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Georgia Force game notes

March 28, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Georgia Force News Release


QUICK FACTS

Georgia Force (5-4) at Kansas City (1-8)

Date: April 1, 2006
Kickoff: 8:00 pm (ET)
Site: Kemper Arena (16,200)
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 (18-10, 2nd Year)
Kevin Porter, Tampa Bay (1-8, 1st Year)
Series Record: Georgia leads the regular season series 1-0
2006 @ Georgia 51, Kansas City 19 (2/24)

2006 SOUTHERN DIVISION STANDINGS

TEAM W L T PCT.
Austin 6 3 0 .667
GEORGIA 5 4 0 .556
Tampa Bay 5 4 0 .556
Orlando 5 4 0 .556
Kansas City 1 8 0 .111

THE OPPONENT

The Kansas City Brigade are currently 1-8 on the season. Kansas City is currently 0-4 against Southern Division opponents.

The Brigade's ninth ranked scoring defense is led by DS Denario Smalls. Through nine games, Smalls leads the team in tackles with 54, adding three interceptions, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and 10 pass defensed.
THE GAME

The Force will travel to Kansas City to face the Brigade on Saturday, April 1, at 8:00 p.m. in Kemper Arena. The game will mark Georgia's second straight game against a Southern Division foe. Last week, the Force defeated the Tampa Bay Storm, 61-51, improving to 5-4 on the year and to 3-2 in the division.

Georgia leads the all-time series 1-0, with a 51-19 victory in Week 5 at Philips Arena. This week's meeting matches two of the top ten scoring defenses in the AFL. Georgia has the fifth ranked scoring defense in the AFL, allowing 46.2 points per game through nine weeks. Kansas City's defense is ranked 10th in the AFL in scoring defense, giving up 51.0 points per game.

With an emphasis on scoring in the AFL, Georgia is near the top of the league, while the Brigade are at the bottom of the league in scoring. While both teams have strong defenses, the offensive production will be the difference in this game. The Force are ranked second in the league in scoring, averaging 56.4 points per game. Kansas City is averaging 38.9 points per game on offense, which is 18th in the league.

When the two teams take the field on Sunday, Force head coach Doug Plank will look to become the franchises all-time winningest coach. Plank is currently tied with former Georgia head coach Marty Lowe with 18 wins. Plank finished with a 13-6 overall record last year and has won five games this season. He is 2-1 in playoff games as a head coach, including a 60-58 victory over the Orlando Predators in the National Conference Championship game, last season.

Last week, Force OS Chris Jackson scored seven touchdowns against the Tampa Bay Storm. Jackson's 42 points scored set a franchise-high for points scored in a single-game, breaking teammate WR/LB Derek Lee's record of 36 points scored last year at New York (3/12/05). Jackson registered 10 catches for 124 yards and six touchdowns on offense and added two kickoff returns for 75 yards and one touchdown.


WEEKLY PRACTICE SCHEDULE

Date Day Time
3/27 Monday OFF
3/28 Tuesday 11:30-1:00
3/29 Wednesday 11:00-1:00
3/30 Thursday 11:30-1:00
3/31 Friday 9:30-10:15

*All players and coaches will be available for interviews

GEORGIA FORCE NEXT WEEK

Georgia will play their third straight game against a Southern Division foe when they travel to Austin to play the Wranglers on Sunday, April 9, in the Frank Erwin Center. The Force lead the regular season series 3-2. In Week 6, Georgia loss to Austin 53-52 at Philips Arena.

The Wranglers are 6-3 through nine weeks after falling to Orlando 47-37 last week.

THE SCHEDULE

GEORGIA FORCE (5-4)

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 W 61-51
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 OL/DL Abdul-Salam Noah played the first eight games of the season with the Brigade before being acquired in a trade on March 20...Brigade OL/DL Gillis Wilson played for the Force from 2004-2005 and played in eight games this season before being traded for Noah.

STATISTICS

A look at how Georgia and Kansas City match-up on both sides of the ball based on statistics through Week 9 of the 2006 AFL season:

Statistical GEORGIA KANSAS CITY
Category Rank Stat Rank Stat
Scoring Offense 2nd 56.4 18th 38.9
Scoring Defense 5th 46.2 9th 51.0
Total Offense (yds/g) 12th 275.7 10th 282.7
Total Defense (yds/g) 15th 299.8 2nd 252.2
Pass Offense 11th 260.1 8th 264.8
Pass Defense 13th 279.3 1st 226.8
Rushing Offense 10th 15.6 9th 17.9
Rushing Defense 10th 20.4 16th 25.4
Pass Rating 2nd 123.5 18th 81.1
Pass Def. Rating 7th 101.6 10th 106.8
Kickoff Returns 8th 17.4 16th 15.5
MFG Returns 16th 8.5 3rd 24.0
Interceptions (int-yds) 14th 8-147 18th 5-55
Turnover Margin 3rd +5 17th -9
Field Goals 10th 4-8 15th 9-24
PAT Kicking 16th 56-69 18th 33-43
Sacks By (sks-yds) 3rd 14-87 13th 8-40
Sacks Against (sks-yds) 7th 5-29 10th 9-64
First Downs 14th 165 5th 189
Opp. First Downs 17th 193 9th 176
Penalties (yds/gm) 9th 42.8 11th 43.0
Opp. Penalties (yds/gm) 18th 30.6 1st 51.9
Red Zone Offense 4th 34-40 18th 29-44
Red Zone Defense 7th 38-49 14th 41-49
Time of Possession 18th 27:06 10th 29:47

INDIVIDUAL COMPARISONS

FORCE BRIGADE
Passing Yards
Nagy...............2,367 Kelly.....................1,856
Rushing Yards
Thomas...............82 Moss.........................81
Receiving Yards
Lee.....................829 Myers......................723
Receiving TDs
Jackson................20 Jordan.......................10
Points Scored
Jackson...............132 Jordan.......................60
Interceptions
Brown.....................4 Smalls.........................3
Sacks
Smith....................3.5 Cohen.........................3

HEAD COACHES

DOUG PLANK, Georgia (18-10, 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.

KEVIN PORTER (1-8, 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 TIME THESE TEAMS MET

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. 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

LAST WEEK

Georgia vs. Tampa Bay

ATLANTA, GA- On a record-setting night, the Georgia Force defeated their Southern Division rival Tampa Bay Storm 61-51 in front of 13,032 fans at Philips Arena. Force OS Chris Jackson recorded 10 receptions for 124 yards and six touchdowns on offense and added two kickoff returns for 75 yards and one touchdown. Jackson's seven scores broke the Force's single-game scoring record with 42 points in the game, surpassing WR/LB Derek Lee's record of 36 set last year at New York (3/12/05).

After both teams scored on their first possessions, Georgia DS Willie Gary intercepted Storm QB Shane Stafford to create the first turnover of the game. Three plays after the turnover, the Force scored on a six-yard touchdown pass from QB Matt Nagy to OS Chris Jackson. The score marked the second time that Nagy and Jackson connected on a score in the quarter. The first quarter ended with Georgia leading Tampa Bay 13-7.

The Storm began the quarter with a 10-play drive, consuming over seven minutes that resulted in a Stafford one-yard touchdown run, his second of the game. Nagy threw two touchdowns in the quarter, a two-yard strike to WR/LB Jamin Elliott and a 20-yard pass to Jackson. The score was Jackson's third of the game. The Force defense continued making plays as Georgia's OL/DL Jermaine Smith sacked Stafford for a safety, giving the Force a 28-20 lead late in the second quarter. Tampa Bay K Bill Gramatica connected on a 35-yard field goal as time expired in the first half, cutting the Force lead to five, 28-23. At the end of the half, Nagy had completed 11-of-13 passes for 127 yards and four touchdowns.

Georgia led Tampa Bay 42-30 at the end of the third quarter. Jackson continued his stellar game with two touchdowns in the quarter. He returned the opening kickoff of the half 54 yards for a touchdown and added a 14-yard reception for a score. The Force defense created their second turnover of the game when Stafford fumbled the snap and the Force's FB/LB Kevin Aldridge recovered.

After the turnover, Nagy connected with Jackson for the fifth time extending the Force lead to 48-30. Georgia added two more scores in the final quarter, when Nagy hit Jackson from eight yards out and FB/LB Robert Thomas from four yards out. The Force held off the Storm en route to a 61-51 victory.

Score 1 2 3 4 Total
Tampa 7 16 7 21 51
Georgia 13 15 14 19 61

LEADERS

PASSING:
GA- Matt Nagy, 23-27-237-8-0
TB- Shane Stafford, 25-40-316-5-1

RECEIVING:
GA- Chris Jackson, 10-124-6
TB- Lawrence Samuels, 9-110-0

RUSHING:
GA- Robert Thomas, 3-24-0
TB- Umar Muhammad, 1-0-0

OFFENSIVE MVP: Chris Jackson, Georgia
DEFENSIVE MVP: Jermaine Smith, Georgia
IRONMAN: Bobby Sippio, Tampa Bay

FORCE RECORD BREAKERS

Current Force Players who hold franchise records

SERVICE

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

SCORING

Points, Career
304 Derek Lee, 2005-Present
Points, Game
42 Chris Jackson, vs Tampa Bay, 3/26/06
Points, Season
208 Derek Lee, 2005

PASSING

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

RUSHING

Yards, Career
456 Robert Thomas, 2004-Present
Yards, Season
228 Robert Thomas, 2004
Attempts, Career
119 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
2,086 Derek Lee, 2005-Present
Receptions, Career
191 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
Chris Jackson vs. Tampa Bay, 3/26/06
Touchdowns, Season
33 Derek Lee, 2005

DEFENSE

Tackles, Career
226.5 Willie Gary, 2003-Present
Tackles, Season
91.5 Willie Gary, 2005
Sacks, Career
16.0 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
5,370 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

3-2 at home
2-2 on the road

0-1 vs. Central Division
1-0 vs. Eastern Division
3-2 vs. Southern Division
1-1 vs. Western Division

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

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

4-3 in televised games

5-2 when leading at the half
0-0 when tied at the half
0-2 when trailing at the half

5-2 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
0-1 overtime games

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

THINGS TO WATCH

Setting the Bar

Lee: In Week 8, 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) in week eight. Lee registered 192 yards receiving against San Jose, setting the franchise record for receiving yards in a single game (Chris Jackson: 173 vs. Dallas, 5/14/05).

Jackson: Last week, OS Chris Jackson recorded 10 receptions for 124 yards for six touchdowns on offense and added two kickoff returns for 75 yards and one touchdown. His seven touchdowns was a Force franchise record in a single-game, surpassing teammate Derek Lee's record of six that he set on 3/12/05 at New York. The 42 points that Jackson scored are also a new Force single-game high, passing Derek Lee's 36 points.

Man on Fire

Force QB Matt Nagy has produced monster numbers in the past three weeks. In the last three weeks, Nagy has thrown for 771 yards, 22 touchdowns and zero interceptions. The Force are 2-1 in those games and Nagy shows no signs of cooling off.
Nagy's last three weeks
Opp. Comp. Att. Yds TD INT
3/10/06 @CB 23 27 210 7 0
3/17/06 @SJ 22 36 324 7 0
3/26/06 TB 23 27 237 8 0
Totals 68 90 771 22 0

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. In Week 8, Lee recorded a franchise-high 192 yards receiving in a single-game on 11 catches for five touchdowns. Lee is tied for second in the league in receptions (78), in addition to recording 829 yards and 16 touchdowns through nine weeks of the season.

Sack Master

Georgia's OL/DL Jermaine Smith has recorded 16 sacks as a member of the Force. His 16 sacks with the Force makes him the all-time leader in sacks in franchise history. Last week against Tampa Bay, Smith recorded two sacks, including a safety late in the first half. Smith has 3.5 sacks through nine games this 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 nine 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. In Week 8, Brown led the team with 10.5 tackles at San Jose.

Jamin Elliott
Elliott, who played college football at Delaware with Force QB Matt Nagy, recorded his first touchdown in the AFL in Week 4 at Las Vegas. He registered four receptions for 77 yards and three touchdowns en route to a 54-34 Force victory. Elliott registered his first 100-yard receiving game Week 5 versus Kansas City. He hauled in 10 catches for 111 yards and a touchdown in Georgia's 51-19 victory over Kansas City. Elliott added four scores against Columbus in Week 7, three receiving touchdowns and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.

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 84 career regular season AFL games.

82 games with at least one TD
81 games with at least one receiving TD
59 games with at least two TDs
37 games with at least three receiving TDs
18 games with at least four receiving TDs
43 100-yard receiving games
23 games with 10+ receptions

Pick Six

The Force defense has returned five interceptions for touchdowns through Week 9. 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 on the year, 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

You can put it on the board

The Georgia Force are ranked second in the league in scoring offense through nine weeks. Georgia is averaging 56.4 points per game.

Scoring Offense

Rank Team PPG
1 Dallas 59.0
2 GEORGIA 56.4
3 Utah 55.2
4 New York 54.2
5 Tampa Bay 53.7

Seeing Red

The Force's red zone offense is ranked fourth in the league through nine weeks. Georgia is scoring 85% of the time in the red zone, including 33 touchdowns and one field goal.

Red zone Offense

Rank Team Scoring %
1 Los Angeles 91.3
2 New York 88.1
3 San Jose 85.7
4 GEORGIA 85.0
5 Austin 83.9



WEEKLY GAME AWARD WINNERS


Baby Ruth Offensive Player of the Game
WK TEAM PLAYER
1 GA Chris Jackson
2 COL Damian Harrell
3 TB Bobby Sippio
4 GA Jamin Elliott
5 GA Jamin Elliott
6 AUS Kevin Nickerson
7 GA Chris Jackson
8 GA Derek Lee
9 GA Chris Jackson

ADT Defensive Player of the Game
WK TEAM PLAYER
1 GA Kevin Aldridge
2 GA Rob Carey
3 TB Lynaris Elpheage
4 GA Chris Brown
5 GA Nick Ward
6 GA Jermaine Smith
7 GA Adam Metts
8 GA Nate Coggins
9 GA Jermaine Smith

U.S. Army Ironman of the Game
WK TEAM PLAYER
1 GA Derek Lee
2 COL Willis Marshall
3 TB Lawrence Samuels
4 GA Robert Thomas
5 GA Robert Thomas
6 GA Derek Lee
7 GA Jamin Elliott
8 SJ Phil Glover
9 TB Bobby Sippio



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 28, 2006


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