Raiders Silence Hound Dogs
Published on March 18, 2012 under Ultimate Indoor Football League (UIFL)
Lakeland Raiders News Release
LAKELAND,FL- The Lakeland Raiders offense had the ball 12 times in Saturday's game against the Mississippi Hound Dogs. They scored touchdowns on 10 of those 12 drives. The only non-touchdown producing drives were an interception as the 1st half drew to a close and the final drive of the game when the Raider ran out of time 1 yard away from yet another score.
The most amazing statistic of the night is that the offense needed just 20 plays to complete those 12 drives. Drop off the two fruitless attempts at the end of each half and you're left with the astounding averages of 1.8 plays and 1 touchdown per drive for the rest of the game. Not only did they not need 4th down, the Raiders never even faced a 3rd down all night. To put Lakeland's offensive proficiency into perspective, the number of times QB Tavares Woodley held the ball on extra point attempts for Kicker Jesus Cortez (11) was more than the number of times he passed the ball (8).
The Raiders continued to run a balanced offense, calling 12 running plays and 8 passing plays. In a rarity for indoor football, the Raiders actually scored more touchdowns on the ground (6) than through the air (4). The run game got a boost from FB Travis Anderson, who scored 5 of those TDs. Anderson didn't expect to get so many carries in relief of the injured Downy Belidor, but he certainly made the most of them. Despite the common perception that indoor football is all about passing, Anderson insists there is room for the fullback position. "It can be a running game," Anderson says, "but you have to be quick. Run hard, don't tiptoe."
The defense shined once again, holding Mississippi to 13 points through 3 quarters en route to a 75-27 shellacking. Drametrice Smith picked up a fumble by Mississippi QB Jamie Boland and ran it back 35 yards for a TD, sending the officials and chain crew scrambling like it was the running of the bulls. Kendrick Stewart recorded a sack, Terrance Rhodes continued to be an interception machine, and Troy Johnson had a pair of sacks to go with a fumble recovery. The defense repeatedly held the Hound Dogs to minimal gains and gave the offense a short field to work with.
On special teams, Kick Returner Josh Smith almost repeated last week's feat of returning the opening kick of the second half for a touchdown. He brought the kick, one of only two chances he had to return all night, all the way back to the Hound Dogs' 16 before he was finally tripped up. Kicker Jess Cortez connected on 9 of 11 extra point attempts, but continued to struggle to contain the power of his right leg within the confines of the indoor arena. He booted two balls out of the end zone and hit the rafters high above the field twice, each time giving the Hound Dogs a short field starting at the 20 yard line. "I've got to adjust a lot," Cortez says of the smaller field, "I can't kick my regular heights. I'm just trying to adjust to it. That's what makes a good kicker: you make adjustments."
The Lakeland Raiders are now 2-0. Next week they'll face another of the UIFL's elite teams in the Florida Tarpons. Despite two blowout wins in two weeks, Head Coach Michael Mink isn't satisfied as he prepares for the first road trip of the season. "(The Tarpons) have got some big receivers" says Coach Mink. "We're going to have to do better on jump balls. And we had too many missed tackles tonight."
The Raiders are heading out of Lakeland for two away games in a row. Check back at www.lakelandraiders.com for the latest information on the team. The next home game will be at the Lakeland Center on Saturday, April 14th. Tickets for the game are on sale at the Lakeland Center box office at 863-834-8111.
Special Thanks to Ronald Rowe for this great article.
For more information about the Lakeland Raiders visit the team website at www.lakelandraiders.com or call 863-834-7511. The Raiders will be playing home games at The Lakeland Center. The Lakeland Center offers a full variety of sporting events, concerts and shows. The Lakeland Center is a short drive from anywhere in Central Florida. Regular box office hours are Monday-Friday 9:30am-5:30pm and can be reached at 863-834-8111.
Ultimate Indoor Football League Stories from March 18, 2012
- Raiders Silence Hound Dogs - Lakeland Raiders
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