Third quarter binge buries visiting Cincinnati

May 11, 2005 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
The Marshals News Release


Dayton, OH – There couldn't have been a more telling sign: the ball coach throwing his hands in the air.

The meaning wasn't clear. Was it surrender? Frustration? Confusion? No matter the reason behind the gesture, it was obvious things weren't going the way Coach Ed Biles had hoped – and it was a display repeated frequently throughout the evening as the Cincinnati Marshals (4-3) fell to the Dayton Warbirds (5-2), 63-30.

"We just came out flat," explained Biles, "and we were out of it. It was a weird week, with a Monday night game. Obviously, Dayton played a great game. There are no excuses. But I'm disappointed we came out so unprepared to play."

Even with the lackluster effort, the Marshals found themselves down just four points at halftime. They had been thoroughly outplayed – they had just 69 yards to the Warbirds' 147 – but had made just enough plays to keep the game within reach. Deans and Askew each had a touchdown, and Ron Carpenter stopped another Dayton drive with an interception inside the ten-yard line.

Twenty minutes of rest, however, offered no solutions, as Dayton continued its statistical dominance in the third quarter. This time, however, the Warbirds' success showed up on the scoreboard, as they outscored the Marshals 20-0, and pulled away for a surprisingly easy victory.

The quarterback position offered the clearest statistical advantage for the Warbirds – Dayton's Steve Bellisari (five touchdowns, 217 yards total offense) outplayed the Marshals' Brett Dietz (86 yards total offense, five interceptions, just two touchdowns) – and Dayton coach Matt King wasn't surprised. "He's our heart and soul," King explained. "He gets us going. He wants the ball in his hands. He wants to make plays and lead the team. And our guys respond to that. Plus, the guy was a safety in the NFL – he's tough. We run him so much because he can take it."

Dayton's dominance is clearly defined in the statistical breakdown, but to anyone who was in attendance Monday night, it was clear that the difference maker was new Warbird LB Joe Cooper, the former Ohio State captain. "We got some guys back from injury that really helped us out a lot. But adding Joe Cooper is a huge difference." Dayton's ability to neutralize Rayshawn Askew – they held the front runner for league MVP, according to some polls, to just 27 yards on 17 carries – revolved around Cooper's ability to consistently meet Askew at the line of scrimmage and frequently behind it. Cooper's success came despite this being his first game with the Warbirds. "Just imagine," relished King, "what will happen once he's actually practiced with us."

For the Marshals, the game exposed a weakness that will need to be solved for long-term success. With Askew and Tobias Deans, their leading receiver, continually blanketed, Dietz had trouble finding other options on offense. Ernie Samuels and Jeff Jourdan combined for four catches, but three of those came in the final drives of the fourth quarter, when the game was long out of reach. Of the 29 passes Dietz attempted, 23 of them were intended for either Askew or Deans.

The lone point of solace for the Marshals is the opportunity for redemption. After a bye this weekend, they travel up I-75 again on May 21st for a return engagement with the Warbirds. Despite Monday's success, King remains cautious. "Cincinnati's a great team. We were fortunate to catch them on a bad night, and we did just about everything right. The game in a couple weeks is a total toss-up. I wouldn't look too far into tonight."

That's an easy thing to say when you've just won by 33. Around the corner, in the Marshal locker room, they couldn't have been dwelling on it any more.



National Indoor Football League Stories from May 11, 2005


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