Week 10 (6/26/99): Albany vs Iowa

Firebirds find fault in offense

The day after the Albany Firebirds allowed the most points in franchise history in a 77-76 loss to the Iowa Barnstormers, you'd think all the blame would rest with the Albany defense, which always looks hapless against Iowa's well-conceived attack.

However, Firebirds quarterback Mike Pawlawski wouldn't pardon the offense, either, in the aftermath Sunday. He said that a miserable series in the fourth quarter -- while the Firebirds held a 3-point lead -- was the point where Saturday's game started slipping away.

The drive that started at the Firebirds 5 ended with an interception when Pawlawski was picked off by Iowa's John Fisher, who returned it 10 yards to the Albany 4.

On the very next play, Iowa scored to take its first lead of the game, 60-56 with 11:37 left.

Pawlawski said that the loss, Albany's sixth straight against Iowa, happened more because of that sequence than the 21-yard field goal that Iowa's Clay Rush made at the final buzzer to win the game.

"It wasn't so much the kick,'' he said. "That (the turnover) was the swing. We were one (score) up at all times. But as soon as they get the interception, they go up by four points. Then we're trading touchdowns back and forth."

The loss dropped Albany (7-3), which entered the game with the best record in the league, to the third seed if the playoffs started today, behind Arizona (7-2) and Iowa (7-3).

However, the Firebirds are still in first place in the Eastern Division, and they got good news when second-place New England was beaten at home by Portland Saturday night.

The Firebirds, who have four regular-season games left, will host New England (5-4) at Pepsi Arena Friday night.

Against Iowa, Albany scored touchdowns on 11 of 13 possessions, and Pawlawski tied a league record with 10 touchdown passes, but he dwelled upon the mistakes made during that fourth-quarter drive.

"There were four horrible plays in a row," Pawlawski said. "Horrible plays all by different people. Otherwise, they didn't stop us all night long, other than a fumble (in the first quarter by Greg Hopkins)."

Iowa had just scored to cut Albany's lead to 56-53, and Firebird Jay Jones returned the ensuing kickoff to the Albany 5.

On first down, fullback Tim Brown fumbled a pitchout. Though he managed to recover, he lost four yards back to the 1.

On second down, Pawlawski threw an incomplete pass intended for Hopkins.

On third down, protection broke down and Pawlawski was almost sacked in his end zone for a safety. But he threw the ball away, and luckily for Albany, Iowa lineman Toney Catchings was penalized for jumping offsides.

Third down was re-played, and -- needing eight yards for a first down -- Pawlawski fired a pass intended for Eddie Brown near the left sideline at the Albany 14. But Brown slipped and fell, and Iowa's Fisher cut in front for the interception.

"If Eddie comes back and catches it, it's a first down," Pawlawski said. "You just try to make plays when you can. There's really no fault on that, except that it shouldn't have happened."

Not that the Albany defense should be excused, either. The Firebirds allowed 413 yards, the second-most in franchise history to the 416 Albany allowed against, not suprisingly, the Barnstormers on May 24, 1997.

Albany's defensive ineptitude was one of the reasons that Albany coach Mike Dailey tried an on-side kick in the third quarter, an unusual ploy because Albany led, 49-40, with 5:56 left.

Iowa recovered at the Firebirds 10 and scored on an Aaron Garcia touchdown pass on third and 4 to cut Albany's lead to 49-46.

"Somebody on defense has to make a play,'' Albany WR/DB Jay Jones said. "When offenses are working like that, the league's built for that, that's what fans want to come and see -- a lot of points."

They certainly did on Saturday, with 153 combined points, tying the league record. But the Pepsi Arena faithful didn't get a win.