Sports stats



New Orleans VooDoo game notes

March 2, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
New Orleans VooDoo News Release


QUICK FACTS
New Orleans VooDoo (3-1) vs. Tampa Bay Storm (2-2)
Site: New Orleans Arena (15,375)
Radio: WSMB (1350-AM)
Chris Kenyon and Fred McAfee
TV: NBC Sports (Ch. 6 in New Orleans) Allen Bestwick and Mike Pawlaski
Coaches: New Orleans: Mike Neu (1st Season in New Orleans, 2nd season overall, 9-9, regular season; 1-2 postseason); Las Vegas: Tim Marcum (10th season in Tampa Bay, 135-49 overall, 25-8 postseason)

New Orleans VooDoo Return Home To Face ArenaBowl Champ Tampa Bay

The VooDoo will return home to face the defending ArenaBowl Champion Tampa Bay Storm on Sunday, March 7 at the New Orleans Arena. The VooDoo return home after losing their first game of the season 50-30 to the Las Vegas Gladiators on Sunday. FB/LB Dan Curran had five carries for 30 yards and two TDs with a forced fumble on defense. WR/DB Luke Leverson caught four passes for 57 yards with one TD and had five tackles and a 23-yard fumble return on defense. OL/DL Tim Martin had three catches for 23 yards with his first career TD catch. DS Monty Montgomery led the VooDoo with eight tackles. WR/LB Lamont Moore had three catches for 25 yards and a fumble recovery. DS Calvin Coleman also had a forced fumble for an opportunistic New Orleans defense that forced two turnovers.

NEXT WEEK

The New Orleans VooDoo will return to action on Friday, March 12 when they host the Detroit Fury at 7:00 p.m. at the New Orleans Arena.

NEW ORLEANS VooDoo (3-1)
Date Opponent Time Result
Feb. 8 at Philadelphia 2 p.m. 42-34
Feb. 14 vs. INDIANA 2 p.m. 41-40
Feb. 22 at Georgia 2 p.m. 55-52
Feb. 29 at Las Vegas 2 p.m. 30-50
Mar. 7 TAMPA BAY 11a.m.
Mar. 12 DETROIT 7 p.m.
Mar. 18 at Arizona 8 p.m.
Mar. 27 CAROLINA 7 p.m.
Apr. 2-4 Bye Weekend
Apr. 9 at Orlando 6:30 p.m.
Apr. 18 COLUMBUS 2 p.m.
Apr. 25 at Austin 2 p.m.
May 1 at San Jose 9:30 p.m.
May 9 ORLANDO 2 p.m.
May 15 GEORGIA 7 p.m.
May 23 at Tampa Bay 2 p.m.
May 30 AUSTIN 3 p.m.

www.GoVooDoo.com

For updated news, press releases, statistics, rosters, players, coach and front office biographies, ticket information, merchandise, photo galleries and New Orleans VooDoo Dolls information, go to the official website of the New Orleans VooDoo, www.GoVooDoo.com. Updated daily, www.GoVooDoo.com has the most extensive information on the VooDoo and the Arena Football League.

The Coaches

Mike Neu: Neu is the first head coach of the New Orleans VooDoo. Neu is a six-year Arena Football coaching veteran, coming to the New Orleans after serving as head coach of the AFL Carolina Cobras in 2002. That season, Neu guided the Cobras to a 5-2 record on the road and their secondstraight postseason berth. Prior to coming to Carolina, Neu served as Head Coach and Director of Football Operations for the Augusta Stallions of af2 in 2000. In his only season, Neu led Augusta to a 14-4 record, the American Conference title and was named the league's Coach of the Year. Neu began his coaching career in 1994 as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Ball State. His pro playing career started with a stint with the CFL Calgary Stampeders in 1995 before joining the AFL's Orlando Predators in 1996 and moving on to the Nashville Kats in 1997. He started his coaching career with the Kats in 1998.

Neu played four seasons at Ball State, where he was named the MAC Most Valuable Player of the Year as a senior in 1993. A four-year starter, Neu guided Ball State to the conference championship his final year and holds school career passing records in yards, attempts, completions and touchdown passes.

Neu and his wife, Charmin, have a daughter, Graycen and a son, Carson. Tim Marcum: Legendary AFL head coach Tim Marcum enters his tenth season as head coach of the Tampa Bay Storm and his 16th overall as an AFL head coach. A charter member of the AFL Hall of Fame. Marcum is the winningest head coach in League history. He enters the 2004 season having won seven ArenaBowl championships and has coached in ten of the league's 17 ArenaBowls. Marcum is the only coach in Arena Football history to lead three different teams to ArenaBowl championships (Denver, Detroit and Tampa Bay), and is the AFL career coaching leader in victories, winning percentage, games coached, and postseason victories (25). A two-time recipient of the AFL Coach of the Year Award. He was the first coach in AFL history to win more than 100 games and has missed out in playing for the league championship only five times in his career.

Marcum also served as linebackers coach at the University of Florida in 1991 and served on the coaching staff with the Atlanta Falcons in 1994.

VooDoo - Gladiators Connections

New Orleans OL/DL B.J. Cohen played for Tampa Bay in 2003, where he was a selection on the AFL All-Ironman team and second-team All-Arena selection, recording a career-high seven sacks and two interceptions...New Orleans QB John Fitzgerald went to training camp with Tampa Bay in 2001 and subsequently in 2002, where he competed with Storm QB Shane Stafford for a roster spot. Fitzgerald was waived by Tampa Bay in training camp and eventually ended up later that season with the Carolina Cobras, where he first played for VooDoo coach Mike Neu. Neu served as Tampa Bay QB Pat O'Hara's backup in Orlando in 1996. New Orleans WR/LB Luke Leverson played with O'Hara and Tampa Bay FB/LB David White with the Toronto Phantoms...VooDoo OS Aaron Bailey, QB John Fitzgerald, K Brian Schmitz and Tampa Bay FB/LB Andre Bowden were teammates in Carolina in 2002, where they played for Neu. Bowden also participated in training camp with the New Orleans Saints in 1994 at linebacker, where he was a teammate of VooDoo FB/LB coach Franklin Thomas...VooDoo line coach Junior Ili played for Tampa Bay assistant coach Dave Ewart when Ewart was the head coach of the St. Louis Stampede in 1996...Tampa Bay OL/DL Shawn King prepped at West Monroe High School and subsequently starred as a defensive end at the University of Louisiana-Monroe from 1991-94...Tampa Bay OL/DL Darion Conner played linebacker for the New Orleans Saints in 1994 and led the team with 10.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. Connor was an All-SWAC and Division 1-AA selection at Jackson State...New Orleans WR/LB Lamont Hall played with Tampa Bay WR/LB Cliff Dell and WR/DB Tramain Jones in Orlando. VooDoo FB Jason Bratton and Jones were teammates in Carolina in 2003...Tampa Bay DS Del Lee prepped at Karr High School and played at McNeese State from 1994-97...Tampa Bay WR/LB Lawrence Samuels prepped at John S. Shaw High School in Mobile, Alabama...New Orleans OL/DL Gaylon Hyder and Tampa Bay WR/DB T.T. Toliver were teammates with the St. Louis Rams in 2000.

VooDoo on the Airwaves

VooDoo and AFL fans will enjoy plenty of chances to watch the newest team in New Orleans both live and on various on radio and television programs throughout the 2004 season.

Every game will be heard on WWL-AM 870 or WSMB-AM 1350. Chris Kenyon will handle play-by-play. Selected Saints coaches, players and front office personnel will serve as analysts. Saints running back Fred McAfee will handle color for this week's game, which can be heard on WSMB. WWL will also broadcast a weekly coaches show with coach Mike Neu on Tuesdays from 9 - 10p.m., with Kenyon and Kenny Wilkerson as the co-hosts.

10 of the VooDoo's regular season games are scheduled to be broadcast by NBC and will be seen locally on WDSU Channel 6. Cox Sports Television will broadcast the VooDoo's remaining six games regionally. They will also broadcast a 30-minute pre-game show before each game broadcast. Cox Sports TV will air "Inside VooDoo with Mike Neu" on a weekly basis. The half-hour show will show on Thursday, March 4 from 5:30-6 p.m. and will be replayed on March 7, prior to the Tampa Bay game from 10:30 - 11 a.m.

Last Week

Las Vegas QB Clint Dolezel threw his 500th career touchdown pass to lead the Gladiators past the VooDoo 50-30 and hand them their first loss of the season.

The Gladiators scored 21 unanswered points at the beginning of the third quarter to take a 38-17 lead. They capitalized on two VooDoo turnovers to take control.

The VooDoo tried to get back in the game early in the fourth quarter when they scored on fullback Dan Curran's second touchdown run of the game to close within 38-24.

The VooDoo opened the game strong as they took the opening kickoff on a six play, 45-yard drive and scored on a two-yard touchdown run by Curran. The Gladiators fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the VooDoo converted it into a 24- yard field goal and a 10-0 lead.

Statistics

A quick look at how New Orleans and Tampa Bay match up based on 2004 regular season stats.

Statistical New Orleans Tampa Bay
Category Stat Stat
Scoring Offense 168 202
Scoring Defense 176 204
Total Offense (Yds/G) 236.8 263.3
Total Defense (Yds/G) 244.5 261.3
Pass Offense (Yds/G) 205.8 244.5
Pass Defense (Yds/G) 218.5 248.5
Rushing Offense (Yds/G) 31.0 18.8
Rushing Defense (Yds/G) 26.0 12.8
Kickoff Returns 17.0 16.1
Field Goals 1-7 3-7
PAT Kicking 19-22 21-26
Sacks By (sks-yds) 1-4 6-31
Sacks Against 1-9 4-23
First Downs 75 80
Penalties (#/yds) 33/216 23/121
Turnover Margin +1 0
Time of Possession 29:49 32:12

The VooDoo's Record When?

1-0 at home
2-1 on the road
1-0 vs. Central Division
1-0 vs. Eastern Division
1-0 vs. Southern Division
0-1 vs. Western Division
0-0 on Thursdays
0-0 on Fridays
1-0 on Saturdays
2-1 on Sundays
3-1 in February
3-1 in games televised on NBC
2-0 when leading at the half
0-1 when tied at the half
1-0 when trailing at the half
3-0 when leading after three quarters
0-0 when tied after three quarters
0-1 when trailing after three quarters
2-0 outcome 7 points or less
2-0 outcome 3 points or less
0-0 overtime games
1-1 when the VooDoo scores first
2-0 when the opponent scores first

• Discuss this story on the Arena Football League (1987-2008) message board...

Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 2, 2004


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.

Other Recent New Orleans VooDoo Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central