ORLANDO, Fla. (February 10, 2001) – In a battle of unbeaten XFL teams, San Francisco’s margin for error on the road was slim. Then the Demons committed the mistakes that reduced their chances to none.
After San Francisco meticulously marched 90 yards for a touchdown on its first possession, Orlando Rage capitalized on two massive plays to score the next 26 points and cruise to a 26-14 victory. The Rage have now won two in a row to start the season at home. The Demons lost for the first time after a season-opening triumph over Los Angeles at home.
In a span of just under six minutes, Orlando scored three times including to take a 19-7 advantage, swiping all the momentum from San Francisco when the Rage’s Omar Brown disengaged kick returner Brandin Young from the ball and waltzed 10 yards with his prize to give Orlando a lead it would not relinquish at 13-7.
“Turnovers killed all our momentum,” Coach Jim Skipper said. “We just didn’t make the plays we needed to win.”
Moments later, the swift James Hundon was coasting along behind cornerback Reginald Doster when he juggled and dropped a perfect pass from Pawlawski that could have squared things. Later in the second quarter, San Francisco suffered another batch of ill fate.
Pawlawski appeared to connect with receiver Calvin Schexnayder as he leaped for the pass in the end zone. The Demons saw it that Calvin came down with the ball, clearly inside the end zone. But field judge Al Delvento ruled Brown picked Schexnayder’s pocket in the scramble for the ball and awarded Orlando the interception.
“I thought it was a touchdown, but what I think don’t matter,” Skipper said. “If he had held onto the ball, he takes the guy’s judgement out of it. If that’s a touchdown, then the last drive is for the win. Our guys played a little deflated at time and they have to understand you’re never out of it.”
Schexnayder, who caught an important touchdown pass the first week against Los Angeles, finished with four catches for 52 yards, starting in place of the injured Brian Roberson.
“That was a catch,” Schexnayder said. “He (Brown) took it away from me on the ground.”
Pawlawski, the quarterback, couldn’t have agreed more.
“Clearly, clearly, the replay should that wasn’t a pick,” Pawlawski added. “We moved the ball pretty well, but then we made mistakes to blow it.”
Given life with a 19-7 edge at halftime, the Rage proceeded to march 64 yards with their first second-half possession and Orlando was comfortably in front at 26-7.
San Francisco inched closer with another mammoth drive, a 93-yarder again on the air of Pawlawski, but a fourth-quarter possession stalled at the Rage 14 in the final 2:00 of play.
Pawlawski again was San Francisco’s main weapon. He completed nine of 10 passes for 73 yards on the Demons’ first touchdown drive and then hit six of eight throws on the 93-yarder for 77 yards. He capped the first march with a five-yard pass to tight end Brian Roche and finished the second by hitting flanker Jimmy Cunningham on an 11-yard play.
Cunnningham played more of a role with Roberson on the sidelines with a foot injury. He paced Demons’ receiver with 10 catches for 95 yards and Tydus Winans, activated for the game Friday to take Roberson’s place on the roster, finished with six catches for 43 yards.
“You always miss a guy who caught 12 passes the week before,” Skipper said. “But, injuries are a part of football and the next guy has to step up and performance.”
“Tydus did a great job tonight,” Pawlawski said. “We have to be able to make the plays when we have them.”
Roche was likely the only injury casualty for San Francisco. He suffered what may be a serious Achilles tendon injury late in the game and is out indefinitely.
San Francisco is traveling to Memphis Sunday where the Demons will practice prior to next Saturday’s game in the Liberty Bowl against the Maniax.
San Francisco vs. Orlando
Saturday, February 10, 2001
Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Fla.
POST-GAME QUOTES FROM SAN FRANCISCO
Head Coach Jim Skipper
“The fumble on the kickoff killed all our momentum. We put pressure on them in the second half, but they just beat us up front in the first half. The game came right down to turnovers.
“Those two 90-yard drives were things of beauty, but we didn’t move the ball consistently. We just needed to score a little quicker at the end.
ON CONTROVERSIAL INTERCEPTION CALL BY ORLANDO’S OMAR BROWN ON CALVIN SCHEXNAYDER IN END ZONE: “I thought he had one foot down in the end and then fell on the ground with the ball. But, if you hold onto the ball in that situation, it takes that guys’ judgement out of it.
So, if we hold onto it, that last drive is for the win. I told the players they have to understand they are never out of it. Those guys (officials) are going to make errors, too, just like us. If we hang onto the ball, then there’s no doubt. My whole philosophy is you keep the officials out of it if you just play ball.”
ON ABSENCE OF LEADING RECEIVER BRIAN ROBERSON: You’re always going to miss a guy who caught 12 passes the week before. Injuries are a part of football, the next guy has to step up and perform.”
Quarterback Mike Pawlawski
“We moved the ball pretty well, then we made mistakes to blow it. We have to be able to make plays when we have them.
INTERCEPTION: Clearly, clearly, the replay showed that wasn’t a pick. He had the ball when he was laying on the ground.
ROBERSON: Tydus did a great job tonight, so that wasn’t really all that big a factor. We have a good offense as long as we don’t make critical mistakes.”
NOTES: Completed nine of 10 passes for 73 yards on 90-yard drive and six of eight throws for 77 yards on 93-yard march. Only has the “disputed” interception in 99 passes this season and four touchdown passes, all of San Francisco’ touchdowns.
Receiver Calvin Schexnayder
“That was a catch, they guy took it away from me on the ground. It’s hard enough to play a team as good as the Orlando Rage, we have to score when we have the chance. That was a touchdown.”
INJURY REPORT
TE Brian Roche suffered an Achilles tendon injury that will kept him out an indefinite period. Further examination on it Sunday before Demons’ fly to Memphis.
