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2000 Season Game 7 (5/26/00): Albany @ New Jersey |
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Fast start fuels Birds
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The Albany Firebirds bounced back from an ugly loss, won a crucial Arena Football game, and may have found the answer at offensive specialist in the process.
Rookie Quincy Jackson, a surprise starter in only his second game, caught seven passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns, winning MVP honors as the Firebirds defeated the New Jersey Red Dogs 63-55 in an Eastern Division game at Continental Airlines Arena on Friday night.
The Firebirds got off to a rare fast start, taking a 21-0 lead and held off New Jersey to finally put a rest to the bad memories of last Saturday's 59-35 loss to Arizona.
"Even at the end of last week, I felt this was a game that would define our season and let us know what we're all about.'' Firebirds head coach Mike Dailey said. "We were coming off maybe the worst beating I can remember, and we knew it was going to be a tough struggle. This really gives us a shot in the arm.''
So did Jackson, an Alabama graduate who was in training camp with the Cincinnati Bengals last year. He replaced Van Johnson at the specialist position.
"That's basically why I'm here, to do anything possible to help the team win,'' said Jackson, who is 6-foot-1, 190 pounds.
Jackson was Albany's third offensive specialist in six weeks since star Eddie Brown retired after the season opener. Wide receiver/linebacker Greg Hopkins, who once filled in at offensive specialist, bounced back from a subpar performance against Arizona by catching six passes for 77 yards and two touchdowns, recovering a fumble and covering an onsides kick at the end of the game to end New Jersey's last threat.
Hopkins caught a touchdown pass for Albany's first score and the Firebirds (5-2) took a 14-0 lead after one quarter, only the second time all season they've led after the first quarter. The other time was a 14-10 lead against Tampa Bay on April 29.
"It's been our goal for the last six games, trying to come out of the blocks and get some points early,'' Hopkins said. "We haven't done it until tonight. It's nice to see we responded well to the adversity that we faced this week.''
This has been a fierce rivalry, with New Jersey (1-5) winning four of the previous seven meetings. So it was really no surprise when the Red Dogs, down 42-14 in the second quarter, rallied to within 49-42 after three quarters.
But Albany quarterback Mike Pawlawski fired a 24-yard touchdown pass to Jackson, who caught the ball while sliding shoulder first into the left sideline boards, for a 56-42 lead with 14:06 remaining. Jones stayed in the game despite suffering turf toe on his left big toe in the first quarter.
"Quincy came in and really did some good things,'' Dailey said. "We've been searching for some answers, and he really gave us a shot in the arm. Plus he allows Van Johnson and Greg Hopkins to go back and do what they've been doing naturally (playing two ways).''
New Jersey answered when former NFL quarterback Tommy Maddox (20 of 39, 245 yards, six TDs) hit David Saunders with a 9-yard touchdown pass, though New Jersey's momentum faded when it missed the extra point.
On a gutsy call by Dailey, Albany went for it on fourth-and-1 from its own 19 with 5:30 left in the game. Fullback Jon Krick rushed for two yards and a first down, sparking a drive which culminated in Krick's 1-yard touchdown run for a 63-48 lead with 3:48 left. Albany's five rushing touchdowns tied a team record.
Maddox came back with a 9-yard scoring pass to Michael Lewis to cut Albany's lead to 9 with 51.5 seconds left, but Hopkins recovered the onsides kick and Albany ran out the clock.
New Jersey won the coin toss, but elected to kick off to start the game.
The Firebirds then marched to a touchdown on their opening drive, aided by three offside penalties against New Jersey's linemen. Pawlawski hit Hopkins for a 6-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead with 8:50 remaining, the first time all year the Firebirds had scored first.
New Jersey stalled on its first drive as Maddox twice had passes dropped by his receivers. Then kicker Derek Schorejs missed a 39-yard field goal.
The Firebirds increased their lead to 14-0 on the final play of the quarter as Pawlawski hit rookie Jackson, starting his first game at offensive specialist, for a 20-yard score.
On New Jersey's next possession, a fumbled exchange by Maddox was recovered by Firebirds linebacker Tim Brown at the New Jersey 12. Three plays later, Brown barreled in from the 1 for a 21-0 lead with 10:25 left in the half.
The teams exchanged touchdowns over the next nine minutes as Leroy Thompson's 1-yard scoring run and Hopkins' 22-yard touchdown reception kept Albany ahead 35-14 with one minutes left.
Then Hopkins recovered another fumbled snap by Maddox at the New Jersey 1, and on the next play Brown rushed for his second 1-yard touchdown and a 42-14 lead.
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