March 29, 2008
Los Angeles, CA - The Los Angeles Stars acquire OL Mathias Vavao, QB Rohan Davey and WR Chris Jackson in exchange for QB Cade McNown and future considerations. "It's a great feeling coming to Ottawa," said McNown. "I'm looking forward to being in a place where we have an opportunity to win some ball games. I'm happy to have a new team, a new city and a new start."
XFL Week 7: This Game Had Everything
March 31, 2008
Chicago, IL - In one of the most entertaining games of the season, fans were treated to a variety of big plays and four lead changes. The game's first eight minutes featured two successful on-side kicks by Chicago, a field goal and a 49-yard interception return for a touchdown by Desperados DL Remi Ayodele. His interception of Enforcers' QB Joey Harrington came on the first play after Chicago had caught Dallas by surprise with its first on-side kick and gave the Desperados a 7-3 lead. After punting on their next possession, the Enforcers forced the Desperados into a punt of their own and Chicago WR Luther Leverson returned it 70 yards to the Dallas 16-yard line. Harrington hit WR David Terrell for 15 yards on first down and RB Noah Herron punched it in from there for a 1-yard touchdown to give the Enforcers a 10-7 lead. Chicago followed the touchdown with its second on-side kick of the first quarter and took possession at its own 48-yard line. The drive stalled, however, when Harrington threw incomplete on a fourth-down attempt and Dallas took over at its 45. The Desperados moved into field goal range on QB Tim Rattay's 20-yard completion to WR Bobby Sippio. After three straight running plays, K Ryan Killeen capped a 6-play, 29-yard drive with a 44-yard field goal to tie the game at 10. Both offenses were explosive in the second quarter as Chicago moved the ball 80 yards for the go-ahead touchdown-a 1-yard run by Herron and 83 yards for a 20-yard FG. Dallas answered with touchdown drives of 70 and 71 yards. The first score came on a 7-yard pass from Rattay to WR MarTay Jenkins and the second on an 8-yard connection from Rattay to TE Bobby Blizzard, giving Dallas a 24-20 halftime lead.
Dallas used its momentum on the opening possession of the second half, taking the kickoff and driving 68 yards in 13 plays for a 26-yard field goal. The Desperados' inability to turn a 1st-and-goal situation into a touchdown was costly. Chicago's defense responded by forcing three punts and two turnovers on Dallas' remaining five possessions. The Enforcers tied the game at 27-27 on the first play of the fourth quarter when Harrington found WR David Givens for a 5-yard touchdown to cap an 11-play, 67-yard drive. Dallas appeared to be moving into position for a go-ahead score midway through the fourth quarter, as Rattay converted a clutch 3rd-and-9 play to Blizzard for 28 yards to the Chicago 40-yard line. Three plays later, on 3rd-and-3, Rattay tried to find Blizzard again but Chicago DB Brent Grimes jumped the route to intercept the pass and returned it 58 yards to the Desperados' 8-yard line. From there, Herron took over with runs of 5 yards, 2 yards and ultimately 1 yard for the score, and the 34-27 lead that would hold up over the final three minutes.
Desperados' head coach Jerry Glanville said, "I think the Enforcers are a different team with Joey Harrington in the lineup. They do a lot of good things. Their running game has been playing better and it was a tough game. We knew that it would be tough coming in."
-- (2-3)Desperados 27 - 34 Enforcers(3-2)
(DAL): QB Rattay - 20/27 235 yards, 2 TDs, RB Cloud - 12 carries, 80 yards, 1 TD, WR Burks - 6 catches, 77 yards, 1 TD, WR Sippio - 6 catches, 61 yards
(CHI): QB Harrington - 14/20 155 yards, 1 TD, RB Herron - 20 carries, 67 yards, 3 TDs, WR Martin - 4 catches, 60 yards
-- (2-3)Commanders 27 - 20 Aztecs(3-2)
(SA): QB Bishop - 13/17 227 yards, 1 TD, RB Fuamatu-Mu'afala - 19 carries, 67 yards, 1 TD, WR Woods - 4 catches, 109 yards, WR Johnson - 5 catches, 85 yards, 1 TD
(MEX): QB Gray - 16/28 174 yards, 2 TDs, 13 carries, 91 yards, RB Nash - 11 carries, 31 yards, WR Nash - 4 catches, 83 yards, 1 TD
-- (5-0)Bandits 27 - 30 Express(1-4)
(TB): QB Hamdan - 13/17 264 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, RB Cobourne - 19 carries, 99 yards, WR Caldwell - 2 catches, 59 yards, WR Edwards - 2 catches, 57 yards
(MEM): QB McPherson - 13/23 202 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, RB Canidate - 30 carries, 116 yards, 1 TD, WR Calico - 3 catches, 132 yards, 1 TD
-- (4-2)Mountain Lions 34 - 18 Force(1-4)
(SLC): QB O'Sullivan - 23/27 302 yards, 3 TDs, RB Croom - 6 carries, 16 yards, WR Mitchell - 6 catches, 76 yards, 2 TDs, WR Warren - 5 catches, 94 yards, TE Johnson - 4 catches, 87 yards, 1 TD
(OTT): QB Nall - 15/27 202 yards, RB Redmond - 13 carries, 99 yards, RB Toefield - 22 carries, 99 yards, 2 TDs, WR Morgan - 7 catches, 92 yards, 2 TDs, WR Watts - 4 catches, 87 yards
XFL Week 7: Omaha Too Tough in Second Half
April 3, 2008
Omaha, NE - Mammoths RB Ron Dayne rushed for three touchdowns and the defense limited Los Angeles to 13 points en route to a win on Sunday night. Dayne scored the first three touchdowns of the game for the Mammoths all on short yardage plunges as the defending champions built a 24-13 lead midway through the third quarter. Omaha K A.J. Haglund drilled a 21-yard field goal as time expired in the first quarter giving the Mammoths 3-0 lead. Following a 14-yard scoring pass from QB Ryan Dinwiddie to WR Jeremaine Copeland that gave the Stars a 13-10 lead early in the second quarter, the Mammoths used a 21-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to build a 31-13 lead and held on for the win.
-- (2-4)Stars 13 - 31 Mammoths(3-2)
(LA): QB Dinwiddie - 20/32 221 yards, 1 INT, RB Barlow - 23 carries, 68 yards, WR Copeland - 6 catches, 86 yards
(OMA): QB Banks - 13/18 131 yards, 1 TD, RB Dayne - 30 carries, 101 yards, 3 TDs, WR Hatchette - 7 catches, 52 yards, WR Jones - 4 catches, 73 yards, 1 TD
-- (1-4)Rage 13 - 10 Roughnecks(3-3)
(ORL): QB Weinke - 10/23 148 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, RB Smith - 15 carries, 81 yards, WR Gabriel - 4 catches, 70 yards, WR Taylor - 4 catches, 57 yards
(OKC): QB Huard - 14/24 119 yards, RB Simonton - 17 carries, 55 yards, WR Looker - 4 catches, 38 yards
-- (2-3)Valor 17 - 9 Steel(3-2)
(DC): QB Hill - 21/28 188 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, RB Suggs - 13 carries, 30 yards, 1 TD, WR Gardner - 4 catches, 40 yards, 1 TD
(BIRM): QB Carter - 13/21 112 yards, 1 INT, RB Keaton - 26 carries, 107 yards, WR Lucas - 6 catches, 62 yards
XFL Week 7: Ghosts Lose to Guardians
April 4, 2008
New York, NY - Ghosts WR Lance Moore snagged two touchdown passes in New York and DB Abraham Elimimian returned an interception 42 yards for a touchdown, but it was not enough, as the Ghosts lost to the Guardians, 29-25. New York marched down the field on its opening drive, highlighted by a pair of QB Chris Redman passes to WR Yatil Green, including a 29 yard bomb to convert a 3rd and 15 situation. Green and Redman connected again on the following play on a three yard strike, allowing New York to take an early lead.
Down 19-14 to open up the second half, the Guardians rallied with the defense once again setting the tone, harassing QB Joe Germaine in the backfield, forcing three straight incompletions and turning the ball back over to the offense after stopping the Ghosts on downs. Redman and the Guardians responded, capping a seven-play drive with a touchdown to WR Troy Walters. Redman would hook up with WR Zuriel Smith in the early fourth quarter, with the Guardians quarterback capping a quick and efficient six play drive with a nine-yard touchdown pass to the wide receiver. With the game now out of reach, the Ghosts nonetheless kept fighting, with Germaine tossing a strike to WR Lance Moore in the waning seconds of the fourth period.
"I have a week to make some evaluations and see what I can do to help improve this football team. But here's what we're not going to do. We're not going to get on an emotional rollercoaster. Right now, our Achilles heal is the turnovers," said Ghost head coach Marc Trestman. "We have continuity on special teams and defense, but we don't have that on offense. We're playing out of sync. We have to keep improving out protection, but every team we played this year has protection problems. We're not the only ones, and we're not going to make excuses."
-- (6-0)Ghosts 25 - 29 Guardians(2-3)
(COL): QB Germaine - 24/37 213 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs, RB Clarett - 21 carries, 86 yards, WR Moore - 6 catches, 87 yards, 2 TDs
(NY): QB Redman - 23/36 225 yards, 2 TDs, RB Scobey - 13 carries, 90 yards, WR Green - 5 catches, 90 yards, 1 TD
Stars and Bandits Make Exchange
April 5, 2008
Los Angeles, CA - The Los Angeles Stars acquire QB Shaun King in exchange for RB Mike Cloud and QB Rohan Davey from the Tampa Bay Bandits. "This is a big day for the Los Angeles Stars," said Stars head coach Rick Neuheisel. "Shaun is a great player and we are thrilled to have him in Los Angeles. He wants to be here as much as we want him here. He is the kind of player that makes us better in all phases of the game and he will mix very well with the veteran guys we have."
"Rohan Davey and Mike Cloud will bring us depth at key areas," Bandits head coach Steve Spurrier said. "It is important this time of year to stock up where you can and make a push toward the postseason. We look for each of those guys to step in and contribute to that effort."
