Atlanta – Sunday’s Colorado-Georgia game was what everyone was expecting.
In a rematch of last season’s ArenaBowl, the Crush capitalized on several special-teams miscues for a 61-59 win at Philips Arena.
This game had a familiar feel, with the Crush winning in the final minute. But unlike the last meeting, which ended on a field goal by Clay Rush as time expired, Colorado (2-0) needed to stop the Georgia offense one last time.
With 45 seconds remaining, Georgia quarterback Matt Nagy drove the Force 31 yards in 25 seconds. Derrick Lee was the recipient on all four plays of the drive, culminating with an 8-yard touchdown pass with 20 seconds left.
Needing a two-point conversion to tie the game, Nagy again looked for Lee. But this time, Nagy’s pass sailed out of the back of the end zone. Lee protested, claiming Colorado defensive specialist Rashad Floyd held him.
“It was a judgment call by the official, and you don’t want it to come down to that,” Lee said. “Unfortunately we put ourselves in that position earlier by not taking care of business.”
Special-teams mistakes hurt the Force (1-1). Kicker Nelson Garner missed three extra-point attempts, two in the fourth quarter, and a missed field-goal attempt by Garner was returned for a touchdown by Ahmad Hawkins on the final play of the first half. Trailing 20-14 late in the first half, Colorado scored three touchdowns in the final 1:10 to seize control.
After John Dutton hit Willis Marshall on a 4-yard touchdown pass, the Crush’s Andy McCullough recovered Rush’s onside kick. Five plays later, Dutton found Damian Harrell for a 13-yard touchdown reception.
Georgia attempted a 53-yard field goal on the final play of the half, but when Garner’s kick fell short, Hawkins caught the kick and returned it 56 yards for a touchdown and a 34-20 halftime lead.
“To continually make errors in special teams is just too much to overcome,” Georgia coach Doug Plank said. “We made too many mistakes.”
While the Force pointed to its mistakes as its downfall, it was the unstoppable tandem of Dutton and Harrell who made the Force pay.
Dutton threw for a game-high 277 yards and six touchdowns, capped by a 13-yard strike to Harrell with 45 seconds left. The last of Harrell’s five touchdowns gave the Crush an eight-point lead.
“They are just two really great players who keep finding ways to get it done,” Colorado coach Mike Dailey said.
Plank had nothing but praise for the two, who have combined for nine touchdowns this season.
“We’re not talking about an average couple of players. Obviously what we were doing was not working,” Plank said.
The five touchdowns tied a career high for Harrell, who finished with 11 receptions for 132 yards.
“We’ve been together for four years now, and there is just this amazing chemistry between us,” Harrell said. “I still don’t know how to explain it.”
Colorado 14 20 7 20 – 61
Georgia 13 7 21 18 – 59
FIRST QUARTER
Colorado – Harrell 2 pass form Dutton (Rush kick), 11:05.
Georgia – Carey 25 pass from Nagy (kick failed), 7:16.
Colorado – Harrell 20 pass from Dutton (Rush kick), 4:47.
Georgia – Jackson 14 pass from Nagy (Garner kick), 2:01.
SECOND QUARTER
Georgia – Jackson 15 pass from Nagy (Garner kick), 9:16.
Colorado – Marshall 4 pass from Dutton (Rush kick), 1:10.
Colorado – Harrell 13 pass from Dutton ( kick failed), :24.
Colorado – Hawkins 56 missed field goal return (Rush kick), :00.
THIRD QUARTER
Georgia – Thomas 1 run (Garner kick), 11:18.
Colorado – Harrell 5 pass from Dutton (Rush kick), 6:52.
Georgia – Aldridge 1 run (Garner kick), 3:01.
FOURTH QUARTER
Colorado – Patu 1 run (Rush kick), 14:56.
Georgia – Jackson 34 pass from Nagy (kick failed), 12:14.
Colorado – Marshall 1 run (kick failed), 6:00.
Georgia – Lee 22 pass from Nagy (kick failed), 1:45.
Colorado – Harrell 13 pass from Dutton (Rush kick), :45.
Georgia – Lee 8 pass (pass failed), :20.
A – 10,431.
COLO || GA
First downs 27 18
Rushes-yards 9-21 5-12
Passing yards 277 256
Passes 29-42-0 21-32-0
Return yards 73 125
Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 5-28 10-59
Time of possession 33:44 26:16
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING – Colorado, Patu 2-21, Marshall 3-6, Peaua 3-1, Dutton 1-(-7). Georgia, Aldridge 2-10, Thomas 3-2.
PASSING – Colorado, Dutton 29-42-0-277. Georgia, Nagy 21-32-0-256.
RECEIVING – Colorado, Harrell 11-132, Marshall 10-77, McCullough 7-59, Hawkins 1-9. Georgia, Lee 10-92, Jackson 6-91, Carey 3-43, Smith 1-18, Johnson 1-12.
