Utah Returns to SLC Looking to For Second-Straight Home Victory
May 15, 2013 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Utah Blaze News Release
SALT LAKE CITY - The Utah Blaze return to Salt Lake City in Week 9 for an out-of-division matchup with the Iowa Barnstormers on Saturday, May 18. The game will feature a host of entertaining fan events, including a Breast Cancer Awareness Night theme, presented by Sports Med Utah and Salt Lake Regional Medical Center. In addition, All-Pro NFL safety Eric Weddle will hold an autograph session on the concourse beginning at 6:30 p.m. Kickoff from Tim Dahle Nissan Field at EnergySolutions Arena is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. MT.
The Utah Blaze (3-4) versus Iowa Barnstormers (4-4) can be seen live and locally in high-definition on KJZZ, featuring Steve Brown and Aaron Boone in the booth with Alema Harrington reporting from the sidelines. The matchup can also be heard on The Zone 97.5 FM with Scott Garrard and Riley Jensen calling all of the action.
Despite an outstanding fourth quarter effort, Utah traveled to Phoenix in Week 8 and suffered a tough loss to the rival Arizona Rattlers in a 65-49 decision. Iowa evened its record last Saturday after defeating the New Orleans VooDoo in a lopsided 62-16 affair, marking the franchise's second-straight win.
Throughout the 2013 season, Iowa's success has been predicated on playing efficient football. In fact, the Barnstormers have won the turnover battle in all four of their wins and currently rank second in the Arena Football League with a positive turnover margin of 12. Barnstormers quarterback J.J. Raterink has thrown 40 touchdowns with just four interceptions on the season.
In two victories over Iowa in 2012, Utah's defense was able to apply significant pressure to the quarterback, posting 13 sacks while forcing three interceptions. The Blaze defensive line will once again need to disrupt the offense and give its opportunistic secondary a chance to cause turnovers. Utah's defense held Arizona out of the end zone on five possessions last week and has posted 17 takeaways over the past three games.
Utah's offense got off to a hot start last week against the Rattlers, jumping out to a 14-0 lead early in the contest before turnovers hampered production down the stretch. The Blaze own the Arena Football League's top-ranked offense, averaging over 320 total yards per game. If the offense can gain more consistency, the team will have the opportunity to light up the scoreboard at its usual pace.
Reigning MVP quarterback Tommy Grady ranks second in the AFL in total offensive yards (2,016) and third in passing touchdowns (42). Rookie wide receiver Mario Urrutia continues to build on a record-setting campaign, adding 173 yards and three touchdowns to his resume last week. All-Arena wideout Aaron Lesu̮̩ has maintained his status as a go-to receiving threat and currently ranks second on the team with 44 receptions for 560 yards and 12 scores.
Iowa's defense features a familiar face in defensive end Mike Lewis, who earned All-Arena accolades as a member of the Blaze in 2012 and currently leads the team with four sacks on the season. However, the Barnstormers defense has made a living off of interceptions and places second in the AFL with 15 on the season. Defensive back Ter'Ran Benton paces the group with five picks on the year.
Iowa has been especially effective in the red zone, where the defense has allowed scores on 75 percent of possessions to place second in the AFL. That success has reflected on the scoreboard, as the Barnstormers employ the League's second-ranked scoring defense, allowing 43.9 points per game. However, the Blaze offense has been difficult to stop when it smells the end zone, scoring on over 85 percent of red zone possessions.
The Blaze will seek to earn their second-straight win in front of its home crowd this week as the franchise reaches the midway point in the 2013 campaign. While the playoff picture in the National Conference is far from being decided, logging another home victory will go a long in getting Utah off on the right foot as the team begins to make its postseason push over the second half of the season.
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