time of Possession 14th 28:29 8th 30:18
THINGS TO WATCH:
FINISHING ON TOP:
This season the Georgia Force finished with a League-best 11-win season, won the Southern Division and earned the No. 1 seed in the 2005 AFL playoffs for the first time in franchise history. In the 18 years of the ArenaBowl, 11 teams have finished the regular season with at least 11 wins and the No. 1 ranking, with eight of those teams making it all the way to the ArenaBowl.
ALL-TIME NO.1 PLAYOFF SEEDS
YEAR NO. 1 SEED REG. SEASON PLAYOFF RESULT
2005 GEORGIA FORCE 11-5 ???
2004 Arizona Rattlers 11-5 Lost in ArenaBowl XVIII
2003 San Jose SaberCats 12-4 Lost in Semifinals
2002 San Jose SaberCats 13-1 Won ArenaBowl XVI
2001 Grand Rapids Rampage 11-3 Won ArenaBowl XV
2000 San Jose SaberCats 12-2 Lost in Semifinals
1999 Tampa Bay Storm 11-3 Lost in First Round
1998 Tampa Bay Storm 12-2 Lost ArenaBowl XII
1997 Arizona Rattlers 12-2 Won ArenaBowl XI
1996 Iowa Barnstormers 12-2 Lost ArenaBowl X
1995 Tampa Bay Storm 10-2 Won ArenaBowl IX
1994 Orlando Predators 11-1 Lost ArenaBowl VIII
1993 Detroit Drive 11-1 Lost ArenaBowl VII
1992 Orlando Predators 9-1 Lost ArenaBowl VI
1991 Detroit Drive 9-1 Lost ArenaBowl V
1990 Detroit Drive 6-2 Won ArenaBowl IV
1989 Detroit Drive 3-1 Won ArenaBowl III
1988 Chicago Bruisers 10-1 Lost ArenaBowl II
1987 Pittsburgh Gladiators 4-2 Lost ArenaBowl I
THE DRIVE TO LAS VEGAS:
Home-field advantage has always played a crucial roll in the road to the ArenaBowl. In the 18-year history of the ArenaBowl, 34 of the 36 teams to compete in the championship game started on their respective journeys with a home playoff game, including all 18 ArenaBowl Champions.
DEFENSIVE TOUGHNESS:
Georgia closed out the regular season ranked 2nd in the AFL in points allowed per game (46.6) and 3rd in red zone defense only allowing opponents to score on just 60-of-78 tries on the season inside in the 10 yard line.
CLOSE SITUATIONS:
This season, the Force have shown toughness for winning the close game. Of their 11 wins on the year, seven of those contests have been decided by 7 points or less with five of those games being decided by 3 points or less.
Also in 4 of the 5 losses on the season, the Force have lost by just an average of just 4 points.
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
5/14 vs. Dallas W 63-56
2/4 at Los Angeles L 41-46
3/12 at New York L 51-53
4/22 at Orlando L 49-47
5/21 at San Jose L 48-54
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.
The Force finished the regular season as the fifth most penalized team in the League averaging 54.4 yards per game in penalties while Georgia opponents are ranked first in the AFL in most penalty yards per game with a 66.1 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 had gone undefeated at home. This year, both Georgia and Tampa Bay, managed to go undefeated at home setting a new AFL record.
2005 BEST HOME RECORDS
TEAM HOME AWAY OVERALL
Georgia 8-0 3-5 11-5
Tampa Bay 8-0 2-6 10-6
HOME COOKING:
Before this year, Georgia had never finished the regular season with a winning home record. In 2005, the Force went a perfect 8-0 at home.
The Force are riding a team-record 10 game regular season winning streak at home dating back to last season. The 10-game regular season home winning streak is tied for 3rd all-time in AFL history (19- Orlando).
YEAR RECORD VENUE
2002 3-4 Philips Arena
2003 3-5 Arena at Gwinnett Center
2004 3-5 Arena at Gwinnett Center
2005 8-0 Philips Arena
MAKING A HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE:
The Force established a new record for home attendance in each of their first four home games in 2005.
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.
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 77 career regular season AFL games.
75 games with at least one TD
74 games with at least one receiving TD
53 games with at least 2 TDs
33 games with at least 3 receiving TDs
16 games with at least 4 receiving TDs
7 games with at least 5 receiving TDs
2 games with at least 6 receiving TDs
1 game with at least 7 receiving TDs
40 100-yard receiving games
21 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 entering 2005 season.
* 11th all-time in AFL history in scoring entering 2005 season.
* 1,200+ receiving yards in 5 of 6 seasons (includes 2005).
STEPPING INTO THE ROLE:
Since entering the game in the second quarter at Austin on February 25th when starting quarterback Jim Kubiak went down with a season-ending knee injury, Matt Nagy has stepped and led the Force to a 8-4 record and helped guide Georgia to their first Southern Division championship.
As a starter this year, Nagy has thrown at least four touchdowns in 11 games (didn't play in the second half at San Jose) and set a career high with nine touchdown tosses vs. Dallas (5/14).
Against the Wranglers, Nagy truly went from holding a clip broad to stepping into the game and completing his first 10 passes. The Force would go on to win on a last second 49-yard field goal by Nelson Garner.
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
AFL Rookie of the Month (May)
WR/LB Derek Lee
AFL ADT Defensive Player of the Month (March)
DS Kevin Gaines
AFL U.S. Army Ironman on the Month (May)
WR/LB Chris Jackson
AFL ADT Defensive Player of the Week
DS Kevin Gaines- Week 3
AFL U.S. Army Ironman of the Week
WR/LB Chris Jackson- Week 11
AFL Offensive Player of the Week
WR/LB Chris Jackson- Week 15
AFLWA Top 8 Team Poll
# 1 ranking- Week 9
# 1 ranking- Week 10
# 1 ranking- Week 13
# 1 ranking- Week 15
# 1 ranking- Week 16
# 1 ranking- Week 17
# 1 ranking- final regular season poll
AFLWA Player of the Week
WR/LB Derek Lee- Week 7
WR/LB Chris Jackson- Week 16
AFL FIRST TEAM ALL-ARENA
OL/DL Jermaine Smith
AFL SECOND TEAM ALL-ARENA
QB Matt Nagy
DS Kevin Gaines
OL/DL Gillis Wilson
AFL ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
OS Troy Bergeron
WR/LB Derek Lee
FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING:
When the Georgia Force clinched the 2005 Southern Division championship and the top seed in the National Conference, not only were they setting a first in team history for the club, but also for their home venue.
By winning the division title and being the top seed in the National Conference, the Force secured a first and second round home playoff game to be played on May 29th and June 4th respectively. In the six-year history of Philips Arena, no team in any professional sport has played a playoff game within the venue or posted a winning regular season record.
ROOKIE RECORD BOOKS:
In the regular season finale at San Jose (5/21), both Troy Bergeron and Derek Lee etched their names into the AFL record books for rookie receiving marks.
Lee set a new rookie single-season mark for receptions finishing the year with 113 (105 by Mike Baker- St. Louis, 1996).
Bergeron set a new League single-season record with 1,370 receiving yards (1,335 by Oronde Gadsden- Portland, 1998).
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" finished the 2005 regular season with more receiving touchdowns then any other pair of receivers in the AFL. The following is the top five duos in touchdown receptions:
TOP FIVE TOUCHDOWN DUOS
PLAYERS TEAM TDS
1. Troy Bergeron & Derek Lee Georgia 64
2. Siaha Burley & Randy Gatewood Arizona 63
3. Marcus Nash & Joe Douglas Las Vegas 61
4. Rashied Davis & James Roe San Jose 60
5. Aaron Bailey & Thabiti Davis New Orleans 56
AMONG THE BEST:
Here is a break-down on where some of the Georgia Force players rank in the AFL in various categories this season:
PLAYER CATEGORY AFL RANK
OS- Troy Bergeron
All-Purpose Yards 5th
Receiving Yards 10th
Receiving TDs 7th
Kickoff Returns 5th
KO Return Yards 6th
MFG Returns 2nd
MFG Return Yards 3rd
DS- Kevin Gaines
Interceptions T-3rd
Tackles 18th
DS- Willie Gary
Tackles 6th
K- Nelson Garner
Scoring (Kickers) 10th
Field Goal % 9th
PATs Made 10th
WR/LB Chris Jackson
Scoring 6th
All-Purpose Yards 8th
MFG Returns 8th
MFG Return Yards 9th
KO Return TDs T-4th
WR/LB- Derek Lee
Scoring 7th Receptions 9th
Receiving TDs 5th
QB- Matt Nagy
Passer Rating 3rd
Passing avg./game 10th
Pass Comp. Pct. 4th
FB/LB- Robert Thomas
Rushing 10th
OL/DL- Gillis Wilson
Sacks 6th
HEAD COACHES:
DOUG PLANK, Georgia (12-5, 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 (64-36, 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:
ORLANDO, FL â Georgia kicker Nelson Garner's 46-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left slightly as the Orlando Predators (9-4) held on for a 52-49 victory over the Georgia Force (9-4). The win pulls Orlando into a first place tie with Georgia for the Southern Division, as the teams split the season series.
With the game clock under one minutes left in the game, the action picked up for both teams following a Predator interception and then a Force fumble recovery in the previous minute of play. Georgia narrowed the score to 52-49 on a QB Matt Nagy one-yard touchdown run with 57 seconds left. The Force then successfully recovered the ensuing on-side kick. On fourth down on their next possession, Force OS Troy Bergeron looked to have hauled in the go-ahead score on a 36-yard pass, but the catch was ruled incomplete giving the Predators the ball with 34 seconds left. The Georgia defense stepped up forcing Orlando to a four-and-out to re-gain possession with 19 seconds remaining setting up Nelson's potential game winner.
From the opening kickoff, the ball was truly bouncing Orlando's way. The Predators recovered an opening game kickoff that rebounded off the rebound net on the Georgia three-yard line. One play later, QB Chris Sanders rushed in for an early 7-0 Orlando lead. The Force were held on downs on their next possession, which the Predators capitalized with a WR/LB Cory Fleming touchdown reception to go up 14-0. Georgia got on the scoreboard with a touchdown rush by FB/LB Kevin Aldridge.
Following an Orlando missed field goal to begin the second quarter, the Predator defense forced a safety on Georgia's first offensive play to push their lead to 16-7. Both teams traded a pair of touchdowns throughout the remainder of the second quarter as Orlando held to a 29-21 lead. The Predators were able to add three more points as the half ended when off-setting penalties gave Orlando a re-try on a missed 41-yard field goal that Brian Gowins connected his second attempt.
Georgia cut the score to seven points by the end of the third quarter out-scoring Orlando 14-10 in the period. OS Troy Bergeron and WR/LB Chris Jackson both caught their second touchdowns of the game for the Force in the quarter. The Predators points came all on special teams with a Gowins field goal and a 54-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by OS Jerrian James.
Score 1 2 3 4 Final
Georgia 7 14 14 14 49
Orlando 14 18 10 10 52
LEADERS
Passing
GA- Matt Nagy, 29-43-296-5-1
OR- Chris Sanders, 20-34-236-3
Receiving
GA- Chris Jackson, 12-166-3
OR- Cory Fleming, 9-123-3
Rushing
GA- Kevin Aldridge, 3-11-1
OR- Kevin Nagle, 2-16-1
Offensive Player of the Game: Chris Jackson, Georgia
ADT Defensive Player of the Game: E.J. Burt, Orlando
U.S. Army Ironman of the Game: Cory Fleming, Orlando
FORCE LAST WEEK:
ATLANTA, GA â Rob Carey's 47-yard interception return for a touchdown as time expired sealed a 62-46 victory for the Georgia Force (12-5) over the Tampa Bay Storm (10-6) in the Divisional Round of the AFL Playoffs. The win keeps the Force's perfect record at home in tack at 9-0 on the year and sets up the National Conference Championship game next Saturday at Philips Arena versus the Orlando Predators, who defeated New York earlier today.
Georgia offensive specialist Troy Bergeron led the way for the Force with three receiving touchdowns on 8 catches for 85 adding four returns for 102 yards, including a 56-yard missed field goal return for a score. For Tampa Bay, offensive specialist Freddie Solomon finished with a game-high 102 receiving yards on 5 receptions and 2 touchdowns.
The story in the first half for both teams was defensive stops and special teams as there were four missed PATs, three interceptions, a blocked field goal and a kickoff return for a touchdown. On Tampa Bay's opening possession, Georgia's Kevin Gaines, returning from a six-game absence, intercepted a Shane Stafford pass. The Force took only one play to score when Matt Nagy hit Bergeron for a 27-yard touchdown strike and an early 7-0 lead. The Storm scored the game's next 13 points on touchdown rushes from David White and Shane Stafford. On Georgia's ensuing drive, Clif Dell picked Nagy and returned it down to the Force four-yard line. The Storm would not hold onto the ball for long as on their first play Stafford fumbled the center exchange which was recovered by Georgia.
Both teams traded another score and each had a missed field goal attempt as the score stood tied 19-19 with a little over one minute remaining in the half. With five seconds left before the break, Tampa Bay kicker Matt George came on to attempt a 39-yard field goal. George's kicked sailed left as time expired setting up a 56-yard missed field goal return by Troy Bergeron giving the Force a 26-19 halftime lead.
The third quarter opened and closed with more big special teams plays. The opening second half kickoff hit the rebound net bars, which the Storm's Jonathan Ordway recovered and drove into the end zone to again tie the score. Each team traded a pair of touchdowns throughout the quarter, before Chris Jackson ended the third session with a 53-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to put Georgia up 46-39.
Force kicker Nelson Garner connected on a 30-yard field goal with 10:31 remaining in the game to give the Force the first two possession lead by any team and a 49-39 Georgia advantage. Ronney Daniels added a final score for the Storm on a 30-yard touchdown reception, as the Force would go on to score the contest's final 13 points and advance to the next round of the AFL playoffs.
Score 1 2 3 4 Final
Tampa Bay 6 13 20 7 46
Georgia Force 7 19 20 16 62
LEADERS
Passing
TB- Shane Stafford, 19-34-304-3
GA- Matt Nagy, 21-38-223-5
Receiving
TB- Freddie Solomon, 5-102-2
GA- Troy Bergeron, 8-85-3
Rushing
TB- Shane Stafford, 4-4-2
GA- Robert Thomas, 2-16-1
Offensive Player of the Game: Troy Bergeron, Georgia
ADT Defensive Player of the Game: Kevin Gaines, Georgia
U.S. Army Ironman of the Game: Chris Jackson, Georgia
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 GA Chris Jackson
15 GA Troy Bergeron
16 GA Matt Nagy
17 SJ Mark Grieb
P-1 GA Troy Bergeron
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 ORL E.J. Burt
15 GA Ricky Parker
16 GA Derek Lee
17 SJ Barry Wagner
P-1 GA Kevin Gaines
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 ORL Cory Fleming
15 GA Chris Jackson
16 GA Chris Jackson
17 SJ James Roe
P-1 GA Chris Jackson
AFL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE (all times are ET):
Saturday, June 4
Orlando at Georgia, 3 pm
Sunday, June 5
Chicago at Colorado, 3 pm
AFL ON TV (all times are ET):
Saturday, June 4 Sunday, June 5
Orlando at Georgia, 3 pm Chicago at Colorado, 3 pm
DIVISIONAL ROUND RESULTS:
Sunday, May 29 Sunday, May 29
(4) San Jose 48 at (1) COLORADO 56 (4) Tampa Bay 46 at (1) GEORGIA 62
(3) CHICAGO 52 at (2) Los Angeles 45 (3) ORLANDO 47 at (2) New York 42
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 31, 2005
- Force's Troy Bergeron named AFL Offensive Player of the Week - Georgia Force
- Bleisath named AFL Defensive Player of the Week - Chicago Rush
- AFL names players of the week - AFL I
- Los Angeles' Silas Demary named AFL Lineman of the Year - AFL I
- Orlando Predators game notes - Orlando Predators
- Georgia Force game notes - Georgia Force
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
