A Wild Card Weekend full of stories. From Boston’s first trip to the postseason, to an Ohio squad trying to defend their title once again but missing two of their biggest stars. Doug Flutie, at age 40, trying to pull off one more magical performance, and a gametime decision for the Breakers that caught their opponent flat footed. There were defensive stands, big offensive plays that shifted momentum, and even an overtime thriller between two foes who know each other very well. What there wasn’t was a break in the action. There was barely time to breath as the USFL put on a show of what post-season football can be.
PITTSBURGH MAULERS 17 BOSTON CANNONS 24
The weekend kicked off with a rowdy crowd at Alumni Stadium reveling in their new team’s first playoff game. The Cannons fell just short of winning their division, but their 10-4 record secured them the top Wild Card spot (thanks to a tiebreaker) and that meant that the Pittsburgh Maulers would have to deal with a loud, well-lubricated, and rowdy Boston crowd as well as the Cannons themselves.
Pittsburgh started off well, perhaps assisted by a bit of opening-night nerves for a Boston team that had never achieved postseason play before. The Maulers held Boston without a first down on their first two drives and finished the first quarter up 6-0 on two Bill Grammatica field goals. Grammatica added another in the 2nd quarter before Boston got their first score, but once the Cannons got their legs under them, they started to make waves.
Down 9-0, the Cannons rallied with two touchdown drives to take the lead in the second quarter. The first was a 73-yard drive that saw Tiki Barber gain 33 yards on 5 carries. The drive was capped off by Drew Bledsoe hitting Chad Ochocinco on a short slant route from the 2. The Cannon defense then did their job, shutting down Terrell Davis on 3rd and 2 to force a Mauler punt. With just under 2 minutes in the half, Bledsoe moved into no-huddle mode, and in 6 plays got the Cannons into the endzone, this time a 19-yard fade route to Robert Ferguson did the trick. Jitters gone, the Cannons went into the half up by 5.
But Pittsburgh had not lost their spirit. After a sack of Bledsoe ended Boston’s first drive , the Maulers responded, with Charlie Batch connecting with Andre Rison for a go-ahead score. The Maulers went for 2, and got it as Batch pitched wide to Kenny Bynum, who ran over a cornerback to get into the endzone to put Pittsburgh up by 3. But that would be the end of Pittsburgh’s offensive success. Boston finished out the third quarter with a drive of their own and when Robert Ferguson hauled in his 2nd TD of the game, the Cannons were up for good.
The Boston defense shut down the Pittsburgh run game, limiting Kenny Bynum to 1.4 yards per carry, and with Terrell Davis sidelined for a long stretch due to migraines once again, the Maulers simply could not respond. A Jason Elam field goal stretched the Boston lead up to 7, but they would not be challenged in the game’s final moments, finishing the game with a kneel down by Bledsoe. Boston wins their first playoff game and now waits to find out if they would face the New Jersey Generals in a classic Boston-NYC matchup, or their division rivals, the Bandits, in the next round.
HOUSTON GAMBLERS 29 NASHVILLE KNIGHTS 10
The Saturday Night game pitted the Gamblers, who only achieved .500 and a playoff berth with two season-ending wins, and who many felt were lucky to make the postseason at all after playing most of the year without their starting QB, and the Nashville Knights, who many pundits view as an underachiever, a team that should have parlayed the league’s best rushing attack into more than 8 wins this season. Not exactly a David v. Goliath matchup, more like two teams trying to earn respect from a skeptical nation.
One player who did not need to prove anything to earn America’s respect was 40-year-old QB Doug Flutie. The former General and Panther has been in the league since 1985, and despite a 2-year hiatus from the league, he was named the starter for this one, and that proved to be a good call by Coach Phillips. Flutie went 17 of 25 and threw 2 touchdowns, but what was more important was that he took command of the Gambler offense, kept his poise throughout, and helped Houston navigate the minefield of Nashville’s high pressure defense.
Flutie would throw both of his touchdowns in the first half, one to HB Kevin Faulk and the 2nd to WR Koren Robinson. By halftime the Gamblers had set the tone, leading 17-3. Nashville pulled closer with an opening drive score to get within 7, but after that things started to unravel for the Knights. Todd Collins was sacked in the endzone by FS Leomont Evans (although many feel Michael Sinclair’s initial pressure should merit him credit for the sack). Then two consecutive scoring drives, a field goal and a Kevin Faulk run, and we had a 19-point lead for the Gamblers. Nashville had to abandon a run game that had its moments in the game (Green with 117 yards on 24 carries) and going to a pass-first offense is not what the Knights do well. It allowed Kavika Pittman and Michael Sinclair to tee off on the pass rush, and that did not go well for Todd Collins. Nashville would draw no closer, and the surprising Houston Gamblers, with their unretired QB, were moving on to the next round, a tough date at the #1 seed in the West, the Arizona Wranglers.
CHICAGO MACHINE 21 OHIO GLORY 27 -- OVERTIME
This was the game to watch, and everyone pretty much knew it. This game between two divisional rivals, not only pitted the 2-time defending champion against one of their fiercest rivals, but it also had the drama of the Glory hobbling into the game without Kerry Collins. If Ohio could get past Chicago, there was a chance Collins could be back for the Divisional round, but getting past a foe as determined as the Machine would be no easy task, even with over 60,000 screaming Ohioans in the stands in Columbus.
For Chicago, their star QB was ready to return, having missed most of the second half of the season with an injury. Jeff George took the helm for the Machine, giving Chicago fans hope that this time the story against Ohio would be different. George would have a very strong game, particularly in the 2nd half, on his way to three fourth quarter touchdowns and 305 yards passing, but it was not easy up front. George was erratic in the first half, completing only 10 of 22 passes, and producing no points. Ohio had scored twice in the half and went into halftime up 14-0 as Chicago fans felt frustrated by their inability to take advantage of a clearly weakened Ohio offense.
The Machine had focused their attention on Eddie George, and that had limited Ohio to 14 points, but if they could not score, that would bode very poorly for them. Down 14, they struggled more in the 3rd quarter, but found their way on a drive that began with only 1:22 left in the 3rd. The Machine, who had run the ball well (115 yards for Michael Turner) simply did not have time to stick with the run. They let George turn it loose and what resulted was the first score of the game, a George to Conway TD pass with just under 2 minutes gone in the final quarter.
Ohio would counter with a score of their own as Chris Redman found Troy Brown to once again give Ohio a 14-point lead, but with over 8 minutes left in the half, there was time for Chicago to come back. George started using a hurry up offense with 8 minutes left, and that paid dividends. He hit Conway with his second TD reception of the game, and suddenly we were back to only a 7-point difference. After a quick 3-and-out produced by the Chicago defense, the offense took over with just under 3-minutes left to play. George again found Curtis Conway, this time from 49 yards away, and suddenly the game was tied.
Ohio opted to run out the clock, take a breather, regroup, and prepare for overtime. Chicago, exhausted by the effort to tie the game, was happy to oblige. The game went into extra time and both clubs looked tired, unable to muster anything in their opening possessions. Ohio would receive the ball with 5:03 left in the extra period, and they would find the energy and the drive to battle their way to a win and keep their dream of yet another Summer Bowl alive. They got clutch catches from TE Stephen Alexander and WR Reche Caldwell (who finished the game with 106 yards) as they moved down the field. From the 9-yard line and knowing that a field goal could win the game, Ohio took a shot, and Caldwell came up with the catch, breaking the hearts of Chicagoans everywhere once again, as Ohio took the victory and moved on.
NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 13 DENVER GOLD 10
The wild weekend of action concluded with the Breakers visiting the Gold, and a surprise as Trent Dilfer was named the starter only minutes before the kickoff. Dilfer had been a question mark most of the week, as Eli Manning had taken most of the snaps with the first team, but when the Breakers took the field, it would be Dilfer returning under center for the first time since Week 12. After a first half that saw both teams struggle to move the ball, it was 3-0 Gold on the lone score of the first 30 minutes. Both teams had played well on defense, limiting the other to some middle-of-the-field drives, but no incursions into the red zone for either club.
That would change when Trent Dilfer found Josh Reed on a long 28-yard pass down to the Denver 4-yard line. The Gold stacked the line, expecting to see Olandis Gary hit the hole, but Gary never received the ball as Dilfer faked it to him on 1st and goal and found Az-Zahir Hakeem streaking across the face of goal. The score put New Orleans up 7-3 and showed signs that the second half might have some drama in it after all.
That drama surfaced over the next two drives, as, first, Denver responded to the Breaker score by having a drive of their own, one in which unheralded HB Kenneth Starling had the play of his career, a 21-yard run on 3rd and 4 that not only kept the drive alive for the Gold but put them in scoring position. Two plays later, Mark Brunell would hit Peerless Price for the score and Denver would retake the lead.
New Orleans came out for the next drive, and immediately had to change plans. On 1st and 10 from their own 22, Trent Dilfer took a shot after releasing the ball, and immediately went down. New Orleans got the roughing call, but more pressing was Dilfer’s condition. He came out of the game and went to the bench for the trainers to check him out, and onto the field came rookie QB Eli Manning. Manning dinked and dunked his way into field goal range, but after missing on a 3rd down throw, the Breakers had to settle for 3 points. They had evened the score at 10, but now had to worry about their chances in the remaining 7 minutes of play.
Denver came out strong on the ensuing possession, starting off with an 11-yard run from Holcombe, followed by a Brunell to Battaglia 17-yarder, but after a holding call on 1st and 10, the Gold could not recover and were forced to punt 3 plays later. New Orleans took over with just over 4 minutes left to play. Once again Eli Manning dinked and dunked, mixing in a couple of runs by Troy Hambrick and Amos Zeroue, the Breakers drew closer and closer to scoring range as the clock kept dwindling down. On a 2nd and 8, Manning scrambled out of the pocket and slid just before getting an elbow to the facemask from Denver’s Dexter Jackson. The flag came out for the shot to the head, and the Breakers were in field goal range. They whittled down the clock with 2 run plays, then sent in David Green to attempt a game winning kick with 23 seconds left to play. Green’s kick was right down the center and the small contingent of Breaker fans who had made their way to Denver were dancing in the aisles of Invesco Field.
With only 20 seconds, there was not time for a slow drive, Denver’s specialty. Brunell tried to hit Danny Farmer deep on two consecutive plays but failed to connect with his best outside receiver. On 3rd and 10, the left-handed QB found TE Marco Battaglia, but the big man could not get out of bounds, and Denver had no time outs left. They scrambled to get back to the line and spike the ball on 1st and 10, but it just took too long to get settled and the whistle blew. New Orleans had found a way to win, edging Denver 13-10 in a tough defensive game, and now they would move on to face the Seattle Dragons in next week’s Divisional round.
Wave of Retirements Impacts Offseason for Many Clubs
As we typically see, the first 7-10 days after the season concludes is when we get the biggest wave of retirement announcements, and so it is this year. A lot of high impact players who have opted out of 2005, some to preserve their bodies, some because they are ready to move on to the next phase of their lives, and some because the passion is just not there anymore. In every case they leave a hole in their teams, and in every case, it is up to the GM and Head Coach to try to figure out where the team stands looking to the future. Of course, we have 12 playoff teams who have yet to see this wave, but from the 12 non-playoff clubs, the list is already an impressive one. And while the world waits to hear from Brett Favre and his future with the Stallions, there are already headlines to be written as teams face retirements, some expected, some surprising. Here are the teams facing significant challenges with the retirements announced during the first days of the offseason:
MEMPHIS: The Showboats were headed for rebuilding already, and that is assured after the announced retirements of starting HB Dorsey Levins, backup HB Aaron Stecker, CB Darrien Gordon, and LB Jim Schwantz.
BALTIMORE: Retirements from WR Rob Moore and TE Jay Riemersma mean that Coach Coughlin will have to focus on offense this offseason, as much as he would rather be a defensive-minded coach.
BIRMINGHAM: Replacing LT Richmond Webb will not be easy; he is a very likely first ballot HOF candidate. CB Torey James also announced his retirement, so corner becomes another area of need.
TEXAS: The departures of QB Billy Joe Tolliver and LB Stephen Boyd are not major concerns, but this is a roster that needs an infusion of talent, and perhaps a rookie QB could be groomed to take over if their new Head Coach is not keen on Jeff Lewis.
WASHINGTON: Scott Zolak retires after a long career that saw him as one of the most coveted #2 QBs in the league. He is joined by LB Bobby Hamilton, so expect Washington to prioritize linebacker this draft, and perhaps nab a new #2 in free agency.
Others retiring this week include fullback Edgar Bennett (JAX), LB Lewis Bush (LV), and kicker Jeff Jaeger (PHI)
Green, Rison, and Staley Opt for Free Agency
We saw this coming, but this week it became official, three top offensive players for their clubs have declined final contract talks and are entering the free agent pool. WR Andre Rison and halfbacks Ahman Green and Duce Staley have all officially become free agents following the losses in the Wild Card round by Pittsburgh, Nashville, and Chicago.
The Ahman Green departure is a huge blow for Nashville. The league’s rushing champion has been at the center of the Nashville offense for several years, but clearly issues between Green, largely surrounding his heavy workload, and head coach Jim Johnson, have caused friction, and it appears that the offer put forward by Nashville was not enough to overcome them. The Knights can still work to resign Green once the free agency period begins, but for now, until that window opens, there can be no communication.
Duce Staley’s departure from Chicago is less of a panic situation as Staley had seen his carries and his role shift significantly with the arrival and development of rookie Michael Turner. By season’s end it was Turner getting the majority of the carries. Just as Staley had done with Ricky Watters years earlier, it appears that Chicago has once again phased in one back in preparation for the departure (or simply the aging) of another.
We expect that there will be no small market for either Staley or Green, with several teams clearly hoping to reinvigorate their run games. Philadelphia seems a likely spot, especially considering the cap room the Stars have. New Orleans could be another, depending on what the Breakers opt to do with Ricky Williams assuming he is reinstated by the league. Both Michigan and Memphis have cap space and a need at HB, and we should not forget about Arizona either, as they found success with Stephen Davis, but he too may be considering retirement.
As for Andre Rison, this is a bit of a shock as Pittsburgh was prepared to make him one of the highest paid receivers in the game. That could still happen, but now the Maulers will have to compete with any number of clubs for his talents. We could easily see Rison jumping at a big offer from one of the teams with high cap ceilings. Memphis is the most desperate to upgrade their receiving corps, but we should not discount the possibility that a team like Las Vegas or Texas taking a shot at a top wideout. After what we saw with the arrival of Chad Ochocinco in Boston, there are no shortage of teams hoping to reinvent their passing games by bringing in a bonafied #1 receiver.
Others who join the marketplace from the four Wild Card losers include Center Jim Pyne, CB James Trapp, DT Darwin Walker, and CB Jimmy Hitchcock from Chicago; SS Sean Lumpkin, LB Chris Cowart, DT Mark Bouette, and TE David LaFleur from Denver; CB Steve Israel, DT Mark Bouette, and DE Chad Bradtske from Nashville, and DE Bob Kuberski, G Paul Zakauskas, LB Akin Ayodele, and WR Eddie Kennison from Pittsburgh.
Chicago can ill afford losing two corners this offseason, so a resigning seems essential there, but, of course, they also don’t want to see Darwin Walker head elsewhere, so their priorities will be split. For Denve,r the biggest loss would be safety Sean Lumpkin, though we are expecting a good safety pool in free agency, so they may opt to go for a younger option at the position. In Nashville, HB has to be the priority, but if they can resign Steve Israel, it would be a good step towards retaining their defensive fortitude. Finally, the Maulers seem OK with most of the players walking away. They are looking to add youth on defense but losing their #1 and #3 receiver means they will have to focus on that position in every aspect of their offseason plan.
As we look ahead to the Divisional Round, we see a bit of a disparity between teams that are missing quite a few significant players (like Boston or Ohio) and those who are in much better shape. Here is our quick recap of injuries that could impact each game.
BOS: WR C. Wilson-Out, T J. Stinccomb-Doubtful, DE J. Babin-Doubtful,
FS C Hall -Questionable, LB R. Pfifer-Questionable, DE G. Ellis-Questionable
TBY: FS B. Scott-Out, DE J Copeland-Questionable
Pass rush should be a challenge in this game as both teams are missing key edge rushers. If both Babin and Ellis are out for Boston they will almost certainly have to blitz to get to Culpepper. John Copeland’s absence is also a concern for the Tampa pass rush in a game where both offenses could have strong games.
HOU: TE R. Krause-Out, QB M Hasselbeck-Out
SEA: LB G. Miles-O, CB A. Harris-Doubtful
Houston has already adapted to the Hasselbeck injury, and Krause was not a major factor in their offense, so we don’t see major impact here. The same cannot be said for Seattle, where Godfrey Miles and Al Harris were major factors in their defense.
OHI: QB K. Collins-Doubtful, WR J. Galloway-Doubtful, T J. Wunsch-Questionable NJ: LB D. Thomas-Doubtful
Not a lot of injuries in this game, but all three are huge for Ohio. There was hope that Collins and Galloway would be ready by the Divisional round, but that is looking more and more doubtful. Add to this the possible absence of tackle Jerry Wunsch and Ohio’s offense looks vulnerable, not something you want when facing Phil Hansen and Sean Ellis.
NOR: LB D. Dotson-Out, HB T. Davis-Out, QB T. Dilfer-Out
ARZ: TE M. Cushing-Out, G L. Knapp -Doubtful
Being without Dotson and Troy Davis was not good for New Orleans, but Trent Dilfer going down again this week puts even more strain on the Breakers. Their run gam is down to their 3rd and 4th option, and a lot of pressure will be on rookie Eli Manning in this one.
Atlanta to Seek Fan Input on Their Revived Identity
Reebok and the Atlanta Fire expansion club are looking for your input as they put together the look that will return to the Peach City in March of 2006. The Club revealed two logos this week and introduced a contest that will allow fans to select the helmet design for the 2006 club. At a press conference held at the Georgia Dome, new home to the club, the Fire revealed their two primary logos for 2006.
The first is a familiar one as the Fire will reinstate the flaming “A” logo and wordmark from their final season before the club moved to Boston. The navy, flame orange, and athletic gold logo features the letter A in navy with orange and gold flames rising from the lower right to the upper left. What is new is the secondary logo, a tribute not to fire, but to those who fight it. The secondary is a logo in the form of a firefighter’s shield, crossed by two axes, common tools of the trade. The shield contains a circular flame and a monogram “A”, and the logo, which is predominantly navy with orange features, is outlined in athletic gold.
The contest begins this week, and will run through October, when the winning design will be revealed. There are three options to choose from and fans will have the final say as to the new gear to be worn by their club. The first design is again a return to the 2002 look. Called “The Old Flame” is the 2002 helmet with its navy shell and large flames from the front bumper to the rear crown. The second option is called “The “A” game. It too has a navy shell, but instead of full flames on the helmet it has the A logo, with its rising flames on either side. The helmet also has a navy facemask, and it has a 5-stripe center stripe with gold-navy-orange-navy-gold in thin stripes. The secondary logo appears at the base of the helmet, by the rear bumper. Finally, there is the most unique of the three, called “Bring the Heat”. This is an orange and gold shell, with an ombre effect that shifts from flame orange at the rear bumper slowly to athletic gold by the front bumper. The helmet has two thick navy stripes surrounding a thin stripe which has the ombre effect in reverse, from orange at the front bumper to gold at the rear. The facemask is navy, and it is the secondary shield and axes logo which adorns each side of the helmet.
Three very different designs, three choices for Atlanta fans to choose from. You can see them all, and vote for your favorite at the “Atlanta Helmet Vote” page linked at the top of all our pages here at the USFL Lives.
Washington uniforms revealed for 2005.
Atlanta was not the only club to reveal uniform news this week. Washington delayed the announcement of their 2005 look until the season was over, perhaps concerned that the club needed to focus on 2004, and that with no option for a 2004 playoff reveal, the introduction of a new look could wait. So, what is different for the Feds in 2005?
The primary logo remains the same, the stylized eagle in flight and depicted in Kelly green and black. The wordmark is the first big change as the Feds do away with their somewhat “futuristic” font and pull in an influence very familiar to us all, the font and style of U.S. currency, featuring a serifed font that has wide sections containing a thin striping of white and green. The design, intended to mirror the type of font we see depicted on U.S. currency, seems appropriate for a team so based in D.C. and named for the federal government.
The second feature that is new to the look is a secondary logo again inspired by the federal government. The new Feds’ secondary is a rondel featuring the team name, the year of their inaugural season in Roman numerals, and an eagle with outstretched wings, holding a shield. The design is straight out of the Federal Agency style book and bears a remarkable resemblance to the logo of the recently formed Department of Homeland Security, a department created out of the aftermath of September 11th. The logo will be displayed on the jersey collar and the rear bumper of the helmet.
The uniform follows suit with the new wordmark and secondary. Returning to a more traditional stripe pattern, repeated on the pants, jersey, and helmet we find two thin black stripes outlining a central green stripe. The new numeral font on the jerseys is another rendition of the lettering font in the new wordmark, again imitating the look of U.S. currency. The most unique feature of the uniform is the extension of the sleeve stripes across the chest and back. The uniform is unmistakably that of the Federals, but also unique and distinct from their past designs.
Previewing the Divisional matchups, we have the 4 top seeds facing some lower seeds after this week’s upsets. Can these Cinderella stories pull off another big win on the road, or will the quality of the #1 and #2 seeds win out.
Saturday, July 3rd @ 3pm ET
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
This one could be a pure shootout, with both clubs dealing with injuries on the D-line. Culpepper and Bledsoe both have a bevvy of weapons to choose from, both have halfbacks who can bust any play wide open, and both have the ability to slice up zone coverage. Expect this one to come down to who turns mistakes by the opposition into big plays. Turnovers, poorly-timed mistakes, penalties, and simple miscues could determine this battle of divisional foes. Boston beat Tampa Bay in Boston 34-24 in Week 7, but Tampa Bay won the Week 14 game that decided the division.
OUR PICK: We give Tampa the edge for two reasons, the first is simply the support of the home crowd, expected to cap out above 55,000, and the second is the stronger LB corps, with Kevin Mitchell, Zeke Moreno, and rookie Jonathan Vilma, Tampa can blitz to make up for Jonathan Copeland’s absence. We pick Tampa Bay 28-24.
Saturday, July 3 @ 8pm ET
Seattle Stadium, Seattle
The matchup everyone is talking about is Seattle’s 3rd ranked scoring offense against Houston’s 6th ranked scoring defense, and particularly the Houston pass rush against Seattle’s line. But we think the real key is when the roles are reversed. Can Doug Flutie lead the fifth worst scoring offense of Houston to greater success against Seattle’s middle of the pack defense. Flutie is a veteran of many a playoff campaign, and he has some talent around him in pass-catching HB Kevin Faulk and wideouts Antonio Freeman, Koren Robinson, and Roy Williams. Seattle also has some talent on defense, with LBs Takeo Spikes, Barry Minter, and Piso Tinoisama, though they will clearly miss Godfrey Miles this week.
OUR PICK: We know it defies all logic, but we are going to go with Houston as an upset pick. We think the pass rush can throw 2nd year QB Byron Leftwich off his game, and we are buying into the Flutie Magic hype. Houston 27 Seattle 20.
Sunday, July 4th @ 12pm
Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Nothing like two teams clad in red, white, and blue going at it on July 4th. And there should certainly be fireworks when these two clash. It is a shame that we won’t get to see the full Ohio offense in this one. Chris Redman is a solid backup, but he is no Kerry Collins. Without Collins or Galloway, a lot of pressure will be put on Eddie George to pull this one out somehow. Opposite them is a defense which is #2 in the league against the pass, but only middle of the rankings against the run. Is that enough for Ohio to pull this one out?
OUR PICK: Put Collins and Galloway in the game, and we lean heavily to Ohio’s side, but without either of them, we have to favor the Generals. We think Phil Hansen will find his way into Chris Redman’s nightmares, and we see Tom Brady as more than capable of finding holes in Ohio’s somewhat pedestrian pass defense. We say New Jersey 27-21.
Sunday, July 4th @ 7pm ET
Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, AZ
A special Sunday Night game, allowing the Wranglers to play in the slightly less scorching heat of 4pm local time. It will still be plenty hot on the field when the two teams kick off, a factor that certainly helps the home team. While the heat will certainly be a factor, we expect the bigger issue is the fact that this will be Eli Manning’s first start of professional playoff football. We are sure that some of the Ole Miss games in the SEC felt big, but this is certainly going to be higher pressure for Manning.
OUR PICK: This is the most complete Wrangler team we have seen in a long time. Jake Plummer can still sling it or scramble to good effect. They have a run game with import Stephen Davis, and the defense has been one of the league’s best this year, allowing only 17 points a game. New Orleans only averaged 18.4 PPG all season, so they will be sorely challenged to score against the Wranglers and the heat. We go with Arizona, 19-13.