Time for Playoffs
August 26, 2004 - Intense Football League (Intense)
Lubbock GunSlingers News Release
16 games, 930 points, and 6 quarterbacks later the Odessa Roughnecks and Lubbock Lone Stars meet in the IFL's first series of playoffs. The Roughnecks and Lone Stars both finished the season with a 9-7 record. Lubbock's season ended with a second place standing, while Odessa's same record placed them in fourth place. Due to scheduling conflicts at the Lubbock Coliseum, the Lone Stars are unable to capitalize on their home field advantage and will play their first playoff game in Odessa. Loosing home field advantage may prove to be a problem for the Lone Stars who only won 25% of their road games this season, and only dropped one game at home to the league leader Dusters. On the flip side, Odessa has one of the league's worst records at home, and has only been able to win 50% of the time at the Rough House. However, Coach Buck believes that this late in the season, the road can not and should not be a factor.
Game 1 Lubbock (40) vs Odessa (47) June 19, 2004
When the Lone Stars made the trip to Odessa early in the season the contest was going to come down to the last two minutes of the game. The Lone Stars did not begin the game looking like the same team who, the week before had knocked off Amarillo in a 74-62 shoot-out. Miller, who collected 264 yards against Amarillo, combined with Jenkins for only a 39% completion rate against the Roughnecks.
The Lone Stars went scoreless in the first quarter. Miller fumbled twice and only lasted the first half before back-up Robbie Jenkins took over, not to fair much better. However, Jenkins was able to rush for a touchdown and pass for 2 more.
Odessa quarterbacks, Roger Lynn and Jason Johnson threw three interceptions, which resulted in a total gain of 49 yards for the Lone Stars but Lubbock never found a way to capitalize on the Roughneck mistakes.
Special teams helped put points on the board with a 50 yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Anthony Dalton, and the defense held Odessa in the red zone 50% of the time.
With 6:44 remaining in the fourth quarter the Lone Stars were able to score and the defense able to hold Odessa at 47, but with a less then impressive performance from the offense, Lubbock was unable to put additional points on the board.
Even with the defense and special teams trying to pick up the slack for a struggling offense, the team collected 15 penalties resulting in a lost of 152 yards, almost as many yards as Miller and Jenkins passed for.
Game 2 Odessa (53) vs Lubbock (59) July 9, 2004
When the Lone Stars met Odessa for the second time, they were happy to be home, and would be at the coliseum for the next 5 weeks. Home field definitely made a difference in the way the Lone Stars played the game. With a new starting quarterback and a new kicker the Lone Stars were not leaving anything to chance.
Lubbock added almost 100 yards to their passing game that they lacked in the first meeting against Odessa. The Lone Stars also cut their penalties down tremendously, collecting only 6 for 22 yards.
Tommy Miller, who was sidelined due to a separated shoulder against Amarillo, left Robbie Jenkins to fight this game out by himself. The battle did not seem too difficult. Jenkins passed for 268 yards and connected on 22 of his 30 passes, mistake free. The Lone Stars managed to gain almost twice as many yards as Odessa per play and converted on 6/7 red zone chances.
The Lone Star defense had a good night, sacking Odessa quarterbacks 5 times for a total lost of 31 yards. Demarius Jackson played all sides of the ball, and ended the night as the second leading receiver, collecting 32 yards. On the defensive side Jackson had an interception for 22 yards.
Despite all the yards Jenkins put up and the play of the defense, the game remained close and was decided in the final two minutes.
Game 3 Odessa (34) vs Lubbock (60) July 17, 2004
Another site common to the Lone Stars a new man under center. After the July 9th win against Odessa Robbie Jenkins left the Lone Stars to fulfill a prior commitment. Lubbock brought in Joe Davis, a player that started camp with the Lone Stars but left due to an injury. Brian Villanueva was also added to the roster.
Each time the two teams meet, they increase their yards on the ground and the yards the Lone Stars collected in this match-up against Odessa would prove to be very useful in light of the dismal play from the new quarterbacks. Lubbock was able to collect 20 yards on the ground.
Davis and Villanueva completed only half of their passes, Davis was intercepted, and both quarterbacks picked up a total of 3 sacks.
However, with a less then stellar play from the quarterbacks, the defense was able to capitalize on the mistakes of Odessa. The roughnecks fumbled 7 times and Lubbock was able to recover 6 of them. Gary Briggs and Demarius Jackson were able to pickoff Odessa's offense, collecting two interceptions for 13 yards.
Lubbock was 7/10 in the red zone and held Odessa to only 3/7 in the red zone.
While the Lone Stars did not have the game they would have liked on the offensive side of the ball, the defense stood up and produced, putting Lubbock over 500, the first time in the season.
Intense Football League Stories from August 26, 2004
- Time for Playoffs - Lubbock GunSlingers
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