Raiders Demolish Thunder 90-0 at Home
April 23, 2013 - Ultimate Indoor Football League (UIFL)
Lakeland Raiders News Release
In the unusual statistics department, the contest between the Lakeland Raiders and the Sarasota Thunder on April 20th had a peculiar distinction in the annals of the Ultimate Indoor Football League. Neither team recorded a single first down all night - not once in 48 minutes of football. The Thunder couldn't make one and the Raiders didn't need one.
The Raiders defense dominated the Thunder from whistle to whistle on Saturday night. The Raiders D held the Thunder to a net of negative 20 yards on the night. Sarasota ran eleven offensive drives in the game. Two were cut short by the end of the halves. Of the other nine, two ended in turnovers on downs, one in a safety, two in fumbles (both returned for touchdowns courtesy of Troy Johnson and Keith McCaskill) and four with interceptions.
Raiders superstar DB DeAngelo Woodie caught more passes (3) from the Thunder quarterbacks than the entire Sarasota receiving corps combined. He returned two of the three for touchdowns, and lateraled the third to teammate Sam Smith who took it to the end zone. Johnson made the fourth pick of the night for Lakeland at the Thunder goal line.
All told, the defense of the Lakeland Raiders held the visiting team scoreless, scored five times, and set up their offense with a first and goal on four other occasions. The Raiders"ÃË stingy defense allowed only three plays for positive yardage all night, including a meaningless mad scramble on the final play of the game.
"Nobody got hurt, that's the most important thing to take away from this game," reflected Defensive Coordinator BJ Jernigan. "A wins a win," added DB Troy Johnson. "We stayed focused the entire game and that is how you avoid injury."
Playing short handed due to injuries and with backup quarterback Chris Walley at the helm, the Raiders offense was efficient with the limited amount of play time they had. The Raiders' O scored on every opportunity they had with the ball. Because the defense and special teams set the offense up with a short field time after time, the Offense didn't have a lot of time on the field. Drives of 2, 4, 5, 6, 13, 31,and 40 yards accounted for the seven offensive touchdowns.
The biggest challenge for the Offense may have been to keep their heads in the game with so little time on the field. "I just told them to hang in there, you'll get your chance," said Assistant Head Coach Jeff Bingle after the game. "With the Defense playing so well and giving you a short field [the offense] didn't get a chance to sustain a drive. I said "ÃËJust hang in there and you'll get your shot'."
There was really only one opportunity all night for Lakeland to put together a sustained drive. That chance finally came on the Raiders"ÃË final offensive possession of the night with just over three minutes remaining in the game. The team took over on their own 10 yard line after the Johnson interception. Rather than grind out a drive, Head Coach Mike Mink called for the deep ball and a forty yard bomb to Roderick Jefferson in the end zone for his third touchdown catch of the night to go along with his four 2 point conversions.
RB Tyler Betts chipped in another two touchdowns, one in the air and on one the ground, as well as three 2 point conversions. Josh Smith and Tyrece Gaines each contributed one touchdown as well. Gaines"ÃË 31 yard touchdown grab at the end of the first half - he hauled in the pass while banging off the rear wall of the end zone with two defenders draped all over him - was a standout on a night filled with highlight reel material.
The final result was a 90-0 rout that would have been even worse had the officials not mercifully switched to a running clock in the second half. Next week the Raiders will host an Out-of-League contest with the Chattahoochie Vipers of the Alliance Indoor Football League. It will be the Vipers who find themselves playing out of their league when they take on a rested and healthy Raiders team on Sunday, April 28th. Tickets are still available by calling 1-855-Raider1. This 3:00 game is the only day game of the season so do not miss your chance to bring out the family to cheer on Lakeland's premier professional sports franchise.
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Ultimate Indoor Football League Stories from April 23, 2013
- Raiders Demolish Thunder 90-0 at Home - Lakeland Raiders
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