By SCOTT RABALAIS
Advocate sportswriter
For the Louisiana Bayou Beast, bringing the Colorado Wildcats to town was money well spent. Faced with the possibility of a no-show by a Colorado franchise between owners, Beast owner James Shiver paid for Colorado's travel and board, ensuring a revenge showdown against the only team to beat Louisiana.
The Beast responded with a big-money performance, downing the Wildcats 31-22 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
"I don't care now," said Shiver, referring to new Colorado owner Tom Schaeffer's promise to repay him for the Wildcats' travel expenses after he takes ownership. "We won."
The Beast improved to 11-1 with the victory. Coupled with a forfeit victory over now defunct Minnesota in a game scheduled for next Sunday, the Beast will be 12-1 going into their regular-season finale at Honolulu on Aug. 2. That virtually assures the Beast will finish first in the Professional Indoor Football League.
"I know this is looking ahead, but this is the team I want to play in the final," said Beast running back Germaine Williams. He scored Louisiana's final touchdown and set up the one before that with a string of bruising runs. "Other than us, they have the best talent."
The Beast will open the playoffs Aug. 9 at the Centroplex. The PIFL championship game will be Aug. 15 at the PMAC.
Denver-based Colorado outslugged Louisiana 49-41 back on May 9, but this game was dominated by defense.
"Our defense came to play," said Louisiana coach Buford Jordan, who sported a bandage on his forehead after excitedly head-butting Williams during the game. "We held a very good team to 22 points."
The Beast were also held well below their season average of 48.2 points per game. Linebacker James Gillyard expected that.
"People are catching on to our offense," the ex-LSU Tiger said. "Our defense has had to step up and keep the score low."
The Beast scored on the game's third play, a 17-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Melvin Hill to wide receiver Michael Lewis. Matt Huerkamp missed the extra point, keeping the score 6-0 with 11:55 left in the first quarter. Colorado grabbed a 7-6 lead with 25.3 seconds left in the first on a 1-yard plunge by running back Darnell Brooks and a PAT by quarterback/kicker Tim Thenell.
The Beast went back up 12-7 with 12:05 left in the second on a 1-yard run by running back Byron Allen. His run for two points failed. The Wildcats see-sawed back in front 14-12 on a 31-yard strike from reserve quarterback Tim Wright to wideout Antonio Chandler with 9:00 left in the second. A 50-yard Huerkamp field goal put the Beast up 15-14 at the 5:58 mark, but Colorado took a 16-15 halftime lead on a safety when Hill threw incomplete in his end zone at the 2:15 mark.
A two-point field goal by Huerkamp that put the Beast in front 17-16 at the 8:21 mark was the only scoring in the third. Runs of 7, 7 and 11 yards by Williams set up a 8-yard TD pass from Hill to Lewis for a 24-16 Beast lead with 9:21 left in the fourth. Colorado pulled within 24-22 with 4:41 to go on a 1-yard plunge by Brooks, but his try for two points was short.
The Beast responded two plays later when Williams burst up the middle nearly untouched on a 14-yard scoring run with 3:10 remaining.
"The guys tell me I'm not 230 pounds anymore," said Williams, who admitted he now goes about 260. "I've got to stop shaking and baking and put my head down."
Colorado 7 9 0 6 22
Louisiana 6 9 2 14 31
First Quarter
LA-12:34-Michael Lewis 17 yd pass from Melvin Hill,
Matt Huerkamp PAT failed 6-0
Col-0:58-Darnell Brooks 1 yd run, Tim Thenell PAT 6-7
Second Quarter
LA-12:53-Byron Allen 1 yd run, 2 pt conv. failed 12-7
Col-9:52-Antonio Chandler 31 yd pass from Tim Wright, Thenell PAT 12-14
LA-5:58-Huerkamp 50 yd field goal 15-14
Col-2:15-Jeff Veronie safety 15-16
Third Quarter
LA-8:21-Huerkamp 10 yd field goal 17-16
Fourth Quarter
LA-9:59-Lewis 8 yd pass from Hill, Huerkamp PAT 24-16
Col-4:41-Brooks 1 yd run, 2 pt conv. failed 24-22
LA-3:10-Germaine Williams, 14 yd run, Huerkamp PAT 31-22
Team Stats Louisiana Colorado
First Downs 13 12
Rushing 8 4
Passing 5 7
Penalty 0 1
Rushing Attempts 21 22
Yards Rushing 117 89
Net Passing Yards 54 65
Passes Attempted 14 20
Passes Completed 5 6
Had Intercepted 1 4
Total Offensive Plays 36 45
Total Net Yards 171 154
Fumbles: Number-Lost 2-0 0-0
Penalties: Number-Lost 4-34 9-44
Missed Field Goal Returns 0-0 0-0
Kickoff Returns: No.-Yards 3-59 8-89
3rd Down Conversions 1-5 2-10
4th Down Conversions 0-1 1-3
Sacks by: Number-Yards 3-41 1-5
Interception Returns: 4-34 1-27
Possesion Time 32:43 27:17
Fumble Returns 0-0 0-0
Individual Stats
Rushing-L-Hill 8-64-1, Williams 9-59-1, Byron Allen 4-(-6);
C-Brooks 16-66-2, Tim Wright 3-18, Thenell 2-5
Receiving-L-Lewis 2-25-2, Joe Valencia 2-23, Derrick Fobb 1-11;
C-Antonio Chandler 3-61-1, Pat Wall 2-22, Tim Wright 1-23
Passing-L-Hill 5-14-54-2-1;
C-Thenell 3-16-34-0-4, Wright 3-4-31-1-0
Field Goals-L-Huerkamp 2-4 made 30, 18 missed 43, 56;
Thenell 0-4 missed 27,34,53,45
PATS-L-Huerkamp 2-3;
C-Thenell 2-2
Kickoff Returns-L-Lewis 3-59;
C-Chandler 8-89
Missed Field Goal Returns-C-Bucky Logan 1-6, Jesse Tann 1-16
Interceptions-L-Pat Rogers 2-27, Twillie 1-5, Jack Phillips 1-2;
C-Nick Galbraith 1-27
Tackles-L-Twillie 6, Rogers, 14, Gillyard 10, Johnson 5, Thomas 7,
Taylor 5, Lee 5, Green 7, Williams 4, Lewis 1, Davis 1, Cloud 1,
Phillips 3, Shiver 1;
C-Gordon 5, Graves 4, Veronie 8, Logan 2, Wall 4, McDonald 4, Galbraith 7,
Barnett 2, Johnson 1, Cummings 1, Simpson 1, Johnson 1, Billington 1
Sacks-L-Rogers 1-22, Thomas 1-13, Green 1-6;
C-Veronie 1-5
Back to the Main
Page