Georgia Force game notes
April 12, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Georgia Force News Release
QUICK FACTS
Georgia Force (7-4) at Orlando Predators (7-4)
Date: April 14, 2006
Kickoff: 7:30 pm (ET)
Site: TD Waterhouse Centre (13,692)
Television: FSN
Radio: WQXI 790 AM The Zone (David Hubbard: play-by-play, Chuck Oliver: color analyst)
Coaches: Doug Plank, Georgia (20-10, 2nd Year)
Jay Gruden, Orlando (71-41, 7th Year)
Series Record: Georgia leads the regular season series 6-3 and the postseason series 1-0
2002 @ Georgia 67, Orlando 49 (4/30)
Georgia 41, @ Orlando 40 (7/13)
2003 Georgia 38, @ Orlando 36 (3/23)
@ Georgia 27, Orlando 38 (4/26)
2004 Georgia 52, @ Orlando 44 (3/12)
@ Georgia 7, Orlando 30 (4/18)
2005 @ Georgia 49, Orlando 47 (3/19)
Georgia 49, @ Orlando 52 (4/22)
*@ Georgia 60, Orlando 58 (6/4)
2006 @ Georgia 48, Orlando 31 (1/28)
* Conference Playoff Round
2006 SOUTHERN DIVISION STANDINGS
TEAM W L T PCT.
GEORGIA 7 4 0 .636
Orlando 7 4 0 .636
Austin 7 4 0 .636
Tampa Bay 6 5 0 .545
Kansas City 2 9 0 .182
THE GAME
Georgia will finish their three game road trip against perennial Southern Division power Orlando, on Friday, April 14, at 7:30 pm in the TD Waterhouse Centre. The Force are 2-0 through their three game road trip with a 55-47 win at Kansas City and a 61-29 victory over Austin. Georgia is currently 5-2 against Southern division opponents and are tied for first place with Orlando. With a win, the Force will reach the 6-2 mark against division opponents, matching their division record from a year ago, when they won the Southern Division.
The Force are riding a three game winning streak and have won four out of their last five games, making them the hottest team in the AFL. Their victory last week was Georgia's fourth road win of the season, surpassing last year's total of three. Georgia's winning ways can be contributed to an entire team effort. The Force's offense is ranked second in the league in scoring through 11 weeks, averaging 56.7 points per game, while their defense is ranked third in scoring defense allowing 44.7 points per game. Georgia's defense leads the league in interceptions returned for touchdowns (6) and fumbles returned for touchdowns (5) through Week 11.
The last time the Force defeated the Predators in Orlando was March 12, 2004 (52-44). With a win this week, Georgia will put themselves in position for a second straight Southern Division crown with just four games remaining. This game will be Georgia's final divisional game of the season, but will play three of their last four games at Philips Arena to finish off the regular season.
THE OPPONENT
The Predators enter the game tied with the Force for the Southern Division lead at 7-4. Last week, Orlando defeated the Columbus Destroyers 39-36 to improve to 3-1 in the division. In Week 1, Orlando QB Joe Hamilton threw two interceptions in the final minute, which were returned for touchdowns as Georgia defeated Orlando, 48-31.
The Predators offense is led by Hamilton and OS Jimmy Fryzel. Hamilton has completed 222-of-341 passes for 2,675 yards, 46 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 11 games. Fryzel has caught 56 balls for 621 yards and 12 touchdowns.
WEEKLY PRACTICE SCHEDULE
Date Day Time
4/10 Monday OFF
4/11 Tuesday 11:30-1:00 p.m.
4/12 Wednesday 11:00-1:00 p.m.
4/13 Thursday 9:30-10:30 a.m.
*All players and coaches will be available for interviews
GEORGIA FORCE NEXT WEEK
Georgia will return home after a three game road trip to face Eastern Division leader Dallas, on Saturday, April 22, at 4 p.m. in Philips Arena. The regular season series is tied 1-1 with Georgia winning the last match-up, 63-56, last season (5/14) at Philips Arena.
The Desperados are 9-2 through 11 weeks after defeating New York 46-28 last week.
THE SCHEDULE
GEORGIA FORCE (6-4)
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 W 55-47
April 9 @ Austin W 61-29
April 14 @ Orlando
April 22 DALLAS
April 29 CHICAGO
May 6 @ New York
May 13 PHILADELPHIA
CONNECTIONS
Force OL/DL Jermaine Smith played for the Predators during the 2004 season...Predators OL/DL Doug Miller was with the Atlanta Falcons from 2000-2001...Orlando QB Joe Hamilton attended Georgia Tech from 1996-1999 and was one of the most decorated passers in school history.
STATISTICS
A look at how Georgia and Orlando match-up on both sides of the ball based on statistics through Week 11 of the 2006 AFL season:
Statistical GEORGIA ORLANDO
Category Rank Stat Rank Stat
Scoring Offense 2nd 56.7 10th 49.7
Scoring Defense 3rd 44.7 7th 47.5
Total Offense (yds/g) 12th 278.9 14th 277.3
Total Defense (yds/g) 13th 293.8 14th 295.9
Pass Offense 10th 263.8 13th 243.5
Pass Defense 10th 274.0 15th 278.1
Rushing Offense 13th 15.1 2nd 33.7
Rushing Defense 8th 19.8 6th 17.8
Pass Rating 1st 127.0 9th 107.8
Pass Def. Rating 5th 100.8 12th 110.1
Kickoff Returns 9th 17.1 12th 16.2
MFG Returns 6th 22.3 12th 12.5
Interceptions (int-yds) t-9th 10-183 t-9th 10-166
Turnover Margin 3rd +7 4th +3
Field Goals 7th 4-8 4th 12-19
PAT Kicking 16th 70-85 6th 59-65
Sacks By (sks-yds) 2nd 16-108 5th 14-65
Sacks Against (sks-yds) 5th 5-29 7th 6-17
First Downs 13th 206 9th 217
Opp. First Downs 18th 239 2nd 197
Penalties (yds/gm) 11th 44.8 1st 30.6
Opp. Penalties (yds/gm) 18th 31.8 5th 48.1
Red Zone Offense 2nd 44-51 8th 41-51
Red Zone Defense 4th 46-61 5th 38-50
Time of Possession 17th 27:36 11th 30:13
INDIVIDUAL COMPARISONS
FORCE PREDATORS
Passing Yards
Nagy...............2,928 Hamilton..............2,675
Touchdown Passes
Nagy...................58 Hamilton...................46
Rushing Yards
Thomas...............96 Hamilton.................110
Receiving Yards
Lee.....................988 James.....................682
Receiving TDs
Jackson................25 Fryzel........................13
Points Scored
Jackson...............174 Taylor........................95
Interceptions
Brown.....................4 Johnson......................5
Sacks
Smith....................3.5 Taylor......................6.0
HEAD COACHES
DOUG PLANK, Georgia (20-10, 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.
JAY GRUDEN, Orlando (71-41, 7th Year): Whether as a head coach, player or offensive coordinator, Jay Gruden's name has been synonymous with success in the Arena Football League. In his 15 seasons in the Arena League, Gruden has been in the playoffs each season. He has made seven trips to the ArenaBowl and owns six championship rings.
As a head coach, he is 71-41 and ranks in the top 10 overall in coaching wins and winning percentage. He is one of only five AFL coaches with two or more ArenaBowl championships. In the playoffs, his 11-4 mark as a head coach ranks in the top five all-time in victories and winning percentage. As a quarterback, he ranks in the top ten with more than 20,000 passing yards and close to 400 touchdowns. He won 15 of 19 post-season starts with 4,761 passing yards and 77 touchdowns. Gruden was 84-25 (.770) as a starting quarterback. That mark, combined with his 10-5 record as Nashville's offensive coordinator and his 64-37 record as head coach, takes Gruden's all-time Arena Football League record to 158-67 (.702). As a player, assistant coach or head coach, Gruden has never failed to lead his team to the playoffs.
LAST TIME THESE TEAMS MET
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 Scott Cloman in the left corner of the end zone for a five-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
LAST WEEK
Georgia at Austin
Austin, TX- After disposing of their Southern Division foe Austin, 61-29, the Georgia Force move into first place in their division. The victory was Georgia's fourth road win of the season, surpassing last year's total of three. Georgia's OS Chris Jackson finished with 12 receptions for 117 yards and one touchdown on offense and added 118 return yards on special teams, including a 50-yard missed field goal return for a touchdown at the end of the first half.
Georgia's offense opened the game with a seven play drive, resulting in a one-yard touchdown run by QB Matt Nagy. The Wranglers answered with a 39-yard touchdown pass to OS Derrick Lewis from QB John Fitzgerald. The Force offense continued scoring as Nagy connected with OS Chris Jackson from four-yards out, giving Georgia a 14-7 lead. Force WR/LB Jamin Elliott intercepted Fitzgerald for his first interception of his career and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown to end the first quarter. The interception marked Georgia's sixth returned for a touchdown of the season and their first since Chris Brown's 49 yard return in Week 5 against Kansas City. At the end of the first quarter, Georgia led Austin 21-7.
The first half closed with the Force leading the Wranglers 41-16. Georgia's defense continued to produce stops in the second quarter as Austin's K Todd Sievers hit one-of-two field goal attempts in the quarter. Sievers' second field goal attempt was returned 50-yards by Jackson as time expired in the first half. After allowing seven points in the first quarter, Georgia's defense gave up only nine in the second quarter.
At the end of the third quarter, Georgia's lead was 26 points, 48-22. The Force defense forced a fumble on Austin's first possession of the second half, but could not convert as Nagy fumbled the snap three plays later. Georgia's lone score of the quarter was on a Nagy one-yard touchdown run.
On the Wranglers first possession on the fourth quarter, Force WR/LB Derek Lee intercepted Fitzgerald as the ball bounced off the net on third and goal from the three. Lee capped off the ensuing drive with a 13-yard touchdown catch from Nagy. Georgia's K Nelson Garner kick off was fumbled by Lewis and recovered by the Force's DS Willie Gary for a touchdown. The Georgia Force defeated the Austin Wranglers 61-29, moving into first place in the Southern Division.
Score 1 2 3 4 Total
Georgia 21 20 7 13 61
Austin 7 9 6 7 29
LEADERS
PASSING:
GA- Matt Nagy, 23-30-266-3-0
AUS- John Fitzgerald, 21-33-218-2-2
RECEIVING:
GA- Chris Jackson, 12-117-1
AUS- Derrick Lewis, 10-147-2
RUSHING:
GA- Kevin Aldridge, 5-15-1
AUS- Kevin Nickerson, 2-10-0
OFFENSIVE MVP: Chris Jackson, Georgia
DEFENSIVE MVP: Jamin Elliott, Georgia
IRONMAN: Derek Lee, Georgia
FORCE RECORD BREAKERS
Current Force Players who hold franchise records
SERVICE
Most Games Played (regular season)
56 Jermaine Smith, 2002-03, 2005-Present
45 Marcus Keys, 2003-Present
SCORING
Points, Career
316 Derek Lee, 2005-Present
Points, Game
42 Chris Jackson, vs Tampa Bay, 3/26/06
Points, Season
208 Derek Lee, 2005
PASSING
Touchdowns, Career
124 Matt Nagy, 2005-Present
Touchdown, Game
9 Matt Nagy vs. Dallas, 5/14/05
Touchdown, Season
66 Matt Nagy, 2005
Yards, Career
5,931 Matt Nagy, 2005-Present
RUSHING
Yards, Career
469 Robert Thomas, 2004-Present
Yards, Season
228 Robert Thomas, 2004
Attempts, Career
123 Robert Thomas, 2004-Present
Attempts, Game
8 Robert Thomas vs. New Orleans, 1/30/05
Touchdowns, Career
26 Robert Thomas, 2004-Present
Touchdowns, Season
13 Robert Thomas, 2004
RECEIVING
Yards, Game
192 Derek Lee at San Jose, 3/17/06
Yards, Career
2,245 Derek Lee, 2005-Present
Receptions, Career
202 Derek Lee, 2005-Present
Receptions, Game
15 Derek Lee, at Tampa Bay, 2/10/06
Receptions, Season
113 Derek Lee, 2005
Touchdowns, Career
51 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
230.5 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
Touchdowns, Season
66 Matt Nagy, 2005
58 Matt Nagy, through Week 11 of 2006
RECEIVING
Receptions, Season
113 Derek Lee, 2005
89 Derek Lee, through Week 11 of 2006
Touchdowns, Season
33 Derek Lee, 2005
25 Chris Jackson, through Week 11
DEFENSE
Sacks, Season
5.5 Jermaine Smith, 2003
3.5 Jermaine Smith, through Week 11
Tackles, Season
91.5 Willie Gary, 2005
91.0 Chris Brown, through Week 11 of 2006
Interception Return Yardage, Season
135 Ron Carpenter, 2002
90 Chris Brown, through Week 11 of 2006
THE FORCE THIS SEASON ARE
3-2 at home
4-2 on the road
0-1 vs. Central Division
1-0 vs. Eastern Division
5-2 vs. Southern Division
1-1 vs. Western Division
3-2 on Fridays
2-1 on Saturday
2-1 on Sundays
1-0 in January
2-2 in February
2-2 in March
2-0 in April
0-0 in May
5-3 in televised games
6-2 when leading at the half
1-0 when tied at the half
0-2 when trailing at the half
7-2 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
5-1 when the Force scores first
2-3 when opponent scores first
THINGS TO WATCH
SETTING THE BAR HIGH
Lee: In Week 8, WR/LB 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: In Week 9 against Tampa Bay, 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 Lee's 36 points. Jackson was named AFL Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against Tampa Bay.
Nagy: In Week 10, QB Matt Nagy surpassed former Force QB Leon Murray as the franchises all-time leader in passing yards. On his first completion of the game with a 28-yard pass to WR/LB Jamin Elliott, Nagy passed Murray (5,382) with 5,398 yards as a member of the Georgia Force. He finished with 295 yards in the game and with 5,665 yards passing as Georgia's quarterback.
MAN ON FIRE
Force QB Matt Nagy has produced monster numbers in the past five weeks. In the last five games, Nagy has thrown for 1,332 yards, 30 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Last week, Nagy completed 23-of-30 passes for 266 yards and three touchdowns in the Force's, 61-29, victory. The Force are 4-1 in those games and Nagy shows no signs of cooling off.
Nagy's last five 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
4/1/06 @KC 25 30 295 5 0
4/9/06 @AUS 23 30 266 3 0
Totals 116 150 1,332 30 0
PULLING AWAY
The Force are ranked second in the league in scoring differential through 11 games. Georgia has scored 624 points, while their opponents have scored only 492 points, a difference of 132 points.
Scoring Differential
Rank Team Point Differential
1 Dallas 137
2 GEORGIA 132
3 Colorado 36
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 third in the league in receptions (89), in addition to recording 988 yards and 18 touchdowns through 11 weeks of the season. Lee was named AFL U.S. Army Ironman of the Week in Week 11 for his performance against Austin. Lee recorded six catches for 104 yards and a touchdown on offense and added two tackles and an interception on defense.
SACK MASTER
Georgia's OL/DL Jermaine Smith has recorded 16 sacks as a member of the Force. The 16 sacks with the Force makes him the all-time leader in sacks in franchise history. In Week 9 against Tampa Bay, Smith recorded two sacks, including a safety late in the first half. Smith has 3.5 sacks through ten games this season.
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.
Chris Brown: Brown leads the league in tackles (80.5), interceptions (4) and is third in pass break-ups (7) through ten 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.
EFFICIENT AND EFECTIVE
Georgia's high octane offense is the most efficient in the AFL. The Force have scored on 94-of-123 (76.42%) possessions through 11 weeks, ranking them first in the league.
Overall Scoring Percentage
Team Rank Poss. TD FG Scores Score%
GEORGIA 1 123 90 4 94 76.42
Dallas 2 134 87 7 94 70.15
Los Angeles 3 129 69 20 89 68.99
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 86 career regular season AFL games.
84 games with at least one TD
83 games with at least one receiving TD
60 games with at least two TDs
38 games with at least three receiving TDs
19 games with at least four receiving TDs
45 100-yard receiving games
24 games with 10+ receptions
* Only player to win the AFL Rookie of the Year (2000) and later capture AFL Offensive Player of the Year (2003).
"ROCK" SOLID
Force FB/LB Robert (Red Rock) Thomas ranks third among fullbacks in rushing touchdowns through 11 games.
Rank Team Name TD's
1 San Jose Phil Glover 10
2 Orlando Marlon Moye-Moore 8
3 Georgia Robert Thomas 7
4 Austin Dane Krager 6
PICK SIX
The Force defense has returned six interceptions for touchdowns through Week 11. The six 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. Last week, rookie WR/LB Jamin Elliott recorded his first career interception 36 yards for a touchdown en route to a 61-29 win over Austin.
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
@Austin Jamin Elliott 36
YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE BOARD
The Georgia Force are ranked second in the league in scoring offense through 11 weeks. Georgia is averaging 56.7 points per game.
Scoring Offense
Rank Team PPG
1 Dallas 57.1
2 GEORGIA 56.7
3 Colorado 56.2
4 Utah 53.6
SEEING RED
The Force's red zone offense is ranked second in the league through 11 weeks. Georgia is scoring 86% of the time in the red zone, including 43 touchdowns and one field goal.
Red Zone Offense
Rank Team Scoring %
1 Los Angeles 92.6
2 GEORGIA 86.3
3 Tampa Bay 84.2
4 San Jose 83.6
KEEP UP THE PACE
Here is a look at how several Force players project for the remainder of the season.
QB Matt Nagy
Comp. Att. Yds TD
Through Week 11 252 353 2,928 58
Projected Totals 367 513 4,259 84
OS Chris Jackson
Rec. Yds TD
Through Week 11 73 896 25
Projected Totals 106 1,303 36
WR/LB Derek Lee
Rec. Yds TD
Through Week 11 89 988 18
Projected Totals 129 1,437 26
DS Chris Brown
Tkls INT PD
Through Week 11 91.0 4 7
Projected Totals 132.0 6 10
HOLDING THEIR OWN
The Force defense has held their own when it comes to scoring points. Georgia's defense has scored 11 touchdowns through 11 weeks. They have recovered five fumbles for touchdowns and have returned six interceptions for touchdowns. Orlando and Columbus have scored the second most defensive touchdowns with six.
AFL HISTORY 101
Georgia Force players and their place in AFL History.
* QB Matt Nagy currently ranks first in career completion percentage in AFL history. Nagy's 67.9 completion percentage leads San Jose's Mark Grieb (66.1) and Chicago's Matt D'Orazio (66.1).
* Nagy is also currently ranked second in career QB rating in AFL history. In the 20 year history of the AFL, Nagy's 120.77 rating ranks him only behind San Jose's Mark Grieb (123.77).
* OS Chris Jackson ranks third in all-time scoring in AFL history. Jackson has scored 1,344 points in just over six and a half seasons. AFL greats Barry Wagner (2,392) and Eddie Brown (2,070) are ahead of Jackson on the list.
* Jackson also ranks fifth all-time in receiving touchdowns in AFL history. He has recorded 211 career receiving touchdowns, placing him behind Eddie Brown (303), Barry Wagner (264), Cory Fleming (234) and Damian Harrell (226) on the all-time list.
* Jackson has recorded 9,057 yards receiving, ranking him seventh on the AFL's all-time list. Jackson is 633 yards away from number six on the list Damian Harrell (9,690) of the Colorado Crush.
DYNAMIC DOU
In the last five games, QB Matt Nagy and OS Chris Jackson have combined to become one of the elite quarterback/wide receiver duos in the league. After Jackson missed two games, he and Nagy have combined for 48 receptions for 554 yards and 17 touchdowns in the last five games. No other tandem in the league has combined for as many touchdowns in the last five weeks as Nagy and Jackson.
Top four QB/WR Tandems over the past five weeks
Name Team Rec. Yds TD
Grieb/Nelson San Jose 50 757 12
Dutton/Harrell Colorado 46 608 17
Nagy/Jackson Georgia 48 554 17
Dolezel/Shaw Dallas 32 433 11
LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS
AFL Rookie of the Week
DS Chris Brown- Week 4
AFL Rookie of the Month
DS Chris Brown- January/February
AFL Offensive Player of the Week
OS Chris Jackson- Week 9
AFL Ironman of the Week
WR/LB Derek Lee- Week 11
WORKING WITH LESS
The Force offense has scored the most touchdowns in the league through 11 weeks, despite running the fewest number of offensive plays in the league. Georgia has scored 90 touchdowns, while running 433 total plays from scrimmage.
MOVING THE CHAINS
Georgia's offense is ranked first in the AFL in third down conversion percentage through Week 11. The Force have converted on 40-of-60 third downs, good for a 66.7% clip. Colorado ranks second, converting 57.5% of their third downs.
Team Conv. Att Pct.
GEORGIA 40 60 66.7
Colorado 42 73 57.5
Chicago 42 79 53.2
Dallas 31 61 50.8
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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 12, 2006
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