Super Bowl Bound!
Barnstormers win AFC Championship with 9-7 nailbiter
 | Ravens (12-7) | 7 |
 | Barnstormers (11-7) | 9 |
December 21, 2009
Iowa City, IA (Ticker) – On a snowy day with temperatures in the mid 20s, the Iowa defense allowed just 165 total yards and kicker
Jim Lane nailed the game-winning field goal in blizzard-like conditions from 41 yards out with :22 on the clock as the Barnstormers clinched their first AFC Championship with a 9-7 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
“We finally did it,” said head coach
Travis O’Donnell, who many believed would be fired at the end of the season if the team didn’t make the Super Bowl. “I had faith in my boys, and they did one helluva job.”
Trailing 7-6 with 5:19 on the clock and pinned at their own 13-yard line, the Barnstormers began what will be remembered as one of the greatest game-winning drives in franchise history. It all started when
Friendship Lofton ran for 20 yards on two carries. Two plays later, a Baltimore defensive holding penalty on third-and-10 gave the Barnstormers new life and a first down at the Iowa 38.
On third-and-four, Roberts completed an eight-yard pass to
Jorge Ellison, and then hit Ellison again for a 12-yard completion to put Iowa just inside Lane’s field goal range at the Baltimore 36. After a six-yard run by Roberts and a nine-yard dash by Lofton, the Barnstormers were in control at the Ravens’ 21. Iowa would get to the Baltimore 14, but a five-yard loss on a run and a false start put the team back at the 24. That didn’t faze Jim Lane, however, whose kick cleared the crossbar with a foot to spare.
“I thrive on pressure situations,” said Lane, who is 8-for-8 in two playoff games. “Any time, any where—if the team can get me inside the 40, we have a great chance to win.”
Next week, Iowa will host the wild-card San Francisco 49ers (12-7), who defeated the Washington Redskins by a score of 16-10 in the NFC Championship.
Box Score: Baltimore Ravens at Iowa City Barnstormers.
Attendance: 60,000 (66,700), No-Shows: 0.
Weather: 26 degrees, snow.
1Q: 00:36 IAC - Jim Lane 39 field goal.
2Q: 10:48 IAC - Jim Lane 39 field goal.
2Q: 04:55 BAL - Pat Johnson 5 pass from Alan Talley.
2Q: 04:55 BAL - Trent Garner extra point.
4Q: 00:22 IAC - Jim Lane 41 field goal.
Game MVP: IAC 50 Stephen Bonham
Baltimore 0 7 0 0 - 7
Iowa City 3 3 0 3 - 9
Team Statistics BAL IAC
First Downs 15 15
Rushes 29 32
Rushing Yards 72 125
Yards Per Carry 2.4 3.9
Pass Attempts 26 28
Completions 11 15
Passing Yards 119 131
Yards Per Attempt 4.5 4.6
Sacked 4 6
Yards Lost 26 44
Net Passing Yards 93 87
Interceptions 0 0
Fumbles/Lost 1/0 0/0
Total Plays 59 66
Total Yards 165 212
Yards Per Play 2.7 3.2
3rd Down Plays 3/14 5/16
Penalties 6 16
Penalty Yards 46 143
Time Of Possession 26:41 33:19
Baltimore Ravens Individual Statistics
Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
41 Ikuma 18 46 2.5 13 0
45 Shannon 7 11 1.5 9 0
12 Talley 3 12 4.0 6 0
85 Johnson 1 3 3.0 3 0
Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int
12 Talley 26 11 119 4.5 23 1 0
Receiving Catch Yards Avg Long TD
80 Temmer 3 31 10.3 13 0
81 Jones 2 29 14.5 15 0
89 Grant 2 39 19.5 23 0
85 Johnson 1 5 5.0 5 1
41 Ikuma 1 3 3.0 3 0
45 Shannon 1 4 4.0 4 0
82 Irving 1 8 8.0 8 0
Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
44 Bailey 3 30 10.0 0
Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
41 Ikuma 1 18 18.0 0
Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
18 Everett 10 380 38.0 45 2
Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
11 Garner 0 0 0 1 1
Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
58 Boulware 10 3 1.0 0 0 0
94 Lyon 6 2 1.0 0 0 0
50 Saleh 6 2 0.0 0 0 0
44 Bailey 6 1 0.0 0 0 0
51 Colson 6 0 0.0 0 0 0
97 Leverson 4 0 1.5 0 0 0
30 Lassner 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
96 Bruce 2 0 1.5 0 0 0
46 Milloy 2 3 0.0 0 0 0
75 Ogden 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
89 Grant 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
82 Irving 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
54 Gunn 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
42 Branch 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
49 Mallon 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
95 Sanderson 0 0 0.5 0 0 0
21 Paul 0 0 0.5 0 0 0
20 Ameche 0 2 0.0 0 0 0
Miscellaneous Fumb Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
63 Tyler 0 0 0 1 1
52 Castroll 0 0 0 3 0
68 Davidson 0 0 0 0 1
64 Kuberski 0 0 0 1 1
75 Ogden 0 1 0 3 1
12 Talley 1 0 0 0 0
Iowa City Barnstormers Individual Statistics
Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
22 Lofton 10 41 4.1 13 0
40 Springer 10 29 2.9 8 0
7 Roberts 7 43 6.1 7 0
37 Pochman 3 -2 -0.6 2 0
85 Randle 1 6 6.0 6 0
84 McGregor 1 8 8.0 8 0
Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int
7 Roberts 28 15 131 4.6 15 0 0
Receiving Catch Yards Avg Long TD
88 Ellison 4 33 8.2 12 0
84 McGregor 4 34 8.5 13 0
87 Morris 3 24 8.0 9 0
22 Lofton 2 18 9.0 10 0
40 Springer 2 22 11.0 15 0
Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
89 Syms 2 23 11.5 0
Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
31 Hudson 1 18 18.0 0
89 Syms 1 16 16.0 0
Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Levine 8 337 42.1 50 2
Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
16 Lane 3 3 41 0 0
Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
93 Manderscheid 7 1 0.0 0 0 0
55 Robinson 6 4 1.0 0 0 0
21 Coady 5 1 0.0 0 0 0
30 Murphy 4 2 0.0 0 0 0
52 Nord 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
42 Shepherd 3 0 0.0 0 0 0
50 Bonham 2 1 3.0 0 0 0
97 Clancy 2 4 0.0 0 0 0
94 Brown 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
20 Bartoszewicz 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
53 Elias 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
92 Wynn 1 1 0.0 0 0 0
87 Morris 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
47 Legge 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
57 Loudon 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
46 Bironas 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
84 McGregor 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
59 Grier 0 1 0.0 0 0 0
Miscellaneous Fumb Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
70 Morton 0 0 0 0 4
57 Loudon 0 0 0 4 2
71 Duffy 0 0 0 3 0
60 Adams 0 0 0 2 0
61 Penn 0 0 0 1 0
40 Springer 0 0 0 1 0