Lakeland lines up statistically with Rome
Published on May 19, 2005 under National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
Lakeland ThunderBolts News Release
LAKELAND, Fla. â On a night when the Rome Renegades put up their biggest numbers, nothing statistically was recorded by the Fayetteville Guard. Rome defeated the Guard, 60-57, so the stats of that game are not reflected in the overall team totals or league totals.
The Lakeland ThunderBolts (3-6) visit the Renegades (4-4) on Friday night in a National Indoor Football League game. The statistical match ups are somewhat illegitimate in that the one game is missing for the Renegades.
Looking at the stats head on, Rome and Lakeland have had only one common opponent, Daytona Beach. The Renegades lost in the âHawg Pound' 22-17 and the ThunderBolts have split with the Hawgs, beating them in the season opener at home, 35-18, and losing at the "Pound' 38-26.
What Lakeland does well is pass. Both starter Jeremy Martin and backup Michael Peeples have a combined pass rating of 104.1 which ranks 7th in the league. Martin's 105.2 is 8th in the NIFL.
Martin, the former Grander Webb University star, ranks 5th in both passing yards (1,474) and total offense (1,551 yards). He is second only to Nunnie Booker in rushing with Lakeland and has 77 net yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Martin has 28 passing touchdowns which ranks in the top 10 quarterbacks and Peeples has thrown for eight more.
Tavarius Johnson ranks 4th in the league in receptions (41) and 8th in receiving yards (458).
The ThunderBolts spread the ball around to their receivers as William Andrews, Raymond Hardy, and Will Glover all get in the act. Even running back Nunnie Booker has more than 100 receiving yards and one TD.
Rome, on the other hand, is 17th in the NIFL in pass defense, giving up 168.7 yards a game to its opponent. Again, deceptive because the April 14 game was not recorded.
Quarterback Bo Bartik passed for more than 200 yards twice, but rushing was a strength early on for the Renegades. Dixie Wooten and Travis Booker do the majority of the ground work.
Lakeland has another strong category and that is kickoff returns. The T-Bolts are 3rd in the league, averaging 18.9 yards a return. Glover has 403 yards on 21 returns for a 19.2 average but Johnson has only 11 returns for 299 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Johnson's 27.2 kick off return average ranks 1st in the NIFL.
Steve Kratz' kicking is another "Bolts' weapon. The veteran kicker is 3rd in field goals, connecting on 9 of 21 for a .429 percentage.
This is the only meeting between the two teams this season. Rome is the first of four road games to finish the season for the ThunderBolts. Lakeland has one home game left against the Montgomery Maulers on June 11 on the Ray Lewis Field.
If the âBolts were to win out, they would end up 8-6 and a chance at the playoffs.
National Indoor Football League Stories from May 19, 2005
- Swashbucklers' Offensive Coordinator, Andre' Perkins launches camp for kids - NIFL
- Dayton hosts Marshals for second time Saturday - Dayton Bulldogs
- Hawgs want to bury bad game - Daytona Beach Hawgs
- Lakeland lines up statistically with Rome - Lakeland ThunderBolts
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