Canton, OH- Maulers Head coach Ray Horton couldn't have asked for a better fight from his team in a game that came down to one thing most NFL organization's rely on....a field goal. Kicker Chris Blewitt up until the last two minutes of the game was perfect on made field goals including two 50 plus yarders.
"I thought it was it was a very good performance by us statiscally. It game down to one" said the 29 year veteran coach. "We didn't make it but I would do the exact same thing again. I never question if he will make it".
With 1:55 left in the game, Blewitt missed a 41 yarder to position the Maulers with a solid chance to win, but also back in he hunt for the second playoff spot in the North division.
Pittsburgh led for almost the entirety of the game, winning the possession battle nearly 37 minutes to 26 minutes. That all came to an end with just over five minutes left in the ball game on a 33-yard touchdown run from Florida alum Mark Thompson, his second on the day and fifth multi-touchdown game on the season.
"We just played football out there. The offensive line gave me some holes and I attacked them before they closed," Thompson said postgame.
Houston started the game undisciplined and edgy committing seven penalties in the first quarter alone, two of which allowed the Maulers first drive to stay alive and ultimately end with a dive from QB Troy Williams.
"We won games without any penalties and we start to go astray here and there. We had to reel them back in a halftime, but our assistant coaches did a great job at halftime. I stood back and let our assistants Eric Price, Garret Chacere, and Chris Wilson do their job. They were confident, complementary of the players, but they also got on them. What they said came true," Gamblers head coach Curtis Johnson said postgame.
Williams played his most efficient game on the season going 20-26 for 214 yards with a 100.5 QBR. The former Utah standout QB found wide receivers CJ Turner and Isiah Hennie for big big plays in the first half to go along with with 8-8 passing start.
"Going throughout the week in practice and finding my comfortability in the season, I was able to find my guys for great plays. Hennie had big plays. Bailey Gaithers. It was a very collective effort to allow me to see the field better," Williams said post game.
With two weeks left in the season, the Maulers now find themselves in a position where they are leaning on other teams in the North division to lose at least one of the final two games for a chance at the playoffs. Next week they host the Michigan Panthers in a must-win to stay alive.
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