Mustangs Crush Crusaders 77-0!

In the 1st round of the IFL National Conference playoffs the Madison Mustangs crushed the Fond du Lac Crusaders 77-0! In fact, in the last 4 games against the Crusaders the Stangs have outscored Fondy 234 to 14!

The Mustangs D kicked off the scoring when on the very first Crusader offensive play middle linebacker Troy Dyzak blitzed thru the line and stuff the Fondy running back as he received the handoff causing him to fumble, All-star linebacker Ryan Mayer scooped up the loose ball and returned it 24 yards, 7-0. After a 3-in-out on their next possession, the Crusaders D tried to stop the Stangs O. After a big 3rd down pass-catch from All-star QB David Pietrowiak to fellow All-star WR Reggie Davis, 2 plays later HB Kyle Brodd plunged in from a yard out, 13-0. On the Mustangs second offensive possession they threw just their 3rd INT of the season, but the D got the ball right back. The 3rd drive stalled and had to settle for a 32 yard FG by All-star kicker Jason Epps, 16-0 end of the 1st Q. The 2nd quarter scoring spree began with a 15 yard TD pass from Petro to All-star WR Zack Gordon, 23-0. After an interception by CB Jesse Morton and a return down to the Crusaders 1 yard line, HB Brodd flied around the left end for his second TD of the night, 30-0. The very next Fondy offensive play All-star CB Jim Gordon picked off a pass and returned it 31 yards for a TD, 37-0. On the next Crusader offensive play LB Kenny Schillo picked off the 3rd pass in a row and took it 22 yards for a TD, 44-0. When the Stangs O finally got back on the field it didn’t take long to score again. After a defensive pass interference call put the ball at the Fondy 10 yard line it took 2 run plays by HB George Randolph to give the Stangs a 50-0 lead. Give credit to the Crusaders for not giving up, however, the Stangs D intercepted another ball at the Stangs 12 yard line. One play later and a record tying 88 yard TD reception from QB Chris Davis to WR Mike Darden, ending the first half and a 57-0 lead.

The second half started the same as the first ended. The Mustangs offense marched right down the field and ended the drive with Randolph’s 2nd TD of the night, 64-0. After another INT, this time by All-star SS Mark Mashburn, HB Kyle Brodd took and errant snap and followed Randolph up into the line, broke to the outside and out ran everyone down the left sideline 59 yards for his 3rd TD of the night, 70-0. The last points of the game were scored after the sixth INT of the night, this time by Safety Scott Knipfer. QB Davis, on 3rd down, found a wide open WR Mike Gilbertson for a 38 yard TD, 77-0. The fourth quarter had a running clock. The Stangs D held tough, and the Stangs O had 2 opportunities to put more points on the board, but a turnover and penalties negated those opportunities.

This was the largest scoring output of the season for the Mustangs. The Stangs D held Fondy to 20 total yards of offense and turned them over 8 times! The Mustangs O racked up 19 first downs and 540 yards of total offense! The Mustangs will take on the Muskego Hitmen in the IFL National Conference Championship game this Sunday, Aug. 30th, 5:00 pm, at Middleton’s Breitenbach Stadium. The Hitmen are the last team to defeat the Mustangs, 13-7 in the 2007 NFC Championship game.