Gino Guidugli Ties Franchise Record for Touchdown Passes in Commanding Victory
June 2, 2012 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Milwaukee Mustangs News Release
MILWAUKEE, WI - In front of 6,089 fans at the BMO Harris Bradley Center, the Milwaukee Mustangs (4-7) ended their three-game losing streak with a commanding 81-68 victory over the San Jose SaberCats (8-4) on Saturday night.
Quarterback Gino Guidugli tied the single-game franchise record with nine touchdown passes in the win, including four touchdown passes to both Jared Jenkins and Andrae Thurman. Pass-rushing defensive end Luis Vasquez also found the end zone twice in the first quarter on fumble recoveries to help the Mustangs build up an early three-score lead.
The Mustangs drew first blood when Vasquez recovered a San Jose fumble in the end zone on the opening kickoff. After a short SaberCats touchdown pass from Mark Grieb to Huey Whittaker, Guidugli hooked up with Andrae Thurman on a 6-yard touchdown pass to give Milwaukee a 13-7 lead.
But Vasquez was not finished. The opportunistic defensive lineman pounced on a SaberCat fumble deep in Mustangs territory and took it back 43 yards for the score to close out the first quarter with Milwaukee on top, 20-7.
San Jose answered back quickly to begin the second quarter, capitalizing on a 28-yard Samora Goodson touchdown reception. Newly activated Mustangs wide receiver Taurian Washington then showed his speed on Milwaukee's next possession, beating the defense deep on a 29-yard scoring strike from Guidugli. The Mustangs would extend their lead to 33-14 when Ryan McFoy recovered another San Jose kick return fumble and returned it the distance.
After San Jose's Goodson and Milwaukee's Jared Jenkins each took turns scoring a pair of receiving touchdowns, James Roe hauled in a touchdown pass for the SaberCats to cut Milwaukee's lead to 47-34. With 23 seconds left in the half, the Mustangs got the ball back for one last possession and took advantage of the opportunity. Guidugli and Thurman connected on a 34-yard touchdown pass as time expired to send Milwaukee into the half with a 20-point advantage.
Milwaukee executed on its first drive of the second half when Guidugli and Thurman again hooked up for a 15-yard touchdown. The SaberCats wasted no time after a long kick return, scoring on just one play when Roe hauled in an 11-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 60-41. Jenkins looked in another scoring reception for Milwaukee before Roe added his third receiving touchdown to end the third quarter with the Mustangs ahead, 67-48.
After an interception by San Jose's Ruschard Dodd-Masters, the SaberCats put together a scoring drive that lasted an incredible seven and a half minutes and ended with a Whittaker touchdown reception on fourth down to reduce the Mustangs' lead to just 67-55 with 10:17 to play in the fourth quarter.
The Mustangs, however, took back control with Thurman's fourth touchdown of the night to extend the lead to 74-55. After Justin Lawrence's fourth-down sack to end the San Jose drive, Jenkins hauled in his own fourth receiving score of the evening to push the lead to 81-55. Though Goodson and Whittaker would catch consecutive touchdown passes for the SaberCats, the Mustangs cruised to an 81-68 victory.
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