Week 6 Game Preview: LAS VEGAS OUTLAWS (3-2) @ ORLANDO RAGE (5-0)

LAS VEGAS OUTLAWS (3-2) @ ORLANDO RAGE (5-0)
Saturday, March 10, 2001 – 8:00 p.m. (ET)
Citrus Bowl
TV: NBC Primary Game

ORLANDO RAGE NOTES:
OUTLOOK: After nipping the Memphis Maniax, 21-19, last week at the Liberty Bowl, the Eastern Division leading and undefeated (5-0) Orlando Rage return home to face West-leading Las Vegas.
GAME PLAN: If QB Jeff Brohm is out of action with a slight concussion, look for back up QB Brian Kuklick to pick up where he left off last week in Memphis. Kuklick was 9 of 18 for 207 yards, 81 of them to Wideout Dialleo Burks for a touchdown reception in his three-quarters of play. Orlando will continue to pound away at the Vegas defense with RB’s Derrick Clark, Michael Black, and Brian Shay. The Rage running attack is averaging a league-best 132.8 yards per game, despite the fact that RB Derrick Clark’s 69 yards last Sunday marked the single-game high by a Rage player. On defense, Orlando must take advantage of Las Vegas’ lack of offensive power as the Outlaws rank last in total offense, averaging 16 points a game.
INJURIES: DOUBTFUL: QB Jeff Brohm (Neck). QUESTIONABLE: DT Ben Huff (Shoulder), TE Terrance Huston (Neck), S Hassan Shamsid-Deen (Shoulder). PROBABLE: DL Bill Duff (Ankle), T Dan Goodspeed (Finger), OL Garin Patrick (Finger).
NEWS AND NOTES: With a one-yard run against Memphis, Derrick Clark extended his XFL record for most consecutive games with a running touchdown to five…In 12 “Red Zone” opportunities this year, the Rage have put points on the board on 11 occasions – including nine touchdowns – for a success rate of 90.9%….Since being called for false starts twice in the first game of the season, the Orlando Rage offense has not been called for that infraction since – a period covering four games and 17+ quarters… Orlando’s offense has been called for just 9 penalties all season, including 2 false stops, 1 illegal formation, 5 holding penalties, 1 offensive pass interference and 1 personal foul…Kicker Jay Taylor missed a field goal for the first time this season when he was wide right from 42 yards on the last play of the second quarter against Memphis. His streak ends at four… Scott Cloman has won three of the four dashes, but it is interesting to note that Cloman has not been the first to the ball in any of the attempts.
OFF THE FIELD: Rage starting defensive end James Roberson (from Lakeland, Fla.) and Las Vegas Outlaws starting defensive tackle Carl Simpson played side-by-side at Florida State University in 1991 and 1992.

LAS VEGAS OUTLAWS NOTES:
OUTLOOK: After losing 15-13 and allowing 15 unanswered points in the second half to the Chicago Enforcers, the Outlaws look to rebound against the undefeated Orlando Rage.
GAME PLAN: Although Las Vegas’ offense is ranked last in the league, the Outlaws have been getting some offensive firepower as of late. RB “He Hate Me” A.K.A Rod Smart is averaging 105 yards rushing over the past two weeks. With QB Ryan Clement healthy and entering his second full week of practice, he could be ready to start, creating a QB controversy in the Outlaw camp. Head coach Jim Criner has not named his starter, leaving the competition fierce this week in practice. Last week, Mark Grieb completed half of his passes (9 of 18) for 98 yards with two TDs and two picks. The Outlaw defense, ranked second in the league behind the San Francisco Demons, face their toughest offensive opponent. The Rage is averaging 132 yards rushing, a tough challenge for Las Vegas, who pride themselves on stopping the run allowing only 68 yards on the ground.
INJURIES: OUT: OUT: C David Diaz-Infante (Knee). QUESTIONABLE: OL Jon Blackman (Knee), DE Kelvin Kinney (Ankle), DT Ty Parten (Back). PROBABLE: S Chris Bayne (Concussion), DT Adriano Belli (Bicep), TE Rickey Brady (Thumb), QB Ryan Clement (Shoulder), LB Kurt Gouveia (Groin), DE Michael Mason (Knee), S Brandon Sanders (Hip), DE Michael Mason (Knee).
NEWS AND NOTES: The Outlaws have forced 14 turnovers in five games with just four give-aways to boast the league’s top turnover ratio (+10)… RB Rod “He Hate Me” Smart boasts ties from Florida. The Lakeland, Fla., native is reunited this week with his six brothers and sisters that continue to live in the area… WR Yo Murphy immediately made his presence on the Outlaws known against Chicago. With just 52 seconds remaining in the first half, Murphy caught his second TD and third pass of the day, a 7-yard slant that gave the Outlaws its 13-0 halftime lead. With three catches for 38 yards and two TDs on the day, Murphy became the second-leading scorer for Las Vegas (behind K Paul McCallum, who has 18 points) and the first-ever Outlaw to score multiple touchdowns in a game… For the third consecutive week, the Outlaws added a player to their offensive scheme. The Outlaws traded S Toby Wright to the San Francisco Demons for G/T Tony Berti, whose rights had come to San Francisco earlier in the day from the NY/NJ Hitmen.
OFF THE FIELD: Las Vegas Coach Jim Criner spent nine years away from football, running a fishing supply business (Bob Lilly’s Trout Shop) in West Yellowstone, Montana. Criner also made a number of videos and served as an instructor on fly fishing – earning a rating as one of the top 25 instructors in the country by the US Fishing Federation.

[Outlaws at Rage | Enforcers at Maniax | Hitmen at Demons | Xtreme at Bolts]

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