ORLANDO-The final game of the AFL regular season saw the Chicago Rush destroy the Orlando Predators 43-14.
Orlando actually got on the board first following a 7-play, 56-yard drive. Ramon Roden finished it off with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Farren Smithson to put the Predators up 7-0 with 11:15 left in the first quarter. Chicago would answer with a 6-play, 57-yard drive. Arman Drummond would end the drive with a 46-yard touchdown pass to Orrin Davenport to tie the game at 7 with 8:22 remaining in the first. On the ensuing kickoff, RW Warden would field the ball in the end zone and make an ill-advised return, getting swarmed at the Predators 3-yard line. On the following play, Harlan Fears would sack Roden in the end zone for a safety to give the Rush a 9-7 lead with 8:03 to go in the first quarter.
The teams would trade punts until early in the second quarter, when Chicago moved the ball 56 yards on 9 plays. Dete Justen ended the drive with a 27-yard field goal to put the Rush up 12-7 with 10:38 left in the half. Orlando drove into scoring position, only for Wallace Fetters to pick off Roden and take off 25 yards to the Chicago 45-yard line. The Rush would punt and down the ball at the Orlando 2-yard line. Roden would get picked off again, this time by Lin Atlas at the Predators 45-yard line. Nine plays later, Drummond hit Marty Margerum for a 3-yard touchdown pass to make it 19-7 with a minute remaining in the second quarter. Roden would get picked off one more time in the second quarter, and Fetters raced 33 yards for a pick-six with 38 seconds to go in the half, and the Rush led 26-7 going into the locker room.
After trading punts early in the third quarter, the Rush went on an 8-play, 79-yard drive. Drummond would hit Margerum again for a 3-yard touchdown pass to make it 33-7 with 4:56 to go in the third quarter. The Predators answered with a 10-play, 82-yard drive. D.J. Giles scored on a 3-yard touchdown run to make it 33-14 with 32 seconds to go in the third.
Chicago would answer with a 7-play, 47-yard drive. Justen kicked a 34-yard field goal to make it 36-14 with 11:40 left in the fourth quarter. Roden would get intercepted for the fourth time, as Antony Geis picked him off at the Predators 15-yard line. Three plays later, Lonnie Clements scored on an 8-yard touchdown run making it 43-14 with 9:56 remaining. Not much of note happened for the remainder of the game.
Chicago (8-8) gained 385 yards of total offense. The Rush ran for 141 yards on 39 carries. Ward Despain led the team with 52 yards on 13 carries. Drummond went 20-of-28 passing for 254 yards and 3 TD. He was sacked once for a 10-yard loss. Margerum was the leading receiver with 7 catches for 82 yards and 2 TD.
Orlando (7-9) gained 279 yards of total offense. The Predators gained 45 yards rushing on 13 carries. Roden led the team with 20 yards on 6 carries. He was 18-of-39 passing for 254 yards, 1 TD and 4 INT. He was sacked three times, losing 20 yards. Steven Thompson led Orlando's receivers with 6 catches for 76 yards.
Next up, the final regular season standings and top 10 leaders in the statistical categories.
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