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AVERY HOLTONWRANGLERS 56, STORM 48: AFL champ loses second straight, this one to first-year club piloted by ex-Storm QB.
AUSTIN, Texas - Tim Marcum's head hung low after the Tampa Bay Storm's 56-48 loss Sunday to the Wranglers, one of the Arena Football League's three expansion teams.
Marcum's team had done nearly everything. Shane Stafford threw for more than 300 yards for the second straight game, the secondary put a cap on veteran receiver Charlie Davidson. It even scored the first touchdown in front of the 12,407 who filled the Frank Erwin Center, home of the University of Texas basketball program.
Yet for the second week in a row, the 2003 ArenaBowl champ fell.
"There aren't a lot of excuses for today," said Stafford, who completed 25 of 40 passes for five touchdowns and 306 yards. "It's come down to little things, things we can't really blame anyone for. It's a crazy game."
Trailing by eight with less than a minute left, Stafford led his team 40 yards on four plays to Austin's 10-yard line. An incomplete pass that sailed into the stands and a two broken-up chances forced a fourth down that ended with Austin's DeRon Jenkins breaking up the final pass.
Former Storm quarterback John Kaleo, who left for Austin as a free agent after last season, threw for 263 yards and six touchdowns.
"I know a lot of these guys, a lot of them are my friends," said Kaleo, who took gibes from some Tampa Bay players before and during the game. "But it's another game, another win. That's the important thing for us."
Holding the usually potent Davidson to 37 yards on two catches, the Storm all but forgot about Skinny Culver. The 5-10, 185-pound Culver had five catches for 113 yards and two touchdowns.
"We knew they had a good secondary, but they don't cover as well high," Culver said. "We just kept going deep."
On offense, the Storm spread the field, opting for a short passing game to fend off Austin's strong secondary. Six receivers had receptions, with Freddie Solomon hauling in the longest of the day, a 27-yard touchdown that put Tampa Bay ahead 37-35 with 8:35 left in the third quarter.
"You want to find an excuse, but there just aren't any," Stafford said after being sacked three times.
Trailing 28-21 just before the end of the first half, Stafford marched his team 41 yards on four plays to put the Storm 10 yards from the tying score.
Jenkins broke up two end zone passes, one intended for Clif Dell and the other for Solomon, to force fourth and goal, and Tampa Bay settled for Ian Howfield's 21-yard field goal.
"What they came at us with, we haven't ever seen," Solomon said. "They stayed in front of us, doing things we hadn't seen on any game tape. It's hard to know what to expect when you haven't seen it before."
Solomon had four catches for 43 yards and two touchdowns. The second-year specialist went in as the league leader with eight touchdowns in two games and was the primary focus of Davidson and Co.
"That's what we wanted to do," said Davidson, also a defensive back, who added that none of the three players in the secondary had played together before this season.
"We've got a rookie (Jenkins) and two guys who know the game, so it's up to us to help each other out. We did that today."
Around the leagueCHICAGO 65, COLORADO 35: The host Rush set a team record with six touchdowns rushing. Jamie McGourty and Bob McMillen each ran for two touchdowns, and quarterback Raymond Philyaw and backup quarterback Chad Salisbury ran for one.
SAN JOSE 61, LOS ANGELES 55: Mark Grieb threw six touchdowns and Rashied Davis returned two kickoffs for touchdowns to lead the visiting SaberCats.
LAS VEGAS 51, GRAND RAPIDS 14: Clint Dolezel threw for 222 yards and five touchdowns for the visiting Gladiators.
DALLAS 56, NEW YORK 44: The visiting Desperados outscored the Dragons 28-16 in the fourth quarter.
NEW ORLEANS 55, GEORGIA 52: John Fitzgerald was 15-of-26 for 267 yards and five touchdowns for the VooDoo, which handed the Force its sixth straight home loss.