Game Info
Matchup: Sioux Falls Storm (1-1) @ Iowa Barnstormers (2-0)
Arena: Wells Fargo Arena (16,000)
Location: Des Moines, IA
Kickoff: 3:05 p.m. CT
Streaming: YouTube
Stream Commentator: Joe Stasi (PxP) and Larry Cotlar (Color)
Stream Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qHtzZrQDO8
Radio: 1040am WHO
Stream Commentator: Joe Stasi (PxP) and Larry Cotlar (Color)
Zero.
The amount of wins the Iowa Barnstormers have all time against the six-time IFL Champion Sioux Falls Storm.
“They’re a fundamentally sound team so you cant get a good run on them,” wide receiver Brady Roland said. “They don’t make a lot of mistakes.”
There was the 50-49, phantom-pass-interference loss in Travis Partridge’s 2016 debut. The packed house that watched Sioux Falls win 45-24 in the 2017 regular season finale. Not to mention the 66-32 pounding a week later in South Dakota.
“[A win] would be big,” Kicker Cody Barber said. “They’re a pretty big team. Last year, we lost to them three times in a row last season. They’re coached well so they wont make many mistakes. It’d be big for the city of Des Moines and our team as a whole to beat them.
Iowa Barnstormers try for first win against Sioux Falls Storm
Iowa has had their chances, they’ve seen them in big games, but have never had an opportunity to put themselves in the driver’s seat as much as they have this Sunday.
The Barnstormers will go into Sunday’s matchup with a 2-0 record, coming off of a win over the defending league champions in the Arizona Rattlers.
Sioux Falls and Arizona were the two overwhelming favorites coming into this season, just because of both franchises ability to be able to win the big ones.
A win Sunday against Sioux Falls would give Iowa a 3-0 record, which is a lot bigger this season with the length being dropped from 16 games to 14.
Even though it’s a big one, Iowa is taking this game just like any other one.
“Every week is a big game for Coach Wooten,” Barber said. “He tells us every week, ‘This ain’t just a regular season game.’ We treat every game like it’s a playoff game.”
Barber, a newcomer to the team this season, has been near perfect for Iowa.
With a pooch kick being the only missed kick he has all year, it might as well be 100 percent. Although the stats don’t show that, Barber has tallied 10 out of 10 extra point attempts, good enough for first in the league.
“That all started this offseason,” Barber said. “I put in a lot of work to make myself better. I’m practicing just as much if not more. I want to go the whole season without missing an extra point, and hopefully move on to the next level.”
Another strong aspect of the squad the Barnstormers bring to the door this season has been their defense.
Although two games is a small sample size for it, Iowa’s defense ranks first in the IFL in passing yards and average points allowed, and they’ve provided a turning point in each of the past two games.
In the opener against Green Bay, Bryce Enyard had an interception in the second half that would give the offense a possession to put Iowa up by two scores. Iowa went on to win 41-20.
The week after, the defense made all sorts of plays, coming home with three interceptions to take down Arizona.
“It was huge,” wide receiver Brady Roland said. “They won that game for us. Our defense kept them out of the end zone twice on the goal line. That’s huge in this league. They are a big part of our team.”
The last time Sioux Falls came to Iowa, the Barnstormers saw their largest, and maybe most enthusiastic crowd of the season.
With a 2-0 start, Iowa hopes to see the same thing on Sunday.
“The atmosphere was great,” Roland said. “I’m looking forward to the same thing on Sunday. Getting that first win against them would be big, going 3-0, beating a top tier team. I’m looking forward to it.”
Iowa hopes to see the same thing on Sunday.
“If they follow the league, you know Sioux Falls is the team to beat year in and year out. We definitely take it as another game, but we know it’s a big game.”
The Barnstormers and Storm kick off at 3:00 p.m. CT at Wells Fargo Arena on Sunday. Fans can watch the game live on YouTube here.
Indoor Football League Standings
1. Iowa Barnstormers 2-0
2. Nebraska Danger 2-0
3. Arizona Rattlers 1-1
4. Sioux Falls Storm 1-1
5. Cedar Rapids Titans 1-2
6. Green Bay Blizzard 1-2
