Statistically, Warbirds fared well
Published on July 4, 2005 under National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
Dayton Bulldogs News Release
DAYTON, Ohio - When looking over the final regular-season statistics of the Dayton Warbirds, the first thing you ask is: How can a team like this lead the National Indoor Football League in rushing offense when you have a quarterback like Steve Bellisari?
One explanation: Steve did more than throw the ball at Ohio State. In 34 games, in three seasons (1999-2001) Bellisari carried the ball - or had it in his possession - 306 times which were considered runs. He had 618 positive yards and six touchdowns.
Remember in the NCAA, the collegians don't separate minus sack yardage from actual rushing yardage for a quarterback. So, it is hard to distinguish what really are true rushing yards. For example, Steve had a 68-yard run in 1999 that was a little more than 25% of his total running yards.
LED LEAGUE IN RUSHING OFFENSE
Bottom line...the Warbirds led the NIFL in rushing offense, collecting 111.5 yards a game. Besides Bellisari, there was Keith Brooks, Pepe Pearson, Kerrick Cooper, Maurice Lee and Mike McConnell getting into the running act.
As a team, they totaled 1,450 yards - 132 more than the 2nd-place Corpus Christi Hammerheads (109.8) - and 51 touchdowns, one less than the Hammerheads. With 399 attempts the average was 3.6 yards a carry.
Bellisari, who was 7th in the league and the only quarterback in the top 10 with 516 rushing yards, led Dayton also with 17 TDs on the ground. Brooks finished second on the team with 401 yards on 89 totes (team-high 4.5 yards a carry) and 14 touchdowns. Pearson, who left after nine games to join the Daytona Beach Hawgs as their head coach, had 320 yards on 83 attempts and 10 scores.
"You can't say enough about Steve," said head coach Matt King, as the Warbirds prepared this week for the NIFL playoff game Saturday at Fayetteville, N.C. "His leadership has been paramount in us getting the kind of statistical production needed for this season."
TOP 10 IN MANY CATEGORIES
Other categories Dayton finished high in the league included 4th in scoring offense (53.7 points a game), 3rd in total offense (3,427 yards - 263.6 yards a game), and 3rd in turnover margin (+10 margin - 0.77 turnovers per game),
Defensively, the categories included 7th in rushing defense (giving up 53.2 yards a game), 6th in pass defense rating (giving up a 97.6 pass rating), 7th in sacks (total of 20 for 103 yards in losses), and 3rd in opponent penalties (80 at an average of 41.7).
In special teams and other areas of the game, Dayton was 7th in kickoff returns as a team (91 at 18.4 per return), first downs 7th with a total of 203, 10th in red zone offense (converting 85 of 118 for 72%) and 11th I kick scoring with 68 points.
Individually, Bellisari, Maurice Lee, Justin McClain, Brandon Tisdale, Ryan Terry, Arden Banks, Sam Crenshaw and Tyress Lawless were all listed in the top echelon of the league's statistical categories.
BELLISARI HAD OUTSTANDING YEAR
Bellisari was 3rd in total offense (2,314 yards), 7th in rushing (46.9 yards a game), and 8th in passing yards (163.5 per game).
Lee was 5th in both receptions (71) and receiving yards (69.4 per game) and 1st in all-purpose yards a game (178.0).
Kicker Justin McClain 6th point after kicking (44 of 63 for 70%), 9th in kick scoring (59 pints) and 10th in field goals (5 of 21).
Defensive linemen Ryan Terry and Brandon Tisdale had exceptional seasons. Terry six quarterback sacks against New Jersey (April 17) established a new NIFL record for sacks in a game and his 7 tackles for loss (including the six sacks) tied the NIFL record set by Richard Griffin (Houma Bayou Bucks) versus the Oklahoma Crude in June of 2004.
Terry finished 8th in the league in sacks and was 10th in tackles for loss with 11.5. Tisdale tied for 5th, with eight others, for fumbles recovered with three, was 7th in tackles for loss with 12.5 and 10th in sacks with 6.
BANKS, OTHERS TOP LISTS
Defensive back Banks led the league in passes defended with 23, including 14 pass breakups and nine interceptions. Banks also was 47th in total tackles with 45.5.
Crenshaw, a defensive back, was 24th in tackles with 55.5 and lineman Tyress Lawless tied at 14th with 10 others for sacks with 5. BJ Paulus also was 57th in tackles with 41.5
Statistics make a wonderful part of American sport and football takes the lead, despite baseball's beginnings with the numbers game. If you like indoor football, you like the action and the stats.
National Indoor Football League Stories from July 4, 2005
- Statistically, Warbirds fared well - Dayton Bulldogs
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