TAMPA-Foster Warhurst had a record-setting performance, but it wasn't enough as the Tampa Bay Storm and Nashville Kats played to a 26-26 tie in a Week 8 AFL game.
The Kats started the game with a 12-play, 57-yard drive that ended with Daniel Stevenson kicking a 40-yard field goal with 9:03 remaining in the first to take a 3-0 lead. Both the Storm and Kats then traded punts, then Tampa Bay drove 29 yards on 8 plays. Johnny Quincey finished the drive with 1:21 left in the first quarter to tie the game at 3-3.
Nashville went three-and-out to start the second quarter, and a 62-yard punt return by Drake Cushing set up a 4-play, 19-yard drive that saw Orval Stanley complete a 7-yard touchdown pass to Warhurst to put the Storm up 9-3 with 13:07 to go in the second quarter. The Kats responded with a 5-play, 62-yard drive that saw Brewster Brickhouse complete a 44-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Falk and Nashville pulled ahead 10-9 with 10:18 left in the half. After a Tampa Bay punt, the Kats drove again, going 80 yards on 7 plays. Brickhouse threw another touchdown, this one a 13-yarder to Davis Weems to extend Nashville's lead to 17-9 with 5:37 left in the second quarter. The Storm would answer with an 11-play, 60-yard drive. Stanley ended the drive by sneaking in from a yard out. Tampa Bay went for two to try to make up a missed extra point but failed, and the Storm trailed 17-15 with 2:01 remaining in the half. Nashville would then drive 75 yards on 9 plays. Stevenson ended the drive with a 22-yard field goal with 23 seconds remaining, and the teams went into the locker room with the Kats leading 20-15.
Greg Ponder took the second half kickoff for the Storm and returned it 59 yards to the Nashville 25. After six plays gained 16 yards, Quincey kicked a 26-yard field goal with 12:07 to go in the third to make it 20-18. The Kats drove 54 yards on 10 plays, and Stevenson would kick a 37-yard field goal to go up 23-18 with 6:38 remaining in the third quarter. Tampa Bay would punt, and Nashville would go on a 12-play, 54-yard drive that saw Stevenson kick a 31-yard field goal with 13:39 remaining in the fourth quarter, and Nashville was up 26-18.
Tampa would punt on their next drive, and Brickhouse would get picked off by Elvin Pauls who returned it 9 yards to the Kats' 21-yard line. But Stanley would be sacked by Hawk Tostada and fumbled, and Jaureen Karnes recovered for the Kats at their own 32. Nashville would punt, and Stanley was intercepted by Hamilton Berger who returned it 15 yards to the Nashville 39-yard line. But the Kats went three-and-out and punted. The Storm then struck for a 7-play, 80-yard drive that saw Stanley complete a 4-yard touchdown pass to Jefferson Taylor. Tampa Bay converted for two and the game was tied at 26 with 57 seconds left in regulation, and the game went into overtime.
Tampa Bay got the ball first, but Stanley was intercepted by Berger again at the Nashville 35-yard line. The Kats went three-and-out, and the Storm looked for all the world to be driving for the winning score, but they got greedy and Stanley was picked off in the end zone by Lando Reynolds who returned it to the Kats' 18-yard line. Nashville tried to drive down the field but had to punt, and it came down to Quincey attempting a 46-yard field goal with 17 seconds left in overtime. The kick sailed wide, and Brickhouse's desperation deep pass was intercepted by Cushing to end the game in a tie.
Nashville (3-4-1) gained 464 yards of total offense. The Kats ran for 156 yards on 46 carries. Weems and Damien Holden each ran for 48 yards. Brickhouse went 23-of-37 passing for 308 yards, 2 TD and 2 INT and was not sacked. Vittorio Swane caught 5 passes for 91 yards, and Cobey Kingston caught 5 passes for 51 yards. Nashville goes on the road next week to face the Los Angeles Avengers.
Tampa Bay (5-2-1) gained 445 yards of total offense. The Storm gained 77 yards rushing on 20 carries. Taylor led the team with 27 yards on 5 carries. Stanley went 33-of-51 passing for 384 yards, 2 TD and 3 INT. He was sacked three times, losing 16 yards. Warhurst set a single-game record with 13 receptions for 166 yards and a TD. The Storm travel to San Jose to face the Sabercats next week.
No comments:
Post a Comment