Georgia Force game notes
May 16, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Georgia Force News Release
QUICK FACTS
Georgia Force (0-0) at New York Dragons (0-0)
Date: May 21, 2006
Kickoff: 3:00 p.m. (ET)
Site: Nassau Coliseum (11,985)
Television: NBC
Radio: WQXI 790 AM the Zone (David Hubbard: play-by-play, Chuck Oliver: color analyst)
Coaches: Doug Plank, Georgia (21-14, 2nd Year)
Weylan Harding, New York (20-13, 2nd Year)
Series Record: The New York Dragons lead the all-time series 4-0
2003 @ Georgia 27, New York 34 (4/12)
2004 @ Georgia 28, New York 54 (2/8)
2005 Georgia 51, @ New York 53 (3/12)
2006 Georgia 35, @ New York 47 (4/6)
THE OPPONENT
The New York Dragons finished with a 10-6 record in the regular season. The Dragons enter the playoffs as the third seed in the National Conference and will host a playoff game for the second straight season. Last year, New York suffered a first round playoff loss at home to the Orlando Predators, 47-42.
In the regular season, New York was led by QB Nick Browder and WR/LB Mike Horacek. Browder completed 202 of 313 passes for 2,444 yards, 50 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Horacek recorded 121 receptions for 1,663 yards and 35 touchdowns in the regular season.
THE GAME
The sixth seeded Georgia Force will travel to New York to face the third seeded Dragons on Sunday, May 21, at 3:00 p.m., in Nassau Coliseum. Georgia and New York played in Week 15 of the regular season with the Force falling to the Dragons, 47-35.
Georgia is heading to the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time in club history. Georgia, under the leadership of second-year head coach Doug Plank, will make another run at the AFL title after falling to the Colorado Crush, 51-48, in last year's Championship Game. Plank has appeared in four consecutive ArenaBowls, including last year as the head coach of the Georgia Force, and three previous ArenaBowls as the defensive coordinator for the Arizona Rattlers.
This game will match-up a pair of the best two-way players in the game, in Georgia's WR/LB Derek Lee and New York's WR/LB Mike Horacek. Lee led all WR/LB's in receptions during the regular season with 127 and added 1,427 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns. Defensively, Lee finished with 15.5 tackles, three interceptions, three pass defenses and one fumble recovery on defense. Horacek's numbers are equally as impressive, as he recorded 121 receptions for 1,663 yards and 35 touchdowns in addition to 27 tackles, one interception, six pass defenses and one fumble recovery on defense in the regular season.
2006 NATIONAL CONFERENCE PLAYOFF RACE
TEAM W L PCT.
Dallas 0 0 .000
Orlando 0 0 .000
New York 0 0 .000
Austin 0 0 .000
Philadelphia 0 0 .000
GEORGIA 0 0 .000
WEEKLY PRACTICE SCHEDULE
Date Day Time
5/15 Monday 9:00-11:00 a.m.
5/16 Tuesday OFF
5/17 Wednesday 12:00-1:00 p.m.
5/18 Thursday 12:00-1:00 p.m.
5/19 Friday 12:00-1:00 p.m.
*All players and coaches will be available for interviews
THE SCHEDULE
GEORGIA FORCE (8-8) Regular Season
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 L 57-41
April 22 DALLAS L 62-59
April 29 CHICAGO W 55-20
May 6 @ New York L 47-35
May 13 PHILADELPHIA L 57-41
PLAYOFFS
May 21 @ New York
CONNECTIONS
Georgia QB Matt Nagy spent one season with the Dragons in 2002...Force DS Nate Coggins attended training camp with the Dragons in 2005...New York offensive coordinator Tony Kimbrough held the same position with the Force in 2002 for the team's first five games...Dragons back-up QB Sam Clemons attended training camp with the Force this season.
STATISTICS
A look at how Georgia and New York match-up statistically on both sides of the ball heading into the 2006 AFL playoffs based on the regular season:
Statistical GEORGIA NEW YORK
Category Rank Stat Rank Stat
Scoring Offense 5th 53.1 6th 52.6
Scoring Defense 3rd 45.9 15th 55.4
Total Offense (yds/g) 12th 281.0 10th 282.3
Total Defense (yds/g) 13th 292.7 15th 295.7
Pass Offense 8th 265.2 6th 267.1
Pass Defense 11th 269.1 12th 270.2
Rushing Offense 12th 15.8 13th 15.2
Rushing Defense 14th 23.6 16th 25.4
Pass Rating 1st 124.6 6th 117.4
Pass Def. Rating 7th 104.0 6th 106.6
Kickoff Returns 11th 17.1 8th 17.8
MFG Returns 4th 22.2 5th 21.0
Interceptions (int-yds) 16th 13-241 3rd 23-297
Turnover Margin 8th +2 11th -1
Field Goals 10th 6-13 16th 7-18
PAT Kicking 16th 97-116 9th 95-109
Sacks By (sks-yds) 2nd 22-135 12th 13-59
Sacks Against (sks-yds) 5th 11-61 18th 38-163
First Downs 14th 298 9th 312
Opp. First Downs 15th 332 17th 338
Penalties (yds/gm) 9th 42.3 18th 47.9
Opp. Penalties (yds/gm) 18th 34.0 15th 38.1
Red Zone Offense 3rd 58-69 7th 56-70
Red Zone Defense 6th 68-88 t-4th 65-85
Time of Possession 18th 27:53 13th 29:56
INDIVIDUAL COMPARISONS
FORCE DRAGONS
Passing Yards
Nagy..................4,265 Browder...............2,444
Touchdown Passes
Nagy.......................85 Browder....................50
Rushing Yards
Thomas.................107 McCleskey.................71
Receiving Yards
Jackson...............1,438 Horacek...............1,663
Receiving TDs
Jackson...................36 Horacek....................35
Points Scored
Jackson.................240 Horacek..................224
Interceptions
Brown.......................4 Singfield.....................7
Sacks
Smith......................6.0 Cowsette..................5.0
HEAD COACHES
DOUG PLANK, Georgia (21-14, 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.
WEYLAN HARDING, New York (20-13, 2nd Year): Weylan Harding begins his second season as the head coach of the Dragons in 2006. Last Year, in his first season he took the Dragons to their third consecutive Eastern Division Championship with a 10-6 record. He was also a runner up for Coach of the Year honors and mentored All-Arena and All-Rookie sensation DS Billy Parker. Running the Dragon's defense, Harding's defensive backs led the league in interceptions with 28.
Harding had a standout collegiate career at Iowa State University where he was a key component to their defensive unit in the early 90's. In his junior season, he was named to the All-Big 8 team with 74 tackles and 21 pass defenses.
LAST TIME THESE TEAMS MET
Georgia at New York
Uniondale, NY- The Georgia Force, in a fight for their playoff lives fell to the New York Dragons, 47-35, at Nassau Coliseum. The Force jumped out to a 14-point lead in the first quarter, but turnovers plagued Georgia throughout the game. The Force fell to 8-7 on the season as the New York Dragons improved to 10-5 and clinched a playoff spot.
At the end of the first quarter, Georgia led New York, 14-7. The Force opened the scoring with a 22-yard strike from QB Matt Nagy to OS Chris Jackson. On the Dragon's ensuing possession, QB Nick Browder was stopped short on fourth and one by Georgia's WR/LB Derek Lee. Georgia capitalized on the stop as Nagy connected with WR/DB Rob Carey on an 18-yard laser, stretching Georgia's lead to 14-0. New York scored their first points of the game with 30 seconds remaining in the quarter as FB/LB Richard McCleskey ran the ball in from three yards out. Jackson fumbled the kickoff, which was recovered by New York's WR/LB Maurice Brown at the six-yard line to end the first quarter.
The Dragons converted the turnover into seven points when Browder found OL/DL Stacy Evans in the end zone on fourth and goal to begin the second quarter. Georgia answered quickly as Nagy hit Jackson from 39 yards out for Jackson's second score of the game. Browder answered the Force's score when he found WR/LB Mike Horacek on a 26-yard pass. New York then came up with a defensive stop and turned it into points when OS Kevin Swayne caught an 18-yard pass from Browder, giving the Dragons a, 27-21, lead at the end of the half. New York outscored Georgia, 20-7, in the second quarter.
At the end of the third quarter, New York led Georgia, 33-28. Each team scored once in the quarter, with Browder finding Brown from two yards out for the Dragons and Nagy hitting FB/LB Matt Huebner from 10 yards out on a fullback screen for the Force.
The two teams began the quarter by trading scores. Browder scored the Dragons second touchdown of the quarter on a one-yard plunge, extending New York's lead to eight. Georgia could never close the gap as they fell to the Dragons, 47-35.
Score 1 2 3 4 Total
GA 14 7 7 7 35
NY 7 20 6 14 47
LEADERS
PASSING:
GA- Matt Nagy, 24-38-272-5-0
NY- Nick Browder, 20-27-191-5-0
RECEIVING:
GA- Chris Jackson, 11-163-3
NY- Mike Horacek, 8-93-1
RUSHING:
GA- Kevin Aldridge, 1-9-0
NY- Richard McCleskey, 6-18-1
OFFENSIVE MVP: Maurice Brown, New York
DEFENSIVE MVP: DaShane Dennis, New York
IRONMAN: Richard McCleskey, New York
LAST WEEK
Georgia vs. Philadelphia
ATLANTA, GA- With a playoff spot up for grabs, the Georgia Force fell to the Philadelphia Soul, 57-41, in front of 13,766 fans. Force QB Matt Nagy threw two interceptions late in the first half and Philadelphia converted the turnovers into 13 points. The Soul outscored Georgia, 50-21, through quarters two and three en route to their ninth victory of the season.
At the end of the first quarter, Georgia led Philadelphia, 13-0. The Force opened the game with an eight play drive that consumed five minutes and resulted in a three-yard touchdown run by FB/LB Kevin Aldridge. The Soul's first possession ended when K Todd France missed a 23-yard field goal on fourth and goal. Georgia turned the defensive stop into points when Nagy found OS Chris Jackson from three yards out to end the quarter.
The Soul outscored the Force, 30-14, in the second quarter and led at the half, 30-27. The two teams traded scores through the first seven minutes of the quarter. Late in the second quarter Philadelphia DS Eddie Moten intercepted Nagy and returned it 31 yards for a touchdown. On Georgia's ensuing possession, Nagy was picked-off by Moten again. Moten's second interception led to a 43-yard field goal by France. The 30 points scored by the Soul in the second quarter is the most the Force has allowed in a single quarter in franchise history. In 2002, the Los Angeles Avengers scored 29 points in the fourth quarter, setting the previous mark for most points allowed in a quarter.
Georgia continued to trail Philadelphia at the end of the third quarter by a score of 50-34. The Soul scored three rushing touchdowns in the quarter as WR/LB Sean Scott, FB/LB Wes Ours and FB/LB Chad Dukes all scored touchdowns in the quarter. Georgia's only score came on a 14-yard pass from Nagy to WR/LB Derek Lee.
The Force only managed seven points in the final quarter as they fell to the Soul, 57-41. After creating a defensive stop late in the final quarter, Georgia failed to score as they attempted to cut the lead to two points. The Force never mounted another scoring drive as they suffered their eighth loss of the season.
Score 1 2 3 4 Total
PHI 0 30 20 7 57
Georgia 13 14 7 7 41
LEADERS
PASSING:
GA- Matt Nagy, 24-36-269-4-3
PHI- Tony Graziani, 19-33-205-1-1
RECEIVING:
GA- Derek Lee, 10-134-2
PHI- Sean Scott, 6-80-1
RUSHING:
GA- Chris Jackson, 1-12-0
PHI- Sean Scott, 2-21-1
OFFENSIVE MVP: Wes Ours, Philadelphia
DEFENSIVE MVP: Eddie Moten, Philadelphia
IRONMAN: Derek Lee, Georgia
FORCE RECORD BREAKERS
Current Force Players who hold franchise records
SERVICE
Most Games Played (regular season)
61 Jermaine Smith, 2002-03, 2005-Present
SCORING
Points, Career
372 Chris Jackson, 2005-Present
Points, Game
42 Chris Jackson, vs Tampa Bay, 3/26/06
Points, Season
240 Chris Jackson, 2006
PASSING
Touchdowns, Career
151 Matt Nagy, 2005-Present
Touchdown, Game
9 Matt Nagy vs. Dallas, 5/14/05
Touchdown, Season
85 Matt Nagy, 2006
Yards, Season
4,265 Matt Nagy, 2006
Yards, Career
7,268 Matt Nagy, 2005-Present
RUSHING
Yards, Career
480 Robert Thomas, 2004-Present
Yards, Season
228 Robert Thomas, 2004
Attempts, Career
125 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
2,684 Derek Lee, 2005-Present
Receptions, Career
240 Derek Lee, 2005-Present
Receptions, Game
15 Derek Lee, at Tampa Bay, 2/10/06
Receptions, Season
127 Derek Lee, 2006
Touchdowns, Career
59 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
36 Chris Jackson, 2006
DEFENSE
Tackles, Career
253.0 Willie Gary, 2003-Present
Tackles, Season
124.0 Chris Brown, 2006
Sacks, Career
18.5 Jermaine Smith, 2002-03, 2005-Present
Sacks, Season
6.0 Jermaine Smith, 2006
Interceptions, Game
3(three times) Last time: Chris Brown vs. Las Vegas, 2/17/06
THE FORCE THIS SEASON ARE
4-4 at home
4-4 on the road
1-1 vs. Central Division
1-3 vs. Eastern Division
5-3 vs. Southern Division
1-1 vs. Western Division
3-3 on Fridays
3-4 on Saturday
2-1 on Sundays
1-0 in January
2-2 in February
2-2 in March
3-2 in April
0-2 in May
6-6 in televised games
7-4 when leading at the half
1-0 when tied at the half
0-4 when trailing at the half
8-3 when leading after three quarters
0-1 when tied after three quarters
0-4 when trailing after three quarters
0-0 outcome 7 points or less
0-5 outcome 3 points or less
0-1 overtime games
6-4 when the Force scores first
2-4 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 franchise's 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) that same week. 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). With his three receiving touchdowns and an interception returned for a touchdown against Chicago in Week 14, Lee passed Jackson as the franchise's all-time leading scorer (358). Lee finished the 2006 season with 370 career points, while Jackson finished with 372 points scored.
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 marked 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 were 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. He finished the regular season as Georgia's all-time leading scorer, posting 372 points since joining the Force in Week 9 of 2005.
Nagy: In Week 10, QB Matt Nagy surpassed former Force QB Leon Murray as the franchise's 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. Nagy's seven touchdown performance in Week 13 against Dallas set a new franchise single-season high in touchdown passes in one season (69). The previous mark was set by Nagy last season with 66. In Week 14, Nagy passed Murray (3,645) as the franchise's single-season leader in passing yards. He finished with 236 yards against Chicago, giving him 3,724 yards through Week 14. Nagy set single-season franchise records in passing yards (4,265) and touchdowns (85).
Brown: In Week 12, DS Chris Brown became Georgia's single-season tackle leader with 96.5. Brown passed DS Willie Gary's 91.5 set last year. Brown recorded 5.5 tackles against Orlando in Week 12. He finished the regular season with 124.0 tackles.
Smith: Georgia's OL/DL Jermaine Smith has recorded 18.5 sacks as a member of the Force. The 18.5 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. In Week 12 against Orlando, Smith recorded 1.5 sacks and three total tackles. Smith recorded one sack against Chicago in Week 14. Smith recorded 6.0 sacks during the regular season, a new Force single-season record (Jermaine Smith: 5.5, 2003).
Defense: The Force defense has set several Force franchise single-season records themselves. The defense recorded 22 sacks on the year, surpassing the previous mark of 16 set in 2003. Georgia's 22 sacks ranked them second in the AFL in the regular season. The defense also returned seven interceptions for a touchdown. The seven interceptions for touchdowns tie the San Jose SaberCats (2003) for an AFL single-season high.
PULLING AWAY
The Force finished the regular season ranked second in the league in scoring differential. Georgia scored 855 points, while their opponents only scored 735 points, a difference of 120 points.
Scoring Differential
Rank Team Point Differential
1 Dallas 219
2 GEORGIA 120
3 Colorado 70
SOPHOMORE STUD
WR/LB Derek Lee had 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 finished third in the league in receptions (127), in addition to recording 1,427 yards and 26 touchdowns in the regular 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.
IRONMAN OF THE YEAR
In just under two seasons Derek Lee has placed himself as one of the best two-way players in the game. Lee should lead the conversation when it comes to AFL Ironman of the Year for the 2006 season. In the regular season, Lee registered 127 receptions for 1,427 yards and 26 touchdowns on offense in addition to 15.5 tackles, three interceptions, three pass defenses and one fumble recovery. In Week 14, Lee returned an interception 45-yards for a touchdown, his first interception returned for a touchdown in his career. 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. For his performance in the month of April, Lee was named AFL Ironman of the Month. Lee registered 33 catches for 427 yards and eight touchdowns in five games. On defense, he tallied seven tackles, two interceptions and one pass defense.
SACK MASTER
Georgia's OL/DL Jermaine Smith has recorded 18.5 sacks as a member of the Force. The 18.5 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. In Week 12 against Orlando, Smith recorded 1.5 sacks and three total tackles. Smith recorded one sack against Chicago in Week 14. Smith registered 6.0 sacks in the regular season, a new Force single-season record (Jermaine Smith: 5.5, 2003).
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, WR/DB Jamin Elliott and WR/LB Carl Morris look to help the Force return to the ArenaBowl.
Chris Brown: Brown finished second the league in tackles (124.0), in addition to four interceptions and eight pass defenses in the regular season. 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. In Week 12, Elliott registered eight catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns and added 5.5 tackles on defense at Orlando. Elliott finished his first campaign in the AFL by recording 66 catches for 745 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Carl Morris: Morris made his AFL debut in Week 13 against Dallas. Morris recovered an onside kick and returned it 36-yards for a touchdown in his first career AFL game. In Week 14, he recorded three catches for 26 yards and one touchdown on offense and added 2.5 tackles on defense. Morris finished with five catches for 41 yards and one touchdown in his first AFL season.
EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE
Georgia's high octane offense was the most efficient in the AFL during the regular season. The Force scored on 122-of-178 (71.9%) possessions in the regular season.
Overall Scoring Percentage
Team Rank Poss. TD FG Scores Score%
GEORGIA 1 178 122 6 128 71.9
Dallas 2 194 130 8 138 71.1
Los Angeles 3 189 105 27 132 69.8
ACTION JACKSON-BY THE NUMBERS
It is amazing to look how much OS Chris Jackson has done in seven seasons. Here is a look at what the seven-year veteran has accomplished in 90 career regular season AFL games.
88 games with at least one TD
87 games with at least one receiving TD
62 games with at least two TDs
39 games with at least three receiving TDs
20 games with at least four receiving TDs
47 100-yard receiving games
26 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).
PICK SIX
The Force defense returned seven interceptions for touchdowns in the regular season. The seven interceptions returned for touchdowns is a franchise record for a single-season. The previous mark was four in a single-season. Georgia has tied the single-season record of seven, which has been accomplished three times (last time: San Jose, 2003).
DS Chris Brown 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. In Week 11, rookie WR/LB Jamin Elliott returned his first career interception 36 yards for a touchdown en route to a 61-29 win over Austin. WR/LB Derek Lee returned an interception 45 yards for a score in Week 14. The return marked the seventh interception returned for a touchdown by the Force this season.
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
Chicago Derek Lee 45
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Force DS Chris Brown is a leading candidate for AFL Rookie of the Year. Brown finished the regular season second in the league in tackles (124.0) in addition to recording four interceptions, eight pass defenses and one fumble recovery. He has returned three of his four interceptions for touchdowns and recorded three interceptions at Las Vegas in Week 4 and returned two of them for touchdowns. The following week against Kansas City, Brown returned his third straight interception for a touchdown to secure Georgia's, 51-19, victory over the Brigade. Brown was also named AFL Rookie of the Month for January/February.
SEEING RED
The Force's red zone offense ranked third in the league during the regular season. Georgia scored 84.1% of the time in the red zone, including 55 touchdowns and three field goals.
Red Zone Offense
Rank Team Scoring %
1 Los Angeles 88.6
2 San Jose 84.8
3 GEORGIA 84.1
4 Orlando 83.6
5 Colorado 82.2
HOLDING THEIR OWN
The Force defense held their own this season when it came to scoring points. Georgia's defense scored 13 touchdowns during the regular season. They recovered five fumbles for touchdowns and returned seven interceptions for touchdowns. Orlando and Dallas scored the second most defensive touchdowns with seven.
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 68.1 completion percentage leads Chicago's Matt D'Orazio (67.2) and Orlando's Joe Hamilton (66.3).
* Nagy is also currently ranked second in career QB rating in AFL history. In the 20-year history of the AFL, Nagy's 120.48 rating ranks him only behind San Jose's Mark Grieb (124.01).
* OS Chris Jackson ranks third in all-time scoring in AFL history. Jackson has scored 1,410 points in seven 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 222 career receiving touchdowns, placing him behind Eddie Brown (303), Barry Wagner (265), Damian Harrell (249) and Corey Fleming (235) on the all-time list.
* Jackson has recorded 9,599 yards receiving, ranking him seventh on the AFL's all-time list.
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
4,000 YARDS
QB Matt Nagy threw for 4, 265 yards in the regular season. Nagy is the first Force QB to throw for over 4,000 yards in Force franchise history.
Single-Season Passing Yards
4,265 Matt Nagy, 2006
3,645 Leon Murray, 2004
3,003 Matt Nagy, 2005
MOVING THE CHAINS
Georgia's offense ranked first in the AFL in third down conversion percentage during the regular season. The Force have converted on 53 of 90 third downs, good for a 58.9% clip. Dallas ranks second, converting 54.2% of their third downs.
Team Conv. Att Pct.
GEORGIA 53 90 58.9
Dallas 52 96 54.2
Colorado 57 106 53.8
Chicago 56 110 50.9
MR. CONSISTENCY
Force OS Chris Jackson has caught at least one touchdown pass in 29 straight games dating back to Week 2 of 2005. In 21 of the 29 games Jackson has recorded at least two receiving touchdowns.
200 CLUB
In Week 13, OS Chris Jackson passed the 200 point plateau on the year. Jackson scored 240 points in the regular season, despite missing two games due to injury. Jackson's 240 points is a new franchise record for points scored in a single-season (208), which was set by Derek Lee last year.
CAN YOU HANDLE THE PRESSURE
The Force were 8-0 when they recorded more sacks then there opponents during the regular season. In six of their eight losses Georgia has not recorded a sack and in their other two losses the opposition matched Georgia's sack total. In Week 14, the Force registered four sacks in their, 55-20, victory over Chicago.
WEEKLY GAME AWARD WINNERS
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
10 KC Chris Sanders
11 GA Chris Jackson
12 ORL Joe Hamilton
13 DAL Terrill Shaw
14 GA Matt Nagy
15 NY Maurice Brown
16 PHI Wes Ours
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
10 GA Nate Coggins
11 GA Jamin Elliott
12 ORL Kenny McEntyre
13 DAL C. Weatherington
14 GA Jermaine Smith
15 NY DaShane Dennis
16 PHI Eddie Moten
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
10 GA Kevin Aldridge
11 GA Derek Lee
12 ORL Javarus Dudley
13 DAL Dialleo Burks
14 GA Derek Lee
15 NY Richard McCleskey
16 GA Derek Lee
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 16, 2006
- Nashville Kats game notes - Nashville Kats
- Utah Blaze game notes - Utah Blaze
- Kats' Hammond Named Ironman of Week - Nashville Kats
- Nelson named to AFL All-Rookie Team - San Jose SaberCats
- New York Dragons game note - New York Dragons
- Arizona Rattlers game notes - Arizona Rattlers
- Watch The Playoff Game With The Soul - Philadelphia Soul
- Brigade set slew of expansion records in prolific first season - Kansas City Brigade
- San Jose's Grieb named Offensive Player of the Week - San Jose SaberCats
- AFL names players of the week - AFL I
- Dragons Head Coach sets new AFL record - New York Dragons
- Avenger QB Sonny Cumbie selected to AFL All-Rookie Team - Los Angeles Avengers
- Rush lineman Khreem Smith named to All-Rookie team - Chicago Rush
- Todd France named to AFL All-Rookie team - Philadelphia Soul
- Final AFLWA Schutt Sports Top 12 Poll - AFL I
- Austin Wranglers game notes - Austin Wranglers
- Force DS Chris Brown Named to AFL All-Rookie Team - Georgia Force
- Brigade Standout Aaron Boone Makes AFL All-Rookie Team - Kansas City Brigade
- Preds place two on All-Rookie team - Orlando Predators
- Georgia Force game notes - Georgia Force
- Rampage re-signs seven corps players - Grand Rapids Rampage
- Philadelphia Soul game notes - Philadelphia Soul
- 2006 AFL All-Rookie Team Announced - AFL I
- Breaking barriers - New York Dragons
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