Oregon Lightning Offense Sparks 52-20 Win Over Corpus Christi Tritons
May 13, 2025 - Arena Football One (AF1)
Oregon Lightning News Release
Two teams came into the first Monday Night game in Arena Football One history badly in need of a win to start turning the tide of their season. One team came out firing and emerged victorious. Led by a 285-yard performance out of quarterback Dalton Cole, the Oregon Lightning took down the Corpus Christi Tritons 52-20 to close out Week 9 of the Arena Football season.
Oregon Snatches Momentum and Doesn't Look Back
Oregon came out firing early with Cole connecting with Marquis Sampson on the first drive to put the Lightning on the goalline and then calling his own number to put the Lightning ahead 7-0 before a full minute had even elapsed. On the ensuing kickoff, Lakeith Murray set up the Tritons with a short field, and Fred Payton and the Tritons' offense capitalized. Payton connected with Moe Strong to pull Corpus almost even, but a missed extra point left the Tritons trailing. This was the closest they would get the whole game.
Oregon rattled off three unanswered touchdowns as Cole was surgical for the Lightning, as he put the Tritons' defense on their heels and moved the ball at will up and down the field. Cole has been a deep ball threat for most of the season, but he worked the intermediate and short game to perfection this week. With touchdown passes of 41, 23, and six yards in the first half, the entire arsenal was on display for Oregon.
Tritons Falter Down the Stretch
Corpus Christi worked to keep it respectable early, only trailing by 12 at halftime. Fred Payton tried to put the team on his back to close out the second quarter with a rushing touchdown and a two-point conversion rush as well, but outside a few splash plays, the Tritons' offense looked out of sync. Payton and his receivers seemed to be on different pages throughout the game. At least half a dozen passes hit the turf nowhere near their intended receiver.
The Tritons scored in the third quarter and entered the fourth quarter within striking distance as they trailed 32-20, but they would not be able to score in the fourth quarter, and the Lightning added another 20 points to close it out. Newcomer Richy Anderson II partnered with Moe Strong to put in respectable work from their receiver slots. Anderson hauled in four catches for 40 yards to pair with Strong's three catches for 53 yards and a touchdown. Payton will need to work to build his chemistry with Strong and Anderson in order for the Tritons to make a playoff push down the stretch.
Lightning Defensive Line Continues to Wreak Havoc
It all starts up front in arena football, and the Oregon Lightning have now turned in back-to-back dominant performances on the defensive front. Oregon registered six sacks against Corpus Christi, keeping Payton and the Tritons' offense off balance and on their heels. Led by linebacker Jerimiah Spicer and defensive lineman Miqueal Pillow-Smiley, who each had two sacks, the Lightning front four kept Payton on the run and off-schedule.
This defensive effort forced multiple fourth-down stops and set the Lightning offense up with favorable field position more than once. Add in sacks by Mike Fields and Lovell Spruce, and the entire Oregon front ate against the Tritons.
Oregon Offense Finds a New Gear
For much of this season, the Lightning offense has been feast or famine. If Cole and his receivers are connecting on the long ball, this offense is feasting. If defenses find a way to take that away, it's an offensive famine for the Lightning. This week, Cole and the offense found a new dimension and carved up the Tritons at every level in the passing game.
Marquis Sampson and Maurice Ashley moved the chains for the Lightning with 96 and 93 yards, respectively, while Cole's favorite target, Kris Lewis, sealed the deal on multiple drives. Lewis caught four total passes, and three of them went for touchdowns. Philip Harding also made his presence known with three catches for 55 yards and a touchdown.
By spreading the ball between four targets and working every level of the passing game, and not just the deep ball, Cole flashed the upside that could signal an inflection point for Oregon's season if they can do it again next week.
Questions For the Tritons
Corpus Christi saw several key contributors depart the team over the past two weeks, and bringing in new talent takes time to acclimate them to the system, but the Tritons will need to get it right quickly. They have a bye week in Week 10 before making the trip to Albany in Week 11.
The Tritons will need to put in work over the next two weeks to find some answers as they head into a bye week for Week 10.
Luckily for the Tritons, Fred Payton will likely continue to mesh with his revamped receiving corps. Richy Anderson had a productive stint with Oregon earlier this season and showed that he can make plays. Pair him with Moe Strong and the versatile Josiah King, and the Tritons have a solid core of offensive weapons.
Up Next
The Corpus Christi Tritons fall to 3-3 on the season and are on a bye next week, but travel to Upstate New York for a showdown with the 8-0 Albany Firebirds. Albany won an earlier contest this year. The Tritons close out their schedule with a home and home against the Nashville Kats in Weeks 12 and 14, and another trip up to Oregon in Week 14.
On the other side of the coin, the Oregon Lightning are in action in Week 10 as the Washington Wolfpack come to town for another iteration of the Cascade Clash. Oregon improved to 3-5 on the season and is primed to make a playoff push in the back half of the Arena Football One season.
Don't miss any of the action as the Arena Football season wraps up with games streaming on EvergreenNOW and the game of the week on VICE TV!
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