DALLAS-The Dallas Desperados scored 15 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to pull away from the Iowa Barnstormers 36-16 in the AFL season opener for both teams.
The Barnstormers got the ball rolling in the first quarter. A 10-play, 38-yard drive ended with K SB Rhoads kicking a 41-yard field goal with 10:43 left in the first quarter to take a 3-0 lead. After both teams exchanged punts, Dallas drove 57 yards on 7 plays, ending with FB Helmut Briley scoring on a 3-yard run with 41 seconds left to give the Desperados a 7-3 lead. However, Iowa's Corben Marvell would take the ensuing kickoff and return it 88 yards for a touchdown to regain the lead for the Barnstormers, 10-7 with 24 seconds remaining in the first.
The second quarter saw both teams exchange punts, and then Dallas embarked on a long, time-consuming drive that went 80 yards on 17 plays. The seven-and-a-half minute drive finally ended with QB Heinie Voorhees hitting WR Clem Shaffer for a 3-yard TD pass with 3:33 left in the half to put the Desperados up 14-10. Diron Imboden put the kibosh on an Iowa scoring threat with an interception, and the half would end with the Desperados in front.
In the third quarter, Dallas was pinned deep in their own territory and forced to punt. Both teams would subsequently trade interceptions and ultimately, Iowa sent Rhoads to attempt a 50-yard field goal with 11:05 left in the third, the kick was partially blocked by Dallas' Jose Moore and resulted in a miss. From there, the Desperados would drive 60 yards on 10 plays, culminating in a 7-yard pass from Voorhees to HB Horace Evers to extend Dallas's lead to 21-10 with 6:07 to go in the third. Iowa would punt on its next possession, but get an interception by LB Emilio Shipp to get back in business at their own 30. However, they were forced to punt again. But, Iowa DT Nigel Tuck sacked Voorhees and forced a fumble recovered by CB Brandon Perkey at the Dallas 28 with 1:16 remaining in the third. The Barnstormers managed to drive it to the 2, and faced with a fourth-and-goal early in the fourth sent Rhoads to attempt a chip-shot 19-yard field goal. But the kick was blocked by Dallas's Grant Frederick and returned to the 18 yard line.
Dallas attempted to go for the jugular at that point, but Iowa LB Seth Waltrip picked off the pass at the Desperados' 37, and the Barnstormers would later score on a 10-yard pass from Ev Blansett to Caleb Whitlock. The Barnstormers went for two, and failed, making it 21-16 in favor of Dallas with 12:04 remaining in the game. Dallas would drive 68 yards on 10 plays, scoring on a 24-yard field goal by Greg Hall to put the Desperados up 24-16 with 8:06 remaining. LB Ardell Edmonds picked off a Blansett pass and returned it to the Barnstormers' 3 yard line, and after three plays lost five yards, Hall kicked another field goal, this one from 25 yards to make it 27-16 with 5:07 to go. An illegal block penalty and a false start would stick Iowa at its own 6, and a Moore sack would register a safety that made 29-16 Desperados with 4:45 left. After the safety punt, Dallas would drive 66 yards on 12 plays, with Voorhees putting the exclamation point on the game with a 7-yard QB keeper to make the score 36-16 with 45 seconds left.
Dallas gained 446 yards of total offense. They ran the ball 36 times for 185 yards, Elson Gregson led the way with 120 yards on 19 carries. Voorhees gained 49 yards on 12 carries for a TD. Briley gained 16 yards on 3 carries for a TD. Voorhees went 25-for-45 for 270 yards, with 2 TD and 3 INT, and was sacked once for a 9 yard loss. Shaffer was the leading receiver, with 5 catches for 83 yards and a TD.
The Barnstormers were held to 227 yards of total offense. The running game was nonexistent, gaining only 15 yards on 11 carries. Powell Ramos was the main running "threat", gaining 12 yards on 5 carries. Blansett went 20-for-38 passing for 227 yards with 1 TD and 3 INT. He was also sacked three times, losing 15 yards. Whitlock was the leading receiver, with 4 catches for 71 yards and a TD.
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