Tuskers move to 3-0 after win against Redwoods

by: Neil Tredray

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Florida Tuskers moved to 3-0 as the United Football League's sole undefeated team with a decisive 34-7 victory over the visiting California Redwoods Thursday night at the Citrus Bowl in front of an announced crowd of 12,021.
Florida's explosive offense was led by quarterback Brooks Bollinger, and receiver Taye Biddle who caught five Bollinger passes for 133 yards. The game marked Biddle's second 100+ yard game, an especially impressive feat considering no other receiver in the league has even one such game.“I feel blessed. I really wasn’t aware of that either time I went over, so hearing it after the game was a shock to me, a big surprise," said Biddle.
Bollinger's stats for the game would look at home in the NFL: 17 of 29 attempts for 224 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. Backup quarterback Chris Griesen had a productive day for a relief quarterback as well, hitting receivers 8 of 11 times for 91 yards and a touchdown.
The Tuskers (3-0) pressured the Redwoods (1-2) on both sides of the ball from the beginning. The defense forced a California three-and-out on the first possession, and Florida's first offensive play was a long pass from Bollinger to Biddle for 33 yards. After two short gains and an incomplete pass, Tuskers offensive coordinator Jay Gruden called for a Michael Pittman rush up the middle on fourth and two that only gained one yard and turned the ball over on downs.
"Probably should’ve kicked the field goal, maybe got a little greedy," said Tuskers head coach Jim Haslett. "You think you can get after a team early but if I had to do it again I’d probably kick it. We’re just trying to score a bunch of points if we can.”
"That makes such a difference for us when we can get a 7 on the board right away, and that’s what coach was going for I think," said Bollinger.
California wasn't able to do much as Florida's defense forced another three-and-out.

“The defense kept us in the game," said Haslett.
Bollinger again uncorked the long ball to Biddle on first and 10, this time hitting his receiver for 36 yards. A fumble two plays later took away a chance to put points on the board, however.
Indeed that was the way the first quarter went for both teams. California had their next two drives ended by a missed Parker Douglass field goal and a Mike McMahon pass intercepted by DeJuan Tribble.
Whatever problems the Tuskers had scoring points in the first quarter disappeared in the second, as every Florida drive ended in a chance at scoring, with three out of four being successful.
Florida's first points came after Bollinger heaved a third long pass to Biddle for 51 yards, setting the Tuskers up at first and goal on California's 4. Pittman rushed twice for one yard each, then got the last two on third down, marking only the second time this season the Tuskers have scored with their running game. The score gave the Tuskers a 7-0 lead with 8:20 left in the game.
California's B.J. Sams had the ball stripped by Patrick Chukwurah on the ensuing Matt Bryant kickoff, and the Tuskers took over on the California 19. Bollinger's normally accurate passing game was nowhere to be found, however, and Bryant came on to try a 46-yard field goal which fell short.
Two plays later, McMahon was intercepted by Florida linebacker Odell Thurman.
The ensuing Florida drive ended in six points with a 24-yard Bollinger pass to Jayson Foster, and Florida led 14-0 with 3:01 left in the first half.
Florida's next possession resulted in a first and goal on the California 10 following a 20-yard reception by Pittman. The drive stalled at the goal line, and Bryant kicked a 33-yard field goal to give the Tuskers a commanding 17-0 lead at halftime.
"We showed flashes, we were good at times, but we just didn’t sustain enough drives. It’s weird to be up 17 to nothing and be frustrated," said Bollinger.
The Tuskers got the ball to start the second half and let the ground game shoulder the burden of moving the ball for the most part. With running back Tatum Bell sidelined by turf toe, Florida relied on the tandem of Pittman and Shaud Williams to move the ball to a fourth and one on California's 27. A pass interference penalty against the Redwoods gave the Tuskers a second chance with first and goal on the California 8. The Tuskers were unable to cross the goal line, but Bryant kicked a second field goal, this one from 22 yards out, to give the Tuskers 20 unanswered points for the game with 8:20 left in the third quarter.
The Redwoods replaced McMahon at quarterback with Shane Boyd for their next possession, but Boyd fared no better as linebacker Tim McGarigle intercepted his third down pass attempt.
Florida continued to roll following the interception, closing the drive with a Bollinger pass for two yards to fullback Andrew Pinnock, making it 27-0 with 3:56 left in the third.
California scored their only points of the game with a Cory Ross rush for one yard.
Griesen, who had come in to relieve Bollinger late in the third, proved equally adept at managing the Tuskers' offense with a 12-play, 81-yard drive capped off with a 36-yard Marcus Mawell touchdown reception for the game's final points.
Florida's next game is a home contest against the 1-1 Las Vegas Locomotives Oct. 30 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. Florida has already beaten Las Vegas 29-15 on Oct. 14 in Las Vegas.