FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
Duluth 6 13 6 0 25
Topeka 6 22 16 14 58
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST :TOP - Michael Cosey 3 run (pass failed)
DUL - Ricardo Jones 2 run (run failed)
2ND :TOP - Cosey 1 pass from Roberson (Lorenzo Davis run)
DUL - Justice 10 pass from Bob DeMeyer (Alex Sticker kick)
TOP - Cosey 15 run (Davis pass from Roberson)
DUL - Ray Betton 1 run (kick failed)
TOP - Roy Stone 39 pass from Roberson (run failed)
3RD :TOP - Davis 23 pass from Roberson (Cosey run)
DUL - Justice 57 kickoff return (pass failed)
TOP - Cosey 4 pass from Roberson (Davis run)
4TH :TOP - Davis 2 run (Mike Dritlien pass from Roberson)
TOP - Davis 20 pass from Roberson (run failed)
TEAM STATISTICS
TOP LIN
-------- --------
FIRST DOWNS 10 15
NET YARDS RUSHING 30 117
Rushes 13 31
NET YARDS PASSING 137 148
Completed-attempted 14-35 12-19
TOTAL NET YARDS 167 265
Sacked-yards lost 1-5 0-0
Had intercepted 1 1
Kickoffs-returns 8-130 5-96
Interceptions-returns 1-11 1-20
FUMBLES-LOST 4-1 2-2
TIME OF POSSESSION 20:49 39:11
PLAYER STATISTICS
Duluth rushing: Jones 6-18, Betton 4-15, DeMeyer 3(-3)
Topeka rushing: Cosey 24-102, Davis 3-9, Roberson 2-3, Welch 2-3
Duluth passing: DeMeyer 14-35-1 137
Topeka passing: Roberson 12-19-1 148
Duluth receiving: Justice 7-84, Tod Paige 3-27, Ryan Hubbard 2-20, Jones 2-6
Topeka receiving: Dritlein 6-52, Davis 3-52, Cosey 2-5, Stone 1-39.
A: 4,740; T: 0:00.
TOPEKA, KS -- The Duluth Lumberjacks fell flat late in their season-opener last week, but it didn't prevent them from getting a win. On Friday the Lumberjacks again lost their verve in the second half, this time much too early to survive.
The Topeka Knights scored on a 40-yard pass play with 19 seconds left in the first half, then shut down Duluth's offense in the second half to turn a tight Indoor Football League game into a 58-25 rout of the Lumberjacks Friday night before an announced crowd of 3,100. The Lumberjacks dropped to 1-1 and have a bye next week. Duluth plays next at Dayton on April 23. Topeka improved to 1-1.
Topeka running back Michael Cosey ran for 102 yards and scored four touchdowns. Knights quarterback Akili Roberson threw for 148 yards and five touchdowns, including the bomb before halftime that blunted any momentum Duluth might have generated from its own late second-quarter score.
Duluth's Jo Jo Justice scored two of his team's four touchdowns, including one on a 57-yard kickoff return in the third quarter. Justice returned a kickoff 50 yards for a touchdown last week. But Justice's return was all the offense the Lumberjacks managed in the second half.
Duluth quarterback Bob DeMeyer completed just 1 of 6 passes for 8 yards in the third quarter, by which time the Knights had turned a nine-point halftime edge into a 44-25 lead.
DeMeyer was 9 of 16 in the first half for 89 yards, but hit only 5 of 19 in the second half and finished with 137 passing yards. The Lumberjacks rushed for only 30 yards and were 2 of 9 on third-down conversions.
The teams traded turnovers and touchdowns early in the game, but Duluth was able to stay close until the final seconds of the first half. Late in the first half, DeMeyer hit Justice on a crossing pattern for a 22-yard gain to the Topeka 1 yard line. The Lumberjacks' Ray Betton scored one play later to pull the Lumberjacks within three, 22-19, with 47 seconds left in the first half.
But on Topeka's next possession, Roberson hit receiver Roy Stone with a 39-yard touchdown pass with 19 seconds remaining that put the Knights ahead 28-19 at halftime. Lumberjacks defensive back Drinon Mays tipped the ball, but not enough to keep Stone from recovering for the catch.