UFL 2011 Season Kickoff Countdown - 1 Days
Published on September 14, 2011 under United Football League (UFL 1) News Release
JACKSONVILLE, FL - Wednesday, September 14, 2011 - Opening Days are only predictable in their unpredictability.
That is personified by the first game of the 2011 United Football League season between the Virginia Destroyers and the Omaha Nighthawks, set for 8pm Eastern (7pm Central) Thursday at brand-new TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha.
Who knows what we will see out of the Destroyers, playing their first-ever game, despite the background of Head Coach MARTY SCHOTTENHEIMER, the sixth-winningest coach in National Football League history, and a nucleus of 20 former Florida Tuskers' And who knows what we will see out of the spread offense of the Omaha Nighthawks, the first-such full-time offense in American outdoor professional football history'
What we do know is it should be one heck of a game played in one of the best new sporting venues in the country.
OMAHA OFFENSE VS. VIRGINIA DEFENSE
What a chess match this could turn out to be between Nighthawks Offensive Coordinator BART ANDRUS and Schottenheimer. Never in American outdoor professional football has there been an offense like the one the Nighthawks will employ - using both the mobility and the passing prowess of both 2001 Heisman Trophy winner ERIC CROUCH and rookie JEREMIAH MASOLI at quarterback.
Crouch and Masoli have four talented running backs to hand the ball to, led by ex-West Virginia rookie NOEL DEVINE and 2010 late bloomer MAURICE CLARETT. They also have potentially thrilling wide receivers in former National Football Leaguers CHAD JACKSON and CHRIS DAVIS.
Virginia's defense has a potentially stout front seven, which will have its hands full with Omaha's spread looks. Defensive end JOE CLERMOND was the UFL sack leader in 2010 (6ý), and, along with ex-NFLer JAY ALFORD, will have the responsibility of keeping containment on whomever the Nighthawks employ at quarterback.
Cornerbacks also are key players against a spread - having not only to cover receivers, but also having to come up in run support against quarterbacks and running backs. This puts UFL veteran DARIUS VINNETT and former Green Bay Packers first-round pick AHMAD CARROLL on the hot seat Thursday night.
VIRGINIA OFFENSE VS. OMAHA DEFENSE
Virginia's CHRIS GREISEN gets his first UFL opening-day start at quarterback, and is looking to pick up where he left off in 2010 (he went 3-0 as a starter to finish the regular season in Florida). Greisen can hand off to UFL record-setter DOMINIC RHODES or fellow NFL veteran ADRIAN PETERSON, or throw to a talented set of receivers led by wideouts CORTEZ HANKTON, AUNDRAE ALLISON and CALVIN RUSSELL and tight end RONNIE GHENT.
Omaha's defense returns its sack leader in defensive end JAY MOORE and tackles leader middle linebacker PATRICK THOMAS from a year ago, and of the 11 players at the top of the initial Omaha depth chart, nine are back from 2010.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Never in the brief history of the UFL has a game been decided by returns in the kicking game. It could happen right off the bat in Game 1 this year, thanks to former Pro Bowler CLIFTON SMITH for Virginia and exciting rookie PHILLIP LIVAS for Omaha.
The kickers and punters are worth an extra look in this game, since the only one of the four in this game with any professional experience is Omaha kicker JEFF WOLFERT, the UFL's most accurate field goal kicker in 2010 (9-for-10).
United Football League Stories from September 14, 2011
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- UFL 2011 Season Kickoff Countdown - 1 Days - UFL 1
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