Soul douse Blaze 64-56 to remain unbeaten
April 5, 2008 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Philadelphia Soul News Release
Philadelphia (April 5) -- Quarterback Matt D'Orazio and wide receiver Chris Jackson hooked up for three touchdowns in the first 20 minutes of the game and the Philadelphia Soul went on to beat the Utah Blaze, 64-56, Saturday night at the Wachovia Spectrum.
The victory moved the Soul to 6-0 for the season and 3-0 behind D'Orazio, whose stellar play has enabled the team to overcome a knee injury to starting quarterback Tony Graziani. Attendance at the Spectrum was a sellout of 16,390.
The Soul took the lead for good in the first quarter, when defensive lineman Bryan Save sacked Utah quarterback Joe Germaine in the end zone for a safety to break a 14-14 tie. The Soul took the ensuing possession 45 yards for a touchdown to grab a nine-point lead and never trailed the rest of the way.
With the win, the Soul ensured its share of the Arena Football League Eastern Division lead with the Dallas Desperados, who played the Cleveland Gladiators Saturday night. The loss dropped Utah to 0-6.
D'Orazio connected with Jackson on TDs of 19, 13, 9, 7 and 7 yards while finding the end zone himself on a six-yard run. D'Orazio finished the game 28-of-37 for 300 yards and a total of six touchdowns.
Jackson had a season-high total of 13 receptions for 138 yards with five TDs for the league's highest-scoring team. He also became the fifth player in league history to surpass the 900 reception plateau. He ended the game with 905 career catches.
Germaine, who rallied the Blaze to within one point in the third quarter, threw for five touchdowns and went 21 of 28 for 250 yards.
Graziani may return next weekend, when the Soul visits the San Jose Sabercats Saturday night at 10:30 p.m. ET. The Soul returns home on April 28 against the Dallas Desperados in what could be a matchup of undefeated teams.
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