Green Bay Blizzard vs Cedar Rapids Titans Game Preview
March 13, 2014 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Green Bay Blizzard News Release
Green Bay, WI- In their home opener of the 2014 season, the Green Bay Blizzard (0-2) look for their first win of the year against familiar foe Cedar Rapids (1-1) on Sunday, March 16. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Aurora BayCare Field at the Resch Center in Green Bay, WI.
After losing 35-13 in Cedar Rapids last week, the Blizzard have not had to wait long for another shot at the Titans. This will be the seventh meeting all-time between the two organizations, and the series is currently tied 3-3. The Titans have had the advantage recently though, winning the last three games played between the teams.
In last week's game LaRon Council, a former Blizzard running back now with the Titans, made the difference in the teams' first meeting after rushing for 140 yards and scoring one touchdown. The 2012 IFL rushing leader, and current league rushing leader, averaged nearly 7.5 yards per carry as the Blizzard defense struggled to stop the Titans' run game.
Green Bay is eager for its first win of the year, especially after the team's slow start and a disappointing end to the 2013 season. A strong showing in front of a hometown crowd could be just what the team needs.
After an up-and-down performance against the Cedar Rapids last week, Green Bay hopes to see improvement in every phase of the teams' rematch. The lone bright spot on offense in week three came from veteran running back Lucien Walker, who rushed ten times for 105 yards and scored two touchdowns. For his efforts Walker was named IFL Offensive Player of the Week Honorable Mention.
After an inspiring performance in week one, rookie quarterback Taylor Perkins could not find a rhythm against the Titans, completing only 40 percent of his passes and throwing three interceptions. The Blizzard will also hope to see improvement on special teams after missing all five of their field goal attempts and allowing a kick return for a touchdown.
Like most of the team last week, the things the Blizzard defense did well were overshadowed by its mistakes. The defense forced three fumbles and had seven tackles for a loss in a marked improvement over its week one performance. However, the Titans ground game proved too much to handle after quarterback Spencer Ohm and Council ran for more than 220 yards. The Blizzard will to control the ground game this week.
The Blizzard pass defense, led by DB Shawn Plummer, however has only allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 43 percent of their passes and have only allowed 109 average per game through the air.
The Titans, led by former Blizzard Qb Spencer Ohm, hope to build off their performance from last week in search of their second win of the season. Ohm rushed for 82 yards against the Blizzard but threw for less than 50 yards.
In addition to the team's impressive rushing performance, the defense did their part in keeping the Blizzard's offense in check. The Titans defense recorded three sacks for 22 yards and came up with three interceptions. Defensive lineman Xzavie Jackson leads the league in sacks, and hopes to build off his impressive two-sack performance last week.
Indoor Football League Stories from March 13, 2014
- Storm Host Ice this Sunday - Sioux Falls Storm
- Green Bay Blizzard vs Cedar Rapids Titans Game Preview - Green Bay Blizzard
- "March Madness" at Budweiser Events Center as Crew Transformed Venue for Four Events in 48 Hours - Colorado Crush
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
