Week Four of the Alliance of American Football gave us our first snow game thus far in the league. This happened during a matchup between the Salt Lake Stallions and Orlando Apollos. The result saw the Apollos pull away from the Stallions to remain undefeated in a final score of 20-11.
Salt Lake Stallions vs Orlando Apollos AAF Week Four Recap: Apollos Defeat Stallions and Weather, 20-11
This game saw the Apollos face their toughest opponent yet–cold snowy weather. Actually, that could be said for both teams, because this was a very low-scoring affair early on. The score at halftime was 6-3; neither team could get much going. The weather was playing a role; there were some embarrassing drops including a muffed punt return that probably wouldn’t have happened in more ideal conditions.
The second half then happened, and the offenses finally warmed up more. Both teams traded scores, making it 14-11. Then the Apollos grabbed one more touchdown, and the Stallions never responded. Despite the weather, it didn’t really stop the teams from leaning on their quarterbacks–particularly with the Apollos and Garrett Gilbert, who has been one of the best at the position so far in the league.
Offensive Standouts
For the Apollos, Gilbert would certainly be a standout as he helped lead the team to a win by going 22-for-32 with 244 yards and one touchdown pass. However, Charles Johnson had arguably the biggest day as he pulled in nine catches for 105 yards. He’s been doing quite well in the AAF and may yet get another shot in the NFL as a result. Elsewhere, De’Veon Smith led the Apollos with 51 rushing yards on 12 carries, while Akeem Hunt got himself a rushing touchdown alongside his 35 yards.
There weren’t a lot of big standouts for the Stallions. Josh Woodrum, who went 16-for-22 and 161 yards, didn’t play badly but wasn’t particularly remarkable either. Branden Oliver had a good day on the ground, though, getting 71 yards on 17 carries to lead both teams on the day. Joel Bouagnon got in the end zone for the lone Stallions touchdown as well.
Defensive Standouts
The Apollos defense once again did play a good role in helping their team get the win. Although Reggie Northrup II led the team with five tackles, Andrew Ankrah would have to be the biggest standout as he got two sacks, one tackle for a loss and a forced fumble. Earl Okine also pitched in three tackles for a loss and one sack of his own.
The Stallions defense did a decent job at holding the Apollos down for the first half, although they gave way in the second half. Micah Hannemann led the team with seven tackles, while Greer Martini had two tackles for a loss (out of the team total of six). The only sack by the Stallions defense was split between Tenny Palepoi and Sealver Siliga.
Last Word
The biggest story out of this game might be the weather. Beyond that, the main event was the Apollos remaining undefeated and rising to 4-0. Next week, they’ll be facing the Birmingham Iron, who have also had a very good start and as of this writing are also undefeated. Meanwhile, the Salt Lake Stallions slip to 1-3. Next week they’ll get the San Diego Fleet, where the outcome might depend upon which quarterback is healthy for the Fleet.
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Embed from Getty Images
