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Georgia Force game notes

May 23, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Georgia Force News Release


QUICK FACTS

Georgia Force (9-8) at Dallas Desperados (13-3)

Date: May 27, 2006
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. (ET)
Site: American Airlines Center (15,919)
Television: NBC
Radio: WQXI 790 AM the Zone (David Hubbard: play-by-play, Chuck Oliver: color analyst)
Coaches: Doug Plank, Georgia (22-14: overall, 3-1: playoffs, 2nd Year)
Will McClay, Dallas (27-20-1: overall, 0-0: playoffs, 3rd Year)
Series Record: Dallas leads the regular season series 2-1 and Georgia leads the postseason series 1-0

2003 @ Georgia 55, Dallas 56 (5/10)
*Georgia 49, Dallas 45 (5/24)
2005 @ Georgia 63, Dallas 56 (5/14)
2006 @ Georgia 59, Dallas 62 (4/22)

* Wild Card Playoff Round



2006 NATIONAL CONFERENCE PLAYOFF RACE

TEAM W L PCT.
Dallas (1) 0 0 .000
Orlando (2) 0 0 .000
Philadelphia (5) 1 0 1.000
GEORGIA (6) 1 0 1.000
*New York (3) 0 1 .000
*Austin (4) 0 1 .000

* Eliminated from the playoffs

THE GAME

The sixth seeded Georgia Force will travel to Dallas to face the number one seeded Desperados on Saturday, May 27, at 3:30 p.m., in American Airlines Center. Georgia and Dallas played in Week 13 of the regular season, with the Force losing to the Desperados, 62-59.

Last week, Georgia defeated the New York Dragons, 72-69, marking the club's third playoff victory in two seasons under head coach Doug Plank. The 72 points scored by the Force set a new franchise-high for points scored in a playoff game. The previous high was 62 set against the Tampa Bay Storm last year (5/29/05). In his performance against New York, QB Matt Nagy set numerous Force playoff records. Nagy set new playoff-highs in passing yards (362), pass completions (28) and passing touchdowns (nine). Force OS Chris Jackson added his name to the Force record books as well, setting new playoff-highs in points scored (30), receptions (13), receiving yards (180) and receiving touchdowns (five).

This game will match-up the two best receiving tandems in the AFL, in Georgia's WR/LB Derek Lee and OS Chris Jackson and Dallas' OS Terrill Shaw and WR/DB Will Pettis. Lee and Jackson each recorded over 1,400 receiving yards in the regular season, making Georgia the only team in the league with two receivers having over 1,400 yards receiving. Lee finished third in the AFL in receptions (127), in addition to registering 1,427 yards receiving and hauling in 26 touchdowns. Despite missing two games due to injury (hamstring), Jackson finished with 119 catches for 1,438 yards and 36 touchdowns in the regular season. Shaw led Dallas in receptions (111), receiving yards (1,498) and touchdowns (37). Pettis posted 93 receptions for 1,256 yards and 26 touchdowns in the regular season.

FORCEFUL DUO

WR/LB Derek Lee
(Left)

OS Chris Jackson
(Right)



THE OPPONENT

Dallas finished the regular season with a league best, 13-3, record, giving them home field advantage throughout the National Conference playoffs. The Desperados are led by 11-year AFL veteran QB Clint Dolezel. Dolezel threw for 105 touchdowns during the regular season, setting a new AFL single-season high. In addition to his 105 touchdown passes, Dolezel threw for 4,627 yards and completed 65.6% of his passes.

Dallas' defense is led by OL/DL Colston Weatherington and DS Jermaine Jones. Weatherington led the team in sacks (7.5), while Jones led the Desperados in interceptions (eight), tackles (99.5) and pass defenses (15).

WEEKLY PRACTICE SCHEDULE

Date Day Time
5/22 Monday TRAVEL
5/23 Tuesday 11:00-12:30 p.m.
5/24 Wednesday 11:00-12:30 p.m.
5/25 Thursday TRAVEL
5/26 Friday IN DALLAS
*All players and coaches will be available for interviews

THE SCHEDULE

GEORGIA FORCE (9-8) Overall Record

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 W 72-69
May 27 @ Dallas
June 3 Conf. Champ.
June 11 ArenaBowl XX

STATISTICS

A look at how Georgia's 2006 regular season rankings compare to where the Force ranked after the 2005 regular season:

Statistical 2006 2005
Category Rank Stat Rank Stat
Scoring Offense 5th 53.1 9th 51.1
Scoring Defense 3rd 45.9 2nd 46.6
Total Offense (yds/g) 12th 281.0 7th 282.5
Total Defense (yds/g) 13th 292.7 12th 294.0
Pass Offense 8th 265.2 7th 264.8
Pass Defense 11th 269.1 13th 275.9
Rushing Offense 12th 15.8 9th 17.7
Rushing Defense 14th 23.6 6th 18.1
Pass Rating 1st 124.6 3rd 120.0
Pass Def. Rating 7th 104.0 7th 107.8
Kickoff Returns 11th 17.1 9th 17.4
MFG Returns 4th 22.2 8th 17.4
Interceptions (int-yds) 16th 13-241 14th 12-79
Turnover Margin 8th +2 11th -2
Field Goals 10th 6-13 5th 7-14
PAT Kicking 16th 97-116 10th 97-112
Sacks By (sks-yds) 2nd 22-135 9th 15-80
Sacks Against (sks-yds) 5th 11-61 8th 13-91
First Downs 14th 298 5th 334
Opp. First Downs 15th 332 12th 333
Penalties (yds/gm) 9th 42.3 13th 57.1
Opp. Penalties (yds/gm) 18th 34.0 1st 66.1
Red Zone Offense 3rd 58-69 13th 57-73
Red Zone Defense 6th 68-88 3rd 60-78
Time of Possession 18th 27:53 14th 28:29

INDIVIDUAL COMPARISONS

FORCE DESPERADOS
Passing Yards
Nagy..................4,265 Dolezel.................4,627
Touchdown Passes
Nagy.......................85 Dolezel....................105
Rushing Yards
Thomas.................107 White......................146
Receiving Yards
Jackson...............1,438 Shaw....................1,498
Receiving TDs
Jackson...................36 Shaw.........................37
Points Scored
Jackson.................240 Shaw.......................234
Interceptions
Brown.......................4 Jones...........................8
Sacks
Smith......................6.0 Weatherington.........7.5

HEAD COACHES

DOUG PLANK, Georgia (22-14, 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.

WILL McCLAY, Dallas (27-20-1, 3rd Year): Will McClay begins his third season at the helm of the Dallas Desperados. McClay was named the Desperados head coach on February 5, 2004, just three days prior to kicking off the 2004 season. In McClay's second season leading the Desperados, he improved the club's 6-10 finish in 2004 to 8-7-1 last season and will continue to work to bring the club the successes they had in their first two seasons in the league.

In addition to his head coaching responsibilities, McClay is the club's defensive coordinator. His defense finished the 2005 season with the league's stingiest defense in opponents completion percentage, allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete just 58.0% of their passes. His defense also finished second in the league in passing yards-per-game allowed (238.3) and third in the league in yards-per-game allowed (261.8).

McClay was a four-year letterman and team captain as a defensive back at Rice (1985-88), starting every game of his collegiate career. He graduated in 1990 with a degree in political science.

CONNECTIONS

Georgia offensive coordinator Steve Thonn served in the same capacity with Dallas in 2004 and 2003...Force FB/LB Kevin Aldridge played one season with the Desperados in 2004...Georgia FB/LB Robert Thomas was a member of the Dallas Cowboys from 1998-2002...Dallas OL/DL Jeff Chase played for Georgia in 2003...Desperados OL/DL Larrell Johnson went to training camp with the Force in 2004.

LAST TIME THESE TEAMS MET

Georgia vs. Dallas

ATLANTA, GA- The Georgia Force fell to 7-6 after losing to the Dallas Desperados, 62-59, in front of 14,186 fans at Philips Arena. Georgia was led by the tandem of OS Chris Jackson and WR/LB Derek Lee. Jackson recorded 11 catches for 122 yards and four touchdowns. Lee registered nine receptions for 127 yards and two touchdowns on offense.

At the end of the first quarter, Dallas led Georgia, 14-13. Force QB Matt Nagy completed two touchdown passes in the quarter, the first to Jackson from 25 yards out and found Lee on a 47-yard laser for Nagy's second of the game. Dallas' scores came on two touchdown passes by QB Clint Dolezel, the first to WR/DB Will Pettis and the second to WR/DB Terrill Shaw.

Georgia outscored Dallas 20-6 in the second quarter, giving the Force a 33-20 lead over the Desperados at half time. The Force offense continued to score, but the defense was the difference in the second quarter. On Dallas' second possession of the quarter, OL/DL Rickie Simpkins fumbled the ball on Georgia's two-yard line and it was recovered by the Force's FB/LB Kevin Aldridge. Georgia capitalized on the turnover when Nagy connected with Jackson for a touchdown from four yards out. Dallas marched down the field, giving themselves first and goal from Georgia's one-yard line. Dolezel's first three attempts fell incomplete, forcing the Desperados into fourth and goal from the one with three seconds remaining in the half. Dolezel completed a shovel pass to Pettis and Georgia's WR/LB Carl Morris stopped Pettis short of the goal line as time expired in the half.

Dallas scored 28 points in the third quarter, propelling the Desperados to a 48-40 lead. Dolezel threw two touchdown passes in the quarter and added another score on the ground. Dolezel's rushing touchdown was set up by an interception by Dallas' WR/LB Dialleo Burks. Late in the quarter, the Desperados blocked a field goal attempt by Force K Nelson Garner and returned it 11 yards for a touchdown.

The Desperados OL/DL Colston Weatherington sacked Nagy, forcing a fumble that was returned by Dallas' OL/DL Devin Wyman 30 yards for a touchdown. The touchdown was the 28th straight point scored by the Desperados. The Force responded with a touchdown pass from Nagy to Lee from 13 yards out, narrowing the gap to eight, 55-47. On the ensuing kickoff, Garner's onside kick was recovered by

Morris and returned 36 yards for a touchdown, cutting the Dallas lead to two, 55-53. The score marked the first touchdown scored by Morris in an AFL game. The two-point deficit was as close as Georgia would get, as they fell to the Desperados 62-59.

Score 1 2 3 4 Total
Dallas 14 6 28 14 62
Georgia 13 20 7 19 59

LEADERS

PASSING:
GA- Matt Nagy, 27-37-304-7-1
DAL- Clint Dolezel, 23-33-324-6

RECEIVING:
GA- Chris Jackson, 11-122-4
DAL- Terrill Shaw, 11-182-3

RUSHING:
GA- Robert Thomas, 2-11
DAL- Josh White, 4-10

OFFENSIVE MVP: Terrill Shaw, Dallas
DEFENSIVE MVP: Colston Weatherington, Dallas
IRONMAN: Dialleo Burks, Dallas

LAST WEEK

Georgia at New York (Wild Card)

Uniondale, NY- The sixth seeded Georgia Force upset the number three seeded New York Dragons, 72-69, in the first round of the playoffs, at Nassau Coliseum. Georgia was led by Offensive Player of the Game OS Chris Jackson and QB Matt Nagy. Jackson registered 13 receptions for 180 yards and five touchdowns, while Nagy completed 28 of 39 passes for 362 yards, nine touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. Nagy's nine touchdown passes set a new franchise record for touchdown passes in a playoff game, surpassing his previous mark of seven set last year against Orlando (6/4/05).

After the first 15 minutes of play, Georgia trailed New York, 21-14. The Force opened the scoring with a 12-yard pass to Jackson from Nagy. The Dragons' answered when QB Nick Browder connected with OS Kevin Swayne from 17 yards out. New York scored the next points of the game on a 30-yard pass from Browder to WR/LB Mike Horacek. Georgia answered when WR/LB Derek Lee made a juggling touchdown grab from 27 yards out. The Dragons' added another score in the quarter when Browder found Horacek for the second time, this time for a seven-yard score.

The second quarter ended with Georgia leading New York, 37-35. The Force opened the quarter with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Nagy to Jackson. Georgia's defense created the first turnover of the game on New York's ensuing possession when Lee intercepted Browder on fourth down. Jackson scored his third touchdown of the game when Nagy found him from 10 yards out. Horacek responded, catching a 35-yard pass from Browder for his third score of the game. Nagy threw a quick pass to Lee and Lee stiff-armed his way to the end zone, giving the Force a, 35-28, lead. Under extreme pressure from the Force's OL/DL Adam Metts and OL/DL Jermaine Smith, Browder fumbled the ball in the end zone, which was recovered by New York's FB/LB Richard McCleskey who was tackled by Smith for a safety. The Force attempted a hook-and-latter play with one second remaining in the half, but Lee's pitch to Jackson was fumbled and was recovered by New York's DS Dahnel Singfield and returned 13 yards for a touchdown.

Georgia outscored New York for the second straight quarter, giving the Force a, 51-47, advantage heading into the final quarter of game. The teams traded scores throughout the quarter, with the difference being that Dragons' K Jesse Obert missed two PATs. Horacek scored twice for New York, including a 40-yard laser from

Browder. Georgia's scores came on a three-yard run by Nagy and a 15-yard reception by Jackson.

New York was able to chip into the Georgia lead by outscoring the Force, 22-21, in the final quarter. But in the end, Georgia held on for the victory, 72-69. After trading scores to open the quarter, Metts forced New York's FB/LB Bruce Blue to fumble, which was recovered by Georgia's FB/LB Robert Thomas. The Force capitalized on the turnover when Nagy hit Lee on a 16-yard pass in the corner of the end zone. Georgia iced the game when WR/DB Tyronne Jones caught a 29-yard laser from Nagy, extending the Force's lead to, 72-61.

Score 1 2 3 4 Total
Georgia 14 23 14 21 72
N.Y. 21 14 12 22 69

LEADERS

PASSING:
GA- Nagy, 28-39-362-9-0
NY- Browder, 27-36-390-9-1

RECEIVING:
GA- Jackson, 13-180-5
NY- Horacek, 8-173-6

RUSHING:
GA- Thomas, 4-8-0
NY- McCleskey, 1-1-0

OFFENSIVE MVP: Chris Jackson, Georgia
DEFENSIVE MVP: Nate Coggins, Georgia
IRONMAN: Mike Horacek, New York

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

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

Force playoff records set this postseason.

SCORING

Points, Game (Team)
72 @ New York, 5/21/06
62 vs. Tampa Bay, 5/29/05
Points, Game (Individual)
30 Chris Jackson, @ New York, 5/21/06
24 Chris Jackson, Orlando, 6/4/05

PASSING

Yards, Game
362 Matt Nagy, @ New York, 5/21/06
344 Matt Nagy, Orlando, 6/4/05
Completions, Game
28 Matt Nagy, @ New York, 5/21/06
26 Matt Nagy, Colorado, 6/12/05
Touchdowns, Game
9 Matt Nagy, @ New York, 5/21/06
7 Matt Nagy, Orlando, 6/4/05

THE FORCE THIS SEASON ARE

4-4 at home
5-4 on the road

1-1 vs. Central Division
2-3 vs. Eastern Division
5-3 vs. Southern Division
1-1 vs. Western Division

3-3 on Fridays
3-4 on Saturday
3-1 on Sundays

1-0 in January
2-2 in February
2-2 in March
3-2 in April
1-2 in May

7-6 in televised games

8-4 when leading at the half
1-0 when tied at the half
0-4 when trailing at the half

9-3 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
1-5 outcome 3 points or less
0-1 overtime games

7-4 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 128 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. Brown was selected to the 2006 AFL All-Rookie Team.

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 also ranks 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

All-Arena first team
WR/LB Derek Lee
OL/DL Jermaine Smith

AFL Rookie of the Week
DS Chris Brown- Week 4

AFL Rookie of the Month
DS Chris Brown- January/February

2006 AFL All-Rookie Team
DS Chris Brown

AFL Offensive Player of the Week
OS Chris Jackson- Week 9

AFL Ironman of the Week
WR/LB Derek Lee- Week 11

MR. CONSISTENCY
Force OS Chris Jackson has caught at least one touchdown pass in 30 straight games dating back to Week 2 of 2005. In 22 of the 29 games Jackson has recorded at least two receiving touchdowns.

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

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.

FOOL ME TWICE, SHAME ON ME

In two seasons as the head coach of the Georgia Force, Doug Plank has never lost to a team twice in a single season (including playoffs). Georgia lost to Dallas in Week 13, 62-59.

Plank's Record Against Teams Played More Than Once

2005
Orlando 2-1 Austin 2-0
Tampa Bay 2-1 New Orleans 2-0

2006
Orlando 1-1 Austin 1-1
Tampa Bay 1-1 Kansas City 2-0
New York 1-1 Dallas 0-1



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
PLAYOFFS
WC 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
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
PLAYOFFS
WC GA Nate Coggins

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
PLAYOFFS
WC NY Mike Horacek



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 23, 2006


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