AF2 : Twisters’ offense tough on Gregory
Posted on Sunday, June 29, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Sports/230020/
Except for a little more than two hours Saturday night, Iowa Barnstormers Coach John Gregory had a nice visit.
Gregory coached the Arkansas Twisters for three seasons, but returned to his home in Des Moines to take over the Barnstormers last September. Gregory’s most recent trip to Arkansas included the Twisters’ 55-46 victory over Iowa before a crowd of 5, 460 at Alltel Arena.
Arkansas rookie wide receiver John Denney caught five touchdown passes to help lead the Twisters. Arkansas quarterback Kyle Rowley threw a season-high eight touchdown passes.
“Their offense killed our defense,” Gregory said. “Their receivers walked all over our secondary. I was disappointed in that, but I wasn’t disappointed in our effort. Arkansas has a nice football team.”
The game was the first between Arkansas (9-4 ) and Iowa (4-9 ), and was Gregory’s first trip to Arkansas since he resigned from the Twisters to become Iowa’s coach.
Gregory coached Arkansas for three seasons and led the Twisters to Arena Football 2 playoff appearances in 2006 and 2007. Arkansas finished the 2007 season at 12-4 to set a franchise record for regularseason victories but lost in the first round of the AF 2 playoffs. In 2006, Gregory’s first full season at Arkansas, the Twisters finished 10-6 and advanced to the AF 2 National Conference championship game.
Gregory coached the first version of the Iowa Barnstormers from 1995-2000, when it was an Arena Football League franchise.
Rowley had not thrown an interception since his final pass of 37-30 loss at the Texas Copperheads on May 3. His streak reached 258 consecutive passes without an interception before he was intercepted by Iowa linebacker Daniel McLemore with three minutes left in the third quarter.
Immediately afterward, Joe Brannen’s 29-yard touchdown pass to Tim Dodge cut Arkansas’ lead to 35-31.
Rowley’s next pass went for 44 yards and a touchdown to Jamaal Perry to give Arkansas a 42-31 lead on the final play of the third quarter.
Terrance Freeney scored on a 2-yard run to put Iowa within 42-38 with 11: 14 left in the game.
Arkansas’ lead returned to two scores on Rowley’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Jon Schoonover with 7: 31 left.
Tim Dodges’ second touchdown catch, on a 3-yard pass from Brannen, put Iowa within 49-44 with 2: 54 left.
But Arkansas responded with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Rowley to Denney to take a 55-44 lead. Iowa blocked James Paul’s extra-point attempt, and Daniel McLemore returned it to score