Post by Nevadanut on May 15, 2018 22:31:00 GMT -8
Sioux Falls Storm at Cedar Rapids Titans
What: The Storm make their only trip of the season to eastern Iowa to face the Titans.
When: Friday, May 18 at 5:05 p.m. pacific (7:05 p.m. central).
Where: U.S. Cellular Center; Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Stream: Storm at Titans on Indoor Football League Official YouTube Channel.
2018 Head to Head: March 12 - Storm 70, Titans 33. April 21 - Storm 65, Titans 48.
Note: These teams are among the longest tenured teams in the Indoor Football League. The Storm are in their 10th season and the Titans are in their seventh.
HELPFUL LINKS
Indoor Football League Rules
Indoor Football League Schedule and Results - 2018 Season
Sioux Falls Storm 2018 Schedule
Sioux Falls Storm - Vital Statistics
Cedar Rapids Titans 2018 Schedule
Cedar Rapids Titans - Vital Statistics
IFL Franchise Index
The Storm are 6-3 and 4-1 on the road. They are coming off a 40-36 win over the Nebraska Danger on May 12. They are averaging 48.8 points per game and are allowing 40.1 points per game.
The Titans are 1-9 overall and 1-4 at home. They are coming off a 48-21 home loss to the Arizona Rattlers on May 12. They are averaging 41.0 points per game and are allowing 57.0 points per game.
2018 REGULAR SEASON BREAKDOWN
Total Yards per Game - Storm 239.7, Titans 229.8
Pass Yards per Game - Storm 141.3, Titans 169.2
Rush Yards per Game - Storm 98.4, Titans 60.6
3rd Down Conversion - Storm 43%, Titans 42%
4th Down Conversion - Storm 60%, Titans 21%
Total Tackles - Storm 370, Titans 388
Total Sacks - Storm 9, Titans 6
Fumble Recoveries - Storm 8, Titans 10
Interceptions - Storm 7, Titans 3
Note: Both teams have played 10 games.
SIOUX FALLS STORM
Storm DB/KR Daniel Lindsey (Photo via siouxfallsstorm.com)
ROSTER
# - name (pos)
2 - Jabari Gorman (DB)
3 - Lyle McCombs (RB)
4 - J'Vontez Blackmon (DB)
6 - Dillion Turner (QB)
8 - Lorenzo Brown (QB)
11 - Damien Ford (WR)
12 - Marques Rodgers (RB)
13 - Trey Wafford (DB)
16 - Miles Bergner (K)
18 - Lorenzo White Jr. (DB)
20 - Judd Harold (WR)
22 - Damond Smith II (DB)
23 - Mike Tatum (WR)
24 - Marlon Moore (DB)
44 - Dezmin Reed (LB)
47 - Kwame Bell (DL)
55 - Chad Stoterau (DL)
56 - Andre Monroe (DL)
58 - Owen Williams (DL)
65 - Lawrence Martin IV (OL)
69 - Jabari Buckley (OL)
71 - Darrien Oliver (OL)
74 - Rashaud Mungro (OL)
95 - Claude Davis (DL)
Short Term IR
19 - Chris Martin (DL)
75 - Forrestal Hickman (OL)
Season Ending IR
11 - Jatavius Steward (WR)
44 - Jordan Stanton (LB)
56 - Phillip Williamson (DL)
N/A - Eldrick Bright (DB)
Transfer
18 - Jermaine Robinson (DB) [CFL - Montreal Alouettes]
22 - Ace Clark (LB) [AFL]
RTR
None
Coaching Staff
Kurtiss Riggs - Head Coach
Brian Hermanson - Defensive Coordinator
Jared Fredenburg - Linebackers Coach
Paul Keizer - Offensive Line Coach
Cory Johnsen - Defensive Line Coach
Blake Wilson - Wide Receivers/Special Teams Coach
Terrance Bryant - Quarterbacks Coach
Shannon Poppinga - Defensive Backs Coach
2018 REGULAR SEASON STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Yards - Lorenzo Brown 1,439
Passing TDs - Lorenzo Brown 26
Passing INTs - Lorenzo Brown 5
Rushing Yards - Lorenzo Brown 461
Rushing TDs - Lorenzo Brown 15
Receptions - Mike Tatum 37
Receiving Yards - Mike Tatum 590
Receiving TDs - Judd Harrold 12
Total Tackles - Jabari Gorman 53
Sacks - *Chris Martin 3.5
Interceptions - Jabari Gorman 4
KO Return Ave - Daniel Lindsey 19.6
KO Return TDs - Daniel Lindsey 1
*Placed on Short Term IR
Roster information is subject to change and is presented here as a basic guide for following the game. Rosters and team information is gathered from the IFL's 2018 Media Guide, as well as other sources, and will be updated as further roster information becomes available.
CEDAR RAPIDS TITANS
Titans WR Javon Bell (photo by Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
ROSTER
# - name (pos)
2 - E.J Frain (DB)
3 - Marquel Wade (WR)
4 - Michael Georgetti (K)
5 - Jake Medlock (QB)
7 - Javon Bell (WR)
8 - Raheem Bramwell (LB)
11 - Raheem Harvey (WR)
17 - Jordan Smith (WR)
20 - Elijah Lee (DB)
21 - James Calhoun (DB)
23 - Daniel Lindsey (DB)
25 - Raphael Lawson-Gale (RB)
29 - Corey Neely Jr. (DB)
42 - Bryce McClain (DL)
44 - Moses White (LB)
48 - Tyler Scalzi (LB/RB)
54 - Ricarlo Bell (DL)
62 - Randall Harris (OL)
65 - Sean Brown (OL)
66 - Darren Wilson (DL)
93 - Aundrea Liddell (OL/DL)
99 - Dequan Ivery (DL)
N/A - Justin Barries (DB)
N/A - Erick Brundidge (WR)
Short Term IR
2 - Cedric Dozier (DB)
18 - Connor Hollenbeck (WR)
Season Ending IR
1 - Ify Asoluka (DB)
N/A - Eddie Elliott II (RB/WR)
Transfer
13 - Qua Cox (DB) [AFL-Washington Valor]
RTR
9 - Herbert Gonzales III (DL)
22 - Tyler Thomas (RB)
61 - Andrew Erbes (OL)
N/A - Cory Butler-Byrd (WR/DB)
N/A - Carlif Taylor (DL)
Coaching Staff
Marvin Jones - Head Coach
REGULAR SEASON STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Yards - Jake Medlock 1,779
Passing TDs - Jake Medlock 33
Passing Ints - Jake Medlock 6
Rushing Yards - Raphael Lawson-Gayle 322
Rushing TDs - Jake Medlock 10
Receptions - *Connor Hollenbeck 44
Receiving Yards - Marquel Wade/*Connor Hollenbeck 412
Receiving TDs - *Connor Hollenbeck 11
Total Tackles - James Calhoun 51.5
Sacks - Ricarlo Bell 4
Interceptions - James Calhoun 2
KO Return Ave - Daniel Lindsey 18.5
KO Return TDs - Jordan Smith 1
*On Short Term Injured Reserve
Roster information is subject to change and is presented here as a basic guide for following the game. Rosters and team information is gathered from the IFL's 2018 Media Guide, as well as other sources, and will be updated as further roster information becomes available.
ANALYSIS
The Titans and the Storm have met 14 times in the regular season over the course of their IFL tenures, with the Storm winning 11 of those contests. Additionally, the Storm defeated the Titans in four straight United Conference Championships from 2013 to 2016. The last time the Titans came out on top in one of these match ups was a 60-57 victory on March 26, 2016. All three of the Titans' wins over the Storm came in Cedar Rapids. In the most recent meeting, in week 9, Sioux Falls jumped out to a 45-13 halftime lead and held on for a 65-48 win. The Storm also won the first meeting this season, running away from the Titans in the second half en route to a 70-33 blowout win. This is the third of three meetings between the teams this season.
Sioux Falls has won seven of their last nine games. However, the two losses in that span have been costly to their playoff seeding hopes. Home losses to the Rattlers on April 16 and the Barnstormers on May 5 have put the Storm in a precarious position. Unless either the Barnstormers or the Rattlers falter, the Storm would finish as the third seed and be on the road for the first round of the playoffs (a.k.a the Semifinals). Either outcome could come to fruition, but the Storm would still have to win out to earn a home date in the opening round. That would include a win over the Barnstormers in Sioux falls on June 8. Given that, the Storm have already clinched a playoff spot. The pulse here will be to gain momentum heading into the post season. A win over the Titans could be instrumental to that end.
This statement seems to be said in each of SCtoC's previews, but it bears repeating that Brown has consistently been among the top quarterbacks in the IFL for the past few years. This season, he is second only to the Titans' Medlock in passing yards per game (143.9) and total passing yards (1,439). Brown and Medlock are the only quarterbacks to start every game for their respective teams this season. Brown also ranks first in the IFL among quarterbacks with 15 rushing touchdowns and has 461 rushing yards on the season while averaging 46.1 yards per game. Lyle McCombs takes some heat off of Brown with his 94 rushed for 375 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns on the season. McCombs also has caught 17 passes for 148 yards. Mike Tatum's 590 receiving yards, and his 59.0 yards per game are third in the IFL. Judd Harrold is equally as formidable with his 29 receptions for 414 yards and a team-leading 12 touchdowns. Jabari Gorman has 10 pass break ups to go with his four interceptions and 53 total tackles. Chris Martin, who leads the team with 3.5 sacks and 6 tackles for loss, was placed on Short Term Injured Reserve on May 16. Miles Bergner, who was exceptional with the Colorado Crush last season, is the IFL's most accurate field goal kicker. Bergner has hit 17 of his 25 attempts for a 68 percent mark. He has a league long this season of 45 yards, which he has hit twice. Five of his misses have come from beyond 50 yards; effectively, punts by indoor football standards.
Cedar Rapids has looked good in spots this season. Their win over the Green Bay Blizzard in week 2 stands out, as does their offensive slug fest in week week 10 which ended up in a 84-83 loss to the Arizona Rattlers. They ran into a brick wall last week against the Iowa Barnstormers, falling 48-21. It was their second-lowest scoring outing of the season (They managed just 19 points against the Rattlers in week 6). After starting the season 1-1, the Titans have lost eight straight. Head coach Marvin Williams will look to rookie quarterback Jake Medlock to lead an offensive attack which can be potent at times. What the Titans really need is to play mistake-free for a full 60 minutes, as they have struggled during single halves of games this season and against the Storm in particular.
Medlock struggled through his least effective game of the season in last week's loss to the Barnstormers. He completed 10 of 19 passes for 67 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He still handily leads the IFL in passing yards per game at 177.9, and also leads the league with 33 touchdown passes. If he can shake off the performance and put up numbers he has otherwise consistently put up, then the Titans could have a chance at making this a close contest. Raphael Lawson-Gayle is a solid running back who can be exposive at times. He is averaging 4.9 yards per carry and has run for 6 scores on the season. With Connor Hollenbeck sidelined due to injury, It is up to Marquel Wade and Javon Bell to pick up the receiving slack. Wade has 412 receiving yards and leads the team with 13.7 yards per catch and has caught 9 touchdown passes. Bell has 32 catches for 313 yards and 7 touchdowns. James Calhoun has 4.5 tackles for loss and a team-leading 5 pass break ups to go along with his 51.5 total tackles. Linebacker Moses White has been exceptional, especially as of late, adding 4 fumble recoveries to his 49 total tackles. Ricarlo Bell's 4 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss lead the team in both categories. With the release of Zeke Arevalo on March 16, Michael Georgetti will re-assume the kicking duties for the Titans. Georgetti has hit 4 of 13 field goal attempts this season with all eight misses coming from 30 yards or beyond.
FEATURED SOCIAL MEDIA
OTHER IFL GAMES THIS WEEK
May 18 - Green Bay Blizzard at Nebraska Danger, 5:05 pacific (7:05 p.m. central)
May 20 - Iowa Barnstormers at Arizona Rattlers, 1:05 p.m. pacific (3:05 p.m. central)
IFL STANDINGS
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