What a matchup this is, can you picture Ali vs Foreman? In two games this year they are separated by a total of seven points. These two teams have played in some barn burners going back four or five years!!! While these two teams are not as smooth and big play/fun to watch teams like the Stealth and Shock when they match up it is big time football. If you like violent football the place for you to be is in St. George this weekend. Five of the six top hitters in the league will be in this game with Levine and Misi Tupe, Wayne Alofipo, Solo Toala, and David Bishoff. (we will leave #6 unmentioned as he has abandoned the AAA)
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Revolution: QB Charlie Peterson, RB Deangelo Branche, WR Joe Mapson, LB Levine Tupe, DB Angel Castillo
Rebels: QB Chad Draper, RB Sione Tapuosi, RB Chase Loveridge, RB Justin Cummings, DL Wayne Alofipo, DB Shawn Mitchell
The Revolution will be traveling down to St. George as mad as a team can possibly be about the last few weeks results, they have lost both games late in the fourth. I believe they will travel in full, but as we all know they will be in their dark jerseys and that is bound to play a part in this game as the Rebels will use the heat to their advantage. Offensively the Rev have been average to good in both games, really they have done enough in both games to come away with a victory but just didn’t quite get it. Team leader and QB Charlie Peterson is throwing at a 60% clip on the season with 1600 yards and 16 TD's he is a good QB and has the ability to have a huge game at any time. Charlie comes equipped with a lethal set of receivers with Mapson 671 yds and 8 TD's, Trevor Jensen, a tough size matchup, and Ryan Lang a guy that can hurt you from multiple positions. In the run game Branche is averaging 6 yards per carry on over 60 carries. He is likely the most complete back in the league and could carry a team however I’m not convinced that the way to beat the Rebels is getting in a ground and pound heavyweight fight with them...in the last contest Mapson was unstoppable and Charlie threw for almost 300 yards that is probably the formula for success. The Rev o-line is probably the most talented bunch in the league and can do a fine job in pass pro.
On the defensive side of the ball the Rev can shut down anyone. 13.5 sacks just between Reid and Mapu and twelve turnovers can give any O reason to be concerned. What should concern the Rebels is that Levine will be back and they will not be able to have their way running through the middle. Just as Trill informed us the Rebels did not have a ton of success running on the outside last game, so shut down the middle no outside runs and you turn the Rebels one dimensional. Not a bad option considering the Rev secondary are pretty good in their own right, boasting the best DB in the league in Castillo, Golden with three ints and Collins on the other side they will make life difficult for Draper.
Rebels
Scary thing is the Rebels lead the league in offense and yet they seem to just be meshing together as a unit. Draper is having a successful debut with over 1700 yards and 15 TD’s himself he is a legitimate MVP candidate. Behind Draper the three headed monster lives with Tapuosi, Cummings and Loveridge, between the three of them they have carried the ball 175 times for 1074 yards that is a 6 yard average the Rebels are potent in the run game and can stand toe to toe with anyone. The receiving core is not too shabby either with Adams, Woods and Cummings leading the way the impressive thing about them is when you shut off one option the next one seems to be as sure handed. But the impressive thing about this Rebel team is their ability to run they are averaging 152 yards per game that is forty more than the next closest team. The thing is, if anyone can slow them down it’s the Revolution, this will be a battle!!
Defensively the Rebels are big and cause havoc I have seen more than one bone crushing hit come out of this defense in the few games I have attended, as I am sure some opposing QB’s and receivers can attest to. Led by Wayne this D has racked up 16 sacks and 16 turnovers they are active and will hit you hard, but on the downside it seems like they take plays off on occasion or even whole drives. The D line is stout with Wayne and Mike Johnson and the back end players are big and fast. If I was a receiver I would NOT want to get caught over the middle with this team.
This game pits strength on strength; the Rebels three headed run game vs the Revs Monster front seven. As I said before I fully expect both teams to come to the table locked and loaded. The Rev will have anger on their side with their recent skid and the Rebels will have the home field advantage and confidence. As hard as it is to beat a team twice the third time just multiplies the difficulty, this is an advantage for the Rev. At the end of the day the Rebels are going for their third ring out of four years and they have the heat on their side. But the Rev are due and they want this one badly, they will be ready to leave everything on the field this week without doubt. A tough game to call I will pick the Rebels momentum over anger and the heat to unbalance the scale.
Rebels 35 Rev 31
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