Firebirds 53, Storm 31

June 7, 1997

With Analysis by Sam Wolfson

Team	Drive Started	Drive Ended	Plays	Yards	Result
Albany	15:00 1st Quarter	11:40 1st Quarter	3 Plays	39 Yards	Pawlawski 21 yd TD pass to Hopkins (PAT good)

Sam Sez: Refs missed holding and offensive pass interference on the TD, bad start for the Storm.

Tampa Bay

11:40 1st Quarter

6:46 1st Quarter

6 Plays

34 Yards

Willis 8 yd TD pass to LaFrance (PAT good)

Sam Sez: Good start for the offense; this could be a real shootout.

Albany

6:46 1st Quarter

6:05 1st Quarter

1 Play

30 Yards

Pawlawski 30 yd TD pass to Brown (PAT good)

Sam Sez: The Storm's secondary really misses Johnnie Harris.

Tampa Bay

6:05 1st Quarter

4:18 1st Quarter

2 Plays

45 Yards

Barley 23 yd TD run (PAT no good), setting AFL record for most career rushing yards.

Sam Sez: What a great way to break the record!

Albany

4:18 1st Quarter

1:49 1st Quarter

4 Plays

6 Yards

Elezovic 37 yard FG

Sam Sez: The Storm got a good defensive stop, but Albany still managed a field goal.

Tampa Bay

1:49 1st Quarter

13:00 2nd Quarter

5 Plays

27 Yards

White pass intercepted by Stingley

Sam Sez: The dropped TD by LaFrance could change the whole season for the Storm.

Albany

13:00 2nd Quarter

11:07 2nd Quarter

3 Plays

49 Yards

Pawlawski 44 yd TD pass to Eddie Brown (PAT no good)

Sam Sez: Huge third down play for Albany; the Storm is in a deep hole without Willis.

Tampa Bay

11:07 2nd Quarter

8:34 2nd Quarter

4 Plays

0 Yards

56 yd FG short

Sam Sez: Hopefully, Dan White will get into sync real fast.

Albany

8:34 2nd Quarter

6:06 2nd Quarter

4 Plays

8 Yards

54 yd FG wide right

Sam Sez: The Storm need to start pulling it together on offense right now.

Tampa Bay

6:06 2nd Quarter

6:00 2nd Quarter

1 Plays

0 Yards

Fumbled snap recovered by Albany

Sam Sez: These are the type of things that happen with a new QB.

Albany

6:00 2nd Quarter

3:26 2nd Quarter

3 Plays

11 Yards

Pawlawski 11 yd TD pass to Hopkins (PAT good)

Sam Sez: If the defense can't stop them and the offense can't score...

Tampa Bay

3:26 2nd Quarter

0:11 2nd Quarter

7 Plays

45 Yards

White 4 yd TD pass to LaFrance (PAT no good)

Sam Sez: Much needed score for the Storm; kicking is killing them right now.

Albany

0:11 2nd Quarter

0:00 2nd Quarter

2 Plays

12 Yards

Elezovic 42 yd FG

Sam Sez: The Storm needs to pull together in the locker room and come out strong in the second half.

Tampa Bay

15:00 3rd Quarter

12:30 3rd Quarter

3 Plays

29 Yards

White 19 yd TD pass to LaFrance (PAT no good)

Sam Sez: White might have gotten over the jitters; Belden looks to have a bad case.

Albany

12:30 3rd Quarter

10:03 3rd Quarter

3 Plays

32 Yards

Brown 5 yd TD pass to Davidson (PAT good)

Sam Sez: Now that the Storm's offense looks better, the defense will have to step up.

Tampa Bay

10:03 3rd Quarter

6:43 3rd Quarter

9 Plays

45 Yards

White 14 yd TD pass to Thomas (2 pt. pass inc.)

Sam Sez: Don't think this one's over, there's still plenty of time.

Albany

6:43 3rd Quarter

1:00 3rd Quarter

3 Plays

15 Yards

Bowick fumble recovered by Tampa Bay

Sam Sez: This could be just the break the Storm needed.

Tampa Bay

1:00 3rd Quarter

13:20 4th Quarter

5 Plays

15 Yards

27 yard field goal blocked

Sam Sez: The kicking game has been catastrophic tonight.

Albany

13:20 4th Quarter

7:20 4th Quarter

8 Plays

45 Yards

Dukes 7 yd TD run (PAT good)

Sam Sez: Things are really looking bleak for the Storm now.

Tampa Bay

7:20 4th Quarter

5:27 4th Quarter

4 Plays

27 Yards

Fumbled snap recovered by Albany

Sam Sez: This is a real backbreaker for the Storm.

Sam Sez: This one is over; The Storm takes another one on the chin.

Sam Sez: A bad night for the Storm comes to a merciful end.