Post by rkb on Apr 12, 2008 16:52:28 GMT -5
www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=271560&pub=1&div=Sports
MudCats' road show takes northeast route to one-win Baltimore
4/12/2008 6:17:14 AM
Daily Journal
BY JOHN L. PITTS
Daily Journal
The unbeaten Mississippi MudCats are on the road again tonight, facing perhaps their biggest test of the young season at the Baltimore Mariners.
The game kicks off at 6 p.m. CDT, at the end of a 900-mile bus ride for the 3-0 MudCats.
Mariners coach Chris Simpson, whose team is off to a 1-3 start, knows how long that ride can be. He was the coach of the Baltimore Blackbirds team that visited BancorpSouth Arena last season and left on the wrong end of an 80-20 thrashing.
"It's a long ride ...and it's a lot longer after you lose by 60," Simpson said this week.
"I thought we played pretty well in the first half last year, but against a team with an offense as potent as Mississippi's, the game just got away from us," Simpson said.
Simpson shook up his team on the offensive side this week, trading starting quarterback Dixie Wooten (50 percent, 6 TDs, 3 INTs), to Carolina for veteran indoor kicker Bruce Rienecker. The Mariners were 0-for-11 on field goal attempts in their first four games.
The MudCats aren't having any problems scoring. They lead the American Indoor Football Association in passing and total offense, averaging 72.3 points a game.
"Their quarterback, Tommy Jones, has great command of their offense and they can score from anywhere on the field," Simpson said. "And they've got a good defense that really gets a lot off pressure up front to help their secondary. Add to all that, their kicker and special teams have been deadly."
While the MudCats also lead the league in scoring defense (27.7), Baltimore has held three of its four foes under 36 points and ranks third in total defense, giving up just 132 yards a game.
The MudCats' offense, by comparison, is averaging 259 yards a game.
"This looks like it will be the best team we've played so far," MudCats coach Briant Brents said. "We're also expecting this will be the biggest and most hostile crowd we've faced. We're looking forward to it."
Last weekend, Brents' team tackled its first road game of the season and won 63-22 against the Florida Stingrays.
The MudCats open a three-game homestand next Saturday night against Carolina.
Appeared originally in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 4/12/2008, section D , page 5
Good to hear some quotes from the opposition. This Should be a good game!
MudCats' road show takes northeast route to one-win Baltimore
4/12/2008 6:17:14 AM
Daily Journal
BY JOHN L. PITTS
Daily Journal
The unbeaten Mississippi MudCats are on the road again tonight, facing perhaps their biggest test of the young season at the Baltimore Mariners.
The game kicks off at 6 p.m. CDT, at the end of a 900-mile bus ride for the 3-0 MudCats.
Mariners coach Chris Simpson, whose team is off to a 1-3 start, knows how long that ride can be. He was the coach of the Baltimore Blackbirds team that visited BancorpSouth Arena last season and left on the wrong end of an 80-20 thrashing.
"It's a long ride ...and it's a lot longer after you lose by 60," Simpson said this week.
"I thought we played pretty well in the first half last year, but against a team with an offense as potent as Mississippi's, the game just got away from us," Simpson said.
Simpson shook up his team on the offensive side this week, trading starting quarterback Dixie Wooten (50 percent, 6 TDs, 3 INTs), to Carolina for veteran indoor kicker Bruce Rienecker. The Mariners were 0-for-11 on field goal attempts in their first four games.
The MudCats aren't having any problems scoring. They lead the American Indoor Football Association in passing and total offense, averaging 72.3 points a game.
"Their quarterback, Tommy Jones, has great command of their offense and they can score from anywhere on the field," Simpson said. "And they've got a good defense that really gets a lot off pressure up front to help their secondary. Add to all that, their kicker and special teams have been deadly."
While the MudCats also lead the league in scoring defense (27.7), Baltimore has held three of its four foes under 36 points and ranks third in total defense, giving up just 132 yards a game.
The MudCats' offense, by comparison, is averaging 259 yards a game.
"This looks like it will be the best team we've played so far," MudCats coach Briant Brents said. "We're also expecting this will be the biggest and most hostile crowd we've faced. We're looking forward to it."
Last weekend, Brents' team tackled its first road game of the season and won 63-22 against the Florida Stingrays.
The MudCats open a three-game homestand next Saturday night against Carolina.
Appeared originally in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 4/12/2008, section D , page 5
Good to hear some quotes from the opposition. This Should be a good game!
