Week Three in the AAF kicks off with a rematch between the Arizona Hotshots and the Salt Lake Stallions. The two teams faced one another back on opening weekend and the Hotshots were able to come out victorious by a score of 38-22. The Stallions enter Week Three’s contest 0-2 after a tough 12-9 loss to the Birmingham Iron in Week Two. The Hotshots, on the other hand, come into this matchup as one of the three remaining 2-0 teams after a 20-18 come from behind victory over the Memphis Express. Despite the slow start, the Arizona offense caught their footing in the second half and look to carry that momentum into Week Three.
Rematch in Week Three: Arizona Hotshots at Salt Lake Stallions
Arizona’s High Powered Offense
Head coach Rick Neuheisel has to be happy with his team’s performance through two weeks of the inaugural season. While many teams have yet to figure out an offensive identity, the Hotshots have put up 58 points this season which is good for second-best in the league. They have done so thanks to their balanced attack and great quarterback play by their starter John Walford.
Walford entered the year as an underdog to be the starter but has since thrown for 469 yards and leads the league with six passing touchdowns. His 62.7% completion percentage ranks second-best in the AAF and offensive coordinator Hugh Freeze has put a lot of trust into the former Wake Forest quarterback.
The run game has been equally reliable for the Hotshots in their first two weeks as the trio of Jhurrel Pressley, Tim Cook and Justin Stockton have been the league’s best rushing attack combing for 294 yards on the ground. Stockton was the standout back versus the Express as he broke loose for a 45-yard rushing touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
The juke, the hurdle, the FINISH!#TheAlliance #AAF #ArizonaHotShots pic.twitter.com/FIxXWOGt1a
— The STAT (@TheStat_) February 17, 2019
With a dangerous rushing attack and a solid quarterback leading the way, look for the Hotshots to put up a lot of points when they take on the Stallions Saturday.
Questions at Quarterback for Salt Lake
The biggest storyline for the Stallions entering Week Three is who will be their starting quarterback. In Week One’s loss, the duo of Josh Woodrum and Matt Linehan saw all the snaps and despite the loss, the offense was able to put up 22 points, 159 passing yards, and two touchdowns. However, the two interceptions in the Week One loss must have been enough for head coach Dennis Erickson to make the switch to Austin Allen in Week Two. Allen started off slow and did not get much better as he finished the game with 114 passing yards and completed only 15 of his 31 pass attempts.
Allen’s poor play really handicapped the offense, particularly late in the ball game when the Stallions had an opportunity to make a comeback but could not put together a successful drive late in the fourth quarter. Not all the blame should reside on Allen as Salt Lake’s kicker Taylor Bertolet missed three field goals in the 12-9 loss to the Iron that would have made a huge difference had he converted at least one.
Nonetheless, expect the Stallions to lean on the rushing attack heavy in their Week Three’s matchup. The duo of Joel Bouagnon and Branden Oliver have been quite effective on the year and they will need to take some of the pressure off of whoever the starting quarterback may be on Saturday.
The Last Word
Playing at home may help the Stallions get off to a quicker start but don’t expect them to hang with the Hotshots for long. Arizona’s offense has been clicking on all cylinders and their defense has been standing firm as well. Salt Lake still has too many questions surrounding their offensive identity which could make for a lopsided ball game if they fall too far behind early on.
Prediction: Hotshots 28, Stallions 10
