Post by cavfan on Apr 5, 2009 13:05:29 GMT -5
By JACK NOWLIN
Star-Tribune staff writer
Sunday, April 5, 2009 2:06 AM MDT
Offensively, Wyoming's first home game couldn't have started worse.
Luckily for the 3,000-plus fans at the Casper Events Center the Cavalry quickly got back on track, improving to 3-0 in the American Indoor Football Association's Western Division with a 77-33 victory over the Ogden Knights on Friday.
"We had some mistakes the first two games and we really wanted to eliminate them [Friday]," Cavs quarterback Matt Strand said. "And then we come out and the first play we fumble ... That's the worst thing you can do."
After forcing an Ogden fumble on the game's first series, the Cavs promptly gave the ball right back to the Knights when Strand and running back James Jones botched a handoff.
Four plays later Bryce Kennington's 37-yard field goal gave Ogden a 3-0 lead.
Wyoming wasted little time regaining control.
The Cavalry found the end zone on their next five possessions, with three of the scores coming on the first play of a drive. Wyoming continued to highlight its quick-strike offense with two more one-play scoring drives in the second half.
"It's just based on what the defense gives us," wide receiver Dante Dudley said. "If the defense wants to give us a touchdown on the first play we'll take it."
Dudley finished with six catches for a game-high 119 yards and two touchdowns.
A.J. Street and BJ Charlton also had two touchdown receptions apiece, and Jones added a 30-yard catch-and-run. Strand completed 15 of 24 passes for a season-best 278 yards and seven touchdowns.
As prolific as the Wyoming offense was -- the Cavalry finished with 346 total yards -- it was the defense that kept the Knights bottled up until the offense got untracked. Ogden managed just six points on its first five possessions.
"Our defense played light's out [Friday]," Cavs coach Dan Maciejczak said.
Linebacker Austin Bailey had three of of the Cavs' six sacks, including one that resulted in a safety on Ogden's first possession of the second half. Bailey's sack capped an 11-0 Wyoming scoring burst in the first minute of the second half that gave the Cavs a 47-21 lead.
"We came out after halftime and started playing football and functioning the way I feel we can do every week," Maciejczak said. "In the first half we were just making stupid mistakes ... dropping touchdown passes, fumbling the ball. We were clicking and then we'd do something stupid."
That the Cavs were able to overcome those mistakes and still put 77 points on the board should be a cause for concern for the rest of the division.
n GO, TOMASI, GO!: With Jones on the sidelines after injuring his toe late in the game, the Cavs handed the ball to defensive linemen Tyrone Satterfield and Tomasi Kongaika.
Even though the 5-foot-5, 170-pound Jones finished with 78 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns, Ogden probably would have preferred that he was on the field.
Satterfield (6-foot-3, 300 pounds) bulled his way into the end zone for a two-point conversion and Kongaika was even more impressive.
With Wyoming looking to run out the clock, Kongaika (6-foot-1, 340 pounds) took a handoff from Strand and rumbled his way for a 28-yard touchdown with 5 seconds remaining.
"I felt if he came outside he would definitely have some running room," Dante Dudley said, "but I didn't think it would be for a touchdown.
"I think we unleashed the Tongan Massacre."
Added offensive lineman Chase Olsen: "It was great to see him do that. He had a big smile on his face when he passed out in the end zone."
n UP AND OVER: Jones added a couple of highlight-reel plays of his own: picking up 22 yards on a Statue of Liberty play and capping a 7-yard scoring run with a flip over two defenders at the goal line.
n HOMETOWN HERO: Defensive back Tony Dill, who played at Natrona County, finished with five tackles and two pass breakups in his first home game as a member of the Cavs.
"It was everything I thought it would be," he said after the game. "It's a lot of fun playing here with people going crazy [in the stands] behind you."
n Contact sports reporter Jack Nowlin at (307) 266-0528 or jack.nowlin@trib.com.
Ogd 6 15 0 12 -- 33
Wyo 20 16 19 22 -- 77
First Quarter
Ogden -- Bryce Kennington 37 field goal, 11:25.
Wyoming -- Dante Dudley 4 pass from Matt Strand (BJ Charlton reception), 9:37.
Wyoming -- Charlton 37 pass from Strand (conversion failed), 5:40.
Ogden -- Kennington 43 field goal, 3:02.
Wyoming -- Dudley 30 pass from Strand (conversion failed), 2:26.
Second Quarter
Wyoming -- Charlton 8 pass from Strand (James Jones run), 10:24.
Ogden -- Brendon Doyle 7 run (James Owens reception), 4:56.
Wyoming -- Jones 30 pass from Strand (Charlton reception), 3:44.
Ogden -- Matt Thorton 13 pass from Doyle (conversion failed), :39.
Ogden -- Kennington rouge, :39.
Third Quarter
Wyoming -- AJ Street 30 pass from Strand (Jones run), 14:39.
Wyoming -- Strand rouge, 14:39.
Wyoming -- Austin Bailey safety, 14:00.
Wyoming -- Jones 6 run (Dudley reception), 9:44.
Fourth Quarter
Wyoming -- Jones 6 run (Dudley reception), 12:14.
Wyoming -- Street 30 pass from Strand (Tyrone Satterfield run), 7:27.
Ogden -- Adrian Conway 8 pass from Jeff Wissler (conversion failed), 1:00.
Wyoming -- Tomasi Kongaika 28 run (conversion failed), :05.
Ogden -- James Owens 16 pass from Doyle (conversion failed), :01.
Cavalry Tracker
n FRIDAY: Wyoming 77, Ogden 33.
n RECORDS: Cavalry (3-0); Knights (0-3).
n QUICK-STRIKE CAVS: Wyoming scored five touchdowns on the first play of a drive.
n HE SAID IT: "Our defense played light's out [Friday]." -- Cavs coach Dan Maciejczak.
n UP NEXT: New Mexico at Wyoming, Friday.
Star-Tribune staff writer
Sunday, April 5, 2009 2:06 AM MDT
Offensively, Wyoming's first home game couldn't have started worse.
Luckily for the 3,000-plus fans at the Casper Events Center the Cavalry quickly got back on track, improving to 3-0 in the American Indoor Football Association's Western Division with a 77-33 victory over the Ogden Knights on Friday.
"We had some mistakes the first two games and we really wanted to eliminate them [Friday]," Cavs quarterback Matt Strand said. "And then we come out and the first play we fumble ... That's the worst thing you can do."
After forcing an Ogden fumble on the game's first series, the Cavs promptly gave the ball right back to the Knights when Strand and running back James Jones botched a handoff.
Four plays later Bryce Kennington's 37-yard field goal gave Ogden a 3-0 lead.
Wyoming wasted little time regaining control.
The Cavalry found the end zone on their next five possessions, with three of the scores coming on the first play of a drive. Wyoming continued to highlight its quick-strike offense with two more one-play scoring drives in the second half.
"It's just based on what the defense gives us," wide receiver Dante Dudley said. "If the defense wants to give us a touchdown on the first play we'll take it."
Dudley finished with six catches for a game-high 119 yards and two touchdowns.
A.J. Street and BJ Charlton also had two touchdown receptions apiece, and Jones added a 30-yard catch-and-run. Strand completed 15 of 24 passes for a season-best 278 yards and seven touchdowns.
As prolific as the Wyoming offense was -- the Cavalry finished with 346 total yards -- it was the defense that kept the Knights bottled up until the offense got untracked. Ogden managed just six points on its first five possessions.
"Our defense played light's out [Friday]," Cavs coach Dan Maciejczak said.
Linebacker Austin Bailey had three of of the Cavs' six sacks, including one that resulted in a safety on Ogden's first possession of the second half. Bailey's sack capped an 11-0 Wyoming scoring burst in the first minute of the second half that gave the Cavs a 47-21 lead.
"We came out after halftime and started playing football and functioning the way I feel we can do every week," Maciejczak said. "In the first half we were just making stupid mistakes ... dropping touchdown passes, fumbling the ball. We were clicking and then we'd do something stupid."
That the Cavs were able to overcome those mistakes and still put 77 points on the board should be a cause for concern for the rest of the division.
n GO, TOMASI, GO!: With Jones on the sidelines after injuring his toe late in the game, the Cavs handed the ball to defensive linemen Tyrone Satterfield and Tomasi Kongaika.
Even though the 5-foot-5, 170-pound Jones finished with 78 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns, Ogden probably would have preferred that he was on the field.
Satterfield (6-foot-3, 300 pounds) bulled his way into the end zone for a two-point conversion and Kongaika was even more impressive.
With Wyoming looking to run out the clock, Kongaika (6-foot-1, 340 pounds) took a handoff from Strand and rumbled his way for a 28-yard touchdown with 5 seconds remaining.
"I felt if he came outside he would definitely have some running room," Dante Dudley said, "but I didn't think it would be for a touchdown.
"I think we unleashed the Tongan Massacre."
Added offensive lineman Chase Olsen: "It was great to see him do that. He had a big smile on his face when he passed out in the end zone."
n UP AND OVER: Jones added a couple of highlight-reel plays of his own: picking up 22 yards on a Statue of Liberty play and capping a 7-yard scoring run with a flip over two defenders at the goal line.
n HOMETOWN HERO: Defensive back Tony Dill, who played at Natrona County, finished with five tackles and two pass breakups in his first home game as a member of the Cavs.
"It was everything I thought it would be," he said after the game. "It's a lot of fun playing here with people going crazy [in the stands] behind you."
n Contact sports reporter Jack Nowlin at (307) 266-0528 or jack.nowlin@trib.com.
Ogd 6 15 0 12 -- 33
Wyo 20 16 19 22 -- 77
First Quarter
Ogden -- Bryce Kennington 37 field goal, 11:25.
Wyoming -- Dante Dudley 4 pass from Matt Strand (BJ Charlton reception), 9:37.
Wyoming -- Charlton 37 pass from Strand (conversion failed), 5:40.
Ogden -- Kennington 43 field goal, 3:02.
Wyoming -- Dudley 30 pass from Strand (conversion failed), 2:26.
Second Quarter
Wyoming -- Charlton 8 pass from Strand (James Jones run), 10:24.
Ogden -- Brendon Doyle 7 run (James Owens reception), 4:56.
Wyoming -- Jones 30 pass from Strand (Charlton reception), 3:44.
Ogden -- Matt Thorton 13 pass from Doyle (conversion failed), :39.
Ogden -- Kennington rouge, :39.
Third Quarter
Wyoming -- AJ Street 30 pass from Strand (Jones run), 14:39.
Wyoming -- Strand rouge, 14:39.
Wyoming -- Austin Bailey safety, 14:00.
Wyoming -- Jones 6 run (Dudley reception), 9:44.
Fourth Quarter
Wyoming -- Jones 6 run (Dudley reception), 12:14.
Wyoming -- Street 30 pass from Strand (Tyrone Satterfield run), 7:27.
Ogden -- Adrian Conway 8 pass from Jeff Wissler (conversion failed), 1:00.
Wyoming -- Tomasi Kongaika 28 run (conversion failed), :05.
Ogden -- James Owens 16 pass from Doyle (conversion failed), :01.
Cavalry Tracker
n FRIDAY: Wyoming 77, Ogden 33.
n RECORDS: Cavalry (3-0); Knights (0-3).
n QUICK-STRIKE CAVS: Wyoming scored five touchdowns on the first play of a drive.
n HE SAID IT: "Our defense played light's out [Friday]." -- Cavs coach Dan Maciejczak.
n UP NEXT: New Mexico at Wyoming, Friday.