In Week Three of the Alliance of American Football, the undefeated Orlando Apollos continued to roll with a 21-17 win over the Memphis Express. This was despite the Express making a change at quarterback in the second half that almost helped them pull off a comeback. But it was not enough to keep the Express from remaining winless.
Orlando Apollos vs Memphis Express AAF Week Three Recap: Apollos Hold Off Express 21-17
The Apollos got off to the hot start early, jumping out to a 9-0 halftime lead while the Express struggled to get much going. This was due in part to quarterback Christian Hackenberg struggling once again, who went 8-for-14 for 88 yards and two interceptions before being benched. Surprisingly, Zac Stacy struggled as well for the Express, only getting 29 yards on 14 carries on the evening. Zach Mettenberger came out for the second half and threw a touchdown on only his third pass.
After getting their lead cut to 9-6, the Apollos then pulled away going up 21-9. Mettenberger threw another late strike to cut it to 21-17, but the Apollos ran out the clock afterward. Mettenberger ultimately finished 9-for-12, 120 yards, and two touchdown passes. Apollos quarterback Garrett Gilbert had another fairly solid night as well, going 14-for-28, 201 yards, and one passing touchdown plus a rushing touchdown.
Offensive Standouts
Besides Gilbert, the biggest standout would probably be D’Ernest Johnson, who led the team in rushing with 79 yards on 13 carries plus a touchdown. As a whole, the team had 183 rushing yards, making that attack their strength for the game. On the receiving end, Rannell Hall led the way for the Apollos with four catches for 68 yards and a touchdown.
As noted earlier, Stacy had surprisingly a poor outing for the Express. This time, it was Sherman Badie who led the way in rushing with 59 yards on eight attempts. Ultimately, the Express were forced to rely on the pass more down the stretch. And on that end, Devin Lucien led the way with three catches for 51 yards and a touchdown.
Defensive Standouts
On the defensive side of things, the standout for the Apollos would have to be Andrew Ankrah. He led the team with five tackles (two of them for a loss), one sack and three total quarterback hits. In the secondary, both Earl Okine and Terrence Garvin pulled down an interception from Hackenberg.
For the Express, their defense held the Apollos to their fewest points thus far. Their main tackler on the night was Davis Tull, who had four tackles (tied for the team lead with Drew Jackson), one for a loss, and the lone team sack along with two total quarterback hits.
Last Word
The biggest headline here is probably Hackenberg getting benched for Mettenberger. After seeing the difference in stat lines, it’s unlikely we’ll be seeing Hackenberg again any time soon. Time will tell if Mettenberger will be able to help the Express (now 0-3) start getting wins. Meanwhile, the Apollos played probably their weakest game yet, but it was still enough to help them rise to 3-0. They still look to be the top dog in the AAF right now, and they’ll have an opportunity to extend their streak against the 1-2 Salt Lake Stallions next week.
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