Despite back-to-back penalties in the third quarter, the Predators triumphed over the Jacksonville Sharks 58-48.
The high number of penalties turned the the third quarter into a back-and-forth slugfest; a team would gain a few yards of ground only to be pushed back in the next play.
Tempers ran high among players from both teams as the Predators recovered from a sluggish start in the first half and began pushing through the Sharks’ defense. Unnecessary roughness was a common penalty and two players were ejected from the game for fighting in the third quarter. Jacksonville incurred 11 penalties at a cost of 98 yards and Orlando incurred eight penalties to a loss of 90 yards.
Predators coach Rob Keefe lamented the number of penalties at a press conference after the game.
“I’m irritated in the win,” Keefe said. “I’m irritated because we want to put on a great product for the fans. We want people to be here, we don’t want it to be soiled by fights and bush-league play. I think both teams will agree that we could have performed a more professional environment for the fans.”
Keefe cited the skills and professionalism of quarterback Morris as an example for other players. He recognized Morris’ dual role as both quarterback and runner as an integral strength of the Predators’ offensive strategy.
Morris completed over 16 passes for a total of 108 yards. Greg Carr, who scored 3 touchdowns and ran over 75 yards, was named the Russell Athletic Offensive Player of the Game.
As the game began, 36-yard pass from Sharks’ quarterback R.J. Archer to wide receiver Maurice Williams at 12:50 gave the Sharks first blood. No. 22 Shamar Graves incurred an injury during the play and was escorted off the field. He is currently listed as inactive.
After battling down the field, the Predators clinched a touchdown at the 1-yard line when offensive lineman Michael Simons pushed through the defenders and into the end zone.
Jacksonville spent the remainder of the quarter extending its lead over the Predators, with a score of 14-7 going into the second quarter. Quarterback Bernard Morris was harried by the Jacksonville defensive line and was sacked several times, leading to some lost ground. Jacksonville possessed the ball for more than nine minutes and ran a total of 105 offensive yards.
In the second quarter, Jacksonville scored an early touchdown after a 17-yard pass to wide receiver Charles Gilbert. Their field goal was denied, however, when nose guard Ko Quaye leapt up and deflected the ascending ball with his upraised hand. The crowd roared in approval.
At 14:14, Sharks defensive lineman James McClinton nearly made an interception after a failed pass to a Predators receiver; No. 15 Kendal Thompkins saved the day. Positioned near the wall, Thompkins caught the deflected ball and proceeded to rush downfield, juking several defenders before being sacked after a 20-yard run.
Thompkins performed admirably throughout the game and was credited with more than 75 yards rushing by the end of the game.
Though Jacksonville had established an early lead at 27-14, a series of successful completions to Greg Carr by the Predators narrowed the gap near the end of the quarter. At :50, a 6-yard run by QB Morris, where he leapt through a gap in the Jacksonville defense, overturned Jacksonville’s lead with a score of 27-28 going into halftime.
In the fourth quarter, Jacksonville slowly creeped toward the end zone as the Predators incurred penalty after penalty. Defensive lineman Justin Parrish haunted the field like a vengeful specter, preventing several passes and locking the Predators into a slow backward march toward their own end zone.
Morris, for his part, felt that the majority yellow flags incurred throughout the game could have been avoided. Matters of temper, he said, were best dealt with as a matter of professionalism.
“Being in the central position as quarterback, you have to simmer those guys down,” Morris said. “But at the end of the day, we’re all professionals. Sometimes things [happen that] you have to get up and walk away from and get back in the huddle.”