Post by David on Apr 13, 2016 18:15:48 GMT -8
Spokane Empire at Iowa Barnstormers
What: Iowa looks to avenge their Week 7 loss as they host Spokane in an battle of two historic arena/indoor franchises.
When: Saturday, April 16, 5 p.m. (PT).
Where: Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, Iowa
Empire Media: Radio - 700/1080 AM ESPN
National Media: Stream (paid subscription) - IFL Live TV
This Season: April 1 - Empire 54, Barnstormers 51
Series History: Empire lead 1-0 (first road meeting).
Note: This is the 2nd game in 3 weeks the Empire and Barnstormers will have played each other.
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HELPFUL LINKS
Indoor Football League Rules
Indoor Football League Schedule and Results 2016
Spokane Empire Schedule 2016
IFL Franchises and Links
The Empire are 4-1 overall, 1-1 on the road and 2-0 in inter-conference play. Spokane is coming off a 97-72 home win over the Colorado Crush on April 9. They are averaging 59.8 points per game (2nd in IFL) and are allowing 53.8 points per game (8th). The Empire are first in the Intense Conference.
The Barnstormers are 3-3 overall, 1-1 at home and 2-2 in inter-conference play. Iowa is coming off a 43-46 home loss to the Nebraska Danger on April 9. They are averaging 51.3 points per game (6th) and are allowing 45.3 points per game (4th). The Barnstormers are fourth in the United Conference.
BREAKDOWN
Total Yards per Game - Empire 258.0; Barnstormers 271.8
Pass Yards per Game - Empire 150.4; Barnstormers 209.7
Rush Yards per Game - Empire 107.6; Barnstormers 62.2
3rd Down Conversion - Empire 50.0%; Barnstormers 47.9%
4th Down Conversion - Empire 50.0%; Barnstormers 8.3%
Total Tackles - Empire 210; Barnstormers 249
Tackles for Loss - Empire 24; Barnstormers 26
Total Sacks - Empire 10.0; Barnstormers 8.0
Fumble Recoveries - Empire 3; Barnstormers 7
Interceptions - Empire 8; Barnstormers 5
SPOKANE EMPIRE
Empire QB Charles Dowdell (image credit: Gary Peterson Photography)
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)
12 - Toby Jackson (DL)
16 - Robert Brown (DB)
17 - Pasquale Vacchio (LB)
18 - Trevor Kennedy (OS)
22 - Steven Wakefield (K)
30 - Andrew Pierce (RB)
44 - Brett Bowers (DL)
47 - Nick Haag (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 778
Passing TDs - Charles Dowdell 23
Rushing Yards - Trevor Kennedy 355
Rushing TDs - Trevor Kennedy 14
Receptions - JJ Hayes 31
Receiving Yards - JJ Hayes 368
Receiving TDs - Carl Sims 8
Tackles - Nick Haag 35.5
Sacks - Bryon Bennett 3.5
Interceptions - Demetruce McNeal 3
KO Return Ave - Robert Brown 21.6
IOWA BARNSTORMERS
Barnstormers QB Donovan Porterie (image credit: Indoor Football League / Green Bay Blizzard)
ROSTER
# - name (pos)
1 - Johnny Thomas (WR)
3 - Lemans Casimier (WR)
4 - Michael Johnson (WR)
6 - DaeJohn Love (DB)
7 - Brion Carnes (QB)
8 - Alex Bartlett (DB)
9 - Robbie Rouse (RB)
11 - Brady Roland (WR)
12 - Lucas Hefty (WR)
14 - Tony Grimes (DB)
15 - Donovan Porterie (QB)
18 - Reshard Simmons (DL)
19 - Lebron Daniel (DL)
21 - Ter'Ran Benton (DB)
35 - Manfred Johnson (DB)
41 - Josh Gable (K)
55 - Phil Lewis (DL)
62 - David Griffin (OL)
66 - William Stokes (DL)
72 - Rocco Manfre (OL)
79 - Peter Evans (OL)
90 - Tim McGee (DL)
91 - Danny Farr (DL)
?? - Bryan Pray (WR)
?? - Austin Benson (DB/LB)
?? - Chad Kolumber (OL)
Joe Brannen - Head Coach
Jason Simpson - Defensive Coordinator
Dean Picotte - Assistant Coach
Tyrone Tyler - Assistant Coach
Jason Vos - Assistant Head Coach
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Yards - Donovan Porterie 1,089
Passing TDs - Donovan Porterie 22
Rushing Yards - *Robbie Rouse 312
Rushing TDs - *Robbie Rouse 6
Receptions - Lemans Casimier 38
Receiving Yards - Lemans Casimier 517
Receiving TDs - Lemans Casimier 11
Tackles - Tony Grimes 37.0
Sacks - Lebron Daniel 3.0
Interceptions - Tony Grimes 2
KO Return Ave - *Robbie Rouse 17.6
* Not on active roster
DAVID'S TAKES
SPOKANE:
Spokane capped off their 2-game home stand by crushing the Colorado Crush 97-72. The 97 points were a franchise record (beating the previous mark of 90) and the highest scored by any team in the IFL this season.
The offense clicked on all cylinders, scoring touchdowns on all fourteen positions. QB Charles Dowdell (21/27, 172 yards, 8 TDs) was efficient in the passing game as well as the ground game, rushing 7 times for 53 yards, including a 27 yard read-option run on the first offensive possession of the game. Dowdell's 8 passing touchdown passes were scored by four different receivers, including JJ Hayes (5 rec, 95 yards, 2 TDs), Carl Sims (7 rec, 52 yards, 3 TD), Samuel Charles (1 rec, 5 yards, TD) and Trevor Kennedy (4 rec, 18 yards, 3 TD). Kennedy (14 att, 59 yards) was a big factor in why the Empire passing game opened up. Although he didn't break 100 yards, he scored 4 rushing touchdowns, giving him a total of 7 touchdowns in the game. Defensively, Spokane held Colorado when it needed to, including a 1-handed interception by LB Pasquale Vacchio in Colorado territory. Special teams also had a big game for the Empire, with newly acquired kicker Kyle Brotzman going 13/14 on extra point attempts while Trevor Kennedy and Robert Brown combined to return 6 kickoffs back for a total of 140 yards, including a 33 yard run by Brown that nearly went the distance.
After going 2-0 at home, the Empire hit the road for the next two weeks, beginning with a Week 7 rematch against Iowa. These two teams have already met each other two weeks ago, a 54-51 victory that wasn't close for the majority of the game. The Empire had success running the football in the last meeting, with Trevor Kennedy rushing for 127 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Empire's rushing offense, which is frightening enough to opposing defenses, is about to get even scarier this week with the return of RB Andrew Pierce. The former Tri-Cities Fever RB signed with the Empire this past offseason and was slated to be the team's starter, but he jumped at the chance to play in the new Major League Football spring league. With MLFB suspending operations two weeks ago, Pierce returned to Spokane. He did not suit up last week against Colorado, but will likely suit up against the Barnstormers. The mixture of Pierce (121 att, 415 yards, 21 TD in 2015 w/Tri-Cities) and Kennedy (62 att, 355 yards, 14 TD) bring about two different styles of running, with one as the big power RB and the other as the quick and elusive WR-converted-RB that'll keep defenses on their heels. And, of course, there's QB Charles Dowdell (35 att, 172 yards, 2 TD), who has been known to make some huge gains when scrambling or taking the ball on a draw play.
With the potential three-headed monster at RB, it could impact Spokane's passing game, leading to more opportunities for WRs JJ Hayes (33 rec, 368 yards, 7 TD), Carl Sims (22 rec, 223 yards, 8 TD), Justin Helwege (12 rec, 106 yards, 4 TD), Samuel Charles (5 rec, 56 yards, 3 TD). It could also utilize the dual threat of RBs Trevor Kennedy (9 rec, 33 yards, 3 TD) and Pierce (49 rec, 406 yards, 6 TD in 2015), making life much easier for Dowdell (78/124, 778 yards, 23 TD, 3 INT). The offensive line has been solid in protecting Dowdell, only allowing 1 sack in the past two weeks. Dowdell's been good in taking care of the ball as of late, but the one sack he took against Iowa resulted in a fumble and touchdown for the Barnstomers. With a rowdy Barnstormers crowd, Spokane will have to make sure to keep Dowdell on his feet and avoid any potential turnovers.
Defensively, Spokane has been outstanding in defending the run, giving up an average of 45.0 yards/game (1st in IFL) but continues to struggle defending the pass, giving up 211.0 yards/game (10th). The Empire did a great job of containing Iowa RB Robbie Rouse from doing too much damage, but the passing game of QB Donovan Porterie nearly picked them apart. In the last meeting, Porterie only threw 4 incomplete passes, but fortunately for Spokane, two of those were interceptions. The Empire defense was missing Bryon Bennett, the team leader in sacks (3.5), and it showed. DBs Tyree Robinson, Josh Ferguson, Robert Brown and Demetruce McNeal have been good, but pressure from the team's defensive line is a must if they want to win on Saturday, especially with the passing threat of WRs in Lemans Casimier and Brady Roland. LBs Nick Haag (35.5 tackles, 1.0 sacks) and Pasquale Vacchio (22.0 tackles, INT) have done well at their positions, but don't be surprised if you see one of them try and blitz Porterie into making bad passes.
Player to Watch: Charles Dowdell
Dowdell enters Saturday's game against the Barnstormers coming off a career performance. He was precise in the passing game, throwing for 8 touchdown passes as the Empire beat Colorado. The 8 touchdown passes by Dowdell marks the first time a quarterback in the IFL has thrown for 8 touchdowns in a single game. The last to do it? Chris Dixon, current head coach of the Billings Wolves. Dixon threw 8 touchdown passes for the Sioux Falls Storm in a 78-47 win over the Green Bay Blizzard in 2014.
Now, Dowdell has to put that performance behind him. He's got all the weapons around him to succeed with Trevor Kennedy in the backfield, potentially Andrew Pierce, and four talented wide receivers in Sims, Helwege, Hayes, and Charles. Dowdell's had great protection from his offensive line the past two weeks, and that line will need to protect him from Iowa's Lebron Daniel. Dowdell also presents a legit run threat against the Barnstormers, which could open opportunities to pass the football. When Spokane and Iowa last met, Dowdell wasn't afraid to throw in the direction of the team's best DB, Tony Grimes, who leads the Barnstormers in interceptions. If Dowdell can avoid bad passes and keep the ball safe should Iowa break through Spokane's O-Line, it could be the difference maker in coming out with a victory.
IOWA:
Iowa has fallen on hard times as of late. Prior to their first match-up with the Empire, Iowa was 3-1 and breathing down the neck of the Sioux Falls Storm. Since then, the Barnstormers have lost two in a row, including a disappointing 43-46 home loss to the Nebraska Danger on Saturday. Iowa held a 21-7 lead going into halftime, and even lead 28-14 going into the final 5 minutes of the 3rd Quarter. But the Danger would mount a comeback, scoring on 3 consecutive drives to take a 33-28 lead. Both teams traded scores, with Nebraska holding a 3 point lead going into the final 3 minutes of the game. However, Iowa would fail to score and fell in their second consecutive defeat. RB Robbie Rouse struggled to make much of an impact, rushing 19 times for a total of 48 yards. QB Donovan Porterie had success in the passing game, going 20/28 for 242 yards and 4 TDs, but he threw 2 critical interceptions that could have changed the outcome of the game.
Iowa has to be looking forward to feasting on Spokane's passing defense, which ranks last in the IFL. Porterie had success before leaving the game due to injury, but he's had trouble turning the ball over since that game. Entering the Spokane game, Porterie only threw 1 interception on the year. In the past two games, he's thrown a total of 4. Iowa benefits from having league leading WRs Lemans Casimier (38 rec, 517 yards, 11 TD) and Brady Roland (32 rec, 403 yards, 8 TD). The Barnstormers have had tremendous success passing the ball, ranking 1st overall with 209.7 yards/game, but the rushing offense is the complete opposite, ranking second-to-last with 62.2 yards/game. While Casimier and Roland both went over 100 yards receiving and 2 touchdowns apiece against Spokane, the key to the Barnstormers succeeding on offense will be success in the struggling running game. Rouse will not suit up this weekend due to an injury, which is a major blow toa Barnstormer offense that at times has looked one-dimensional in their offensive scheme. That could result in big turnovers, and Porterie is going to have to limit the turnovers if the Barnstormers want to break their 2-game losing streak.
Defensively, Iowa is going to have to rely on DB Tony Grimes and DL Lebron Daniel to stop a scary looking Empire offense. Grimes leads all Barnstormer defenders with 37 total tackles, 2 interceptions, and tied for the lead with 4 pass breakups. He's tasted success due to the presence of Daniel on the defensive line, who has managed to get pressure into the face of opposing quarterbacks. He leads the team with 6 tackles for loss, resulting in a loss of 45 yards, and 3.0 sacks for a loss of 24 yards. Daniel credits Grimes for his success, as mentioned in the Week 8 edition of the This Week in the IFL podcast. Both are going to have to bring their A-game against a Spokane offensive line that has managed to keep QB Charles Dowdell protected.
Do not be surprised if the Barnstormers play with some urgency, as they have tumbled in the standings from second to fourth place. Historically, Spokane is 3-2 at the Wells Fargo Arena, so there's a potential that the Empire could struggle. It wouldn't surprise anyone if the Barnstormers break their losing streak with an upset over the Empire, but the odds aren't in their favor. If they're going to pull an upset off, they're going to have to step up and force turnovers, which was Spokane's downfall in their only loss to Billings this year.
Player to Watch: Donovan Porterie
The Barnstormers offense appears to live and die by the performance of Porterie. The veteran leads all IFL quarterbacks with 1,069 passing yards, ranks second in the league in passing yards/game (188.5) and third in passing touchdowns (22). When the Barnstormers were 3-1 going into the April 1st game against Spokane, he had only thrown 1 interception on the season. Since then, Porterie's had turnover problems; in the last two games, Porterie has thrown a total of 4 interceptions and the Barnstormers have fallen to 3-3 on the season.
The Barnstormers have also struggled to run the football as of late, with RB Robbie Rouse only scoring once on the ground in the past 2 games. Porterie doesn't run as often as other IFL quarterbacks, which has made the Barnstormers one-dimensional offense. It's not going to get any easier for the Barnstormers since they placed Rouse on the Short Term IR, but Iowa has to figure out some sort of ground game; they cannot depend on the pass to win every game.
So far this season, the Barnstormers are 0-3 when Porterie throws an interception. The Barnstormers must limit their turnovers if they wish to upset Spokane. Porterie's efficient passing is going to be massive if the Barnstormers plan to stop their losing skid.
QUOTABLE
Empire QB Charles Dowdell on Spokane's historic 97-72 win over Colorado.
“To come out as an offense and be lights out and score on every possession, that where we want to be. It was really good to see us put it all together in front of this great fan base.”
Empire HC Adam Shackleford's thoughts on the win.
"We're capable of that. You won't see that every week but we blocked well, we ran well, protected the quarterback and Charles [Dowdell] made really good decisions with the ball."
Dowdell on the key to victory over the Crush.
"I feel like we were taking what they gave us. I think we played our game and didn't try to play their game."
Empire DB Josh Ferguson on returning to arena/indoor football after a two-year hiatus.
"I love it, the fellowship with the guys, the experience, the interaction with the fans. I'll have to hang this up eventually but I'm going to do this as long as I competently can. Hopefully we'll get a championship, that's the ultimate goal."
FEATURED TWEETS
IFL SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
April 15 - Billings Wolves (2-4) at Green Bay Blizzard (1-5), 5 p.m.
April 15 - Tri-Cities Fever (2-4) at Colorado Crush (0-6), 6:30 p.m.
April 16 - Nebraska Danger (5-2) at Cedar Rapids Titans (4-3), 5 p.m.
April 16 - Spokane Empire (4-1) at Iowa Barnstormers (3-3), 5 p.m.
April 16 - Wichita Falls Nighthawks (4-1) at Sioux Falls Storm (5-1), 5 p.m.
EXTRA
Last week, the Empire crushed the Colorado Crush 97-72. Here's a look at how significant the 97 points are not only to the Empire, but the IFL.
First, the 97 points scored by the Empire set the franchise record for most points in a single game. The previous record for most points in a single game was set in 2012, a 90-63 road victory over the San Jose SaberCats. The 97 points at home also broke the previous franchise mark set in 2013, an 82-83 loss to the Orlando Predators.
Spokane's 97 points also are the most in the IFL so far this season. No other team has broken the 80 or 90 point marks.
The 97 points in a single game is the second highest points ever in the history of the IFL. The record was set by Sioux Falls Storm in 2011, a 105-71 win over the Kent Predators (who re-branded later that season as the Seattle Timberwolves).
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Graphic courtesy of David.