Milwaukee Falls on 36-Yard Field Goal with Two Seconds Remaining
May 18, 2012 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Milwaukee Mustangs News Release
MILWAUKEE, WI - Sporting their camouflage jerseys on Military Night, the Milwaukee Mustangs (3-6) fell 58-55 to the Georgia Force (6-4) in front of 4,466 fans at the Bradley Center on Friday evening.
Carlos Martinez's 36-yard field goal with two seconds remaining in the contest proved to be the deciding factor in a game that Milwaukee was seemingly in command of until the final quarter. Two third quarter offensive fumbles, in addition to two fumbles on kickoffs, led to Milwaukee's late collapse.
Mustangs quarterback Gino Guidugli had a stellar evening, completing an impressive 22 of 27 passes for 299 yards and five touchdowns.
Andrae Thurman provided a go-to target for the third straight week, snagging 11 passes for 142 yards and three touchdowns for the Mustangs, whose defense recorded four sacks, a forced fumble, and a fourth down stop in the loss.
The Mustangs took the early advantage, as Jared Jenkins recovered a Force fumble on the opening kickoff to set up a Gino Guidugli quarterback sneak for a 7-0 lead. After Georgia's C.J. Johnson hauled in an equalizing touchdown reception, Andrae Thurman answered back with a 4-yard touchdown catch to put Milwaukee ahead 14-7 to end the first quarter.
Milwaukee would extend its lead quickly in the second quarter. After a Quartez, Vickerson fumble recovery, Guidugli hooked up with Jenkins on an 18-yard touchdown reception. Then, a defensive stop on fourth down led to a short Thomas Claiborne rushing touchdown that put the Mustangs seemingly in control up 28-7.
The Force would answer back in a heartbeat when Johnson returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown. Roger Brown then recovered a Mustangs fumble in the end zone on the following kickoff to narrow the gap to 28-20.
Milwaukee got the ball rolling once again on the next possession when Guidugli's 40-yard pass to Victor Williams set up another quarterback sneak for a score. A 49-yard strike from the former Mustang quarterback RJ Archer to Johnson cut the Mustangs' lead to 34-27, but another Thurman touchdown reception from 26 yards out with 17.5 seconds left in the half launched the Mustangs into the locker room with a two-score advantage.
The Mustangs shot out of the gate in the second half, scoring in two plays when Guidugli connected with Jenkins on a 34-yard fly route to put them ahead 48-27. But two consecutive Mustangs fumbles by Thurman and Guidugli, respectively, would cut the Mustangs' lead to just 48-41 with 9:46 remaining.
But Milwaukee was not finished, scoring on just one play when Thurman looked in a 25-yard missile for his third touchdown catch of the evening. After a Larry Shipp scoring reception, Georgia recovered another fumble on a kickoff that led to a Mykel Benson rushing touchdown to tie the game at 55-55 with 1:18 to go.
Milwaukee had a chance to go ahead with under a minute to play, but the Force held the Mustangs on a fourth down passing attempt and Martinez's 36-yard field goal with only two seconds remaining proved to the be the devastating difference maker in a 58-55 Force victory.
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