No Sunshine In Orlando For Destroyers
July 26, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Buffalo Destroyers News Release
(ORLANDO, FL)- The Orlando Predators eliminated the Buffalo Destroyers from the 2002 Arena Football League playoffs with a 32-27 win in front of 9,137 fans Friday night at the TD Waterhouse Centre.
After Buffalo failed to score on their opening drive, Orlando QB Jay Gruden hit WR/LB Cliff Dell for a touchdown. Buffalo shot right back as QB Jeff Loots found OS Lamont Cooper for a 30 yard score to even things up at seven. Predators backup QB Connell Maynor ran in a score as Orlando led 14-7 after the first period.
FB/LB John Motton got the Destroyers on the board in the second on a 19 yard touchdown run to even the score at 14. After Orlando missed a four point drop kick, Buffalo grabbed their first lead of the game with a K Steve McLaughlin 31 yard field goal. Gruden connected with WR/DB Junior Lord with 38 seconds to go as Orlando went up 20-17. The Destroyers had a chance to score at the end of the half as they got down to the eight yard line, but could not stop the clock.
Orlando went three plays and out to start the second half and Lamont Cooper returned the missed field goal 57 yards for a touchdown as Buffalo led 24-20. Coop's 57 yard missed field goal return ties an AFL playoff record. Orlando retaliated in one play with a Gruden 43 yard touchdown pass to Antonio Stanley as the Predators led 26-24. McLaughlin added a 45 yard field goal as Buffalo went back up 27-26. Lord and Gruden hooked up for the second time in the game as Orlando led heading into the fourth 32-27.
Both teams failed to score on their next three possessions. Buffalo got a break with 3:25 remaining in the game when Predators FB/LB Duke Pettijohn fumbled and FB/LB Derrick Chachere recovered at the Destroyers 24 yard line. Buffalo got down to the Predators 14 yard line but turned the ball over on downs. The Destroyers had one more shot with 11 seconds left after Predators K Matt Simonton missed his fourth field goal of the game. On the ensuing play, Loots fumbled the ball and Orlando recovered and then ran out the clock. Neither team scored on their last five possessions of the game.
Lamont Cooper had a game high 200 all-purpose yards (72 receiving, 54 kick return, 74 missed FG return) and two touchdowns. Loots was 16 of 30 for 215 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Motton had a game high 21 rushing yards and a touchdown. DS Carlos James had a team high six tackles one pass defense and a sack.
Buffalo finishes the season 6-8 and 0-1 in the playoffs.
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