ORLANDO-The Nashville Kats overcame an early first quarter deficit to get their first victory of the AFL season with a 37-27 win over the Orlando Predators in a Week 4 game.
Orlando got the ball first and immediately established their gameplan, using three pass plays to travel 69 yards, ending the drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass from DJ Haji to Farren Smithson to give the Predators a 7-0 lead with 13:51 remaining in the first quarter. Nashville tried to establish their ball-control gameplan early, but were forced to punt. The Predators then drove the ball through the air again, going 80 yards in 8 plays. Haji scrambled in from the 1 to put Orlando up 14-0 with 6:37 left in the first quarter. A 40-yard kickoff return by Oliver Osler gave Nashville the ball at midfield, but it went for naught as Daniel Stevenson missed a 47-yard field goal attempt. But Orlando was forced to punt as the first quarter neared its end.
From there, the Kats were able to starting establishing their gameplan, mixing run and pass to drive 64 yards on 10 plays. Stevenson would make a 33-yard field goal with 9:47 to go in the second quarter to make it 14-3. Orlando punted on their next drive, and the Kats were on the move again, traveling 69 yards on 12 plays. Osler completed the drive with a 2-yard touchdown to make it 14-10 with 3:25 to go in the half. Orlando was moving toward a potential score, but Haji threw an interception to Verlin Winfrey who returned it to the Nashville 37-yard line. The Kats then drove 54 yards on 7 plays, scoring on a 26-yard field goal by Stevenson with 11 seconds remaining to go into halftime down 14-13.
The second half began with both teams trading punts, then Nashville's Brewster Brickhouse threw a pass that was intercepted by Jack Stuckey of the Predators, who returned it to the Orlando 42-yard line. After a 4-play, 22-yard drive, Abel White kicked a 53-yard field goal to put the Predators up 17-13 with 8:05 to go in the third. Nashville then drove 71 yards on 10 plays. Brickhouse atoned for his interception with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Angus Shibest to give the Kats their first lead, 20-17 with 3:03 left in the third. Haji was intecepted again, this time by Danny McKenzie who returned it to the Preadtors' 21. Five plays later, Osler dove in from the 1 to extend Nashville's lead to 27-17 with 3 seconds remaining in the third.
In the fourth quarter, Orlando was able to move the ball 67 yards on 8 plays, settling for a 28-yard field goal by White with 11:42 to go in the game to make it 27-20. But Nashville went on the march again, going 73 yards on 11 plays. Davis Weems put an end to the drive with a 31-yard touchdown run to put the Kats up 34-20 with 6:14 to go. Orlando couldn't move the ball and punted, and Osler returned the punt 53 yards to the Predators' 19. Nashville could only manage a yard on 3 plays, and Stevenson connected on a 35-yard field goal with 3:06 to go to make it 37-20. But the Predators went down fighting, with a 15-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Haji hitting Leonard Irving on a 10-yard touchdown pass on the last play of the game that made the score 37-27.
Nashville (1-3) gained 391 yards of total offense. The Kats gained 157 yards rushing on 39 carries. Osler led the Kats with 83 yards on 21 carries and 2 TD. Weems ran for 43 yards on 9 carries and a TD. Brickhouse was 20-for-32 passing for 241 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. He was sacked once, losing 7 yards. Isaiah Falk was Nashville's leading receiver, with 6 catches for 80 yards. Next week, the Kats host the Tampa Bay Storm.
Orlando (1-3) gained 405 yards of total offense. The Predators made no bones about being pass-heavy, running only 14 times for 41 yards. D.J. Giles was the leading rusher, with 6 carries for 27 yards. Haji was 29-for-44 passing for 383 yards, 2 TD and 2 INT. He was sacked three times, losing 19 yards. Smithson was Orlando's leading receiver, with 8 catches for 145 yards and a TD. Steven Thompson caught 7 passes for 128 yards. The Predators go on the road against the Georgia Force next week.
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