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Capitol preview
04/26/02 Capitols Press Release The Lincoln Capitols attempt to get back on the winning track when they visit the Bismarck Roughriders for a 7:35 p.m. contest. The Capitols had their season opening 3-game winning streak snapped this past weekend when they fell 61-39 to the Omaha Beef in their first road game since opening the year with a win at LaCrosse.
Omaha avenged a week two loss to the Capitols behind quarterback Tory Veland’s 14-of-18 passing night, and the Beef racked up 315 yards of total offense in cruising to the win. Veland completed the first 10 passes he attempted in making his second start of the season in relief of the injured Troy Travis.
Lincoln never led, as the Beef defense limited the Capitols to 198 yards, including 34 rushing yards by rookie Rayshawn Askew, who had eclipsed the 100-yard mark in Lincoln’s win over Austin the week before. Capitols quarterback Josh Luedtke threw for 157 yards and 3 touchdowns, but also suffered his first interception of the season. Luedtke completed 15-of-29 passes in the loss, finding Tyrone Tyler for a pair of scores and Damon Benning for another. Tyler’s two touchdown catches were the first two touchdowns of the night for the Capitols after being limited to a pair of Chace Long field goals for 25-minutes of the first half. Long added two more field goals in the second half, including a career best 60-yarder from his own end zone. Long also kept his streak of converting on PAT’s intact and has now hit all 22 PAT’s he has attempted this season. The game is the second of a brief two-game road swing for the Capitols, who return home to face the division-leading Sioux City Bandits May 4th. Lincoln will then embark on a three-game road swing before hosting LaCrosse on May 31st.
The Bismarck Roughriders, like the Capitols, are in their first season in the NIFL, but have a few familiar faces on their roster and coaching staff. Head coach Collins Sanders returned to Bismarck after coaching Memphis of arenafootball2 to a 3-13 record last season. Sanders left Bismarck for Memphis after leading the Indoor Football League’s Bismarck Blaze to the championship game and a loss to Peoria. The Blaze’s offense in 2000 was keyed by the IFL’s rushing champion Quentin Cradle, who also returns to Bismarck after a year in Memphis. Cradle has set single-season rushing records in both the IFL (1,290 yards) and af2 (402 yards) after a collegiate career at the University of Mary. Bismarck claimed a 29-20 win over Rapid City this past weekend to improve to 3-2. Kick returner A.J. Street took two kicks for scores, but had one called back on a penalty. The Roughriders picked up a pair of Red Dog fumbles in capturing their second win over the Dogs in three weeks.
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