CFL: The Tucson Toros

[Fonzie]

This is my very first attempt at a dynasty, so bear with me as I try to find “my voice.” I hope to make this an interesting glimpse into both my team, the Tucson Toros, and the extraordinarily awesome league in which they reside, the Continental Football League (CFL). I’ve been thrilled with the league, which is populated by very active, highly personable (well, except for MrBug, and maybe that TurfToe guy, too, come to think of it…and probably Joe/George W Bush…well, geez, I suppose I should mention the extremely boring JeeberD…but I digress) and intelligent (well, except for MrBug) owners, held together by the lovely and talented commissioner-for-life Taco, who does a wonderful job with all things administrative and keeps the trains running on time.

And that, my friends, was a run-on sentence.

So without further ado, I present to you the first installment of this dynasty. Please feel free to chime in as you see fit (except for MrBug - keep your trap shut, okay?).

[Fonzie]

The Tucson Toros are one of the original teams of the CFL, owned by yours truly. Well, technically the team was originally owned by someone else, but they bailed at the last minute and I took over before the dispersal draft. In my book that makes me an original owner. So there.

The Toros have been a fairly successful franchise in spite of my management. We sport the league’s 3rd-highest winning percentage (.630) based on a 60-35-1 cumulative record. Our progress through the years:

Year Record PF PA Conf Div Finish
2003 8-8 273 284 7-5 2-4 3rd
2004 8-8 276 264 7-5 3-3 3rd
2005* 12-3-1 295 224 8-4-1 4-1-1 2nd
2006* 12-4 351 297 9-3 5-1 2nd
2007* 10-6 322 289 7-5 3-3 2nd
2008* 10-6 409 256 8-4 4-2 2nd

*made playoffs

Despite some excellent seasons we’ve been stymied in our efforts to capture a division title, due to a dominant division rival whom we will get to shortly. A couple of things worth noting about our performance to date:

1) of the top four teams in CFL history, we are the only one to never win a championship;
2) our playoff record has been a disappointing 2-4;
3) that playoff mark has been due, in part, to us being a wild card each and every time we’ve made the playoffs;
4) in two seasons (2005 and 2006) we had the 2nd best record in our conference, only to be denied our rightful title by division rival Honolulu.

Division Overview: Much of our playoff misery can be attributed entirely to MrBug’s Honolulu Blue Pacific, who have the league’s best overall record at 67-29, have won four straight division titles, and have won two championships (in 2006 and 2007). They are anchored by legendary 12-year veteran/Most-Hated-Person QB Ronnie Tu, who along with a solid defense seems to carry the entire team year in and year out. They are, of course, our biggest division rival at present. However, their talent level has plateaued and probably declined a bit from their championship years. They’re more vulnerable this year than ever.

The up-and-coming Las Vegas Rounders, owned by TurfToe, are quickly establishing themselves as a long-term nemesis. Historically they are 49-47 with two short-lived playoff appearances. Led by 12th-year man QB Lenny “Jackpot” Olsen, Las Vegas has made improvements in just about every aspect of the game during TurfToe’s ownership of the team. They have an impressive defensive front, and are improving at the offensive skill positions. It is only a matter of time before they break out with a monster season. The question is: will that happen before Olsen retires?

Our other division foe, the Arizona Outlaws (owned by Condors) are the worst team in league history. At 23-72-1 they sit a good 5.5 games behind the next worst team. What is astonishing is that they have been bad forever – they’ve finished in last every season except 2005, when they managed to finish a half-game ahead of Las Vegas. Despite all of their high draft picks, Arizona has remained an inept squad. Every year I think they’ll put it together and become a decent team, but every year they disappoint. They have some talent on that team – why they haven’t been able to do better remains something of a mystery.

The appetizer is now complete. Let us move on to the main course: Your Tucson Toros!

[GoldenEagle]

:(

[Fonzie]

:(Oh, I forgot. GE is also quite boring. ;)

[Fonzie]

Player # Pos Start Exp Current Future Contract
Hogan, Milan 4 QB 11 65 69 2yrs
Worley, Terry 6 QB 1 13 23 2yrs
Cassidy, Daryl 8 QB QB 3 33 53 2yrs
Weinke, Artie 9 QB 3 23 52 3yrs


Milan Hogan, our 11th year vet, returns and remains the starter (ignore the "Start" column - I've got my meat shields in place for the preseason). He had his best year last year, posting a QB Rating of 97.9. However, he also missed the first 3 games of his career to injury last year. Hopefully he'll stay healthy, which is a prerequisite for our postseason hopes.

Daryl Cassidy was a pickup last year from the Tampa Bay Torpedoes (wademore, proprietor) for a 3rd rounder. We wanted to groom him for a backup spot and possible long-term replacement for Hogan, but he hasn't improved as much as we'd hoped. He did guide the team to a 2-1 record in Hogan's absence, but he certainly wasn't helpful in getting those two wins.

Artie Weinke was an undrafted FA pickup 3 years ago and has proven to be a slow boom-type. Every time I turn around he's picking up a few points in both current and future ratings. He may have a future with us, perhaps more of one than Cassidy.

Worley is a meat shield.

Player # Pos Start Exp Current Future Contract
Bradley, Daryl 22 RB 6 55 55 3
Robbins, Grant 30 RB RB 2 29 43 3
Holliday, Drew 42 RB 4 62 65 2
Howe, Frankie 44 RB 1 26 28 2

Brown, Antonio 23 FB FB 4 25 34 2
Jeffries,Corwin 26 FB 4 50 50 2


Drew Holliday is The Man - he set a rookie record with 1522 rushing yards in 2006 and has stayed on that pace, picking up 1338 and 1564 yards in the last two years, respectively. He's also a TD machine, with 37 career rushing TDs. I traded up to the #4 spot to get him in '06, and boy howdy has that paid off.

Darryl Bradley is The Man's Backup. He's a versatile weapon, picking up lots of yardage in relief of Holliday and also serving as our primary backfield receiver and punt returner. Very valuable guy - provides us with some nice depth.

Corwin Jeffries has proven to be a surprisingly good player - he keeps improving with playing time, and has been a great receiver for us out of the backfield (although I typically don't like throwing a lot to the running backs).

Antonio Brown is our backfield leader and not much else.

Player # Pos Start Exp Current Future Contract
Torres, Anthony 82 TE 3 66 66 3
Hakeem,Lawrence 83 TE 2 25 44 1
Joyner, Marlon 84 TE TE 3 37 51 3
Sheehy, Ramon 87 TE 11 56 57 1

Housley,Freddie 11 FL FL 4 39 42 2
Garcia, Brent 85 FL 2 32 50 3
Armitage, Sydney 89 FL 9 63 64 3
Higginbotham, Demetrius 80 SE 7 46 46 4
Batchelor, Juan 81 SE 7 32 38 2
Ramirez, Mack 88 SE SE 5 38 42 3


Ramon Sheehy is our longtime starter (and mentor) at TE, but last season he began splitting time with up-and-coming Anthony Torres. This season, the student will become the master as Torres ascends to the starting position. With two other good, young TE prospects on the roster we'll keep Sheehy around.

Our biggest acquisition this offseason was the addition of FL Sydney Armitage from Boston. We've been desperate for a good wideout (the CFL appears to have a severe WR shortage), and we hope Sydney can instantly improve our passing game.

Demetrius Higginbotham is our starting SE, Receivers Leader, WR mentor, and Player With The Most Awesome Name. He's been the most stable element of our receiving corps for the last 5 years. And everybody seems to have an affinity with him.

Juan Batchelor returns for a second stint with the Toros to return kicks. Garcia is a former #1 who is still learning the ropes, and Housley and Ramirez are offseason additions designed to improve the bottom end of our depth chart.

Next up: the OL and Special Teamers.

[wade moore]

Go CFL!

I hope to start my dynasty backup based on some changes in my work, we shall see...

[TLK]

The more CFL.... the better. I will be following along, especially to do some scouting for Week 2.

[timmynausea]

I'll be reading this one. Feel free to mention Boise and our greatness.

[flere-imsaho]

Woohoo!!!

[Fonzie]

Thanks for the encouraging words, gents!

And I should amend my introductory paragraph to include wade moore, TheLionKing, timmynausea, and flere-imsaho as extraordinarily dull owners. Everybody else is cool, though. ;)

[wade moore]

:)

[Fonzie]

A request: Can any of the dynasty veterans give me some tips on using the "code" tags? I'm having a helluva time getting my tables of player ratings lined up appropriately - it appears WYSIWYG isn't quite what I've been getting.

[Fonzie]

Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Buckley, Luther 59 C C 2 34 50 2 yrs
Odum, Steven 78 C 12 65 65 1 yr
Poplawski, Ross 60 LG 2 51 61 4 yrs
Eaddy, Richard 61 RG LG 9 47 47 2 yrs
Wickham, Cory 62 RG 1 11 24 1 yr.
Connell, Kelvin 64 RG RG 3 41 60 3 yrs
Page, Myron 68 LT 1 16 39 3 yrs
Puente, Rob 69 LT LT 1 16 42 2 yrs
Franck, Chris 71 LT 13 47 49 2 yrs
Pitman, Matthew 63 RT 5 71 71 3 yrs
Mapes, Bobby 66 RT RT 2 18 28 2 yrs


Steven Odum has shifted over to center after serving primarily as our left guard for the last six seasons. I made this switch because of his magnificent play last season in relief of injured starter David Pless (now a hated member of the Honolulu Blue Pacific), and because he didn't appear likely to lose any of his abilities in the transition. He's also our position leader, but not everyone likes him. Most noteworthy is the fact that his backup hates his guts, and may end up getting a pink slip for it.

Our starting guards are youngsters - Ross Poplawski was last season's 1st round pick, and Kelvin Connell was a 2nd round pick two years ago. They are both poised to start, and it is because of them that I felt comfortable letting our old RG hit the FA market and moved Odum to center. We brought in Richard Eaddy to be a backup and provide mentorship to the youngsters.

Our tackles are veterans - Chris Frank has been with us from the beginning. He started off as our RT, but the last two years filled in for our injured LT enough to make the transition to full-time LT relatively painlessly. He's solid, but aging. RT Matthew Pitman was a 5th round pick who knocked our socks off immediately after his selection in the 2005 draft and has started ever since.

The only backup really worth mentioning is LT Rob Puente, a 1st-year undrafted FA who impressed us in camp. He's a long-term project, but holds some promise for improvement.

Overall, the O-line is just okay. I'd like to get some better depth - we'll see who shakes loose in the camp cutdowns.

Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Gilmore, Mark 7 P 1 42 66 3 yrs
Winters, Edward 15 P 2 66 66 2 yrs
Castorena, Rubin 13 K 8 67 67 3 yrs


Rubin Castorena is the CFL's career leader in field goals with 183 (76.8% accuracy) and has never missed any of his 182 point after attempts. He has a very powerful leg, but his accuracy is just above-average and his kickoffs are decidedly mediocre. He'll nail the occasional 57-yarder (career-long is 58), but the coach puts him out there for 50+ yard attempts all too often. Still, it is hard to complain too much about him.

Our punter situation is up in the air. Edward Winters was a 5th-round pick last year, and as such was our punter by default. He only averaged 38.8 yards per punt, but did nail 25 of 79 punts inside the 20. We were disappointed in his initial performance, and so we went after a replacement for him in this year's draft with our 6th round pick Mark Gilmore. Interestingly, both players boomed during training camp, leaving me with quite a dilemma. Winters is more developed at present, but I can't simply give up on Gilmore, whose talent (and future promise) is comparable to punters drafted in the 3rd or 4th rounds. I'll let them duke it out in camp, and perhaps try to trade the loser. If no partner comes forward, we may well hold onto both.

Next up: the defensive line.

[Fonzie]

Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Smith, Carl 73 LDE LDE 8 46 48 2 yrs
Grier, Howie 75 LDE 6 59 59 3 yrs
Bernard, Ted 72 RDE RDE 5 41 41 2 yrs
**Crane, Lance 94 RDE 3 52 62 2 yrs
Horn, Albert 97 RDE 5 40 48 3 yrs


Our best defensive end, Lance Crane, was a 1st-round pick in 2007. He immediately demonstrated his value as a situational pass rusher in his rookie year, racking up 8.5 sacks, 3 blocked passes, and 15 hurries. His second season saw him claiming the starting RDE spot and continuing his excellent performance, starting 15 games, registering 29 tackles, 14 assists, 7 sacks, 5 blocks, and 27 hurries. Unfortunately, it was that 15th game that proved problematic, as he tore his ACL and was to miss 63 weeks. I half-expected him to retire in the offseason, but of course he didn't. So we get to continue eating his cap space while holding out some slim hope of a full recovery. He's now down to "just" 36 weeks until he'll return.

I fully expect that poor Lance will be a shadow of his former self if and when he returns. As such, we needed to turn our attention to replacements in FA. We brought in Ted Bernard and Albert Horn to handle the run defense and pass rush elements of that position, respectively. Hopefully they'll mesh well during camp.

Howie Grier is another former 1st round pick, and he has started since his selection in 2004. His specialty is defending the run, but he plays full-time and does a decent job in rushing the passer. Carl Smith is his backup.

Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Cochrane, Bennie 74 LDT LDT 1 31 50 4 yrs
Stansell, Henry 96 LDT 6 47 50 3 yrs
Neubauer, Kenneth 70 RDT 7 55 60 5 yrs
Rudd, Mark 91 RDT RDT 6 34 45 3 yrs


We decided to jettison aging LDT Chester Reed in the offseason and turned the starting position over to Henry Stansell effective this camp. We also drafted Bennie Cochrane in the 2nd round to provide some depth - early returns on him are mixed, but he won't need to play right away.

Kenneth Neubauer is our other starter, and he parlayed his excellent 2008 season into a multiyear contract this offseason. His specialty is playing the run, but last year he also managed 5 sacks, 4 blocks, and 12 hurries. He'll need to keep up his solid play to earn his rich contract. Mark Rudd was brought in this offseason to provide better depth.

[Fonzie]

Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Wash, Grant 52 MLB 12 65 65 2 yrs
Jarrard, Josh 90 MLB MLB 7 40 50 2 yrs
Watford, Joseph 58 SLB 9 75 80 4 yrs
King, Jerry 93 SLB SLB 9 54 60 3 yrs
Hape, Tyrell 99 SLB 3 22 37 2 yrs
Crane, Bob 51 WLB WLB 5 31 45 2 yrs
Richardson, Cornell 98 WLB 1 25 43 4 yrs


Grant Wash has been our starter since day one of the Toros' history. He's excellent against the run and has done a decent job for us in pass coverage. He's slowing down a little with age, but we're hoping he can still get the job done for two more years. Josh Jarrard is a solid backup.

Joseph Watford is our best linebacker, and was 2nd-team all-league last year. He's great against the run, has 29.5 career sacks, seven career interceptions, and a career 19.4 PDPct. He's only missed one game in his career, and we'll need him again for all 16 to keep the defense fully functional. Jerry King is another good backup and is also our defensive front leader. We may end up playing him a bit at WLB, as that position is our team's biggest weakness. We let last year's starter, Pete McBryde, test free agency, where GE snapped him up to a hefty 3 year, $8 million contract. We now have a big gaping hole at WLB, but former 7th round pick Bob Crane has some decent potential and has been improving over the last few years. Most importantly he has decent potential at stopping the run. He may work out for us, but King will also be available to help out on the weak side.

Next up: the secondary.

[Fonzie]

Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Rosenberry, Jeremy 37 LCB 9 46 53 3 yrs
Biggs, Keven 40 LCB 9 67 74 3 yrs
Bennett, Kyle 45 LCB LCB 1 13 45 2 yrs
Minahan, Ray 25 RCB 5 60 60 2 yrs
McCloskey, Cornell 29 RCB RCB 3 24 34 1 yr.

Enoch, Mitchel 31 SS 9 77 83 3 yrs
Boyd, Joe 35 SS SS 2 22 45 2 yrs
Hartung, Kenneth 32 FS 9 54 54 2 yrs
Mirer, Mike 33 FS FS 1 28 68 4 yrs
Bloch, Johnathan 46 FS 9 33 40 2 yrs

This secondary has the chance to be really, really good. Last year we lost both starting corners, Jeremy Rosenberry and Keven Biggs, to season-ending injuries. They've both recovered fully, and I expect big things from them. Keven, by the way, holds the CFL record for most passes defensed in a season with 32 back in 2005. In their absence, former 1st-rounder Ray Minahan stepped up in a big way and improved beyond what we'd hoped from him back when he was drafted. That gives us three solid corners - and I like that, especially given that we'll be facing the likes of Ronnie Tu and Lenny "Jackpot" Olsen twice each. Cornell McCloskey is a former 7th round pick whose ratings aren't much to look at, but whose performance last year was quite good (PDPct of 20, 2 Ints, 6 PDs in just 258 passing plays). Kyle Bennet is a 1st-year undrafted FA with solid potential - long term project, there.

Mitchel Enoch and Kenneth Hartung are the clear starters at safety. Enoch inparticular has put together some very fine season for us, but last year he was injured and it clearly affected his play. I'm hoping for a rebound from him. Hartung is replacing departed safety Alvin McCloskey, whose injury-prone ways were traded to Cleveland in the offseason. However, Hartung is no stranger to starting - he's started 53 games in his career (largely in place of McCloskey) and has the skills we're looking for in a safety (good run defense, good coverage skills). Mike Mirer was drafted in the 1st round this year as a long-term replacement for McCloskey, but his initial impression after the draft left us a bit worried. He still looks like he'll do okay, but might not be the stud we were hoping for. Boyd is a former 3rd round pick who has been a bit of a disappointment, and Bloch was brought in this offseason for his coverage and special teams skills.

Whew. That's it for the roster overview. Next up: Exhibition season begins!

[Fonzie]

Oops - before we move on to actual games, allow me to introduce the Toros' staff:

Head Coach
Ken Wickes
Age: 46
Contract Terms: 3 more years, $4.2million per
Years experience: 4
Record: 47-23-1
Playoff appearances: 4
Bowl wins: 0
Motivation: Very Good
Discipline: Very Good
Offensive Playcalling: Good
Defensive Playcalling: Good
Injury Avoidance: Good

Ken has done a decent job for us, but as those who have tolerated my rantings over at the CFL forum know he tends to drive me up the wall with his offensive playcalling. Specifically, he has a nasty habit of doing exactly the opposite of what I put in the gameplan. This is one element of the game that I'll be tracking closely in this dynasty.

Offensive Coordinator
Isaac Wilde
Age: 36
Contract Terms: 5 more years, $4.2million per
Years experience: 0
Record: 0-0
Playoff appearances: 0
Bowl wins: 0
QB: Good
RB: Very Good
WR: Good
O-line Good
Kickers: Fair
Young talent: Good

Isaac was the best coordinator we could afford this offseason. He's young and we're hopeful that he'll develop nicely.

Defensive Coordinator
Levon Washington
Age: 42
Contract Terms: 3 more years, $2.9million per
Years experience: 6
Record: 55-47-1
Playoff appearances: 4
Bowl wins: 0
Kickers: Good
D-line: Very Good
Linebackers: Average
Secondary: Very Good
Young Talent: Very Good

Levon is a solid coordinator at a decent price. No complaints here.

Head Scout
Kennedy Jennings
Age: 37
Contract Terms: 3 more years, $430k per
Record: 42-41-1
Playoff appearances: 3
Bowl wins: 0
QB: Good
RB: Average
WR: Poor
O-line: Good
Kickers: Good
D-line: Very good
LB: Good
Secondary: Good
Young talent: Average

I hate to skimp on scouting, but my "owners" left me no choice. Our old scout, who was much better, priced himself out of our very limited price range this last offseason. Jennings wound up being the best we could get. I'd like to replace him next year, as our stadium renovations will be completed then and we should have a lot more money to play with (we've been suffering big losses since our inception - we got saddled with one of the oldest, crappiest stadiums in the league at the outset, and that has really hurt us financially).

Okay, now on to the games!

[Fonzie]

Our first exhibition season opponent is the New York Knights, ably headed by Noisaddict. They finished 11-5 last year and made the playoffs as a wild card. Their QB is the very good Kim Pace (3589 yards, 26-7 TD-INT ratio, 95.6 Rating in 2008) and his partner in crime is WR Douglas Cowley (72-1104-8). They lack a true starting-quality RB but their O-line has some decent talent. On defense they look solid, if unspectacular. Their best defender is CB Mark Tatum, who managed 8 picks last year.

I'm deactivating nearly all of my starters, and those whom I cannot deactivate have been buried on the depth charts behind my "meat shields." It's all about staying healthy in the preseason.

Here we go!

Box Score: New York at Tucson
Tucson, AZ.

Exhibition Week 2, 2009

Attendance: 67,000 (69,800).


Weather: 100 degrees, fair.

1Q: 04:19 TUC - Frankie Howe 1 run.
1Q: 04:19 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
2Q: 14:49 NYK - Chris Garcia 5 pass from Kim Pace.
2Q: 14:49 NYK - Tobias Paschal extra point.
2Q: 07:17 NYK - Quintin Garth 5 pass from Kim Pace.
2Q: 07:17 NYK - Tobias Paschal extra point.
2Q: 00:43 TUC - Grant Robbins 1 run.
2Q: 00:43 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
3Q: 08:39 TUC - Rubin Castorena 29 field goal.
4Q: 13:47 TUC - Marlon Joyner 10 pass from Artie Weinke.
4Q: 13:47 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
4Q: 04:28 TUC - Frankie Howe 11 run.
4Q: 04:28 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
4Q: 01:52 NYK - Bill Reyes 3 run.
4Q: 01:52 NYK - Tobias Paschal extra point.
4Q: 01:05 TUC - Rubin Castorena 50 field goal.

Game MVP: TUC 64 Kelvin Connell

New York 0 14 0 7 - 21
Tucson 7 7 3 17 - 34

Team Statistics NYK TUC

First Downs 20 24

Total Rushes 20 38
Rushing Yards 67 182
Yards Per Carry 3.3 4.7
Pass Attempts 37 25
Completions 25 21
Passing Yards 312 234
Yards Per Attempt 8.4 9.3
Sacked 2 0
Yards Lost 14 0
Interceptions 0 0
Fumbles/Lost 1/0 0/0

Total Plays 59 63
Total Yards 365 416
Yards Per Play 6.1 6.6

3rd Down Plays 5/12 9/14
Avg. YTG on 3rd 7.6 5.4
4th Down Plays 1/1 0/0

Penalties 4 7
Penalty Yards 30 48

Avg. Drive Start OWN 30 OWN 26
Time Of Possession 26:12 33:48

New York Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
32 Jackson 8 35 4.3 10 0
49 Barlow 6 19 3.1 10 0
28 Reyes 4 11 2.7 3 1
16 Pace 1 3 3.0 3 0
12 Downs 1 -1 -1.0 -1 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
16 Pace 30 21 234 7.8 33 2 0 2
12 Downs 7 4 78 11.1 50 0 0 0

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
33 Garcia 6 39 6.5 22 13 1
87 Cowley 4 56 14.0 3 24 0
82 Briseno 3 39 13.0 9 15 0
84 Garth 3 34 11.3 0 18 1
86 Buzzell 3 48 16.0 12 33 0
81 Rodham 3 84 28.0 5 50 0
49 Barlow 2 2 1.0 8 5 0
48 Berry 1 10 10.0 0 10 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
42 Ellsworth 1 4 4.0 0
82 Briseno 1 14 14.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
87 Cowley 3 67 22.3 0
82 Briseno 2 34 17.0 0
46 Kingston 1 14 14.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
7 Lofton 4 150 37.5 46 1

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
15 Paschal 0 1 0 3 3

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
96 Reyes 8 1 0.0 0 0 0
22 Moody 6 0 0.0 0 0 0
47 Irwin 5 0 0.0 0 0 0
46 Kingston 4 0 0.0 0 0 0
76 Meyer 4 0 0.0 0 0 0
29 Scott 4 0 0.0 0 0 0
90 Rosa 3 5 0.0 0 0 0
95 Smith 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
91 Nickell 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
94 Moton 2 4 0.0 0 0 0
50 Clayton 2 3 0.0 0 0 0
24 Tatum 2 2 0.0 0 0 0
93 Parrish 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
51 McCutchen 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
36 Murrah 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
72 Gardner 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
42 Ellsworth 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
82 Briseno 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
48 Berry 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
44 Devine 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
92 Clark 0 1 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
62 Reinhold 0 0 0 0 2 2
42 Ellsworth 1 0 1 0 0 0
70 Davis 0 0 0 0 1 0
48 Berry 0 0 0 0 1 0
71 Castillo 0 0 0 0 1 0

Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
30 Robbins 16 51 3.1 20 1
44 Howe 11 74 6.7 24 2
22 Bradley 6 27 4.5 9 0
8 Cassidy 3 17 5.6 10 0
81 Batchelor 1 6 6.0 6 0
9 Weinke 1 7 7.0 7 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
8 Cassidy 13 10 124 9.5 51 0 0 0
9 Weinke 12 11 110 9.1 32 1 0 0

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
11 Housley 7 122 17.4 12 51 0
84 Joyner 3 22 7.3 7 10 1
22 Bradley 2 14 7.0 11 8 0
88 Ramirez 2 38 19.0 0 32 0
83 Hakeem 2 13 6.5 0 9 0
85 Garcia 2 11 5.5 0 6 0
44 Howe 2 6 3.0 0 4 0
80 Higginbotham 1 8 8.0 10 8 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
81 Batchelor 2 41 20.5 0
80 Higginbotham 1 12 12.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 3 113 37.6 42 0

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 2 2 50 4 4

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
37 Rosenberry 6 0 0.0 0 0 0
46 Bloch 5 0 0.0 0 0 0
35 Boyd 4 4 0.0 0 0 0
29 McCloskey 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
90 Jarrard 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
45 Bennett 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
80 Higginbotham 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
99 Hape 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
96 Stansell 2 0 1.0 0 0 0
93 King 2 2 0.0 0 0 0
91 Rudd 2 2 0.0 0 0 0
97 Horn 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
51 Crane 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
98 Richardson 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
33 Mirer 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
52 Wash 1 0 1.0 0 0 0
73 Smith 1 3 0.0 0 0 0
74 Cochrane 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
87 Sheehy 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
72 Bernard 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
25 Minahan 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
83 Hakeem 1 0 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
64 Connell 0 0 0 0 6 0
78 Odum 0 0 0 0 2 0
68 Page 0 0 0 0 2 0
80 Higginbotham 0 1 0 0 0 0
61 Eaddy 0 0 0 0 1 0
83 Hakeem 0 0 0 0 1 0
62 Wickham 0 0 0 0 1 0
69 Puente 0 0 0 0 1 0

New York Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 15:00 6:07 OWN 15 11 51 Punt
1 4:19 4:30 OWN 30 9 70 Touchdown
2 12:38 1:25 OPP 44 3 5 Punt
2 9:31 2:14 OPP 48 6 48 Touchdown
2 3:48 1:29 OWN 21 3 6 Punt
2 0:43 0:43 OWN 21 2 7 Half
3 8:39 2:33 OWN 20 6 17 Punt
4 13:47 4:00 OWN 34 6 36 Missed FG
4 4:28 2:36 OWN 32 9 68 Touchdown
4 1:05 1:05 OWN 28 4 49 Game

Tucson Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 8:53 4:34 OWN 20 11 80 Touchdown
2 14:49 2:11 OWN 25 3 2 Punt
2 11:13 1:42 OWN 3 4 7 Punt
2 7:17 3:29 OWN 17 5 22 Punt
2 2:19 1:36 OWN 27 6 73 Touchdown
3 15:00 6:21 OWN 14 10 74 Field Goal
3 6:06 7:19 OWN 29 14 71 Touchdown
4 9:47 5:19 OWN 37 9 63 Touchdown
4 1:47 0:42 OPP 36 3 3 Field Goal

New York Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
3 3 0

Tucson Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
5 4 1

New York Rushing Breakdown

Direction Rush Yards Ave
Left 6 23 3.8
Middle 9 19 2.1
Right 5 25 5.0
None 0 0 0.0

Run Blocking KeyBlks BlkOpps RunPlays
62 Reinhold 2 3 18
70 Davis 1 5 20
71 Castillo 1 2 5
48 Berry 1 1 2
74 Crownhart 0 2 17
86 Buzzell 0 2 10
55 Griffin 0 1 15
73 Blake 0 1 15
85 Howe 0 1 5
33 Garcia 0 0 10
80 Cyr 0 0 8
64 Norris 0 0 8
57 Heath 0 0 2

New York Passing Breakdown

Distance Pass Comp Yards Ave
Screen 7 6 25 3.5
Short (0-8 Yds) 8 6 39 4.8
Medium (9-18 Yds) 12 9 123 10.2
Long (19+ Yds) 9 4 125 13.8

Passing Attempt Comp BdThrw Dropd Defnsd Blockd Hurried Intrcpt
16 Pace 30 21 2 4 0 0 3 0
12 Downs 7 4 0 0 1 0 1 0

Receiving Target Caught Dropd Yards PassPlay
87 Cowley 9 4 1 56 35
33 Garcia 7 6 0 39 22
82 Briseno 6 3 2 39 28
84 Garth 4 3 0 34 16
86 Buzzell 3 3 0 48 21
81 Rodham 3 3 0 84 20
49 Barlow 2 2 0 2 17
80 Cyr 1 0 1 0 10
48 Berry 1 1 0 10 2

Pass Block SckAlwd PassPlay
70 Davis 0 36
62 Reinhold 2 36
74 Crownhart 0 32
55 Griffin 0 23
73 Blake 0 23
33 Garcia 0 22
64 Norris 0 19
71 Castillo 0 13
57 Heath 0 13
48 Berry 0 2

Pass Rush Sacks PsBlks Hurries PassPlay
76 Meyer 0.0 1 0 10
94 Moton 0.0 0 0 24
42 Ellsworth 0.0 0 0 21
22 Moody 0.0 0 0 20
96 Reyes 0.0 0 0 18
91 Nickell 0.0 0 0 18
72 Gardner 0.0 0 0 17
24 Tatum 0.0 0 0 17
44 Devine 0.0 0 0 15
46 Kingston 0.0 0 0 14
90 Rosa 0.0 0 0 14
47 Irwin 0.0 0 0 14
79 Schreiber 0.0 0 0 13
93 Parrish 0.0 0 0 11
36 Murrah 0.0 0 0 10
50 Clayton 0.0 0 0 10
95 Smith 0.0 0 0 7
92 Clark 0.0 0 0 7
52 Lyle 0.0 0 0 6
29 Scott 0.0 0 0 5
51 McCutchen 0.0 0 0 4

Pass Defense Caught Defnsd Intrcpt PassPlay
22 Moody 4 0 0 20
46 Kingston 4 0 0 14
96 Reyes 3 0 0 18
24 Tatum 2 0 0 17
47 Irwin 2 0 0 14
90 Rosa 1 1 0 14
44 Devine 1 0 0 15
93 Parrish 1 0 0 11
50 Clayton 1 0 0 10
95 Smith 1 0 0 7
51 McCutchen 1 0 0 4
94 Moton 0 0 0 24
42 Ellsworth 0 0 0 21
91 Nickell 0 0 0 18
72 Gardner 0 0 0 17
79 Schreiber 0 0 0 13
76 Meyer 0 0 0 10
36 Murrah 0 0 0 10
92 Clark 0 0 0 7
52 Lyle 0 0 0 6
29 Scott 0 0 0 5

Defense Tackles Assists RunPlay PassPlay
96 Reyes 8 1 30 18
22 Moody 6 0 21 20
47 Irwin 5 0 23 14
46 Kingston 4 0 19 14
76 Meyer 4 0 22 10
29 Scott 4 0 21 5
90 Rosa 3 5 23 14
91 Nickell 3 0 28 18
95 Smith 3 0 15 7
94 Moton 2 4 35 24
50 Clayton 2 3 17 10
24 Tatum 2 2 24 17
93 Parrish 2 1 12 11
36 Murrah 2 0 14 10
51 McCutchen 2 0 3 4
72 Gardner 1 1 30 17
42 Ellsworth 1 0 25 21
44 Devine 1 0 18 15
92 Clark 0 1 10 7
79 Schreiber 0 0 15 13
52 Lyle 0 0 13 6

Tucson Rushing Breakdown

Direction Rush Yards Ave
Left 7 39 5.5
Middle 21 81 3.8
Right 10 62 6.2
None 0 0 0.0

Run Blocking KeyBlks BlkOpps RunPlays
64 Connell 6 9 34
68 Page 2 3 23
78 Odum 2 2 5
61 Eaddy 1 7 32
69 Puente 1 3 28
83 Hakeem 1 1 23
62 Wickham 1 1 17
59 Buckley 0 3 31
84 Joyner 0 2 26
66 Mapes 0 2 20
23 Brown 0 0 25
87 Sheehy 0 1 7

Tucson Passing Breakdown

Distance Pass Comp Yards Ave
Screen 4 3 19 4.7
Short (0-8 Yds) 10 9 48 4.8
Medium (9-18 Yds) 7 6 63 9.0
Long (19+ Yds) 4 3 104 26.0

Passing Attempt Comp BdThrw Dropd Defnsd Blockd Hurried Intrcpt
8 Cassidy 13 10 2 0 0 1 0 0
9 Weinke 12 11 0 0 1 0 0 0

Receiving Target Caught Dropd Yards PassPlay
11 Housley 8 7 0 122 21
88 Ramirez 3 2 0 38 16
84 Joyner 3 3 0 22 14
83 Hakeem 3 2 0 13 15
22 Bradley 2 2 0 14 4
85 Garcia 2 2 0 11 5
44 Howe 2 2 0 6 11
80 Higginbotham 1 1 0 8 3
30 Robbins 1 0 0 0 10

Pass Block SckAlwd PassPlay
64 Connell 0 22
61 Eaddy 0 20
59 Buckley 0 19
69 Puente 0 18
23 Brown 0 17
66 Mapes 0 16
62 Wickham 0 13
68 Page 0 13
78 Odum 0 4

Pass Rush Sacks PsBlks Hurries PassPlay
96 Stansell 1.0 0 0 21
52 Wash 1.0 0 0 10
91 Rudd 0.0 0 1 31
93 King 0.0 0 1 26
73 Smith 0.0 0 0 34
97 Horn 0.0 0 1 21
46 Bloch 0.0 0 0 30
72 Bernard 0.0 0 1 20
29 McCloskey 0.0 0 0 30
35 Boyd 0.0 0 0 29
74 Cochrane 0.0 0 0 29
45 Bennett 0.0 0 0 26
37 Rosenberry 0.0 0 0 24
25 Minahan 0.0 0 0 22
33 Mirer 0.0 0 0 20
90 Jarrard 0.0 0 0 17
99 Hape 0.0 0 0 15
98 Richardson 0.0 0 0 14
51 Crane 0.0 0 0 10

Pass Defense Caught Defnsd Intrcpt PassPlay
37 Rosenberry 6 0 0 24
29 McCloskey 3 0 0 30
99 Hape 3 0 0 15
45 Bennett 2 1 0 26
46 Bloch 2 0 0 30
35 Boyd 2 0 0 29
90 Jarrard 2 0 0 17
91 Rudd 1 0 0 31
93 King 1 0 0 26
97 Horn 1 0 0 21
98 Richardson 1 0 0 14
51 Crane 1 0 0 10
73 Smith 0 0 0 34
74 Cochrane 0 0 0 29
25 Minahan 0 0 0 22
96 Stansell 0 0 0 21
72 Bernard 0 0 0 20
33 Mirer 0 0 0 20
52 Wash 0 0 0 10

Defense Tackles Assists RunPlay PassPlay
37 Rosenberry 6 0 13 24
46 Bloch 5 0 15 30
35 Boyd 4 4 16 29
29 McCloskey 4 1 14 30
45 Bennett 3 1 15 26
90 Jarrard 3 1 11 17
99 Hape 3 0 4 15
91 Rudd 2 2 18 31
93 King 2 2 14 26
97 Horn 2 1 11 21
96 Stansell 2 0 7 21
33 Mirer 2 0 7 20
98 Richardson 2 0 9 14
51 Crane 2 0 9 10
73 Smith 1 3 20 34
74 Cochrane 1 1 15 29
25 Minahan 1 0 11 22
72 Bernard 1 0 9 20
52 Wash 1 0 2 10


Well I'll be. Exhibition games are typically not very interesting to me, but there were several surprising things about this game:
1) New York started all of their starters, and what's more is they played Pace deep into the 4th quarter. That's a very risky proposition in my book, but they got through this game largely unscathed;
2) We won. And not only did we win, we won fairly handily. The 34-21 final score doesn't really do this game justice, nor do the yardage totals. Much of New York's passing yardage came in garbage time. I'm shocked at the outcome;
3) That shocking outcome was largely the result of our backups playing insanely well against New York's starters. Nobody would confuse Cassidy (33/53 ratings) or Weinke (23/52) with starting-caliber QBs, but their performances were outstanding. That they did so with scrubs at RB, WR, and on the O-line is nothing short of miraculous. The scrub defenders I put out there also did a nice job;
4) I was particularly thrilled to see Kelvin Connell get the game MVP award. Our new starting RG was 6 for 9 on blocks. Good job, Kelvin!
5) 4th-string RB Frankie Howe may make it hard to cut him if he keeps this up. 11-74-2 is pretty impressive for a guy I brought in just to keep Drew Holliday out of harm's way. Likewise, today's starters at WR, Freddie Housley and Mack Ramirez, are probably battling for our last WR spot. Housley's 7-122 was considerably better than Ramirez' 2-38, and so he's taking the early lead there.

That brings us up to date on the Toros' progress so far. During the downtime between games I'll review a bit of the rest of the league and perhaps discuss other offseason developments.

[fantastic flying froggies]

Cool, another CFL dynasty! Good news indeed!

Also, have I mentionned lately that I thought Demetrius Higginbotham was the coolest name in the CFL?

[JeeberD]

Yes, I am EXTREMELY boring...

[Fonzie]

Cool, another CFL dynasty! Good news indeed!

Also, have I mentionned lately that I thought Demetrius Higginbotham was the coolest name in the CFL?

PREACH!

[Fonzie]

The CFL's list of champions - and participants - is relatively short. Only eight different teams have participated in the six CFL Bowls to date. Four teams have made it to the big game twice, and two teams have won it all twice. The breakdown:

CFL Bowl History
2003 Oregon Ice 17, Memphis Express 15
2004 Charleston Monitors 20, Santa Cruz Privateers 16
2005 Honolulu Blue Pacific 19, Detroit Vampires 14
2006 Honolulu Blue Pacific 31, Detroit Vampires 16
2007 Denver Dynamite 20, New Orleans Raging Horde 16
2008 Charleston Monitors 33, Denver Dynamite 31

The Western Football Conference leads the Eastern Football Conference in the CFL bowl 4-2.

Which brings us to some additional backstory: the league structure. The two conferences have, of course, four divisions of four teams each. The divisions and teams are listed below, with their career regular season records and playoff appearances in parentheses (asterisk denotes last year's division winner):

EFC Deep South Division
Memphis Express (46-50, 2 playoff appearances, 1 CFL bowl loss)
Shreveport Pride (45-50-1, 1 PA)
San Antonio Stingers (36-60, 1 PA)
New Orleans Raging Horde* (50-46, 4 PAs, 1 CFL bowl loss)

EFC Great Lakes Division
Albany Crows (49-47, 1 PA)
Chicago Hitmen (29-67, 0 PAs)
Detroit Vampires* (54-42, 5 PAs, 2 CFL bowl losses)
Cleveland Flats (38-58, 1 PA)

EFC Atlantic Division
Charleston Monitors* (65-31, 4 PAs, 2 CFL bowl wins)
Baltimore Bombers (57-38-1, 2 PAs)
Durham Bulldogs (58-38, 3 PAs)
Tampa Bay Torpedoes (39-57, 1 PA)

EFC Yankee Division
New York Knights (56-39-1, 5 PAs)
Boston Panthers (42-54, 0 PAs)
Atlantic City Phantoms (33-63, 1 PA)
Hartford Attack* (58-37-1, 5 PAs)

WFC San Andreas Division
Huntington Beach Capitalists (51-45, 1 PA)
Sacramento Dragons* (58-38, 3 PAs)
Long Beach Calibri (36-58-2, 1 PA)
Santa Cruz Privateers (49-47, 3 PAs, 1 CFL Bowl loss)

WFC Ring of Ice Division
Oregon Ice (56-40, 3 PAs, 1 CFL Bowl win)
Anchorage Wolfpack (54-42, 3 PAs)
Boise Stampede* (58-38, 4 PAs)
Seattle Thunderbirds (35-61, 0 PAs)

WFC Cavalry Division
Denver Dynamite* (60-36, 4 PAs, 1 CFL Bowl win, 1 loss)
Fargo Boxcars (43-52-1, 0 PAs)
El Paso Rockets (43-52-1, 2 PAs)
Tulsa Talons (34-62, 1 PA)

WFC Ring of Fire
Arizona Outlaws (23-72-1, 0 PAs)
Honolulu Blue Pacific* (67-29, 5 PAs, 2 CFL Bowl wins)
Las Vegas Rounders (49-47, 2 PAs)
Tucson Toros (60-35-1, 4 PAs)

A couple of things to note from this summary:

1) my poor Toros are in the only division sporting two 60+ win teams;
2) the Ring of Fire is tied with the Atlantic division with most playoff appearances;
3) The Ring of Ice and Atlantic divisions have historically been excellent - and I'm very glad I'm not stuck in either of those.

[condors]

Our other division foe, the Arizona Outlaws (owned by Condors) are the worst team in league history. At 23-72-1 they sit a good 5.5 games behind the next worst team. What is astonishing is that they have been bad forever – they’ve finished in last every season except 2005, when they managed to finish a half-game ahead of Las Vegas. Despite all of their high draft picks, Arizona has remained an inept squad. Every year I think they’ll put it together and become a decent team, but every year they disappoint. They have some talent on that team – why they haven’t been able to do better remains something of a mystery.

The appetizer is now complete. Let us move on to the main course: Your Tucson Toros!

We are pacing ourselves.

To be honest i think we have made progress every year i have owned the team it just hasn't translated to wins. It is tough when 4 of your games are almost automatic loses but i am hoping to change that this season.

[Taco]

Exhibition Week 3, 2009
...
Tucson at Durham
...
1-04-DUR04 (06:50) TUC 9 Weinke pass completed to 11 Housley for 4 yards and a touchdown!
Conversion Attempt: TUC 44 Howe run succeeded.
DUR 40 Goodwin was injured on the play.
This appears to be a serious injury

Score: Tucson 14, Durham 24.



You just had to go for two, didn't you? Argh!!

But it's great to see another CFL dynasty! :) :) :)

[Fonzie]

You just had to go for two, didn't you? Argh!!

But it's great to see another CFL dynasty! :) :) :)


Oops...sorry 'bout that Taco. At least he was only a backup. And hey, he's only got a torn ligament in one ankle - last I checked, he's got two. He'll be fine. ;)

[Fonzie]

We are pacing ourselves.

To be honest i think we have made progress every year i have owned the team it just hasn't translated to wins. It is tough when 4 of your games are almost automatic loses but i am hoping to change that this season.

Yeah, I've noticed your roster quality has improved substantially over the last several seasons. And you're probably right in that your talent level has been just below what you'd need to be really competitive in a super-tough division like ours. But like I mentioned in the predictions thread over at the CFL - you're only one offseason's-worth of retirements away from having the most talented starting QB in the division!

[Fonzie]

Now onto the game Taco was alluding to above - the Week 3 Exhibition match between your beloved Toros and his Durham Bulldogs. I fully expect Durham to throw their backups out there, and so with two squads of backups starting this has the potential to be a very boring, ugly game. On to the "action."


Box Score: Tucson at Durham
Durham, NC.

Exhibition Week 3, 2009

Attendance: 68,300 (75,300).


Weather: 90 degrees, rain.

2Q: 07:54 DUR - Leonard Schroeder 14 run.
2Q: 07:54 DUR - John Snell extra point.
2Q: 03:39 DUR - Orlando Pohl 5 pass from Kenneth Lester.
2Q: 03:39 DUR - John Snell extra point.
2Q: 00:19 DUR - John Snell 23 field goal.
3Q: 09:36 TUC - Rubin Castorena 45 field goal.
4Q: 14:55 DUR - Donnell Lee 3 pass from Kenneth Lester.
4Q: 14:55 DUR - John Snell extra point.
4Q: 10:40 TUC - Rubin Castorena 24 field goal.
4Q: 06:41 TUC - Freddie Housley 4 pass from Artie Weinke.
4Q: 06:41 TUC - Frankie Howe run for conversion.
4Q: 01:20 TUC - Freddie Housley 41 pass from Artie Weinke.
4Q: 01:20 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.

Game MVP: DUR 15 Kenneth Lester

Tucson 0 0 3 18 - 21
Durham 0 17 0 7 - 24

Team Statistics TUC DUR

First Downs 20 24

Total Rushes 22 38
Rushing Yards 70 149
Yards Per Carry 3.1 3.9
Pass Attempts 35 27
Completions 21 19
Passing Yards 271 187
Yards Per Attempt 7.7 6.9
Sacked 1 1
Yards Lost 7 8
Interceptions 1 0
Fumbles/Lost 1/1 0/0

Total Plays 58 66
Total Yards 334 328
Yards Per Play 5.7 4.9

3rd Down Plays 1/8 7/14
Avg. YTG on 3rd 8.6 6.0
4th Down Plays 0/0 0/0

Penalties 12 7
Penalty Yards 77 45

Avg. Drive Start OWN 25 OWN 35
Time Of Possession 27:23 32:37

Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
30 Robbins 12 47 3.9 14 0
44 Howe 5 14 2.8 5 0
22 Bradley 3 8 2.6 3 0
8 Cassidy 1 2 2.0 2 0
9 Weinke 1 -1 -1.0 -1 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
9 Weinke 29 16 237 8.1 41 2 1 1
8 Cassidy 6 5 34 5.6 11 0 0 0

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
84 Joyner 6 62 10.3 8 24 0
11 Housley 4 79 19.7 3 41 2
88 Ramirez 3 34 11.3 3 13 0
23 Brown 2 14 7.0 1 8 0
85 Garcia 2 33 16.5 5 18 0
80 Higginbotham 1 17 17.0 0 17 0
22 Bradley 1 2 2.0 4 2 0
30 Robbins 1 7 7.0 0 7 0
83 Hakeem 1 23 23.0 10 23 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
80 Higginbotham 1 13 13.0 0
85 Garcia 1 9 9.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
37 Rosenberry 2 34 17.0 0
85 Garcia 2 39 19.5 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 5 213 42.6 54 1

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 2 2 45 1 1

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
93 King 8 1 0.5 0 0 0
99 Hape 5 0 0.0 0 0 0
74 Cochrane 5 0 0.0 0 0 0
90 Jarrard 4 3 0.0 0 0 0
91 Rudd 4 2 0.0 0 0 0
73 Smith 4 0 0.0 0 0 0
97 Horn 3 1 0.5 0 0 0
46 Bloch 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
25 Minahan 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
96 Stansell 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
37 Rosenberry 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
72 Bernard 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
51 Crane 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
52 Wash 1 2 0.0 0 0 0
29 McCloskey 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
45 Bennett 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
87 Sheehy 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
88 Ramirez 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
35 Boyd 0 2 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
69 Puente 0 0 0 0 0 1
61 Eaddy 0 0 0 0 2 0
59 Buckley 0 0 0 0 2 0
30 Robbins 1 0 0 0 0 0
66 Mapes 0 0 0 0 1 0
68 Page 0 0 0 0 1 0

Durham Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
24 Schroeder 19 100 5.2 18 1
37 Sanford 8 26 3.2 9 0
34 Parrish 8 14 1.7 4 0
15 Lester 1 -1 -1.0 -1 0
84 Lee 1 7 7.0 7 0
83 Hastings 1 3 3.0 3 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
15 Lester 27 19 187 6.9 19 2 0 1

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
85 Pohl 6 47 7.8 11 13 1
81 Vankirk 4 37 9.2 17 17 0
84 Lee 4 40 10.0 13 16 1
83 Hastings 3 39 13.0 16 19 0
88 Lowe 2 24 12.0 3 17 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
24 Schroeder 1 19 19.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
10 Owens 5 217 43.4 58 3

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
4 Snell 1 2 23 3 3

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
21 Woods 6 0 0.0 0 0 0
90 Ayers 4 0 1.0 0 0 0
98 Eby 4 0 0.0 0 0 0
59 Otten 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
76 Burchett 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
33 Mills 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
40 Goodwin 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
42 Spencer 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
32 Haith 2 2 0.0 0 0 0
22 Smith 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
45 Slatus 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
58 Theobald 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
93 Price 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
95 Exterovich 1 3 0.0 1 4 0
50 Herndon 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
60 Graham 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
85 Pohl 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
39 Register 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
91 McCarthy 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
99 Wooden 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
92 Her 0 1 0.0 0 0 0
43 Goodloe 0 1 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
71 Hogenmiller 0 0 0 0 3 0
64 Berkey 0 0 0 0 1 1
60 Graham 0 0 0 0 2 0
32 Haith 0 0 1 0 0 0
21 Woods 0 1 0 0 0 0
85 Pohl 0 0 0 0 1 0
57 Karau 0 0 0 0 1 0
49 Barnes 0 0 0 0 1 0

Tucson Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 13:30 5:07 OWN 19 8 27 Punt
1 4:49 1:28 OWN 9 3 9 Punt
2 14:47 1:55 OWN 33 3 9 Punt
2 7:54 1:18 OWN 12 3 20 Interception
2 3:39 1:46 OWN 20 4 27 Fumble
2 0:19 0:19 OWN 33 1 -1 Half
3 15:00 5:24 OWN 20 15 52 Field Goal
3 7:19 1:16 OWN 19 3 -4 Punt
4 14:55 4:15 OWN 28 8 65 Field Goal
4 10:32 3:51 OWN 40 6 60 Touchdown
4 4:49 0:51 OWN 39 3 5 Punt
4 1:40 0:20 OWN 35 3 65 Touchdown

Durham Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 15:00 1:30 OWN 26 3 6 Punt
1 8:23 3:34 OWN 20 6 31 Punt
1 3:21 3:34 OWN 41 7 33 Missed FG
2 12:52 4:58 OWN 21 12 79 Touchdown
2 6:36 2:57 OPP 44 6 44 Touchdown
2 1:53 1:34 OPP 47 6 41 Field Goal
3 9:36 2:17 OWN 34 3 9 Punt
3 6:03 6:08 OWN 41 12 59 Touchdown
4 6:41 1:52 OWN 20 3 4 Punt
4 3:58 2:18 OWN 13 7 21 Punt
4 1:20 1:20 OPP 39 2 13 Game

Tucson Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
2 1 1

Durham Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
4 3 1

Tucson Rushing Breakdown

Direction Rush Yards Ave
Left 7 11 1.5
Middle 8 32 4.0
Right 6 28 4.6
None 1 -1 -1.0

Run Blocking KeyBlks BlkOpps RunPlays
61 Eaddy 2 5 15
59 Buckley 2 4 15
68 Page 1 2 14
66 Mapes 1 2 9
64 Connell 0 5 20
23 Brown 0 1 16
69 Puente 0 0 17
78 Odum 0 1 5
84 Joyner 0 0 15
62 Wickham 0 0 15
83 Hakeem 0 0 10
87 Sheehy 0 0 3

Tucson Passing Breakdown

Distance Pass Comp Yards Ave
Screen 2 1 2 1.0
Short (0-8 Yds) 10 8 51 5.1
Medium (9-18 Yds) 18 11 177 9.8
Long (19+ Yds) 5 1 41 8.2

Passing Attempt Comp BdThrw Dropd Defnsd Blockd Hurried Intrcpt
9 Weinke 29 16 1 0 8 1 2 1
8 Cassidy 6 5 0 0 0 1 0 0

Receiving Target Caught Dropd Yards PassPlay
88 Ramirez 8 3 0 34 25
11 Housley 8 4 0 79 32
84 Joyner 8 6 0 62 22
81 Batchelor 2 0 0 0 13
23 Brown 2 2 0 14 21
85 Garcia 2 2 0 33 7
80 Higginbotham 1 1 0 17 3
87 Sheehy 1 0 0 0 6
22 Bradley 1 1 0 2 9
30 Robbins 1 1 0 7 15
83 Hakeem 1 1 0 23 15

Pass Block SckAlwd PassPlay
64 Connell 0 34
59 Buckley 0 28
68 Page 0 27
61 Eaddy 0 26
23 Brown 0 21
62 Wickham 0 19
69 Puente 1 19
66 Mapes 0 14
78 Odum 0 13

Pass Rush Sacks PsBlks Hurries PassPlay
93 King 0.5 0 0 19
97 Horn 0.5 0 0 17
74 Cochrane 0.0 0 1 21
73 Smith 0.0 0 0 24
35 Boyd 0.0 0 0 22
37 Rosenberry 0.0 0 0 21
46 Bloch 0.0 0 0 21
25 Minahan 0.0 0 0 20
45 Bennett 0.0 0 0 20
91 Rudd 0.0 0 0 19
90 Jarrard 0.0 0 0 18
96 Stansell 0.0 0 0 17
29 McCloskey 0.0 0 0 16
72 Bernard 0.0 0 0 14
33 Mirer 0.0 0 0 12
99 Hape 0.0 0 0 10
51 Crane 0.0 0 0 7
52 Wash 0.0 0 0 5
98 Richardson 0.0 0 0 5

Pass Defense Caught Defnsd Intrcpt PassPlay
93 King 3 0 0 19
99 Hape 3 0 0 10
37 Rosenberry 2 0 0 21
46 Bloch 2 0 0 21
90 Jarrard 2 0 0 18
25 Minahan 1 3 0 20
35 Boyd 1 0 0 22
45 Bennett 1 0 0 20
29 McCloskey 1 0 0 16
72 Bernard 1 0 0 14
51 Crane 1 0 0 7
52 Wash 1 0 0 5
73 Smith 0 0 0 24
74 Cochrane 0 0 0 21
91 Rudd 0 0 0 19
96 Stansell 0 0 0 17
97 Horn 0 0 0 17
33 Mirer 0 0 0 12
98 Richardson 0 0 0 5

Defense Tackles Assists RunPlay PassPlay
93 King 8 1 24 19
74 Cochrane 5 0 31 21
99 Hape 5 0 14 10
90 Jarrard 4 3 26 18
91 Rudd 4 2 32 19
73 Smith 4 0 31 24
46 Bloch 3 2 31 21
25 Minahan 3 2 21 20
97 Horn 3 1 21 17
96 Stansell 3 1 18 17
37 Rosenberry 3 0 28 21
72 Bernard 3 0 19 14
51 Crane 3 0 11 7
52 Wash 1 2 13 5
29 McCloskey 1 1 31 16
45 Bennett 1 1 22 20
35 Boyd 0 2 23 22
33 Mirer 0 0 17 12
98 Richardson 0 0 5 5

Durham Rushing Breakdown

Direction Rush Yards Ave
Left 7 55 7.8
Middle 25 79 3.1
Right 5 16 3.2
None 1 -1 -1.0

Run Blocking KeyBlks BlkOpps RunPlays
71 Hogenmiller 3 7 32
60 Graham 2 6 31
57 Karau 1 8 28
64 Berkey 1 5 35
49 Barnes 1 3 19
85 Pohl 1 1 29
61 Barokas 0 4 32
55 Fant 0 2 16
70 Dees 0 1 14
9 Eller 0 0 13
39 Register 0 0 4
74 Brehm 0 0 2
86 Jalbert 0 0 1

Durham Passing Breakdown

Distance Pass Comp Yards Ave
Screen 5 4 19 3.8
Short (0-8 Yds) 11 9 71 6.4
Medium (9-18 Yds) 9 6 97 10.7
Long (19+ Yds) 2 0 0 0.0

Passing Attempt Comp BdThrw Dropd Defnsd Blockd Hurried Intrcpt
15 Lester 27 19 1 3 3 0 1 0

Receiving Target Caught Dropd Yards PassPlay
85 Pohl 9 6 0 47 22
81 Vankirk 6 4 2 37 17
84 Lee 5 4 0 40 22
83 Hastings 4 3 1 39 23
88 Lowe 2 2 0 24 10
24 Schroeder 1 0 0 0 18

Pass Block SckAlwd PassPlay
60 Graham 0 28
57 Karau 0 26
71 Hogenmiller 0 25
61 Barokas 0 24
64 Berkey 1 22
49 Barnes 0 15
74 Brehm 0 6
70 Dees 0 5
55 Fant 0 4

Pass Rush Sacks PsBlks Hurries PassPlay
90 Ayers 1.0 0 1 24
91 McCarthy 0.0 1 0 30
92 Her 0.0 1 0 20
33 Mills 0.0 0 0 29
32 Haith 0.0 0 0 27
99 Wooden 0.0 0 0 27
76 Burchett 0.0 0 0 25
58 Theobald 0.0 0 1 15
42 Spencer 0.0 0 0 24
21 Woods 0.0 0 0 22
43 Goodloe 0.0 0 0 21
95 Exterovich 0.0 0 0 21
59 Otten 0.0 0 0 20
93 Price 0.0 0 0 18
22 Smith 0.0 0 0 17
98 Eby 0.0 0 0 17
40 Goodwin 0.0 0 0 15
50 Herndon 0.0 0 0 12
45 Slatus 0.0 0 0 12

Pass Defense Caught Defnsd Intrcpt PassPlay
42 Spencer 3 1 0 24
21 Woods 3 1 0 22
59 Otten 3 0 0 20
33 Mills 2 1 0 29
90 Ayers 2 1 0 24
45 Slatus 2 1 0 12
40 Goodwin 1 1 0 15
95 Exterovich 1 0 1 21
22 Smith 1 0 0 17
98 Eby 1 0 0 17
58 Theobald 1 0 0 15
50 Herndon 1 0 0 12
32 Haith 0 1 0 27
43 Goodloe 0 1 0 21
91 McCarthy 0 0 0 30
99 Wooden 0 0 0 27
76 Burchett 0 0 0 25
92 Her 0 0 0 20
93 Price 0 0 0 18

Defense Tackles Assists RunPlay PassPlay
21 Woods 6 0 10 22
90 Ayers 4 0 17 24
98 Eby 4 0 9 17
59 Otten 3 2 12 20
33 Mills 3 1 15 29
76 Burchett 3 1 18 25
42 Spencer 3 0 18 24
40 Goodwin 3 0 14 15
32 Haith 2 2 16 27
45 Slatus 2 1 17 12
22 Smith 2 1 10 17
93 Price 2 0 10 18
58 Theobald 2 0 8 15
95 Exterovich 1 3 13 21
50 Herndon 1 1 5 12
91 McCarthy 1 0 19 30
99 Wooden 1 0 17 27
43 Goodloe 0 1 7 21
92 Her 0 1 7 20


As expected, this was something of an ugly game. 12 penalties and two turnovers by The Good Guys would not be tolerated of starters, but it is about what I'd expect from a bunch of young backups. The 2nd-string team got their butts kicked and were down 17-0 at the half. But the 3rd stringers, who actually starting subbing in in the 2nd quarter, acquitted themselves much better, scoring 18 4th quarter points.

In something of a surprise the coach pulled 2nd-stringer Daryl Cassidy early in the 2nd quarter and played 3rd-stringer Artie Weinke for the rest of the game. Weinke had an auspicious beginning, throwing an interception on his very first pass of the game that wound up resulting in a TD for Durham, but from there on out his performance was outstanding. I'll take 16/29 for 237, 2 TDs and an INT from a 3rd stringer any day, even if he was up against Durham's 3rd-string defense. And WR Housley continues to impress with his 4-79-2 performance.

The only defensive player to stand out was CB Ray Minahan, who allowed one catch and defended three passes.

The other good news from this game is that we suffered no injuries. Huzzah!

[Fonzie]

One of my biggest concerns about this squad was depth on the offensive line, especially given how poorly 4th round pick LT Myron Page has looked since we drafted him. We have some depth at center with Luther Buckley, and a decent backup at guard in Richard Eaddy, but next to nothing at tackle. An injury to either Franck or Pitman would be devastating, as all three of our backups have current ratings in the 12-16 range. To remedy this situation I brought in FA LT Dana Thiele, a former 3rd round pick of El Paso's who played for Detroit last year. He's a 5th-year vet and is rated as 30/47, so while he's not starter material he should at least be able to step in and play in (hopefully short-lived) emergencies. To make room for Dana we had to eject the disappointing Page. Bye-bye Myron - enjoy your bonus money!

[Fonzie]

I'll be reading this one. Feel free to mention Boise and our greatness.

Boise really is great - I suspect you'll be representing the Western Conference in the CFL bowl this year. But if you beat me in the playoffs I'll never forgive you - and I'll for certain take you right off my birthday card list. So remember that.

[timmynausea]

Cool, another CFL dynasty! Good news indeed!

Also, have I mentionned lately that I thought Demetrius Higginbotham was the coolest name in the CFL?

Has the whole world gone insane? Cybersleuth Pritchett? Toothpick Lang? Come on!

[fantastic flying froggies]

Has the whole world gone insane? Cybersleuth Pritchett? Toothpick Lang? Come on!
They are very cool names indeed and I love em.

But they just don't beat Demetrius Higginbotham ! :p

[fantastic flying froggies]

Fonz, good signing with Dana Thiele. I picked him up from the waiver wire last season when one of my starters went down injured, and he was a solid starter for most of the season.

I only let him go because he was asking for starter money, and he would have been a backup on my team.

[Fonzie]

Has the whole world gone insane? Cybersleuth Pritchett? Toothpick Lang? Come on!

I came this close to trading up to grab Cybersleuth. He had boom potential, but mostly I thought about trading up just so I could have his awesome name on my roster.

And thanks fff for your encouraging words on Thiele - I thought he was too good to just leave on the FA scrap heap, especially considering our dearth of depth on the O-line. I had considered picking him up during the late FA period, but wanted to see what would happen with our picks and undrafted FA rookies. I was pretty surprised to see Thiele still available at this late date, and was thrilled to get him. But hopefully we won't need to call on him too much.

[Fonzie]

Next up is Boston, a team that figures to be greatly improved with their offseason acquisition of QB Dwayne Bridges from Fargo. I do not, however, expect to see Bridges in this game. Now on to the next Battle of the Boring Backups:

Box Score: Tucson at Boston
Boston, MA.

Exhibition Week 4, 2009

Attendance: 43,900 (71,600).


Weather: 63 degrees, rain.

1Q: 03:06 TUC - Freddie Housley 9 pass from Daryl Cassidy.
1Q: 03:06 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
2Q: 10:02 TUC - Lawrence Hakeem 51 pass from Daryl Cassidy.
2Q: 10:02 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
2Q: 02:56 NED - Luther Horner 20 run.
2Q: 02:56 NED - Bo Kitchings extra point.
4Q: 09:32 NED - Deron Stahl 21 pass from Ian Levine.
4Q: 09:32 NED - Bo Kitchings extra point.
4Q: 04:49 TUC - Rubin Castorena 36 field goal.
4Q: 00:43 NED - Luther Horner 30 run.
4Q: 00:43 NED - Bo Kitchings extra point.

Game MVP: NED 22 Luther Horner

Tucson 7 7 0 3 - 17
Boston 0 7 0 14 - 21

Team Statistics TUC NED

First Downs 11 23

Total Rushes 28 30
Rushing Yards 94 177
Yards Per Carry 3.3 5.9
Pass Attempts 24 37
Completions 13 21
Passing Yards 173 241
Yards Per Attempt 7.2 6.5
Sacked 2 5
Yards Lost 13 27
Interceptions 2 0
Fumbles/Lost 0/0 2/1

Total Plays 54 72
Total Yards 254 391
Yards Per Play 4.7 5.4

3rd Down Plays 2/12 8/17
Avg. YTG on 3rd 7.7 7.5
4th Down Plays 0/0 0/0

Penalties 3 3
Penalty Yards 20 13

Avg. Drive Start OWN 22 OWN 32
Time Of Possession 26:28 33:32

Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
30 Robbins 11 28 2.5 8 0
23 Brown 6 19 3.1 5 0
44 Howe 5 27 5.4 16 0
8 Cassidy 3 8 2.6 3 0
9 Weinke 2 11 5.5 7 0
83 Hakeem 1 1 1.0 1 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
8 Cassidy 15 9 117 7.8 51 2 1 0
9 Weinke 9 4 56 6.2 27 0 1 2

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
11 Housley 5 53 10.6 6 17 1
84 Joyner 3 32 10.6 6 27 0
81 Batchelor 2 23 11.5 5 17 0
88 Ramirez 2 14 7.0 0 9 0
83 Hakeem 1 51 51.0 36 51 1

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
80 Higginbotham 2 3 1.5 0
85 Garcia 2 11 5.5 0
22 Bradley 1 8 8.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
37 Rosenberry 1 26 26.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 8 364 45.5 58 2

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 1 1 36 2 2

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
90 Jarrard 7 2 0.0 0 0 0
99 Hape 6 0 0.0 0 0 0
93 King 5 2 0.0 0 0 0
33 Mirer 5 1 0.0 0 0 0
83 Hakeem 5 0 0.0 0 0 0
73 Smith 3 3 2.5 0 0 0
91 Rudd 3 0 0.5 0 0 0
97 Horn 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
37 Rosenberry 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
46 Bloch 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
51 Crane 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
45 Bennett 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
96 Stansell 2 1 0.5 0 0 0
52 Wash 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
29 McCloskey 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
72 Bernard 1 0 1.0 0 0 0
74 Cochrane 1 2 0.5 0 0 0
35 Boyd 1 3 0.0 0 0 0
88 Ramirez 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
64 Connell 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
85 Garcia 1 0 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
66 Mapes 0 0 0 0 2 0
62 Wickham 0 0 0 0 2 0
59 Buckley 0 0 0 0 0 1
64 Connell 0 0 0 0 1 1
96 Stansell 0 1 0 0 0 0
23 Brown 0 0 0 0 1 0
74 Cochrane 0 0 1 0 0 0
45 Bennett 0 1 0 0 0 0

Boston Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
22 Horner 12 98 8.1 30 2
38 Moss 7 32 4.5 11 0
21 Pressley 4 8 2.0 4 0
2 Levine 3 11 3.6 5 0
1 Ayanbadejo 3 19 6.3 11 0
23 Evans 1 9 9.0 9 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
2 Levine 23 13 150 6.5 36 1 0 2
1 Ayanbadejo 14 8 91 6.5 16 0 0 3

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
84 Ramirez 4 35 8.7 5 11 0
87 Blackwell 4 50 12.5 5 18 0
82 Dawkins 4 72 18.0 17 36 0
23 Evans 3 15 5.0 9 7 0
42 Reeves 2 11 5.5 0 10 0
9 Stahl 2 34 17.0 3 21 1
88 Greene 1 15 15.0 0 15 0
22 Horner 1 9 9.0 0 9 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
27 Heath 2 -10 -5.0 0
85 Worden 1 8 8.0 0
22 Horner 1 1 1.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
85 Worden 2 45 22.5 0
22 Horner 1 8 8.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
14 Golding 7 323 46.1 55 5

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
10 Kitchings 0 2 0 3 3

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
34 Rodriguez 8 1 0.0 1 0 0
30 Bridges 3 1 0.0 1 29 0
33 Sampson 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
92 Desmarais 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
96 DeLaune 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
52 Frain 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
56 Rutherford 2 0 0.5 0 0 0
59 Stackhouse 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
57 Lozier 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
46 Donovan 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
26 McEachern 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
65 Priester 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
25 Lynn 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
28 Howery 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
76 Ratini 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
91 Nesmith 1 0 1.0 0 0 0
79 Sizemore 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
50 Evans 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
54 Ericson 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
68 Cordoba 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
27 Heath 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
22 Horner 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
71 Cortez 0 2 0.5 0 0 0
58 Simms 0 2 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
77 Gullett 0 0 0 0 0 1
69 Milem 0 0 0 0 0 1
65 Priester 0 0 0 0 1 1
68 Cordoba 0 0 0 0 1 1
63 Hayes 0 0 0 0 4 1
84 Ramirez 1 0 1 0 0 0
23 Evans 0 0 0 0 2 0
1 Ayanbadejo 1 0 0 0 0 0
76 Ratini 0 0 0 0 1 0

Tucson Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 15:00 0:57 OWN 20 2 -1 Interception
1 12:22 1:48 OWN 30 3 5 Punt
1 9:36 6:30 OWN 19 11 81 Touchdown
2 11:49 1:47 OWN 36 3 64 Touchdown
2 2:56 1:36 OWN 34 3 7 Punt
3 13:43 1:31 OWN 24 3 5 Punt
3 10:06 1:04 OWN 27 3 -2 Punt
3 6:24 0:54 OWN 5 3 5 Punt
3 2:54 2:09 OWN 4 5 10 Punt
4 14:01 1:28 OWN 16 3 -5 Punt
4 9:32 4:43 OWN 20 8 61 Field Goal
4 2:09 0:38 OWN 21 3 2 Punt
4 0:43 0:12 OWN 20 1 0 Interception
4 0:24 0:24 OWN 33 3 7 Game

Boston Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 14:03 1:41 OPP 35 4 14 Fumble
1 10:34 0:58 OWN 30 3 4 Punt
1 3:06 6:17 OWN 18 13 53 Missed FG
2 10:02 7:06 OWN 13 13 87 Touchdown
2 1:20 1:20 OWN 9 4 29 Half
3 15:00 1:17 OWN 24 3 9 Punt
3 12:12 2:06 OWN 31 3 5 Punt
3 9:02 2:38 OWN 17 6 34 Punt
3 5:30 2:36 OWN 48 4 10 Punt
3 0:45 1:44 OWN 27 4 14 Punt
4 12:33 3:01 OPP 49 6 49 Touchdown
4 4:49 2:40 OWN 20 6 12 Punt
4 1:31 0:48 OWN 34 3 66 Touchdown
4 0:31 0:07 OPP 26 0 0 Missed FG

Tucson Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
2 1 1

Boston Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
1 0 0


I'm shortening up the boxscore presentation, as I believe it tends to be a bit too much information for casual reading.

Boston pulled out a nice 4th quarter comeback, and they did so by completely dominating our 3rd stringers. Hard to be too upset about that though.

The bright spots: Carl Smith's 2.5 sacks, Cassidy's competent performance under center (9/15, 117 yards, 2-1), yet another strong performance by WR Houseley (5-53-1), and P Winters' "breakout" game (8-45.5-2), if you can say such a thing about a punter in the preseason. The brightest spot of all, of course: no significant injuries. We've been very lucky in that regard this preseason - can we make it through one more game?

[Fonzie]

At long last the exhibition season is coming to a close. We've been fortunate to avoid any significant injuries during this preseason, and my main concern coming into this game is to continue that trend. I only have two regular starters in the starting lineup, and a few others buried in depth charts as needed, so I'm hopeful we can dodge the last injury bullet (which is what exhibition games seem like to me - little more than injury opportunities).

Our opponent for the final exhibition match is the Tampa Bay Torpedoes, ably managed by wade moore. They have some interesting young talent, but I don't expect we'll get to see many of them in this game. I'm anticipating we'll see nothing but backups again.

Box Score: Tampa Bay at Tucson
Tucson, AZ.

Exhibition Week 5, 2009

Attendance: 67,000 (69,800).


Weather: 64 degrees, fair.

1Q: 10:45 TUC - Freddie Housley 10 pass from Daryl Cassidy.
1Q: 10:45 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
2Q: 12:31 TBY - Damion Tabb 6 pass from Maurice Brown.
2Q: 12:31 TBY - Felton Cooper extra point.
2Q: 04:23 TBY - Felton Cooper 26 field goal.
2Q: 02:02 TUC - Marlon Joyner 4 pass from Artie Weinke.
2Q: 02:02 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
3Q: 08:53 TUC - Rubin Castorena 32 field goal.
4Q: 05:51 TUC - Grant Robbins 2 run.
4Q: 05:51 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.

Game MVP: TUC 9 Artie Weinke

Tampa Bay 0 10 0 0 - 10
Tucson 7 7 3 7 - 24

Team Statistics TBY TUC

First Downs 23 14

Total Rushes 25 32
Rushing Yards 49 108
Yards Per Carry 1.9 3.3
Pass Attempts 44 21
Completions 24 13
Passing Yards 295 208
Yards Per Attempt 6.7 9.9
Sacked 4 0
Yards Lost 24 0
Interceptions 2 0
Fumbles/Lost 1/0 0/0

Total Plays 73 53
Total Yards 320 316
Yards Per Play 4.3 5.9

3rd Down Plays 7/16 4/12
Avg. YTG on 3rd 9.6 5.7
4th Down Plays 0/0 0/0

Penalties 6 4
Penalty Yards 45 20

Avg. Drive Start OWN 27 OWN 36
Time Of Possession 33:56 26:04

Tampa Bay Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
38 Layton 9 27 3.0 5 0
20 McKnight 7 2 0.2 2 0
44 Garrett 4 10 2.5 5 0
36 Marrero 3 11 3.6 6 0
23 Levy 1 -5 -5.0 -5 0
18 Brown 1 4 4.0 4 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
18 Brown 31 19 236 7.6 34 1 0 3
6 Shannon 13 5 59 4.5 23 0 2 1

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
81 Muir 7 133 19.0 13 34 0
20 McKnight 5 27 5.4 20 8 0
89 Tabb 3 39 13.0 3 17 1
80 Brogan 3 41 13.6 0 18 0
87 Padgett 2 11 5.5 4 7 0
14 Yanok 2 25 12.5 1 17 0
85 Peterkin 1 13 13.0 2 13 0
44 Garrett 1 6 6.0 7 6 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
20 McKnight 2 48 24.0 0
21 Benge 1 7 7.0 0
89 Tabb 1 23 23.0 0
14 Yanok 1 21 21.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
17 Ackerman 7 203 29.0 48 3

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
7 Cooper 1 1 26 1 1

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
32 Burgess 5 0 0.0 0 0 0
98 Lanza 5 0 0.0 0 0 0
51 Shepard 5 0 0.0 0 0 0
97 Seignious 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
76 Bennett 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
92 Barrier 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
73 Beckman 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
31 Watkins 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
90 Williams 2 2 0.0 0 0 0
77 Buckner 2 2 0.0 0 0 0
53 Grieco 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
43 Hardy 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
14 Yanok 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
21 Benge 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
94 Hickerson 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
89 Tabb 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
58 Davis 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
68 Cordell 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
33 Sorota 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
24 Frazer 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
57 Boone 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
22 Montalvo 0 2 0.0 0 0 0
26 Jennings 0 1 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
67 Kasowski 0 0 0 0 1 1
78 Fleming 0 0 0 0 0 1
74 Bedell 0 0 0 0 0 1
63 Parker 0 0 0 0 2 1
80 Brogan 1 0 0 0 0 0
72 Terwey 0 0 0 0 1 0
20 McKnight 0 0 1 0 0 0

Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
30 Robbins 14 56 4.0 23 1
23 Brown 9 30 3.3 7 0
44 Howe 5 13 2.6 5 0
8 Cassidy 2 6 3.0 4 0
88 Ramirez 1 4 4.0 4 0
9 Weinke 1 -1 -1.0 -1 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
9 Weinke 16 12 198 12.3 56 1 0 0
8 Cassidy 5 1 10 2.0 10 1 0 0

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
11 Housley 3 57 19.0 14 33 1
81 Batchelor 2 26 13.0 0 14 0
88 Ramirez 2 65 32.5 12 56 0
23 Brown 2 2 1.0 5 3 0
84 Joyner 2 29 14.5 8 25 1
80 Higginbotham 1 5 5.0 0 5 0
30 Robbins 1 24 24.0 3 24 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
85 Garcia 2 17 8.5 0
80 Higginbotham 1 6 6.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
85 Garcia 2 35 17.5 0
81 Batchelor 1 19 19.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
7 Gilmore 4 169 42.2 47 1

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 1 3 32 3 3

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
37 Rosenberry 6 0 0.0 0 0 0
91 Rudd 5 1 1.0 0 0 0
46 Bloch 5 2 0.0 1 5 0
90 Jarrard 5 1 0.0 0 0 0
74 Cochrane 5 1 0.0 0 0 0
35 Boyd 4 2 1.0 0 0 0
99 Hape 4 0 0.0 0 0 0
93 King 3 4 0.0 1 44 0
33 Mirer 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
52 Wash 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
45 Bennett 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
29 McCloskey 2 3 1.0 0 0 0
96 Stansell 2 0 1.0 0 0 0
97 Horn 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
25 Minahan 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
87 Sheehy 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
51 Crane 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
26 Jeffries 1 0 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
77 Thiele 0 0 0 0 3 0
59 Buckley 0 0 0 0 2 0
87 Sheehy 0 0 0 0 1 0
64 Connell 0 0 0 0 1 0
29 McCloskey 0 1 0 0 0 0
66 Mapes 0 0 0 0 1 0

Tampa Bay Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 15:00 2:54 OWN 14 4 7 Punt
1 10:45 3:20 OWN 25 4 20 Punt
1 5:44 3:00 OWN 28 6 16 Punt
1 1:44 4:13 OWN 29 9 71 Touchdown
2 10:46 6:23 OWN 33 13 58 Field Goal
2 2:02 1:50 OWN 42 7 14 Punt
3 8:53 6:28 OWN 16 11 33 Punt
4 14:48 1:47 OWN 34 4 21 Punt
4 9:13 1:44 OWN 35 4 1 Interception
4 5:51 1:07 OWN 34 3 -5 Punt
4 2:16 1:50 OWN 15 8 70 Interception

Tucson Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 12:06 1:21 OPP 13 3 13 Touchdown
1 7:25 1:41 OWN 25 3 9 Punt
1 2:44 1:00 OWN 18 3 6 Punt
2 12:31 1:45 OWN 20 3 7 Punt
2 4:23 2:21 OWN 30 4 70 Touchdown
2 0:12 0:12 OPP 43 2 23 Half
3 15:00 6:07 OWN 19 12 66 Field Goal
3 2:25 2:37 OWN 21 7 52 Missed FG
4 13:01 3:48 OWN 20 7 59 Missed FG
4 7:29 1:38 OPP 6 3 6 Touchdown
4 4:44 2:28 OWN 34 3 7 Punt
4 0:26 0:26 OWN 7 3 3 Game

Tampa Bay Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
3 1 1

Tucson Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
4 3 1


So much for the Benched Starters Hypothesis: wade moore elected to start almost all of regulars in this meaningless match (I assume to improve cohesion and provide some game experience to the youngsters), whilst I kept nearly all of my critical players inactive. Our earlier matchup against New York featured a similar scenario, and we beat the Knights soundly in that game with just our 2nd- and 3rd-stringers. I was shocked by that fluke outcome, just as I'm shocked to see the same fluke outcome in this game vs. Tampa Bay. We again beat an obviously superior squad with our scrubs. I guess lightning can strike twice.

The highlights:
1) Trent Muir is The Real Deal. Even against backups a 7-133 day is pretty damn good.

2) Artie Weinke continues to impress by going 12/16 for 198 yds and 1 TD, against a real defense. He finished the preseason a combined 43/66 for 601 yds, 4 TDs, and 2 INTs. Methinks this kid might have a future in this league.

3) WR Freddie Housley finished his marvelous preseason with 3-57-1 performance. His preseason numbers came to 19-311-4. He had been battling Mack Ramirez for the #3 spot on the depth chart, but the competition was over almost as soon as it started. Ramirez was okay, but finished the preseason just 9-151-0.

4) P Mark Gilmore had his CFL debut today, averaging 42.2 yds on 4 punts, with one punt downed inside the 20. Pretty good. He's tradebait, but if I can't find anybody to take the kid I'll just carry two punters this year. I think he's gonna be that good.

5) Newcomer LT Dana Thiele got the start and was very impressive, not surrendering a sack and going 3 for 3 in key run blocks. I like that.

6) Most importantly, we suffered no injuries. This has been about as injury-free a preasons as I can remember having. I fear a regression-to-the-mean phenomenon will bite us come regular season, though.

With the preseason wrapped up it is now time to cut down the roster and get ready for the regular season. I've got some tough calls to make with my "bubble" players, as several of them are also affinity guys. Hmmm...decisions, decisions.

[Fonzie]

Please feel free to chime in as you see fit (except for MrBug - keep your trap shut, okay?).

I'd like to take this moment and express my thanks to MrBug for his obedience. Keep up the good silence, Bug!

[Fonzie]

The Curse of Maurice B. Fillington

By John J.J. Schmidt

Phoenix (AP) - Sports and curses. Curses and sports.

They go very well together,apparently. We all know of the Curse of the Bambino. Or Billy the Goat's pox on the Cubs. The Campbell Soup curse.

And, of course, who could forget the Curse of Maurice B. Fillington?

What’s that you say? Never heard of him? Or his curse?

Not surprising, because evidence of this curse has just recently been discovered by Assistant Professor Steven J. Perry of UC-San Francisco’s department of Non-Historical Political Scientology. Dr. Perry had been studying the voting records of 19th century Senator Maurice B. Fillington when he came across the transcript of a trial in the then-territory of Arizona in which Senator Fillington was charged with having an inappropriate relationship with a young woman.

“This is an extraordinary find,” said Dr. Perry on condition of anonymity. “The reasons for Senator Fillington’s sudden flight to Ecuador had been thought lost forever, but now we know.”

The story goes something like this: Senator Fillington’s train broke down near Phoenix, Arizona on the night of January 14, 1872, whilst he was traveling to review the appropriateness of California for habitation (he on earlier visits told his colleagues in Washington that the place was “unfit for small rodents, much less humans, owing to its large, spontaneously growing swaths of concrete”). Fillington’s train conductor was able to arrange accommodations in a nearby village for all passengers until the train was fixed, placing Fillington in the house of one P. Herman Widdlebon, a farmer of some local renown.

Much of the renown, it turns out, arose from his extremely attractive daughter, Mary-Kate Ashley Widdlebon.

You can probably fill in the rest of the blanks here, as Mr. Widdlebon of course welcomed Fillington into his home, under the condition that Fillington steer well clear of Mary-Kate Ashley. Terms to which Fillington of course agreed.

But the animal lust elicited by the 18 year-old Mary-Kate Ashley could not be contained, apparently, for he was subsequently brought up on charges of “indecency with a farmer’s wholesome daughter,” according to Dr. Perry’s newfound court documents.

Senator Fillington was found guilty and sentenced to two years in jail. According to the transcript the Senator was outraged at the conviction without any physical evidence of the crime, but the presiding judge, one Filmore S. Flufinrub, rebuked him saying that “Elected public servants, such as our dear Mr. Fillington, are known by all who think to be inclined to figuratively place good American citizens in tender positions, and then to proceed to give them a royal rogering of uncommon proportions. And so, dear Senator, why would anyone doubt the likelihood of one of your kind doing so in the flesh? Most ‘specially with such a lovely young flower as Mary-Kate Ashley? ”

“Senator Fillington was, apparently, offered the opportunity to marry Ms. Widdlebon, but being as he was already married that was not a popular option for him,” said Dr. Perry.

What is noteworthy are these words, addressed to Judge Flufinirub, by the Senator after his arrival in Ecuador:

“Dearest Judge Flufinrub,

I shan’t forget the shame and senatorial ejection I experienced as a result of your “judgment.” As such I offer you a curse in return: should the wretched Territory of Arizona ever achieve statehood, and shouldst that worthless state ever arise to such a level as to afford a professional franchise based in that tragic capitol city of your courtroom, Phoenix, then I hereby forbid such a franchise from achieving even a smallish bit of success. Nay, I foist upon such a hypothetical franchise my deepest disdain, and may their “sporting-players” be ever-disabled.

Sincerely,

Senator Fillington”

And now, thanks to Dr. Perry, we know why the Arizona Outlaws (appropriately named, no?) have a record of 23-72-1, with no playoff appearances. We know why, despite having a bevy of talented players, tragedy befalls the team via injury or other mishap every season. We now know specifically why they just lost star RT Colin Downs for the season and, perhaps, his career.

It is all the fault of Senator Fillington’s penis.

[Fonzie]

Timmynausea (owner of the CFL's freighteningly talented Boise Stampede) has provided a very thoughtful analysis of every division at the CFL's forum, and has graciously agreed to let me post some of his Wisdom Nuggets here for your enjoyment. Be appreciative of his efforts, Gentle Reader, lest he grow cross.

Thanks, Timmy!

Link to the CFL RoF preview thread (http://thecfl.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2182)
Other divisional previews can be found here. (http://thecfl.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=6)

Timmynausea's 2009 Ring of Fire Division Preview

Tucson Toros
Last year's performance - 10-6
Tucson recorded their fourth straight season with double digit wins with 10 in 2008, only to falter in the playoffs once again. This time the postseason was a one and done affair with the defeat coming at the hands of Seymour Barre and the legs of Alexis Rounds in Sacramento. Even though the Colonel, quarterback Milan Hogan, missed 3 games with an injury, the team scored 25.5 points per game, which is a franchise record.

Strongest Unit - Defensive Backfield
Picking the strongest unit on a team as good as Tucson is pretty tough. On paper, it makes the most sense to go with the db's. Two of the best players on the team are in the secondary in S Mitchell Enoch and CB Keven Biggs. Biggs missed 10 games last year, so keeping him healthy will be a concern. He is the best cover guy they have.

Weakest Unit - Defensive Line
The loss of DE Lance Crane for the year with a torn ACL will hurt as he was quickly developing into one of the better pass rushers in the league. The best among the guys remaining along the line is DE Howie Grier, who is really more of a run-stuffer than a pass rusher. The defensive tackles are solid, but not spectacular and there is less depth at tackle than at end. Still, this is more of a slight concern than any kind of gaping hole. With a solid linebacking corps behind them, and a great run-stopper at safety in Enoch, the Toros will be fine against the run. The lack of a pass rush could lead to some problems against good passing teams, though.

Key Unit - Offensive Line
Of the 11 O-Lineman currently on Tucson's roster, 5 joined the team during this offseason, and 7 weren't part of the team 2 seasons ago. That amount of shuffling is a cause for concern, especially with Tucson leaning so heavily on Drew Holliday and the running game. Most of the new guys will be riding the pine, however, and the only newcomer that will really challenge for a starting spot is RG Richard Eaddy. I expect to see Kelvin Connell win that battle as a superior run-blocker. There is not much here in terms of depth along the line, though, and with two young guys moving up to start at the guard spots, whether or not this line can open up holes for Holliday the way they have the past few years is in question heading into the season.

Impact Newcomer - WR Sydney Armitage
Key Loss - DE Lance Crane (injury)

Outlook - Tucson is not a perfect team, but they are pretty good. There are some slight concerns on the offensive line, but it'll ultimately be a matter of being effective as opposed to being dominant. Noone can completely stop Drew Holliday. Armitage will have a career year and make the people of Tucson forever forget the droptastic ways of Carl Markey. Tucson will roll through the regular season and maybe even do some damage in the playoffs this year. Projected Record: 12-4


Honolulu Blue Pacific
Last year's performance - 11-5
After a human 1-3 start, Ronnie Tu switched back to his right hand and Honolulu got hot in a hurry, winning 8 in a row on their way to yet another division title. Tulsa made them look soft and old in the playoffs, though, coming into Honolulu and rushing for 204 yards to knock off the Blue Pacific 28-20 in front of God and everyone in the very house that Ronnie Tu built. Hawaiian children wept openly.

Strongest Unit - Offensive Line
Four of the 5 starters on the offensive line have won two titles starting together in Honolulu. It's hard to argue with that. I would figure the Blue Pacific line to be pretty good, but not quite great, and unfortunately it'd take a miracle to be effective running the ball with the stable of running backs Honolulu currently has. That's ok, though, because the passing attack has always been the number one option in Hawaii.

Weakest Unit - Running Backs
There are a slew of holes on this Blue Pacific squad including – right corner, nose tackle and both outside linebacker slots, but the biggest hole has to be at running back. It looks like Kris Pisano will get the starting nod for now. He has pretty good breakaway speed but brings little else to the table. He has a career 3.51 yards per carry number that is equally unimpressive. In fact, the roster strengths page lists Honolulu's running back as the worst starter in the league.

Key Unit - Quarterback
Tu. Ronnie Tu. This guy has been one of the most productive passers in the history of the CFL, and while Honolulu's various holes may make them something of a long shot to get back to the CFL bowl, Tu will keep them from falling too far. It'll be interesting to see how much longer he'll stick around, and how Honolulu will adjust once he's gone.

Impact Newcomers - WR Matt Brunner, DE David Hance
Key Loss - C Chris Fenton, ILB Eugene Lemmons

Outlook - Honolulu has fallen behind Tucson in pure talent. In fact, the only place that Honolulu is still clearly better than the Toros is at quarterback. Tu will be enough to keep the Blue Pacific competitive, but the decline of the Hawaiian empire is upon us. The Colonel has come to collect Tu's crown and the division title, too. Projected record: 9-7


Las Vegas Rounders
Last year's performance - 8-8
The season-opening win at Honolulu was one of the best in franchise history, but an ill-timed injury for Jackpot Olson prevented the Rounders from building on a strong 5-2 start. Their playoff hopes were still alive in the final weeks, but they dropped their last two to Baltimore and Tucson to get left home again.

Strongest Unit - Defensive Front
Vegas has a lot of talent and depth up front on defense. With Mario Ah Yat and Zachary Aaron on the D-line and Jorge Butler, Ira Saxon and Jerrod Spalding at linebacker behind them, the Rounders have 5 elite level players among the starting front 7. They also have enough depth at DT and ILB to switch back and forth between a 3-4 and 4-3 depending on which one matches up better with an opponent. Oddly, last year was the worst in terms of rush defense, giving up 152.1 yards per game. That shouldn't be the case this year, and they should get a lot of sacks and hurries as well.

Weakest Unit - Defensive Backfield
The safeties are good, but the corners are mediocre enough to consider this the team's soft spot. The team's top corner, Terry Grayvil, begins the season injured and will miss at least the opener against Arizona. That puts even more pressure on what will be a routinely outmanned secondary. Still, Grayvil will be back within a week or two, and these corners may end up doing ok with a great front 7 in front of them and two good safeties there to help.

Key Unit - Running Back
After Craig Greene proved ineffective the last two years, Anthony Jennings is finally getting his shot as the starting back in Las Vegas. If he can provide them with a legitimate rushing threat to go with the passing game of Jackpot, the Vegas offense could really open up. They have a decent line with a couple of young guys that are still developing, so I'm not sure they're going to dominate on the ground no matter what. The Vegas defense is good, though, and all they need is an offense that can eat a little clock and score a few points and they'll take care of the rest. In years past, the Vegas rushing attack fell short on their end of that bargain.

Impact Newcomers - SS Hans Walton, OLB Ira Saxon
Key Loss - none

Outlook - Vegas is a good team that just happens to play in one of the toughest divisions in the league. They should be on par with what they've done the past couple years, meaning what happens in a couple close games will decide whether they make the playoffs or just miss again. Their defense is for real and Jennings will help in the running game enough to keep them on the winning side of 8-8. Whether or not that is good enough to make the playoffs is anybody's guess. Projected record: 9-7


Arizona Outlaws
Last year's record - 3-13
Arizona had another tough year in 2008. They only managed 3 wins on the season. The defense was mostly to blame. They gave up 25.1 points and 360.3 yards per game. The offense actually made some strides, recording a franchise best 16.6 points and 313.8 yards per game. There's still a long way to go, though.

Strongest Unit - Defensive Line
If they sign first round pick DE O.J. James, the defensive line will instantly become the strength of the team. Even without James, the best player on the team is DT Larry Ellis. Ellis and James could be quite the force together, making it difficult for teams to run and providing a substantial pass rush. For now, James is realaxing at home holding out. He's missed training camp and the entire preseason.

Weakest Unit - Receiving Corps
Poor quarterback Al DeNeff. He basically has noone to throw to. His top target would be TE Erich Frazee, but he is recovering from knee surgery so his future is still in question. If Frazee can't go, TE Alfred Austin would become the top receiving option. At the actual receiver spots it appears Billie Latour will be the top guy at SE. He caught 46 passes for 645 yards last year. At flanker it'd be Dale McKoy. Yikes. The one silver lining here is that injuries wouldn't be a concern since the starters are no good to begin with.

Key Unit - Offensive Backfield
Arizona doesn't have great hopes of getting it going this year, but if by some miracle they did, it'd be qb Al DeNeff and rb Artie Sonntag leading the way. Those guys are legitimately good, and when you consider that they've produced pretty well with an average line and no help at wide reciever, it becomes even more impressive. Sonntag doesn't get enough carries, but Arizona is usually playing catch up. He averaged 4.62 yards per carry a year ago.

Impact Newcomer - DE O.J. James
Key Loss - S Hans Walton

Outlook - Arizona is still a ways away from becoming a winner. DeNeff and Sonntag are the beacons of hope on offense, and if O.J. James signs, things will be looking up on defense. The team is still at least a year and a wide receiver or two away from being competitive, though. Projected record: 4-12

[Fonzie]

The regular season is finally here, and with it comes an immediate test: a tilt at arch-rival Honolulu. It is hard to argue that the season's first game is a must-win, but I believe this truly is a must win game. The battle for the division title will be hard-fought, and I wouldn't be surprised if the title winner was decided by a tiebreaker.

A win here would give us a leg-up in that respect, and allow us to continue a recent turn in our fortunes against a team that has haunted us. Heading into the 2008 season, we sported a pathetic 2-9 record against the Blue Pacific. Last season saw us sweep them to improve that mark to 4-9. A good start, I think, but I'd like to see that nudge up to 6-9 by the end of this year. Winning four straight will be tough against any team led by Ronnie Tu, but I am hopeful.

Honolulu is still a team to be reckoned with, although their overall talent level has diminshed in recent years. They're still strong along the offensive line, have some talent at WR, and a talented linebacking corps. The defensive backfield is good but aging. All in all I think we match up well with them.

On to the game!

Box Score: Tucson at Honolulu
Honolulu, HI.

Week 1, 2009

Attendance: 65,100 (66,000).


Weather: 68 degrees, fair.

1Q: 04:07 TUC - Drew Holliday 11 pass from Milan "Colonel" Hogan.
1Q: 04:07 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
2Q: 12:09 TUC - Mack Ramirez 9 pass from Milan "Colonel" Hogan.
2Q: 12:09 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
2Q: 06:46 HON - Anton Ervin 5 pass from Ronnie Tu.
2Q: 06:46 HON - Glenn Hale extra point.
2Q: 00:04 TUC - Rubin Castorena 43 field goal.
3Q: 11:20 TUC - Sydney Armitage 8 pass from Milan "Colonel" Hogan.
3Q: 11:20 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
3Q: 02:50 TUC - Rubin Castorena 40 field goal.
4Q: 08:23 HON - Kris Pisano 1 run.
4Q: 08:23 HON - Glenn Hale extra point.
4Q: 00:01 TUC - Rubin Castorena 46 field goal.

Game MVP: TUC 4 Milan "Colonel" Hogan

Tucson 7 10 10 3 - 30
Honolulu 0 7 0 7 - 14

Team Statistics TUC HON

First Downs 28 14

Total Rushes 42 13
Rushing Yards 171 62
Yards Per Carry 4.0 4.7
Pass Attempts 32 35
Completions 22 18
Passing Yards 248 251
Yards Per Attempt 7.7 7.1
Sacked 1 1
Yards Lost 5 5
Interceptions 0 0
Fumbles/Lost 2/0 2/1

Total Plays 75 49
Total Yards 414 308
Yards Per Play 5.5 6.2

3rd Down Plays 9/16 2/10
Avg. YTG on 3rd 8.0 12.7
4th Down Plays 0/0 1/1

Penalties 5 8
Penalty Yards 35 94

Avg. Drive Start OWN 25 OWN 27
Time Of Possession 37:26 22:34

Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
42 Holliday 33 150 4.5 16 0
22 Bradley 8 23 2.8 6 0
4 Hogan 1 -2 -2.0 -2 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
4 Hogan 32 22 248 7.7 26 3 0 1

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
80 Higginbotham 5 54 10.8 12 18 0
89 Armitage 5 77 15.4 10 26 1
82 Torres 4 35 8.7 6 13 0
26 Jeffries 3 19 6.3 15 9 0
88 Ramirez 2 16 8.0 8 9 1
87 Sheehy 1 11 11.0 4 11 0
42 Holliday 1 11 11.0 0 11 1
11 Housley 1 25 25.0 5 25 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
22 Bradley 2 17 8.5 0
85 Garcia 1 5 5.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
88 Ramirez 2 49 24.5 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 4 169 42.2 58 2

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 3 4 46 3 3

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
58 Watford 9 2 0.0 0 0 0
52 Wash 4 2 0.0 0 0 0
25 Minahan 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
31 Enoch 2 4 0.0 0 0 0
93 King 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
32 Hartung 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
33 Mirer 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
90 Jarrard 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
51 Crane 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
97 Horn 1 0 1.0 0 0 0
37 Rosenberry 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
70 Neubauer 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
46 Bloch 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
96 Stansell 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
75 Grier 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
26 Jeffries 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
30 Robbins 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
72 Bernard 0 1 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
60 Poplawski 0 0 1 0 2 1
63 Pitman 0 0 0 0 3 0
26 Jeffries 0 0 0 0 3 0
58 Watford 0 2 0 0 0 0
78 Odum 0 0 0 0 2 0
42 Holliday 2 0 0 0 0 0
4 Hogan 0 0 1 0 0 0
87 Sheehy 0 0 0 0 1 0
32 Hartung 0 0 1 0 0 0
71 Franck 0 0 0 0 1 0
64 Connell 0 0 0 0 1 0

Honolulu Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
30 Pisano 10 66 6.6 52 1
33 Gomez 3 -4 -1.3 1 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
16 Tu 35 18 251 7.1 29 1 0 1

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
81 O'Neal 5 56 11.2 7 17 0
41 Ervin 3 26 8.6 5 19 1
87 Abeyta 3 45 15.0 3 23 0
82 Mendes 3 60 20.0 9 28 0
86 Brunner 2 38 19.0 13 29 0
84 Dunlap 2 26 13.0 2 22 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
82 Mendes 1 3 3.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
34 Burke 3 61 20.3 0
30 Pisano 3 57 19.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
5 Elswick 7 288 41.1 49 3

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
18 Hale 0 0 0 2 2

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
57 Evan 10 4 0.0 0 0 0
42 Toler 9 0 0.0 0 0 0
24 Dover 8 3 0.0 0 0 0
71 Shreve 8 2 0.0 0 0 0
58 Pennington 6 0 1.0 0 0 0
40 Burmbaugh 4 0 0.0 0 0 0
34 Burke 3 4 0.0 0 0 0
98 Wheat 3 4 0.0 0 0 0
73 Hance 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
95 Reed 2 3 0.0 0 0 0
92 Sutter 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
90 Gagliardi 1 2 0.0 0 0 0
48 Loukas 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
77 Sullins 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
52 Pless 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
70 Fisher 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
76 Hloupy 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
89 Schulz 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
91 DiMaggio 0 3 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
64 Brown 0 0 0 0 0 1
52 Pless 0 0 1 0 2 0
30 Pisano 1 0 0 0 0 0
57 Evan 0 1 0 0 0 0
42 Toler 0 1 0 0 0 0
62 Wolf 0 0 0 0 1 0
82 Mendes 1 0 0 0 0 0

Tucson Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 14:08 2:34 OWN 48 5 16 Missed FG
1 10:05 1:16 OWN 6 4 12 Punt
1 6:08 2:01 OWN 20 4 80 Touchdown
1 2:25 5:16 OWN 29 11 71 Touchdown
2 6:46 2:10 OWN 31 6 26 Punt
2 1:11 1:07 OWN 23 4 51 Field Goal
3 15:00 3:40 OWN 28 7 72 Touchdown
3 10:17 7:27 OWN 21 12 56 Field Goal
3 1:32 1:25 OPP 45 3 2 Punt
4 13:18 1:10 OWN 1 3 6 Punt
4 8:23 8:22 OWN 20 18 51 Field Goal

Honolulu Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 15:00 0:52 OWN 20 3 -4 Punt
1 11:34 1:29 OWN 43 4 13 Punt
1 8:49 2:41 OWN 42 5 18 Punt
1 4:07 1:42 OWN 22 3 5 Punt
2 12:09 5:23 OWN 27 10 73 Touchdown
2 4:36 3:25 OWN 7 7 39 Punt
3 11:20 1:03 OWN 40 3 0 Punt
3 2:50 1:18 OWN 26 2 19 Fumble
3 0:07 1:49 OWN 8 5 53 Punt
4 12:08 3:45 OWN 38 7 62 Touchdown

Tucson Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
5 3 2

Honolulu Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
2 2 0


I'd say that went well.

I couldn't have hoped for a better start to the season. "Colonel" Hogan and Holliday got off to fast starts, and Sydney Armitage made himself right at home with a 5-77-1 day. Our defense did a great job on Tu (and actually has done a great job with Tu for years - we just kept losing despite containing him), and if not for a single 52 yard scamper by Pisano we would've held them to just 1 yard per carry. A fine all around performance.

One concern, however, is the immediate rash of injuries we suffered on defense. Three starters are already out for next week, and two of them might be out for 2 or so months. CB Keven Biggs, ostensibly our best cover corner, only lasted two plays before collapsing in a heap. His loss hurts, though we managed to do pretty well without him for 10 games last season. Still, it is a bit of a kick in the teeth to go through the entire preseason with nary a significant injury, and then suffer three in the very first "real" game. Dammit.

But beating Honolulu soundly is always a cause for celebration, even if we got a bit beat up in the process. Next up: the Cleveland Flats.

[TLK]

This is where I'd like to talk some smack, but unfortunately after my week 1 game.... I'll refrain.

[fantastic flying froggies]

This is where I'd like to talk some smack, but unfortunately after my week 1 game.... I'll refrain.
why? what was the result of your week 1 game???



:p

[Fonzie]

Key Game Roundup for Week 1:

Las Vegas 27, Arizona 7: Poor Arizona. They got absolutely clobbered in this game. They coughed up 224 rushing yards to Vegas (resulting in Anthony Jennings' career day, 19-151-2), and turned the ball over four times. Divisional road games are tough, but man did Vegas lay the wood to them. This is only considered a "key" game because they're my division rivals.

Atlantic City 30, Hartford 24: Without question, this was the Upset of the Week. Atlantic City only won five games last season, but two of those wins were against Hartford, a team many picked to make the CFL bowl. That season sweep was a fluke, to be sure...or was it? AC won their third straight over an excellent Hartford squad. Rough start for Hartford, and a divisional loss right off the bat might dim their divisional title hopes slightly (though I still consider them the frontrunners).

Charleston 38, Tampa Bay 24: Last year's champs got a bit of a scare when Tampa came back to tie the game in the 3rd quarter at 24. Two touchdowns later, the Monitors righted their listing ship and demonstrated what we all expected from them - a strong win. Still, Tampa showed considerable spunk, and may do better than the pundits suspected.

Oregon 20, Boise 17 (OT): In what was likely the "game of the week," a CFL bowl contender (Boise) came up just short in a divisional clash with hated rival Oregon. Oregon's 1st round pick, QB Myron "Angie" Dickenson threw for over 300 yards in his debut, thwarting Boise's hopes for a fast start. Boise will get back on track, but this loss had to be a disappointment for them.

Detroit 21, Cleveland 7: Despite featuring a stout defensive front, Cleveland somehow allowed 304 rushing yards to the Vampires (2nd-most in CFL history). Detroit has a good running game, of course, but that kind of output is shocking. Monty Boyd gained 241 yards on 28 carries with 2 TDs. I'm listing this as a "key" game because I'm up against Cleveland next week, and I'm hoping that Cleveland fails to make adjustments this week. I'm sure Drew Holliday wouldn't mind picking up a 200 yard rushing day. ;)

There were, of course, other important games, but I'm too damned lazy to write them up. Sorry guys. :)

[Cotton]

Um... kinda guessin' the CFL doesn't have too much turnover. ;)

BUT! If it did, I would gladly join.

(I'm about to start my own damn ficsim league!)

[Fonzie]

Um... kinda guessin' the CFL doesn't have too much turnover. ;)

BUT! If it did, I would gladly join.

(I'm about to start my own damn ficsim league!)

You'd be correct! :)

We've only had one team change hands in the last two seasons, if memory serves. But feel free to get on the waitlist - you can find the CFL forums here. (http://thecfl.net/forum/index.php)

It truly is a wonderful league - GE (the original commish) and Taco (the current commish) have done a great job, and the owners are all first-rate.

[MrBug708]

No worries :)

[TurfToe]

Now that MrBug has spoken, I feel it only appropriate that I chime in, especially since someone mentioned my name - first rate owner.

Good read so far Fonz, keep it coming!

It'll be nice to follow our trials and tribulations from a second-place perspective. ;)

I'm excited about our first matchup featuring The Colonel and Jackpot with the Holliday/Ah Yat undercard.

Game on!

[Fonzie]

No worries :)

Quiet you! ;)

[Fonzie]

Now that MrBug has spoken, I feel it only appropriate that I chime in, especially since someone mentioned my name - first rate owner.

Good read so far Fonz, keep it coming!

It'll be nice to follow our trials and tribulations from a second-place perspective. ;)

I'm excited about our first matchup featuring The Colonel and Jackpot with the Holliday/Ah Yat undercard.

Game on!

Quiet you! ;)

[MrBug708]

It might be the end of Hawaii's run at the top of the playoffs, but I'm not too down. You may kiss the CFL Bowl ring.

Both of them.

[Fonzie]

It might be the end of Hawaii's run at the top of the playoffs, but I'm not too down. You may kiss the CFL Bowl ring.

Both of them.

With Ronnie Tu anything is possible - it really wouldn't surprise me to see Honolulu win yet another division title.

But if it's all the same to you I'll just skip the whole ring kissing thing.

[Cotton]

You'd be correct! :)

We've only had one team change hands in the last two seasons, if memory serves. But feel free to get on the waitlist - you can find the CFL forums here. (http://thecfl.net/forum/index.php)

It truly is a wonderful league - GE (the original commish) and Taco (the current commish) have done a great job, and the owners are all first-rate. Perhaps I can set up and manage the CFL Cheerleaders' site for a franchise! Instead of player files, um... assorted jpegs of the fairer sex in various states of relative undress... and a draft even... (I'm only half-kidding.)

[Fonzie]

Perhaps I can set up and manage the CFL Cheerleaders' site for a franchise! Instead of player files, um... assorted jpegs of the fairer sex in various states of relative undress... and a draft even... (I'm only half-kidding.)

I believe most teams in the CFL would be quite interested in such a service. :)

And a cheerleader draft? I see many possibilities there.

[fantastic flying froggies]

Here are my cheerleaders (Detroit Vampires):

http://www.fantasy-illustration.com/illustration/vampire-girl_illustration2.html

and

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/48/Girl_in_vampire_costume.jpg

[Cotton]

I believe most teams in the CFL would be quite interested in such a service. :)

And a cheerleader draft? I see many possibilities there.
Like I said, I was only half-kidding. I personally think it would be a hoot. We could restrict the selections to actual NFL/College cheerleader jpegs - or we could just go soft porn... But yeah, I was thinking of a draft and all that...

[Cotton]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/48/Girl_in_vampire_costume.jpg
I'm guessing they don't make to many day game roadtrips... ;)

[fantastic flying froggies]

I'm guessing they don't make to many day game roadtrips... ;)
We only play at night, or in domes... :)

[Fonzie]

Our next opponents are the Cleveland Flats of the Eastern Conference. We've only faced them once before, back in week 2 of 2005, and came away with a 25-7 home win. This Cleveland squad bears little resemblance to that squad of 2005, though, as only 12 of their current players were on the roster back then. Thus, we have little idea of what to expect from the Flats this time around. But there are a couple of players we can guess will play key roles in the outcome of this game. Here they are:

QB Ernest Lorenzo - Lorenzo joined Cleveland in 2007 after spending the first four years of his career starting for El Paso. He had an immediate impact for the Flats, posting career highs across the board in the '07 campaign: 300/488, 61%, 4122 yds, 32 TDs, 13 INTs. 99.2 Rating. He almost single-handedly improved Cleveland's record from 3-13 in 2006 to 9-7 in '07. It is hard to overestimate his importance to the team, either, as he dropped back to earth hard in 2008, finishing just 276/568, 48.5%, 3718 yds, 23 TDs, 20 INTs, 68.6 Rating. And his statistical plummet dropped Cleveland's record to 6-10.

So, what to expect of him this season? He got off to a rough start against Detroit last week, posting a 10/24, 110 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT effort. But Detroit's a tough team, and I fear the Lorenzo of '07 could reappear at any moment. I just hope that moment isn't against my Toros tomorrow.

DT Harold Stoltzfus - Lorenzo may well beat us, but he doesn't scare me as much as Stoltzfus. This guy is a monster - the kind that cause interior offensive linemen to have nightmares that give rise to spasmically soiled sheets and bewildered bedmates. The 7-year vet wrangled 65 tackles and 32 assists in 2008, with 7.5 sacks and 34 hurries last season - for an astonishing PR% of 8.6! Our scouts view him as "the complete package" - his skills are unparalleled in every domain. He is, of course, the best DT in the league.

That's a big load of hurt he'll be throwing at my O-line. I fear for C Steven Odum's mental health - and for "Colonel" Hogan's physical health. Oh dear, but the battle in the trenches could get real ugly.

I think I hate the Stars of Cleveland. Curses!

[TLK]

Good game Fonzie....

I would of liked a different outcome, but I'll be damned if that game wasn't entertaining as hell.

[Fonzie]

Our home opener is against a tough Cleveland Flats squad that boasts some very talented players. I've mentioned a few of them above - but a few others are worth noting. DT Chester Reed (playing DE) and S Alvin McCloskey are both former Toros - they were traded in the offseason to Cleveland for draft picks. I am quite certain they will be looking to show their former employer that doing so was a mistake. There's another former Toro on Cleveland's roster - backup RB Tito Sanders. He's a busted 2nd round pick of ours from 2005. He managed to stick to our roster as a return specialist for three seasons until we cut him after the '07 season. So there's some familiarity here.

Cleveland also has considerable talent at the offensive skill positions, along the O-line, and at their defensive front. This'll be a tough match, much tougher than one might expect from facing a team that was 6-10 a year ago.

On to the action!

Box Score: Cleveland at Tucson
Tucson, AZ.

Week 2, 2009

Attendance: 67,000 (69,800).


Weather: 79 degrees, fair.

1Q: 08:20 CLE - Tony Oaks 54 pass from Ernest Lorenzo.
1Q: 08:20 CLE - J.C. Adkins extra point.
1Q: 01:36 TUC - Drew Holliday 3 run.
1Q: 01:36 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
2Q: 11:10 CLE - J.C. Adkins 26 field goal.
2Q: 04:42 TUC - Anthony Torres 5 pass from Milan "Colonel" Hogan.
2Q: 04:42 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
2Q: 01:07 CLE - Rusty McNeil 36 pass from Ernest Lorenzo.
2Q: 01:07 CLE - J.C. Adkins extra point.
3Q: 06:46 TUC - Drew Holliday 1 run.
3Q: 06:46 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
4Q: 08:55 CLE - J.C. Adkins 52 field goal.
4Q: 01:56 TUC - Rubin Castorena 21 field goal.

Game MVP: TUC 4 Milan "Colonel" Hogan

Cleveland 7 10 0 3 - 20
Tucson 7 7 7 3 - 24

Team Statistics CLE TUC

First Downs 17 23

Total Rushes 22 37
Rushing Yards 77 129
Yards Per Carry 3.5 3.4
Pass Attempts 35 25
Completions 22 19
Passing Yards 304 209
Yards Per Attempt 8.6 8.3
Sacked 1 1
Yards Lost 6 5
Interceptions 1 1
Fumbles/Lost 1/0 2/0

Total Plays 58 63
Total Yards 375 333
Yards Per Play 6.4 5.2

3rd Down Plays 5/12 6/11
Avg. YTG on 3rd 7.2 5.4
4th Down Plays 1/2 0/0

Penalties 8 1
Penalty Yards 67 5

Avg. Drive Start OWN 33 OWN 39
Time Of Possession 27:28 32:32

Cleveland Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
29 Reed 13 41 3.1 7 0
47 West 8 30 3.7 13 0
11 Lorenzo 1 6 6.0 6 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
11 Lorenzo 35 22 304 8.6 54 2 1 1

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
82 Chavez 6 87 14.5 23 20 0
88 Oaks 4 101 25.2 46 54 1
47 West 4 20 5.0 11 8 0
87 McCrae 2 26 13.0 7 18 0
85 McNeil 2 44 22.0 10 36 1
29 Reed 2 8 4.0 8 5 0
83 Hernandez 1 10 10.0 1 10 0
84 Wetherbee 1 8 8.0 2 8 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
85 McNeil 1 23 23.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
40 Foran 3 79 26.3 0
35 Bellisari 1 17 17.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
7 Dowd 2 30 15.0 30 1

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
15 Adkins 2 4 52 2 2

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
43 McCloskey 8 4 0.0 0 0 0
94 Thom 6 2 0.0 0 0 0
25 Stuart 6 2 0.0 0 0 0
96 Stoltzfus 6 1 0.0 0 0 0
92 Trujillo 5 2 0.0 0 0 0
42 Roy 4 2 0.0 0 0 0
90 Reed 3 0 1.0 0 0 0
55 Bussard 3 1 0.0 1 0 0
57 Ober 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
98 Delgado 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
23 Horn 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
77 Parsons 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
26 Means 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
93 Williamson 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
82 Chavez 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
40 Foran 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
32 Lobert 0 2 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
69 Denning 0 0 0 0 1 1
26 Means 0 1 0 0 0 0
11 Lorenzo 1 0 0 0 0 0
75 Brown 0 0 1 0 0 0
54 Poland 0 0 0 0 1 0
65 Johnson 0 0 0 0 1 0
90 Reed 0 1 0 0 0 0

Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
42 Holliday 29 106 3.6 22 2
22 Bradley 6 21 3.5 5 0
4 Hogan 1 -2 -2.0 -2 0
26 Jeffries 1 4 4.0 4 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
4 Hogan 25 19 209 8.3 28 1 1 1

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
89 Armitage 5 56 11.2 7 18 0
82 Torres 5 60 12.0 30 22 1
26 Jeffries 4 27 6.7 18 10 0
80 Higginbotham 2 36 18.0 8 28 0
87 Sheehy 1 20 20.0 7 20 0
22 Bradley 1 2 2.0 0 2 0
84 Joyner 1 8 8.0 0 8 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
85 Garcia 4 90 22.5 0
88 Ramirez 1 23 23.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 2 79 39.5 44 0

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 1 3 21 3 3

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
52 Wash 9 5 0.0 0 0 0
58 Watford 8 1 0.0 0 0 0
46 Bloch 5 3 0.0 0 0 0
29 McCloskey 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
31 Enoch 3 1 0.0 1 10 0
33 Mirer 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
75 Grier 2 0 0.5 0 0 0
25 Minahan 2 2 0.0 0 0 0
96 Stansell 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
70 Neubauer 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
30 Robbins 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
97 Horn 1 1 0.5 0 0 0
51 Crane 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
37 Rosenberry 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
4 Hogan 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
90 Jarrard 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
72 Bernard 1 0 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
71 Franck 0 0 0 0 3 1
64 Connell 0 0 0 0 4 0
78 Odum 0 0 0 0 3 0
26 Jeffries 1 0 0 0 2 0
4 Hogan 1 0 1 0 0 0
60 Poplawski 0 0 1 0 1 0
75 Grier 0 1 0 0 0 0
63 Pitman 0 0 0 0 1 0

Cleveland Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 10:09 0:10 OWN 41 1 0 Interception
1 8:31 0:11 OWN 46 1 54 Touchdown
1 4:06 2:21 OWN 20 3 2 Punt
1 1:36 5:26 OWN 27 11 64 Field Goal
2 4:42 3:35 OWN 34 9 66 Touchdown
2 0:08 0:05 OPP 33 0 0 Missed FG
3 15:00 3:25 OWN 20 8 31 Punt
3 6:46 4:46 OWN 31 8 38 Missed FG
4 14:15 5:20 OWN 20 9 45 Field Goal
4 1:56 1:54 OWN 28 9 25 Downs

Tucson Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 15:00 4:51 OWN 24 9 42 Missed FG
1 9:59 1:28 OPP 40 3 1 Missed FG
1 8:20 4:14 OWN 30 8 61 Interception
1 1:45 0:09 OPP 3 1 3 Touchdown
2 11:10 6:28 OWN 43 14 57 Touchdown
2 1:07 0:59 OWN 19 3 2 Punt
2 0:03 0:03 OWN 40 1 0 Half
3 11:35 4:49 OWN 19 9 81 Touchdown
3 2:00 2:45 OWN 38 5 18 Punt
4 8:55 6:59 OWN 14 10 82 Field Goal
4 0:02 0:02 OWN 47 1 -2 Game

Cleveland Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
1 0 1

Tucson Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
4 2 1

This was one helluva close game, featuring several painful moments for yours truly. Pulling off the win helps soothe that pain, but damn I almost had a heart attack several times while watching this game on 3ric's viewer. Allow me to present a few of those moments to you, dear reader:

Our opening drive, which goes 42 yards before petering out:

4-12-CLE34 (10:16) TUC 13 Castorena attempted a 51 yard field goal and missed wide to the right.

Okay, long but makable field goal attempt for a guy with a strong leg. Too bad he missed it, but not a terrible coaching decision.

We quickly get the ball back, as Lorenzo's very first pass is intercepted at midfield by S Enoch and returned to the CLE 40. Our next three plays only net one yard, and what does our coach do? He goes for the FG.

4-09-CLE39 (08:38) TUC 13 Castorena attempted a 56 yard field goal and missed short of the crossbar.

A 56-yard attempt as a desperation kick I get. A 56 yarder in the 1st quarter of a 0-0 game makes no sense. Castorena has made those kicks before, but damn the coach AI can be stupid sometimes.

Of course, Cleveland's very first play after the missed FG is a 54 yard TD pass.

On our very next drive we march 61 yards to the CLE 9, and "Colonel" Hogan does this:

1-09-CLE09 (04:14) TUC 4 Hogan pass was intercepted by CLE 55 Bussard in the end zone. Touchback.

Hogan's 91 rating in "Avoiding Interceptions" did us no good here. Instead of being tied or down 7-3, we're down 7-0.

The middle portions of the game were fairly straightforward (read: Drew Holliday gets on track and Hogan settles down), with us gaining a 21-20 lead in the 4th quarter. Late in the quarter we marched 82 yards from our 14, only to see our drive stall at the CLE 4. We kick the field goal at the 2-minute mark, and fear immediately settles in. I've seen this scenario too many times before - a successful 2-minute drill is coming, and I can feel it in my bones.

Cleveland returns the ensuing kickoff to their 28, and here's what happens next:

1-10-CLE28 (01:48) CLE 11 Lorenzo pass completed to 88 Oaks for 60 yards (OOB).

I felt myself sliding toward a seizure, when I see the very next report:

Penalty: CLE - Offensive Holding.

Cleveland went on to convert one 4th down play, but failed on another from our 47 to effectively end the game.

That was one gut-wrenching game.

Special congratulations need to go out to our interior O-linemen - I was very afraid that the two youngsters would get crushed by Cleveland's talented defensive tackles, but they, along with the veteran Odum, performed extremely well. As a group they were 8 for 19 in KRBs and allowed zero sacks. That's much better than I had expected. The game engine declared Hogan the game MVP, but if I had my way I'd have given it to this group.

In other good news, we sustained no new serious injuries. Odum and Neubauer got a bit banged up, but they should be good to go next Sunday.

Whew. We're 2-0 and face another tough test next week when Seattle comes to town. Stay tuned!

[Fonzie]

Good game Fonzie....

I would of liked a different outcome, but I'll be damned if that game wasn't entertaining as hell.

You got that right, my friend. I about jumped out of my chair when I saw that 60 yard pass to Oaks late in the 4th quarter. Fortunately, the officials remembered that envelope I'd given them before the game and made sure that the "proper" outcome was obtained. ;)

[fantastic flying froggies]

Congrats on the win, Fonz.
Oh, and thank you. :)

[Fonzie]

Congrats on the win, Fonz.
Oh, and thank you. :)

No problemo, fff. :)

[Fonzie]

Our next matchup is at home against the 1-1 Seattle Thunderbirds, headed by Aylmar. It is very difficult to pick just a handful of stars to focus on in this piece, as they've got plenty of extremely talented players. But here's my best effort:

QB Charles Dever - The 7th year pro is one of two main keys to Seattle's offense, and the fact that a guy this good has an equally important counterpart is damned scary. Dever is, by all accounts, the most talented QB in the league (96/96). He struggled his first two seasons, but the light turned on for him in his 3rd season allowing him to post a QB Rating of 103.2 on a 60% completion rate, 3566 yards, and a 28-5 TD-INT ratio. His last two seasons have been slightly below that standard, but still excellent. He's also a scrambler, twice running for over 500 yards. I fear for my secondary.

RB Burt Liskiewicz - Burt is the other main cog in the Thunderbirds' offense. He was the #1 overall pick in 2006 and put up over 900 yards rushing in each of his first two seasons. Last year, however, he put it all together and rushed for 1647 yards (he led the league, if memory serves) and caught 360 yards worth of passes, scoring a combined 8 TDs in the process. Most scouts rate him as the second-best RB in the league. I fear for my defensive line.

WR Cole Faison - Damn, another offensive weapon. Faison has put together four straight 1000+ yard seasons, setting a career-high in 2007 with 1743 yards on 98 catches. He has also periodically returned punts (career 8.9 yd return average). *sigh*

DE Roger Heflin - An excellent run-stuffer who can also rush the passer, Heflin is the stuff left tackle nightmares are made of. He's had career-ish years each of the last two seasons, posting PRPcts of 6.1 and 5.2 respectively, and TKPcts of 7.9 and 7.8. Last year he blocked 8 passes to go along with his 8 sacks and 14 hurries.

DT Dominic Shumpert - Dominic is a monster - rated by scouts as second only to the monster we faced last week in Cleveland's Stoltzfus. He had a career year in 2007 with 91 solo tackles (26 assists), 10.5 sacks, 5 blocked passes and 23 hurries. He's also never missed a game in his career.

And the list goes on - there are plenty of other players I could have included here, but I just don't have the time or will to document the many weapons Aylmar has at his disposal to destroy my team. Suffice it to say that we'll have a tough time going 3-0.

[Fonzie]

We're off to a good start at 2-0, but we face perhaps our toughest test of the young season with Seattle coming to town. I've outlined their several excellent players above, and I fully expect we'll have our hands full. Seattle started off as one of the worst teams in the league, but they've come a long way over the last several seasons. They've not yet made the playoffs, but I am quite certain this will be the year they break through. Let's just hope we don't help them out too much.

Box Score: Seattle at Tucson
Tucson, AZ.

Week 3, 2009

Attendance: 67,000 (69,800).


Weather: 101 degrees, fair.

1Q: 07:55 SEA - Cole Faison 11 pass from Charles Dever.
1Q: 07:55 SEA - Darrell Styblo extra point.
1Q: 01:08 TUC - Rubin Castorena 26 field goal.
2Q: 07:56 SEA - Randolph Downing 5 pass from Charles Dever.
2Q: 07:56 SEA - Darrell Styblo extra point.
2Q: 04:11 TUC - Rubin Castorena 52 field goal.
2Q: 00:37 SEA - Cole Faison 22 pass from Charles Dever.
2Q: 00:37 SEA - Darrell Styblo extra point.
3Q: 07:45 SEA - Darrell Styblo 46 field goal.
3Q: 02:46 TUC - Anthony Torres 3 pass from Milan "Colonel" Hogan.
3Q: 02:46 TUC - Drew Holliday run for conversion.
4Q: 11:43 SEA - Cole Faison 10 pass from Charles Dever.
4Q: 11:43 SEA - Darrell Styblo extra point.
4Q: 06:00 TUC - Sydney Armitage 9 pass from Milan "Colonel" Hogan.
4Q: 06:00 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.

Game MVP: SEA 8 Charles Dever

Seattle 7 14 3 7 - 31
Tucson 3 3 8 7 - 21

Team Statistics SEA TUC

First Downs 25 19

Total Rushes 38 22
Rushing Yards 129 123
Yards Per Carry 3.3 5.5
Pass Attempts 31 27
Completions 23 16
Passing Yards 235 179
Yards Per Attempt 7.5 6.6
Sacked 0 3
Yards Lost 0 15
Interceptions 0 0
Fumbles/Lost 1/0 0/0

Total Plays 69 52
Total Yards 364 287
Yards Per Play 5.2 5.5

3rd Down Plays 11/16 5/11
Avg. YTG on 3rd 5.1 8.0
4th Down Plays 0/1 0/1

Penalties 5 6
Penalty Yards 28 34

Avg. Drive Start OWN 24 OWN 34
Time Of Possession 35:03 24:57

Seattle Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
28 Liszkiewicz 33 95 2.8 12 0
8 Dever 3 29 9.6 24 0
23 Kellogg 1 3 3.0 3 0
80 Prochelo 1 2 2.0 2 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
8 Dever 31 23 235 7.5 23 4 0 0

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
28 Liszkiewicz 10 86 8.6 72 18 0
88 Downing 6 51 8.5 4 13 1
85 Faison 5 72 14.4 9 22 3
81 Shaner 1 3 3.0 0 3 0
80 Prochelo 1 23 23.0 0 23 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
85 Faison 1 6 6.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
81 Shaner 2 32 16.0 0
28 Liszkiewicz 2 51 25.5 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
5 Johnstone 3 103 34.3 38 0

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
3 Styblo 1 1 46 4 4

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
58 Glode 4 2 1.0 0 0 0
71 Hall 4 1 1.0 0 0 0
53 Lee 4 2 0.0 0 0 0
59 Oburn 4 2 0.0 0 0 0
95 Manning 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
29 Scott 4 0 0.0 0 0 0
45 Eaddy 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
38 Westbrook 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
41 Purcell 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
96 Shumpert 2 2 1.0 0 0 0
39 Reed 2 2 0.0 0 0 0
47 Farr 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
88 Downing 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
34 Yingling 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
77 Heflin 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
90 Apple 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
32 Cobb 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
23 Kellogg 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
54 Brisby 0 1 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
62 Duque 0 0 0 0 3 0
88 Downing 0 0 0 0 2 0
67 Beyer 0 0 0 0 2 0
42 Kimmel 0 0 0 0 1 0
85 Faison 0 0 1 0 0 0
79 Pointer 0 0 0 0 1 0
50 Golden 0 0 0 0 1 0
73 Aaron 0 0 0 0 1 0
28 Liszkiewicz 1 0 0 0 0 0
75 Sutherland 0 0 0 0 1 0

Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
42 Holliday 19 111 5.8 26 0
22 Bradley 2 11 5.5 12 0
26 Jeffries 1 1 1.0 1 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
4 Hogan 27 16 179 6.6 38 2 0 3

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
82 Torres 6 46 7.6 6 13 1
89 Armitage 3 33 11.0 3 12 1
80 Higginbotham 2 54 27.0 12 38 0
84 Joyner 2 17 8.5 6 15 0
87 Sheehy 1 8 8.0 0 8 0
22 Bradley 1 4 4.0 7 4 0
11 Housley 1 17 17.0 2 17 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
22 Bradley 2 34 17.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
85 Garcia 3 59 19.6 0
88 Ramirez 2 36 18.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 3 118 39.3 44 2

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 2 2 52 1 1

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
58 Watford 10 2 0.0 0 0 0
96 Stansell 8 2 0.0 0 0 0
90 Jarrard 7 0 0.0 0 0 0
52 Wash 5 3 0.0 0 0 0
37 Rosenberry 5 0 0.0 0 0 0
31 Enoch 4 3 0.0 0 0 0
70 Neubauer 4 3 0.0 0 0 0
46 Bloch 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
29 McCloskey 3 4 0.0 0 0 0
25 Minahan 3 3 0.0 0 0 0
33 Mirer 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
72 Bernard 1 4 0.0 0 0 0
78 Odum 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
91 Rudd 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
97 Horn 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
51 Crane 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
26 Jeffries 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
45 Bennett 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
75 Grier 0 1 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
60 Poplawski 0 0 0 0 2 1
64 Connell 0 0 0 0 1 1
63 Pitman 0 0 0 0 1 1
78 Odum 0 0 0 0 1 0
71 Franck 0 0 0 0 1 0
96 Stansell 0 1 0 0 0 0
26 Jeffries 0 0 0 0 1 0
82 Torres 0 0 0 0 1 0

Seattle Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 15:00 7:05 OWN 24 13 76 Touchdown
1 1:08 8:12 OWN 33 16 67 Touchdown
2 6:00 1:14 OWN 9 3 3 Punt
2 4:11 3:34 OWN 21 7 79 Touchdown
3 12:12 4:27 OWN 36 8 35 Field Goal
3 2:46 6:03 OWN 36 13 64 Touchdown
4 6:00 2:28 OWN 20 3 6 Punt
4 2:25 1:39 OWN 14 6 18 Punt

Tucson Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 7:55 6:47 OWN 22 13 69 Field Goal
2 7:56 1:56 OWN 20 4 27 Punt
2 4:46 0:35 OPP 35 3 0 Field Goal
2 0:37 0:37 OWN 28 3 19 Half
3 15:00 2:48 OWN 14 4 19 Punt
3 7:45 4:59 OWN 29 10 71 Touchdown
4 11:43 5:43 OWN 35 9 65 Touchdown
4 3:32 1:07 OWN 43 3 6 Punt
4 0:46 0:46 OPP 47 4 -11 Downs

Seattle Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
4 4 0

Tucson Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
3 2 1

Well, that was a suboptimal outcome. Seattle marched up and down the field on us, and we had no answer for their big weapons. Faison especially surprised us, as he had a 5-72-3 day despite being double-teamed 100% of the time. We handled Liszkiewicz on the ground, but not through the air as his 10-86 receiving performance converted 3rd down after 3rd down for them. On the day they were 11/16 on 3rd down, which shocked the hell out of me considering that we'd only been allowing a 20% conversion rate coming into this game. Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of our defensive performance was the complete lack of pressure we got on Dever - he was able to sit in the pocket and pick us apart. Seattle's O-line is (not to be unkind) fairly terrible, and that we got just one hurry and no sacks on Dever is flabbergasting. We even blitzed a bit more than normal - that probably hurt us more than it helped us, in retrospect.

On offense we were okay, but Hogan repeatedly failed to convert 3rd down passes when we needed him the most, and 3rd WR Housley (who set the world on fire in the preseason) dropped two key passes. Holliday did okay, but the O-line wasn't able to pass block as well as they run blocked today, giving up 3 sacks and 4 hurries.

Still, we had a chance late in the 4th quarter. We got the ball back at our 43 with 3:32 left to go and the infamous comeback engine seemed primed and ready to go for us. Alas, a 3-and-out did us in. We got the ball back on Seattle's 47, but lost 11 yards on consecutive sacks and turned it over on downs. A pathetic way to end the game.

The silver lining in this game? No new injuries. And in all honesty I'd expected us to be, at best, 2-1 after 3 games. These first three teams have all been very tough, and a 1-2 or 0-3 start wasn't at all out of the realm of possibility.

Next up: at Santa Cruz.

[Fonzie]

Some key results from week 3 of the CFL's 2009 season:

Denver (2-1) 24 - Honolulu (1-2) 7. We catch a break and don't lose any ground to rival Honolulu this week, as they are handed a decisive loss by a Conference powerhouse. Honolulu's offense is a mess, with Ronnie Tu barely completing half of his passes (13/25) for just 114 yards. Their running game was nonexistent, and their only score was on a fumble return. Denver, on the other hand, is clicking nicely. They did lose their starting MLB for the season, though.

Fargo (2-1) 38 - Las Vegas (1-2) 21 . Fargo rolled up 455 total yards on a Vegas team that just didn't seem quite right today. Their running game never got going, and their vaunted defense wasn't...well...very vaunted on this day. Everything went right for Hedges (302 yds, 3 TDs) and Alvey (40-142-2), and not much went right for poor Jennings (11-13-0) or Olsen (20/38 - 306 yds, 3 TDs, 2 INTs). Olsen had a few shining moments in this one, but not enough.

Arizona (2-1) 27 - Oregon (1-2) 24. Break up the Outlaws! They've come out of nowhere to tie my Toros for 1st place in the Ring of Fire. Al DeNeff had a solid, if unspectacular game (27/42, 260 yds), and they got enough out of their running game to put them in position to kick the game winning field goal as time expired. Crazy. Oh, and former Toro Carl Markey managed a career-high 7-240-1 performance for his new team in Oregon. Why couldn't he have done that for us?

Charleston (2-1) 31 - Hartford (0-3) 16. Amazing, but Hartford has somehow managed to lose three games already. A team picked by many to make the CFL bowl, the Attack has suffered injuries to many key players and it has clearly affected them. Charleston, meanwhile, rolled up 226 rushing yards on the depleted Attack (or shall I say, Retreat? ;)). It's only a matter of time until Hartford gets healthy, though, and when they do...watch out, CFL.

Detroit (3-0) 13 - New Orleans (2-1) 10. Not a very interesting game to watch, but one with important implications for the Eastern Conference. The Johnny Titone era in Detroit is off to a remarkable 3-0 start, vaulting them to 1st in their division and leaving them as one of only 3 undefeated teams (with Boston and Tulsa). New Orleans' loss drops them into a 4-way tie for their division (they appear to own the tiebreaker thus far).

Boston (3-0) 20 - Chicago (0-3) 6. Boston remained undefeated as their huge offseason acquisition of Dwayne Bridges continues to pay dividends. His QB rating of 98 has made all the difference in Panthers' fortunes. Chicago, meanwhile, has had nothing but bad fortune all season. They lost their starting QB, traded for another whose performance has been slightly smellier than fecal matter, and then proceeded to lose their starting FB, SLB and TE (all of whom were very good). Arthur Brady, who rushed for over 2000 yards last season, has turned into the Invisible Man with his measley 80 yards in three games.

Tulsa (3-0) 35 - Long Beach (0-3) 9. Tulsa's success this season has surprised no one. Donnie Lowe officially arrived last season for the Talons, and this year he seems to be setting up camp. His QB Rating is 125 through 3 games. Long Beach, on the other hand, has an extraordinarily talented roster, but just can't seem to win. Quite a head-scratcher, actually.

Whew, I'm tired. That's it for this week. Time for sleepy-bye.

[JeeberD]

I demand a recap of El Paso's glorious victory!

[fantastic flying froggies]

I demand a recap of El Paso's glorious victory!
"El Paso won their only game this season."


How's that for a recap? :p

[Doug5984]

Some key results from week 3 of the CFL's 2009 season:


Tulsa (3-0) 35 - Long Beach (0-3) 9. Tulsa's success this season has surprised no one. Donnie Lowe officially arrived last season for the Talons, and this year he seems to be setting up camp. His QB Rating is 125 through 3 games. Long Beach, on the other hand, has an extraordinarily talented roster, but just can't seem to win. Quite a head-scratcher, actually.

Whew, I'm tired. That's it for this week. Time for sleepy-bye.

While it is said our sucess hasn't suprised anyone- I am somewhat suprised at our fast start- Donnie Lowe has been amazing, but a lot of credit has to also go to the players around him. Our offensive line is starting to get recognized around the league as one of the best. They have been opening holes for Butch Fulton for a few years now, but recently they have really stepped up the pass blocking, allowing only 8 sacks last season and none so far this year. Those are some pretty amazing stats.

My defense is what really worried me heading into the season but as of week 3 we have the best rushing defense in the league, and 6th best points per game allowed defense. This could be our year ;)

[Fonzie]

"El Paso won their only game this season."


How's that for a recap? :p

Were I to review this game, I would elaborate a bit:

"El Paso barely hung on to defeat Santa Cruz, their chief rival vying for the "Least Talented Roster" award, by a score of 31-24. Both El Paso and Santa Cruz have Roster Ratings of 2. Dustin Hayes threw 4 TD passes, but completed just 50% of his passes. El Paso's punter, Kim Wayne, probably registered the best performance of the day averaging 48.3 yards on 6 punts. Not much else noteworthy about this game. Move along, everyone, move along."

;)

[JeeberD]

Bastards, I hate you both! :mad: ;)

[Fonzie]

The Privateers, owned and operated by Fastcat, currently have one of the worst-rated rosters in the league. There's a good reason for that - they're in cap hell. They have only enough cap space to keep 46 players, which is usually a recipe for disaster. This time is no different, as Santa Cruz is off to an 0-3 start. But don't let yourself be misled - there's some real talent on the Privateer's roster. They have some amazing strengths to go along with their fatal weaknesses, including:

RB William Sheehan - William is one of just three players to have rushed for 1000+ yards in every season of the CFL's existence, dating back to 2003 (Arthur Brady and John Lubin are the others), and he remains a force to be reckoned with. He's sporting a 5.2 ypc so far this year, but Santa Cruz hasn't been able to feed him the ball much as they've been constantly playing from behind. If they get a lead they'll start pounding William like there's no tomorrow. Um...sorry if that wording is a bit awkward for you to hear, Mrs. Sheehan. Say, your name isn't Cindy, is it? Just wondering, is all.

The Entire Offensive Line - Damn, this is one scary line. C Ethan Capoccia (91/91) anchors the middle, with studly bookends LT Russell Tollefson (79/81) and RT Noah Smyth (87/91) smothering would-be pass rushers. LG Robert Raines (75/75) helps out in the middle, and 2nd-year RG Preston Hickman (41/53) is the only thing resembling a "weak link" - and he ain't exactly chopped liver, either. Most teams in the CFL would kill for a line like this. Unfortunately for Santa Cruz, the QB they're protecting won't help them win much this year. Deon Tucker (10/53), a 1st-round pick this year, is a long-term project.

The Safeties David - SS David Pitman (88/90) and FS David Visser (67/67) have combined for a total of 47 interceptions and 134 passes defensed in their careers, both of which have been spent exclusively in a Privateer uniform. Michaelangelo might not recognize them, but these Davids are works of art best admired from afar - if you're a quarterback or wide receiver.

[fantastic flying froggies]

oops!

:D

[Fonzie]

Santa Cruz, as noted above, is a team down on its luck. Cap hell has ravaged their roster, but they still have some noteworthy talent that gives me pause. Unfortunately for them, quarterback is not a position at which they have much to work with right now, as rookie Deon Tucker will need a lot of time to develop. He should be well protected by that awesome offensive line, but if he has to put it in the air 40 times the Privateers will be in a world of hurt. William Sheehan is the answer, and I expect them to pound the ball with their tough back all day.

Talent wise, we've got a clear edge on this team. Still, when it comes to football there's no such thing as a sure thing...is there?

Box Score: Tucson at Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, CA.

Week 4, 2009

Attendance: 64,700 (68,700).


Weather: 62 degrees, fair.

1Q: 01:35 SCU - Bo Baker 84 fumble return.
1Q: 01:35 SCU - William Lyon extra point.
2Q: 12:31 SCU - William Lyon 33 field goal.
3Q: 09:46 TUC - Anthony Torres 8 pass from Milan "Colonel" Hogan.
3Q: 09:46 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
3Q: 05:17 SCU - William Sheehan 2 run.
3Q: 05:17 SCU - William Lyon extra point.
4Q: 06:38 TUC - Corwin Jeffries 8 pass from Milan "Colonel" Hogan.
4Q: 06:38 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
4Q: 01:55 SCU - William Lyon 49 field goal.

Game MVP: SCU 72 Conrad Pellegrini

Tucson 0 0 7 7 - 14
Santa Cruz 7 3 7 3 - 20

Team Statistics TUC SCU

First Downs 16 23

Total Rushes 18 33
Rushing Yards 70 117
Yards Per Carry 3.8 3.5
Pass Attempts 35 32
Completions 20 21
Passing Yards 261 187
Yards Per Attempt 7.4 5.8
Sacked 6 6
Yards Lost 41 45
Interceptions 1 0
Fumbles/Lost 0/0 1/0

Total Plays 59 71
Total Yards 290 259
Yards Per Play 4.9 3.6

3rd Down Plays 5/14 6/14
Avg. YTG on 3rd 7.1 6.3
4th Down Plays 1/1 0/0

Penalties 9 0
Penalty Yards 46 0

Avg. Drive Start OWN 26 OWN 28
Time Of Possession 26:13 33:47

Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
42 Holliday 12 53 4.4 11 0
22 Bradley 4 14 3.5 7 0
26 Jeffries 2 3 1.5 2 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
4 Hogan 35 20 261 7.4 37 2 1 6

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
89 Armitage 4 65 16.2 3 37 0
42 Holliday 3 14 4.6 11 7 0
26 Jeffries 3 31 10.3 22 13 1
82 Torres 3 25 8.3 10 13 1
87 Sheehy 2 50 25.0 5 35 0
22 Bradley 2 21 10.5 4 13 0
80 Higginbotham 1 35 35.0 1 35 0
88 Ramirez 1 16 16.0 0 16 0
11 Housley 1 4 4.0 6 4 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
88 Ramirez 2 45 22.5 0
85 Garcia 1 15 15.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 7 297 42.4 51 2

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 0 1 0 2 2

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
70 Neubauer 8 2 0.5 0 0 0
58 Watford 7 3 0.0 0 0 0
52 Wash 7 2 0.0 0 0 0
46 Bloch 7 1 0.0 0 0 0
37 Rosenberry 6 0 0.0 0 0 0
72 Bernard 5 2 1.5 0 0 0
31 Enoch 5 2 0.0 0 0 0
96 Stansell 4 2 1.5 0 0 0
25 Minahan 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
26 Jeffries 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
75 Grier 2 1 2.5 0 0 0
90 Jarrard 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
29 McCloskey 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
33 Mirer 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
87 Sheehy 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
89 Armitage 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
78 Odum 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
97 Horn 0 1 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
60 Poplawski 0 0 0 0 0 4
64 Connell 0 0 0 0 1 2
78 Odum 0 0 0 0 1 0
71 Franck 0 0 0 0 1 0
77 Thiele 0 0 0 0 1 0
63 Pitman 0 0 0 0 1 0
25 Minahan 0 1 0 0 0 0
26 Jeffries 0 0 0 0 1 0

Santa Cruz Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
33 Sheehan 18 80 4.4 14 1
27 Starks 7 20 2.8 6 0
9 Tucker 6 11 1.8 5 0
41 Soares 1 3 3.0 3 0
83 Johnson 1 3 3.0 3 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
9 Tucker 32 21 187 5.8 29 0 0 6

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
83 Johnson 7 96 13.7 22 29 0
41 Soares 4 18 4.5 17 7 0
33 Sheehan 3 13 4.3 0 6 0
87 Hartman 3 29 9.6 0 15 0
84 Baker 2 12 6.0 0 7 0
85 Rivers 1 10 10.0 0 10 0
80 Upshaw 1 9 9.0 1 9 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
33 Sheehan 4 33 8.2 0
87 Hartman 1 -2 -2.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
25 Chandler 2 27 13.5 0
37 Blair 1 17 17.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
5 Poston 5 161 32.2 36 1

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
4 Lyon 2 3 49 2 2

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
51 Atkins 7 3 1.0 0 0 0
42 Visser 5 2 0.0 1 6 0
72 Pellegrini 4 0 3.0 0 0 0
55 Grisham 4 1 1.0 0 0 0
90 Saavedra 4 2 0.5 0 0 0
75 Uzzell 3 0 0.5 0 0 0
29 Pitman 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
73 Monroe 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
20 Bird 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
48 Polston 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
23 Webb 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
93 Cardinal 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
80 Upshaw 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
98 Heffernan 1 0 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
58 Capoccia 0 0 0 0 2 1
64 Hickman 0 0 0 0 2 0
84 Baker 0 0 1 1 0 0
41 Soares 0 0 0 0 0 1
70 Tollefson 0 0 0 0 2 1
74 Rains 0 0 0 0 2 3
9 Tucker 1 0 0 0 0 0

Tucson Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 10:09 5:28 OWN 22 10 34 Punt
1 1:35 1:42 OWN 28 3 -14 Punt
2 12:31 3:28 OWN 30 5 50 Missed FG
2 4:01 1:58 OWN 28 3 3 Punt
2 1:05 1:01 OWN 23 3 2 Punt
3 15:00 5:14 OWN 20 11 80 Touchdown
3 5:17 1:25 OWN 31 3 4 Punt
3 1:13 1:52 OWN 6 5 22 Punt
4 13:07 0:55 OWN 38 3 1 Punt
4 8:23 1:45 OWN 49 4 51 Touchdown
4 1:55 1:40 OWN 20 9 37 Interception

Santa Cruz Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 15:00 4:51 OWN 32 9 18 Punt
1 4:41 3:06 OWN 7 5 93 Touchdown
2 14:53 2:22 OWN 48 4 36 Field Goal
2 9:03 5:02 OWN 27 11 52 Missed FG
2 2:03 0:58 OWN 33 3 8 Punt
2 0:04 0:04 OPP 47 1 -7 Half
3 9:46 4:29 OWN 19 9 81 Touchdown
3 3:52 2:39 OWN 34 8 28 Punt
4 14:21 1:14 OWN 21 3 8 Punt
4 12:12 3:49 OWN 6 7 13 Punt
4 6:38 4:43 OWN 33 10 35 Field Goal
4 0:15 0:15 OWN 32 1 -1 Game

Tucson Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
2 2 0

Santa Cruz Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
3 1 1

Ummm...that wasn't quite what I had in mind. I was watching this game in 3ric's viewer, and my disbelief was most likely audible as I watched this sequence, with SC taking over at their own 19:

1-10-SCU19 (02:45) SCU 9 Tucker sacked by TUC 72 Bernard and TUC 96 Stansell for a loss of 8 yards.
Sack allowed by SCU 58 Capoccia.

2-18-SCU11 (02:11) SCU 9 Tucker scrambled for 5 yards.
Tackled by TUC 25 Minahan.
Ball was fumbled and recovered by SCU 84 Baker for 84 yards and a touchdown!
Extra point by SCU 4 Lyon was good.

Damn but that's harsh. I get a sack on one play, force a fumble on the next, and they recover it for an 84 yard touchdown?! Sweet jesus that ain't right. And that touchdown wound up being the difference in this thoroughly pathetic game.

Where to start? Our coach got away from our gameplan early (which happened with startling regularity last year) and wound up only feeding the ball to Holliday 12 times.

12 times.

That's stupid.

Our other strengths transmogrified into weaknesses with the seeming snap of Deon Tucker's fingers: the extremely green rookie had a far more successful day against our secondary than he had any right to have, completing 21 of 32 passes for 187 yards and no interceptions. With him putting the ball in the air 32 times I'd have expected at least two picks - but our secondary let us down (I cannot wait to get Biggs and Hartung back). What was especially astonishing was that for the second week in a row we opted to double-cover the top receiver 100% of the time, and for the second week in a row that receiver still scorched us something fierce. I'm beginning to wonder if that "match CB to top receiver" option is working the way I think it is, and if the double-coverage percentages are working the way I think they are. Nevertheless, Alec Johnson torched us for 7 catches and 96 yards, single-handedly making Tucker's day easy. We did manage to sack Tucker six times, for what it's worth.

But they sacked Hogan six times as well, which makes absolutely no sense when you examine their defensive front's talent. A whopping four of those sacks were registered against second-year LG Ross Poplawski, who had previously surrendered three sacks in his prior 11 starts. That smells like a fluke performance - I think Santa Cruz just got lucky with the game engine on that count.

Hogan had a decent day statistically, but he repeatedly failed to convert key 3rd downs. And our defensive line held Sheehan and company to just 3.5 ypc, a decent performance. But perhaps the most telling stat is how the refs treated the two teams: we had 9 penalties for 62 yards, and Santa Cruz got whistled for...zero penalties?! What? Oh, and by the way a number of those penalties were called on our defense right after 3rd down stops.

*sigh*

All told this was a terrible game. We seem to crank out one of these disappointments every season - there's always one game for which we just can't explain how we managed to lose. This one ranks up there with the best of that class. And the loss drops us to 2-2, tied with Honolulu and now one full game behind Arizona. And what's worse is that we now head into the bye week on this sour note. Alas.

[Fonzie]

Even before our devastating loss to Santa Cruz I was concerned about two main areas of the club: the offensive line and the defensive front. The O-line showed me that there's still good reason to be worried about them, but I think with time they'll improve considerably (especially the two young guards).

I wasn't quite so confident about the defensive front, so I pulled the trigger on a trade that will instantly infuse us with a much-needed talent upgrade. We traded our 1st rounder in 2010, 1st rounder in 2011, 3rd rounder in 2010, and a couple of bench players to the Cleveland Flats for RDT Harold Stoltzfus and OLB Buster Trujillo.

That's right - the guy I described as a "monster" before our matchup with Cleveland is now a Toro. Best defensive tackle in the league, according to scouts across the league. He'll take over for Henry Stansell and clog up some major running lanes while getting good pressure on the QB. And Trujillo isn't just gravy - he's a good OLB against the run and has tremendous pass rushing skills. I anticipate starting him at WLB and pulling him up to the line to rush the passer on passing downs.

A hefty price to pay, for sure, but I think it'll be worth it.

[Fonzie]

The key results from this week:

Arizona (3-1) 31, Sacramento (1-3) 24 - Arizona continued their meteoric rise this season with a nice come-from-behind win at Sacramento. Sacramento led 24-14 in the 3rd quarter before Al DeNeff and company reeled off 17 unanswered points to end the scoring. Arizona dominated time of possession in this game, 39:00-21:00, and might have turned this into a rout had they not put the ball on the ground 5 times (just 1 lost). A promising start for the Outlaws, and the Dragons are now 2 games under .500. In their weak division that still gets them a share of 1st place.

Boise (3-1) 24, Fargo (2-2) 17 - Boise pulled out a squeaker thanks to 10 4th quarter points. A 47 yard field goal capped the scoring, but it was Branden Lin's 67 yard TD pass to Toothpick "The Dental Floss Alternative" Lang that put them ahead to stay. Brett Hedges continued his solid performance with a 21/32, 260 yd, 2 TD day. Amazingly, it may have been Fargo's punting unit that did them in - Fredrickson punted 5 times but averaged just 33.8 yards per punt (with none landing inside the 20). Add 7-9 yards to that average and the field position game looks very different in this one.

Boston (3-1) 20, Memphis (3-1) 23 - Memphis knocked the Panthers out of the ranks of the undefeated by virtue of a 55-yard Blume field goal as time expired. In truth, they shouldn't have needed that lucky kick to win, as they dominated Boston statistically, especially in first downs (27-13) and ToP (35:12-24:48). Again, it appears that Memphis would've put this one away earlier if not for a weak punting performance from Grays, who managed just a 31 yd average on 4 punts (1 in the 20). However, a 57 yard punt masked a truly pathetic performance - he averaged just over 22 yards on his other three punts. Yeesh.

Denver (2-2) 24, Seattle (3-1) 28 - These two offensive powerhouses lock horns, and as they say the result of such matchups often hinge on the turnover battle. This game was no exception, as Seattle won that battle 3-1. Turnovers contributed to Denver's ineptitude in the Red Zone, as they only got two TDs and a FG on five trips, while Seattle was 4/4 on TDs in the Red Zone. Dever was his usual unflappable self, going 22/27 for 286 yds, and 1 TD (with another TD on the ground), and Cole Faison continued his excellent campaign with a 7-135-1 day.

Honolulu (2-2) 20, Huntington Beach (1-3) 16 - Honolulu pulled this one out, with a little help from 70 year-old Huntington Beach coach Derek McGregor. You see, Honolulu led by 4 when Ronnie Tu was sacked and fumbled the ball at the HBE 49. HBE recovered and Clarence Lincoln drove them 49 yards in 7 plays to the HON 2 with 2:42 on the clock. McGregor made the head-scratcher move of the day in pulling Lincoln at that point and giving the ball to veteran backup Jesus Dennis. Of course, Dennis proceeded to throw two incompletions before tossing an interception in the end zone. Puzzling, to say the least.

Tulsa (4-0) 24, Anchorage (2-2) 21 - Tulsa remained undefeated despite an unimpressive performance from Donnie Lowe, (19/34, 184, 2 INTs). Butch Fulton carried the load in this one (31-138-3TDs), but it still almost got away from Tulsa despite Anchorage losing star QB Manuel Lane early on. Backup QB Something-something Gomez threw for 204 yards and 3 TDs, but his 4 INTs did him in and helped keep Tulsa's record perfect.

That's all for this week. Stay tuned for next week when Tucson faces nobody in some hot bi-week action.

[Fonzie]

It appears that your beloved Toros are not the only team making a huge splash at the trade deadline: the Arizona Outlaws are also making a big push to build on their 3-1 start. They traded their starting QB, Al DeNeff, and their 1st and 2nd round picks in 2010 to Detroit for QB Freddie Matthias. Freddie is a confusing case, as he is one of the top-rated QBs in the game (92/92), but his performances to date have not been consistent with the scouts' opinions. His career high Rating was 83.1 in 2006, and his career Rating is 68.3 (although that is a bit misleading - his rookie season he had a Rating of 30). His career high completion percentage is just 59.0%, and he's never thrown for more than 3537 yards or averaged more than 6.96 yards per attempt.

It is also not the case that Detroit has been a bad team during his tenure there - they've won their division four years in a row, but seemingly have done so despite Freddie, and not because of him. Hard to figure this guy out, but I can only hope that he continues his mediocrity while demanding huge money out of Arizona. For if Freddie's light switch suddenly turns on, the rest of the Ring of Fire will be in for a rough ride.

[condors]

It appears that your beloved Toros are not the only team making a huge splash at the trade deadline: the Arizona Outlaws are also making a big push to build on their 3-1 start. They traded their starting QB, Al DeNeff, and their 1st and 2nd round picks in 2010 to Detroit for QB Freddie Matthias. Freddie is a confusing case, as he is one of the top-rated QBs in the game (92/92), but his performances to date have not been consistent with the scouts' opinions. His career high Rating was 83.1 in 2006, and his career Rating is 68.3 (although that is a bit misleading - his rookie season he had a Rating of 30). His career high completion percentage is just 59.0%, and he's never thrown for more than 3537 yards or averaged more than 6.96 yards per attempt.

It is also not the case that Detroit has been a bad team during his tenure there - they've won their division four years in a row, but seemingly have done so despite Freddie, and not because of him. Hard to figure this guy out, but I can only hope that he continues his mediocrity while demanding huge money out of Arizona. For if Freddie's light switch suddenly turns on, the rest of the Ring of Fire will be in for a rough ride.

I actually debated getting him but with the 3-1 (now 4-1) start i don't think we will be in the running for a stud wideout we desperatly need and i spent why too much time looking at that (92/92) scout rating and looked at the cap room i have and had to go for it. Of course after his 7 of 23 performance i am more than a bit worried that i made the wrong move.

[Fonzie]

I actually debated getting him but with the 3-1 (now 4-1) start i don't think we will be in the running for a stud wideout we desperatly need and i spent why too much time looking at that (92/92) scout rating and looked at the cap room i have and had to go for it. Of course after his 7 of 23 performance i am more than a bit worried that i made the wrong move.

Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm hoping that move doesn't work out for you. ;)

[Fonzie]

Some of the key games from Week 5:

Arizona (4-1) 21, Santa Cruz (1-4) 17 - Curses! Arizona pulled off yet another win in a game they probably should have lost. Santa Cruz outgained them 371-246, held an enormous ToP advantage (35:47-24:13), gained more 1st downs (21-11) and converted more 3rd downs (11/21 - 3/13), yet still managed to lose. Field position was the key in this one, with Santa Cruz starting half of their 14 posessions inside their own 20. Santa Cruz also harrassed newly acquired Freddie Matthias all day, resulting in a terrible 7/23 for 56 yard performance. Matthias was sacked 3 times and hurried 8, the poor slob. Rough way to start, but at least his running game got him the win in his Arizona debut (they put up 206 yards rushing).

Charleston (3-2) 3, Detroit (5-0) 17 - Detroit remains undefeated after a convincing win over last year's CFL champions. Detroit's defense was the story here, as they badgered poor Landon Hurst into a 12/32, 111yd, 0 TD 2 INT performance. Johnny Titone on the other hand is settling nicely into the starter's role, and is perhaps relieved to not have Freddie Matthias looking over his shoulder. His 15/28, 236 yd, 1 TD performance was efficient and all Detroit really needed of him.

Denver (2-3) 17, Boise (4-1) 31 - Boise had Lin and Lang in full throttle mode today as they propelled their team to 478 total yards and a nifty 14 point win over last year's Western Conference champs. Boise ran the ball 47 times and gobbled up 37+ minutes of the clock in their convincing win. If not for an 87 yd kickoff return by David Godbey this one would've been even worse for Denver.

Hartford (0-4) 14, San Antonio (3-1) 20 - Surely a sign of the apocalypse, Hartford's winless start to the season has taken every CFL pundit by surprise. Oberg is playing hurt, Spearman's been out of the lineup for 2+ games, and every opponent seems to come up with just enough of an effort to beat them. San Antonio had good fortune on their side, as QB Eddie Crawford put up one of the best games of his career, going 18/19 for 200 yds, 2 TDs, and 1 INT. Hartford, meanwhile, had to rely excessively on old-man Oberg, who was counted on to heave 51 pass attempts, 31 of which were complete for 357 yards and 2 TDs. His 3 INTs, however, did not help the cause. Spearman is expected back this week, and the Hartford faithfull will no doubt be relieved to see him. But is it too late for Hartford? (I say no.)

Memphis (3-2) 28, Shreveport (3-2) 31 - With Douglas "Doug" Hartman on the sidelines nursing a sore elbow, the Pride trotted out little-used backup Roman Grigg to guide them against a surprising Memphis Express squad. Grigg's numbers weren't pretty (18/33, 200 yds) but he did toss 3 TD passes in edging out Memphis in this tight game. Blaine Hoffman also threw 3 TDs for the Express, but tossed an ugly 4 INTs to Pride defenders. That was enough to prod a sputtering Shreveport offense (288 total yards) into their highest point total of the season.

Seattle (3-2) 23, El Paso (3-2) 27 - Many GMs tend to overlook special teams when crafting their rosters, but games like this illustrate the importance of having the right skill sets out there on kickoff return teams. Coming on the heels' of a Dever TD pass to give Seattle a 20-17 lead, El Paso's starting WR Tom Sonkin took the kickoff 89 yards for a TD. Just like that, El Paso was back ahead by four, and that would be the final difference in this game. El Paso's shortstaffed squad has surprised many folks this year with their solid play. They definitely have some talent, but they have no depth whatsoever. If they get hit with an injury or two their season will likely be over.

That's it for this week.

[Fonzie]

Our next opponents are the hated-but-respected Las Vegas Rounders, ably managed by TurfToe. TT has accumulated a fair amount of talent in Vegas since he took over the franchise several seasons ago. A little too much talent, if you ask me. To wit:

QB Lenny "Jackpot" Olsen - This 12th-year vet specializes in throwing the deep ball (thus the nickname - get it?), and he is able to do so with some success. His career ypa average is just over 7, and he's tossed 144 TDs (tied for 5th all-time) in his career against just 96 INTs. The vertical passing game can be very effective when it is on, but when it is off it can result in a lot of incompletions (career 54.7%), which have dragged his career QB rating down to just 79.7. Lenny's not much of a runner, and has taken a bit of a pounding over the years (214 sacks in 6+ seasons), but he's still got plenty left in the tank (69/69).

DE Zachery Aaron - Aaron is a true monster of an end (77/80) and ranks 9th all-time in sacks (50.5). He posted career highs with 11 sacks in both of the last two seasons, and last year he managed to post 82 tackles (66 solo). Thus, it is safe to say that he's just as talented against the run as he is rushing the passer. The 12-year vet has only missed three games to injury in his career, unfortunately.

DT Mario Ah Yat - Ah Yat was the 3rd overall pick in the 2006 draft and is one of those rare high picks who managed to live up to his billing. Ah Yat anchors the middle of the line and is a great run stuffer. He's posted totals of 81, 84, and 111(!) tackles in his first three seasons. He can also get in the way of errant passes, as he blocked 7 of those last year.

The Rest of the Defensive Front - Oh hell, why stop at Aaron and Ah Yat? The rest of the line is solid, and the linebackers are excellent. It is hard not to envy the depth TurfToe has up front.

And that's the last kind thing I'll say about the Rounders. I wouldn't want TT to get a big(ger) head.

[fantastic flying froggies]

I'll just add one tidbit of info - Freddie Mathias almost became a Rounder...

[Fonzie]

I'll just add one tidbit of info - Freddie Mathias almost became a Rounder...

Oh shut up. Everybody hates you. :p

[Raven Hawk]

How can you hate the proverbial Buffalo Bills of the CFL?

[Fonzie]

So, we headed into our bye week after a soul-crushing loss, and come out of it facing a road game against a fierce division rival. That ought to inspire the best in my boys, right? Right?

Box Score: Tucson at Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV.

Week 6, 2009

Attendance: 57,100 (68,000).


Weather: 93 degrees, fair.

1Q: 04:38 LVS - Craig Greene 1 run.
1Q: 04:38 LVS - Felix Savoy extra point.
2Q: 11:47 LVS - Felix Savoy 50 field goal.
2Q: 08:43 TUC - Sydney Armitage 5 pass from Milan "Colonel" Hogan.
2Q: 08:43 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
3Q: 12:01 LVS - Felix Savoy 24 field goal.
3Q: 03:44 LVS - Felix Savoy 37 field goal.
4Q: 04:30 LVS - Marc Maxcy 7 pass from Lenny "Jackpot" Olsen.
4Q: 04:30 LVS - Felix Savoy extra point.
4Q: 02:11 LVS - Felix Savoy 26 field goal.
4Q: 00:00 TUC - Brent Garcia 39 pass from Milan "Colonel" Hogan.
4Q: 00:00 TUC - Daryl Bradley run for conversion.

Game MVP: LVS 1 Lenny "Jackpot" Olsen

Tucson 0 7 0 8 - 15
Las Vegas 7 3 6 10 - 26

Team Statistics TUC LVS

First Downs 18 21

Total Rushes 20 33
Rushing Yards 78 154
Yards Per Carry 3.9 4.6
Pass Attempts 38 33
Completions 20 18
Passing Yards 266 162
Yards Per Attempt 7.0 4.9
Sacked 3 0
Yards Lost 21 0
Interceptions 2 0
Fumbles/Lost 1/1 1/0

Total Plays 61 66
Total Yards 323 316
Yards Per Play 5.2 4.7

3rd Down Plays 4/13 5/15
Avg. YTG on 3rd 9.5 6.9
4th Down Plays 2/2 0/1

Penalties 8 9
Penalty Yards 68 73

Avg. Drive Start OWN 15 OWN 45
Time Of Possession 27:07 32:53

Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
42 Holliday 13 53 4.0 15 0
22 Bradley 3 13 4.3 7 0
89 Armitage 2 7 3.5 5 0
80 Higginbotham 1 4 4.0 4 0
26 Jeffries 1 1 1.0 1 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
4 Hogan 38 20 266 7.0 47 2 2 3

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
26 Jeffries 5 42 8.4 20 11 0
82 Torres 5 52 10.4 4 12 0
80 Higginbotham 2 62 31.0 0 47 0
89 Armitage 2 30 15.0 1 25 1
22 Bradley 2 17 8.5 2 9 0
87 Sheehy 1 8 8.0 0 8 0
42 Holliday 1 3 3.0 0 3 0
11 Housley 1 13 13.0 1 13 0
85 Garcia 1 39 39.0 0 39 1

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
22 Bradley 1 2 2.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
85 Garcia 5 90 18.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 6 250 41.6 52 0

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 0 1 0 1 1

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
52 Wash 7 3 0.0 0 0 0
58 Watford 7 1 0.0 0 0 0
95 Stoltzfus 6 0 0.0 0 0 0
70 Neubauer 5 3 0.0 0 0 0
31 Enoch 5 1 0.0 0 0 0
25 Minahan 5 0 0.0 0 0 0
72 Bernard 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
29 McCloskey 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
32 Hartung 2 3 0.0 0 0 0
55 Trujillo 2 2 0.0 0 0 0
90 Jarrard 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
82 Torres 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
75 Grier 1 2 0.0 0 0 0
89 Armitage 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
46 Bloch 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
71 Franck 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
63 Pitman 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
45 Bennett 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
33 Mirer 0 1 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
64 Connell 0 0 0 0 1 1
78 Odum 0 0 0 0 0 2
63 Pitman 0 1 0 0 1 0
71 Franck 0 0 0 0 1 0
26 Jeffries 0 0 0 0 1 0
85 Garcia 1 0 0 0 0 0

Las Vegas Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
22 Jennings 22 100 4.5 25 0
45 Greene 10 52 5.2 24 1
28 Woolridge 1 2 2.0 2 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
1 Olsen 33 18 162 4.9 20 1 0 0

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
84 Feeney 6 67 11.1 6 20 0
83 Poole 3 29 9.6 1 15 0
28 Woolridge 2 17 8.5 18 11 0
12 Barrett 2 23 11.5 19 13 0
22 Jennings 2 8 4.0 4 6 0
45 Greene 1 3 3.0 2 3 0
88 McDonald 1 8 8.0 0 8 0
87 Maxcy 1 7 7.0 0 7 1

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
83 Poole 2 21 10.5 0
21 Lyon 1 9 9.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
22 Jennings 2 72 36.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
6 Money 5 185 37.0 45 5

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
18 Savoy 4 4 50 2 2

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
51 Butler 9 3 0.0 0 0 0
55 Saxon 6 2 0.0 0 0 0
71 Ah Yat 5 0 1.0 0 0 0
42 Grayvil 5 0 0.0 0 0 0
30 Grider 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
21 Lyon 4 0 0.0 0 0 0
43 Walton 3 2 0.0 1 9 0
33 Brewer 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
70 Weaver 2 0 1.0 0 0 0
25 Beesley 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
92 Aaron 1 1 1.0 0 0 0
97 Spalding 1 0 0.0 1 0 0
99 Abdullah 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
22 Jennings 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
72 Lopez 0 1 0.0 0 0 0
44 Bunn 0 1 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
56 Baker 0 0 0 0 3 0
78 Twisp 0 0 0 0 2 0
75 Smalls 0 0 0 0 1 0
72 Lopez 0 0 1 0 0 0
45 Greene 0 0 1 0 0 0
51 Butler 0 1 0 0 0 0
28 Woolridge 0 0 0 0 1 0
74 de la Rosa 0 0 0 0 1 0
69 Bettis 0 0 0 0 1 0
83 Poole 1 0 0 0 0 0

Tucson Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 12:05 1:30 OWN 16 3 1 Punt
1 4:38 4:35 OWN 8 9 17 Punt
2 11:47 3:04 OWN 32 6 68 Touchdown
2 7:14 3:54 OWN 12 10 48 Missed FG
2 1:31 1:31 OWN 5 4 20 Punt
3 15:00 1:00 OWN 15 2 1 Interception
3 12:01 1:14 OWN 20 3 9 Punt
3 9:07 2:47 OWN 7 4 11 Punt
3 3:44 3:04 OWN 27 5 28 Interception
4 12:22 3:01 OWN 12 6 15 Punt
4 2:11 2:11 OWN 14 9 86 Touchdown

Las Vegas Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 15:00 2:55 OWN 32 4 21 Punt
1 10:35 5:57 OWN 36 10 64 Touchdown
1 0:03 3:16 OWN 38 8 29 Field Goal
2 8:43 1:29 OPP 48 3 7 Punt
2 3:20 1:49 OWN 47 4 8 Punt
3 14:00 1:59 OPP 30 7 23 Field Goal
3 10:47 1:40 OWN 39 4 14 Punt
3 6:20 2:36 OWN 40 7 40 Field Goal
3 0:40 3:18 OWN 29 8 16 Punt
4 9:21 4:51 OWN 32 8 68 Touchdown
4 4:20 2:09 OPP 19 5 10 Field Goal

Tucson Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
1 1 0

Las Vegas Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
4 2 2


*sigh*

Special teams played a huge role in this game - our starting field position was at our own 15, while theirs was a their 45! Las Vegas' punter Money was just that, nailing five, count 'em, five punts inside our 20. Another part of the problem was my coach's insane desire to kick 57 yard field goals in non-critical situations (such as in the middle of the 2nd quarter in a 10-7 game), which of course was missed and gave Vegas the ball at their 47. We also had some questionable return decisions by KR Garcia, who twice tried to return kicks from 3-to 5-yards deep in our endzone (not to mention a crushing fumble on a late 4th quarter kickoff return - recovered by Vegas and converted into points). Regardless of the causes, that kind of field position discrepancy is hard to overcome.

Hogan tossed a couple of uncharacteristic interceptions, the coach again got away from Holliday (I really don't know what to do about that) and instead handed off three times to wide receivers (?). Soltzfus had some impact on the pass rush with two hurries, but didn't do diddly to shore up our run defense (154 yards allowed). In a nutshell, Las Vegas (Jennings, Money, and the D-line in particular) was on today, and we were off. Way off.

This loss puts us in last place in our division, when we were expecting to be battling for first. Arizona is 5-1 and we're 2.5 games back after just 6 weeks. We'll have to keep plugging away and hope that we can turn this ship around.

[Fonzie]

I'll be out of town for a few days, and so I won't be able to do my usual weekly roundup/preview of the next game posts until the weekend. My apologies.

[Fonzie]

Boise (4-2) 24, Seattle (4-2) 30 - This back-and-forth affair saw Boise score 10 points in the first 5 minutes of the 4th quarter to take a 24-20 lead. But Seattle managed to steal away a win with 10 points in the last 4:38 of the game. Boise simply had no answer for QB Charles Dever, who posted a nifty 19/29 for 226 yards and 3 TDs via the air plus 8 carries for 75 yards on the ground.

Detroit (5-1) 24, Durham (5-1) 28 - This matchup was clearly the Game of the Week, but it turned out to be a Game of the Weird. For starters (no pun intended) Durham's starting QB Edward Kimber sat out, making this a supposed "cakewalk" for Detroit. However, backup Kenneth Lester came out firing in his first series, completing passes of 44 and 26 yards in engineering a quick TD drive. That, however, would turn out to be Durham's last TD of the day, as they relied on seven, that's right, seven field goals from John Snell, including two 50+ kicks. Not to be outdone, Detroit threw in some freakishness of their own with Harold Infante's 100 yard kickoff return for a TD in the 2nd quarter. Despite the stormy weather, neither running game went anywhere and both QBs threw for 300+ yards. Weird game.

Long Beach (0-5) 13, Arizona (5-1) 21 - Arizona pulled yet another win out of their collective butts by scoring 14 points in the final two minutes of the game. I don't really have any comments about this game other than to say: thanks for nothing, Long Beach.

New York (4-2) 20, San Antonio (4-1) 31 - San Antonio is asserting itself in the EFC Deep South and now owns a 1-game lead on Shreveport. They needed 14 4th quarter points to get this win, however. But it shouldn't have been even this close, as the Stingers dominated the Knights statistically (24-16 in 1st downs, 172-45 in rushing yards, 433-257 in total yards, 36:21-23:29 in ToP). Eddie Crawford took home MVP honors with a 3TD performance.

El Paso (3-3) 23, Denver (3-3) 27 - El Paso's strong play of late continued well into this game, but critical mistakes cost them the win in a game they easily could have won. The Rockets outgained the Dynamite 402-214 in total yards and 36:57-23:03 in ToP. Denver, however, started four drives in El Paso territory (thanks to some ill-timed turnovers), and their average starting field position was at their own 45. With that kind of field position you don't need many yards to score, and that was the story of this game. Dustin Hayes did what he could, but his 294 yards and 1 TD (with 1 INT) just weren't enough to overcome the Rockets' turnovers and poor special teams play.

Memphis (3-3) 14, Hartford (1-4) 21 - This game is only noteworthy insofar as Hartford finally got rid of their win-column goose egg. Oberg and Spearman are back - beware, CFL!

[Fonzie]

I'm skipping the preview of my opponent for this week because the game has already happened and, well, I'd rather just get to the game. So there.

All I need to say to introduce this game is that we need a win badly. A loss here probably ends our season. Go Toros!

Box Score: Huntington Beach at Tucson
Tucson, AZ.

Week 7, 2009

Attendance: 67,000 (69,800).


Weather: 89 degrees, fair.

1Q: 01:45 TUC - Anthony Torres 4 pass from Milan "Colonel" Hogan.
1Q: 01:45 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
2Q: 03:21 TUC - Daryl Bradley 2 pass from Milan "Colonel" Hogan.
2Q: 03:21 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
2Q: 01:41 HBE - Irving Davis 53 field goal.
2Q: 00:00 TUC - Rubin Castorena 51 field goal.
3Q: 05:25 TUC - Rubin Castorena 42 field goal.
4Q: 11:48 TUC - Jeremy Rosenberry 62 interception return.
4Q: 11:48 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
4Q: 07:45 HBE - Irving Davis 27 field goal.
4Q: 02:55 TUC - Rubin Castorena 38 field goal.
4Q: 01:34 HBE - Jarred Pence 13 pass from Jesus Dennis.
4Q: 01:34 HBE - Tony Godlewski run for conversion.

Game MVP: TUC 4 Milan "Colonel" Hogan

Huntington Beach 0 3 0 11 - 14
Tucson 7 10 3 10 - 30

Team Statistics HBE TUC

First Downs 19 22

Total Rushes 16 33
Rushing Yards 45 108
Yards Per Carry 2.8 3.2
Pass Attempts 46 27
Completions 17 19
Passing Yards 265 214
Yards Per Attempt 5.7 7.9
Sacked 2 0
Yards Lost 8 0
Interceptions 1 0
Fumbles/Lost 1/0 1/0

Total Plays 64 60
Total Yards 302 322
Yards Per Play 4.7 5.3

3rd Down Plays 4/14 6/12
Avg. YTG on 3rd 8.5 7.0
4th Down Plays 1/1 0/0

Penalties 8 6
Penalty Yards 54 44

Avg. Drive Start OWN 32 OWN 20
Time Of Possession 25:38 34:22

Huntington Beach Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
36 Riddols 8 17 2.1 4 0
23 Wick 3 6 2.0 3 0
33 Godlewski 2 1 0.5 1 0
8 Dennis 1 5 5.0 5 0
86 Harrison 1 8 8.0 8 0
2 Lincoln 1 8 8.0 8 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
2 Lincoln 30 10 128 4.2 35 0 1 2
8 Dennis 16 7 137 8.5 35 1 0 0

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
81 Pence 3 65 21.6 2 35 1
88 Crews 2 22 11.0 1 11 0
23 Wick 2 17 8.5 7 12 0
86 Harrison 2 29 14.5 4 17 0
83 Atkins 2 51 25.5 11 35 0
36 Riddols 2 22 11.0 2 16 0
46 Kendall 1 6 6.0 0 6 0
80 Coleman 1 34 34.0 0 34 0
87 Perry 1 8 8.0 0 8 0
45 Moreland 1 11 11.0 2 11 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
36 Riddols 2 10 5.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
33 Godlewski 4 55 13.7 0
80 Coleman 1 16 16.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
12 Rodriguez 6 276 46.0 56 3

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
14 Davis 2 2 53 0 0

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
25 Luck 8 3 0.0 0 0 0
24 Tran 7 1 0.0 0 0 0
31 Unknow 6 1 0.0 0 0 0
26 Simoneau 5 1 0.0 0 0 0
99 Sprayberry 4 2 0.0 0 0 0
93 Diggs 4 0 0.0 0 0 0
51 Smeenge 3 7 0.0 0 0 0
53 Kenney 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
50 Lucas 2 3 0.0 0 0 0
97 Fender 2 2 0.0 0 0 0
95 Kimber 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
29 Markowitz 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
34 Sinclair 1 2 0.0 0 0 0
74 Cox 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
42 McClurg 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
45 Moreland 1 0 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
77 Lyons 0 0 1 0 1 0
70 Hutchins 0 0 0 0 0 1
23 Wick 1 0 0 0 0 1
53 Kenney 0 1 0 0 0 0
56 Smith 0 0 0 0 1 0

Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
42 Holliday 20 68 3.4 11 0
22 Bradley 11 36 3.2 6 0
26 Jeffries 2 4 2.0 2 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
4 Hogan 27 19 214 7.9 25 2 0 0

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
82 Torres 6 66 11.0 18 25 1
85 Garcia 3 53 17.6 8 24 0
80 Higginbotham 2 19 9.5 0 12 0
89 Armitage 2 26 13.0 1 14 0
22 Bradley 2 10 5.0 2 8 1
88 Ramirez 2 24 12.0 2 12 0
87 Sheehy 1 7 7.0 2 7 0
30 Robbins 1 9 9.0 7 9 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
85 Garcia 2 80 40.0 0
88 Ramirez 1 14 14.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 4 175 43.7 47 0

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 3 3 51 3 3

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
52 Wash 7 0 0.0 0 0 0
55 Trujillo 5 2 0.0 0 0 0
32 Hartung 5 0 0.0 0 0 0
40 Biggs 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
95 Stoltzfus 4 0 0.0 0 0 0
46 Bloch 3 3 0.0 0 0 0
96 Stansell 2 0 1.0 0 0 0
37 Rosenberry 2 0 0.0 1 62 1
75 Grier 1 0 1.0 0 0 0
70 Neubauer 1 2 0.0 0 0 0
90 Jarrard 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
25 Minahan 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
87 Sheehy 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
22 Bradley 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
72 Bernard 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
97 Horn 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
29 McCloskey 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
31 Enoch 0 2 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
64 Connell 0 0 0 0 4 0
78 Odum 0 0 0 0 2 0
71 Franck 0 0 0 0 2 0
80 Higginbotham 0 0 1 0 0 0
97 Horn 0 1 0 0 0 0
82 Torres 0 0 0 0 1 0
85 Garcia 1 0 0 0 0 0

Huntington Beach Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 15:00 4:01 OWN 24 10 36 Punt
1 9:24 1:26 OWN 45 3 4 Punt
1 1:45 1:38 OWN 16 3 5 Punt
2 13:30 2:26 OWN 40 7 19 Punt
2 3:21 1:40 OWN 28 4 36 Field Goal
3 13:31 1:30 OWN 36 3 -5 Punt
3 5:25 5:49 OWN 21 11 37 Punt
4 12:44 0:56 OPP 49 2 -1 Interception
4 11:48 4:03 OWN 20 7 70 Field Goal
4 2:55 1:21 OWN 37 6 63 Touchdown
4 1:28 1:28 OWN 43 9 43 Game

Tucson Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 10:59 1:35 OWN 4 3 8 Punt
1 7:58 6:13 OWN 20 12 80 Touchdown
1 0:07 1:37 OWN 23 3 2 Punt
2 11:04 7:43 OWN 20 14 80 Touchdown
2 1:41 1:41 OWN 33 3 33 Field Goal
3 15:00 1:29 OWN 14 3 3 Punt
3 12:01 6:36 OWN 9 13 66 Field Goal
4 14:36 1:52 OWN 1 3 8 Punt
4 7:45 4:50 OPP 39 6 18 Field Goal

Huntington Beach Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
2 1 1

Tucson Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
3 2 1


Just what the doctor ordered - a nice, dominant win. Don't let the final statlines fool you, most of those yards and points we surrendered came in garbage time. Our defense came to play today by allowing just 2.8 ypc and registering 2 sacks, 7 hurries (4 by new guy Stoltzfus), 11 passes defensed (an amazing 5 by Biggs in his return from injury) and an interception returned for a TD. Good stuff.

Hogan returned to form with an efficient 19/27, 214 yd, 2 TD performance. TE Anthony Torres and little-used SE Brent Garcia were the main beneficiaries of his accuracy. The only element of our team that wasn't clicking today was the run game, where Holliday was limited to just 68 yards on 20 carries. He did have an early TD called back on a penalty, the poor guy.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Toros game without some key injuries. Today we lost LG Ross Poplawski for 3 weeks with a hyperextended elbow, FB Corwin Jeffries for 3 weeks to a strained achilles, and SS Mitchel Enoch for 2 weeks with a strained elbow tendon. Starters, all. They'll join our other walking wounded on the bench next week. Unfortunately, none of our division rivals appear to be having much in the way of injury problems. That hardly seems fair, since our coach is better than Arizona's and Las Vegas' coaches at "avoiding injury." Alas.

Next up: another must-win at Sacramento.

[Fonzie]

Some key games from week 7 in the CFL:

Baltimore (3-4) 9, Durham (6-1) 31 - Durham continues to roll despite Edward Kimber's absence, but this time his backup didn't do much to help the cause. Lester threw for just 126 yards and added 2 picks, but Durham's defense forced four turnovers of their own and somehow kept a good Baltimore offense (466 total yards) out of the endzone. Durham has a bye week coming up - after which Kimber should be good to go. That spells bad news for the rest of the EFC Atlantic division.

Fargo (5-2) 31, Seattle (4-3) 10 - Seattle continues their inconsistent ways with a home drubbing at the hands of a good Fargo squad. Seattle's Dever had a lousy day, tossing for 253 yards and a TD, but also surrendering 3 INTs (one of which was returned 99 yards for a TD!). Those turnovers made pedestrian performances from Hedges and Alvey enough to secure a convincing win on the road.

Las Vegas (3-3) 9, Arizona (6-1) 21 - Arizona continues to steamroll through a very weak 4th-place schedule (their opponents have combined for a 12-32 record to date), this time using a good defensive performance to stifle Lenny "Jackpot" Olsen and company. Vegas was never really in this one, as they scored their only TD with 1:13 left in the game. 'Zona's defense also forced Vegas into continually long down-and-distance situations (4/15 on 3rd downs, 10.7 avg yards to go on 3rd), which helped keep Vegas' running game in check. Matthias finally had a decent day statistically (16/30, 263 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT) for Arizona.

New Orleans (2-5) 21, Hartford (2-4) 55 - They're back! Hartford tied a CFL record with their 55 point output against a very beaten-up New Orleans team. Hartford scored early (with 104 yd kickoff return for TD to start the game) and often (Oberg tossed 5 TD passes) and late (83 yard punt return for TD with :45 left in the game). Oberg was on fire, but Attack fans were probably most thrilled to see Spearman return to see some limited action (11 carries, 46 yds, 3 catches for 48 yards and 1 TD). Hartford is healthy now, so I wouldn't be surprised to see them reel off 8 wins in a row.

San Antonio (5-1) 38, Boston (4-2) 28 - San Antonio's Dana Montgomery and Eddie Crawford went hog-wild in their big win over Boston. Crawford, in particular, has fueled a somewhat surprising Stingers squad with his 70% completion rate and 95.9 QB Rating. Nobody expected that kind of performance from him, and many are waiting for him to drop back to earth like a very, very heavy rock. Still, they beat a very good Boston team on the road and deserve credit for their strong start. Boston, meanwhile, remains in 1st in their division and got some good news when 2nd-place New York's QB Kim Pace suffered suffered an arm injury that might cost him a few games.

Tulsa (6-0) 31, El Paso (3-4) 27 - El Paso continues to put up much more of a fight than most pundits figured they'd be capable of, but this time they fell short against the league's only remaining undefeated team. The Rockets outgained the Talons 432-359 in yardage, but the difference-maker in this one was field position. Tulsa's return teams did a vastly superior job, averaging 31 yards on kickoff returns and 13 yards on punt returns. The Rockets, on the other hand, averaged just 16 yards on kickoff returns and only returned one punt for a loss of 3 yards. Special teams, baby.

[3ric]

Durham is on an incredible roll right now.

[Fonzie]

Sacramento has fallen on hard times, and the same might be said for the entire San Andreas division for that matter. Last year's division champs might still be in 1st place, but they're just 2-4. The Dragons' struggles have left most CFL pundits scratching their heads, as this is a very talented team. Here's all the evidence you need:

QB Seymore Barre - The 9th-year veteran is one of the more talented field generals in the league according to the scouts, but his statistics don't quite bear that out (career 82.9 QB Rating, 58% completion, 6.84 ypa average). In part that is because Sacramento has for years leaned heavily on RB Alexis Rounds to give them a dominant ground game. In part it might be because having the name "Seymore" has made him psychologically fragile. Who knows? I'd just as soon he not realize how talented he is next week.

RB Alexis Rounds - Alexis has thriced topped the 1000 yard mark, and in the last two full seasons he has gained 1939 and 1782 yards, respectively. To say he's been studly would be an understatement, but the years of pounding the ball appeared to catch up to him this offseason - he looks like an old man out there now (big drop in ratings last offseason). Still, he's averaging 3.6 ypc this season and cannot be ignored.

FL Jerome Stearns - Stearns is in a bit of the same boat as Barre - he's been overshadowed by Rounds, and because of the focus on the ground game this very good receiver's stats have suffered. Still, even in the early days of Sacramento's existence when the passing game was still emphasized he was very inconsistent. He gained 959 yards in 2003, 1028 yards in 2004, and then 450 yards in 2005. His 2005 stats were based on 29 catches in 92 targeted passes. He only dropped six passes that year, so something clearly wasn't right that season. Whatever the reason, he has yet to get back over 900 yards receiving.

The Entire Offensive Line - My scouts love the Dragons' line - every starter is rated as a 60 or better, and they've all been playing together for years. No weaknesses here.

The Entire Secondary - Dammit, I hate when teams have two whole units that are invulnerable to criticism. These four guys have combined for 81 career interceptions.

[Fonzie]

Durham is on an incredible roll right now.

Indeed they are. That defense has been excellent of late, despite not having any true standouts (yes Motormouth, that was directed at you!). ;)

[fantastic flying froggies]

HB then Sacramento? How many gimmes do you need?

What kind of a schedule is that? Ah, how I wish the Vampires could play the San Andreas division too?



;)

[Fonzie]

HB then Sacramento? How many gimmes do you need?

What kind of a schedule is that? Ah, how I wish the Vampires could play the San Andreas division too?


;)

I'll take as many gimme games as I can get! :)

But we didn't stomp either of those teams, and we somehow managed to lose to Santa Cruz. In fact, the San Andreas division really has some decent talent - I'm not sure why they're struggling so much this year. Just one of those fluke seasons, I'm guessing.

But yeah, I'm certainly wishing I was in their division and not in the RoF. Our division is downright brutal this year.

[Fonzie]

It was nice to get back to .500, but we need to keep winning to have any hopes of realizing the preseason predictions of us winning our first division title. Next up is another down-on-their-luck foe in the Sacramento Dragons. As with Huntington Beach, they've got plenty of talent but just have not been able to win this year. We have to take advantage of their temporary weakness and steal a win here - if we're to have any hope of turning this season around.

Box Score: Tucson at Sacramento
Sacramento, CA.

Week 8, 2009

Attendance: 62,700 (71,000).


Weather: 45 degrees, fair.

1Q: 02:19 TUC - Daryl Bradley 2 run.
1Q: 02:19 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
2Q: 07:09 SAC - Branden Eastman 43 field goal.
4Q: 14:55 SAC - Branden Eastman 53 field goal.
4Q: 01:03 TUC - Drew Holliday 1 run.
4Q: 01:03 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.

Game MVP: TUC 4 Milan "Colonel" Hogan

Tucson 7 0 0 7 - 14
Sacramento 0 3 0 3 - 6

Team Statistics TUC SAC

First Downs 21 13

Total Rushes 30 25
Rushing Yards 109 100
Yards Per Carry 3.6 4.0
Pass Attempts 34 35
Completions 21 16
Passing Yards 200 142
Yards Per Attempt 5.8 4.0
Sacked 4 0
Yards Lost 36 0
Interceptions 0 2
Fumbles/Lost 1/0 2/0

Total Plays 68 60
Total Yards 273 242
Yards Per Play 4.0 4.0

3rd Down Plays 5/14 5/15
Avg. YTG on 3rd 8.4 6.6
4th Down Plays 0/0 0/1

Penalties 4 8
Penalty Yards 20 52

Avg. Drive Start OWN 30 OWN 29
Time Of Possession 32:24 27:36

Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
42 Holliday 23 87 3.7 18 1
22 Bradley 6 23 3.8 6 1
4 Hogan 1 -1 -1.0 -1 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
4 Hogan 34 21 200 5.8 24 0 0 4

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
82 Torres 6 46 7.6 20 11 0
80 Higginbotham 5 60 12.0 4 24 0
89 Armitage 3 35 11.6 1 18 0
88 Ramirez 2 14 7.0 5 10 0
42 Holliday 2 10 5.0 5 5 0
87 Sheehy 1 6 6.0 4 6 0
22 Bradley 1 8 8.0 9 8 0
30 Robbins 1 21 21.0 0 21 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
22 Bradley 1 10 10.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
85 Garcia 2 33 16.5 0
88 Ramirez 1 23 23.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 7 325 46.4 56 4

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 0 2 0 2 2

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
37 Rosenberry 8 1 0.0 0 0 0
32 Hartung 5 1 0.0 0 0 0
55 Trujillo 4 2 0.0 0 0 0
72 Bernard 4 2 0.0 0 0 0
95 Stoltzfus 4 0 0.0 1 0 0
33 Mirer 4 0 0.0 1 0 0
75 Grier 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
52 Wash 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
46 Bloch 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
40 Biggs 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
61 Eaddy 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
90 Jarrard 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
87 Sheehy 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
70 Neubauer 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
22 Bradley 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
56 Brkich 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
96 Stansell 0 3 0.0 0 0 0
73 Smith 0 1 0.0 0 0 0
25 Minahan 0 1 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
64 Connell 0 0 0 0 1 2
63 Pitman 0 0 0 0 3 1
61 Eaddy 0 0 0 0 4 1
82 Torres 1 0 1 0 2 0
78 Odum 0 0 0 0 3 0
87 Sheehy 0 1 0 0 0 0
32 Hartung 0 1 0 0 0 0
71 Franck 0 0 0 0 1 0

Sacramento Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
44 Rounds 20 82 4.1 16 0
6 Barre 4 16 4.0 7 0
21 Harrison 1 2 2.0 2 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
6 Barre 35 16 142 4.0 24 0 2 0

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
23 Burnett 3 21 7.0 6 12 0
83 Stearns 3 35 11.6 4 19 0
44 Rounds 3 18 6.0 9 8 0
46 Edwards 3 10 3.3 7 4 0
87 Sturgeon 1 24 24.0 2 24 0
86 Rice 1 11 11.0 0 11 0
42 Hernandez 1 7 7.0 0 7 0
88 Kuhlmann 1 16 16.0 1 16 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
41 Stith 4 44 11.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
47 Schwartz 2 56 28.0 0
88 Kuhlmann 1 10 10.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
3 Palmer 6 237 39.5 45 2

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
1 Eastman 2 3 53 0 0

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
45 Gonzales 10 1 0.0 0 0 0
55 Willoughby 7 3 0.0 0 0 0
96 Burks 6 3 2.0 0 0 0
94 Hooten 5 1 0.0 0 0 0
41 Stith 5 1 0.0 0 0 0
30 Jones 5 1 0.0 0 0 0
92 Lamontagne 4 1 0.5 0 0 0
40 Cundiff 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
93 Stagner 2 1 1.0 0 0 0
24 Stine 2 4 0.0 0 0 0
56 Castro 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
90 Buehler 1 1 0.5 0 0 0
87 Sturgeon 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
27 Neal 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
23 Burnett 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
83 Stearns 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
85 Lang 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
47 Schwartz 0 1 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
53 Hartman 0 0 1 0 3 0
94 Hooten 0 1 1 0 0 0
65 Davidson 0 0 0 0 2 0
68 Close 0 0 0 0 1 0
6 Barre 1 0 0 0 0 0
41 Stith 1 0 0 0 0 0

Tucson Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 10:18 7:59 OWN 8 14 92 Touchdown
2 15:00 3:56 OWN 22 8 43 Missed FG
2 7:09 1:36 OWN 18 3 -4 Punt
2 4:26 1:17 OWN 43 3 6 Punt
2 1:48 1:20 50 5 21 Missed FG
2 0:14 0:14 OWN 37 1 4 Half
3 15:00 2:01 OWN 32 3 3 Punt
3 7:17 2:08 OWN 8 5 23 Punt
3 3:58 1:54 OWN 20 3 7 Punt
4 14:55 3:33 OWN 23 6 21 Punt
4 10:29 0:58 OPP 46 3 -1 Punt
4 6:47 5:44 OWN 41 13 59 Touchdown
4 0:01 0:01 OWN 40 1 -1 Game

Sacramento Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 15:00 4:42 OWN 15 9 33 Punt
1 2:19 2:19 OWN 31 3 8 Punt
2 11:04 3:55 OWN 42 7 32 Field Goal
2 5:33 1:07 OWN 37 4 14 Interception
2 3:09 1:21 OWN 14 3 7 Punt
2 0:28 0:14 OWN 36 2 11 Interception
3 12:59 5:42 OWN 26 9 21 Punt
3 5:09 1:11 OWN 30 3 6 Punt
3 2:04 2:09 OWN 46 5 18 Field Goal
4 11:22 0:53 OWN 13 3 1 Punt
4 9:31 2:44 OWN 20 7 46 Missed FG
4 1:03 1:02 OWN 40 5 20 Downs

Tucson Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
2 2 0

Sacramento Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
0 0 0


Not a pretty win, but we'll take it. Our opening drive, which went 14 plays for 92 yards and a TD, was a thing of beauty. After that, though, we were pretty ineffective on offense. Sacramento continually short-circuited our drives and kept us from taking advantage of several great starting field positions. But our defense was up to the task of keeping Sacramento out of the end zone - we were especially effective against Barre, who had a poor day overall.

A note on CB Keven Biggs - he's been hurt a bit this season and thus has played in just three games, but he's been astronomically good in those three games. In each game he's defended more passes than he's allowed, for a total of 4 passes caught vs. 9 passes defensed. That translates into a PDPct of 25! I know kind of performance won't last, but damn he's been playing well.

And while we're talking about pass defense, how's about Stoltzfus' game? The mammoth DT not only registered a couple of hurries, but he managed to pick off a pass! Nice job Harold!

Ken Wickes Deathwatch: our humble coach again opted to try a long-range, low-probability field goal in the 2nd quarter of a game (this time a 52-yarder). Castorena of course missed it, giving Sacramento great field position and, ultimately, a cheap FG. If ownership loosens the coach-salary pursestrings this offseason we'll almost certainly be looking for a new guy. If not, then we'll have to look for a kicker with less Kicking Power to reduce the temptation to go for those long kicks all the damned time.

Castorena didn't do much to convince us to keep him around by missing a 46 yarder, either.

Next up: the final stop on our tour of the San Andreas division, at home vs. Long Beach.

[Fonzie]

There weren't a lot of "big" games this week - most of the good teams were playing relatively bad teams. There were a few matchups worth noting, however:

Arizona (6-2) 28, Honolulu (5-3) 31 - Hard to believe, but I found myself rooting for Honolulu in this one so as to keep Arizona within striking distance. Ronnie Tu came through for me with a 22/29, 292 yd, 3TD - 1 INT performance in this squeaker. Arizona's Freddie Matthias also thre for 3 TDs, but was otherwise unimpressive (19/37, 227 yds). Slightly better QB play might have won this one for 'Zona.

Hartford (3-4) 23, Boston (4-3) 21 - Hartford continues their roll with a tough two-point win over Boston. There were two big stories in this one: turnovers and injuries. Dwayne Bridges had a solid game (23/36, 277yds, 2TDs, 1 INT), but it was his one interception that was the difference - it was caught by Hartford's Sherman Lee in the 4th quarter and returned 45 yards for a TD. Hartford also seemed as determined to beat the living shit out of Boston players as they were to win the game. Six Panthers were injured in the course of this one, including the loss of starting WR Irv Schwartz for 4 weeks and the guy whose starting job he took, James Hoch, for 16 weeks. Bridges was slightly dinged up in this one too, and now his offensive weaponry is much more limited. Boston may be in for a few rough weeks, at least until they can get some warm bodies back out there.

San Antonio (5-2) 0, Atlantic City (4-3) 30 - Let's take a quick trip down memory lane, shall we? Last week I had this to say about the Eddie Crawford's great start:
Crawford, in particular, has fueled a somewhat surprising Stingers squad with his 70% completion rate and 95.9 QB Rating. Nobody expected that kind of performance from him, and many are waiting for him to drop back to earth like a very, very heavy rock.
Heavy, heavy rock indeed. Crawford was stinky in this otherwise winnable match, completing just 11 of 25 passes for 115 yds, 3 INTs (all of which came in the 4th quarter), and suffering 4 sacks. His running game didn't help much, as they were held to just 57 yards, and San Antonio overall gained just 148 yards on the day. In fact, the Stingers' special teams also sucked, with an average starting field position of their own 17 against AC's average start at their own 44. Nothing went right for SA, and everything went right for AC. Colin Sawyer had a solid day (25/33, 241 yds, 2 TDs), and Lanny Hower went over 100 yds. This big win vaulted AC into the Land Of Respectability with a winning record, a land they have not visited since the CFL's inaugural season of 2003.

Tulsa (6-1) 23, Fargo (6-2) 26 (OT) - Both offenses were really clicking in this big matchup, and it is a bit surprising that the game didn't produce a higher score. All of the offensive stars were on display today, producing over 900 yds in total offense, but the return units for both squads were a bit disappointing, as both teams averaged a starting field position at their respective 20 yd lines. Fargo's QB Brett Hedges directed the winning field goal drive in OT, but on 2nd and 7 from the Tulsa 19 he suffered a serious high ankle sprain that knocked him from the game. Two plays later Fargo kicked the winning FG, but learned that Hedges injury would keep him out for nearly three months. Fargo won the battle, but the injury to Hedges may have cost them the war.

Detroit (7-1) 26, Cleveland (2-6) 21 - Detroit continues their season-long tendency to play just well enough to win, but this game featured both good and bad news for the Vampires. They won this one thanks to their great defensive play, as poor Ernest Lorenzo was mercilessly harrassed all day long. He had 7 passes defensed, 3 passes blocked at the line, got hurried 8 times and was sacked thrice, and added a nasty 5 picks to boot. That's the good news. The bad news is that Detroit suffered quite a few injuries in this one, including the loss of studly RT Larry Peters for 14 weeks and three-quarters of their excellent starting secondary. The secondary will be okay in a month or so, but will they be able to continue shutting teams down in the meantime? Detroit had better hope so, because their offense is not teh shiznit.

[condors]

There weren't a lot of "big" games this week - most of the good teams were playing relatively bad teams. There were a few matchups worth noting, however:

Arizona (6-2) 28, Honolulu (5-3) 31 - Hard to believe, but I found myself rooting for Honolulu in this one so as to keep Arizona within striking distance. Ronnie Tu came through for me with a 22/29, 292 yd, 3TD - 1 INT performance in this squeaker. Arizona's Freddie Matthias also thre for 3 TDs, but was otherwise unimpressive (19/37, 227 yds). Slightly better QB play might have won this one for 'Zona.



I am just glad that 'Zona isn't viewed as a bye week any longer now if i can improve my recievers i think we will be really ready to challenge (i still don't think we are winning the division this season)

[Fonzie]

I am just glad that 'Zona isn't viewed as a bye week any longer now if i can improve my recievers i think we will be really ready to challenge (i still don't think we are winning the division this season)

Yeah, having better wideouts would probably help poor Freddie. But both Rusty Connors and Kirk Khan (wow - that name is awesome) should be pretty good in a year or two.

[fantastic flying froggies]

How can you hate the proverbial Buffalo Bills of the CFL?
Ouch! :D

(i'd actually missed that initially...)

[Fonzie]

It seems as though I say this whenever I evaluate the roster of a San Andreas division team, but why Long Beach is stuck with a record of just 2-5 is beyond me. This team is loaded with talent.

QB Josh Urrutia - Josh was a 5-year starter with Memphis before joining Long Beach in 2008, and he has enjoyed 1.5 years of great play since making the transition. His QB Rating last year was a career-high 92.7, and this year he's on pace to break that with a 94.8 rating through 7 games. Urrutia has the distinction of having started every regular season game of his career (103 consecutive starts). He can be a difference-maker.

RB Don Terrell - Don was the 4th overall pick of the 2007 draft, but this is just his first full year of holding the starting RB job. For his career (37 games, 13 starts) he has 360 carries for 1547 yds and 7 TDs. He's also caught 31 passes for 220 yds and 2 TDs. This might be his breakout year, as he's already halfway to 1000 yds in just 7 games. He's talented, but has yet to prove himself over a full season.

LT K.C. Davis - K.C. (according to rumor, "K.C." stands for "Karaoke Crusader") was the 7th overall pick in 2006, but may well have been the most talented player to come out of that draft class (although Willie Golalic and Burt Liskiewicz might beg to differ). He's been a true O-line anchor since day one, and has no weaknesses in his game. He's the perfect left tackle.

WLB Hollis Beardsley - Not often you get a weak-side linebacker listed as one of your top players, but this guy is a run-stopping monster. And on top of that, he's actually good in coverage, a rarity for a Will.

The Secondary - Bobby Miller, Herschel Schrock, and Craig Jiles form a fine triumverate of pass-disrupting pass disruptors. They're a bit beat up right now, though. Bobby Miller is on the injury report as "probable" with a sprained ankle and Craig Jiles has been forced to the sideline for a week to recover from heat exhaustion.

Some good talent here. Tomorrow's game will be a tough one, for sure.

[Fonzie]

At 4-3 we sit .5 games behind Honolulu and 1.5 games behind Arizona. A loss here won't destroy our season, but a win would certainly help get us back in contention, especially with our next game being against Honolulu. Long Beach scares me, though, as they're way too talented to be just 2-5. 2-6 seems all the more absurd, so I'm hoping for the best but preparing for the worst with this one.

On to the action!

Box Score: Long Beach at Tucson
Tucson, AZ.

Week 9, 2009

Attendance: 67,000 (69,800).


Weather: 51 degrees, fair.

2Q: 11:54 TUC - Rubin Castorena 19 field goal.
3Q: 10:20 TUC - Sydney Armitage 3 pass from Milan "Colonel" Hogan.
3Q: 10:20 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
3Q: 04:29 LBE - Gregory Edelman 2 pass from Joshua Urrutia.
3Q: 04:29 LBE - Frederic Swallow extra point.
4Q: 14:25 TUC - Drew Holliday 2 run.
4Q: 14:25 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
4Q: 06:02 TUC - Rubin Castorena 47 field goal.

Game MVP: TUC 4 Milan "Colonel" Hogan

Long Beach 0 0 7 0 - 7
Tucson 0 3 7 10 - 20

Team Statistics LBE TUC

First Downs 16 22

Total Rushes 30 42
Rushing Yards 82 172
Yards Per Carry 2.7 4.0
Pass Attempts 30 24
Completions 16 18
Passing Yards 167 200
Yards Per Attempt 5.5 8.3
Sacked 0 1
Yards Lost 0 5
Interceptions 2 0
Fumbles/Lost 0/0 1/0

Total Plays 60 67
Total Yards 249 367
Yards Per Play 4.1 5.4

3rd Down Plays 6/13 9/15
Avg. YTG on 3rd 7.0 5.4
4th Down Plays 1/1 0/0

Penalties 5 6
Penalty Yards 30 49

Avg. Drive Start OWN 23 OWN 31
Time Of Possession 26:16 33:44

Long Beach Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
34 Terrell 17 53 3.1 7 0
32 Grunow 10 16 1.6 4 0
36 Grafton 2 15 7.5 9 0
2 Urrutia 1 -2 -2.0 -2 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
2 Urrutia 30 16 167 5.5 21 1 2 0

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
34 Terrell 5 48 9.6 6 17 0
85 Patterson 4 48 12.0 8 18 0
83 McGarry 2 12 6.0 0 6 0
86 Edelman 2 14 7.0 3 12 1
87 Lore 1 13 13.0 2 13 0
81 Greco 1 21 21.0 7 21 0
32 Grunow 1 11 11.0 4 11 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
32 Grunow 1 15 15.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
24 Takahashi 2 45 22.5 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
6 Lightfoot 5 243 48.6 67 3

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
8 Swallow 0 0 0 1 1

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
97 Beardsley 11 3 0.0 0 0 0
26 Schrock 7 2 0.0 0 0 0
91 Roper 6 8 0.0 0 0 0
96 Kiernan 6 2 0.0 0 0 0
42 Miller 5 0 0.0 0 0 0
41 Hill 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
70 O'Connell 3 4 0.0 0 0 0
71 Lockett 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
27 Holt 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
75 Callender 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
92 Seidel 2 0 1.0 0 0 0
79 George 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
44 Silas 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
87 Lore 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
46 Roffmann 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
50 Sutton 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
20 Dyer 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
67 Walunas 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
85 Patterson 1 0 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
67 Walunas 0 1 0 0 1 0
36 Grafton 0 0 0 0 1 0
51 Brown 0 0 0 0 1 0
62 Price 0 0 0 0 1 0
69 Bullock 0 0 0 0 1 0
64 Davis 0 0 0 0 1 0

Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
42 Holliday 22 22 1.0 4 1
22 Bradley 17 136 8.0 50 0
4 Hogan 2 7 3.5 4 0
88 Ramirez 1 7 7.0 7 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
4 Hogan 24 18 200 8.3 20 1 0 1

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
89 Armitage 6 52 8.6 14 19 1
80 Higginbotham 4 61 15.2 10 19 0
22 Bradley 2 21 10.5 15 12 0
82 Torres 2 28 14.0 4 20 0
87 Sheehy 1 5 5.0 6 5 0
88 Ramirez 1 12 12.0 1 12 0
42 Holliday 1 3 3.0 0 3 0
30 Robbins 1 18 18.0 0 18 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
22 Bradley 3 36 12.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
85 Garcia 1 27 27.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 3 124 41.3 50 2

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 2 4 47 2 2

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
52 Wash 6 2 0.0 0 0 0
95 Stoltzfus 6 2 0.0 0 0 0
90 Jarrard 5 4 0.0 0 0 0
31 Enoch 5 0 0.0 1 6 0
40 Biggs 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
55 Trujillo 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
32 Hartung 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
25 Minahan 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
75 Grier 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
70 Neubauer 2 3 0.0 0 0 0
46 Bloch 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
29 McCloskey 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
37 Rosenberry 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
73 Smith 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
22 Bradley 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
93 King 0 0 0.0 1 0 0
72 Bernard 0 1 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
61 Eaddy 0 0 0 0 3 1
78 Odum 0 0 0 0 3 0
63 Pitman 0 0 0 0 3 0
55 Trujillo 0 0 1 0 0 0
71 Franck 0 0 0 0 1 0
22 Bradley 1 0 0 0 0 0
64 Connell 0 0 0 0 1 0

Long Beach Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 11:39 5:32 OWN 5 12 56 Interception
2 11:54 4:25 OWN 40 6 21 Punt
2 5:57 1:47 OWN 47 3 -4 Punt
2 0:06 0:06 OWN 28 1 -2 Half
3 15:00 1:46 OWN 21 3 4 Interception
3 10:20 5:51 OWN 20 14 80 Touchdown
4 14:25 2:21 OWN 16 3 4 Punt
4 9:37 1:20 OWN 17 3 7 Punt
4 6:02 2:29 OWN 9 7 28 Punt
4 1:52 1:52 OWN 32 8 45 Game

Tucson Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 15:00 3:21 OWN 20 8 25 Punt
1 6:07 9:13 OWN 29 16 69 Field Goal
2 7:29 1:32 OWN 20 3 4 Punt
2 4:10 4:04 OWN 4 12 75 Missed FG
3 13:14 2:54 OPP 28 6 28 Touchdown
3 4:29 5:04 OWN 38 9 62 Touchdown
4 12:04 2:27 OPP 35 4 25 Missed FG
4 8:17 2:15 OWN 15 4 55 Field Goal
4 3:33 1:41 OWN 24 6 14 Punt

Long Beach Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
1 1 0

Tucson Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
5 2 1


Not exactly a pretty, or dominating, win, but I'll gladly take it. A 13-point win is good, but it probably should have been at least a 19 point win. Formerly rock-solid K Rubin Castorena has been nothing short of terrible this season, and his misery continued today with a 38-yd miss and a 25-yd blocked attempt. I don't know what's wrong with him, but it is safe to say that his job is in jeopardy if he doesn't get his head out of his ass.

Long Beach managed to deliver Drew Holliday his worst performance as a pro, stopping him for 22 yds on 22 carries (he did score a TD). That was an impressive feat to be sure, but they seemed to forget about Drew's backup, Darryl Bradley, who ran hog wild for 136 yds, had 2 catches for 21 yds, and returned 3 punts for 36 yds. He, and not "Colonel" Hogan, should have been the game MVP. Hogan certainly did his part, though with a very efficient performance.

But perhaps the real story of this game was our defense, who managed to keep an opponent under 10 points for the second straight game. Long Beach was limited to 2.7 ypc and forced veteran Josh Urrutia into a miserable 16/30 day with two interceptions. Nicely done, boys!

And to top it all off, we suffered no injuries.

Next week we have a HUGE game at home against Honolulu, and the week after that we travel to play Arizona. These two games will likely determine the trajectory of the rest of our season.

[Fonzie]

We've reached the halfway point of our season, and that means it is time for some reflection and self-evaluation. The team's performance, to date:


Record: 5-3
Winning Pct.: .625

Tucson Toros Team Rank
Rushes 244 15
Rushing Yards 960 18
Yards Per Carry 3.93 14 (T)
Pass Attempts 242 26
Completions 155 16 (T)
Passing Yards 1777 21
Yards Per Attempt 7.34 13
3rd Down Conversions 46.2 12 (T)
Points Per Game 21.0 16
Turnovers 5 1 (T)
Turnover Margin +2 12 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes 210 7
Rushing Yards 766 8
Yards Per Carry 3.64 9
Pass Attempts 277 21
Completions 151 15 (T)
Passing Yards 1713 10
Yards Per Attempt 6.18 4
3rd Down Conversions 40.3 10 (T)
Points Per Game 17.2 3 (T)
Turnovers 7 27 (T)

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int
4 Hogan QB 242 155 1777 7.34 13 4
**Team --- 242 155 1777 7.34 13 4

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD
42 Holliday RB 171 650 3.80 4
22 Bradley RB 57 277 4.85 1
**Team --- 244 960 3.93 5

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc YAC TD
82 Torres TE 49 37 358 9.6 98 4
89 Armitage WR 59 30 374 12.4 40 4
80 Higginbotham WR 31 23 381 16.5 47 0
26 Jeffries FB 18 15 119 7.9 75 1
22 Bradley RB 19 11 83 7.5 39 1
87 Sheehy TE 17 9 115 12.7 28 0
88 Ramirez WR 11 8 82 10.2 16 1
42 Holliday RB 9 8 41 5.1 16 1
**Team --- 240 155 1777 11.4 394 13

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn
52 Wash ILB 48 18 0.0 1 0 5
58 Watford OLB 41 9 0.0 1 0 1
46 Bloch S 26 9 0.0 0 0 0
31 Enoch S 24 13 0.0 0 2 9
37 Rosenberry CB 24 2 0.0 0 1 8
70 Neubauer DT 24 14 0.5 4 0 0
90 Jarrard ILB 21 7 0.0 0 0 0
95 Stoltzfus DT 20 2 0.0 8 1 0
25 Minahan CB 20 10 0.0 0 0 1
32 Hartung S 17 6 0.0 0 0 4
96 Stansell DT 17 9 2.5 7 0 0
72 Bernard DE 16 11 1.5 2 0 0
29 McCloskey CB 15 6 0.0 0 0 0
55 Trujillo OLB 14 7 0.0 1 0 3
75 Grier DE 13 6 4.0 4 0 1
33 Mirer S 13 3 0.0 0 1 3
40 Biggs CB 10 2 0.0 0 0 9
**Team --- 403 139 10.0 35 6 44
We sit tied for 2nd in the division with a respectable 5-3 record. We're not too far off from where I thought we'd be at this stage - I envisioned us being either 5-3 or 6-2. However, in no scenario did I see us losing to Santa Cruz. That was simply unacceptable, and may prove costly down the road. If not for the steaming pile of poo my players called their "effort" in that game we'd be tied for 1st in our division. Alas.

The Offense
Offensively, our team has been pretty pedestrian this season. In part that is because of our problems with protection on the O-line, and in part it is due to a few individual performances that have been below expectation. Drew Holliday is one such culprit, who started off the season with a bang, but has been very ordinary since. His last game was downright pathetic. He'll have to step it up if we're to maintain any hopes for the postseason.

Sydney Armitage was brought in to inject some life into the passing game, but hasn't proven to be much more effective than the guy he replace (Carl Markey - who is inexplicably having a career year with Oregon). I expected nothing less than a 1000 yd season from him, but he's on pace to have just 750 yds receiving. Disappointing.

"Colonel" Hogan, however, has continued his solid performance from last year, and currently sports a QB Rating of 97.0. TE Anthony Torres has settled nicely into the starting role, and Demetrius Higginbotham has chipped in nicely as a secondary option in the passing game. But perhaps the most pleasantly surprising aspect of our offense has been our unwillingness to surrender the ball: just 5 turnovers committed so far this year, which is best in the league.

Grade: C+

The Defense
The "D" has been getting the job done in almost every respect, and is a huge reason why we have a winning record. We're 9th in rushing ypc, 4th in passing ypa, and 3rd in points allowed. While it is hard to complain about that performance, it would be nice to see them improve on forcing turnovers and getting more pressure on the QB. Hopefully Stoltzfus will help in both regards.

I mentioned before that Keven Biggs is having a great season (when healthy), and it should be clear why: 9 PDs in just 4 games, only 6 completions allowed. Those 9 PDs tie him for the team lead with Mitchel Enoch, who also has 2 INTs to his credit. Grant Wash is our leading tackler at the moment, but that is only because SLB Joseph Watford has missed the last 3 games. Once we get him back, he'll probably reassert himself as the leader of the defense. Stoltzfus has begun to settle in, and while he has 8 pressures and an INT(!) he has no sacks to his credit yet. He is likely a big reason for the improvement in our run defense.

On the not-so-good side, DT Kenneth Neubauer signed a huge contract in the offseason, and has responded with predictably poor season. Ray Minahan has also been disappointing this year - he may not like how he's been yanked into and out of the starting lineup. Toughen up, wuss.

Grade: B+

The Special Teams
K Rubin Castorena is in serious jeopardy of getting cut in the offseason. He's barely made 50% of his kicks this year (11/20), and has missed several makable attempts this year, including a chip-shot 25 yarder that was blocked in his last game. He's never been great on kickoffs, so his main asset has been his ability to kick long field goals. However, if he can't even make the short ones I'm not sure he has any value whatsoever.

P Edward Winters has improved markedly from last year. His net average is up nearly four entire yards (42.6 vs. 38.8 last year), and he's continuing to drop a third of his punts inside the 20. The scouts think he might be capable of improving even more. We'll see, but I'm happy with him right now.

Primary punt returner Darryl Bradley has done well, sporting an 11 yard average on 9 returns. Kick returns, however, have been another story. We continue to struggle here, with primary returner Brent Garcia making several boneheaded decisions to take the ball out of the end zone (and do little in the process) and averaging just 21.8 yards per return. Mack Ramirez hasn't done any better at 21.1 ypr. I'd really like to improve this area of the team in the offseason.

Grade: C-

Overall Evaluation: B-
We've done okay this season, but we could be a lot better. We'll have to improve considerably on offense over the last half of the season to make any nosie come playoff time. I'm looking at you, Drew.

[Fonzie]

There's really only one star you need to know about: Honolulu's legendary QB, Ronnie Tu. I've described him a bit previously, and so I won't go into further detail here, but he is a truly great quarterback. He's capable of beating any team in the league all by himself. Think Brett Favre in his prime (only evil) and you'll get an idea of what Ronnie Tu is all about.

As for the rest of the Honolulu squad they have some good talent in spots, but in general my lead-in to our first game against Honolulu still holds true:

Week 1: at Honolulu
The regular season is finally here, and with it comes an immediate test: a tilt at arch-rival Honolulu. It is hard to argue that the season's first game is a must-win, but I believe this truly is a must win game. The battle for the division title will be hard-fought, and I wouldn't be surprised if the title winner was decided by a tiebreaker.

A win here would give us a leg-up in that respect, and allow us to continue a recent turn in our fortunes against a team that has haunted us. Heading into the 2008 season, we sported a pathetic 2-9 record against the Blue Pacific. Last season saw us sweep them to improve that mark to 4-9. A good start, I think, but I'd like to see that nudge up to 6-9 by the end of this year. Winning four straight will be tough against any team led by Ronnie Tu, but I am hopeful.

Honolulu is still a team to be reckoned with, although their overall talent level has diminshed in recent years. They're still strong along the offensive line, have some talent at WR, and a talented linebacking corps. The defensive backfield is good but aging. All in all I think we match up well with them.


Not much to add here. They're still good and very capable of beating us at home. I just hope they don't.

[JeeberD]

Ooh, thanks for the bump! I almost forgot to send my file in tonight... :o

[Fonzie]

Glad to be of service.

[MrBug708]

If I pull itoff, I would be surprised.

[JeeberD]

Is the CFL site down for everyone else or is something screwy on my end? I need to see how badly I beat fargo, dammit!

[fantastic flying froggies]

We broke it again... :(

[Raven Hawk]

Is the CFL site down for everyone else or is something screwy on my end? I need to see how badly I beat fargo, dammit!What did you do, Ray!

[Fonzie]

Is the CFL site down for everyone else or is something screwy on my end? I need to see how badly I beat fargo, dammit!

I feel your pain.

[Fonzie]

If I pull itoff, I would be surprised.

I wouldn't be. Tu can win any game at any time. He doesn't have the talent around him that he once had, but on any given Sunday...

[fantastic flying froggies]

do you guys think this will be Tu's last season?

[Fonzie]

do you guys think this will be Tu's last season?

Despite the fact that he's a 12th year vet I think he'll stick around, if only to be a pain in my neck for a bit longer.

Actually, if memory serves MrBug hinted that this would be Tu's last season in Honolulu. Bug was rather cryptic about it, but it sounded like he might consider shopping Tu next ofseason (assuming he doesn't retire).

[MrBug708]

He's not usually one to be hurt, but I'd like to move him...

[JeeberD]

Ooh, I know who won the game!

[Fonzie]

Ooh, I know who won the game!

Don't spill the beans! I've still gotta type it up yet! ;)

[Fonzie]

Today marks the beginning of a brutal month-long stretch against some great teams. First up is Honolulu, of course, and immediately following them is a game at Arizona. Those two games will have enormous implications for the divisional race, and I consider them to be "must-wins." But things won't get any easier after those two: I then host Detroit (7-1) and visit Tulsa (7-1).

But first things first: we've gotta take care of business vs. Ronnie Tu and company. We've had good recent success against Tu by virtue of our three straight wins over Honolulu. Can we nab a fourth?

Box Score: Honolulu at Tucson
Tucson, AZ.

Week 10, 2009

Attendance: 67,000 (69,800).


Weather: 48 degrees, fair.

1Q: 11:56 TUC - Demetrius Higginbotham 54 fumble return.
1Q: 11:56 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
1Q: 10:18 TUC - Daryl Bradley 10 run.
1Q: 10:18 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
1Q: 06:51 HON - Glenn Hale 22 field goal.
2Q: 14:54 HON - Glenn Hale 19 field goal.
2Q: 04:08 TUC - Sydney Armitage 6 pass from Milan "Colonel" Hogan.
2Q: 04:08 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
2Q: 01:18 TUC - Drew Holliday 8 run.
2Q: 01:18 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
2Q: 00:05 HON - Glenn Hale 32 field goal.
3Q: 01:03 TUC - Drew Holliday 2 run.
3Q: 01:03 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
4Q: 01:53 TUC - Rubin Castorena 50 field goal.

Game MVP: TUC 75 Howie Grier

Honolulu 3 6 0 0 - 9
Tucson 14 14 7 3 - 38

Team Statistics HON TUC

First Downs 11 25

Total Rushes 17 42
Rushing Yards 55 152
Yards Per Carry 3.2 3.6
Pass Attempts 30 23
Completions 16 17
Passing Yards 294 185
Yards Per Attempt 9.8 8.0
Sacked 6 0
Yards Lost 39 0
Interceptions 4 0
Fumbles/Lost 1/0 1/0

Total Plays 53 65
Total Yards 310 337
Yards Per Play 5.8 5.1

3rd Down Plays 5/12 6/12
Avg. YTG on 3rd 12.1 9.8
4th Down Plays 0/0 0/0

Penalties 7 7
Penalty Yards 44 45

Avg. Drive Start OWN 26 OWN 41
Time Of Possession 24:24 35:36

Honolulu Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
30 Pisano 9 21 2.3 7 0
21 Glendon 5 19 3.8 6 0
33 Gomez 2 3 1.5 3 0
41 Ervin 1 12 12.0 12 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
16 Tu 30 16 294 9.8 60 0 4 6

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
86 Brunner 6 148 24.6 17 60 0
82 Mendes 4 65 16.2 4 21 0
87 Abeyta 3 57 19.0 22 44 0
41 Ervin 1 3 3.0 0 3 0
89 Schulz 1 9 9.0 0 9 0
84 Dunlap 1 12 12.0 0 12 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
21 Glendon 4 81 20.2 0
34 Burke 2 52 26.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
5 Elswick 3 100 33.3 39 0

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
18 Hale 3 4 32 0 0

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
24 Dover 10 3 0.0 0 0 0
71 Shreve 6 1 0.0 0 0 0
34 Burke 5 2 0.0 0 0 0
95 Reed 5 1 0.0 0 0 0
98 Wheat 5 0 0.0 0 0 0
93 Schwirzke 5 0 0.0 0 0 0
92 Sutter 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
58 Pennington 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
82 Mendes 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
91 DiMaggio 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
90 Gagliardi 2 3 0.0 0 0 0
94 Hiatt 2 2 0.0 0 0 0
48 Loukas 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
49 Sheldon 1 2 0.0 0 0 0
42 Toler 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
44 Lowe 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
87 Abeyta 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
60 Franz 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
27 Reeves 0 4 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
60 Franz 0 0 0 0 0 2
52 Pless 0 0 0 0 1 2
68 Wendling 0 0 0 0 1 2
71 Shreve 0 0 0 0 1 0
87 Abeyta 0 0 0 0 1 0
16 Tu 1 0 0 0 0 0
35 Springer 0 0 1 0 0 0
90 Gagliardi 0 1 0 0 0 0

Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
42 Holliday 24 78 3.2 15 2
22 Bradley 11 54 4.9 18 1
30 Robbins 4 18 4.5 12 0
26 Jeffries 2 3 1.5 2 0
4 Hogan 1 -1 -1.0 -1 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
4 Hogan 23 17 185 8.0 19 1 0 0

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
89 Armitage 4 27 6.7 8 9 1
85 Garcia 4 61 15.2 1 17 0
87 Sheehy 2 24 12.0 4 19 0
22 Bradley 2 9 4.5 4 6 0
88 Ramirez 2 25 12.5 5 17 0
82 Torres 2 27 13.5 7 18 0
80 Higginbotham 1 12 12.0 0 12 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
85 Garcia 1 6 6.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
85 Garcia 1 14 14.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 3 138 46.0 50 1

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 1 3 50 5 5

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
55 Trujillo 6 1 1.0 1 0 0
52 Wash 5 3 0.5 0 0 0
31 Enoch 5 2 0.0 2 40 0
75 Grier 4 1 2.5 0 0 0
25 Minahan 3 0 0.0 1 0 0
93 King 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
46 Bloch 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
29 McCloskey 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
95 Stoltzfus 2 2 1.0 0 0 0
40 Biggs 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
33 Mirer 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
70 Neubauer 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
97 Horn 1 0 1.0 0 0 0
37 Rosenberry 1 2 0.0 0 0 0
32 Hartung 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
72 Bernard 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
26 Jeffries 1 0 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
63 Pitman 0 0 0 0 4 0
80 Higginbotham 1 0 1 1 0 0
71 Franck 0 0 0 0 3 0
64 Connell 0 0 0 0 3 0
78 Odum 0 0 0 0 2 0
87 Sheehy 0 0 0 0 1 0
61 Eaddy 0 0 0 0 1 0
95 Stoltzfus 0 1 0 0 0 0
26 Jeffries 0 0 0 0 1 0
82 Torres 0 0 0 0 1 0
84 Joyner 0 0 0 0 1 0

Honolulu Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 11:56 0:54 OWN 20 2 0 Interception
1 10:18 3:27 OWN 20 7 75 Field Goal
1 4:46 4:52 OWN 41 10 57 Field Goal
2 9:06 1:53 OWN 28 3 -13 Punt
2 4:08 1:25 OWN 23 2 2 Interception
2 1:18 1:13 OWN 28 5 57 Field Goal
3 15:00 1:02 OWN 24 3 0 Punt
3 12:07 3:35 OWN 20 7 61 Missed FG
3 1:03 3:11 OWN 34 5 4 Punt
4 8:45 0:55 OWN 35 2 3 Interception
4 5:22 1:47 OWN 2 4 23 Interception
4 1:53 1:53 OWN 46 3 7 Game

Tucson Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 15:00 3:04 OWN 15 4 85 Touchdown
1 11:02 0:44 OPP 8 2 8 Touchdown
1 6:51 2:05 OWN 20 5 -11 Punt
2 14:54 5:48 OWN 20 10 59 Missed FG
2 7:13 3:05 50 8 50 Touchdown
2 2:43 1:25 OPP 37 3 37 Touchdown
2 0:05 0:05 OWN 20 1 -1 Half
3 13:58 1:51 50 3 1 Punt
3 8:32 7:29 OWN 26 14 74 Touchdown
4 12:52 4:07 OWN 29 10 43 Missed FG
4 7:50 2:28 OPP 47 3 6 Punt
4 3:35 1:42 OPP 38 3 5 Field Goal

Honolulu Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
4 0 3

Tucson Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
4 4 0


Wow. :eek:

You have to figure that any game starting off with a fumble that you recover and return for a TD might go your way. And boy howdy that's exactly what happened in this charmed match.

Our defense came up big again today, registering six sacks and forcing a career-high four INTs from Mr. Tu. We were constantly on the poor old man, and we simultaneously held their running game to a meager 3.2 ypc. And just as impressive was our defensive red zone performance: 4 trips for Honolulu, 0 TDs.

Drew Holliday at least returned to a fairly pedestrian form today, which is a huge improvement from his last disastrous outing. Hogan again continues to be an efficient game manager, and Daryl Bradley got (yet again) more carries than I'd like but was very productive. We sustained one injury of note to FS Kenneth Hartung, who will only be out a few weeks.

Next up: at Arizona!

[fantastic flying froggies]

wow, was that an ass-whopping or what?!!!

[Fonzie]

wow, was that an ass-whopping or what?!!!

It sure was. I wasn't expecting anything like this, but sweeping Honolulu helps to make up for the despair I felt after losing to Santa Cruz. In fact, based on our performances against Honolulu this year (30-14 win on the road, 38-9 win at home) I'd like to see them every week! ;)

The score might've been even worse for Honolulu had stupid Rubin "Stupid" Castorena not stupidly missed 38- and 46-yard attempts. I don't know what's wrong with that stupidhead, but he's been terrible this year. He's just 12 for 23 or something stupid like that.

I think his smarts are not so good.

[Fonzie]

Lots of big happenings in the world of CFL football this week:

Atlantic City (4-5) 6, Hartford (4-5) 38 - Holy crap. Hartford seems to be making up for lost time in a vicious way of late, this time by beating poor Atlantic City silly. This one was a bad blowout that could have been worse, had it not been for Oberg's 3 INTs. Hartford outgained ACI 503-128 yds - this one seriously could have been a 52-0 laugher if Oberg had been a bit more careful with the ball. Still, Oberg had on balance a solid day, adding a 24/42 for 364 yds and 4 TDs to his 3 INTs. He also ran for a TD. As good as Hartford' offense was, take a look at what their defense did:

Atlantic City Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 15:00 2:15 OWN 22 3 9 Punt
1 9:55 2:54 OWN 22 5 19 Punt
1 2:02 1:02 OWN 20 3 1 Punt
1 0:51 2:03 OWN 20 6 10 Punt
2 12:52 2:01 OWN 21 3 2 Punt
2 9:55 1:39 OWN 4 3 9 Punt
2 6:17 3:43 OWN 25 6 17 Punt
3 14:23 3:07 OPP 29 7 23 Missed FG
3 9:32 2:32 OWN 21 6 14 Punt
3 5:13 2:42 OWN 20 5 16 Punt
3 1:21 2:09 OWN 41 6 4 Punt
4 10:27 1:33 OWN 15 4 14 Punt
4 1:54 0:58 OWN 20 3 -5 Punt


That's an ass-kicking right there. ACI's only score came on an INT return (conversion failed, of course). Hartford is one scary-assed team.

Detroit (7-2) 21, Baltimore (4-5) 26 - The Bombers pulled off a nice upset of the Vampires with Phillip Barbieri leading the way. Detroit's excellent secondary was missing many components today, and they had no answer for Barbieri, who was 25/33 for 285 yds and 1 TD. Johnnie Titone looked every bit the jittery 2nd year player, and only managed a disappointing 14/27 for 113 yds, 2 TDs and 2 INTs (one of which was returned for a TD). Detroit's secondary got a bit healthier this last week, though, and excellent S Michael Dustin might be available for next week's game.

Durham (7-2) 13, Charleston (5-4) 17 - It seems weird to say this about any game in which Landon Hurst is playing, but he managed to upset Durham with his nifty 18/26, 215 yd, 2 TD-1 INT performance. As much as Hurst did to win this game, Durham's O-line did to lose it. They only managed to pave the way for a 3.5 ypc average, and worse they allowed Edward Kimber to be hurried 5 times and sacked 5 times. His two 4th quarter INTs ruined any hope Durham might have had of making a comeback.

Fargo (6-4) 16, El Paso (4-6) 20 - Here's a head-scratcher: how does a team outgain their opponent 471-292 yds, outsack their opponent 5-2, win the ToP battle 35:45-24:15 and still manage to lose? Apparently, the answer is that you have to bomb on special teams (2 missed field goals) and choke in the Red Zone (0-for-2). Tony Straight did a great job filling in for Hedges, but 356 yds passing just wasn't enough.

Huntington Beach (4-5) 23, Arizona (6-3) 10 - Remember how I was saying that I couldn't believe HB was doing so poorly earlier in the year? Well, they finally started to turn things around and they couldn't have done it at a better time. 'Zona scored the first 10 points of the game, but then HB racked up 23 unanswered to finish the game. Freddie Matthias continues to look uncomfortable behind Arizona's line, this time registering a 13/29 for 131 yds, 1 TD and 1 INT performance. He was hurried 6 times and sacked 5. Poor guy. Jesus Dennis even tried to let Arizona back into the game with his 3 INTs, but it wasn't to be.

Shreveport (6-3) 10, Boston (5-4) 24 - Boston and Shreveport both held steady at one game behind their respective division leaders after this one. A rather beaten-up Boston squad managed to squelch the Shreveport offense quite effectively, resulting in the staggering decision to bench QB Douglas Hartmann in the 4th quarter. On the very next play star wideout Pedro Lopez suffered a torn achilles tendon and will be out for the season. Ouch.

Tulsa (8-1) 13, Boise (6-3) 10 (OT) - Tulsa took a 10-0 lead into the 4th quarter only to see Branden Lin rally his team to tie it with :33s on the clock. The game of course went into overtime, where Branden Lin threw his third, and most costly, interception of the game. Tulsa immediately charged down the field and kicked the game-winning FG. This game really had no business being tied, as Tulsa outplayed Boise by a fair margin, but they just couldn't put points on the board. I'm sure Tulsa is happy to get the win, but I doubt that either team's management is especially happy with this game.

[Fonzie]

For the Numerologists out there:

Tucson began the year with 2 straight wins. We then lost 3 straight, which we followed up by winning 4 in a row.

Hmmm...

[flere-imsaho]

Phew.

[Fonzie]

Phew.

That was a nice win over Shreveport. Bridges is really paying dividends for you.

[Fonzie]

We stand tied with the Arizona Outlaws for 1st place with a 6-3 record. However, we are teams moving in different directions, as Arizona has lost two straight after their amazing 6-1 start, and we've won 4 straight after our disappointing 2-3 start. 'Zona's troubles aren't easy to pin down, but a good chunk of it seems to be their poor play at WR. Freddie Matthias hasn't been able to do anything with those "weapons." Artie Sonntag, at least, has been having a career year - stopping him will be key to this game's outcome.

We, meanwhile, are pinning our division title hopes on this game. A win here would put us 1 game up on Arizona, and given that our next two games are tough a win here would at least give us some minimal cushion. On to the game!

Box Score: Tucson at Arizona
Arizona, AZ.

Week 11, 2009

Attendance: 43,500 (63,000).


Weather: 74 degrees, fair.

1Q: 08:12 ARI - Everett Zimmerman 2 run.
1Q: 08:12 ARI - Paul Stephan extra point.
2Q: 05:25 TUC - Daryl Bradley 70 punt return.
2Q: 05:25 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
2Q: 00:49 TUC - Drew Holliday 3 run.
2Q: 00:49 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
3Q: 01:41 TUC - Rubin Castorena 24 field goal.
4Q: 11:21 ARI - Paul Stephan 36 field goal.
4Q: 05:56 TUC - Drew Holliday 7 run.
4Q: 05:56 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
4Q: 00:59 ARI - Rusty Connors 4 pass from Freddie Mathias.
4Q: 00:59 ARI - Paul Stephan extra point.

Game MVP: TUC 4 Milan "Colonel" Hogan

Tucson 0 14 3 7 - 24
Arizona 7 0 0 10 - 17

Team Statistics TUC ARI

First Downs 17 20

Total Rushes 35 34
Rushing Yards 107 112
Yards Per Carry 3.0 3.2
Pass Attempts 20 34
Completions 14 19
Passing Yards 203 186
Yards Per Attempt 10.1 5.4
Sacked 0 0
Yards Lost 0 0
Interceptions 0 0
Fumbles/Lost 1/1 0/0

Total Plays 55 68
Total Yards 310 298
Yards Per Play 5.6 4.3

3rd Down Plays 3/10 7/16
Avg. YTG on 3rd 5.9 7.1
4th Down Plays 0/0 0/0

Penalties 4 3
Penalty Yards 36 25

Avg. Drive Start OWN 32 OWN 25
Time Of Possession 28:17 31:43

Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
42 Holliday 24 69 2.8 13 2
22 Bradley 8 28 3.5 9 0
4 Hogan 1 -1 -1.0 -1 0
89 Armitage 1 3 3.0 3 0
26 Jeffries 1 8 8.0 8 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
4 Hogan 20 14 203 10.1 48 0 0 0

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
22 Bradley 4 35 8.7 20 14 0
82 Torres 4 60 15.0 13 19 0
80 Higginbotham 3 33 11.0 6 13 0
89 Armitage 2 66 33.0 24 48 0
26 Jeffries 1 9 9.0 1 9 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
22 Bradley 1 70 70.0 1
85 Garcia 1 13 13.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
85 Garcia 2 50 25.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 5 218 43.6 56 1

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 1 2 24 3 3

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
58 Watford 12 1 0.0 0 0 0
52 Wash 9 0 0.0 0 0 0
31 Enoch 7 3 0.0 0 0 0
40 Biggs 5 3 0.0 0 0 0
95 Stoltzfus 3 4 0.0 0 0 0
75 Grier 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
55 Trujillo 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
72 Bernard 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
37 Rosenberry 1 2 0.0 0 0 0
70 Neubauer 1 2 0.0 0 0 0
33 Mirer 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
46 Bloch 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
90 Jarrard 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
96 Stansell 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
82 Torres 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
30 Robbins 1 0 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
63 Pitman 0 0 0 0 4 0
60 Poplawski 0 0 0 0 3 0
78 Odum 0 0 0 0 2 0
42 Holliday 1 0 0 0 0 0
26 Jeffries 0 0 0 0 1 0
59 Buckley 0 0 0 0 1 0

Arizona Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
39 Zimmerman 26 58 2.2 8 1
28 Sonntag 5 35 7.0 14 0
21 Jenkins 1 12 12.0 12 0
24 Stovall 1 2 2.0 2 0
80 Connors 1 5 5.0 5 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
3 Mathias 34 19 186 5.4 19 1 0 0

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
85 Frazee 7 64 9.1 17 16 0
81 Latour 3 39 13.0 11 17 0
86 McKoy 3 27 9.0 0 12 0
84 Austin 2 21 10.5 2 13 0
28 Sonntag 1 10 10.0 9 10 0
87 Legan 1 2 2.0 2 2 0
80 Connors 1 4 4.0 2 4 1
12 Khan 1 19 19.0 4 19 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
86 McKoy 1 3 3.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
80 Connors 1 17 17.0 0
12 Khan 1 17 17.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
17 Shields 8 301 37.6 46 2

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
14 Stephan 1 1 36 2 2

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
52 Pittman 11 6 0.0 0 0 0
90 Stiles 6 2 0.0 0 0 0
92 Widmer 6 1 0.0 0 0 0
22 Dao 4 3 0.0 0 0 0
51 Leone 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
29 Bottoms 4 0 0.0 0 0 0
57 Buenaluz 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
49 Breckinridge 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
48 Ibanez 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
41 Clancy 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
32 Chandler 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
71 Ellis 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
85 Frazee 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
56 Wiggs 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
99 James 0 1 0.0 0 0 0
34 Fisher 0 1 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
50 Caines 0 0 0 0 4 0
79 Compton 0 0 0 0 2 0
76 Ashton 0 0 0 0 2 0
24 Stovall 0 0 0 0 2 0
92 Widmer 0 1 0 0 0 0
85 Frazee 0 0 0 0 1 0
71 Ellis 0 0 1 0 0 0
63 Banks 0 0 0 0 1 0

Tucson Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 8:12 3:51 OWN 44 7 29 Missed FG
1 2:17 2:26 OWN 20 5 15 Punt
2 11:53 1:26 OWN 37 3 9 Punt
2 8:02 1:42 OWN 45 4 31 Fumble
2 3:41 2:52 OWN 43 8 57 Touchdown
3 15:00 2:39 OWN 20 5 13 Punt
3 10:54 1:35 OWN 37 3 5 Punt
3 5:20 3:39 OWN 17 6 76 Field Goal
4 11:21 5:25 OWN 32 9 68 Touchdown
4 3:52 1:52 OWN 8 3 7 Punt
4 0:59 0:59 OPP 43 2 -5 Game

Arizona Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 15:00 6:48 OWN 25 14 75 Touchdown
1 4:21 2:04 OWN 38 4 16 Punt
2 14:51 2:58 OWN 31 7 -1 Punt
2 10:27 2:25 OWN 20 3 5 Punt
2 6:20 0:55 OWN 24 3 5 Punt
2 5:25 1:44 OWN 20 3 9 Punt
2 0:49 0:49 OWN 20 1 9 Half
3 12:21 1:27 OWN 11 3 7 Punt
3 9:19 3:59 OWN 24 8 26 Punt
3 1:41 5:20 OWN 20 12 61 Field Goal
4 5:56 2:04 OWN 20 8 40 Punt
4 2:00 1:01 OWN 48 5 52 Touchdown

Tucson Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
3 2 1

Arizona Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
3 2 1

Whew!

This is one of the luckier wins we've had this year. First, Artie Sonntag starts to run all over us (5 carries, 35 yards) but gets hurt and has to leave the game. Arizona's running game never got back on track, which made it relatively easy to key on Matthias. Second, we got a HUGE 70-yd punt return for a TD from Daryl Bradley, which wound up being the difference in the game. Third, we were able to survive yet another disastrous performance from Rubin "Stupid" Castorena, who had a 44-yd attempt blocked and recovered by 'Zona. And finally, we lost the turnover battle but won the game, and any time that happens I'd say luck was on your side.

We now sit alone in 1st place, 1 game ahead of Arizona and 2 games ahead of both Honolulu and Las Vegas. I'm certainly happy about that, but Drew Holliday continues to be a source of concern. He's gone 7 straight games without topping 100 yds, and I have no idea what to do about it. Let him work through it? Give the productive backup Bradley more carries? Focus more on the passing game? I dunno. I just dunno.

We'd better figure it out soon though. Detroit (8-2) is coming to town next week.

[Fonzie]

dola-

I love the fact that the last game's box score shows the game as being played at "Arizona, AZ."

[Fonzie]

Today's matchup is against fantastic flying froggies' Detroit Vampires, who sit atop their division with an 8-2 record. They are led by 2nd-year QB Johnnie Titone, who unseated veteran QB Freddie Matthias in the preseason (resulting in Matthias heading to RoF rival Arizona). For this reason alone we're hoping to beat Titone senseless, but we'd also like to get a win out of this one. We remain a game ahead of Arizona, and face another tough matchup next week at Tulsa. A win here would help us out a lot.

We've also caught a bit of a break: Detroit is currently suffering from an outbreak of influenza, and many of their best players are so dehydrated as to be listed as "Questionable" on the injury report. Hopefully we can take advantage of that turn of events.

Box Score: Detroit at Tucson
Tucson, AZ.

Week 12, 2009

Attendance: 67,000 (69,800).


Weather: 82 degrees, fair.

2Q: 10:07 TUC - Demetrius Higginbotham 7 pass from Milan "Colonel" Hogan.
2Q: 10:07 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
2Q: 02:37 TUC - Rubin Castorena 32 field goal.
3Q: 04:46 TUC - Rubin Castorena 49 field goal.
4Q: 12:32 TUC - Daryl Bradley 23 run.
4Q: 12:32 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
4Q: 03:21 TUC - Daryl Bradley 5 pass from Milan "Colonel" Hogan.
4Q: 03:21 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.

Game MVP: TUC 4 Milan "Colonel" Hogan

Detroit 0 0 0 0 - 0
Tucson 0 10 3 14 - 27

Team Statistics DET TUC

First Downs 12 24

Total Rushes 15 36
Rushing Yards 53 145
Yards Per Carry 3.5 4.0
Pass Attempts 42 36
Completions 11 22
Passing Yards 105 217
Yards Per Attempt 2.5 6.0
Sacked 1 0
Yards Lost 7 0
Interceptions 2 0
Fumbles/Lost 1/0 1/1

Total Plays 58 72
Total Yards 151 362
Yards Per Play 2.6 5.0

3rd Down Plays 5/15 9/15
Avg. YTG on 3rd 9.0 5.9
4th Down Plays 0/1 0/0

Penalties 11 7
Penalty Yards 82 35

Avg. Drive Start OWN 29 OWN 27
Time Of Possession 21:22 38:38

Detroit Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
35 Wadsworth 11 41 3.7 13 0
33 Kayer 3 13 4.3 11 0
40 Bevan 1 -1 -1.0 -1 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
7 Titone 35 6 63 1.8 16 0 2 1
3 DeNeff 7 5 42 6.0 15 0 0 0

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
81 Sutton 4 37 9.2 0 15 0
83 Manos 3 26 8.6 5 11 0
86 Fields 2 26 13.0 6 16 0
35 Wadsworth 1 6 6.0 4 6 0
10 Pollard 1 10 10.0 0 10 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
81 Sutton 1 1 1.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
84 Infante 5 116 23.2 0
31 Goodwin 1 22 22.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
17 Wentland 8 366 45.7 54 2

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
1 Hatcher 0 1 0 0 0

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
42 Dustin 7 4 0.0 0 0 0
96 Macedo 7 1 0.0 0 0 0
90 Parker 7 1 0.0 0 0 0
52 Burkhardt 6 3 0.0 0 0 0
20 Kasper 5 0 0.0 0 0 0
46 Ly 4 2 0.0 0 0 0
70 Haley 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
56 Rabb 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
24 Carleton 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
99 Flowers 2 2 0.0 0 0 0
29 Freeman 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
84 Infante 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
95 Thomas 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
45 Valadez 1 3 0.0 0 0 0
89 Caskey 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
53 Gainey 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
40 Bevan 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
57 Lodge 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
32 Bolen 1 0 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
72 Johnstone 0 0 0 0 0 1
51 Tarver 0 0 0 0 3 0
81 Sutton 1 0 1 0 0 0
83 Manos 0 0 0 0 1 0
53 Gainey 0 0 1 0 0 0
40 Bevan 0 1 0 0 0 0

Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
42 Holliday 22 75 3.4 38 0
22 Bradley 12 67 5.5 23 1
26 Jeffries 2 3 1.5 4 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
4 Hogan 36 22 217 6.0 21 2 0 0

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
89 Armitage 6 73 12.1 8 18 0
80 Higginbotham 5 38 7.6 4 12 1
22 Bradley 3 35 11.6 12 21 1
42 Holliday 3 22 7.3 16 9 0
82 Torres 2 17 8.5 5 9 0
88 Ramirez 1 9 9.0 4 9 0
26 Jeffries 1 11 11.0 14 11 0
85 Garcia 1 12 12.0 0 12 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
22 Bradley 3 9 3.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 4 184 46.0 58 2

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 2 2 49 3 3

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
58 Watford 5 1 0.0 0 0 0
55 Trujillo 3 0 1.0 0 0 0
95 Stoltzfus 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
46 Bloch 3 0 0.0 1 0 0
75 Grier 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
25 Minahan 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
31 Enoch 2 2 0.0 0 0 0
52 Wash 2 0 0.0 1 0 0
93 King 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
26 Jeffries 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
70 Neubauer 1 2 0.0 0 0 0
72 Bernard 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
90 Jarrard 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
22 Bradley 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
29 McCloskey 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
40 Biggs 0 1 0.0 0 0 0
96 Stansell 0 1 0.0 0 0 0
45 Bennett 0 1 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
63 Pitman 0 0 0 0 3 0
46 Bloch 0 1 0 0 0 0
71 Franck 0 0 0 0 1 0
22 Bradley 1 0 0 0 0 0
26 Jeffries 0 0 0 0 1 0
82 Torres 0 0 0 0 1 0
64 Connell 0 0 0 0 1 0

Detroit Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 8:22 2:42 OWN 20 10 25 Interception
1 4:35 1:58 OWN 30 3 8 Punt
2 10:07 2:45 OWN 35 5 9 Interception
2 2:37 1:05 OWN 35 3 6 Punt
3 15:00 1:21 OWN 25 3 5 Punt
3 12:09 4:48 OWN 18 12 43 Downs
3 4:46 1:36 OWN 31 3 4 Punt
3 3:10 1:21 OPP 32 4 10 Missed FG
4 12:32 1:38 OWN 21 3 -7 Punt
4 9:26 1:16 OWN 4 5 16 Punt
4 3:21 3:21 OWN 34 8 41 Game

Tucson Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 15:00 6:38 OWN 6 11 46 Punt
1 5:40 1:05 OWN 39 3 0 Punt
1 2:37 7:30 OWN 18 14 82 Touchdown
2 7:22 4:45 OWN 40 11 45 Field Goal
2 1:32 1:32 OWN 5 4 3 Half
3 13:39 1:30 OWN 18 3 7 Punt
3 7:21 2:35 OWN 39 7 29 Field Goal
3 1:49 4:17 OWN 29 9 71 Touchdown
4 10:54 1:28 OWN 41 3 8 Punt
4 8:10 4:49 OWN 39 7 61 Touchdown

Detroit Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
0 0 0

Tucson Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
3 2 1


Holy crap. Take that, Johnnie Titone! :eek:

I'd say we accomplished our two main goals: beating up on Titone and getting a good win. Poor Johnnie was a pathetic 6 for 35 passing, for just 63 yards and 2 INTs. If that isn't an ass-kicking, I don't know what is. Our defense stepped up and did the job (again), and while they may have been aided by the viral infection that has plagued the Detroit lockerroom, I don't think that's the entire story. Our D just plain came to play today. Two interceptions, 7 passes defensed, 3 passes blocked at the line, and while we registered just 1 sack we had 15 hurries! Awesome performance by the whole group. This was our first shutout since Week 16 of 2007.

And our offense did a decent job too, racking up 362 total yards and taking advantage of turnovers and good field position to the tune of 27 points. Holliday was again quite average, but again Daryl Bradley was there to pick up the slack in the running game. Milan Hogan continues to chug along with his gaudy 98.4 QB Rating, and Sydney Armitage had his best game since the season opener. Rubin Castorena even had a decent day, with no misses on either of his FG attempts.

Just about everything went right today. The only downer is that we lost starting LG Ross Poplawski to a high-ankle sprain for a couple of months. He wasn't having a particularly effective season, so his loss is far from devastating. But it is time to do a bit more shuffling on the O-line.

The outcome of this one may well have been different were it not for the flu, but anytime our D plays this well there's a good chance we'll win. Detroit is a good team, and I have no doubt they'll bounce back from this temporary setback.

Next week: at Tulsa.

[fantastic flying froggies]

*blush* :o

[Fonzie]

*blush* :o

That'll teach ya to trade your top talent into my division! ;)

[condors]

That'll teach ya to trade your top talent into my division! ;)

and Freddie finally had a good game

[fantastic flying froggies]

and Freddie finally had a good game
I think it was really cool that he had a good game against a team he's used to play. You know, he's played Albany twice a year for the past 5 years, he knows the damn team inside out!

Probably just a freak occurence, but those little stories really help with the immersion.

[Fonzie]

and Freddie finally had a good game

Indeed he did! Let's hope he doesn't make a habit of that.

On a related note, real life has imposed several requirements on my free time, which is why my weekly roundups/opponent previews have been sporadic lately. I hope to get back to doing them on a more regular basis in a few weeks.

[Fonzie]

Our opponents this week are the Tulsa Talons, owned and operated by Doug5984. Tulsa has come on strong over the last few seasons, thanks largely to the emergence of QB Donnie Lowe. The 5th year pro came into his own last year with a QB Rating of 86.0 on 3508 yds passing and 25 TDs. He's continuing his strong play this year, and has propelled Tulsa to an 8-3 record. Tulsa has other weapons too, including stud RB Butch Fulton and an excellent defense. This will be one tough match, and being on the road doesn't make it any easier.

Box Score: Tucson at Tulsa
Tulsa, OK.

Week 13, 2009

Attendance: 66,900 (80,000).


Weather: 56 degrees, fair.

1Q: 13:05 TUC - Drew Holliday 11 run.
1Q: 13:05 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
1Q: 06:09 TUC - Daryl Bradley 11 run.
1Q: 06:09 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
1Q: 05:48 TUC - Joseph Watford 21 interception return.
1Q: 05:48 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
2Q: 09:56 TUC - Mack Ramirez 3 pass from Milan "Colonel" Hogan.
2Q: 09:56 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
2Q: 04:45 TUL - Craig Schanding 27 field goal.
2Q: 00:27 TUC - Rubin Castorena 56 field goal.
3Q: 07:26 TUL - Butch Fulton 5 run.
3Q: 07:26 TUL - Craig Schanding extra point.
3Q: 03:10 TUC - Sydney Armitage 17 pass from Milan "Colonel" Hogan.
3Q: 03:10 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
4Q: 08:32 TUC - Rubin Castorena 19 field goal.

Game MVP: TUC 4 Milan "Colonel" Hogan

Tucson 21 10 7 3 - 41
Tulsa 0 3 7 0 - 10

Team Statistics TUC TUL

First Downs 22 14

Total Rushes 44 25
Rushing Yards 163 117
Yards Per Carry 3.7 4.6
Pass Attempts 23 29
Completions 18 15
Passing Yards 155 141
Yards Per Attempt 6.7 4.8
Sacked 0 0
Yards Lost 0 0
Interceptions 0 2
Fumbles/Lost 1/0 1/1

Total Plays 67 54
Total Yards 318 258
Yards Per Play 4.7 4.7

3rd Down Plays 7/13 5/14
Avg. YTG on 3rd 5.3 7.9
4th Down Plays 0/1 0/0

Penalties 6 9
Penalty Yards 48 95

Avg. Drive Start OWN 34 OWN 23
Time Of Possession 36:20 23:40

Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
42 Holliday 22 102 4.6 17 1
22 Bradley 16 47 2.9 11 1
30 Robbins 3 4 1.3 3 0
80 Higginbotham 1 2 2.0 2 0
89 Armitage 1 8 8.0 8 0
26 Jeffries 1 0 0.0 0 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
4 Hogan 21 17 150 7.1 18 2 0 0
8 Cassidy 2 1 5 2.5 5 0 0 0

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
26 Jeffries 6 45 7.5 42 11 0
82 Torres 4 31 7.7 19 13 0
88 Ramirez 3 28 9.3 0 18 1
89 Armitage 2 26 13.0 5 17 1
80 Higginbotham 1 4 4.0 3 4 0
87 Sheehy 1 16 16.0 7 16 0
30 Robbins 1 5 5.0 0 5 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
88 Ramirez 1 17 17.0 0
85 Garcia 1 17 17.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 3 129 43.0 47 1

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 2 2 56 5 5

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
32 Hartung 5 2 0.0 0 0 0
95 Stoltzfus 5 1 0.0 0 0 0
52 Wash 4 3 0.0 0 0 0
40 Biggs 4 1 0.0 1 21 0
58 Watford 4 0 0.0 1 21 1
31 Enoch 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
93 King 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
37 Rosenberry 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
29 McCloskey 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
70 Neubauer 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
84 Joyner 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
72 Bernard 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
46 Bloch 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
22 Bradley 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
25 Minahan 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
64 Connell 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
33 Mirer 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
73 Smith 0 1 0.0 0 0 0
75 Grier 0 1 0.0 0 0 0
96 Stansell 0 1 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
64 Connell 0 0 0 0 6 0
71 Franck 0 0 0 0 3 0
63 Pitman 0 0 0 0 2 0
26 Jeffries 0 0 1 0 1 0
87 Sheehy 0 0 0 0 1 0
61 Eaddy 0 0 0 0 1 0
32 Hartung 0 0 1 0 0 0
95 Stoltzfus 0 1 0 0 0 0
77 Thiele 0 0 0 0 1 0
42 Holliday 1 0 0 0 0 0

Tulsa Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
27 Fulton 19 85 4.4 16 1
9 Lowe 3 16 5.3 10 0
48 Bennett 3 16 5.3 7 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
9 Lowe 29 15 141 4.8 18 0 2 0

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
27 Fulton 5 27 5.4 17 12 0
83 Lindberg 4 49 12.2 8 18 0
80 Campbell 3 35 11.6 4 14 0
82 Cone 1 15 15.0 2 15 0
39 Welton 1 5 5.0 2 5 0
87 Booker 1 10 10.0 4 10 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
81 Booker 2 10 5.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
80 Campbell 2 25 12.5 0
87 Booker 2 42 21.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
6 Cabral 6 217 36.1 58 3

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
3 Schanding 1 1 27 1 1

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
57 Brack 9 2 0.0 0 0 0
51 Carter 7 2 0.0 0 0 0
22 Horgan 5 3 0.0 0 0 0
97 Stokes 5 2 0.0 0 0 0
43 Bruce 5 0 0.0 0 0 0
93 Sherman 4 2 0.0 0 0 0
20 Henderson 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
98 Hardy 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
91 Rodgers 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
52 Snodgrass 2 3 0.0 0 0 0
47 Bush 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
50 Griffith 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
56 Chandler 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
37 Blair 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
30 Ward 1 4 0.0 0 0 0
94 Mills 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
36 Brandon 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
55 Kennedy 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
81 Booker 1 0 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
62 Crew 0 0 0 0 3 0
65 Wales 0 0 0 0 2 0
51 Carter 0 1 0 0 0 0
27 Fulton 1 0 0 0 0 0
63 Wolf 0 0 0 0 1 0

Tucson Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 13:14 0:09 OPP 11 1 11 Touchdown
1 11:23 5:14 OWN 15 13 85 Touchdown
1 4:51 1:51 OPP 45 3 6 Punt
2 14:42 4:46 OWN 39 10 61 Touchdown
2 4:45 4:18 OWN 20 11 41 Field Goal
3 15:00 3:25 OWN 21 6 20 Downs
3 7:26 4:16 OWN 24 8 76 Touchdown
4 14:53 2:59 OWN 15 6 13 Punt
4 10:38 2:06 OPP 6 3 4 Field Goal
4 6:26 4:37 OWN 6 6 10 Punt
4 0:40 0:40 OWN 5 1 1 Game

Tulsa Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 15:00 1:46 OWN 25 3 5 Punt
1 13:05 1:42 OWN 13 5 17 Punt
1 6:09 0:21 OWN 20 1 -10 Interception
1 5:48 0:57 OWN 40 3 5 Fumble
1 3:00 3:18 OWN 4 10 19 Punt
2 9:56 5:11 OWN 5 10 85 Field Goal
2 0:27 0:27 OWN 8 1 -1 Half
3 11:35 4:09 OPP 41 8 41 Touchdown
3 3:10 3:17 OWN 12 6 33 Punt
4 11:54 1:16 OWN 22 3 -2 Interception
4 8:32 2:06 OWN 19 4 17 Punt
4 1:49 1:09 50 3 4 Punt

Tucson Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
4 3 1

Tulsa Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
2 1 1


Gentle reader, please recall my comments after week 9, in which I stated that we were entering perhaps the toughest stretch of our schedule. We faced a home game vs. Honolulu, a road game at Arizona, another home game vs. Detroit, and a road game vs. Tulsa. And guess what? Much to my amazement we won all four games. And we didn't just win them, we won them in style by a combined score of 130-36. This is perhaps the most inspired month's worth of football I've ever seen from this team. Very nicely done, boys!

In many ways today's game was the least expected win of these last four games (or the whole season, for that matter). We were on the road against a tough team, had a few injuries to contend with, and have been suffering with a slumping Drew Holliday for months. The conditions were perfect for us to lose 41-10, but Tulsa came out flat and made numerous mistakes. We were able to capitalize on those mistakes, and that's really all we needed to do. We blocked a punt on their first drive, recovered it at their 11 and scored a TD to take a quick lead. Three more turnovers from Tulsa and a few good drives from our offense were all we needed to come away with a huge win. I don't know what happened to Tulsa , but we didn't see the "real" Talons squad today. Much like our last game against Detroit, I pin a lot of this win on luck (of the good variety for us, of the bad variety for Tulsa).

Drew Holliday finally busted out of his slump and topped 100 yards for the first time in 10 weeks, Hogan was again efficient, Castorena again had a good performance (including a 56-yarder!), and our defense was again outstanding. We suffered another couple of injuries at LB, but we've got enough depth there to get by.

Ken Wickes' deathwatch: It is difficult to get too pissed off at a coach who has just guided your team through such an enormously successful stretch, but Wickes continues to make boneheaded decisions that would have been devastating in closer games. To wit: Tulsa's only TD came after we turned the ball over on downs while trying to convert a 4th down at our own 41. Why, in god's name, would we be doing that when we've got a huge lead? That's just plain stupid.

I'm keeping an eye on you, Ken.

Next up: at Chicago.

[Fonzie]

The biggest development in week 13 of the CFL's 2009 season was undoubtedly the torn ACL suffered by legendary Honolulu QB Ronnie Tu. He will require extensive surgery and rehabilitation, and is estimated to need at least 64 weeks to fully recover. Tu, 33, may elect to call it a career after such an extraordinarily devastating injury.

Godspeed, Tu. And my condolences, MrBug. That's a terrible way for Tu to go out (assuming he doesn't come back).

[Fonzie]

do you guys think this will be Tu's last season?

Yes. ;)

[Fonzie]

As many of you will know, fantastic flying froggies posts a weekly ranking of all teams in the CFL, i.e., much like the traditional "Power Rankings" you see during the NFL season. Unlike those rankings, however, fff disdains reliance on subjective opinion and scuttlebutt. No, he opts to use a complex and idisputably accurate formula to objectively evaluate all teams, relying heavily upon their performance and team statistics.

Why might I bother you with this information? Well, because we have returned to the #1 spot in the fff rankings for the first time since week 9 of 2006.

Four out of five CFL owners agree: my awesomeness is both beautiful and terrible to behold.

[Fonzie]

The Chicago Hitmen, managed by dberner30, have been one of those cursed franchises who have never been able to put it all together. Their best seasons were in 2003 and 2005, when they sported 7-9 records. Last year they were 2-14, and this year they stand at 2-9-1. They are tied with Arizona for the worst career record at 31-76-1. They've continued to lose despite having one true standout on offense, RB Arthur Brady. Brady is the CFL's career rushing leader, carrying the ball 2628 times for 10759 yards as of this game. He's been so dominant that he has a 2000+ yd lead on the 2nd-place rusher.

But Chicago has, obviously, had problems in other areas. Many of those areas have been addressed in recent years, and this year they seemed on their way to making an improvement. But then they lost their starting QB in the preseason, traded for a replacement who didn't work out, and have unravelled ever since. Look for them to make a big turnaround next year, though.

Of course, with Chicago's troubles and Tucson's recent success one would think that we'd have the upper hand in this game. I've long since learned, however, that the FOF match engine can bite you in the petunias when you least expect it (see: loss to Santa Cruz earlier this year), and so I'm bracing for the worst.

Box Score: Tucson at Chicago
Chicago, IL.

Week 14, 2009

Attendance: 45,300 (65,300).


Weather: 68 degrees, fair.

1Q: 06:54 TUC - Rubin Castorena 52 field goal.
1Q: 03:28 TUC - Rubin Castorena 36 field goal.
2Q: 12:14 TUC - Drew Holliday 57 run.
2Q: 12:14 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
3Q: 05:10 CHI - Arthur Brady 3 pass from Gabe England.
3Q: 05:10 CHI - Jeffrey McNeil extra point.
3Q: 02:03 TUC - Rubin Castorena 56 field goal.
4Q: 02:18 TUC - Daryl Bradley 6 run.
4Q: 02:18 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.

Game MVP: TUC 75 Howie Grier

Tucson 6 7 3 7 - 23
Chicago 0 0 7 0 - 7

Team Statistics TUC CHI

First Downs 14 21

Total Rushes 26 26
Rushing Yards 182 78
Yards Per Carry 7.0 3.0
Pass Attempts 23 33
Completions 9 21
Passing Yards 107 240
Yards Per Attempt 4.6 7.2
Sacked 2 8
Yards Lost 8 51
Interceptions 0 1
Fumbles/Lost 1/1 1/0

Total Plays 51 67
Total Yards 281 267
Yards Per Play 5.5 3.9

3rd Down Plays 4/11 6/14
Avg. YTG on 3rd 6.5 11.2
4th Down Plays 0/0 0/1

Penalties 5 4
Penalty Yards 30 45

Avg. Drive Start OWN 35 OWN 19
Time Of Possession 25:13 34:47

Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
42 Holliday 19 141 7.4 57 1
22 Bradley 4 33 8.2 12 1
26 Jeffries 2 10 5.0 7 0
4 Hogan 1 -2 -2.0 -2 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
4 Hogan 23 9 107 4.6 33 0 0 2

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
26 Jeffries 3 18 6.0 16 11 0
80 Higginbotham 2 26 13.0 1 18 0
87 Sheehy 1 33 33.0 0 33 0
89 Armitage 1 14 14.0 4 14 0
22 Bradley 1 7 7.0 0 7 0
82 Torres 1 9 9.0 2 9 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
22 Bradley 4 61 15.2 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
85 Garcia 2 45 22.5 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 3 137 45.6 51 2

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 3 3 56 2 2

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
93 King 9 1 1.0 0 0 0
32 Hartung 8 1 0.0 0 0 0
75 Grier 7 2 2.5 0 0 0
31 Enoch 6 5 0.0 0 0 0
55 Trujillo 6 1 0.0 0 0 0
97 Horn 3 3 1.0 0 0 0
37 Rosenberry 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
90 Jarrard 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
73 Smith 2 2 1.0 0 0 0
95 Stoltzfus 2 1 1.0 0 0 0
72 Bernard 2 0 1.0 0 0 0
40 Biggs 2 3 0.0 1 0 0
33 Mirer 1 2 0.5 0 0 0
25 Minahan 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
26 Jeffries 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
82 Torres 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
29 McCloskey 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
30 Robbins 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
56 Brkich 1 0 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
64 Connell 0 0 0 0 5 1
71 Franck 0 0 0 0 3 1
63 Pitman 0 0 0 0 2 0
31 Enoch 0 1 0 0 0 0
80 Higginbotham 1 0 0 0 0 0
61 Eaddy 0 0 0 0 1 0

Chicago Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
42 Brady 17 32 1.8 9 0
22 Radke 6 42 7.0 14 0
5 England 2 3 1.5 4 0
85 Mahoney 1 1 1.0 1 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
5 England 33 21 240 7.2 47 1 1 8

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
42 Brady 7 58 8.2 1 14 1
87 Dawkins 5 46 9.2 2 10 0
84 Worden 3 19 6.3 1 10 0
89 Morton 2 22 11.0 2 12 0
85 Mahoney 2 57 28.5 28 47 0
80 Schultz 2 38 19.0 4 23 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
80 Schultz 1 1 1.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
27 Norton 3 49 16.3 0
84 Worden 1 16 16.0 0
47 Quinn 1 12 12.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
7 Grooms 7 290 41.4 46 5

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
17 McNeil 0 0 0 1 1

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
51 Haynesworth 6 2 0.0 0 0 0
78 Askins 5 2 1.0 0 0 0
98 D'Ottavio 5 3 0.5 0 0 0
94 Kline 3 0 0.5 0 0 0
43 Hoagland 3 3 0.0 0 0 0
53 Garner 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
28 Jones 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
96 Lalonde 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
30 Brady 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
23 Duran 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
90 Saunders 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
7 Grooms 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
47 Quinn 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
89 Morton 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
20 Lincoln 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
55 Flynn 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
27 Norton 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
21 Campbell 0 4 0.0 0 0 0
92 Reilly 0 1 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
68 Hainkel 0 0 0 0 0 1
69 Jordan 0 0 1 0 1 2
55 Flynn 0 0 0 0 1 2
73 Pisano 0 0 0 0 1 2
64 Wall 0 0 0 0 2 1
89 Morton 0 0 0 0 2 0
42 Brady 1 0 0 0 0 0
47 Quinn 0 1 0 0 0 0
23 Duran 0 0 1 0 0 0

Tucson Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 10:41 3:47 OWN 29 9 36 Field Goal
1 5:45 2:17 OPP 41 6 22 Field Goal
2 14:06 1:52 OWN 39 4 61 Touchdown
2 5:01 1:17 OWN 25 3 7 Punt
2 0:18 0:18 OWN 5 1 2 Half
3 15:00 3:02 OWN 35 5 22 Punt
3 5:10 3:07 OWN 36 5 25 Field Goal
4 13:41 2:23 OWN 18 5 18 Punt
4 9:50 0:25 OWN 49 3 18 Fumble
4 7:48 5:30 OWN 33 10 67 Touchdown
4 0:04 0:04 OPP 42 1 -2 Game

Chicago Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 15:00 4:19 OWN 23 6 11 Punt
1 6:54 1:09 OWN 15 2 10 Interception
1 3:28 4:22 OWN 24 5 17 Punt
2 12:14 7:13 OWN 20 11 32 Punt
2 3:44 3:26 OWN 22 9 32 Punt
3 11:58 6:48 OWN 3 13 97 Touchdown
3 2:03 3:22 OWN 20 7 24 Punt
4 11:18 1:28 OWN 14 3 -3 Punt
4 9:25 1:37 OWN 33 3 4 Punt
4 2:18 2:14 OWN 19 8 23 Downs

Tucson Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
2 1 1

Chicago Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
1 1 0


Much like our earlier loss to Santa Cruz, this game featured some puzzling about-faces for our Toros. One of our strengths, pass defense, fell apart under the withering assault of a very green QB. One of our weaknesses, however, the pass rush, magically converted into a strength via our 8 sacks. Our offensive strength this season has been our passing game, which was held in check by Chicago's talented secondary. Instead, our heretofore hibernating running game roared back with an outstanding game. To top it all off, our kicking game, which has sucked most of the season, came through in a big way with 2 50+ yarders. Weird game.

Some bad news on the injury front, however: we lost starting DT Kenneth Neubauer for 25 weeks with a torn rotator cuff, and his backup Henry Stansell is now out for 5 weeks with a separated shoulder. Special teams stud/backup RB extraordinaire Daryl Bradley is also doubtful with an abdominal strain. Our injury list is getting absurdly long, and we're not getting folks back very quickly. We've got six players listed as "out" and a variety of others unavailable to play. If we could let up a bit I'd be happy to rest some injured starters, but as you'll see in my next post, we can't afford that luxury yet.

[Fonzie]

Your beloved Toros currently sit atop the Ring of Fire, but our grip on 1st is tenuous at best.

Ring of Fire W L T Pct PF PA Conf Div
Tucson 10 3 0 .769 321 181 7-3 3-1
Arizona 9 4 0 .692 280 250 6-4 1-3
Las Vegas 8 5 0 .615 289 272 6-4 3-1
Honolulu 6 7 0 .462 228 265 4-6 1-3

Our eight game winning streak vaulted us on top, but Arizona and Las Vegas keep on winning, goddammit. Vegas, in particular, has captured a bit of their own lightning in a bottle by winning five straight. We'll see them next week, and hopefully be able to split the division series with them.

On the Wild Card Front, Arizona and Fargo (8-5) are currently in the driver's seats, but Vegas and Tulsa (8-5) are also in the running, with Honolulu (6-7), Huntington Beach (6-7), Sacramento (6-7; division leader) and Oregon (6-7) as longshots.

Should be a fun final month of the season. Stay tuned!

[flere-imsaho]

Jeez, RoF is almost as tough as Yankee. ;)

[condors]

i can see my team folding for the last 3 games and missing out on the postseason

[Fonzie]

i can see my team folding for the last 3 games and missing out on the postseason

That would be most appreciated.

[Fonzie]

This week we draw division rival Las Vegas in what will be a matchup of two of the league's hottest teams. Vegas (8-5) has won five straight, while we've won eight. The Rounders feature a strong defense (who will probably be without the services of their star DT Mario Ah Yat) and mad-bomber Lenny "Jackpot" Olson at QB. Olson is a weapon to be feared, as he can nail a 50-yarder at any time. This year, however, he's not been too effective, completing just 51% of his passes for 2665 yards, 14 tds and 9 ints. Not bad, but not what we're used to seeing from him. Hopefully he won't turn things around against us today, as we desperately need a win to stay on top of the division. Arizona plays Honolulu in the other division matchup today - if Bug could pull out a win in that tilt it would be much appreciated. :)

One final note: our defense has played marvelously all year, but we've been suffering key injuries at an alarming rate over the 2nd half of the season. It remains to be seen if we can hold them together long enough to get some players back, but we need to hope for no new injuries in this game.

On to the action!

Box Score: Las Vegas at Tucson
Tucson, AZ.

Week 15, 2009

Attendance: 67,000 (69,800).


Weather: 56 degrees, fair.

1Q: 11:09 TUC - Rubin Castorena 30 field goal.
1Q: 02:05 LVS - Felix Savoy 36 field goal.
2Q: 07:04 LVS - Ira Saxon 22 interception return.
2Q: 07:04 LVS - Felix Savoy extra point.
2Q: 01:44 TUC - Corwin Jeffries 1 run.
2Q: 01:44 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
2Q: 00:04 LVS - Felix Savoy 49 field goal.
3Q: 11:07 TUC - Rubin Castorena 57 field goal.
3Q: 01:59 TUC - Freddie Housley 6 pass from Milan "Colonel" Hogan.
3Q: 01:59 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
4Q: 06:35 LVS - Felix Savoy 44 field goal.

Game MVP: TUC 4 Milan "Colonel" Hogan

Las Vegas 3 10 0 3 - 16
Tucson 3 7 10 0 - 20

Team Statistics LVS TUC

First Downs 14 20

Total Rushes 23 35
Rushing Yards 58 121
Yards Per Carry 2.5 3.4
Pass Attempts 36 34
Completions 16 17
Passing Yards 232 188
Yards Per Attempt 6.4 5.5
Sacked 3 3
Yards Lost 11 18
Interceptions 0 1
Fumbles/Lost 0/0 1/0

Total Plays 62 72
Total Yards 279 291
Yards Per Play 4.5 4.0

3rd Down Plays 6/17 8/17
Avg. YTG on 3rd 9.2 9.7
4th Down Plays 0/1 0/0

Penalties 7 6
Penalty Yards 50 38

Avg. Drive Start OWN 27 OWN 27
Time Of Possession 27:02 32:58

Las Vegas Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
22 Jennings 17 31 1.8 8 0
45 Greene 3 15 5.0 7 0
28 Woolridge 3 12 4.0 5 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
1 Olsen 36 16 232 6.4 49 0 0 3

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
28 Woolridge 3 29 9.6 6 13 0
83 Poole 3 67 22.3 0 49 0
88 McDonald 2 21 10.5 1 16 0
84 Feeney 2 31 15.5 4 16 0
82 Hopkins 2 14 7.0 1 8 0
45 Greene 1 12 12.0 0 12 0
12 Barrett 1 23 23.0 10 23 0
22 Jennings 1 5 5.0 4 5 0
87 Maxcy 1 30 30.0 11 30 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
83 Poole 2 7 3.5 0
21 Lyon 1 1 1.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
82 Hopkins 2 47 23.5 0
22 Jennings 1 21 21.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
6 Money 8 287 35.8 47 3

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
18 Savoy 3 3 49 1 1

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
51 Butler 8 6 0.0 0 0 0
97 Spalding 6 1 1.0 0 0 0
72 Lopez 5 1 1.0 0 0 0
92 Aaron 5 0 1.0 0 0 0
30 Grider 5 4 0.0 0 0 0
55 Saxon 4 3 0.0 1 22 1
98 Fike 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
21 Lyon 4 0 0.0 0 0 0
43 Walton 3 4 0.0 0 0 0
25 Beesley 2 3 0.0 0 0 0
42 Grayvil 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
70 Weaver 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
75 Smalls 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
45 Greene 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
28 Woolridge 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
23 Dowdy 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
33 Brewer 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
95 Rodgers 0 1 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
67 Blackburn 0 0 0 0 0 2
56 Baker 0 0 0 0 2 1
75 Smalls 0 0 0 0 2 0
72 Lopez 0 1 0 0 0 0
78 Twisp 0 0 0 0 1 0
87 Maxcy 0 0 0 0 1 0

Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
42 Holliday 20 67 3.3 16 0
26 Jeffries 14 55 3.9 10 1
4 Hogan 1 -1 -1.0 -1 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
4 Hogan 34 17 188 5.5 25 1 1 3

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
89 Armitage 4 64 16.0 3 25 0
26 Jeffries 4 36 9.0 15 17 0
82 Torres 4 36 9.0 5 13 0
80 Higginbotham 3 37 12.3 3 22 0
11 Housley 2 15 7.5 2 9 1

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
42 Holliday 2 9 4.5 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
85 Garcia 1 22 22.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 7 290 41.4 48 1

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 2 2 57 2 2

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
93 King 8 2 0.0 0 0 0
31 Enoch 7 3 0.0 0 0 0
75 Grier 6 0 1.5 0 0 0
90 Jarrard 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
95 Stoltzfus 3 1 0.5 0 0 0
55 Trujillo 3 3 0.0 0 0 0
37 Rosenberry 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
40 Biggs 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
32 Hartung 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
46 Bloch 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
25 Minahan 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
97 Horn 1 0 1.0 0 0 0
26 Jeffries 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
30 Robbins 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
74 Cochrane 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
33 Mirer 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
73 Smith 0 1 0.0 0 0 0
72 Bernard 0 1 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
64 Connell 0 0 0 0 6 2
82 Torres 0 0 0 0 4 0
71 Franck 0 0 0 0 2 1
77 Thiele 0 0 0 0 1 0
42 Holliday 1 0 0 0 0 0
26 Jeffries 0 0 0 0 1 0
59 Buckley 0 0 1 0 0 0

Las Vegas Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 15:00 0:30 OWN 20 3 0 Punt
1 11:09 5:40 OWN 26 10 39 Punt
1 3:58 1:53 OWN 37 4 44 Field Goal
1 0:49 2:22 OWN 32 4 22 Punt
2 9:33 2:10 OWN 35 5 14 Punt
2 1:44 1:40 OWN 22 5 46 Field Goal
3 11:07 1:33 OWN 26 3 0 Punt
3 8:10 1:30 OWN 20 3 -1 Punt
3 1:59 2:15 OWN 20 6 11 Punt
4 13:17 6:42 OWN 2 11 71 Field Goal
4 3:55 0:56 OWN 42 4 13 Punt
4 1:51 0:36 OPP 49 4 0 Downs

Tucson Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 14:30 3:21 OWN 40 6 47 Field Goal
1 5:29 1:31 OWN 20 3 -1 Punt
1 2:05 1:16 OWN 20 3 6 Punt
2 13:27 3:54 OWN 4 7 30 Punt
2 7:23 0:19 OWN 10 2 0 Interception
2 7:04 5:20 OWN 20 11 80 Touchdown
3 15:00 3:53 OWN 20 9 40 Field Goal
3 9:34 1:24 OWN 44 4 13 Punt
3 6:40 4:41 OPP 47 11 47 Touchdown
4 14:44 1:27 OWN 39 5 17 Punt
4 6:35 2:40 OWN 24 3 -10 Punt
4 2:59 1:08 OWN 13 6 0 Punt
4 1:15 1:15 OWN 49 3 9 Game

Las Vegas Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
1 0 1

Tucson Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
3 2 1


Not the prettiest of games, but in many ways this wound up being a RoF classic. A loss here would've put us just one game ahead of Vegas, so a tough, tight match was expected, and that's exactly what we got. The defenses both did a great job neutralizing the offenses, and our D did an especially good job as Vegas' only TD came on an INT return. That's noteworthy, as we're currently missing three starters on the defensive front. But this one really boiled down to special teams. Rubin Castorena again came up huge for us, making both of his FG attempts including a 57-yarder. We also held the edge in the punting game (again, an area that I think most owners overlook), which helped to level the field position battle. Overall, I'm satisfied with this win, especially considering our limitations on defense.

Unfortunately, my hope for making it through a game injury-free was shattered when we lost starting RCB Jeremy Rosenberry for 8 weeks with a stress fracture in his leg. We've got some depth in the secondary, but we really can't afford to lose anyone else.

On a happier note, MrBug did come through for us and pulled off an upset win at Arizona, 20-17 (thanks Bug! I've asked my secretary to send you a fruit basket). That puts us two games ahead of the Outlaws with two games left to play. In fact, I think we may have clinched our division today, even though FOF doesn't show it. We're 11-3 and Arizona is 9-5, and we've already beaten Arizona once this year. If we both finish 11-5 and they beat us in the season finale, we'd split and the next tiebreaker would be division record, which would be 4-2 for me and 2-4 for Arizona. While I won't count this as a division clincher until I see it in the game, we may have just won our first division title! Allow me to shout out a tentative "woohoo!" :)

We still have those two games to play though, and at present we have the best record in the Western Conference. It would sure be nice to secure home field advantage through the playoffs, so I don't anticipate letting up too much down the stretch. Our next game is at Albany (3-11). Stay tuned!

[condors]

Congrats on the divison title hopefully we can still make it as a wildcard team

[Fonzie]

Congrats on the divison title hopefully we can still make it as a wildcard team

Thanks condors. You're certainly in the driver's seat - I expect we'll be meeting again after Week 17. :)

[Fonzie]

Today's matchup is against the Albany Crows (3-11). Their record is atrocious, but don't let that fool you - they've got some good talent on that team. Most notable is the #1 overall pick in the 2009 draft, Norm Fisk. He's a green rookie who has been thrown into the fire, but he is developing and looks to be a franchise QB in a few years. Albany also picked a gem in the 3rd round this year in RB Archie Chasser, who is already over 1200 yards on the season. They have great talent on the O-line and some good players on defense. However, they've also had some pretty bad luck in the injury department, with their two best wideouts done for the year, two of their best O-linemen out, and their two top secondary players out. That's tough to overcome, especially with a rookie QB at the helm.

This situation would seem to favor Your Beloved Toros, but I'm always leery of games in which we're favored. We've also not had good luck against green QBs this season, so I fear a Santa Cruz-type situation all over again. We need a win here, though, to maintain our 1-game lead for best record in the conference (and thus homefield advantage). So we won't be holding back any starters here.

Box Score: Tucson at Albany (NY)
Albany (NY), NY.

Week 16, 2009

Attendance: 67,900 (75,000).


Weather: 19 degrees, snow.

1Q: 05:28 TUC - Anthony Torres 5 pass from Milan "Colonel" Hogan.
1Q: 05:28 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
2Q: 13:20 TUC - Drew Holliday 3 run.
2Q: 13:20 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
4Q: 09:05 TUC - Corwin Jeffries 2 pass from Milan "Colonel" Hogan.
4Q: 09:05 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
4Q: 07:38 ALB - Archie Chasser 74 pass from Norm Fisk.
4Q: 07:38 ALB - Dexter Calvin extra point.

Game MVP: TUC 4 Milan "Colonel" Hogan

Tucson 7 7 0 7 - 21
Albany (NY) 0 0 0 7 - 7

Team Statistics TUC ALB

First Downs 17 11

Total Rushes 44 22
Rushing Yards 133 67
Yards Per Carry 3.0 3.0
Pass Attempts 27 28
Completions 20 12
Passing Yards 152 180
Yards Per Attempt 5.6 6.4
Sacked 0 1
Yards Lost 0 8
Interceptions 0 1
Fumbles/Lost 0/0 2/1

Total Plays 71 51
Total Yards 285 239
Yards Per Play 4.0 4.6

3rd Down Plays 10/19 2/11
Avg. YTG on 3rd 5.8 7.2
4th Down Plays 0/0 0/0

Penalties 2 3
Penalty Yards 10 30

Avg. Drive Start OWN 38 OWN 17
Time Of Possession 37:25 22:35

Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
42 Holliday 30 98 3.2 25 1
26 Jeffries 13 37 2.8 10 0
4 Hogan 1 -2 -2.0 -2 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
4 Hogan 27 20 152 5.6 21 2 0 0

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
26 Jeffries 9 51 5.6 4 15 1
89 Armitage 4 43 10.7 3 16 0
82 Torres 3 21 7.0 12 9 1
80 Higginbotham 2 28 14.0 11 21 0
87 Sheehy 1 6 6.0 0 6 0
42 Holliday 1 3 3.0 3 3 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
22 Bradley 2 35 17.5 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 9 359 39.8 46 4

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 0 0 0 3 3

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
93 King 5 4 0.0 0 0 0
40 Biggs 4 2 0.0 0 0 0
31 Enoch 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
95 Stoltzfus 3 4 0.5 0 0 0
72 Bernard 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
55 Trujillo 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
75 Grier 2 2 0.0 0 0 0
73 Smith 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
90 Jarrard 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
29 McCloskey 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
33 Mirer 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
74 Cochrane 1 0 0.5 0 0 0
25 Minahan 1 1 0.0 1 2 0
32 Hartung 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
26 Jeffries 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
85 Garcia 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
59 Buckley 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
45 Bennett 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
97 Horn 0 1 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
63 Pitman 0 0 0 0 4 0
59 Buckley 0 0 0 0 4 0
64 Connell 0 0 0 0 3 0
71 Franck 0 0 0 0 2 0
73 Smith 0 1 0 0 0 0
90 Jarrard 0 0 1 0 0 0
72 Bernard 0 1 0 0 0 0

Albany (NY) Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
31 Chasser 15 47 3.1 10 0
27 Spencer 6 15 2.5 8 0
1 Fisk 1 5 5.0 5 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
1 Fisk 28 12 180 6.4 74 1 1 1

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
82 Carnahan 3 30 10.0 0 13 0
31 Chasser 3 93 31.0 89 74 1
36 Moss 2 7 3.5 2 5 0
80 Hutchens 2 22 11.0 0 15 0
84 Burks 2 28 14.0 4 19 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
48 Clayton 1 15 15.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
84 Burks 3 40 13.3 0
48 Clayton 1 13 13.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
10 Gohn 8 300 37.5 42 1

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
17 Calvin 0 1 0 1 1

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
54 Bryan 8 5 0.0 0 0 0
91 Aguilar 7 4 0.0 0 0 0
94 Hinson 6 1 0.0 0 0 0
70 Gunn 6 1 0.0 0 0 0
50 Mathis 5 2 0.0 0 0 0
22 Durham 5 2 0.0 0 0 0
25 Andersen 5 2 0.0 0 0 0
44 Hopper 4 6 0.0 0 0 0
75 Colburn 4 4 0.0 0 0 0
78 Alston 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
26 Callis 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
42 Farmer 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
43 Boyd 1 4 0.0 0 0 0
76 Anelli 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
37 Franklin 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
27 Spencer 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
31 Chasser 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
10 Gohn 1 0 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
31 Chasser 2 0 0 0 0 0
72 Duffy 0 0 0 0 0 1
79 Claypoole 0 0 0 0 4 0
66 Walters 0 0 1 0 1 0
86 Burgess 0 0 0 0 1 0
71 Vance 0 0 0 0 1 0

Tucson Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 15:00 0:35 OWN 20 3 0 Punt
1 12:11 2:17 OWN 20 3 9 Punt
1 9:44 4:16 OPP 34 8 34 Touchdown
1 2:48 4:28 OWN 37 10 63 Touchdown
2 8:24 3:38 OWN 40 6 20 Punt
2 1:52 1:52 OWN 25 5 36 Half
3 10:35 3:43 OWN 23 8 34 Punt
3 5:20 1:24 OPP 47 3 4 Punt
3 2:43 1:50 OWN 47 3 6 Punt
4 14:52 1:24 OPP 49 3 -3 Punt
4 12:17 3:12 OPP 38 7 38 Touchdown
4 7:38 5:42 OWN 5 10 46 Punt
4 1:47 1:47 OPP 45 3 3 Punt

Albany (NY) Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 14:25 2:14 OPP 48 5 10 Punt
1 9:54 0:10 OWN 33 1 1 Fumble
1 5:28 2:40 OWN 22 4 0 Punt
2 13:20 4:56 OWN 13 11 54 Missed FG
2 4:46 2:54 OWN 20 7 24 Punt
3 15:00 4:25 OWN 15 7 32 Punt
3 6:52 1:32 OWN 9 3 9 Punt
3 3:56 1:13 OWN 5 3 9 Punt
3 0:53 1:01 OWN 1 3 6 Punt
4 13:28 1:11 OWN 20 3 3 Punt
4 9:05 1:27 OWN 19 3 81 Touchdown
4 1:56 0:09 OWN 3 1 0 Interception

Tucson Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
3 3 0

Albany (NY) Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
0 0 0


It is clear to me that Albany is a team on the rise. With another season under his belt Norm Fisk will be a very good QB, Archie Chasser will continue to be a monster, their O-line will get healthy, and they'll have another high pick in this year's draft. Look out, Great Lakes division!

But that's next year. This year, we beat them in a somewhat ugly game. I just love eeking out wins when we are clearly not playing our best football, as was clearly the case today. On offense Holliday again had an unspectacular day, but was able to pound away and eat up the clock. Hogan had another efficient day but his yardage was a bit disappointing, especially considering the sorry state of the Crows' secondary. Our defense again did an exceptional job, forcing two turnovers and holding the Crows to just 239 yards. In fact, our defense would've done an awesome job had it not been for their surrendering a screen pass in the 4th quarter that Archie Chasser ran for 74 yds and a TD. Take that fluke play away and we held them to 165 yds and 0 points. I'll take that.

One of our best performances today came from punter Edward Winters. He only averaged 39.8 yards on his 9 punts, but four of his punts were nailed inside the 20. In fact, they were downed at the 5, 9, 3, and 1 yd lines. Beautiful stuff.

Perhaps more beautiful was the fact that we suffered no new injuries. Daryl Bradley and Joseph Watford are now back and fully healthy, and C Steven Odum is just two weeks away from resuming play. A few other guys should at least be healthy enough to play come playoff time.

Next week we finish the regular season at home against Arizona. If we win that game we'll have home field advantage locked up throughout the playoffs. Stay tuned!

[Fonzie]

Here's how things are looking in the Western Conference as of Week 16:


San Andreas W L T Pct PF PA Conf Div
Huntington Beach 7 8 0 .467 285 277 6-5 4-1
Sacramento 7 8 0 .467 272 271 5-6 4-1
#Long Beach 3 12 0 .200 235 319 3-8 2-3
#Santa Cruz 3 12 0 .200 195 351 1-10 0-5

Ring of Ice W L T Pct PF PA Conf Div
*Boise 11 4 0 .733 356 280 8-3 3-2
#Oregon 6 9 0 .400 294 300 5-6 3-2
#Anchorage 5 10 0 .333 328 415 4-7 2-3
#Seattle 5 10 0 .333 351 394 5-6 2-3

Cavalry W L T Pct PF PA Conf Div
@Tulsa 10 5 0 .667 309 309 8-3 3-2
Denver 9 6 0 .600 344 294 8-3 5-0
Fargo (ND) 8 7 0 .533 320 289 6-5 1-4
#El Paso 5 10 0 .333 335 370 4-7 1-4

Ring of Fire W L T Pct PF PA Conf Div
*&Tucson 12 3 0 .800 362 204 8-3 4-1
Las Vegas 9 6 0 .600 315 298 6-5 3-2
Arizona 9 6 0 .600 314 301 6-5 1-4
Honolulu 8 7 0 .533 272 301 5-6 2-3

*- clinched division
& - clinched 1st round bye
@ - clinched playoff spot
# - eliminated from playoffs

As you can see, a lot will ride on the last week's games. The San Andreas division winner will be determined by the HB-LB and Sac-SC games. Boise will seek to determine their final playoff seeding against an already-eliminated Anchorage squad. Denver and Tulsa meet to determine the division winner, which will also have implications for the Wild Card race. Fargo is also still alive in that race.

Of greatest relevance for Yours Truly is the status of the RoF. Please note that ours is the only division in the Conference, and in the whole CFL for that matter, with zero teams eliminated from playoff contention. I've been saying all along how brutal this division is - and it remains that way down to the final week. Arizona lost to Detroit in Week 16, and so they no longer control their own destiny. That perk fell to Las Vegas, who managed a win despite losing QB Lenny Olsen to a season-ending fractured ankle (suffered on the 2nd-to-last play of the game, running out the clock!). If they beat Honolulu this week they'll make it into the playoffs as a WC team. All other permutations are too complex for my addled brain.

My biggest concern is to secure homefield advantage, so we need to take care of business vs. Arizona this week. Or hope for a Boise loss to Anchorage, which isn't looking very likely.

[Raven Hawk]

Pish! Western Conference. The Beasts are in the East this year.

[Fonzie]

Pish! Western Conference. The Beasts are in the East this year.

I agree. Hartford and Durham are looking very, very good. :samuray-chino:

[sachmo71]

New Orleans (2-5) 21, Hartford (2-4) 55 - They're back! Hartford tied a CFL record with their 55 point output against a very beaten-up New Orleans team. Hartford scored early (with 104 yd kickoff return for TD to start the game) and often (Oberg tossed 5 TD passes) and late (83 yard punt return for TD with :45 left in the game). Oberg was on fire, but Attack fans were probably most thrilled to see Spearman return to see some limited action (11 carries, 46 yds, 3 catches for 48 yards and 1 TD). Hartford is healthy now, so I wouldn't be surprised to see them reel off 8 wins in a row.




Who the FUCK is running this team?!?!

[Fonzie]

Who the FUCK is running this team?!?!

I assume you're asking about your old franchise?

The New Orleans Raging Horde (or "Raging Whores") is currently run by meatholes. They now sit at 4-11 and suffered an excruciating 11-game losing streak this season. They've won their last two however.

And with respect to the Hartford prediction I made in that quote: they've gone 10-1 since week 6, including a current 7-game winning streak. They're damned scary. What's worse is that they're mostly healthy at a time when most of the rest of the league is piling up injured bodies. I suspect they'll take the whole enchilada this year.

[Raven Hawk]

I assume you're asking about your old franchise?

The New Orleans Raging Horde (or "Raging Whores") is currently run by meatholes. They now sit at 4-11 and suffered an excruciating 11-game losing streak this season. They've won their last two however.

And with respect to the Hartford prediction I made in that quote: they've gone 10-1 since week 6, including a current 7-game winning streak. They're damned scary. What's worse is that they're mostly healthy at a time when most of the rest of the league is piling up injured bodies. I suspect they'll take the whole enchilada this year. Yeah, there are a few of us over in the East that are hoping they don't face Hartford early in the playoffs. If you're going to do anything in the playoffs, you'll probably have to face Hartford at some point. I'd rather do it in front of a home crowd if I had my druthers. GO SHREVEPORT!

[Fonzie]

There are a number of games this week with major playoff implications. In fact, there are only a handful of games that won't have an impact on the playoffs. Let's run through them quickly, shall we?

The Eastern Football Conference

Atlantic City (7-8) at Boston (9-6) - Boston has already registered their first-ever winning season, a huge accomplishment for a team coming off a 4-12 season. But to make the playoffs they need to win here and hope that somebody else loses. Their best bet will be in this game:

Hartford Atack (10-5) at New York Knights (9-6) - Hartford is white hot, having gone 10-1 over their last 11 games, and almost fully healthy. The Knights aren't in such good shape health-wise, but as long as they have Kim "Burly" Pace (he's 230 lbs) at QB they'll have a chance. Hartford has already clinched their division and has an outside chance at a 1st round bye, although they'd need three other division leaders to lose for that to happen. Will Hartford chance starting their key guys in a game that might mean nothing? New York hopes not.

Baltimore (6-9) at Charleston (10-5) - Charleston needs a win here to secure their WC spot, and a win would also give them a chance at a division title should Durham lose to Tampa Bay.

Durham (11-4) at Tampa Bay (7-8) - The Torpedoes have been a plucky group this year, and are all that stands between Durham and a 1st-round bye. They're a bit beaten up at the moment, but expect Durham to start all their big guns.

Detroit (11-4) at Albany (3-12) - Detroit is another of the logjammed teams at the top of the EFC looking to secure a 1st round bye and perhaps homefield advantage. They have some troubles on the O-line, but are fortunate to draw a favorable matchup in week 17.

San Antonio (10-5) at Shreveport (11-4) - This match will determine the division winner, as San Antonio would hold the tiebreaker advantage. Shreveport might also stand to gain a 1st round bye with a win. The Stingers have been in a bit of a free fall of late, as they've now lost both their 1st and 2nd string QBs to long-term injuries. Look for 3rd stringer Brent Kassell to get his first start in nearly four years.

---------------------
The Western Football Conference

Arizona (9-6) at Tucson (12-3) - Arizona lost control of their destiny with a loss last week at Detroit, and so to have any hope of making the playoffs they need a win on the road at division winner Tucson. But the Toros are expected to put up a fight, as they have homefield advantage at stake with this game.

Las Vegas (9-6) at Honolulu (8-7) - Las Vegas can clinch a WC spot with a win, but they'll have to do so without the services of longtime QB Lenny Olsen, who suffered a broken ankle last week. Fortunately for Vegas, they've drawn a matchup with another team stuck without their nominal starting QB in Honolulu. An interesting trivia note: if Honolulu wins, this will be the first time in CFL history that every team in a division will have finished with a winning record. The Cavalary division came close in 2008, with every team 8-8 or better.

Boise (11-4) at Anchorage (5-10) - Boise has their division crown wrapped up, but is looking to secure a 1st round bye with a win and, possibly, homefield advantage if Tucson loses. Boise is mostly healthy, but will be without the services of star WR Abe Muncy.

El Paso (5-10) at Fargo (8-7) - Fargo is mathematically still alive, but need a lot of things to fall just so to make the playoffs. They started their season a very promising 6-2, only to see the wheels fall off thanks to some front office unrest. Fargo's spirits have to be lifted by the possible return of QB Brett Hedges, whose ankle is sufficiently healed to start.

Tulsa (10-5) at Denver (9-6) - The winner of this game wins the division (Denver would own the tiebreaker). Tulsa is fairly healthy, but Denver has to be worried about Marcus Garibaldi's pulled groin. Tulsa would still make it as a WC if they lose, but Denver's playoff hopes will be much murkier with a loss.

Huntington Beach (7-8) at Long Beach (3-12) - HB controls their own destiny - a win here and they clinch the division. A loss would mean their destiny would be decided by Sacramento's game. Either way, only HB or Sacramento will make the playoffs - the other team goes home.

Santa Cruz (3-12) at Sacramento (7-8) - See above. Sacramento needs to win/tie and hope for a HB loss in order to clinch the division. Anything else happens and they go home.

[Fonzie]

It has come to my attention that Boston cannot, in fact, make the playoffs. The FOF standings show them still alive, but they lose out no matter what happens with the other teams vying for the WC.

Sorry flere!

[flere-imsaho]

:(

[Fonzie]

Well, the final week of the season is upon us, and Your Beloved Toros are battling Boise for the top seed in the playoffs. With a win today we can lock it up; with a loss, we need to hope for Boise to lose to Anchorage (which is not likely to happen). So, we decide to go for broke in this final week to gain the ever-important homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. We face an Arizona Outlaw squad that will also be going all-out, as their playoff hopes rest on getting a win here and some help elsewhere.

On to the action!


Box Score: Arizona at Tucson
Tucson, AZ.

Week 17, 2009

Attendance: 67,000 (69,800).


Weather: 62 degrees, fair.

1Q: 04:31 TUC - Drew Holliday 4 pass from Daryl Cassidy.
1Q: 04:31 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
2Q: 14:50 ARI - Artie Sonntag 5 run.
2Q: 14:50 ARI - Paul Stephan extra point.
2Q: 11:05 ARI - Artie Sonntag 2 run.
2Q: 11:05 ARI - Paul Stephan extra point.
2Q: 00:26 ARI - Artie Sonntag 4 run.
2Q: 00:26 ARI - Paul Stephan extra point.
3Q: 04:02 TUC - Rubin Castorena 41 field goal.
3Q: 00:17 ARI - Erich Frazee 10 pass from Freddie Mathias.
3Q: 00:17 ARI - Paul Stephan extra point.
4Q: 01:08 ARI - Paul Stephan 20 field goal.

Game MVP: ARI 3 Freddie Mathias

Arizona 0 21 7 3 - 31
Tucson 7 0 3 0 - 10

Team Statistics ARI TUC

First Downs 22 22

Total Rushes 38 28
Rushing Yards 142 154
Yards Per Carry 3.7 5.5
Pass Attempts 21 41
Completions 17 16
Passing Yards 223 225
Yards Per Attempt 10.6 5.4
Sacked 0 3
Yards Lost 0 20
Interceptions 0 1
Fumbles/Lost 2/0 2/0

Total Plays 59 72
Total Yards 365 359
Yards Per Play 6.1 4.9

3rd Down Plays 3/9 10/17
Avg. YTG on 3rd 5.0 10.1
4th Down Plays 0/0 0/1

Penalties 4 9
Penalty Yards 21 75

Avg. Drive Start OWN 35 OWN 22
Time Of Possession 29:02 30:58

Arizona Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
28 Sonntag 23 101 4.3 42 3
39 Zimmerman 12 20 1.6 8 0
24 Stovall 2 8 4.0 6 0
3 Mathias 1 13 13.0 13 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
3 Mathias 21 17 223 10.6 51 1 0 0

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
85 Frazee 5 49 9.8 19 14 1
81 Latour 5 97 19.4 5 51 0
28 Sonntag 3 21 7.0 4 13 0
86 McKoy 2 36 18.0 7 18 0
80 Connors 1 7 7.0 0 7 0
12 Khan 1 13 13.0 5 13 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
32 Chandler 1 19 19.0 0
80 Connors 1 22 22.0 0
12 Khan 1 24 24.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
17 Shields 4 179 44.7 54 3

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
14 Stephan 1 2 20 4 4

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
52 Pittman 6 3 0.0 0 0 0
49 Breckinridge 6 0 0.0 0 0 0
22 Dao 5 2 0.0 0 0 0
99 James 4 0 1.5 0 0 0
98 Burke 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
91 Crowther 3 0 1.0 0 0 0
53 Farley 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
57 Buenaluz 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
41 Clancy 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
32 Chandler 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
29 Bottoms 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
12 Khan 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
94 Dunmore 1 1 0.5 0 0 0
90 Stiles 1 3 0.0 0 0 0
34 Fisher 1 2 0.0 0 0 0
48 Ibanez 1 0 0.0 1 1 0
50 Caines 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
84 Austin 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
95 Nichols 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
56 Wiggs 1 0 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
50 Caines 0 0 0 0 3 0
63 Banks 0 0 0 0 3 0
91 Crowther 0 1 0 0 0 0
32 Chandler 0 1 0 0 0 0
85 Frazee 0 0 0 0 1 0
28 Sonntag 1 0 0 0 0 0
84 Austin 0 0 0 0 1 0
86 McKoy 0 0 1 0 0 0
65 McIntyre 0 0 0 0 1 0
79 Compton 0 0 0 0 1 0
87 Legan 0 0 0 0 1 0
24 Stovall 0 0 1 0 0 0
39 Zimmerman 1 0 0 0 0 0
59 Keillor 0 0 0 0 1 0

Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
42 Holliday 19 102 5.3 17 0
8 Cassidy 4 29 7.2 11 0
22 Bradley 3 16 5.3 8 0
26 Jeffries 2 7 3.5 4 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
8 Cassidy 38 14 208 5.4 34 1 1 3
4 Hogan 3 2 17 5.6 9 0 0 0

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
89 Armitage 3 37 12.3 4 14 0
42 Holliday 3 16 5.3 3 8 1
80 Higginbotham 2 54 27.0 3 32 0
26 Jeffries 2 23 11.5 7 14 0
11 Housley 2 50 25.0 3 34 0
82 Torres 2 25 12.5 19 14 0
22 Bradley 1 10 10.0 0 10 0
88 Ramirez 1 10 10.0 0 10 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
22 Bradley 1 9 9.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
88 Ramirez 2 29 14.5 0
85 Garcia 2 28 14.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 4 151 37.7 45 1

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 1 2 41 1 1

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
58 Watford 10 2 0.0 0 0 0
31 Enoch 8 3 0.0 0 0 0
75 Grier 4 3 0.0 0 0 0
40 Biggs 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
55 Trujillo 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
32 Hartung 4 0 0.0 0 0 0
95 Stoltzfus 4 0 0.0 0 0 0
90 Jarrard 4 0 0.0 0 0 0
73 Smith 2 2 0.0 0 0 0
72 Bernard 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
74 Cochrane 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
80 Higginbotham 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
46 Bloch 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
25 Minahan 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
42 Holliday 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
26 Jeffries 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
29 McCloskey 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
30 Robbins 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
45 Bennett 0 1 0.0 0 0 0
33 Mirer 0 1 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
64 Connell 0 0 0 0 2 1
63 Pitman 0 0 1 0 4 1
71 Franck 0 0 0 0 3 1
61 Eaddy 0 0 0 0 4 0
8 Cassidy 2 0 0 0 0 0
87 Sheehy 0 0 0 0 1 0
55 Trujillo 0 1 0 0 0 0
88 Ramirez 0 0 1 0 0 0
59 Buckley 0 0 0 0 1 0
74 Cochrane 0 1 0 0 0 0

Arizona Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 15:00 3:18 OWN 34 5 17 Punt
1 4:31 2:21 OWN 34 3 9 Punt
1 1:22 1:32 OPP 20 3 20 Touchdown
2 13:13 2:08 OWN 36 5 64 Touchdown
2 9:17 5:15 OWN 25 9 41 Missed FG
2 2:21 1:55 OWN 13 9 87 Touchdown
3 10:20 2:38 OWN 21 4 17 Punt
3 4:02 3:45 OWN 37 10 63 Touchdown
4 8:49 1:27 OWN 33 3 9 Punt
4 5:32 4:24 OWN 40 10 57 Field Goal

Tucson Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 11:42 7:11 OWN 17 14 83 Touchdown
1 2:10 0:48 OWN 9 2 4 Interception
2 14:50 1:37 OWN 32 3 4 Punt
2 11:05 1:48 OWN 24 3 6 Punt
2 4:02 1:41 OWN 41 3 4 Punt
2 0:26 0:26 OWN 21 1 -4 Half
3 15:00 4:40 OWN 30 12 49 Downs
3 7:42 3:40 OWN 26 8 50 Field Goal
3 0:17 6:28 OWN 20 14 54 Missed FG
4 7:22 1:50 OWN 4 4 20 Punt
4 1:08 1:08 OWN 20 8 54 Game

Arizona Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
5 4 1

Tucson Red Zone Profile
Visits TDs FGs
4 1 1


Oh dear. That really couldn't have gone much worse.

On our very first defensive series we lost starting LB Jerry King to a hyperextended knee, and then our worst fears were realized. During our very first offensive series, after a very nice march down the field, "Colonel" Hogan somehow suffers a separated shoulder on a handoff to Drew Holliday. He's out for the next seven weeks, and just like that our hopes of finally making some noise in the playoffs are shattered. Both the offense and defense unravel from that point on, and it really doesn't matter what happened in the game. Our season is effectively over.

I took a risk in starting our big guns today, and it blew up in my face. There were maybe three players for whom an injury would be devastating, and we just so happened to suffer an injury to the least replaceable of those three. Hogan had heretofore suffered only one injury in his career that forced him to miss playing time, so I figured the probability of that happening in this game was slim-to-none. Apparently that probability was more on the slim side.

Our backup QB, Daryl Cassidy, is still very green and hasn't developed like we thought he would when we brought him over from Tampa Bay. He did a decent job in relief of Hogan today, but 14 of 38 will not win many games. He filled in for Hogan last year during the only other significant injury Hogan has suffered and went 2-1. Will he be able to work some playoff magic? We have to hope so. Our only other alternative at QB is Artie Weinke, who might hold more long-term promise for us, but he's even greener than Cassidy. Alas.

A barely perceptible silver lining in this game is that we got our run game back on track, which will be very important with Hogan out. We also got our starting center back from injury, and might get our starting MLB Grant Wash and our key backup DT Henry Stansell back in time for our first (and probably only) playoff game. On a related note, I have calculated that our defensive starters have missed a total of 48 games started this season. I'm amazed at how strong our defense has been given that I've been MacGyvering the defensive lineup all season long.

Ken Wickes Deathwatch Update: Take a gander at this playcall, occuring in the 3rd quarter with the score AZ 21, TUC 7:

4-15-ARI21 (10:25) TUC 8 Cassidy pass fell incomplete, intended for 11 Housley.
ARI 75 Isola hurried the quarterback into a bad throw.
The ball goes over on downs.


Huh? 4th and 15, a shitty backup QB in the game, in a situation where a FG puts us within 2 scores of a tie, and we go for it?! ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? I have a hard time believing that any head coach in the history of professional football would have made that call. That's at least six different kinds of stupid, and I blame this call not on Ken Wickes, but on Jim Gindin. That kind of thing just shouldn't happen in this game. Sheesh.

All in all this was a bitterly disappointing week, and it probably shows in my writing. I'm genuinely pissed that the improbable has happened and all of the magic of that 10-game winning streak has evaporated into nothingness. Damn, what a waste. But perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself - we've still got a playoff game in two weeks. Maybe we'll get lucky.

And maybe I will start pooping out rolls of $100 bills.

You never know.

[condors]

sorry, the win didn't even get us in :mad:

things may not look so good but you can win with a backup qb really it is possible

good luck in the postseason

[Fonzie]

Time for a bit of a season recap for the CFL. Here's how things shook out in the final standings:

Front Office Football 2004
2009 Regular Season Standings

Eastern Football Conference

Deep South W L T Pct PF PA Conf Div
Shreveport 12 4 0 .750 375 292 8-4 4-2
*San Antonio 10 6 0 .625 315 318 8-4 4-2
Memphis 9 7 0 .563 294 273 6-6 2-4
New Orleans 4 12 0 .250 285 375 2-10 2-4

Great Lakes W L T Pct PF PA Conf Div
Detroit 12 4 0 .750 309 240 9-3 6-0
Cleveland 5 10 1 .344 304 347 5-6-1 3-2-1
Albany (NY) 3 13 0 .188 202 339 3-9 1-5
Chicago 2 13 1 .156 167 291 2-9-1 1-4-1

Atlantic W L T Pct PF PA Conf Div
Durham 12 4 0 .750 432 269 9-3 5-1
*Charleston (SC) 11 5 0 .688 368 323 8-4 4-2
Tampa Bay 7 9 0 .438 276 293 5-7 3-3
Baltimore 6 10 0 .375 311 370 3-9 0-6

Yankee W L T Pct PF PA Conf Div
Hartford 10 6 0 .625 368 268 7-5 4-2
New York 10 6 0 .625 350 314 8-4 3-3
Boston 10 6 0 .625 365 323 7-5 3-3
Atlantic City 7 9 0 .438 323 323 5-7 2-4

Western Football Conference
San Andreas W L T Pct PF PA Conf Div
Sacramento 8 8 0 .500 295 271 6-6 5-1
Huntington Beach 7 9 0 .438 295 290 6-6 4-2
Long Beach 4 12 0 .250 248 329 4-8 3-3
Santa Cruz 3 13 0 .188 195 374 1-11 0-6

Ring of Ice W L T Pct PF PA Conf Div
Boise 12 4 0 .750 386 287 9-3 4-2
Oregon 6 10 0 .375 315 335 5-7 3-3
Seattle 6 10 0 .375 386 415 6-6 3-3
Anchorage 5 11 0 .313 335 445 4-8 2-4

Cavalry W L T Pct PF PA Conf Div
Denver 10 6 0 .625 368 301 9-3 6-0
*Tulsa 10 6 0 .625 316 333 8-4 3-3
Fargo (ND) 8 8 0 .500 340 312 6-6 1-5
El Paso 6 10 0 .375 358 390 5-7 2-4

Ring of Fire W L T Pct PF PA Conf Div
Tucson 12 4 0 .750 372 235 8-4 4-2
*Las Vegas 10 6 0 .625 360 311 7-5 4-2
Arizona 10 6 0 .625 345 311 7-5 2-4
Honolulu 8 8 0 .500 285 346 5-7 2-4

* denotes Wild Card Teams

So, we wind up tied for the best record in the CFL. That's nice.

[Fonzie]

2009 Summary for Tucson Toros

Record: 12-4
Winning Pct.: .750

Tucson Toros Team Rank
Rushes 534 2
Rushing Yards 2117 5
Yards Per Carry 3.96 13
Pass Attempts 469 28
Completions 288 22 (T)
Passing Yards 3209 26
Yards Per Attempt 6.84 20
3rd Down Conversions 48.1 5
Points Per Game 23.2 5
Turnovers 10 1
Turnover Margin +9 7 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes 410 2
Rushing Yards 1448 1
Yards Per Carry 3.53 3
Pass Attempts 530 17
Completions 278 6
Passing Yards 3314 6 (T)
Yards Per Attempt 6.25 3
3rd Down Conversions 38.2 3
Points Per Game 14.6 1
Turnovers 19 23 (T)

Now that's what I like to see - a great running game and good complementary passing game coupled with a miserly approach to turnovers. Combine that with a dose of dominant defense and you've got yourself a winner.

Unless, that is, you lose your starting QB. Speaking of whom...

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int
4 Hogan QB 429 273 2996 6.98 21 5
8 Cassidy QB 40 15 213 5.32 1 1
**Team --- 469 288 3209 6.84 22 6


Hogan had another great year. He posted a QB Rating of 95.6 on the season, just a shade below last year's career best 97.9. How he does it I don't know, as he's not rated as being all that great by the scouts (65-ish). Must be my great game planning.

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD
42 Holliday RB 351 1382 3.93 11
22 Bradley RB 111 522 4.70 5
26 Jeffries FB 44 136 3.09 1
**Team --- 534 2117 3.96 17


Drew Holliday had another great year, although for him this season represented the worst ypc of his career. Still, it is hard to argue with 1382 yards, especially considering the constantly changing O-line he had to contend with. Daryl Bradley continues to be a great secret weapon, and Corwin Jeffries was our main 3rd down back. Great running attack this year.

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc YAC TD
82 Torres TE 87 59 584 9.8 180 5
89 Armitage WR 110 56 724 12.9 99 6
80 Higginbotham WR 62 42 613 14.5 78 1
26 Jeffries FB 55 41 312 7.6 174 2
22 Bradley RB 34 22 179 8.1 75 2
**Team --- 467 288 3209 11.1 749 22


Torres and Armitage both had career-best performances this year, but I was really expecitng more of Armitage. He's got the best hands in the league and runs routes like noone else (100 ratings in both), so he should be a lock to top 1000 yds per season, even in a run-oriented offense like we had this year. Maybe next year he'll settle into our passing system and flourish.

Higginbotham had another solid year as the #2, and our running backs contributed considerably to the passing game this year. Holliday is the noteworthy exception there. His receiving skills are okay, but they're inferior to the Bradley's and Jeffries'. Without those receiving numbers Holliday will almost certainly never win any major awards. Too bad, 'cuz he's a beast.

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn
58 Watford OLB 72 13 0.0 3 1 1
52 Wash ILB 68 24 0.5 1 1 7
95 Stoltzfus DT 45 17 3.0 26 1 0
55 Trujillo OLB 42 14 2.0 5 1 3
75 Grier DE 42 17 10.5 11 0 1
90 Jarrard ILB 36 10 0.0 0 0 0
93 King OLB 32 8 1.0 3 1 2
70 Neubauer DT 30 18 0.5 8 0 0
72 Bernard DE 28 16 2.5 7 0 0
96 Stansell DT 18 11 2.5 8 0 0

Once again Joseph Watford leads the team in tackles, despite having missed seven starts on the year. He's nothing short of amazing, but he struggled a bit defending the pass this year - we'll have to hope that doesn't become a habit. Grant Wash came in second on the team in tackles, and he also missed five starts. Most noteworthy was the contribution of newcomer Harold Stoltzfus, whose 45 solo tackles and 62 total tackles ranked him 4th on the team while playing in just 12 games for us. Including his time in Cleveland, he finished with 82 solo tackles and 27 assists with 4 sacks, 29 hurries and 2 FF. For a tackle in a 4-3 those're some crazy delicious numbers. Howie Grier, a former 1st round pick, registered double-digits in sacks for the first time in his career. Good for him.


Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn
31 Enoch S 66 34 0.0 0 4 13
32 Hartung S 38 11 0.0 0 0 5
46 Bloch S 37 9 0.0 0 1 0
40 Biggs CB 34 15 0.0 0 2 21
37 Rosenberry CB 34 11 0.0 0 1 11
25 Minahan CB 32 12 0.0 0 2 7
29 McCloskey CB 25 7 0.0 1 0 1
33 Mirer S 21 8 0.5 0 1 5
**Team --- 777 271 29.0 89 16 77

S Mitchel Enoch once again held the secondary together, logging 100 total tackles, 13 PDs and 4 INTs. CB Keven Biggs had a marvelous season despite missing four starts, and Ray Minahan filled in nicely when either Biggs or Rosenberry were out of the lineup. 1st round pick Mike Mirer saw a bit more playing time than I'd hoped he would, but he played reasonably well and we continue to hold out hope that he'll be a long-term answer in center field.

So, from a statistical point of view I can't help but be thrilled with both individual and team performances this year. 'Twas a truly great season for Your Beloved Toros.

[Fonzie]

good luck in the postseason

Thanks. I'm gonna need it! :)

[Fonzie]

I was about to write up my own summary of the Wild Card Round action when I realized that the CFL Pressman over at the league website has already done so. Why reinvent the wheel?

Here's what he had to say:

The 2009 CFL wild card round is over and the home team won all 4 games. So the divisional round contains all 8 division winners. Here is a recap of the wild card action:

The Shreveport Pride posted the first shutout in CFL playoff history when they defeated the San Antonio Stingers 27-0. San Antonio was held to 164 yards of total offense, a new CFL playoff record. The Pride's defense was led by DT Derrick Javier who had 5 tackles, 2 assists, and 2.5 sacks. Shreveport goes to Detroit this week to face the Vampires.

The Hartford Attack were already ahead 30-0 early in the 2nd quarter against the defending champion Charleston Monitors. The Attack cruised from there to a final score of 33-14. James Oberg averaged 9.2 yards per pass attempt in the victory, while Landon Hurt completed less than 50% of his passes and averaged 4.3 yards per pass attempt in the loss. The Monitors also turned the ball over 4 times. Hartford's next opponent is the Durham Bulldogs.

The Denver Dynomite also got out to an early lead in their wild card matchup, going into halftime up 28-3 over the Las Vegas Rounders. The final score was 38-18 as the Dynomite move on to face the Tucson Toros in the divisional round. Denver QB Marcus Garibaldi won the offensive player of the week award by completing 25 of his 28 passes (89%!) for 241 yards and 4 TDs.

Finally, the Sacramento Dragons defeated the Tulsa Talons by a score of 28-20. Tulsa's star RB Butch Fulton injured his shoulder late in the first quarter and did not return. The Dragons were outgained 289 yards to 257 yards but they scored a TD on each of their 4 trips into the red zone. Sacramento travels to Boise to face the Stampede this week.

[Fonzie]

Our first playoff game is at home vs. a strong Denver team. They made a great late season push to win their division, and are relatively healthy. Neither of those bits of information cheer me. We'll be without Hogan, as the week off didn't allow him to heal enough to play. So, young Daryl Cassidy gets the start. Some other injured players are at least Questionable this week, so they'll get the nod (including MLB Grant Wash, DT Henry Stansell, SLB Buster Trujillo and C Steve Odum). We'll have to hope that a somewhat healthy defense and an emphasis on the running game will be enough. And on that note, we were unfortunate enough to draw the only WFC team that has a better run defense than us, as Denver is allowing just 3.4 ypc.

When it rains, it pours.

I fear we'll get bounced right out of the playoffs without Hogan, but at least our two other unreplacable stars (Holliday and Soltzfus) are completely healthy and ready to go. We'll need a great defensive performance, awesome special teams play, and no turnovers to have a chance in this one.

Here we go!

Box Score: Denver at Tucson
Tucson, AZ.

Conference Semifinals, 2009

Attendance: 67,000 (69,800).


Weather: 69 degrees, fair.

1Q: 00:24 TUC - Rubin Castorena 46 field goal.
2Q: 04:10 DEN - Curtis Plotkin 47 pass from Marcus Garibaldi.
2Q: 04:10 DEN - Gary Hutchins extra point.
3Q: 11:16 TUC - Drew Holliday 4 run.
3Q: 11:16 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
3Q: 07:07 DEN - John Lubin 3 run.
3Q: 07:07 DEN - Gary Hutchins extra point.
3Q: 01:23 TUC - Rubin Castorena 51 field goal.
4Q: 12:59 DEN - Gary Hutchins 24 field goal.
4Q: 03:12 TUC - Rubin Castorena 39 field goal.

Game MVP: DEN 52 Theo Garcia

Denver 0 7 7 3 - 17
Tucson 3 0 10 3 - 16

Team Statistics DEN TUC

First Downs 17 20

Total Rushes 31 43
Rushing Yards 149 203
Yards Per Carry 4.8 4.7
Pass Attempts 30 20
Completions 16 10
Passing Yards 189 152
Yards Per Attempt 6.3 7.6
Sacked 0 1
Yards Lost 0 5
Interceptions 1 0
Fumbles/Lost 0/0 1/1

Total Plays 61 64
Total Yards 338 350
Yards Per Play 5.5 5.4

3rd Down Plays 4/12 5/14
Avg. YTG on 3rd 6.6 6.5
4th Down Plays 0/0 0/1

Penalties 3 4
Penalty Yards 25 30

Avg. Drive Start OWN 33 OWN 22
Time Of Possession 27:17 32:43

Denver Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
37 Lubin 25 133 5.3 27 1
26 Farrar 5 18 3.6 6 0
4 Garibaldi 1 -2 -2.0 -2 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
4 Garibaldi 30 16 189 6.3 47 1 1 0

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
87 Plotkin 5 99 19.8 6 47 1
25 Warren 3 22 7.3 11 10 0
82 Arms 2 27 13.5 1 18 0
37 Lubin 2 9 4.5 8 5 0
89 Peace 2 19 9.5 7 12 0
26 Farrar 1 2 2.0 0 2 0
1 Rodriguez 1 11 11.0 3 11 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
40 Knight 1 -6 -6.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
85 Godbey 2 52 26.0 0
1 Rodriguez 2 46 23.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
10 Thornton 7 263 37.5 41 5

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
3 Hutchins 1 1 24 2 2

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
53 Wilk 12 1 0.0 0 0 0
93 Collins 8 1 0.0 0 0 0
46 Brister 7 5 0.0 0 0 0
21 Dizon 6 2 0.0 0 0 0
94 Deacon 5 1 0.0 0 0 0
99 Beamon 4 4 0.0 0 0 0
38 Halvorson 4 3 0.0 0 0 0
27 Waters 2 2 1.0 0 0 0
98 Knell 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
52 Garcia 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
95 Duggan 1 3 0.0 0 0 0
49 Jennings 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
24 Sanderson 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
55 Nichols 1 0 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
52 Garcia 0 0 0 0 5 0
78 Peterson 0 0 0 0 2 0
60 Saldivar 0 0 0 0 2 0
21 Dizon 0 0 1 0 0 0
99 Beamon 0 1 0 0 0 0
68 Calder 0 0 0 0 1 0
25 Warren 0 0 0 0 1 0
89 Peace 0 0 0 0 1 0

Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
42 Holliday 32 163 5.0 19 1
8 Cassidy 5 16 3.2 6 0
22 Bradley 4 18 4.5 12 0
26 Jeffries 2 6 3.0 3 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
8 Cassidy 20 10 152 7.6 31 0 0 1

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
89 Armitage 3 44 14.6 3 16 0
26 Jeffries 3 57 19.0 37 31 0
87 Sheehy 2 22 11.0 8 13 0
80 Higginbotham 1 11 11.0 0 11 0
42 Holliday 1 18 18.0 3 18 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
22 Bradley 1 4 4.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
85 Garcia 1 11 11.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 5 203 40.6 56 0

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 3 3 51 1 1

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
58 Watford 9 4 0.0 0 0 0
31 Enoch 6 0 0.0 0 0 0
96 Stansell 5 0 0.0 0 0 0
52 Wash 4 2 0.0 1 33 0
55 Trujillo 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
72 Bernard 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
95 Stoltzfus 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
32 Hartung 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
90 Jarrard 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
29 McCloskey 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
33 Mirer 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
75 Grier 1 2 0.0 0 0 0
46 Bloch 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
63 Pitman 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
25 Minahan 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
42 Holliday 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
74 Cochrane 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
40 Biggs 0 2 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
71 Franck 0 0 0 0 2 1
78 Odum 0 0 0 0 4 0
61 Eaddy 0 0 0 0 3 0
63 Pitman 0 0 0 0 3 0
64 Connell 0 0 0 0 3 0
42 Holliday 1 0 0 0 0 0
26 Jeffries 0 0 0 0 1 0

Denver Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 12:33 2:57 OWN 33 6 14 Punt
1 6:26 1:30 OWN 29 3 3 Punt
1 0:24 2:24 OWN 27 5 27 Punt
2 10:50 1:56 OWN 44 3 5 Punt
2 7:52 3:42 OWN 20 7 80 Touchdown
2 2:30 1:25 OPP 47 5 6 Punt
3 15:00 1:33 OWN 28 3 12 Interception
3 11:16 4:09 OWN 20 8 80 Touchdown
3 1:23 3:24 OWN 25 8 68 Field Goal
4 10:50 2:39 OWN 29 5 20 Punt
4 3:12 0:44 OWN 31 3 0 Punt
4 1:39 1:39 OPP 36 5 13 Game

Tucson Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 15:00 2:27 OWN 20 5 13 Punt
1 9:36 3:10 OWN 17 6 18 Punt
1 4:56 4:32 OWN 32 7 39 Field Goal
2 13:00 2:10 OWN 5 3 7 Punt
2 8:54 1:02 OWN 17 3 1 Punt
2 4:10 1:40 OWN 20 3 -6 Punt
2 1:05 1:05 OWN 4 4 68 Half
3 13:27 2:11 OPP 29 5 29 Touchdown
3 7:07 5:44 OWN 20 10 46 Field Goal
4 12:59 2:09 OWN 20 4 51 Fumble
4 8:11 4:59 OWN 17 10 61 Field Goal
4 2:28 0:49 OWN 28 4 8 Downs


Well damn.

That loss hurts more than a 40-7 blowout would. Coming up one point shy of advancing hurts bad. And the worst part is that we could've had three more points in the 4th quarter had it not been for our one turnover of the day. Drew Holliday fumbled away the ball at the DEN 29, and that was bascially the game right there. A few other unfortunate plays I'd like to grumble about:

1) We lost another of our Unholy Triumverate when Harold Stoltzfus was knocked out of the game late in the 2nd quarter. Our defense had Denver under control up until that point, but the rushing flood gates opened up when Stoltzfus was replaced by rookie DT Cochrane (Lubin had a great day!). Fortunately Stoltzfus is only out a week and should be completely healthy for next season.

2) This play pissed me off:

4-03-DEN29 (00:32) TUC 13 Castorena attempted a 46 yard field goal and succeeded.
Penalty: DEN - Running into the Kicker. Penalty was declined.


With a shitty offense on the field and the opportunities to score TDs limited, at best, we needed to keep that drive going. I know many coaches don't like to take points off the board, but damn we needed to accept that penalty at that point in the game (1st quarter). Alas.

Drew Holliday did an otherwise great job today against a very tough run D, and Cassidy wasn't terrible (no turnovers = a great day for such a green QB). We lost this one largely because of yet another key injury and one devastatingly timed turnover. Of course, had we managed to win this game, Stoltzfus' and Hogan's absences for the conference championship almost certainly would've doomed us, so maybe it is for the best that Denver won. At least they'll have a chance.

Go forth and do us proud Denver!

So that concludes our regular season. Losing out because of injuries to key guys is part of the game, but damn it is tough to take such a shitty end to an otherwise spectacular season.

I guess that means we'll just need to redouble our efforts for next year!

[Fonzie]

Shreveport (15-4) 23, Durham (13-5) 10 - Raven Hawk's Shreveport Pride came up huge in a road game at Taco's Durham Bulldogs. Shreveport's running game was on fire (40 carries, 180 yards) and their defense shut down an impressive Durham offense (just 236 total yards). Durham was never really in this one.

Sacramento (10-8) 17, Denver (13-6) 24 - Varacel's Denver Dynamite jumped out to a 24-7 lead by halftime and cruised to the win over George W. Bush's Sacramento Dragons. This was a somewhat ugly game, with neither passing offense doing much except chucking six interceptions between them. Denver's running game was the difference though, piling up 173 yards to burn the clock and secure the win.

Denver has now won their third straight WFC title, and Shreveport has locked up their first EFC title. Congratulations to both teams! The CFL Bowl will be played Monday night. The new season will begin on Thursday - see you then!

[Fonzie]

Varacel's Denver Dynamite have captured their second CFL championship in a tightly contested match with Raven Hawk's Shreveport Pride. Final score: Denver 16, Shreveport 7.

Congratulations varacel!

[Fonzie]

We had two players honored for their on-field performances this year. They are:

DT Harold Stoltzfus - 1st team DT. 82 solo tackles, 27 assists, 4 sacks, 29 hurries, 2 blocked passes, 2 forced fumbles, 1 INT.

RT Matthew Pitman - 2nd team tackle. 36/91 KRB, 0.6 SPct.

And that's it. I was expecting Stoltzfus to get recognition, but I wasn't sure about Pitman. I thought Keven Biggs or Mitchel Enoch might've snuck in on the 2nd team, but overall 2 all-pros is about right. We didn't have many standout individual performances this year - our success was more a result of a combined team effort.

[Fonzie]

And just like that, the calendar has flipped over to 2010. Time to get back to the drawing board and see if we can't make it back to the Promised Land of the playoffs for another crack at a championship before Hogan retires.

Speaking of which, we had no retirements this offseason. That is a huge relief, especially knowing that we'll have Hogan back under center. Had he retired we probably would've had to go into rebuilding mode, but with him returning we'll gear up to make another run at the title.

Some of our RoF foes weren't so lucky in the retirement department, most notably Arizona and Honolulu. Arizona lost their starting DE Brian Widmer, while Honolulu did not lose Ronnie Tu to retirement. That's right, Tu is still on Honolulu's roster, nursing his now 36-week ACL injury. He'll be out all of this year, but in the meantime will be gobbling up cap space for the Blue Pacific. Tough break.

In other injury news, former 1st round pick DE Lance Crane is fully healed from his own knee troubles, but is a mere shadow of his former self. He had been 51/62, with most of his skills in the Pass Rush domains, before the injury. He's now rated 30/33, with a 70 rating in PR strength, but that's about it. I'd cut him, but he may be useful as an Affinity guy. If he renegotiates down to the veteran's minimum from his $1.7 million base salary he may keep his roster spot. If not, he's gone.

Cap space has risen $4.9 million this year, which puts us at $2.2 million under the cap with 47 players under contract. We'll be franchising Stoltzfus, which should cost us about $5.7 million, and so we'll be at least $3.5 million over the cap come free agency. We'll be renegotiating a few deals, so it shouldn't be hard to get under the cap. Also, we don't have any picks in the first three rounds this year, so we'll save some cap money there.

Coach hiring begins on Thursday. Hopefully we'll finally be able to replace Shit-Head Coach Ken Wickes.

[Fonzie]

Time for a quick peak at our regular season opponents for 2010:


Front Office Football 2004
Tucson Toros 2010 Regular Season Schedule

Week Opponent (2009 Record)
Week 1 LAS VEGAS ROUNDERS (10-6)
Week 2 at New York Knights (10-6)
Week 3 SACRAMENTO DRAGONS (8-8)
Week 4 at Oregon Ice (6-10)
Week 5 at Seattle Thunderbirds (6-10)
Week 6 ANCHORAGE WOLFPACK (5-11)
Week 7 at Honolulu Blue Pacific (8-8)
Week 8 BOISE CITY STAMPEDE (12-4)
Week 9 at Las Vegas Rounders (10-6)
Week 10 OPEN
Week 11 ARIZONA OUTLAWS (10-6)
Week 12 HARTFORD ATTACK (10-6)
Week 13 at Denver Dynomite (10-6)
Week 14 at Boston Panthers (10-6)
Week 15 at Arizona Outlaws (10-6)
Week 16 ATLANTIC CITY PHANTOMS (7-9)
Week 17 HONOLULU BLUE PACIFIC (8-8)

Home Games in ALL CAPS

Season Tickets Sold: 0
Stadium Capacity: 69,800


Cumulative Record of Opponents: 140-116 (.547)

Ouch.

This promises to be a tough season, as we've drawn the 1st place schedule and it shows. We face just four teams with losing records, and at least three of those look to be substantially improved over last season (Seattle, Oregon, and Atlantic City). We have an especially brutal stretch of seven games from Week 8 through Week 15 - every one of those opponents finished in double digits for wins.

We'll certainly have our work cut out for us this year!

[flere-imsaho]

Hey, you get to play in our new stadium! :D

[Fonzie]

Hey, you get to play in our new stadium! :D

I've heard great things about Boston's new Clearasil Stadium at Milwaukee's Best Field. We're looking forward to experiencing it first hand. :)

[Fonzie]

Head Scout - Troy Bernard
Age: 37
Contract Terms: 5 years, $670k per
Record: 0-0
Playoff appearances: 0
Bowl wins: 0
QB: Good
RB: Average
WR: Good
O-line: Good
Kickers: Average
D-line: Very good
LB: Good
Secondary: Very Good
Young talent: Good

We were able to secure the top scout available this year and locked him up for 5 years. He's young and should improve with time. He's better than last year's scout, Kennedy Jennings, who was a desperation pick due to low owner limits on spending. This year the owners have loosened the purse strings and allowed us to get a guy who represents a substantial improvement with respect to evaluating receivers, the defensive backfield, and young talent.

[fantastic flying froggies]

methinks Fonzie needs to update his team name file... ;)

[Fonzie]

methinks Fonzie needs to update his team name file... ;)

I'll be damned...I hadn't noticed that! I had updated the team name file on my home pc, but failed to do so on my work computer (not that I use my work computer for anything other than work, mind you). Thanks for catching that, fff. I've fixed the out of date nicknames.

[Fonzie]

I've been bitching about my idiotic head coach for a couple of seasons now, but my owners have been stingy with staff payroll owing to our unprofitable situation. That situation has now changed nicely with last year's completion of our new stadium, and our profitability has translated into a drastically improved salary allotment for staff.

That infusion of cash allowed me to fulfill my dream of kicking Ken Wickes and his questionable playcalling abilities right out the door, and to grab the best head coach I could find. Some might question the wisdom behind ejecting the leader amongst active head coaches in career winning percentage (.676), but I think he benefitted more from our team's talent and excellent personnel abilities (read: my awesomeness) more than he helped the team to win. So he's gone.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am honored to introduce the third(-ish?) head coach in the history of the Tucson Toros, Ryan Bolden:

Head Coach: Ryan Bolden
Age: 44
Contract Terms: 5 years, $6.69 million per
Years experience: 6
Record: 39-57-2
Playoff appearances: 2
Bowl wins: 0
Motivation: Good
Discipline: Good
Offensive Playcalling: Very Good
Defensive Playcalling: Excellent
Injury Avoidance: Very Good

Bolden represents an improvement over Wickes in both playcalling departments (Wickes was just Good in those) and in Injury Avoidance (Wickes was just Good there as well). Bolden is slightly worse than Wickes in terms of motivation and discipline (Wickes was Very Good in both), but I'm happy with that tradeoff.

Our staff is now set. Everyone is under contract for at least two more years, which makes me very happy.

Next up: free agency.

[Fonzie]

We're about to jump on the offseason personnel carousel, and so it seems wise to spend a bit of time evaluate our roster. First up, the offensive backfield:

Player # Pos Exp Cur/Fut/Yrs
Hogan, Milan "Colonel" 4 QB 12 65/69/1 yr.
Cassidy, Daryl 8 QB 4 34/53/1 yr.
Weinke, Artie 9 QB 4 24/52/3 yrs

All three of last year's QBs are back and under contract. I was most relieved to see Hogan avoided the call of the golf course and returned for his 12th season, which allows us to postpone the inevitable rebuilding mode for at least one more season. He's posted QB Ratings of 97.9 and 95.9 in the last two seasons, and if he keeps that up for another year we may well find our way back into the postseason.

Cassidy has filled in adequately for Hogan when asked, but he needs more seasoning to really be a good starter. Weinke may well end up being better than Cassidy, but he's more of a project. While I might prefer to have a more experienced backup, I'm disinclined to invest much in the way of resources in one when we have needs elsewhere. We're pretty much set at QB, but if a backup QB shakes loose we'll give 'im a look.

Player # Pos Exp Cur/Fut/Yrs
Bradley, Daryl 22 RB 7 55/55/3 yrs
Holliday, Drew 42 RB 5 61/65/1 yr.
Robbins, Grant 30 RB 3 29/42/2 yrs
Jeffries, Corwin 26 FB 5 52/52/5 yrs
Brown, Antonio 23 FB 5 26/34/1 yr.

Holliday is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and we'll have a decision to make about him before this season is through. He continues to post excellent numbers, and if we get another "average" year (1400 yds, 12 TDs) from him we'll be in good shape.

Bradley might be one of the most underrated weapons in the league. He's an excellent backup to Holliday (4.7 ypc and 5 rushing TDs last year), is one of our top receiving options out of the backfield, and is a top punt returner to boot. I love having a security blanket like him. Grant Robbins is a project player, but has some promising potential in some areas.

Jeffries is our starting fullback, and is a good receiver out of the backfield. He also does a good job in run blocking. Brown is our backfield leader, and is unlikely to ever see the field.

Overall, our offensive backfield is set. I'm happy with what we've got.

[Fonzie]

To The Two Of You Still Reading This: after a brief, real life-induced hiatus, I'm back and ready to resume our offseason analysis and update on roster changes. Thanks for your patience.

Now onto our receivers:

Player # Pos Exp Cur/Fut/Yrs
Sheehy, Ramon 87 TE 12 51/58/---
Torres, Anthony 82 TE 4 72/72/2 yrs
Joyner, Marlon 84 TE 4 47/54/3 yrs
Armitage, Sydney 89 FL 10 57/63/2 yrs
Housley, Freddie 11 FL 5 36/41/2 yrs
Garcia, Brent 85 FL 3 34/46/2 yrs
Higginbotham, Demetrius 80 SE 8 47/47/3 yrs
Ramirez, Mack 88 SE 6 35/41/3 yrs

This group did a decent job last year, but there were some mild disappointments mixed in with the success stories. Torres did a good job in taking over the starting role from Sheehy (59-584-5), and was a pleasant surprise in the run game (10/25 KB). Our new scout, who is Good at evaluating receivers, likes him a great deal more than our old scout, who was Poor (translation: he's now rated 72/72 intead of 66/66).

Joyner continues to look like one of our better undrafted free agent pickups, and is likely to see additional PT this year. Sheehy is aging and was a bit disappointing, considering how many 2-TE sets we used. He's a free agent this year, and he may not be back.

Sydney Armitage was last year's big addition to the offense, and while he had career bests in receptions, yards and TDs (56-724-6), he didn't exactly set the world on fire. Some of this was because of our emphasis on the running game, but that can't account for all of it. We expect his production to improve after being in our system for a year - or else.

Demetrius Higginbotham is our receivers leader and continues to have the most awesome name in the league. He remains a starter and steady contributor in the passing game, and no less than five players have affinities with him.

Housley and Ramirez were brought in last offseason to battle for the #3 spot, and while Housley had an outstanding exhibition season last year he flopped when the games started to count (and he got hurt). Ramirez performed somewhat better, but was not great. Garcia is a former 1st rounder who is looking increasingly like a bust. He can still be a useful return guy, though.

If we can upgrade this bunch I'll do it, but overall I'm content with our talent here. I'd especially like to get a better kick return specialist this year, and WR is of course a likely position to house that kind of player. The only FA in this group is Sheehy, and while we'd love to have him back he's a 12-year vet with a minimum salary of $1 million. We might not be able to swing that, given that he'll likely end up a 3rd-stringer.

[Fonzie]

The Offensive Line:

Player # Pos Exp Cur/Fut/Yrs
Odum, Steven 78 C 13 64/64/---
Buckley, Luther 59 C 3 37/50/1 yr.
Poplawski, Ross 60 LG 3 56/62/3 yrs
Eaddy, Richard 61 RG 10 46/47/1 yr.
Connell, Kelvin 64 RG 4 52/60/2 yrs
Wickham, Cory 62 RG 2 12/24/---
Franck, Chris 71 LT 14 47/49/1 yr.
Lyle, Stan 65 LT 4 36/44/---
Puente, Rob 69 LT 2 22/43/1 yr.
Kaczmarek, Freddy 67 RT 11 37/45/---
Pitman, Matthew 63 RT 6 71/71/2 yrs

Back when the CFL began in 2003, Steven Odum was a standout guard on an excellent O-line. That O-line was not to last, however, as two of our stars there suffered severe injuries and the rest succumbed to the ravages of age. Odum, however, made a successful transition to center after we let David Pless leave via FA last year, and he's done everything we've asked of him. Except, of course, for staying healthy. He was one of the reasons our O-line was in flux last year, as he missed six games due to injury. He's only played in all 16 games once in his career, and has only started 75 of 112 possible games. He's our O-line leader, but two players have conflicts with him. And he's a free agent. He most likely won't be back, unless his asking price is dirt cheap. His backup, Luther Buckley, hates his guts, but probably isn't good enough to take over as a full-time starter. We may have to bring in some fresh blood here.

Guard was another position of instability last year, as Ross Poplawski was out half of the season with injury. He was only occasionally effective when he did play, and was perhaps single-handedly responsible for our tragic loss to Santa Cruz last year thanks to his 0/0 KRB and 4 sack-allowed performance. We can only hope this promising player improves, as he's our no-doubt-about-it starter at LG. On the other side we have Kelvin Connell, who had something of a breakout year in 2009 (40/105 KRO, but 10 sacks). If he can do a better job of keeping Hogan upright he'll be an all-pro. Our backups at guard are Eaddy, who is talented enough to keep around as well as a mentor, and Cory Wickham, who was only brough in last year because Steven Odum liked him. If Odum is gone, Wickham will be too.

We were thankfully stable at tackle last year, as both starters played in all 16 games. Chris Franck is another old warrior from our inaugural year, and he has done well in making the transition from RT to LT. He's a mentor and will almost certainly be out starter again this year. Pitman is our O-line's indisputable best player and anchor. He was recognized as 2nd-team all-pro last year, and has never missed more than 2 games in a season. He's our starter. Our depth at tackle is reasonable, but Kaczmarek is a free agent and almost certainly won't be back. He was "Angry" when we signed him for depth mid-season, and stayed that way when he wasn't inserted as our starter. Adios, stupid. Lyle was also picked up mid-season and looks like a pretty good young player - if he keeps developing he may replace Franck as our starter in a year or two. He's a RFA, so we'll lock him up. Puente was an undrafted free agent who looks to also have considerable talent - we'll try to keep him active this year so that he can benefit from Franck's mentorship.

In sum, we're in the market for a starting center and perhaps some depth at guard. Not too bad.

[Fonzie]

The Specialists:

Player # Pos Exp Cur/Fut/Yrs
Winters, Edward 15 P 3 69/69/3 yrs
Gilmore, Mark 7 P 2 45/70/2 yrs
Castorena, Rubin 13 K 9 67/67/2 yrs

Winters came on strong last year and looks to be our long-term starter. He's the best in the league at directional punting and has good kicking power. His chief rival is last year's 6th round pickup Mark Gilmore, who boomed after the draft. We couldn't find any trade partners for him last year, so we'll try again this offseason to see if we can't find him a good home.

Castorena probably saved his job by making 10 of his last 11 FG attempts in 2009. Even with that late-season success he wound up connecting on just 23 of 36 attempts (63.8%), by far the worst year of his career. He'd better turn things around this year.

[Fonzie]

The D-line:

Player # Pos Exp Cur/Fut/Yrs
Smith, Carl 73 LDE 9 47/48/2 yrs
Grier, Howie 75 LDE 7 57/59/2 yrs
Bernard, Ted 72 RDE 6 42/42/1 yr.
Horn, Albert 97 RDE 6 41/48/2 yrs
Crane, Lance 94 RDE 4 30/33/2 yrs
Stansell, Henry 96 LDT 7 47/50/3 yrs
Cochrane, Bennie 74 LDT 2 31/46/3 yrs
Neubauer, Kenneth 70 RDT 8 55/60/4 yrs
Stoltzfus, Harold 95 RDT 8 95/97/1 yr.
Dennis, Marvin 76 RDT 3 26/40/---

Everybody's back and under contract now that we've franchised Stoltzfus, who just happens to be the best player on our team. With him in the fold I'm very happy with the middle of our line - both he and Neubauer are run-stuffers, and Stoltzfus can harrass QBs with the best of them. Stansell is a solid backup, and Cochrane is a draft pick from last year who may turn out OK. Our only free agent is Marvin Dennis, who was a midseason pickup to replace the injured Neubauer. I doubt that we'll bring him back.

On the outside of the line, our DE situation is OK. On the downside, former 1st-rounder Lance Crane finally recovered from his ACL injury, but it is hard to call what he's done a "recovery." He looks terrible, and will need to drastically reduce his contract number if he wants to stay on the team. Howie Grier had a career high 10.5 sacks last year and is a solid run stuffer. He's our starter on the left side. Last year we successfully platooned Bernard and Horn on the right side, and they'll do so again this year unless we're able to land some surprising talent at DE. Carl Smith is a great, versatile backup.

So, some DE help would be nice, but otherwise our defensive line is pretty much set.

[Fonzie]

The Linebackers:

Player # Pos Exp Cur/Fut/Yrs
Wash, Grant 52 MLB 13 65/65/1 yr.
Jarrard, Josh 90 MLB 8 43/50/3 yrs
Trujillo, Buster 55 SLB 9 62/66/3 yrs
King, Jerry 93 SLB 10 54/60/3 yrs
Watford, Joseph 58 SLB 10 75/80/3 yrs
Brkich, Jackie 56 SLB 3 25/37/---
Richardson, Cornell 98 WLB 2 24/40/3 yrs

Our linebacking corps is aging. Wash is a 13-year pro and it shows - he's losing skills and having trouble staying healthy. He can still be a good run stopper and does a decent job in coverage, but he's only been able to start 12, 14, and 11 games in the last 3 years. His clock is ticking. His backup, Jarrard, can do an adequate job in relief.

On the strong-side we have long-time defensive anchor Joseph Watford returning for his 10th year. He had never been very susceptible to injuries before 2009, but last year we were only able to suit him up for 10 games (9 starts). Still, he was amazingly productive in those games (he led the team with 72 solo tackles) and we're hopeful that he can return to his healthy, dominant ways this year.

Buster Trujillo came over with Stoltzfus last year and proved to be a very valuable member of the defense. He was supposed to be our weak-side starter, but when Watford got hurt we moved Trujillo over there and he did well. He's also our defensive front leader, and many of the fellas like him. When he moved to the strong-side Jerry King filled in for him on the weak-side and performed reasonably well. He's not much good in coverage, but he can play the run well. Cornell Richardson is our only "true" weak-side 'backer, and he's still a bit of a project. Jackie Brkich is a restricted FA who will probably return, as he can play special teams and likes Trujillo.

I'd like to get younger here, but overall we've got good talent at linebacker. I don't forsee us making many moves in this department.

[Fonzie]

The Secondary:

Player # Pos Exp Cur/Fut/Yrs
Biggs, Keven 40 LCB 10 66/73/2 yrs
Rosenberry, Jeremy 37 LCB 10 46/53/2 yrs
Bennett, Kyle 45 LCB 2 15/45/1 yr.
Minahan, Ray 25 RCB 6 57/57/2 yrs
McCloskey, Cornell 29 RCB 4 27/34/---
Enoch, Mitchel 31 SS 10 76/83/3 yrs
Bloch, Johnathan 46 FS 10 32/40/2 yrs
Hartung, Kenneth 32 FS 10 54/54/1 yr.
Mirer, Mike 33 FS 2 34/66/3 yrs

Biggs and Rosenberry are our starters, and Biggs is clearly our best cover guy. His 21.9 PDPct was tops on the team, but he missed four games due to injury. His fellow starter Rosenberry also missed 3 games and had one of his worst seasons (19.7 PDPct). Due to those injuries our nickel back Ray Minahan was forced to start 9 games, and he played pretty well (20 PDPct, 2 INTs). Ray is also our positional leader, and several guys like him. Kyle Bennet is an undrafted FA from last year who is a long-term project. The only guy not under contract is former 7th round pick Cornell McCloskey. He's servicable, but will likely never be more than a dime back, at best. I'm not sure if we'll try to bring him back or not. I'll need to think on that.

Mitchel Enoch had another solid year for us at SS, registering 100 total tackles and a PDPct of 20.6. He's been very healthy over the last 3 years, and we'll need him to retain both his health and his steady play to keep our secondary performing well. Last year's FS was Kenneth Hartung, who missed 5 games with injury and underperformed in his 11 starts (0 INTs, 19.3 PDPct). He'll be competing with last year's 1st round pick Mike Mirer for the FS position this year. Bloch is a veteran affinity guy who can fill-in adequately, although I certainly wouldn't want to rely upon him for an entire year.

In sum, our secondary is largely set. I need to make one minor decision regarding an RFA, but otherwise our key guys are back and under contract. If we can bring in some help at corner we will, but I don't see that as a big need area.

Well, there you have it! Our roster looks pretty good overall. I don't think we really need to do much but add some peripheral players via free agency and the draft. I anticipate that we'll be able to reload without too much difficulty and be ready to make another run next year.

[Fonzie]

The CFL is currently in Week 5 of Free Agency. We went into the offseason a few million over the cap. After some renegotiations we got up to about $4 million in cap space, some of which must be reserved for our few remaining draft picks. The players we've picked up so far:

WR Courtney Hodges - Hodges, a 3rd year player, was brought in because of his 3rd down receiving skills (58/74) and his ability to return kicks (56/64). We had to pay a bit more than I wanted ($760k bonus) for him, as there was considerable market interest. However, he finally gives us a credible kickoff returner, and that's nice.

C Casey Reeves - Reeves came over to us in a trade with the Hartford Attack. We sent them our 2nd rounder next year and P Mark Gilmore for this promising young center. He is currently rated 41/62 by my scout, with a 41/66 in run blocking and 55/81 in pass blocking. With Reeves we got younger on the O-line and don't have to worry about bringing back our problematic position leader, Odum.

C Kenneth Hart - Because Reeves is still young and hasn't fulfilled his potential, we brought in 9-year vet Hart to mentor him (and Buckley). He'll also be a passable backup.

And that's it so far. Three players in, one player out. These are some nice additions, methinks, and we don't really need to do much else with our roster to be competitive this year. We'll see what else shakes loose in FA, but I'm happy with where we're at for now.

[Joe]

hmm.. no mention of Fulton-gate

[Fonzie]

hmm.. no mention of Fulton-gate

Oh, don't worry. We'll get to that. :)

[fantastic flying froggies]

So if GWB is reader #1, then I must be #2... ;)

[Fonzie]

So if GWB is reader #1, then I must be #2... ;)

Great! Now that we're all here, let's discuss all those non-readers. They are quite despicable people, you know. I don't like them one bit. But you guys, you readers, you're the best.:)

[fantastic flying froggies]

Oh, as a matter of fact, I would even go as far as saying that the 3 of us are quite awesome...

[Joe]

Oh, as a matter of fact, I would even go as far as saying that the 3 of us are quite awesome...


I'm agree

[Fonzie]

There have been several big-name stars who've switched teams this offseason. A quick recap:

QB Josh Urrutria - The 14-year veteran who is tied for the CFL record of 112 consecutive games started decided to try switching coasts this offseason, moving from Long Beach to Tampa Bay. He's thrown for over 23000 yards in his career, with 128 TDs vs. 78 INTs for a career Rating of 82.5. 3 years, $20 million.

S Rocky Alleman - Hartford's 7-year starter defected to Conference rival Charleston when they offered him a 5 eyar, $54 million contract. He has 20 career interceptions and a 19.8 PDPct.

G Lonny Washington - El Paso has emerged from cap hell and has resumed the giddy experience of spending make-believe money. They dropped $20 million on a 5-year contract for Washington, a 9-year vet who spent the last three seasons in Memphis.

G Eldon Wendling - Another big offensive lineman hit the jackpot when Wendling bolted from Honolulu to New York for a 4-year, $17 million contract. Wendling was reportedly interested in blocking for a quarterback who had two intact knees, and Kim Pace fit that bill nicely.

FB Chris Wisdom - Wisdom may have set a league record for fullback pay when he inked his 3-year, $11.47 million deal with Las Vegas. He is also believed to be the first "good" free agent to ever sign with the inexplicably unpopular Las Vegas squad, who have struggled to attract top talent.

RB Butch Fulton - Tulsa's front office apparently forgot about the league deadline for submitting franchise tenders, and as a result the league's 2-time Offensive Player of the Year and 2009 League MVP was allowed to hit the market. The 7th-year player, who has 8668 career rushing yards, made the controversial decision to eschew a lengthy contract offer featuring a $17 million bonus from San Antonio in favor of a one-year deal from Sacramento. The Dragons' offer featured a $5 million bonus and $1 million salary. The CFL Player's Association was furious with him for doing so, as his inevitable designation as a franchise player next year will almost certainly depress the free agent running back market. Pundits have been questioning Fulton's "thinking" about his decision, as he will almost certainly never be able to make as much money in Sacramento as he had on the table from San Antonio. A curious story, indeed.

[timmynausea]

You can add DE Casy Bousquet signing with Durham to the major free agent signings. I went for him but didn't have enough cap space to match Durham's offer.

[fantastic flying froggies]

so timmy can be #3 now...

[Fonzie]

You can add DE Casy Bousquet signing with Durham to the major free agent signings. I went for him but didn't have enough cap space to match Durham's offer.

Yeah, I'd say that was a major deal!

DE Casey Bousquet - Bousquet spent the last three seasons with Charleston, but defected to league rival Durham when offered a 2-year, $25 million contract which included a $12.5 million bonus! The 12-year veteran is third in CFL history with 63.5 sacks, and holds the records for highest PRPct (9.1%) and most hurries (215). He's great against the run as well, and gives Durham's already solid defense an instant improvement.

[Taco]

Welcome to Durham, Casey!!! Just let Motormouth do the talking, and you do your thing on the field...

[JeeberD]

You can add DE Casy Bousquet signing with Durham to the major free agent signings. I went for him but didn't have enough cap space to match Durham's offer.

I wanted him as well, but after suffering through cap for for three years I didn't want to blow my wad on him.

I think I've been upgrading my defense nicely without him. :)

[Fonzie]

I didn't want to blow my wad on him.

Where is the Quote Of The Moment when we need it?

[Fonzie]

Free agency has now moved through stages 7-8, and we see two additions and one subtraction to Your Beloved Toros.

Added:

DE Ryan Talley - Talley is a former 7th round pick from Santa Cruz who spent the last two years with Long Beach. The 6th-year pro never saw much playing time, and as a result he's still fairly raw. He does have good potential as a situational pass rusher (30/63 in PRT, 70 in PRS), but will never be an every-down player (0 in Run D). Another bonus: he has a Strong Affinity with Buster Trujillo. Talley likely won't see a lot of playing time, but we hope to develop him into a useful spare part.

S Waylon Ellsworth - We were fortunate to land this 14-year pro, who was pursued by at least one other team. He's an ideal fit for the scheme we run (esp. in M2M coverage, where he's rated a 76), and is a ballhawk to boot (Interceptions rated at 66). He can't play the run worth a damn, but he'll be an excellent nickel/dime back for us.

Subtraction:

TE Ramon Sheehy - It was just a matter of time before he left, as I was only willing to offer him the veteran's minimum salary to stay. Oregon landed him with a $1.38 million bonus offer. Ramon was our longtime starter and mentored his eventual replacement, Anthony Torres. He'll be missed, but I'm glad he's going somewhere that will give him more playing time than we could've offered.

With these roster additions we now have 54 players under contract, with a few other possible free agent additions and four draft picks still in the works. We'll certainly have some decisions to make come cut-down time.

[Doug5984]

so timmy can be #3 now...


Does this mean I'm reader # 4?


Man o man- my Fulton fiasco is becoming legendary :(

[JeeberD]

Added:

S Waylon Ellsworth - We were fortunate to land this 14-year pro, who was pursued by at least one other team. He's an ideal fit for the scheme we run (esp. in M2M coverage, where he's rated a 76), and is a ballhawk to boot (Interceptions rated at 66). He can't play the run worth a damn, but he'll be an excellent nickel/dime back for us.


bastard :mad:

[Fonzie]

Does this mean I'm reader # 4?


Man o man- my Fulton fiasco is becoming legendary :(

Yes on both counts. :)

[Fonzie]

bastard :mad:

Sorry Jeebs. I'd be happy to trade him to you - for the right price. :)

[fantastic flying froggies]

bastard :mad:

What are you bitching about?

You got yourself a nice rookie safety there!

[JeeberD]

Yeah, you can't have too much depth, though... ;)

[Fonzie]

I'm a lot less optimistic about this spare part, but what the heck:

CB Ted Sinclair - Ted is a former Boise 2nd round pick who never developed. He still has some potential in M2M coverage and is a good ballhawk (54/63 in interceptions). He'll sit at the bottom of our depth chart, and will likely have to battle for one of our last roster spots.

C Steven Odum signed with Fargo. Adios, Steve!

[timmynausea]

I'm a lot less optimistic about this spare part, but what the heck:

CB Ted Sinclair - Ted is a former Boise 2nd round pick who never developed. He still has some potential in M2M coverage and is a good ballhawk (54/63 in interceptions). He'll sit at the bottom of our depth chart, and will likely have to battle for one of our last roster spots.

C Steven Odum signed with Fargo. Adios, Steve!


I remember that guy. I had a really terrible draft that year. I had 3 second round picks and two of them ended up being awful. G Kendall Kenderdine has turned out pretty decent, though.

[Fonzie]

I remember that guy. I had a really terrible draft that year. I had 3 second round picks and two of them ended up being awful. G Kendall Kenderdine has turned out pretty decent, though.

I'm always happy to take other teams' scraps. :)

[JeeberD]

I'm always happy to take other teams' scraps. :)

You should see how many scraps I picked up this morning...

[Fonzie]

We have traded away several of our picks for this year, leaving us with only four lower-round picks: 4.28, 5.21, 5.28 and 7.28. Unfortunately, this draft is probably the deepest in terms of top-end talent that the CFL has ever seen, especially with quarterbacks. So trading out of the top few rounds this year hurt my efforts to possibly land a long-term replacement for Hogan.

But the lack of high picks this year won't stop me from trading up to get a guy I want, which is exactly what I just did. I traded this year's 4.28, along with my 3rd rounder next year and my 2nd rounder in 2012 to Albany for their 2.7 pick this year. With that pick I selected QB Kent Goodwin, whose 21/54 consensus rating is nothing to drool over. However, he was a combine monster (47 Solecismic, 18 reps and a 7.30 agility) and has a relatively high volatility (80), making him a decent bet to break out. I have to hope he does, because I just gave up a fair amount to get an otherwise average backup QB. It is a gamble to be sure, but one I felt comfortable making. *crosses fingers*

[timmynausea]

I also tried to trade up to 2.7 to get Goodwin. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, back in Awesome school, Fonzie and I used to finish each other's

[Fonzie]

I also tried to trade up to 2.7 to get Goodwin. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, back in Awesome school, Fonzie and I used to finish each other's

...pudding.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who saw some value in Goodwin. At least that way when he busts I can say that you were just as much of an idiot as me. :)

[flere-imsaho]

Goodwin looked good to me as well, but I'm set at QB.

[Doug5984]

I was suprised when Goodwin fell out of the first round. If I didn't already have a starter at QB and some solid backups I would have gone after him. I think he'll turn out to be a solid starter.

[Fonzie]

Many thanks for the reassurances, fellas. I'm hopeful that he'll work out. If he doesn't I'll send each of you one of his appendages.

[Fonzie]

Our risky move to get 2nd round QB Kent Goodwin appears like it might pay off. He's now on our roster, and our coaching staff thinks Goodwin already has more potential than was generally thought heading into the draft. His potential has risen from 54 to 58. While this is certainly no guarantee that he'll be the next Ronnie Tu, it is a promising start.

w00t

[Fonzie]

Because we're already at 56 players and getting up against our cap, I've decided to make a few moves to clear some space.

We traded our 5.28 pick this year to Fargo for their 5th rounder in 2012, and we traded our backup QB Daryl Cassidy to Denver for their 5th rounder in 2011.

Cassidy at that price is a decent value, but I needed to make room for Goodwin. I still think Cassidy will develop past his current potential with some decent playing time, but that's not likely to happen in Denver. They've already got 2-time CFL Bowl MVP Marcus Garibaldi under center, who is only a 6-year vet and unlikely to go anywhere soon.

Sorry Daryl!

[MrBug708]

Good Luck with the team Fonzie...:)

[Raven Hawk]

And here with all the QB's in the Draft this year, I thought I could have nabbed Goodwin at the end of the second round. However, the value of QB Carlton Burgess was too great to pass on at 2.3. Goodwin was the guy I had targeted. It will be interesting to see how all these QB's pan out over the seasons. Burgess will be holding the clipboard for a couple of seasons before he sees the field. One of the reasons I was OK going with a less developed guy is that Hartman is only in his 8th season.

[Fonzie]

Good Luck with the team Fonzie...:)

Adios Bug! I'm bummed to see a long-time rival leave, but you must do what you think is best. (For those of you not avidly reading the CFL forums, MrBug has recently resigned from the league).

[Fonzie]

And here with all the QB's in the Draft this year, I thought I could have nabbed Goodwin at the end of the second round. However, the value of QB Carlton Burgess was too great to pass on at 2.3. Goodwin was the guy I had targeted. It will be interesting to see how all these QB's pan out over the seasons. Burgess will be holding the clipboard for a couple of seasons before he sees the field. One of the reasons I was OK going with a less developed guy is that Hartman is only in his 8th season.

I harbored a brief, and clearly delusional, fantasy that with all of those QBs floating around in the draft pool that Goodwin might somehow slip into my hands in the 4th round. Ha!

This year may end up being the 1983 QB Draft of the CFL. Wells, Keading, Palmer, and (I suspect) Burgess will all turn into very good quarterbacks.

But they won't be as good as Goodwin. :)

[MrBug708]

Adios Bug! I'm bummed to see a long-time rival leave, but you must do what you think is best. (For those of you not avidly reading the CFL forums, MrBug has recently resigned from the league).

Eh, some of the owners seemed to have a personal vendetta against me. That's their business I guess. My version of fun vastly differs from theres. I do hope Tu makes his recovery as I think he has another good run in him.

[Fonzie]

Eh, some of the owners seemed to have a personal vendetta against me. That's their business I guess. My version of fun vastly differs from theres. I do hope Tu makes his recovery as I think he has another good run in him.

Oh, and FYI - TurfToe and I have both rejected your offer to resign, meaning that a majority of the Ring of Fire owners (condors still hasn't voted) have decided that you'll stay on the job.

Get back to work, Bug! :)

[Fonzie]

After all the wheeling and dealing was completed, we were left with just two other picks in this draft: 5.21, and 7.28. Here's what we got with those picks:

5.21: TE Colin Chandler - this Mississippi State product appears to be an excellent blocking prospect, with some more modest skills in the pasing game. He'll be able to contribute immediately on special teams too. Initial evaluation: 27/47

7.28: G Joel DeVries - DeVries hails from Tulsa, and looks to be a strong run blocker who will be just average or so in the passing game. Blocking strength is a concern. Initial evaluation: 17/46.

So, between these two and Stanford grad Kent Goodwin we went all-offense in the draft this year.

Next up: booms/busts analyses!

[condors]

Oh, and FYI - TurfToe and I have both rejected your offer to resign, meaning that a majority of the Ring of Fire owners (condors still hasn't voted) have decided that you'll stay on the job.

Get back to work, Bug! :)

i vote to stay! i enjoy all the owners in ring of fire

[TurfToe]

Many thanks for the reassurances, fellas. I'm hopeful that he'll work out. If he doesn't I'll send each of you one of his appendages.

Autographed by Ah Yat of course.

I just wanted to add my 2¢:

Goodwin ain't no Burgess and both of them ain't no Palmer. Rowdy Roddy will be terrorizing the ROF in a few years...or he'll fall flat on his face. I haven't decided which yet. What I do know is that there's no replacing the 'Wants Winner: 100' and the 'Two-Minute Offense' ability of the declining Olsen. Ah, memories.

BTW, I had to come over and figure out my FOFC password before I am politically exorcised from the CFL. I am an FOFC'er once again.

I'm rambling again, aren't I?

w00t - Go Rounders!

I got two 1st rounders and Fonzie didn't get one...cuz he's on welfare...he's gonna lose twice to Jackpot...and he's gonna like it...

I hope Goodwin is ready sooner rather than later as I just issued Zachery, Ah Yat, and Weaver some new shoes sent by Shreveport's RavenHawk. They are all right-footed of course but they say "The Colonel is my biatch" on each and everyone of them. They're going to murderlize him, like all serious and stuff, with snot bubbles, grass in the helmet...I know, rambling again - good night.

[Fonzie]

Autographed by Ah Yat of course.

I just wanted to add my 2¢:

Goodwin ain't no Burgess and both of them ain't no Palmer. Rowdy Roddy will be terrorizing the ROF in a few years...or he'll fall flat on his face. I haven't decided which yet. What I do know is that there's no replacing the 'Wants Winner: 100' and the 'Two-Minute Offense' ability of the declining Olsen. Ah, memories.

BTW, I had to come over and figure out my FOFC password before I am politically exorcised from the CFL. I am an FOFC'er once again.

I'm rambling again, aren't I?

w00t - Go Rounders!

I got two 1st rounders and Fonzie didn't get one...cuz he's on welfare...he's gonna lose twice to Jackpot...and he's gonna like it...

I hope Goodwin is ready sooner rather than later as I just issued Zachery, Ah Yat, and Weaver some new shoes sent by Shreveport's RavenHawk. They are all right-footed of course but they say "The Colonel is my biatch" on each and everyone of them. They're going to murderlize him, like all serious and stuff, with snot bubbles, grass in the helmet...I know, rambling again - good night.

http://www.freewebs.com/matt3454/rabbit_pancake.jpg

[Fonzie]

We've moved on to the late FA, which means we get our first glimpse at possible booms and busts. We only have three draft picks this year, and so the chances of us landing either is remote. My biggest hope was for Goodwin to boom, but neither he, nor our other two picks, boomed. Fortunately, nobody busted either.

This year's big winner in the boom/bust lottery was thater's Albany Crows. They had not one, not two, but three picks boom, including 4th round pick QB Quentin Larrabee, who went from an 8/59 prospect to 17/76. And just FYI, Albany also got the biggest boom in last year's draft, 3th round pick Archie Chasser, who is now a 62/73 RB.

Thater must be livin' right. Sheesh.

[flere-imsaho]

We hate Thater. :)

[Fonzie]

MrBug, in a somewhat controversial move, has resigned from the CFL. His ownership has transferred to SkyDog, who has already renamed the team. This new Honolulu squad name is "Bloodthirsty Beagles." Think Snoopy and you'll get where he's coming from. The team name was suggested by a fellow RoF'er, TurfToe. Good job, TT!

[Fonzie]

SkyDog didn't wait long to make his mark on his new team! He just traded his 2011 2nd round pick to the New Orleans Raging Horde for QB Randolph Kranz. Kranz is a 16-year veteran with a solid resume. My scouts think he can still get it done (75/78), and he'll be the replacement for still-recovering Ronnie Tu. A 2nd rounder might not seem like much for a very talented QB, but New Orleans will benefit by having $7.2 million in cap space wiped clean.

My take: this is a shrewd move by SkyDog, but Kranz likely will only be able to help them the Beagles this year and, if he's lucky, next. He'll still need to acquire a long-term starter (assuming Tu doesn't return to form). Side note: why do the EFC teams keep trading their top QB talent into the Ring of Fire? First Detroit trades Matthias to Arizona and now New Orleans trades Kranz to Honolulu. What's next, is Charleston going to trade Landon Hurst to Las Vegas? Sheesh.

Memo to the EFC: keep your damn quarterbacks to yourself and leave my division alone, okay? It's tough enough to win over here without y'all meddling with the distribution of QB talent.

[Fonzie]

We hate Thater. :)

Yes. Yes we do.

[fantastic flying froggies]

We hate Thater. :)

Actually, I think I envy him more than I hate him...

[Fonzie]

Actually, I think I envy him more than I hate him...

Why choose? We can both hate and envy him!

[flere-imsaho]

Isn't Tu getting up there in age anyway? My point being that Honolulu's going to need to get more long-term @ QB in 1-2 seasons anyway....

[Fonzie]

Isn't Tu getting up there in age anyway? My point being that Honolulu's going to need to get more long-term @ QB in 1-2 seasons anyway....

Yup - he's in his 13th year, so Honolulu would need a long-term answer at QB no matter what.

[A-Husker-4-Life]

What's next, is Charleston going to trade Landon Hurst to Las Vegas? Sheesh.


I never see that happening anytime soon BTW, Hurst is going to retire a Monitor not a flaming Las Vegan...

[Fonzie]

I never see that happening anytime soon BTW, Hurst is going to retire a Monitor not a flaming Las Vegan...

Thank you for doing your part to keep the RoF free of EFC quarterback litter.

[Fonzie]

We added quite a few undrafted free agents to the roster after the draft, and went into Training Camp with a full 70 player squad. I tweaked the training camp schedule a wee bit to get our new QB Kent Goodwin more playbook study time, but otherwise left the rest of it alone.

Important players we'll be keeping an eye on in camp:

QB Goodwin - He's going to be the player everyone keeps an eye on during camp - things have looked good for him since the draft (+4 future potential), and we're hopeful that we'll continue to see good things from him. His draft evaluation put him as a 21/54 player. He's now 21/58, and we're hoping for another nice bump.

QB Artie Wenke - Artie is one of those guys who just keeps getting better despite my constant neglect. He has shown improvement at every single developlment opportunity, growing from a 11/45 undrafted rookie FA to a 24/52 4th-year pro. He and Goodwin will be battling for the backup spot in camp.

C Casey Reeves - We're putting a lot of our O-line eggs in this guy's basket, as we've handed him the starting job the moment we traded for him. He's a 41/61 player, and he'll need to be a bit better than that to keep Hogan upright. Hopefully he'll have a good camp and develop rapidly (mentor C Hart should help there).

TE Colin Chandler - Our 5th round pick shows some promise (27/48) and we've had good luck developing TEs. We hope he'll continue that tradition.

FS Mike Mirer - Last year's 1st round pick will need to improve substantially if he is to unseat Kenneth Hartung. He still shows great promise and we think he'll be our long-term solution at free safety, but he might not get there this year.

LB Joseph Watford - Our scouts somehow noticed that Watford seemed to be aging a bit after the draft - which is curious, as Watford was nowhere near the team's facilities at the time they made their assessments. Regardless, they were able to determine that he's slowing down, and they dropped their rating of him from 75/80 to 67/72. Hopefully his slide will stop there, but I'm bracing for the worst.

[Fonzie]

Some players made substantial gains during training camp, although I was disappointed to see that almost all of our rookie free agents turned out to be duds. Some key results:

QB Kent Goodwin - I think we're onto something with this kid. He had a great camp and our scouts now rate him as a 25/62 player. That's a total of +4/+8 since the draft. He also picked up a new formation, and now knows a total of 13. I'm very happy.

QB Artie Weinke - Not to be outdone, Weinke improved +3 to a 27/53 player and also learned a new formation (he knows 13 as well). It'll be interesting to see him and Goodwin duke it out in the exhibition season.

C Casey Reeves - Reeves did everything we asked of him in camp and picked up 4 current points to be a 45/61 rated center. He's one of the few starters we'll consider trotting out there in the preseason, just to get him the game experience. Hart should continue to help his development, and we're optimistic that he'll realize his full potential by the end of the regular season.

TE Colin Chandler - Chandler also looks promising. His solid camp (+4/+1) leaves him rated as a 31/49 tight end. That's pretty good, but he'll end up stuck as our #3. I'm optimistic about his future.

FS Mike Mirer - Mike did about all he could in camp (+5 to current ratings), but he'll still come up short in the battle with Hartung. He's now 39/66, but he still needs to work on playing the run and some types of coverage.

LB Joseph Watford - No further deterioration from Watford. That's good.

Summary: I'm happy with our progress in camp. I'm especially thrilled with Goodwin - he looks to be our long-term solution when Hogan retires. Reeves also made critical progress, and none of our veterans suffered any substantial deterioration during camp. Good stuff.

[Fonzie]

Exhibition season has begun (yawn), and so this seems a good time to review our roster. Many of the players listed below are meat shields, and will clearly not make it past the final roster cutdowns.

Quarterback
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Hogan, Milan "Colonel" 4 QB 12 65 69 3 yrs
Weinke, Artie 9 QB 4 27 53 3 yrs
Ramsey, Luke 17 QB 1 8 30 2 yrs
Goodwin, Kent 19 QB 1 25 62 4 yrs


Hogan is back for his 12th year, and his skills have not yet begun to diminish. That's a good sign, as we'll need everything he's got to make it back to the postseason. We'll also need him to stay healthy, which he was mostly able to do last year (except for that whole missing the playoffs thing - that was a downer).

Goodwin and Weinke will be battling for the backup spot, but my money is on Goodwin. They're both green, and Weinke is more experienced, but I'm guessing the rookie wants to prove that he's the true heir to Hogan's dynasty. However, if either of them see significant playing time during the season we'll likely be out of the running right quick. Ramsey is meat.

Next up: running backs.

[Fonzie]

Running Backs
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Bradley, Daryl 22 RB 7 55 55 3 yrs
Robbins, Grant 30 RB 3 30 42 3 yrs
Sweeney, Terrance 39 RB 1 18 28 2 yrs
Holliday, Drew 42 RB 5 61 65 1 yr.
Brown, Antonio 23 FB 5 28 35 2 yrs
Jeffries, Corwin 26 FB 5 52 52 5 yrs

Drew Holliday is The Man. In just four seasons he is already in 15th place in CFL history for rushing yards and in 4th place for rushing TDs. He's in the last year of his contract and his demands are pretty reasonable, so he'll get an extension later in the season provided he stays healthy. Daryl "The Secret Weapon" Bradley returns for his 7th year, and with him comes the peace-of-mind that can only be provided by having two starting-quality running backs on the roster. He's also a superb punt returner, and he's dirt cheap. I turned down a multi-pick trade in the offseason (including a 1st & 2nd) for him (although I did have some second thoughts on that). Robbins remains a servicable 3rd-stringer. Sweeney is meat.

Corwin Jeffries returns as our starting FB, and is both a good lead blocker and a great pass catcher out of the backfield. Brown is our position leader, but may well get the axe as nobody likes him and our new QB of the future hates him.

Next up: receivers.

[Fonzie]

Receivers
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Torres, Anthony 82 TE 4 72 72 2 yrs
Chandler, Colin 83 TE 1 31 49 3 yrs
Joyner, Marlon 84 TE 4 50 54 3 yrs
Beattie, Brandon 86 TE 1 22 37 2 yrs
Housley, Freddie 11 FL 5 36 41 2 yrs
Hodges, Courtney 81 FL 3 30 44 2 yrs
Garcia, Brent 85 FL 3 36 46 2 yrs
Armitage, Sydney 89 FL 10 58 64 2 yrs
Higginbotham, Demetrius 80 SE 8 44 44 3 yrs
Ramirez, Mack 88 SE 6 35 41 3 yrs

Our offseason change in the scouting department allowed us to get a better read on our receivers, and nowhere was that clarity more noticable than in the evaluation of TE Anthony Torres. He was already highly regarded by our previous scout (rated 66/66), but our new scout apparently thinks Torres is even better than that. Not bad for a late 4th rounder. Joyner is his backup, and at 50/54 I'd say he was a great undrafted free agent pickup. Chandler is the most recent addition to the TE corps, and also looks to have a promising future. He won't see the field much this year, except perhaps on special teams.

Armitage and Higginbotham return as our starters, although our new scout slightly downgraded our ratings of both of them. I still expect them to produce at a high level, and have especially high expectations for Armitage now that he's had a year in our system. I'll be disappointed if he doesn't at least top 900 yards (read between those lines, Sydney!). Playing opposite of Armitage, Higginbotham caught an amazing 68% of the balls thrown his way last year for a 14.5 average - pretty damn good for a player our scouts think has limited talent. He's also our positional leader and a WR mentor.

Our backup receivers are all fairly comparable in terms of overall assessments, but each has somewhat differing skill sets. Garcia is a bit of a busted 1st round pick, but has decent punt (51/57) and kickoff (28/36) return skills, so he'll stick around. Hodges was an offseason pickup, and was brought in primarily for his kickoff return skills (57/64) and his 3rd down receiving abilities (61/75). Housley and Ramirez might be fighting for our final receiver slot. Housley crushed Ramirez in their battle during the last exhibition season, but then fell flat during the regular season. Housley is a good 3rd-down receiver, but Ramirez has better hands and Route Running abilities. This should be a good preseason battle (again).

Next up: offensive line.

[Fonzie]

Offensive Line
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Hart, Kenneth 53 C 9 38 38 1 yr.
Reeves, Casey 54 C 3 45 61 1 yr.
Buckley, Luther 59 C 3 39 49 2 yrs
Poplawski, Ross 60 LG 3 61 62 3 yrs
Eaddy, Richard 61 RG 10 47 47 1 yr.
Connell, Kelvin 64 RG 4 55 60 2 yrs
DeVries, Joel 77 RG 1 20 45 3 yrs
Lyle, Stan 65 LT 4 37 44 3 yrs
Puente, Rob 69 LT 2 25 42 1 yr.
Franck, Chris 71 LT 14 47 49 1 yr.
Pitman, Matthew 63 RT 6 71 71 5 yrs
Stott, Clement 67 RT 11 16 21 2 yrs


Only one of last year's starters didn't return, and that exit was by design. Steven Odum left for greener pastures in Fargo, and that was alright with me since he was getting old and nobody liked him as a positional leader. We replaced him with young Casey Reeves, who had a solid camp and will be our starter. He's not fully developed yet, so he's the one starter who will be playing in the preseason games. Buckley remains a viable backup and is an especially good run blocker (52/70). Hart was brought on board to mentor both Buckley and Reeves.

Poplawski and Connell return as our starting guards, and Eaddy will continue on in his role as primary backup and mentor. Connell had a great year in 2009, but Poplawski was riddled with injuries and never really got going. We'll need him to come into his own this year, as I doubt we'll be able to coax another great performance out of Eaddy in his place again (he made 14 of 38 KRBs with just a 0.7 sack %). DeVries was our 7th round pick this year, and may end up not sucking. We hear there's a technical institute named in his honor. Good for him.

Our situation at tackle is both good and bad. It is bad in that our starting LT is rated as a fairly average player, and he's also in his 14th season. He could fall apart at any moment, and the depth behind him isn't very...deep. However, the depth that is present will be very good with time. Both Puente and Lyle have shown the potential for growth beyond our current scout expectations, so we may already have Franck's long-term replacement on hand. I just hope we don't need to replace him this year. Pitman is awesome, but is the only true RT on the roster. Clement Stott was brought in solely to be our positional leader.

Next up: the specialists.

[Fonzie]

Specialists
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Winters, Edward 15 P 3 70 70 3 yrs
Castorena, Rubin 13 K 9 66 66 3 yrs


Winters blossomed nicely last year on the heels of his offseason boom. His development made our other boom punter Mark Gilmore expendable. Winters' average improved substantially to ~42 last year, and he's good at nailing the coffin corner kicks. Should be a good one for a while.

Castorena's troubles were well documented last year, and only a string of several good games to end the season saved his job. He'll be on a short leash from here on out - if he struggles again this year, he'll be replaced next offseason. He's got a great leg, but only seems to show it on field goals. His kickoffs are historically subpar, and have almost no hang time. An upgrade here would be nice.

[Fonzie]

Defensive Line
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Smith, Carl 73 LDE 9 48 49 2 yrs
Grier, Howie 75 LDE 7 56 59 2 yrs
Bernard, Ted 72 RDE 6 42 42 1 yr.
Talley, Ryan 79 RDE 6 26 34 2 yrs
Crane, Lance 94 RDE 4 24 25 2 yrs
Horn, Albert 97 RDE 6 43 48 2 yrs
Cochrane, Bennie 74 LDT 2 33 46 3 yrs
Stansell, Henry 96 LDT 7 47 50 3 yrs
Neubauer, Kenneth 70 RDT 8 55 59 4 yrs
Dennis, Marvin 76 RDT 3 28 41 1 yr.
Stoltzfus, Harold 95 RDT 8 92 93 1 yr.


On one end of our D-line we have 7-year veteran Howie Grier. Howie was a 1st round choice for us and has done very well for himself. He's a great run stopper, and last year topped double-digits in sacks for the first time in his career. He's never missed a game due to injury. On the other side we'll be rotating a few players, including Ted Bernard and Albert Horn. Bernard is more of a run-stuffer, and Horn is better rushing the passer. Carl Smith is a versatile backup who could start if called upon, and Ryan Talley was brought in to be a pass rush project (he won't see much PT this year). Poor Lance Crane was once one of our best defensive linemen, but an injury left his knee ligaments about as functional as a bowl of boiling spaghetti. He'll likely be cut.

In the middle we have The Monster , Harold Stoltzfus. Not much more need be said about him - he's a great all-around DT with no holes in his game (except a slight injury history - but none serious). Pairing with him to clog the running lanes is Kenneth Neubauer, who is also great against the run. His performance dropped off a bit last year after signing his fat contract, and then he screwed up his shoulder and missed the playoffs. We'll need him in peak condition this year, and it would be nice if he actually played up to his contract, dammit. Stansell is a wonderful backup who could start for many teams, and Cochrane is last year's still-developing 2nd round pick (a bust in the making, I fear). Dennis was brought in last year to replace Neubauer, and has some potential as a run stuffer. He'll have a tough time making our final roster, though.

Next up: linebackers.

[Fonzie]

Linebackers
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Denehey, Scottie 50 MLB 1 18 34 2 yrs
Wash, Grant 52 MLB 13 63 63 1 yr.
Jarrard, Josh 90 MLB 8 45 50 3 yrs
Trujillo, Buster 55 SLB 9 62 66 3 yrs
Brkich, Jackie 56 SLB 3 26 37 1 yr.
Watford, Joseph 58 SLB 10 67 72 3 yrs
King, Jerry 93 SLB 10 54 61 3 yrs
Richardson, Cornell 98 WLB 2 26 40 3 yrs


All of our starters from last year return, and boy are they getting old. Most significant was the aging process of SLB Joseph Watford, whose scout evaluations dropped by about 10% in the offseason. He's still a very good 'backer, but we won't be able to count on him like we have in the past. Grant Wash has also been in a slow decline over the last few seasons, but should continue to be good enough over the middle. Trujillo, our positional leader, will likely grab the weak-side spot, with King providing a versatile backup to all three positions. Jarrard provides some solid depth, Richardson is a long-term project, and Denehey is a meat shield.

Next up: the secondary.

[Fonzie]

Secondary
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Sinclair, Ted 24 LCB 4 25 39 3 yrs
Biggs, Keven 40 LCB 10 66 74 2 yrs
Bennett, Kyle 45 LCB 2 17 46 1 yr.
Minahan, Ray 25 RCB 6 58 58 2 yrs
Rosenberry, Jeremy 37 RCB 10 45 52 2 yrs
Ellsworth, Waylon 27 SS 14 41 41 2 yrs
Enoch, Mitchel 31 SS 10 76 83 3 yrs
Mason, Austin 21 FS 1 20 31 2 yrs
Hartung, Kenneth 32 FS 10 55 55 1 yr.
Mirer, Mike 33 FS 2 39 66 3 yrs


We'll be returning Biggs and Rosenberry to their positions out on the islands, and hopefully they'll manage to stay healthy this year (they missed a combined six games last year - and an amazing twenty-five the year before). Minahan is our elite nickel back, a guy who could start for many teams - and he's a nice security blanket in case either starter gets hurt. Bennett is a long-term project, and Sinclair is on the roster for depth.

Mitchel Enoch is our dependable quarterback in the secondary, missing just 2 games in the last 3 years. He's grabbed 9 INTs in the last three years, and has racked up 100+ tackles each year in that period as well. His partner in center field will be Kenneth Hartung, who is keeping the FS position warm for last year's 1st round pick, Mike Mirer. Ellsworth was brought in to be a dimeback, and Austin Mason is on the roster to be a kick returner. He'll need to be really good to make the final roster.

That concludes our tour of the Toros 2010 training camp roster (complete with roster hopefuls). I believe our team is stronger this year, but I don't know that it'll be enough to successfully defend our division title. Arizona looks to be improved, Las Vegas is always dangerous, and Honolulu is no longer the doormat we all expected. Unfortunately, we need to wait another week and a half before the regular season starts, and so we won't know how good we really are for some time. At least we'll get some exhibition results tomorrow, so my appetite for football will be mildly whetted soon.

[flere-imsaho]

:)

[Fonzie]

Today we have our first exhibition game, which is exciting only because it will be our first chance to see Kent Goodwin play in a real game. Goodwin is set to be our starter, so I hope he gets lots of PT. I'll be keeping an eye on a few other players as well, most notably our new center Casey Reeves. I'd like to see both fellas demonstrate some improvement.

Enough words. On to the "action":

Box Score: Tucson at Boston
Boston, MA.

Exhibition Week 2, 2010

Attendance: 68,700 (99,900).


Weather: 53 degrees, fair.

1Q: 07:11 NED - Michael Garcia 5 run.
1Q: 07:11 NED - Bo Kitchings extra point.
2Q: 05:02 TUC - Freddie Housley 14 pass from Artie Weinke.
2Q: 05:02 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
2Q: 00:38 TUC - Rubin Castorena 20 field goal.
3Q: 03:48 TUC - Rubin Castorena 55 field goal.
4Q: 01:23 NED - Luther Horner 8 pass from Ernie Blair.
4Q: 01:23 NED - Bo Kitchings extra point.

Game MVP: NED 19 Ernie Blair

Tucson 0 10 3 0 - 13
Boston 7 0 0 7 - 14

Team Statistics TUC NED

First Downs 17 14

Total Rushes 42 20
Rushing Yards 154 90
Yards Per Carry 3.6 4.5
Pass Attempts 27 31
Completions 18 22
Passing Yards 175 192
Yards Per Attempt 6.4 6.1
Sacked 0 3
Yards Lost 0 23
Interceptions 1 1
Fumbles/Lost 1/0 0/0

Total Plays 69 54
Total Yards 329 259
Yards Per Play 4.7 4.7

3rd Down Plays 7/16 4/11
Avg. YTG on 3rd 6.4 6.1
4th Down Plays 0/1 0/0

Penalties 8 4
Penalty Yards 55 35

Avg. Drive Start OWN 28 OWN 24
Time Of Possession 33:19 26:41

Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
30 Robbins 24 78 3.2 8 0
23 Brown 10 34 3.4 7 0
26 Jeffries 7 34 4.8 13 0
9 Weinke 1 8 8.0 8 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
9 Weinke 21 14 134 6.3 19 1 1 0
19 Goodwin 6 4 41 6.8 13 0 0 0

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
88 Ramirez 6 59 9.8 22 16 0
84 Joyner 3 39 13.0 11 19 0
23 Brown 2 4 2.0 4 3 0
11 Housley 2 33 16.5 6 19 1
85 Garcia 2 10 5.0 0 9 0
30 Robbins 1 10 10.0 9 10 0
81 Hodges 1 9 9.0 0 9 0
83 Chandler 1 11 11.0 0 11 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
85 Garcia 1 2 2.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
37 Rosenberry 1 14 14.0 0
21 Mason 1 22 22.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 6 254 42.3 59 4

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 2 2 55 1 1

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
37 Rosenberry 8 1 0.0 0 0 0
96 Stansell 5 1 2.0 0 0 0
27 Ellsworth 5 1 0.0 0 0 0
90 Jarrard 3 1 0.0 1 11 0
72 Bernard 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
93 King 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
97 Horn 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
56 Brkich 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
32 Hartung 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
76 Dennis 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
33 Mirer 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
73 Smith 1 1 1.0 0 0 0
98 Richardson 1 5 0.0 0 0 0
21 Mason 1 2 0.0 0 0 0
45 Bennett 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
80 Higginbotham 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
88 Ramirez 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
25 Minahan 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
26 Jeffries 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
11 Housley 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
54 Reeves 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
50 Denehey 1 0 0.0 0 0 0


Well, that was a bit of a disappointment.

We lost the game by a point, not that anybody cares. More frustrating was the extraordinarily quick hook the coach had on Goodwin, who was playing decently when he got pulled. Weinke came in and did a good job, but unfortunately neither player appeared to improve as a result of this game. Reeves did show some improvement, however, so this week's Exercise In Injury Avoidance (i.e., exhibition game) wasn't a complete waste.

Our biggest preseason positional battle will be at wide receiver, where Ramirez, Housley, and Hodges are fighting for our last two slots. Ramirez and Housley did well today. Hodges was slotted as our primary kick returner, but somehow didn't return any kicks. In fact, one of our starting cornerbacks who is not listed on our return depth chart got a kickoff return. Whatever. So Hodges remains an unknown commodity, for now.

Oh, and our punter looked good. That's nice.

[Fonzie]

Our next opponent is Tampa Bay, whom I expect will field a squad of backups. Backups vs. backups: catch the preseason fever!

Box Score: Tampa Bay at Tucson
Tucson, AZ.

Exhibition Week 3, 2010

Attendance: 67,100 (69,800).


Weather: 108 degrees, fair.

2Q: 07:05 TBY - Artie Randle 1 run.
2Q: 07:05 TBY - Felton Cooper extra point.
2Q: 01:25 TUC - Freddie Housley 40 pass from Kent Goodwin.
2Q: 01:25 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
3Q: 09:15 TBY - Felton Cooper 32 field goal.
4Q: 13:12 TUC - Grant Robbins 2 run.
4Q: 13:12 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.

Game MVP: TUC 30 Grant Robbins

Tampa Bay 0 7 3 0 - 10
Tucson 0 7 0 7 - 14

Team Statistics TBY TUC

First Downs 13 17

Total Rushes 22 39
Rushing Yards 79 179
Yards Per Carry 3.5 4.5
Pass Attempts 32 19
Completions 19 13
Passing Yards 152 137
Yards Per Attempt 4.7 7.2
Sacked 3 0
Yards Lost 18 0
Interceptions 0 1
Fumbles/Lost 1/1 0/0

Total Plays 57 58
Total Yards 213 316
Yards Per Play 3.7 5.4

3rd Down Plays 7/15 7/14
Avg. YTG on 3rd 8.2 6.3
4th Down Plays 0/0 0/0

Penalties 4 10
Penalty Yards 33 68

Avg. Drive Start OWN 27 OWN 29
Time Of Possession 27:51 32:09


Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
30 Robbins 26 133 5.1 22 1
26 Jeffries 7 22 3.1 11 0
43 Jenkins 4 24 6.0 14 0
4 Hogan 1 -1 -1.0 -1 0
11 Housley 1 1 1.0 1 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
19 Goodwin 14 10 115 8.2 40 1 1 0
9 Weinke 5 3 22 4.4 11 0 0 0

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
43 Jenkins 3 7 2.3 11 4 0
84 Joyner 3 25 8.3 23 14 0
11 Housley 2 56 28.0 9 40 1
30 Robbins 2 26 13.0 16 17 0
83 Chandler 2 21 10.5 11 11 0
22 Bradley 1 2 2.0 5 2 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
24 Sinclair 1 2 2.0 0
85 Garcia 1 2 2.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
81 Hodges 2 63 31.5 0
37 Rosenberry 1 17 17.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 4 153 38.2 47 0

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 0 2 0 2 2

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
33 Mirer 5 2 0.0 0 0 0
96 Stansell 4 1 1.0 0 0 0
27 Ellsworth 4 3 0.0 0 0 0
90 Jarrard 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
56 Brkich 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
45 Bennett 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
93 King 4 0 0.0 0 0 0
98 Richardson 4 0 0.0 0 0 0
37 Rosenberry 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
79 Talley 2 1 1.0 0 0 0
50 Denehey 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
72 Bernard 1 0 1.0 0 0 0
73 Smith 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
21 Mason 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
53 Hart 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
32 Hartung 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
25 Minahan 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
11 Housley 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
83 Chandler 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
74 Cochrane 0 1 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
59 Buckley 0 0 0 0 3 0
69 Puente 0 0 0 0 3 0
53 Hart 0 0 0 0 2 0
65 Lyle 0 0 0 0 2 0
67 Stott 0 0 0 0 1 0
37 Rosenberry 0 1 0 0 0 0
43 Jenkins 0 0 0 0 1 0
54 Reeves 0 0 0 0 1 0
98 Richardson 0 0 1 0 0 0

That's more like it.

Goodwin got some substantial playing time, and acquitted himself well. Our personnel squad thinks he's improving (26/62). That's good. Weinke, on the other hand, hasn't shown much improvement over the two preseason games (still 27/53). That's bad.

While this match was played against the Torpedoes' backups, it is worth noting that Grant Robbins had the best game of his professional career. That won't get him anywhere with Holliday and Bradley above him on the depth chart, but it will cement him as our #3 RB.

A final note: we finally got to see Hodges in action, and he showed us a very mixed picture of his abilities. He got the start at SE today and had the ball thrown his way just twice. He came away with no catches and one drop. On the other hand, he returned two kickoffs for a 31.5 yd average. We'll need to see more from this kid to make a final determination, but my initial inclination is to keep him around for his kickoff return abilities (which was a weakness of our team last year).

Oh, and we won the game. Good job, fellas!

[Fonzie]

Santa Cruz quite unexpectedly cut their backup QB Vince Paz. This was unexpected because Paz is a mentor and Santa Cruz has two young QBs who could've used his services (most notably 4th round boom Quentin Larrabee). A bit of a head-scratcher, especially considering that mentors can justifiably be traded for draft picks (one owner wanted a 2nd rounder from me for their mentor - which I refused to pay).

We opted to pounce on him and offered him a large bonus anticipating that other teams would try to sign him. Fortunately, nobody else even made a bid for his services. Unfortunately, that means we needlessly paid an extra $1.3 million in bonus for him. Oh well, at least Goodwin will now be able to improve even while sitting on the bench this year, and that's worth the expense to me.

[fantastic flying froggies]

Just for info, current going rate for QB mentors seems to be a 4th round pick.
So you got yourself quite a steal with Paz, I think. I must admit he flew completely under my rader...

[Fonzie]

Our next preseason opponent is none other than the most talented team in the CFL (according to the in-game roster evaluation): the Hartford Attack. We play at their place, and I fully expect to lose. The main reason why I expect to lose? Their backup QB, Don Martinez is currently better (57/57) than our backup QB Kent Goodwin (26/62). I expect they'll both be starting today, and when you consider that everybody else on the playing field will be a 2nd- or 3rd-teamer, this game is going to come down to the QBs.

Not that anybody cares about the outcome. I just want to see my players develop.

Box Score: Tucson at Hartford
Hartford, CT.

Exhibition Week 4, 2010

Attendance: 74,400 (76,100).


Weather: 81 degrees, rain.

1Q: 13:22 HAR - Deion Weaver 34 interception return.
1Q: 13:22 HAR - Rod Farmer extra point.
1Q: 04:35 HAR - Will Lincoln 2 run.
1Q: 04:35 HAR - Rod Farmer extra point.
2Q: 07:47 HAR - Rod Farmer 35 field goal.
3Q: 10:31 HAR - Edwin Stoltenberg 12 pass from Don Martinez.
3Q: 10:31 HAR - Rod Farmer extra point.
3Q: 05:54 TUC - Marvin Dennis 62 fumble return.
3Q: 05:54 TUC - Corwin Jeffries run for conversion failed.
4Q: 07:33 TUC - Rubin Castorena 25 field goal.

Game MVP: HAR 8 Don Martinez

Tucson 0 0 6 3 - 9
Hartford 14 3 7 0 - 24

Team Statistics TUC HAR

First Downs 11 27

Total Rushes 24 35
Rushing Yards 90 140
Yards Per Carry 3.7 4.0
Pass Attempts 26 41
Completions 13 26
Passing Yards 133 274
Yards Per Attempt 5.1 6.6
Sacked 3 1
Yards Lost 25 4
Interceptions 1 0
Fumbles/Lost 1/0 2/2

Total Plays 53 77
Total Yards 198 410
Yards Per Play 3.7 5.3

3rd Down Plays 3/13 7/13
Avg. YTG on 3rd 9.4 5.5
4th Down Plays 0/1 0/0

Penalties 9 2
Penalty Yards 49 20

Avg. Drive Start OWN 24 OWN 27
Time Of Possession 23:37 36:23

Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
30 Robbins 15 48 3.2 8 0
43 Jenkins 4 15 3.7 5 0
26 Jeffries 2 9 4.5 6 0
9 Weinke 1 5 5.0 5 0
85 Garcia 1 2 2.0 2 0
19 Goodwin 1 11 11.0 11 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
19 Goodwin 19 10 92 4.8 15 0 1 2
9 Weinke 7 3 41 5.8 16 0 0 1

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
88 Ramirez 4 58 14.5 4 16 0
11 Housley 2 19 9.5 6 15 0
81 Hodges 2 19 9.5 0 12 0
83 Chandler 2 12 6.0 5 7 0
43 Jenkins 1 13 13.0 14 13 0
30 Robbins 1 8 8.0 7 8 0
85 Garcia 1 4 4.0 1 4 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
24 Sinclair 1 5 5.0 0
85 Garcia 1 14 14.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
37 Rosenberry 3 48 16.0 0
81 Hodges 1 24 24.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 7 266 38.0 58 1

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 1 1 25 0 0

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
74 Cochrane 6 1 0.5 0 0 0
56 Brkich 6 1 0.0 0 0 0
79 Talley 5 2 0.5 0 0 0
76 Dennis 5 4 0.0 0 0 0
32 Hartung 5 2 0.0 0 0 0
33 Mirer 5 1 0.0 0 0 0
27 Ellsworth 5 0 0.0 0 0 0
50 Denehey 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
21 Mason 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
93 King 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
73 Smith 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
90 Jarrard 2 4 0.0 0 0 0
98 Richardson 2 2 0.0 0 0 0
24 Sinclair 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
42 Holliday 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
70 Neubauer 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
37 Rosenberry 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
25 Minahan 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
43 Jenkins 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
11 Housley 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
59 Buckley 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
45 Bennett 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
83 Chandler 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
72 Bernard 0 1 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
77 DeVries 0 0 1 0 2 0
59 Buckley 0 0 0 0 1 1
54 Reeves 0 0 0 0 1 1
79 Talley 0 1 1 0 0 0
76 Dennis 0 0 1 1 0 0
67 Stott 0 0 0 0 0 1
65 Lyle 0 0 0 0 1 0
98 Richardson 0 1 0 0 0 0
19 Goodwin 1 0 0 0 0 0


That was certainly a forgettable effort - we lost in just about every measurable aspect of this game (except, amazingly, turnovers). Of course, I couldn't care less about the outcome - all I want to see is development. We got some of that today, with Goodwin improving to 27/62. Weinke still hasn't budged from his 27/53 evaluation, which is a bit surprising given that he's gotten some decent playing time this preseason. Goodwin certainly is in the driver's seat for the backup QB job.

A few other players have shown some slight improvements. The most notable players to show improvement today include our backup C Luther Buckley, who is now rated 40/49, and backup safety Mike Mirer, now rated 40/66.

An observation from the last few games: I've not been able to get my preferred kick returners much experience in that role, as one of my backup CBs (Rosenberry) is inexplicably getting the bulk of the return opportunities. This is inexplicable because: 1) he is not listed as a kickoff returner on the depth chart; and 2) he has a "0" for kickoff return skill. I hate that shit - if I want a guy to return kicks, why can't I have him return kicks? And if I DON'T want a guy to return kicks, why can't I stop him from doing so? *grumble*

We suffered two injuries of note in this game. We lost backup TE Marlon Joyner for 5 weeks with a separated shoulder, and safety Waylon Ellsworth is now doubtful with a hyperextended knee. He should be back in 3 weeks. Last week Daryl Bradley suffered a sprained neck, and is probable for the next 2 weeks.

Our final preseason game is at home vs. Durham. And then we (finally) begin the regular season.

[Fonzie]

Finally. The last damned exhibition game. Versus Durham.

Let's get this over with.

Box Score: Durham at Tucson
Tucson, AZ.

Exhibition Week 5, 2010

Attendance: 67,100 (69,800).


Weather: 86 degrees, fair.

2Q: 12:05 DUR - Victor Hoke 44 field goal.
2Q: 00:23 DUR - Leonard Schroeder 2 run.
2Q: 00:23 DUR - Victor Hoke extra point.
3Q: 08:13 DUR - Victor Hoke 32 field goal.
4Q: 01:37 TUC - Brent Garcia 12 pass from Vince Paz.
4Q: 01:37 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.

Game MVP: DUR 88 Chris Rodham

Durham 0 10 3 0 - 13
Tucson 0 0 0 7 - 7

Team Statistics DUR TUC

First Downs 18 15

Total Rushes 36 35
Rushing Yards 138 152
Yards Per Carry 3.8 4.3
Pass Attempts 32 22
Completions 23 9
Passing Yards 227 90
Yards Per Attempt 7.0 4.0
Sacked 1 0
Yards Lost 6 0
Interceptions 1 1
Fumbles/Lost 3/2 0/0

Total Plays 69 57
Total Yards 359 242
Yards Per Play 5.2 4.2

3rd Down Plays 6/17 2/11
Avg. YTG on 3rd 6.6 7.8
4th Down Plays 0/0 0/1

Penalties 7 6
Penalty Yards 50 37

Avg. Drive Start OWN 30 OWN 25
Time Of Possession 35:37 24:23

Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
30 Robbins 22 105 4.7 24 0
43 Jenkins 7 24 3.4 7 0
26 Jeffries 5 19 3.8 8 0
10 Paz 1 4 4.0 4 0

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
10 Paz 10 5 47 4.7 15 1 1 0
19 Goodwin 8 3 33 4.1 18 0 0 0
9 Weinke 3 1 10 3.3 10 0 0 0
15 Winters 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
88 Ramirez 3 41 13.6 4 18 0
43 Jenkins 3 22 7.3 26 11 0
80 Higginbotham 1 10 10.0 1 10 0
42 Holliday 1 5 5.0 4 5 0
85 Garcia 1 12 12.0 0 12 1

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
37 Rosenberry 1 10 10.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
37 Rosenberry 2 36 18.0 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 8 292 36.5 51 5

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 0 0 0 1 1

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
90 Jarrard 6 0 0.0 0 0 0
21 Mason 6 0 0.0 0 0 0
73 Smith 5 0 0.0 0 0 0
76 Dennis 5 0 0.0 0 0 0
98 Richardson 4 4 0.0 0 0 0
32 Hartung 4 3 0.0 0 0 0
33 Mirer 4 0 0.0 0 0 0
79 Talley 3 0 1.0 0 0 0
50 Denehey 3 3 0.0 0 0 0
56 Brkich 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
37 Rosenberry 3 1 0.0 0 0 0
74 Cochrane 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
70 Neubauer 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
93 King 2 0 0.0 1 0 0
24 Sinclair 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
26 Jeffries 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
45 Bennett 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
80 Higginbotham 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
42 Holliday 1 0 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
54 Reeves 0 0 0 0 4 0
69 Puente 0 0 0 0 3 0
59 Buckley 0 0 0 0 2 0
77 DeVries 0 0 0 0 2 0
90 Jarrard 0 1 0 0 0 0
79 Talley 0 0 1 0 0 0
43 Jenkins 0 0 0 0 1 0
24 Sinclair 0 1 0 0 0 0
50 Denehey 0 0 1 0 0 0
21 Mason 0 1 0 0 0 0

And so it finally ends. Our last exhibition game was yet another tight "thriller." Our run game looked pretty good today, and Grant Robbins has had a solid overall exhibition season. He was already locked in as our #3 RB, but it is good to know that he has the capacity for decent production. Kent Goodwin was pulled inexplicably early in this one, but still managed to improve slightly (28/62 overall now). His backup, Artie Weinke, wasn't in the game long before he was knocked out with a strained patellar tendon. His injury isn't serious, but gives us an opportunity to place him on the IR and save a roster spot. I'll have to think about that one. Still, Weinke yet again failed to demonstrate any improvement in his game (still 27/53). Thus, Goodwin has clearly cemented his status as Hogan's backup. Weinke will either be #3 or on IR.

There were a few other minor injuries, but nothing to worry about.

Bah. Enough talking. Time to move on to the roster cuts and play some games that matter.

[Fonzie]

The final roster is set. The last two or so cuts were extremely difficult, but I think we've got a solid groups of players here.

Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
##Hogan, Milan "Colonel"4 QB 12 65 69 3 yrs
Paz, Vince 10 QB 8 28 36 1 yr.
**Weinke, Artie 9 QB 4 27 53 3 yrs
Goodwin, Kent 19 QB QB 1 28 62 4 yrs
##Bradley, Daryl 22 RB 7 55 55 3 yrs
Holliday, Drew 42 RB 5 61 65 1 yr.
Robbins, Grant 30 RB RB 3 31 42 3 yrs
Jenkins, O.J. 43 FB FB 5 32 36 1 yr.
Jeffries, Corwin 26 FB 5 52 52 5 yrs
##Torres, Anthony 82 TE 4 72 72 2 yrs
**Joyner, Marlon 84 TE 4 51 54 3 yrs
Chandler, Colin 83 TE TE 1 32 49 3 yrs
##Armitage, Sydney 89 FL 10 58 64 2 yrs
Hodges, Courtney 81 FL FL 3 31 44 2 yrs
Garcia, Brent 85 FL 3 38 46 2 yrs
Higginbotham, Demetrius 80 SE 8 44 44 3 yrs
Ramirez, Mack 88 SE SE 6 35 41 3 yrs
Hart, Kenneth 53 C 9 38 38 1 yr.
Reeves, Casey 54 C C 3 46 61 1 yr.
Buckley, Luther 59 C LG 3 40 49 2 yrs
Poplawski, Ross 60 LG 3 62 62 3 yrs
##Eaddy, Richard 61 RG 10 47 47 1 yr.
Connell, Kelvin 64 RG 4 55 60 2 yrs
DeVries, Joel 77 RG RG 1 20 45 3 yrs
Franck, Chris 71 LT 14 47 49 1 yr.
Lyle, Stan 65 LT LT 4 38 44 3 yrs
Puente, Rob 69 LT RT 2 27 42 1 yr.
**Stott, Clement 67 RT 11 16 21 2 yrs
##Pitman, Matthew 63 RT 6 71 71 5 yrs
Winters, Edward 15 P 3 70 70 3 yrs
Castorena, Rubin 13 K 9 66 66 3 yrs
Smith, Carl 73 LDE LDE 9 48 49 2 yrs
##Grier, Howie 75 LDE 7 56 59 2 yrs
Bernard, Ted 72 RDE 6 42 42 1 yr.
Talley, Ryan 79 RDE RDE 6 26 34 2 yrs
Horn, Albert 97 RDE 6 44 48 2 yrs
##Stansell, Henry 96 LDT 7 47 50 3 yrs
Cochrane, Bennie 74 LDT LDT 2 34 46 3 yrs
Neubauer, Kenneth 70 RDT 8 55 59 4 yrs
##Stoltzfus, Harold 95 RDT 8 92 93 1 yr.
Wash, Grant 52 MLB 13 63 63 1 yr.
Jarrard, Josh 90 MLB 8 46 50 3 yrs
Trujillo, Buster 55 SLB 9 62 66 3 yrs
King, Jerry 93 SLB 10 54 61 3 yrs
##Watford, Joseph 58 SLB 10 67 72 3 yrs
Brkich, Jackie 56 SLB SLB 3 27 37 1 yr.
##Biggs, Keven 40 LCB 10 66 74 2 yrs
Sinclair, Ted 24 LCB LCB 4 26 39 3 yrs
Bennett, Kyle 45 LCB RCB 2 18 46 1 yr.
Rosenberry, Jeremy 37 RCB 10 45 52 2 yrs
Minahan, Ray 25 RCB 6 58 58 2 yrs
##Enoch, Mitchel 31 SS 10 76 83 3 yrs
##Ellsworth, Waylon 27 SS 14 41 41 2 yrs
Hartung, Kenneth 32 FS 10 55 55 1 yr.
Mirer, Mike 33 FS FS 2 41 66 3 yrs


I decided to IR Artie Weinke so as to save a roster spot. He wasn't likely to see much playing time behind Goodwin this year anyway.

As for the other positions, I feel pretty comfortable with our talent. I don't think we have any huge holes in this team (yet - I'm sure injuries will create some). I'd still like to secure better long-term prospects at LT, ILB and perhaps DE, but we've got enough at those positions to get by.

Our first regular season game is against Las Vegas, coming up next.

[Fonzie]

Our first regular season tilt is a tough draw: arch-rival Las Vegas. They've got a very talented team up and down the roster, and are led by 13-year veteran QB Lenny "Jackpot" Olsen. Lenny has been slowed a bit by injuries over the last two years, but I have a feeling that he has one more big year in him. With the improvement to the Roudners roster over the last two years they are poised to make a run this year. I fully expect the division battle to boil down to them and us, and so a win at home against them is crucial.

Box Score: Las Vegas at Tucson
Tucson, AZ.

Week 1, 2010

Attendance: 67,100 (69,800).


Weather: 69 degrees, fair.

1Q: 07:00 TUC - Anthony Torres 11 pass from Milan "Colonel" Hogan.
1Q: 07:00 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
2Q: 14:04 LVS - Felix Savoy 18 field goal.
2Q: 07:02 LVS - Anthony Jennings 4 run.
2Q: 07:02 LVS - Felix Savoy extra point.
2Q: 00:30 TUC - Drew Holliday 1 run.
2Q: 00:30 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
3Q: 08:11 TUC - Rubin Castorena 30 field goal.
3Q: 03:18 TUC - Demetrius Higginbotham 12 pass from Milan "Colonel" Hogan.
3Q: 03:18 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
4Q: 14:15 LVS - Anthony Jennings 3 run.
4Q: 14:15 LVS - Felix Savoy extra point.
4Q: 09:59 TUC - Rubin Castorena 34 field goal.
4Q: 07:01 LVS - Felix Savoy 47 field goal.
4Q: 00:10 LVS - Anthony Jennings 1 pass from Luke Alston.
4Q: 00:10 LVS - Felix Savoy extra point.
OT: 09:54 TUC - Daryl Bradley 5 run.

Game MVP: TUC 4 Milan "Colonel" Hogan

Las Vegas 0 10 0 17 0 - 27
Tucson 7 7 10 3 6 - 33

Team Statistics LVS TUC

First Downs 17 30

Total Rushes 24 41
Rushing Yards 86 180
Yards Per Carry 3.5 4.3
Pass Attempts 35 34
Completions 17 26
Passing Yards 207 325
Yards Per Attempt 5.9 9.5
Sacked 1 1
Yards Lost 6 6
Interceptions 0 1
Fumbles/Lost 2/1 1/1

Total Plays 60 76
Total Yards 287 499
Yards Per Play 4.7 6.5

3rd Down Plays 4/12 5/11
Avg. YTG on 3rd 7.4 7.5
4th Down Plays 0/0 0/0

Penalties 4 9
Penalty Yards 30 74

Avg. Drive Start OWN 36 OWN 24
Time Of Possession 24:16 40:50

Tucson Individual Statistics

Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
42 Holliday 32 148 4.6 19 1
22 Bradley 9 32 3.5 6 1

Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
4 Hogan 34 26 325 9.5 47 2 1 1

Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
80 Higginbotham 6 125 20.8 6 47 1
89 Armitage 6 86 14.3 13 21 0
22 Bradley 5 26 5.2 20 7 0
26 Jeffries 2 13 6.5 18 7 0
81 Hodges 2 31 15.5 3 18 0
83 Chandler 2 19 9.5 7 12 0
42 Holliday 1 2 2.0 0 2 0
82 Torres 1 11 11.0 1 11 1
85 Garcia 1 12 12.0 2 12 0

Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
22 Bradley 1 5 5.0 0

Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
81 Hodges 4 73 18.2 0

Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 4 156 39.0 45 1

Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 2 2 34 3 3

Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
31 Enoch 6 2 0.0 0 0 0
75 Grier 4 1 1.0 0 0 0
58 Watford 4 2 0.0 0 0 0
25 Minahan 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
52 Wash 4 0 0.0 0 0 0
93 King 4 0 0.0 0 0 0
33 Mirer 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
70 Neubauer 2 3 0.0 0 0 0
37 Rosenberry 2 2 0.0 0 0 0
55 Trujillo 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
40 Biggs 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
95 Stoltzfus 1 3 0.0 0 0 0
73 Smith 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
90 Jarrard 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
22 Bradley 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
97 Horn 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
42 Holliday 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
82 Torres 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
81 Hodges 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
54 Reeves 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
72 Bernard 0 1 0.0 0 0 0

Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
64 Connell 0 0 0 0 6 1
71 Franck 0 0 0 0 5 0
54 Reeves 0 0 0 0 4 0
26 Jeffries 0 0 0 0 2 0
60 Poplawski 0 0 0 0 2 0
93 King 0 1 0 0 0 0
75 Grier 0 1 0 0 0 0
63 Pitman 0 0 0 0 1 0
42 Holliday 1 0 0 0 0 0
33 Mirer 0 0 1 0 0 0


Holy crap.

What an insane game. We dominated the Rounders statistically, but key turnovers deep in our territory allowed them to hang with us. A miraculous 17-point 4th quarter allowed Vegas to send the game into overtime, and when they returned the opening OT kickoff to their 42 I thought we had lost the game for certain. Fortunately, on their very first play in OT this happened:

1-10-LVS42 (14:54) LVS 14 Alston pass completed to 12 Barrett for 3 yards.
Tackled by TUC 93 King.
Ball was fumbled and recovered by TUC 33 Mirer for 0 yards to the LVS45.


We recovered, marched down the field and Bradley ran in the winning TD. Turnovers played a HUGE role in this game (as they often do), and unfortunately for Vegas their only turnover of the day cost them the game.

You may have noticed that Vegas' quarterback was not named "Olsen" in the above-snippet, but rather "Alston." This is because Olsen was knocked out of the game in the 4th quarter. Alston came on and led them to 10 more points to tie the game. Vegas might be okay with him starting, but I suspect it would be in their best long-term interests to start their rookie 1st round pick Roderick Palmer from here on out. They'd lose a lot, but they'd be in great shape for next year.

Oh, and having Palmer ready for next year might be important because of the nature of Olsen's injury: a torn ACL. He'll be out for at least 5 months. One has to wonder if such a serious injury, at his advanced age (35) might spell the end of his storied career. If so, it is sad to see yet another of the illustrious RoF quarterbacks doomed because of a knee injury. First Ronnie Tu. Then (perhaps) Lenny Olsen. Who's next?

Hogan was almost next, as he appeared to dodge a bullet in today's game:

2-11-LVS22 (09:33) TUC 4 Hogan pass completed to 22 Bradley for 5 yards.
Tackled by LVS 55 Saxon.
TUC 4 Hogan was injured on the play.


Fortunately, this message was immediately followed by:

He should be able to remain in the game

In fact, this appeared to be such a minor injury that our trainers didn't even note it after the game. But, for an excruciatingly long second while watching the game in 3ric's viewer, I thought our season was over.

Hogan, in fact, had a terrific day in throwing for over 300 yards for the first time in a year and a half. The interception was costly, though. His receivers were also outstanding, with Higginbotham having his best performance since 2007 and Armitage setting a new career high (as a Toro) with 86 yards receiving. Our other main offensive stud was Drew Holliday, but he also had a very costly turnover. I must say that I admire his tenacity, though, as he even snuck onto the field for special teams to cover a kickoff (and got a tackle, to boot).

Our defense did a great job of bending but not breaking, especially considering the awkward positions our offense put them in. They did great against both the run and the pass. The only downside was that our starting free safety, Kenneth Hartung, got hurt (yet again - he missed 5 games last year). He'll be out three weeks.

Our next game: a road match vs. the always-tough New York Knights.