Post by David on May 4, 2016 23:41:49 GMT -8
Billings Wolves at Spokane Empire
What: The Empire look to avenge its lone loss of the season as the Billings Wolves make their first trip to Spokane.
When: Saturday, May 7, 7 p.m. (PT).
Where: Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, Spokane, Washington
Empire Media: TV- SWX; Radio - 700/1080 AM ESPN
National Media: Stream (paid subscription) - IFL Live TV
This Season: March 12 - Empire 22, Wolves 30
Series History: Wolves lead 1-0 (First meeting in Spokane).
Note: Spokane's second half of the schedule will feature 3 games versus Billings.
HELPFUL LINKS
Indoor Football League Rules
Indoor Football League Schedule and Results 2016
Spokane Empire Schedule 2016
IFL Franchises and Links
The Wolves are 4-5 overall, 2-2 on the road and 3-2 in conference play. Billings is coming off a 31-38 home loss to the Cedar Rapids titans on April 30. They are averaging 39.3 points per game (10th in IFL) and are allowing 40.7 points per game (1st). The Wolves are third in the Intense Conference.
The Empire are 7-1 overall, 4-0 at home and 4-1 in conference play. Spokane is coming off a 53-51 home win over the Tri-Cities Fever on April 29. They are averaging 57.2 points per game (3rd) and are allowing 49.1 points per game (6th). The Empire are first in the Intense Conference.
BREAKDOWN
Total Yards per Game - Wolves 217.9; Empire 260.1
Pass Yards per Game - Wolves 162.0; Empire 156.4
Rush Yards per Game - Wolves 55.9; Empire 103.8
3rd Down Conversion - Wolves 47.3%; Empire 47.5%
4th Down Conversion - Wolves 50.0%; Empire 58.8%
Total Tackles - Wolves 253; Empire 336
Tackles for Loss - Wolves 30; Empire 44
Total Sacks - Wolves 8.0; Empire 17.0
Fumble Recoveries - Wolves 6; Empire 7
Interceptions - Wolves 16; Empire 12
BILLINGS WOLVES
Wolves QB Mason Espinosa (image credit: Billings Wolves)
ROSTER
# - name (pos)
1 - Alexander McCray (WR)
2 - Nate Burney (RB)
3 - Mason Espinosa (QB)
5 - J.D. Roussel (DB)
6 - Chika Madu (DB)
7 - Chip Reeves (WR)
8 - Mikell Mair (LB)
9 - Chris Frierson (DB)
10 - Cory Murphy (QB)
11 - Blake Erickson (K)
13 - Christopher Turner (DL)
15 - Jerome Lewis (LB)
17 - B.J. Butler (DL)
21 - David Lewis (WR)
24 - Vincent Taylor (DB)
26 - Willie Downs (WR)
31 - Michael Green (DB)
42 - Chris Martin (DL)
51 - Nathaniel Ryan (OL)
53 - Kelvin King III (DL)
54 - Nick Chartain (OL)
55 - Kameron Neal (OL)
99 - Jesse Dickson (DL)
?? - Norris Wrenn III (DB)
Chris Dixon - Head Coach
Adam Sanchez - QB Coach
Justin Walker - OL Coach
Mike Bazemore- DL Coach
Daron Brooker - DB/LB Coach
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Yards - Mason Espinosa 900
Passing TDs - Mason Espinosa 16
Passing INTs - *Dak Britt 7
Rushing Yards - *Julian Laing 166
Rushing TDs - *Dak Britt 5
Receptions - Willie Downs 43
Receiving Yards - Willie Downs 506
Receiving TDs - Willie Downs 10
Tackles - Michael Green 43.0
Sacks - Mikell Mair 3.5
Interceptions - Chris Freirson/Michael Green 4
KO Return Ave - Chip Reeves 17.0
KO Return TDs - Chip Reeves 1
* Not on Active Roster
SPOKANE EMPIRE
Empire DL Benjamin Perry (image credit: Colin Mulvany / Spokesman-Review)
ROSTER
# - name (pos)
1 - Samuel Charles (WR)
2 - Lorenzo White Jr. (DB)
3 - Josh Ferguson (DB)
4 - Carl Sims (WR)
5 - Tyree Robinson (DB)
7 - Demetruce McNeal (DB/KR)
8 - Aaron Aiken (QB)
11 - Charles Dowdell (QB)
16 - Robert Brown (DB)
17 - Pasquale Vacchio (LB)
18 - Trevor Kennedy (RB/WR)
19 - Diondre Borel (WR/QB)
22 - Steven Wakefield (K)
44 - Brett Bowers (DL)
47 - Nick Haag (LB)
52 - D.J. Yendrey (LB)
56 - Dave Lefotu (OL)
62 - Dominique Duster (DL)
70 - Mike Trice (OL)
72 - Kyle Fischer (OL)
76 - Michael Boyefio (OL)
78 - Brandon Haskin (OL)
80 - Jefferson "JJ" Hayes (WR)
88 - Justin Helwege (WR)
93 - Benjamin Perry (DL)
95 - Bryon Bennett (DL)
Adam Shackleford - Head Coach
Cleveland Pratt - Assistant Head Coach
Ameer Ismail - Defensive Coordinator
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Yards - Charles Dowdell 1,282
Passing TDs - Charles Dowdell 36
Passing INTs - Charles Dowdell 8
Rushing Yards - Trevor Kennedy 551
Rushing TDs - Trevor Kennedy 21
Receptions - Carl Sims 39
Receiving Yards - Carl Sims 434
Receiving TDs - Carl Sims 12
Tackles - Nick Haag 55.5
Sacks - Benjamin Perry 6.5
Interceptions - Robert Brown/Josh Ferguson/Demetruce McNeal/Tyree Robinson 3
KO Return Ave - Trevor Kennedy 21.5
KO Return TDs - Trevor Kennedy 1
DAVID'S TAKES
BILLINGS:
The Wolves come to Spokane coming off a disappointing 38-31 loss to the Cedar Rapids Titans on Saturday night. Billings entered the game on a 2-game winning streak, their longest of the season, and looked to keep it going after going up 7-0 early in the first quarter. After that, Billings took a stumble as the Titans scored 22 unanswered points, finding themselves down 22-10 at the halftime.
Rookie QB Mason Espinosa started his 4th game for the Wolves, completing 22 of 40 passes for 267 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT. His favorite target, WR Willie Downs, caught 10 passes for 137 yards and 2 TDs, nearly equaling the total stats of 4 Titans WRs combined. However, Espinosa was sacked 4 times by the experienced Titans defensive line. Cedar Rapids would eventually escape with a 38-31 victory, holding off a comeback attempt by the Wolves, who were down by 22 early in the 4th Quarter.
The Wolves are not to be overlooked in this game despite their offense ranking last (10th) in the IFL in rush yards/game and points per game. Espinosa is one of the hottest QBs in the IFL right now and is much more efficient in the passing game than former starter Dak Britt. However, Espinosa has not had much impact in the run game for the Wolves, ranking 11th out of 15 eligible players who have run the football. The team's leading rushers, RB Julian Laing and Dak Britt, are not on the active roster, and the team's active rusher on the roster has 44 total yards in 3 games. Unless Billings catches Spokane off-guard in the run game, they're likely to throw the football for the majority of the game. Espinosa's favorite targets are WRs Willie Downs (43 rec, 506 yds, 10 TD) and Marcus Barnett (25 rec, 289 yds, 8 TD), and he will likely lean on them to try and score against a tough Spokane defense.
Billings will likely lean on their defense to lead them to victory, much like in the first meeting. In the March 12th game, the Wolves limited Spokane to a season-low 22 points, largely in part due to 2 interceptions and 3 fumble recoveries. Billings is going to feel the pressure of stopping RB Trevor Kennedy; they avoided having to deal with Kennedy last time as Spokane's turnovers dug them into a 23 point hole, forcing them to rely on the pass. If they can stop Kennedy, DL Mikell Mair will focus on pressuring Dowdell into making ill-advised passes. Billings is led by DBs Michael Green, the 2015 IFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, and Chris Freirson. Green leads Wolves defenders with 43.0 total tackles, and is tied for the team lead in interceptions (4). Both Green and Freirson picked off QB Charles Dowdell in the first meeting.
Player to Watch: Mason Espinosa (QB)
Spokane won't be facing the same offense that they faced the last time these two teams met. QB Dak Britt, who started in the March 12 game, suffered an elbow injury and was released in mid-April. Espinosa got the start on the road against the Green Bay Blizzard back on April 15, filling in for backup QB Jawad Yatim, who was injured in Billings' 31-45 loss to the Nebraska Danger.
Espinosa put up eye popping numbers in his first two starts, both of which were on the road. In those two games, he threw for 12 touchdowns, zero interceptions, and completed around 67% of his passes. He had a rough game in a 31-38 loss to Cedar Rapids last week, completing 21 of 40 passes and an interception, but he still managed to throw for 267 yards and 4 touchdowns. In four total games, Espinosa has completed 81 of 142 passes for 900 yards, 16 TDs, 4 INTs, and a 57% completion percentage. In comparison, Dak Britt played in the same number of games, but completed only 61 of 111 passes for 579 yards, 10 TDs and 7 INTs.
Despite Billings ranking last with 39.3 points/game, the two wins which featured Espinosa under center resulted in 55 and 64 points, both ranking as the highest output by Billings' offense this season. In his short time as the starter for the Wolves, he's already looking to be the starting QB that head coach (and former IFL QB) Chris Dixon wants to run his offense. Although Espinosa doesn't have as much impact in the ground game as Britt (he's only rushed for 12 yards in comparison to Britt's 158), he's a very efficient passer, and could put pressure on Spokane's 10th ranked passing defense.
SPOKANE:
The Empire enter the week on top of the Intense Conference with a 7-1 overall record, but halfway through their game against Tri-Cities last week, it didn't look like it'd be that way. Turnovers early in the game contributed to an early 18-30 hole going into halftime. Spokane would respond with 14 unanswered points to begin the 3rd quarter to take the lead 32-31. It began a back-and-forth affair that came down to the final 3 minutes of the game. With the score 53-51, the Fever were in position to take the lead, but a critical interception by Tyree Robinson, his second of the game, resulted in the Empire gaining possession. The Empire tried to run out the clock, but it wasn't easy, as the penalties made put the Empire in long yardage situations. But a critical 4th down conversion by Trevor Kennedy gave the Empire the necessary yardage needed to run 3 more plays and run out the clock, escaping with the victory.
Spokane managed to overcome its offensive struggles in the first half to pull out the win, but they'll need to be on their A-Game against the Wolves. Spokane had its worst offensive performance of the season the last time these two teams met, they committed 5 turnovers and only managed a season low 22 points. The Empire managed to score 15 of those points in the 4th Quarter, thanks in part to key defensive stops by the defense.
QB Charles Dowdell, who was picked off twice against the Fever's Top 3 defense, will have to be extra cautious against Billings' defense, which ranks first in the IFL in Total Defense (206.9 ypg), points per game (40.7 ppg), and passing defense (130.9 ypg). Billings ranks 9th in the IFL in rushing defense, which should provide plenty of opportunities for Trevor Kennedy. Kennedy, who had another outstanding game against the Fever with 110 rush yards and 5 total TDs, will help take the pressure off Dowdell. Kennedy's having an outstanding rookie season, leading the IFL league with 27 total touchdowns (21 rushing), points per game (20.2), and rushing yards per game (68.9). He had a nice game the last time he played the Wolves, rushing for 37 yards and a touchdown on 7 carries (a 5.3 yard/carry average), but didn't get many opportunities to run due to the 23 point deficit. This time, if the Empire can avoid a deep hole, Kennedy should have another big game.
Defensively, Spokane faces a Billings offense that ranks last in scoring (39.3 ppg) total offense (217.9 ypg), rushing offense (55.9 ypg) and 5th in passing offense (162.0). The Wolves' leading rushers, RB Julian Laing and Dak Britt, are not on the active roster, leaving WR Alexander McCray as the team's active leading rusher with 44 yards. Look for increased pressure on the defensive line and from LBs Pasquale Vacchio and Nick Haag, who will take more chances at going after QB Mason Espinosa. Increased pressure from Spokane's front 5 could lead to interception opportunities from DBs Tyree Robinson, Robert Brown, Josh Ferguson, and Demetruce McNeal, who are all tied for the team lead with 3 interceptions.
Player to Watch: Benjamin Perry (DL)
One of the unsung heroes of Spokane's defense has been the plate of Benjamin Perry. The DL has been a disruptive force over the past 3 games, tallying up 9.5 total tackles, forcing a fumble, and recovering 2 fumbles. He's recorded 3.0 sacks, all 3 coming last week against Tri-Cities QB Pat McCann to take the team lead (6.5 sacks) from Bryon Bennett (3.0 sacks). He's also been a big contributor to Spokane's #1 ranked rushing defense.
This week, Perry has a great opportunity to register more to his sack totals. Although Espinosa's presence in Billings' ground game is something to be concerned about, the Empire may take more risks at getting in the backfield. The Wolves rank at the bottom of the league in rush yards/game (55.9) and their top 2 rushers (Julian Laing, Dak Britt) are not on the active roster. Britt was released by the Wolves in mid-April, while Laing, who has been battling injuries this season, was placed on the Refused to Report list for not coming back to the team.
Perry had a great game the last time these two teams met, recording 3.5 total tackles (all for loss of yards) and 2.5 sacks. He was a key factor in Spokane digging out of a 30-7 hole to climb back within 8 points. If Spokane's offense can avoid a repeat of the March 12 offensive disaster, Perry should lead the charge in shutting down the opposing offense.
QUOTABLE
Empire HC Adam Shackleford on playing Tri-Cities and Billings 4 times in a season.
“I don’t think you try to reinvent the wheel in a week. You take a look at what they did to you and try to take advantage. You know, they’re doing the same thing, looking at what worked and what didn’t.”
Shackleford on the win over Tri-Cities.
"Ugly. It was ugly. The film is going to look terrible but you can’t question the heart, character and resiliency of this football team."
Empire QB Charles Dowdell on the 53-51 win.
"That just shows the kind of team we are. When things don’t go well we come around for each other. When I’m not having my best game, it’s good to have weapons around me like the offensive line, the receivers, and [Trevor] Kennedy."
Shackleford on NFL teams inquiring about RB Trevor Kennedy.
"We’re going to use him as long as we have him."
Wolves HC Chris Dixon on facing Spokane after a 38-31 loss to Cedar Rapids.
"We need to go in there hungry for a win. They’re going to be ready for us and want to beat the only team that’s beaten them so far. We need to get a ‘W’ and stay in line for a playoff spot."
FEATURED TWEETS
IFL SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
May 6 - Nebraska Danger (5-5) at Green Bay Blizzard (2-7), 5 p.m.
May 6 - Sioux Falls Storm (8-1) at Wichita Falls Nighthawks (5-3), 5 p.m.
May 7 - Tri-Cities Fever (3-6) at Cedar Rapids Titans (6-4), 5 p.m.
May 7 - Colorado Crush (1-8) at Iowa Barnstormers (4-5), 5 p.m.
May 7 - Billings Wolves (4-5) at Spokane Empire (7-1), 7 p.m.
EXTRA
Believe it or not, the Billings Wolves have a connection to the Utah Blaze of the AFL.
Two weeks ago, the IFL announced that Salt Lake City was awarded an expansion team set to play in the 2017 season. The Salt Lake City expansion team isn't the first indoor/arena franchise to play in Salt Lake City; the Utah Blaze played in the AFL from 2006-2008 and 2010-2013. In 2014, the Billings Outlaws were born, months after it was announced that the Blaze were suspending operations.
One specific piece of equipment made its way from Salt Lake City to Billings: the field turf.
The field turf that the Wolves play on is, in fact, the old Utah Blaze turf. You can see in the end zones, which are now rounded, the faint paint outline of the old Utah Blaze script beneath the Billings Wolves sticker.
This isn't the first instance of an IFL team using a former AFL team's turf. Who is the other? Be sure to check out next week to find out.
Image Credits: Top: Salt Lake Magazine / SaltLakeMagazine.com; Bottom: Billings Wolves