This Week on Russell Athletic ESPN Arena Football Monday
Published on May 21, 2008 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release
Georgia Force (6-5) take on New Orleans VooDoo (7-4) in a Southern Division Showdown
As balanced as the American Conference is at the moment, the National Conference is just as log-jammed with only two games separating the third seed from the eighth seed. After Week 12, the defending Southern Division champion Georgia Force sits in a tie for the sixth and final playoff spot, but just one game behind the New Orleans VooDoo and a game and a half from the division lead. The Force look to take step closer to repeating as division champs as they travel to New Orleans this week to take on the VooDoo on the Russell Athletic ESPN Arena Football Monday, May 26 at 5 p.m. PST (ESPN2 HD, ESPN360.com).
The Force are one of the hottest teams in the entire league, winning three straight games. They have reeled off wins at 6-5 New York, home against the top-ranked, 10-2 Philadelphia Soul, and a 27-point drubbing against the VooDoo in Georgia. New Orleans is moving in the opposite direction with two straight losses, both to division foes, but hope to rebound after last weeks bye-week. The Rattlers played both teams in back-to-back home games in 2008, winning a nail-biter against Georgia then dropping a hard-fought game to the VooDoo.
The two teams have played seven times since the VooDoo's first season in 2004. New Orleans won the first two bouts in '04, but Georgia has dominated the series since, winning the last five match-ups including their 66-39 victory in Week 10.
Georgia is led by QB CHRIS GREISEN who set the AFL record with 117 touchdown passes last season. This year, Greisen is second in the league with 68 touchdowns and second with 3,471 passing yards. He went 23-for-31 with 290 yards and six touchdowns in the first meeting against the VooDoo. Last week, Greisen had one of the best games for a quarterback in Georgia history, going 32-for-39 for 403 yards, nine touchdowns, and did not throw an interception.
DL ERNEST ALLEN is ninth in the league with five sacks. WR CARL MORRIS leads the team with 82 catches for 939 yards and WR TIGER JONES leads the team with 23 touchdown catches.
For 7-4 New Orleans, the 2008 season has been a revelation after finishing 2007 with a 5-11 record. They started out 7-2 and surpassed their 2007 win total with their victory over the Rattlers in Week 8.
QB DANNY WIMPRINE has quickly become one of the up-and-coming superstars in the AFL, passing for 2,720 yards with 56 touchdowns and a 117.0 passer rating.
Despite Wimprine's success, the VooDoo have relied on one of the best defenses in the league all season long. They lead the league with 23 interceptions and are second with 31 total take-aways. DB CALVIN SPEARS is second in the AFL with eight interceptions LB NORMAN LEJEUNE is fourth with six picks and has returned three of them for touchdowns, second best in the league.
With the playoffs approaching, stayed tuned to all Russell Athletic ESPN Arena Football Monday Night Football games to watch the best match-ups the rest of the way.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 21, 2008
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- Three Teams Can Clinch Playoff Berths in Week 13 - AFL I
- This Week on Russell Athletic ESPN Arena Football Monday - AFL I
- Soul can clinch playoff berth Thursday - Philadelphia Soul
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