Sports stats



Georgia Force game notes

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


QUICK FACTS

Tampa Bay Storm (5-3) at Georgia Force (4-4)

Date: March 26, 2006
Kickoff: 3:00 pm (ET)
Site: Philips Arena (18,200)
Television: FSN (Eli Gold: play-by-play, Charles Davis: color analyst)
Radio: WQXI 790 AM The Zone (David Hubbard: play-by-play, Chuck Oliver: color analyst)
Coaches: Doug Plank, Georgia (17-10, 2nd Year)
Tim Marcum, Tampa Bay (178-71, 12th Year)
Series Record: Tampa Bay leads the regular season series 7-2 and Georgia leads the postseason series 1-0
2002 @Georgia 40, Tampa Bay 50 (6/29)
Georgia 61, @ Tampa Bay 67 OT (7/20)
2003 Georgia 39, @ Tampa Bay 58 (4/6)
@Georgia 38, Tamp Bay 42 (5/18)
2004 Georgia 70, @ Tampa Bay 62 (2/13)
@ Georgia 24, Tampa Bay 53 (3/27)
2005 Georgia 38, @ Tampa Bay 48 (4/2)
@ Georgia 52, Tampa Bay 40 (5/8)
*@ Georgia 62, Tampa Bay 46 (5/29)
2006 Georgia 60, @ Tampa Bay 61 (2/10)

*Divisional Playoff Round

2006 SOUTHERN DIVISION STANDINGS

TEAM W L T PCT.
Austin 6 2 0 .714
Tampa Bay 5 3 0 .571
GEORGIA 4 4 0 .500
Orlando 4 4 0 .500
Kansas City 1 7 0 .167

THE GAME

The Force will host the Tampa Bay Storm on Sunday, March 26, at 3:00 p.m. in Philips Arena. Georgia will kick-off the second half of their season against Southern Division rival Storm. After going 4-4 through their first eight games, the Force will be looking to make a run at the playoffs in the second half of the season.

The Storm lead the all-time series 7-3, including a 61-60 victory in Week 3 at the St. Pete Times Forum. This week's meeting matches two of the top ten scoring offenses in the league. Georgia has the third ranked scoring offense in the AFL, scoring 55.9 points per game through eight weeks. Tampa Bay's offense is ranked sixth in the AFL in scoring, putting up 54.0 points per game.

When the two teams take the field on Sunday, two of the leagues best two-way players will be on the field. Georgia's WR/LB Derek Lee and Tampa's WR/DB Bobby Sippio will go head to head for the second time this year. In their first meeting, Lee set a Force franchise record with 15 receptions, including 143 yards and three touchdowns. Sippio registered eight catches for 114 yards and two touchdowns.

Last week, Lee became the all-time leader in scoring (304) and receiving yards (2,051) in Force franchise history. Lee also set the Force franchise record for receiving yards in a single game with 192 last week at San Jose.

THE OPPONENT

Tampa Bay enters the game second in the Southern Division with a 5-3 record. Last week, the Storm defeated the New York Dragons 60-44. Tampa Bay is 3-1 in the division and 2-1 on the road through eight weeks.

The Storm's offense is led by QB Shane Safford, who has completed 208-of-320 passes for 2,525 yards, 44 touchdowns and seven interceptions through eight weeks. Tampa Bay's defense is led by DS Jonathan Ordway; Ordway leads the Storm in tackles with 50.0 and pass defensed with 12.


WEEKLY PRACTICE SCHEDULE

Date Day Time
3/20 Monday OFF
3/21 Tuesday 11:15-12:45
3/22 Wednesday 11:30-1:00
3/23 Thursday 11:30-1:00
3/24 Friday 11:00-12:30
3/25 Saturday 11:00-12:00

*All players and coaches will be available for interviews

GEORGIA FORCE NEXT WEEK

Georgia will play the first of three straight road games on Saturday, April 1, in Kemper Arena against the Kansas City Brigade next week. The Force lead the regular season series 1-0. In Week 5, Georgia defeated Kansas City 51-19 at Philips Arena.

The Brigade are 1-7 through eight weeks after falling to Austin 64-37 last week.

THE SCHEDULE

GEORGIA FORCE (4-4)

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 W 51-19
March 4 AUSTIN L 53-52
March 10 @ Columbus W 68-50
March 17 @ San Jose L 56-55
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

CONNECTIONS

Georgia's sponsorship sales executive Jorge Cimadevilla was a kicker for the Storm in 1995-1996 and won two Arena Football Championships with Tampa Bay...Storm Head Coach Tim Marcum was a defensive assistant coach for the Atlanta Falcons during the 1994 season.

STATISTICS

A look at how Georgia and Tampa Bay match-up on both sides of the ball based on statistics through Week 8 of the 2006 AFL season:

Statistical GEORGIA TAMPA BAY
Category Rank Stat Rank Stat
Scoring Offense 4th 55.9 6th 54.0
Scoring Defense 3rd 45.6 14th 54.6
Total Offense (yds/g) 12th 277.1 1st 324.1
Total Defense (yds/g) 12th 298.1 14th 301.8
Pass Offense 9th 263.0 1st 309.4
Pass Defense 11th 276.2 12th 280.9
Rushing Offense 12th 14.1 11th 14.8
Rushing Defense 11th 21.9 10th 20.9
Pass Rating 3rd 121.8 7th 114.4
Pass Def. Rating 8th 100.9 12th 111.3
Kickoff Returns 9th 17.8 15th 16.0
MFG Returns 16th 8.5 7th 16.2
Interceptions (int-yds) 12th 7-128 7th 11-99
Turnover Margin 6th +3 10th -1
Field Goals 4th 4-7 11th 7-15
PAT Kicking 15th 51-61 7th 51-56
Sacks By (sks-yds) 7th 10-75 15th 5-20
Sacks Against (sks-yds) 7th 5-29 10th 5-50
First Downs 14th 147 2nd 178
Opp. First Downs 17th 170 6th 153
Penalties (yds/gm) 10th 43.1 2nd 30.9
Opp. Penalties (yds/gm) 17th 32.4 6th 44.0
Red Zone Offense 7th 29-35 9th 34-42
Red Zone Defense t-2nd 33-44 12th 27-34
Time of Possession 18th 27:23 3rd 31:47

INDIVIDUAL COMPARISONS

FORCE STORM
Passing Yards
Nagy...............2,130 Stafford...............2,525
Rushing Yards
Thomas................59 Stafford.....................40
Receiving Yards
Lee.....................794 Samuels..................690
Receiving TDs
Lee........................16 Sippio........................15
Points Scored
Lee........................96 Sippio......................102
Interceptions
Brown.....................4 Samuels......................3
Sacks
Metts.......................2 Certain........................3

HEAD COACHES

DOUG PLANK, Georgia (17-10, 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.

TIM MARCUM, Tampa Bay (178-71, 18th Year): Marcum is the winningest head coach in Arena Football history. He enters the 2006 season having won seven ArenaBowl championships and has coached in 10 of the league's 19 ArenaBowls. Marcum is the only coach in Arena Football history to lead three different teams to ArenaBowl championships (Denver, Detroit and Tampa Bay), and is the AFL career-coaching leader in victories (176), winning percentage (.718), games coached (245) and postseason victories (25).

After Storm owner Woody Kern purchased the team prior to the 1995 season, Kern brought four-time ArenaBowl champion Marcum aboard as his head coach. The Storm proceeded to put together a record-breaking two-year stretch, winning back-to-back ArenaBowls in 1995-1996. The team combined for a 28-4 mark during that stretch, and put together an AFL record 17-game winning streak from July 1, 1995, to June 29, 1996.

Marcum resides in Apollo Beach, FL. He is married to Lynn, who has two daughters, Kendra and Carly. Marcum also has two daughters, Mitzi and Michelle, and three grandchildren, Austin (10), Bryce (5), and Max (3).

LAST TIME THESE TEAMS MET

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 fell to 1-2 on the season and 1-1 in the division, while the Storm improved 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
TB 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, 1-8-0
TB- Jarrod Penright, 3-8-1

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

LAST WEEK

Georgia at San Jose

SAN JOSE, CA- The Georgia Force fell, 56-55, to the San Jose SaberCats in an overtime thriller at HP Pavilion. With the loss Georgia fell to 4-4 on the season while San Jose improved to 3-5. The Force's four losses have been by a total of five points. Georgia's WR/LB Derek Lee became the clubs all-time leading scorer with his touchdown catch in the first quarter.

The first quarter concluded with the Force leading the SaberCats 14-7. San Jose opened the scoring with a one-yard run by FB/LB Phil Glover, but it would be their only score of the quarter. Georgia QB Matt Nagy hit Lee for a 24-yard strike to tie the game at seven. Lee's touchdown, moved him pass former Force OS Markeith Cooper on the franchise's all-time scoring list with 280 points. Georgia's OS Chris Jackson ended the quarter with a 25-yard touchdown grab from Nagy.

Georgia held San Jose to a 28-yard field goal by K Brian Shmitz on their first possession of the quarter, cutting the Force lead to 14-10. Lee hauled in his second touchdown catch of the game on a nine-yard pass from Nagy, extending Georgia's lead to 11 points, 21-10. On San Jose's ensuing possession, QB Mark Grieb connected with WR/LB Ben Nelson on fourth down from 30 yards out to make the score 21-17. Georgia recovered an onside kick, and on the next play, FB/LB Robert Thomas rushed for an eight-yard score. The Force created the first turnover of the game late in the quarter when Lee intercepted Grieb in the end zone to put an end to the SaberCats drive. The first half ended with Georgia leading San Jose 28-17.

Heading into the final quarter Georgia led San Jose 35-33. The SaberCats opened the second half with a five-yard touchdown pass from Grieb to WR/DB Barry Wagner. On Georgia's firs play from scrimmage, Nagy was sacked by San Jose's OL/DL Van Brown in the end zone, resulting in a safety and cutting the Force lead to two, 28-26. With 6:28 remaining in the quarter, Grieb found Nelson from seven yards out, giving the SaberCats a 33-28 lead. On fourth and goal from the two, Nagy hit Jackson in the corner of the end zone, giving the Force a 35-33 lead.

Georgia's defense stopped Wagner from scoring on fourth and goal from the two to begin the fourth quarter. The Force took advantage of the defensive stop when Nagy connected with Lee on a 48-yard touchdown strike, extending the Force lead to 42-33. San Jose battled back as they scored with 23 seconds remaining in the quarter on a one-yard touchdown run by Glover and a successful two-

point conversion to Wagner to tie the game at 49. Georgia's K Nelson Garner missed a 35-yard field goal at the end of regulation, sending the game to overtime.

San Jose scored first in overtime and was answered immediately by Georgia. The Force elected to go for two and the win, but Nagy's pass intended for Lee fell incomplete, giving the SaberCats a 56-55 win.

Score 1 2 3 4 OT Tot
GA 14 14 7 14 6 55
SJ 7 10 16 16 7 56

LEADERS

PASSING:
GA- Nagy, 22-36-324-7
SJ- Grieb, 30-46-337-4-1

RECEIVING:
GA- Lee, 11-192-5
SJ- Nelson, 13-165-2

RUSHING:
GA- Thomas, 3-8-1
SJ- Glover, 7-16-3

OFFENSIVE MVP: Derek Lee, Georgia
DEFENSIVE MVP: Nate Coggins, Georgia
IRONMAN: Phil Glover, San Jose

WEEK 7

Georgia at Columbus

COLUMBUS, OH- The Georgia Force improved to 4-3 on the season with their 68-50 victory over the Columbus Destroyers (3-4). Georgia's QB Matt Nagy orchestrated his best game of the season completing 23-of-28 passes for 210 yards, seven touchdowns and added one rushing score.

The Georgia Force opened the game by scoring the first 13 points of the game. Georgia's first score of the game came when Nagy connected with WR/LB Jamin Elliott from five yards out. On the ensuing kickoff Elliott recovered the ball of the net in the end zone, giving the Force a 13-0 lead. The Destroyers scored their only points of the quarter on a 10-yard completion from QB John Kaleo to WR/LB David Saunders, cutting the Force lead to six, 13-7. The Force answered with Nagy and Elliott combining for another score. Georgia's OL/DL Jason Gamble blocked a 39-yard field goal attempt by Destroyers' K Mark Lewis to end the quarter, with Georgia leading Columbus 20-7.

After two quarters, Georgia led Columbus 40-24. Force OS Chris Jackson scored from 10-yards out on a pass from Nagy to begin the quarter. Columbus answered the Georgia score when Barre rushed for a one yard score, to bring the score to 27-13. The two teams traded scores for the remainder of the quarter. Columbus scored the final three points of the quarter, when Lewis hit a 21-yard field goal as time expired.

In the third quarter, Georgia and Columbus scored 14 points. The Force scored on touchdown passes to Elliott (20 yards) and Jackson (12 yards) from Nagy. Barre scored on a 41-yard pass and OL/DL Ken Jones scored on a 3-yard pass from Kaleo, for the Destroyers scores. Heading into the final quarter, Georgia led Columbus 54-38.

The Force created a defensive stop as Georgia's OL/DL Adam Metts sacked Kaleo on fourth down to open the fourth quarter. Georgia capitalized on the stop as Nagy rushed for a one-yard touchdown, extending the Force lead to 61-38. Georgia's FB/LB Kevin Aldridge added a 5-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to seal the Force's 68-50 victory over the Destroyers.

Score 1 2 3 4 Total
Georgia 20 20 14 14 68
CLB 7 17 14 12 50

LEADERS

PASSING:
GA- Matt Nagy, 23-28-210-7
CLB- John Kaleo, 28-35-342-5

RECEIVING:
GA- Chris Jackson, 10-90-4
CLB- David Saunders, 8-70-2

RUSHING:
GA- Kevin Aldridge, 2-13-1
CLB- Harold Wells, 4-13-0

OFFENSIVE MVP: Chris Jackson, Georgia
DEFENSIVE MVP: Adam Metts, Georgia
IRONMAN: Jamin Elliott, Georgia

WEEK 6

Georgia vs. Austin

ATLANTA, GA- Georgia fell to Southern Division rival Austin, 53-52, suffering their second loss of the season at Philips Arena and third overall. With the loss, the Force fell to 3-3 on the season and Austin improved to 5-1 with the win. Force WR/LB Derek Lee hauled in three touchdowns on six catches for 106 yards, helping him etch his name in the Force record books. Lee's three scores ties him with OS Markeith Cooper for first on the Force's all-time scoring list with 274 points scored.

In the first quarter, Georgia and Austin combined to score 35 points, with the Force leading the Wranglers 21-14 at the conclusion of the quarter. The 21 points tied a Force franchise-high for points in the first quarter (last time: at Tampa Bay, 2/13/04). Georgia's FB/LB Robert Thomas scored from two yards out on the opening possession. The ensuing kickoff bounced over an Austin player and was recovered by Georgia's WR/DB Jamin Elliott for a touchdown, giving Georgia a 14-0 lead. Austin's WR/DB Sedrick Robinson returned the following kickoff 57 yards for a touchdown, cutting the Force lead to seven. Georgia responded when QB Matt Nagy connected with Lee for a 34-yard touchdown, stretching the Force lead to 21-7. Austin capped off the scoring in the quarter when FB/LB Torrance Marshall scored from one yard out.

Georgia produced the first defensive stop of the game on Austin's first possession of the quarter as Wranglers QB John Fitzgerald's pass to WR/DB Kevin Nickerson was short of the first down. Georgia scored after the defensive stop, when Nagy completed an eight-yard pass to Lee for a touchdown. The two teams traded scores throughout the rest of the quarter with Force K Nelson Garner drilling a 34-yard field goal as time expired in the half. The field goal gave the Force a 38-33 lead over the Wranglers heading into the half.

After three quarters, Georgia led Austin 52-46. The two teams continued to trade scores with each team scoring two touchdowns a piece. Georgia's scores came on Lee's 29-yard reception and a FB/LB Matt Huebner one-yard touchdown run to end the quarter. Austin's scores came on an eight-yard pass to OL/DL Ramon Robinson from Fitzgerald and a 10 yard fumble recovery by Robinson after a blocked field goal by Georgia's OL/DL Jermaine Smith.

Austin outscored Georgia 7-0 in the final quarter to prevail 53-52. Midway through the fourth quarter, Fitzgerald rushed for a two-yard score to give the Wranglers a 53-52 lead, and they never looked back.

Score 1 2 3 4 Total
Austin 14 19 13 7 53
Georgia 21 17 14 0 52

LEADERS

PASSING:
GA- Matt Nagy, 22-31-310-4-1
AUS- John Fitzgerald, 23-32-213-4-0

RECEIVING:
GA- Jamin Elliott, 11-145-1
AUS- Kevin Nickerson, 9-104-2

RUSHING:
GA- Robert Thomas, 3-6-1
AUS- Henry Bryant, 2-17-0

OFFENSIVE MVP: Kevin Nickerson, Austin
DEFENSIVE MVP: Jermaine Smith, Georgia
IRONMAN: Derek Lee, Georgia

WEEK 5

Georgia vs. Kansas City

ATLANTA, GA- The Georgia Force defeated Kansas City 51-19 to improve to 3-2 on the year as the Brigade fell to 1-4. The win marked the first time in the 2006 season the Force won consecutive games. The Force have won 14 of 15 games at home dating back to 2004. Georgia was led by rookie WR/LB Jamin Elliott's 10 receptions, 111 yards and a touchdown.

Georgia scored on their opening possession when QB Matt Nagy connected with WR/LB Derek Lee on an 11-yard pass. Kansas City's K Tim Seder missed a 27-yard field goal on the Brigade's ensuing possession. Following the missed field goal, Nagy was sacked by Kansas City's OL/DL Aaron Hamilton, resulting in a safety and the Brigade's only points in the quarter. Force FB/LB Matt Huebner caused Brigade OS Steve Smith to fumble the ensuing kickoff, which was recovered by Georgia's WR/DB Nick Ward in the end zone. The first quarter ended when Force OL/DL Jermaine Smith sacked Kelly giving Georgia a 14-2 advantage.

Force FB/LB Robert Thomas blocked Seder's field goal at the beginning of the second quarter; with the ball being recovered at the Kansas City six-yard line. On the next play, Force WR/LB Chris Johnson threw his first career touchdown pass to Lee for a three-yard score. The Brigade answered on the next possession as Kelly hooked-up with Smith for a 48-yard touchdown. Nagy threw his second touchdown of the game mid-way through the quarter when he found Elliott from six yards out. Force K Nelson Garner connected on a 21-yard field goal to end the half and extended the Force lead to 31-16.

The third quarter was highlighted by defense as the Force held the Brigade to only three points. Robert Thomas' one-yard scamper capped off a six-play drive and was the Force's only score of the quarter. Georgia stretched their lead to 38-19 at the end of the quarter.

Georgia's DS Chris Brown sealed the Force victory with a 49-yard interception return with 1:01 left in the fourth quarter. Brown's interception was his fourth in the past two games and his third straight interception return for a touchdown. Georgia held Kansas City scoreless in the final quarter to secure their third win of the season.

Score 1 2 3 4 Total
KC 2 14 3 0 19
Georgia 14 17 7 13 51

LEADERS

PASSING:
GA- Matt Nagy, 19-30-203-2-0
KC- Andy Kelly, 29-48-277-1-1

RECEIVING:
GA- Jamin Elliott, 10-111-1
KC- Jerel Myers, 12-88-0

RUSHING:
GA- Robert Thomas, 4-10-2
KC- Jacques Rumph, 2-3-0

OFFENSIVE MVP: Jamin Elliott, Georgia
DEFENSIVE MVP: Nick Ward, Georgia
IRONMAN: Robert Thomas, Georgia

WEEK 4

Georgia at Las Vegas

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 improved the Force's record to 2-2 and dropped 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 four 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 eight-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 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.

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
LV 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

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 fell to 1-2 on the season and 1-1 in the division, while the Storm improved 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
TB 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, 1-8-0
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

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

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 franchise's 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

FORCE RECORD BREAKERS

Current Force Players who hold franchise records

SERVICE

Most Games Played (regular season)
53 Jermaine Smith, 2002-03, 2005-Present
45 Marcus Keys, 2003-Present

SCORING

Points, Career
304 Derek Lee, 2005-Present
Points, Game
36 Derek Lee, at New York, 3/12/05
Points, Season
208 Derek Lee, 2005

PASSING

Touchdowns, Career
108 Matt Nagy, 2005-Present
Touchdown, Game
9 Matt Nagy vs. Dallas, 5/14/05
Touchdown, Season
66 Matt Nagy, 2005

RUSHING

Yards, Career
432 Robert Thomas, 2004-Present
Yards, Season
228 Robert Thomas, 2004
Attempts, Career
116 Robert Thomas, 2004-Present
Attempts, Game
8 Robert Thomas vs. New Orleans, 1/30/05
Touchdowns, Career
25 Robert Thomas, 2004-Present
Touchdowns, Season
13 Robert Thomas, 2004

RECEIVING

Yards, Game
192 Derek Lee at San Jose, 3/17/06
Yards, Career
2,051 Derek Lee, 2005-Present
Receptions, Career
185 Derek Lee, 2005-Present
Receptions, Game
15 Derek Lee, at Tampa Bay, 2/10/06

Receptions, Season
113 Derek Lee, 2005
Touchdowns, Career
49 Derek Lee, 2005-Present
Touchdowns, Game
6 Derek Lee at New York, 3/12/05
Touchdowns, Season
33 Derek Lee, 2005

DEFENSE

Tackles, Career
222.5 Willie Gary, 2003-Present
Tackles, Season
91.5 Willie Gary, 2005
Sacks, Career
14.0 Jermaine Smith, 2002-03, 2005-Present
Sacks, Season
5.5 Jermaine Smith, 2003
Interceptions, Game
3(three times) Last time: Chris Brown vs. Las Vegas, 2/17/06

ON THE HORIZON

Force franchise records to keep an eye on

PASSING

Yards, Career
5,382 Leon Murray, 2003-04
5,148 Matt Nagy, 2005-Present

DEFENSE

Interceptions, Season
9 Kevin Gaines, 2003
4 Chris Brown, through Week 8 of 2006
Interception Return Yardage, Season
135 Ron Carpenter, 2002
90 Chris Brown, through Week 8 of 2006

THE FORCE THIS SEASON ARE

2-2 at home
2-2 on the road

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

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

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

3-3 in televised games

4-2 when leading at the half
0-0 when tied at the half
0-2 when trailing at the half

4-2 when leading after three quarters
0-1 when tied after three quarters
0-1 when trailing after three quarters

0-0 outcome 7 points or less
0-4 outcome 3 points or less
0-0 overtime games

4-1 when the Force scores first
0-3 when opponent scores first

THINGS TO WATCH

Setting the Bar

Lee: Last week, Lee surpassed former Force OS Markeith Cooper as the franchises all-time scorer (304) with his touchdown grab in the first quarter against San Jose. Lee also passed Cooper as Georgia's all-time leader in receiving yards (2,051) last week. Lee registered 192 yards receiving last week in San Jose, setting the franchise record for receiving yards in a single game (Chris Jackson: 173 vs. Dallas, 5/14/05).

Nagy vs. Stafford- Round 5

The Force-Storm match-up will feature two of the best quarterbacks in the AFL with Georgia's Matt Nagy facing Tampa's Shane Safford.

After eight weeks into the 2006 season, Nagy is the fourth ranked quarterback in the league with a QB rating of 122.2. Nagy has completed 68% of his passes for 2,130 yards, 42 touchdowns and six interceptions in eight games.

Tampa Bay's Shane Stafford is the sixth ranked quarterback in the AFL through Week 8, with a 114.4 QB rating. In eight weeks Stafford has thrown for 2,525 yards, 44 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 65% of his passes.
Nagy vs. Storm
Comp. Att. Yards TDs INT Score
4/2/05 23 39 273 4 1 L 48-38
5/8/05 24 37 269 5 0 W 52-40
5/29/05 21 38 223 5 0 W 62-46
2/10/06 27 37 333 6 2 L 61-60
Totals 95 151 1098 20 3

Stafford vs. Force
Comp. Att. Yards TDs INT Score
4/2/05 24 36 319 5 1 W 48-38
5/8/05 22 42 337 6 2 L 52-40
5/29/05 19 34 304 3 2 L 62-46
2/10/06 26 35 328 5 0 W 61-60
Totals 91 147 1288 19 5

Sophomore Stud

WR/LB 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 in Week 3 at Tampa Bay by hauling in 15 receptions. Lee is tied for first in the league in receptions (72), in addition to recording 794 yards and 16 touchdowns through eight weeks of the season.

New Arrival

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.

Chris Brown
Brown leads the team in tackles (53.5), interceptions (4) and is second in pass break-ups (7) through eight games. In Week 4 at Las Vegas, Brown tied a franchise-high with three interceptions in a single game, returning two of the three for touchdowns. In Week 5 versus Kansas City, Brown collected his fourth interception of the season and his third returned for a touchdown. Brown has returned his last three interceptions for touchdowns. Due to his performances against Las Vegas and Kansas City, Brown was named AFL Rookie of the Month for January/February. Last week, Brown led the team with 10.5 tackles at San Jose.

Action Jackson- By the Numbers

It is amazing to look how much OS Chris Jackson has done in just over six seasons. Here is a look at what the seven-year veteran has accomplished in 83 career regular season AFL games.

81 games with at least one TD
80 games with at least one receiving TD
58 games with at least two TDs

36 games with at least three receiving TDs
17 games with at least four receiving TDs
42 100-yard receiving games
22 games with 10+ receptions

Pick Six

The Force defense has returned five interceptions for touchdowns through Week 7. The five interceptions returned for touchdowns is a franchise record for a single season. The previous mark was four in a single season. The AFL single season record is seven, which has been accomplished three times (last time: San Jose, 2003).

DS Chris Brown has recorded four interceptions in the last four games, including three straight returned for a touchdown. In Week 1, DS Nate Coggins and WR/DB Nick Ward returned interceptions for touchdowns in a 48-31 win over Orlando.

Interceptions Returned for Touchdowns

Opp. Player Yds.
Orlando Nate Coggins 18
Orlando Nick Ward 20
@Las Vegas Chris Brown 32
@Las Vegas Chris Brown 4
Kansas City Chris Brown 49



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 21, 2006


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.

Other Recent Georgia Force Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central