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New Orleans VooDoo game notes

March 9, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
New Orleans VooDoo News Release


QUICK FACTS
New Orleans VooDoo (4-1) vs. Detroit Fury (2-2)
Site: New Orleans Arena (15,375)
Radio: WSMB (1350-AM)
Chris Kenyon and Rich Lenz
TV: COX Sports Television (Ch. 37 in New Orleans) Todd Kalas and Boo Williams
Coaches: New Orleans: Mike Neu (1st Season in New Orleans, 2nd season overall, 10-9, regular season; 1-2 postseason); Detroit: Tom Luginbill (1st season in Detroit, 2-2 overall)

New Orleans VooDoo Face Detroit in Friday Night Home Game

The VooDoo will face the Detroit Fury on Friday evening after employing a stingy defense to defeat the defending ArenaBowl champion Tampa Bay Storm on Sunday 55-43, upping their record to 4-1. An opportunistic New Orleans defense tied an AFL single game record with three interception returns for touchdowns. WR/LB Lamont Hall led the VooDoo defensive effort with two interception returns for 28 yards, both of them touchdowns, also recovering a New Orleans onsides kick. DS Calvin Coleman had a 37-yard interception return for a touchdown, while DS Chris Pointer had a game-high 7.5 tackles. QB John Fitzgerald was an efficient 13-of-30 for 169 yards with two touchdown passes. DS Aaron Bailey led the VooDoo offense with five receptions for 92 yards with two touchdowns. FB/LB Dan Curran also added his ninth touchdown of the season.

NEXT WEEK

The New Orleans VooDoo will head out west on Thursday, March 18 when they face the Arizona Rattlers at 7:00 p.m. at the America West Arena.

NEW ORLEANS VooDoo (4-1)
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. 55-43
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.

Tom Luginbill: Tom enters his first season as head coach of the Fury, having taken over the job from his father. Part of the only father-son coaching tandem in the AFL. Before coming to the Fury, Luginbill made four coaching stops in four years. Spent 2000 season as head coach of af2's Tennessee Valley Vipers. Led them to 2000 ArenaCup in first year as coach. In 2001, joined his father in the XFL. Served as quarterback's coach for the L.A. Xtreme. His quarterbacks led league in passing yards and touchdowns. Returned to Arena Football in 2002 as offensive coordinator for the Dallas Desperados. Led the expansion team to playoffs and a first round win. His Desperado offense finished number one in red zone offense and broke league record for most points by an expansion team. Played college football at Palomar Junior College, Georgia Tech and Eastern Kentucky University. Started at quarterback for all three schools. Earned Bachelor's degree in sociology from Eastern Kentucky.

VooDoo - Gladiators Connections

OS Aaron Bailey is an Ann Arbor native who starred in football, track and basketball at Pioneer HS and was named to the All-Decade Team of the 1980's by the Detroit Free- Press. Bailey and Detroit WR/LB Junior Lord were teammates with the XFL's Chicago Enforcers in 2001. WR/LB Lamont Moore and Detroit WR/LB Jonathan McCall, FB/LB Cameron Chance, DS Reggie Doster, OL/DL Angel Rubio and Lord were teammates in Orlando. Bailey, QB John Fitzgerald and K Brian Schmitz played together in Carolina in 2002, where they played for New Orleans Coach Mike Neu. Neu served as Detroit QB Andy Kelly's backup with the Nashville Kats in 1997. Neu then served as Kelly's position coach in 1998 and also supervised the Kats offense in 1999, a year in which Kelly finished the season with a career-best 116.4 quarterback rating. Kelly, Detroit OL/DL Matt Norwood and New Orleans OL/DL Tim Martin were teammates in Dallas in 2002 where they played for Detroit head coach/director of player personnel Tom Luginbill when he served as offensive coordinator in Dallas. Neu and Luginbill served on the same coaching staff in Nashville in 1999. Martin and Detroit OL/DL Jonathan McCall competed together in trainign camp with the New England Patriots in 1999. Detroit WR/DB Jeff Russell and OL/DL-FB/LB Anthony Hicks also played for the Neu and Luginbill in Nashville in 1999... Detroit offensive/defensive line coach Steve Smith served as a training camp intern coach with the New Orleans Saints in 2002...Detroit DS John Williams is a native of Hammond who played at Southern. Williams was a teammate of FB/LB Dan Curran, OL/DL Aaron Hamilton and OL/DL Bruce McClure in Nashville in 2001 and also played with OL/DL B.J. Cohen in Tampa Bay in 2003...OL/DL Gaylon Hyder and Detroit DS Ron Carpenter were teammates with the St. Louis Rams in 1999. Curran and McClure also played with Carpenter with both Nashville and Georgia....QB John Fitzgerald and Detroit OL/DL Karl Bates were teammates in Houston in 2001...DS Chris Pointer and Bates played together in New Jersey in 2002...FB/LB Jason Bratton and Detroit OL/DL Curt Lessman were teammates in Carolina in 2003...Detroit OL/DL-FB/DL Curtis Jeter played with the IPFL Mississippi Dogs in 1999.

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 media personalities Saints coaches, players and front office personnel will serve as analysts. WDSU sports director Rich Lenz 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 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. Cox first broadcast on Friday night will feature Todd Kalas doing play by play, Saints TE Boo Williams as guest analyst and Harry McCullas as sideline reporter. 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 11 from 5:30-6 p.m.

Last Week

A stingy New Orleans defense was sparked by three interception returns for touchdowns to lead the VooDoo to a 55- 43 win over the defending ArenaBowl champion Tampa Bay Storm on Sunday, in a contest in which the VooDoo never trailed.

New Orleans WR/LB Lamont Moore had two interception returns for touchdowns and DS Calvin Coleman had a 37- yard interception return for a touchdown.

The VooDoo improved to 4-1 on the year. The Storm fell to 2-3. New Orleans upped their home record to 2-0.

New Orleans raced out to a 14-0 lead less than five minutes into the contest and didn't look back, as the Storm never led in the game.

VooDoo QB John Fitzgerald finished the game 13-of-30 for 169 yards and two touchdowns.

Statistics

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

Statistics
Statistical New Orleans Detroit
Category Stat Stat
Scoring Offense 223 186
Scoring Defense 219 176
Total Offense (Yds/G) 226.6 283.8
Total Defense (Yds/G) 252.4 222.3
Pass Offense (Yds/G) 197.4 267.5
Pass Defense (Yds/G) 229.6 188.0
Rushing Offense (Yds/G) 29.2 16.3
Rushing Defense (Yds/G) 22.8 34.3
Kickoff Returns 16.3 15.5
Field Goals 3-9 4-7
PAT Kicking 26-29 22-23
Sacks By (sks-yds) 1-4 6-31
Sacks Against 1-9 2-16
First Downs 87 89
Penalties (#/yds) 40/249 23/136
Turnover Margin +3 -8
Time of Possession 30:07 32:32

The VooDoo's Record When?

2-0 at home
2-1 on the road
1-0 vs. Central Division
1-0 vs. Eastern Division
2-0 vs. Southern Division
0-1 vs. Western Division
0-0 on Thursdays
0-0 on Fridays
1-0 on Saturdays
3-1 on Sundays
3-1 in February
1-0 in March
4-1 in games televised on NBC
3-0 when leading at the half
0-1 when tied at the half
1-0 when trailing at the half
4-0 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
2-1 when the VooDoo scores first
2-0 when the opponent scores first

Coach Neu Says

Excerpts from VooDoo head coach Mike Neu's Monday press conference about Sunday's win over the Tampa Bay Storm and Friday's opponent, the Detroit Fury.

(on Sunday's win vs. Tampa Bay) "We're excited to beat the defending champions and after looking at the film this morning, I thought our guys did a really good job. Early in turnovers were key and our pass rush did a nice job. Those guys helped create some opportunities for Lamont to get some interceptions and on the last interception that Stafford threw our guys were right down by his ankles. He was on his way down, trying to get the ball out of bounds and he just came up short and Calvin Coleman made a nice play. I'm really happy and proud of our guys for competing. Our defense has done such a great job. Anytime you beat the defending champions like that, our guys did a nice job."

(on his feeling about this team) "I think it's early. We feel in our locker room as coaches and players there's a special bond. We have something good going on right now. We're building on that every week. To come back from the loss that we had a week ago in Las Vegas, that just shows me what we're made of because it would be easy to get discouraged by a 20-point loss, but that shows me and it shows our team what it's made of. We came back out against the defending champions and got a big win."

(on what have been the biggest factors in the team's start) "I think the biggest thing is that it all starts in your locker room and the guys we have are all good guys. We've got good guys. To a man you can look each one of them in the eye and we got good people. Guys that work hard, bring their lunch to work everyday, practice hard all week. They like each other and do things together off the field. While they're at practice they're together and even when they leave practice they're together and that's important. You're building something special when you're doing that. Those guys like each other both on and off the field. That's huge for the success of our team, especially down the road."

(on who receives credit for the team's fast start) "I think our defense has been our mainstay. The defense has done such a good job. Guys have done such a great job. We went out and spent a lot of money on linemen, pass rushers, B.J. Cohen, Tim Martin. We got (Abdul-Salam) Noah and (D.J.) Cooper in the expansion draft. We payed centers some money, Bruce McClure and Adam Metts. We knew and I knew as a coach that you win and lose games up front period and for our guys that has been a mainstay. Defensively, our DB's were young, Monty Montgomery and Chris Pointer, Calvin Coleman, Calvin Spears and Lamont Moore. Those guys are relatively young as a secondary, but they are benefiting from the guys in front of them. That's giving them time to make plays. That's giving them opportunities to knock balls down. That's building their confidence and you can see it in their eyes and the way they play. That stuff is contagious and it's rubbing off to the rest of the team."

(on if it is exhilerating to beat a legendary coach such as Tim Marcum) "I have all the respect in the world for him. The guy is the best in our business and anytime you get a chance to go against the best in your business that's exciting. I respect him. He's been in this conference forever. To be in 10 of 17 ArenaBowls is unheard of and win six of them that's pretty special. To be a coach, I couldn't be more excited to go up against the best and come out with a win."



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 9, 2004


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