MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Backup quarterback Brian Kuklick threw for 207 yards and a touchdown, and Jay Taylor kicked a go-ahead field goal in the fourth quarter to lead the Orlando Rage to a 21-19 victory over the Memphis Maniax on Sunday night.
The victory left the Rage (5-0) as the XFL’s only undefeated team, while Memphis (2-3) has lost all three of its home games.
Kuklick, subbing for starter Jeff Brohm who was knocked out of the game with a concussion in the first quarter, connected with Dialleo Burks on an 81-yard pass with 8:41 left in the third quarter to give the Rage an 18-16 lead.
Memphis kicker Jeff Hall, who booted a 49-yard field goal with 1:50 left before halftime, added a 34-yarder with 2:15 remaining in the third to put Memphis back in the lead.
But Taylor’s 39-yarder with just over 13 minutes left gave the Rage the lead, and Memphis never threatened again, reaching only the Orlando 46 the rest of the way.
Memphis led 16-12 at halftime thanks to Hall’s field goal and touchdowns from Rashaan Salaam, on a 5-yard run in the first quarter, and Charles Jordan, on a 44-yard pass from Jim Druckenmiller early in the second.
Salaam’s touchdown came after Orlando’s Derrick Clark fumbled at the Rage 24 on the game’s second play.
Orlando’s first-half touchdowns came in the first quarter on a 1-yard run by Clark and a 23-yard pass from Brohm to Mario Bailey.
The latter touchdown was set up by a turnover when Salaam fumbled at the Maniax 46.
Druckenmiller threw for 189 yards, while Salaam finished with 90 yards rushing.
The Rage, the XFL’s leading rushing team, was held to 115 yards on the ground, 23 yards below its average.
Summary
XFL FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
ORLANDO 12 0 6 3 21
MEMPHIS 6 10 3 0 19 FINAL
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: MEM - TD, RASHAAN SALAAM 5 YD RUN (PAT FAILED), 3:49.
Drive: 4 plays, 13 yards in 4:13. MEMPHIS 6-0
ORL - TD, DERRICK CLARK 1 YD RUN (PAT FAILED), 8:00.
Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards in 3:07. Key plays:
Brohm 21-yard pass to Burks to Memphis 10.
ORLANDO 6, MEMPHIS 6
ORL - TD, MARIO BAILEY 23 YD PASS FROM JEFF BROHM (PAT
FAILED), 14:01. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards in
3:06. ORLANDO 12-6
2ND QUARTER: MEM - TD, CHARLES JORDAN 44 YD PASS FROM JIM
DRUCKENMILLER (RASHAAN SALAAM RUN FOR
CONVERISON), 2:54. Drive: 7 plays, 68 yards in
4:28. Key plays: Druckenmiller 10-yard pass to
Prentiss to Orlando 46. MEMPHIS 13-12
MEM - FG, JEFF HALL 49 YD, 13:10. Drive: 14 plays, 62
yards in 7:31. Key plays: Druckenmiller 12-yard
pass to Kitts to Memphis 20; Cooper 20-yard run
to Orlando 34. MEMPHIS 16-12
3RD QUARTER: ORL - TD, DIALLEO BURKS 81 YD PASS FROM BRIAN KUKLICK
(PAT FAILED), 6:19. Drive: 3 plays, 89 yards in
1:22. ORLANDO 18-16
MEM - FG, JEFF HALL 34 YD, 12:45. Drive: 12 plays, 53
yards in 6:26. Key plays: Druckenmiller 13-yard
pass to Jordan on 3rd-and-12 to Orlando 24;
Salaam 17-yard run to Orlando 7. MEMPHIS 19-18
4TH QUARTER: ORL - FG, JAY TAYLOR 39 YD, 1:52. Drive: 7 plays, 47
yards in 4:07. Key plays: Kuklick 43-yard pass
to Bailey to Memphis 26. ORLANDO 21-19
TEAM STATISTICS
ORL MEM
-------- --------
FIRST DOWNS 17 20
Rushing 7 9
Passing 9 10
Penalty 1 1
3RD-DOWN EFFICIENCY 6-10 7-12
4TH-DOWN EFFICIENCY 0-0 0-0
TOTAL NET YARDS 359 323
Total plays 51 59
Average gain 7.0 5.5
NET YARDS RUSHING 115 137
Rushes 26 28
Average per rush 4.4 4.9
NET YARDS PASSING 244 186
Completed-attempted 11-25 16-30
Yards per pass 9.8 6.0
Sacked-yards lost 0-0 1-3
Had intercepted 0 0
PUNTS-AVERAGE 2-38.5 3-46.2
RETURN YARDAGE 133 69
Punts-returns 3-22 2-7
Kickoffs-returns 5-111 5-62
Interceptions-returns 0-0 0-0
PENALTIES-YARDS 3-42 4-35
FUMBLES-LOST 1-1 1-1
TIME OF POSSESSION 25:35 34:25
PLAYER STATISTICS
Missed field goals: Orlando (Jay Taylor 42).
Orlando rushing: Derrick Clark 12-69, Mike Black 9-27, Brian Shay
2-10, Brian Kuklick 1-7, Mario Bailey 1-4, Team 1-minus 2.
Memphis rushing: Rashaan Salaam 20-90, Rafael Cooper 4-23, Jim
Druckenmiller 3-17, Charles Jordan 1-7.
Orlando passing: Brian Kuklick 8-19 for 207 yards, 0 INT, 1 TD, Jeff
Brohm 3-6 for 37 yards, 0 INT, 1 TD.
Memphis passing: Jim Druckenmiller 16-30 for 189 yards, 0 INT, 1 TD.
Orlando receiving: Dialleo Burks 4-125, Mario Bailey 4-95, Tony
Gaiter 2-31, Derrick Clark 1-minus 7.
Memphis receiving: Kevin Prentiss 7-67, Charles Jordan 3-69, Jim
Kitts 2-14, Mark Thomas 1-20, Daryl Hobbs 1-7, Beau Morgan 1-7,
Roosevelt Potts 1-5.
Orlando tackles-assists-sacks (unofficial): Cory Gilliard 6-3-0,
Patrise Alexander 5-1-0, Jonathan Brown 5-0-0, James Burgess 3-2-1,
Shawn Banks 3-2-0, Kelly Malveaux 4-0-0, Stephen Fisher 4-0-0, Louis
Riddick 3-1-0, Mark Campbell 2-2-0, Ricky Bell 3-0-0, Reginald Doster
2-0-0, Rich Young 1-0-0, Ben Huff 1-0-0, James Roberson 0-1-0.
Memphis tackles-assists-sacks (unofficial): Richard Hogans 6-1-0,
Patrick Sapp 4-1-0, Rico Clark 4-1-0, Marcus Wimberly 4-1-0, Kevin
Cobb 3-2-0, Leonta Rheams 3-1-0, Jack Kellogg 2-1-0, Shante Carver
1-2-0, Tramont Lawless 2-0-0, Beau Morgan 2-0-0, John Williams 2-0-0,
Cornell Menafee 1-1-0, Corey Sawyer 1-0-0, Tj Frier 0-1-0.
Interceptions: None.
Fumbles lost: Orlando (Derrick Clark); Memphis (Rashaan Salaam).
Opponent's fumbles recovered: Orlando (Reginald Doster); Memphis
(Team).
Officials: Referee-Steve Pamon, Umpire-Richard Brown, Head
linesman-Derick Bowers, Line judge-Tod Reese, Back judge-Scott
Helverson, Side judge-Michael Sheahan, Field judge-Michael Banks.
A: 16,176; T: 2:45.
