Post by AZ Adrenaline Junkie on Jun 8, 2008 12:49:24 GMT -5
West gets wilder with Arizona loss
Special to the Courier
Saturday, June 07, 2008
RIO RANCHO, N.M. - The wild, wild west just got wilder.
After the Adrenaline won last week in Wyoming, and New Mexico fell to previously winless Utah, Saturday's game in Rio Rancho seemed like a given.
However, New Mexico made the big plays down the stretch, scored 22 points in the fourth period and upset the Adrenaline 42-38 in front of about 3,000 fans in New Mexico.
After a defensive battle in the first half, New Mexico's rookie quarterback, B.J. Hall, gave the Wildcats a 20-16 lead when he scampered in from 12 yards out early in the third period.
That's when the Adrenaline turned to recently-acquired Ronnie Simpson, who had played against the Adrenaline while in a New Mexico uniform four times this season. Simpson made his presence felt immediately with a 20-yard run that gave the Adrenaline a 22-20 lead. A Robert Jones one-yard plunge early in the fourth period extended the margin to 28-20 but that was the last lead the Adrenaline (8-3) would enjoy.
Hall connected on long touchdown passes to Lawrence Pullen and Clarence Davis to give New Mexico a 36-28 lead with 6:44 remaining in the game.
The Adrenaline did tie the game when Simpson ran in from two yards out and then plunged in for the two-point conversion to tie the game at 36-36 with 1:39 left. But once again, it was Hall making things happen.
The athletic quarterback from Troy University rolled out and hit Pullen in the end zone with 19 seconds remaining to make the score 42-36. But the fun wasn't over.
The Adrenaline recovered a fumble on the two-point conversion attempt and linebacker Chris Whitaker pitched the ball to Paitaka Miyahara who ran it in for a two-point conversion to make the score 42-38. After a big pass from Simpson to Maurice Bryant advancing the ball to the New Mexico 10 yard line, the Adrenaline had one last shot with three seconds remaining.
At that point, Simpson lobbed the ball into the corner of the end zone for Quincy Jackson, who was guarded by defender Willie Williams. Jackson got his hand on the ball, but could not haul it in as time expired.
"We felt that on that last play Quincy was getting his jersey yanked by the defender," Adrenaline head coach Andrew Moore said, "but we can't use that as an excuse. New Mexico played a great game and deserved to win. I would rather lose now than in the playoffs, and New Mexico was in a situation where it had nothing to lose. So now we just go back and hit the film and try them again at our place."
The loss drastically hurts the Adrenaline's shot at winning the West Division. They are still, however, locked into the playoffs, which begin the first week of July.
Arizona now trails Wyoming by two games in the West with only three to play after the Cavalry narrowly escaped an upset of their own Friday night when they hung on for a 42-41 win over Utah.
The Adrenaline were led in rushing by Robert Jones who gained 55 yards on 13 carries. Simpson was 8-of-14 on the night for 107 yards, while starter Keith Poole was 6-of-14 for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Bryant led the way in receiving with five catches for 107 yards, his third consecutive game over the century mark. Jackson also caught six balls for 77 yards and a touchdown.
But the story was the athletic Hall, who threw for four touchdowns and 207 yards in addition to running for 39 yards and two TDs in improving New Mexico to 3-8 on the season.
The same two teams square off for the sixth and final time this season Monday, June 16, at Tim's Toyota Center.
New Mex. 42, Adrenaline 38
Saturday in Rio Rancho, N.M.
First Quarter
NM- T Jones 25 pass from Hall (run failed), 11:58
A-Bryant 37 pass from Pool (run successful), 6:48
Second Quarter
A-Q. Jackson 19 pass from Poole (pass successful), 10:17
NM-Hall 1 run (pass failed), 2:33
Third Quarter
NM - Hall 12 run (run successful), 9:33
A - Simpson 20 run (run failed), 6:40
Fourth Quarter
A-Jones 1 run (run fails) 12:43
NM-Pullen 30 pass from Hall (run successful), 11:25
NM-C. Davis 46 pass from Hall (pass successful), 6:44
A-Simpson 2 run (run successful), 1:39
NM- Pullen 8 pass from Hall (run fails), 0:19
A-Miyahira PAT return (2 points), 0:19
Individual Statistics
Rushing: Arizona, Jones 13-55, Simpson 5-31, Poole 3-3. New Mexico, Hall 7-38, D. Davis 3-10.
Passing: Arizona, Simpson 8-14-107, Pools 6-13-104. New Mexico, Hall 12-26-207.
Receiving: Arizona, Jackson 6-77, Bryant 5-107, Penland 2-17, Jones 1-10. New Mexico, Pullen 4-62, C. Davis 3-84, Haliburton 3-26, T. Jones 2-35.
Special to the Courier
Saturday, June 07, 2008
RIO RANCHO, N.M. - The wild, wild west just got wilder.
After the Adrenaline won last week in Wyoming, and New Mexico fell to previously winless Utah, Saturday's game in Rio Rancho seemed like a given.
However, New Mexico made the big plays down the stretch, scored 22 points in the fourth period and upset the Adrenaline 42-38 in front of about 3,000 fans in New Mexico.
After a defensive battle in the first half, New Mexico's rookie quarterback, B.J. Hall, gave the Wildcats a 20-16 lead when he scampered in from 12 yards out early in the third period.
That's when the Adrenaline turned to recently-acquired Ronnie Simpson, who had played against the Adrenaline while in a New Mexico uniform four times this season. Simpson made his presence felt immediately with a 20-yard run that gave the Adrenaline a 22-20 lead. A Robert Jones one-yard plunge early in the fourth period extended the margin to 28-20 but that was the last lead the Adrenaline (8-3) would enjoy.
Hall connected on long touchdown passes to Lawrence Pullen and Clarence Davis to give New Mexico a 36-28 lead with 6:44 remaining in the game.
The Adrenaline did tie the game when Simpson ran in from two yards out and then plunged in for the two-point conversion to tie the game at 36-36 with 1:39 left. But once again, it was Hall making things happen.
The athletic quarterback from Troy University rolled out and hit Pullen in the end zone with 19 seconds remaining to make the score 42-36. But the fun wasn't over.
The Adrenaline recovered a fumble on the two-point conversion attempt and linebacker Chris Whitaker pitched the ball to Paitaka Miyahara who ran it in for a two-point conversion to make the score 42-38. After a big pass from Simpson to Maurice Bryant advancing the ball to the New Mexico 10 yard line, the Adrenaline had one last shot with three seconds remaining.
At that point, Simpson lobbed the ball into the corner of the end zone for Quincy Jackson, who was guarded by defender Willie Williams. Jackson got his hand on the ball, but could not haul it in as time expired.
"We felt that on that last play Quincy was getting his jersey yanked by the defender," Adrenaline head coach Andrew Moore said, "but we can't use that as an excuse. New Mexico played a great game and deserved to win. I would rather lose now than in the playoffs, and New Mexico was in a situation where it had nothing to lose. So now we just go back and hit the film and try them again at our place."
The loss drastically hurts the Adrenaline's shot at winning the West Division. They are still, however, locked into the playoffs, which begin the first week of July.
Arizona now trails Wyoming by two games in the West with only three to play after the Cavalry narrowly escaped an upset of their own Friday night when they hung on for a 42-41 win over Utah.
The Adrenaline were led in rushing by Robert Jones who gained 55 yards on 13 carries. Simpson was 8-of-14 on the night for 107 yards, while starter Keith Poole was 6-of-14 for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Bryant led the way in receiving with five catches for 107 yards, his third consecutive game over the century mark. Jackson also caught six balls for 77 yards and a touchdown.
But the story was the athletic Hall, who threw for four touchdowns and 207 yards in addition to running for 39 yards and two TDs in improving New Mexico to 3-8 on the season.
The same two teams square off for the sixth and final time this season Monday, June 16, at Tim's Toyota Center.
New Mex. 42, Adrenaline 38
Saturday in Rio Rancho, N.M.
First Quarter
NM- T Jones 25 pass from Hall (run failed), 11:58
A-Bryant 37 pass from Pool (run successful), 6:48
Second Quarter
A-Q. Jackson 19 pass from Poole (pass successful), 10:17
NM-Hall 1 run (pass failed), 2:33
Third Quarter
NM - Hall 12 run (run successful), 9:33
A - Simpson 20 run (run failed), 6:40
Fourth Quarter
A-Jones 1 run (run fails) 12:43
NM-Pullen 30 pass from Hall (run successful), 11:25
NM-C. Davis 46 pass from Hall (pass successful), 6:44
A-Simpson 2 run (run successful), 1:39
NM- Pullen 8 pass from Hall (run fails), 0:19
A-Miyahira PAT return (2 points), 0:19
Individual Statistics
Rushing: Arizona, Jones 13-55, Simpson 5-31, Poole 3-3. New Mexico, Hall 7-38, D. Davis 3-10.
Passing: Arizona, Simpson 8-14-107, Pools 6-13-104. New Mexico, Hall 12-26-207.
Receiving: Arizona, Jackson 6-77, Bryant 5-107, Penland 2-17, Jones 1-10. New Mexico, Pullen 4-62, C. Davis 3-84, Haliburton 3-26, T. Jones 2-35.
