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Georgia Force game notes

February 21, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Georgia Force News Release


QUICK FACTS

Kansas City Brigade (1-3) at Georgia Force (2-2)

Date: February 24, 2006
Kickoff: 7:30 pm (ET)
Site: Philips Arena (18,200)
Television: FSN South (Eli Gold: play-by-play, Charles Davis: analyst)
Radio: WQXI 790 AM The Zone (David Hubbard: play-by-play, Chuck Oliver: color analyst)
Coaches: Doug Plank, Georgia (15-8, 2nd Year)
Kevin Porter, Kansas City (1-3, 1st Year)

THE OPPONENT

Kansas City is coming off their first win in franchise history, defeating Columbus 45-24. The Brigade are currently 1-3 overall and 0-2 versus Southern Division opponents.
THE GAME

The Force return home to Philips Arena to host the Kansas City Brigade after spending the previous two weeks on the road. Georgia's 54-34 win over Las Vegas, last Friday, improved their record to 1-1 on their two game road trip.

This will be the first meeting between these two franchises. Kansas City was awarded the franchise in the offseason after the New Orleans VooDoo could not continue operations, following hurricane Katrina.

This will mark the third Southern Division contest of the 2006 season for the Force. The Force are currently 1-1 in the division, defeating Orlando at Philips Arena 48-31 in Week 1, and losing at Tampa Bay 61-60 in Week 3.

Last week, Georgia defeated Las Vegas 54-34 at the Thomas & Mack Center. The Force scored on the opening possession of the game and never looked back. At the end of the third quarter, Las Vegas trimmed the Georgia lead to six, but the Force outscored the Gladiators 14-0 in the fourth quarter to secure the victory. Force rookie DS Chris Brown, tied a franchise-high with three interceptions (last time: Kevin Gaines at Las Vegas, 2/20/05) in a single game to lead the Force to their second win of the season. Brown earned ADT Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance.

The Brigade are led by 12 year AFL veteran, QB Andy Kelly. Kelly has completed 108-of-178 attempts for 1,089 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2006. Kelly's favorite target is rookie OS Jerel Myers. Myers has recorded 34 catches for 354 yards and six touchdowns in his first four games in the AFL.

GEORGIA FORCE NEXT WEEK

The Force will host the Southern Division leader Austin Wranglers (4-0) on Saturday, March 4 at 12 pm, in Philips Arena.

Georgia defeated Austin 56-53 (4/8/05) the last time these teams met. The Force lead the series 3-1, including two wins last year. Both games last year were decided by three points (66-63 and 56-53).

THE SCHEDULE

GEORGIA FORCE (2-2)

Date OPPONENT RESULT SCORE
Jan. 28 ORLANDO W 48-31
Feb. 5 COLORADO L 61-59
Feb. 10 @ Tampa Bay L 61-60
Feb. 17 @ Las Vegas W 54-34
Feb. 24 KANSAS CITY
March 4 AUSTIN
March 10 @ Columbus
March 17 @ San Jose
March 26 TAMPA BAY
April 1 @ Kansas City
April 9 @ Austin
April 14 @ Orlando
April 22 DALLAS
April 29 CHICAGO
May 6 @ New York
May 13 PHILADELPHIA

STATISTICS

A look how Georgia and Kansas City match-up on both sides of the ball based on statistics through Week 4 of the 2006 AFL season:

Statistical GEORGIA LAS VEGAS
Category Rank Stat Rank Stat
Scoring Offense 5th 55.2 15th 40.8
Scoring Defense 7th 46.8 3rd 41.8
Total Offense (yds/g) 11th 287.5 9th 288.8
Total Defense (yds/g) 13th 298.2 3rd 247.8
Pass Offense 10th 270.0 9th 272.2
Pass Defense 12th 276.8 3rd 226.5
Rushing Offense 8th 17.5 9th 16.5
Rushing Defense 12th 21.5 11th 21.2
Pass Rating 7th 113.2 16th 84.7
Pass Def. Rating 6th 96.0 5th 90.5
Kickoff Returns 4th 18.8 18th 12.7
MFG Returns t-12th 0.0 8th 24.0
Interceptions (int-yds) 6th 5-79 12th 5-55
Turnover Margin 9th +1 t-6th +2
Field Goals 3rd 2-3 4th 7-11
PAT Kicking 4th 23-30 14th 16-21
Sacks By (sks-yds) 16th 2-10 18th 0-0
Sacks Against (sks-yds) 6th 2-13 7th 2-2
First Downs 13th 75 1st 90
Opp. First Downs 13th 83 4th 71
Penalties (yds/gm) 10th 39.2 9th 38.8
Opp. Penalties (yds/gm) 16th 30.0 1st 58.2
Red Zone Offense 13th 12-15 16th 15-20
Red Zone Defense 13th 17-20 t-8th 14-17
Time of Possession 16th 28:09 4th 32:02

HEAD COACHES

DOUG PLANK, Georgia (15-8, 2nd Year): Doug Plank enters his second season as head coach of the Georgia Force in 2006. In his first season as an AFL head coach, he led the Force on a magical ride to ArenaBowl XIX. Plank was voted 2005 AFL Coach of the Year after leading the Force to a league best 11-5 regular season record and a 13-6 record overall.

The 11-5 mark was the best record in franchise history (previous best 8-8 in 2003), and secured the Force's first Southern Division Championship and the number one seed in the playoffs. The Force went on to win the inaugural National Conference Championship game by defeating the Orlando Predators 60-58. The victory secured the Force's place in ArenaBowl XIX.

Plank has coached in four straight ArenaBowls. He helped lead the Arizona Rattlers to three previous ArenaBowls as their defensive coordinator. In his final season with the Rattlers, the team finished with an 11-5 record and earned the top seed in the AFL playoffs.
A former member of The Ohio State University football team, Plank played in three consecutive Rose Bowls (1973-75). 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 selected by the Chicago Bears in the 12th round of the 1975 NFL 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.
He has prior broadcasting experience with the Sports USA Radio Network, Arizona Cardinals, Arizona State University Football, Fox Sports Net, and Westwood One.

Plank and his wife, Nancy, have two children, Andrea and Michael.

KEVIN PORTER (1-3, 1st Year): Head Coach Kevin Porter comes to the Kansas City Brigade with a reputation as one of the AFL's finest young defensive minds. As defensive coordinator for the New Orleans VooDoo in 2004-2005, Porter led the league's fourth-ranked pass defense and sixth-ranked run defense.

Porter gained experience as the head coach of the Macon (GA) Knights of arenafootball2 from 2001-2003. His stint included a trip to the 2003 championship game, the ArenaCup. Porter started his coaching career as head coach of the Pensacola Barracudas of the af2 in 2000.

Prior to being drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL, Porter was a four-year starter at cornerback for Auburn. He was named honorable mention All-American as a senior. He and his wife, Annjela, have two sons, Jacob and Kellen.

LAST WEEK

Georgia at Las Vegas (10,902)

Las Vegas, NV- The Georgia Force led by rookies DS Chris Brown and WR/DB Jamin Elliott defeated the Las Vegas Gladiators 54-34. Brown recorded his first career AFL interception in the first quarter and added two more in the second quarter. Brown's three interceptions in a single game tied the franchise record for interceptions in a single game (last time: DS Kevin Gaines, 2/20/05). Elliott registered his first career touchdown reception in the third quarter on a 26-yard strike from Force QB Matt Nagy. He added two more scores in the fourth, while playing for an injured OS Chris Jackson (hamstring). The victory improves the Force's record to 2-2 and drops the Gladiators' to 1-3.

The difference in the first quarter was an interception by Force DS Chris Brown of Gladiator QB Craig Whelihan in the end zone to end Las Vegas' first possession. The interception by Brown marked his first of his AFL career. The Force scored on both of their possessions in the quarter with Nagy connecting with WR/LB Chris Johnson for the first score and Chris Jackson for the second. Las Vegas scored their first points of the game when Whelihan connected with OS Marcus Nash for a touchdown with three seconds remaining in the quarter. The Force led the Gladiators 13-7 at the end of the quarter.

The Force continued to be led by their defense in the second quarter. Georgia's Brown added two more interceptions in the second quarter, returning both for touchdowns (36 and 4-yards). Whelihan, of Las Vegas threw one touchdown and two interceptions in the quarter, connecting with WR/LB Joe Douglass on a 27-yard score. The other Gladiator score came on an 8-yard run by FB/LB Marlion Jackson.

Las Vegas scored as time expired in the third quarter to cut the Force lead to six points 40-34, as Nash hauled in a 27-yard pass from Whelihan. After an interception by Matt Nagy, the Gladiators drive stalled after Georgia's OL/DL Gillis Wilson sacked Whelihan on third down, and Las Vegas' K Eric Houle missed the ensuing field goal attempt. Force WR/DB Jamin Elliott recorded his first AFL touchdown reception when Nagy connected on a 26-yard pass with 39 seconds remaining in the quarter.

Georgia Force rookie Jamin Elliott continued to produce in the fourth quarter by adding two touchdown receptions of 23-yards and 22-yards thrown by Nagy. Georgia's defense did not allow a single point in the fourth quarter on their way to a 54-34 victory.

Score 1 2 3 4 Total
Georgia 13 21 6 14 54
Las Vegas 7 14 13 0 34

LEADERS

PASSING:
GA- Matt Nagy, 24-36-252-6-3
LV- Craig Whelihan, 25-48-323-4-3

RECEIVING:
GA- Derek Lee, 9-84-0
LV- Marcus Nash, 8-101-2

RUSHING:
GA- Robert Thomas, 4-38-0
LV- Marlion Jackson, 2-8-1

OFFENSIVE MVP: Jamin Elliott, Georgia
DEFENSIVE MVP: Chris Brown, Georgia
IRONMAN: Robert Thomas, Georgia

WEEK 3

Georgia at Tampa Bay (16,751)

TAMPA BAY, FL- The Georgia Force fell to their Southern Division rival Tampa Bay Storm, 61-60, after coming up short on a two-point conversion with no time remaining in the game. Force QB Matt Nagy ran for a touchdown as time expired in the fourth quarter to give the Force an opportunity for the win, but his pass to WR/LB Chris Johnson was just out of reach. Georgia falls to 1-2 on the season and 1-1 in the division, while the Storm improve to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in the division.

The first quarter ended with Georgia trailing Tampa Bay 17-6. Storm QB Shane Stafford ran for a one-yard score on their first possession and connected with WR/LB Bobby Sippio for a touchdown on the team's second possession of the game. The Sippio score was set up by an interception by Tampa's WR/DB Lynaris Elpheage thrown by Force's Nagy. Georgia responded by WR/LB Derek Lee hauling in a 24-yard pass from Nagy.

With 2:11 remaining in the second quarter the Force trailed the Storm 30-13. Nagy hooked up with OS Chris Jackson for a score, cutting the Storm's advantage to 10-points, 30-20. On the ensuing kickoff, Storm DS Jonathan Ordway was stripped by Force FB/LB Robert Thomas and Georgia's FB/LB Chris Demaree recovered at Tampa Bay's five-yard line. Nagy connected with Lee to trim the Storm lead to three, 30-27, heading into the half.

Georgia and Tampa traded scores throughout the third quarter with the Storm leading 46-40 at the end of the quarter. The quarter was highlighted by Jackson returning a kickoff 58-yards for a touchdown. The 58-yard return set a Force franchise record for longest kickoff return (previously 57-yards, accomplished four times, last time by Chris Jackson vs. Austin, 4/8/05).

The two teams battled until the very last second of the fourth quarter. As time expired, Nagy rushed for a one-yard touchdown, making the score 61-60 in favor of the Storm. Georgia attempted a two-point conversion which failed as Nagy's pass intended Johnson fell incomplete.

Score 1 2 3 4 Total
Georgia 6 21 13 20 60
Tampa Bay 17 13 16 15 61

LEADERS

PASSING:
GA- Matt Nagy, 27-37-332-6-2
TB- Shane Stafford, 26-35-328-5-0

RECEIVING:
GA- Derek Lee, 16-157-3
TB- Lawrence Samuels, 10-107-2

RUSHING:
GA- Chris Johnson, 1-8
TB- Jarrod Penright, 3-8-1

OFFENSIVE MVP: Bobby Sippio, Tampa Bay
DEFENSIVE MVP: Lynaris Elpheage, Tampa Bay
IRONMAN: Lawrence Samuels, Tampa Bay

WEEK 2

Georgia vs. Colorado (10,431)

ATLANTA, GA- The Georgia Force suffered their first home loss in the last 14 games, falling to the Colorado Crush 61-59. The rematch of ArenaBowl XIX lived up to the hype as the game was decided in the final seconds when the Force failed to convert a two-point conversion.

At the end of the first quarter, Colorado led Georgia 14-13. The two teams traded scores throughout the first quarter, with both quarterbacks throwing for two scores. Force QB Matt Nagy completed touchdown passes to WR/LB Rob Carey from 25-yards out and OS Chris Jackson on a 14-yard completion. Crush QB John Dutton connected with OS Damian Harrell twice. The difference in the first quarter was a missed PAT by Force K Nelson Garner after the score by WR/LB Carey.

The Force produced the first defensive stop of the game at the beginning of the second quarter, when DS Nate Coggins deflected a fourth down pass intended for OS Damian Harrell in the corner of the end zone. The teams traded scores until the final minute of the half. The Crush recovered an on-side kick with one minute remaining in the first half. Six plays later, Crush QB John Dutton connected with OS Damian Harrell for his third receiving touchdown in the first half. Colorado's WR/LB Ahmad Hawkins returned a missed field goal 56 yards as time expired in the first half, giving the Crush a 34-20 lead heading into halftime.

A total of 38 points were scored between the two teams in the fourth quarter. Force QB Matt Nagy connected with WR/LB Derek Lee on an eight yard score with 25 seconds remaining. The Force attempted a two-point conversion which failed and sealed the Colorado victory.

Score 1 2 3 4 Total
Colorado 14 20 7 20 61
Georgia 13 7 21 18 59

LEADERS

PASSING:
GA- Matt Nagy, 21-32-256-6-0
COL- John Dutton, 29-42-277-6-0

RECEIVING:
GA- Derek Lee, 10-92-2
COL- Damian Harrell, 11-132-5

RUSHING:
GA- Kevin Aldridge, 2-10-1
COL- Saul Patu, 2-21-1

OFFENSIVE MVP: Damian Harrell, Colorado
DEFENSIVE MVP: Rob Carey, Georgia
IRONMAN: Willis Marshall, Colorado

WEEK 1

Georgia vs. Orlando (13, 265)

ATLANTA, GA- The Georgia Force defeated the Orlando Predators 48-31 in front of 13,265 fans at Philips Arena. The game was decided in the final 45 seconds as the Georgia Force returned two interceptions for touchdowns. The victory improved the Force's opening day record to 4-1 in the franchises five year history.

The Force (1-0) jumped out to an early lead on the first possession of the game as QB Matt Nagy completed 3-of-4 passes, capped by a 25-yard touchdown pass to OS Chris Jackson, to give Georgia their first score of the 2006 season. The touchdown would be the sole score of the first quarter as the Force defense forced the Predators to turn the ball over on downs on their first possession.

Georgia appeared to be on track for another score, but a fumble by OS Chris Jackson on the Orlando two-yard line was recovered by Predators WR Scott Cloman. Orlando would take advantage of the turnover, capping an 11-play drive with a six-yard touchdown pass from QB Joe Hamilton to OS Jimmy Fryzel.

The Force responded quickly as Nagy connected with WR Rob Carey for a 34-yard gain on the first play of the drive. Three snaps later, Nagy would find Jackson in the end zone for the receiver's second score (13 yards) of the game to give the Force a 14-7 lead with 3:24 remaining in the second quarter.

On the Predators following possession, Force LB Kevin Aldridge caused a Predators FB Malon Moye-Moore fumble on the second play of the drive to give Georgia good field position at the 11-yard line. The Force, however, would not find the end zone as the team went four-and-out and were forced to turn the ball over on downs on the Predators one-yard line.

Down by seven, the Predators drove the length of the field on six plays as Hamilton did it through the air and on the ground, completing 3-of-3 passes and capping the drive with a four-yard touchdown run.

With 33 seconds left in the half and the score tied at 14 apiece, Nagy completed three quick passes to WR Derek Lee to bring the Force into ideal field goal position. Force K Nelson Garner, who enters the season having kicked in three straight ArenaBowls, connected on the 29-yard attempt to give Georgia a 17-14 lead heading into the second half.

The Predators opened up the second half backed up on their own 12-yard line, and would have little success moving the ball. A couple of deep passes downfield by

Hamilton proved unsuccessful and the Predators were forced to give the ball over on downs. With good field position on the Predators 12-yard line, the Force were able to muster a Garner field goal (29 yards), increasing their lead to 20-14.

The Predators would respond on their next possession with a 23-yard field goal by K Jay Taylor after a time-consuming nine-play drive. It wouldn't take much time for Orlando to put points on the scoreboard again as the Predators got the ball back on the Force five-yard line after a Nagy fumble. On the very next play, Hamilton found Scot Cloman in the left corner of the end zone for a XX-yard touchdown completion to give the Predators a four-point lead with 14:56 remaining in the final quarter.

The two teams would trade scores with touchdown receptions by Georgia's Derek Lee and Orlando's DeAndrew Rubin. The game was decided by two interceptions returned for touchdowns by the Force's DS Nate Coggins with 35 seconds left in the game and WR/DB Nick Ward with 15 seconds remaining to seal the Force victory.

Score 1 2 3 4 Total
Orlando 0 14 3 14 31
Georgia 7 10 3 28 48

LEADERS

PASSING:
GA- Matt Nagy, 23-28-256-4-0
ORL- Joe Hamilton, 20-40-189-3-2

RECEIVING:
GA- Chris Jackson, 9-117-3
ORL- Jimmy Fryzel, 8-63-1

RUSHING:
GA- Robert Thomas, 2-6-0
ORL- M. Moye-Moore, 3-14-0

OFFENSIVE MVP: Chris Jackson, Georgia
DEFENSIVE MVP: Kevin Aldridge, Georgia
IRONMAN: Derek Lee, Georgia

THE FORCE THIS SEASON ARE

1-1 at home
1-1 on the road

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

1-1 on Fridays
1-0 on Saturday
0-1 on Sundays

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

1-2 in televised games

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

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

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

2-0 when the Force scores first
0-2 when opponent scores first

THINGS TO WATCH

Fast Start

In 2005, Nagy completed 67% of his passes for 3,003 yards and a franchise record 66 touchdowns in 11 games. Through four games in 2006, Nagy is on pace to break numerous Force passing records. In Week 3 at Tampa Bay, Nagy set a franchise record for passing yards in a game by throwing for 332 yards. Nagy shows no signs of slowing down.
Nagy through
Week 3
Comp. Att. Yards TDs
1/28/06 23 38 256 4
2/5/06 21 32 256 6
2/10/06 27 37 332 6
2/17/06 24 36 252 6
Totals through Week 3 95 143 1,096 22
Single season records 291 486 3,645 66
Projected totals 380 572 4,384 88

New Arrivals

Last season, Force rookies OS Troy Bergeron and WR/LB Derek Lee led the Force to ArenaBowl XIX. In 2006, rookies DS Chris Brown and WR/DB Jamin Elliott look to help the Force return to the ArenaBowl.

Brown leads the team in tackles (28), interceptions (3) and pass break-ups (6) through four games. Last week, at Las Vegas Brown tied a franchise-high with three interceptions in a single game, returning two of the three for touchdowns.

Elliott, who played college football at Delaware with Force QB Matt Nagy, recorded his first touchdown in the AFL last week at Las Vegas. He registered four receptions for 77 yards and three touchdowns en route to a 54-34 Force victory.

Action Jackson- By the Numbers

It is amazing to look how much Chris Jackson has done in just over six seasons. Here is a look at what he has accomplished in his 81 career regular season AFL games.

79 games with at least one TD
78 games with at least one receiving TD
56 games with at least two TDs
35 games with at least three receiving TDs
16 games with at least four receiving TDs
42 100-yard receiving games
21 games with 10+ receptions

Sophomore Stud

Derek Lee is having no part of a "sophomore slump". After a tremendous rookie season in 2005 when he set an AFL rookie record with 113 receptions (105 by Mike Baker-St. Louis, 1996), Lee is continuing to be an unstoppable force. Lee set a franchise record for receptions in a single game last week in Tampa Bay, by hauling in 16 receptions.

Date Opp. Rec. Yds. TD
Jan. 28 ORL 8 75 1
Feb. 5 COL 10 92 3
Feb. 10 @TB 16 157 3
Feb. 17 @LV 9 84 0
Total 43 408 7

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