Getty Former Wake Forest QB John Wolford now leads the Arizona Hotshots
In the second game of a doubleheader on Sunday in the Alliance of American Football, two intriguing teams in the Salt Lake Stallions and Arizona Hotshots squared off. While both teams have quite a bit of talent on both sides of the ball, the game remained close through the first two and a half quarters of action. But during the third quarter, the Hotshots and their impressive offense took control.
The matchup featured a Stallions team with former NFL players such as running back’s Branden Oliver and Matt Asiata. They also boast wide receiver Kenny Bell (Nebraska) who was a solid prospect out of college. Salt Lake is led by a well-known ex-NFL head coach as well in Dennis Erickson.
On the other side, the Hotshots have arguably the best quarterback duo in the league with former Texas A&M standout Trevor Knight and Wake Forest’s John Wolford. They also have an intriguing group of wideouts that includes ex-Philadelphia Eagles receiver Josh Huff and Freddie Martino.
Let’s look at some of the top plays and score updates through the game, which featured the Hotshots taking a decent-sized lead during the second half.
Hotshots Strike First With John Wolford Touchdown: 8-0
.@aafhotshots strike first!
Matt Asiata Evens Things Up for Salt Lake: 8-8
Matt Asiata on the goal line takes it in for 6️⃣!
John Wolford With the Long Touchdown: 16-8
.@aafhotshots. Deep ball. Six.
Hotshots Showcase the Defensive Side of the Ball
Robert Nelson Jr. playing like he did for @ASUFootball back in the day #interception #GoShots
Salt Lake Cuts Into Lead Before Halftime: 19-16
The points are piling up in the desert! @aafstallions answer with 6️⃣ of their own.
Rashad Ross With the One-Handed Grab
What a catch by Rashad Ross
Rashad Ross Catches Second TD, Hotshots Add Another: 35-16
Have a game, @RocketRoss_19! Ross hauls in his second of the game.
We can watch this all night long 😎
After the interception by Steven Johnson Jr., the Hotshots got the ball back to go in and score and expand their lead to 35-16 and nearly grab control of this game. But after the score, the Stallions bounce back quickly and scored to cut the lead to 35-22, missing the two-point conversion attempt.
Stallions Cut Into Lead Early in Fourth Quarter: 35-22
Nick Truesdell with an impressive grab, touchdown @aafstallions!
Final score: 38-22, Arizona Hotshots move to 1-0 on the season
Stats From Stallions vs. Hotshots Matchup
The big night from Ross was well-documented, as he topped 100 yards with his second touchdown on the above play, finishing the night with 103 yards and two scores. He led the way offensively while Wolford threw for 275 yards and four touchdowns. Along with the quarterback-wide receiver duo, Hotshots running back Jhurrell Pressley totaled 64 rushing yards, 30 receiving yards and one touchdown.
On the Stallions side, quarterback Josh Woodrum left at halftime due to an injury after throwing for 103 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Matt Linehan took over and threw for 56 yards, one touchdown and one interception, per No Extra Points.
As the site also detailed, two big-name receivers in this game who were expected to be heard from quite a bit were almost completely silent. Arizona’s Josh Huff totaled one catch for three yards on five targets while and Salt Lake’s Kenny Bell failed to haul in any of his three targets. Stallions tight end’s Anthony Denham (five catches, 59 yards) and Nick Truesdell (three catches, 23 yards, one touchdown) had strong nights. Beyond that, wideout Jordan Leslie caught 2-of-3 targets while finding the end zone.
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