Saints 27 Cardinals 10 Randal Hill amassed 124 receiving yds in a nine-minute span to spark a 24-0 second half run and a win over Arizona. Initially, it looked as though the Saints wouldn't put up much fight. The team went 3 & punt on the game's opening possession, then yielded an 80 yd TD drive that lasted more than seven minutes (Plummer ran it in from 10 yds out for the score). Following another 3 & punt series, the D got a break when Sanders fumbled on his own after making a catch and breaking into the open field at the NO 41. Alex Molden's recovery gave the O new life, but the result was a third 3 & punt series. On 3rd & 5, a big-time pop of Edwards by Mickey Washington forced a punt by the visitors, and it was a bad one (it went out-of-bounds at the NO 40 after travelling only 32 yds). An illegal contact flag tacked onto a Billy Joe Hobert scramble moved the Saints' sticks for the first time, and on the next play Andre Hastings took a reverse to the Arizona 18. Abramowicz' bag of tricks almost backfired on the next play (Troy Davis threw a ball into the endzone that should've been intercepted) but things turned out OK because the Cardinals were flagged for hitting Davis in the head after the throw. The drive ended with a 20 yd Doug Brien FG. After two inconsequential possessions, Arizona got a boost from back-to-back penalties on Eric Allen (first hands-to-the-face, then a 28 yd pass interference call that negated a Sammy Knight interception). The Cardinals kicked a 30 yd FG with 3:05 left in the half to go up 10-3. After the O couldn't do much with the ball, the Cards took over at their 32 with 1:40 on the clock. Plummer hit Williams for 9, handed to Centers for 5, threw to Centers for 9, then found Sanders for 12. After a false start, Plummer went back to work by hitting Williams for 17 & 11. A key play in the game came with Arizona facing 3rd & goal from the 5- the heretofore unsacked Plummer was hit and fumbled the ball. Wayne Martin recovered at the 10 to allow the team to go into halftime down only seven. Neither offense could move the ball during the second half's first three possessions. After having gone two-of-nine for 9 yds over the game's first 35 minutes, Hobert kicked into gear with a fly pattern to Randal Hill for 41. One play later Ray Zellars took a screen for 12. Hobert dodged a bullet when Hill made a diving catch of a ball deflected through the hands of a Cardinal. On 3rd & 8 from the 9, Hobert threw into the endzone and hit Hill for the third time (it was also the third time for Hill to raise his jersey and show his Superman undershirt- he's very lucky not to have been flagged for taunting). Brien's PAT tied the score at ten. Arizona reached their own 41 before the D picked it up a notch- the Cardinals went incompletion, holding penalty, sack, sack, punt. Hill was flagged for a false start but atoned by making receptions of 13 & 44 yds on back-to-back plays. The catches helped set up a successful 33 yarder by Brien. The D kept the pressure on Plummer with a 3rd & 10 sack by Joe Johnson. Hobert stayed in his second half groove by making Keith Poole's first NFL reception a memorable one (the WR slipped behind the D for a 49 yd gain). Two plays later on 3rd & 3, Eric Guliford caught a 15 yd TD. On 4th & 2 from the Cardinal 41, Plummer threw incomplete. Hobert was eventually intercepted in the endzone by Aeneas Williams, but not until after the clock had been drained to 4:30. A minute later Rob Kelly caught a deflected Plummer throw, and (following 5 consecutive Zellars runs) John Farquhar caught an 8 yd TD on the first play after the 2-minute warning. Washington more-or-less closed out the action by intercepting Plummer. stats & yardage histograms (from my notes, not official) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ..runnin'....../.......throwin' & catchin'.... 7- 16 b.j. Hobert 19- 73 r. Zellars 2- 23 6- 13 T. davis 1- 1 m. Bates R. hill 5-124-1 1- 28 A. hastings 2- 6 E. guliford 2- 37-1 K. poole 1- 49 I. smith 1- 5 j. Farquhar 1- 8-1 34-131 TOTAL 14-252-3 incomplete 9 intercepted 1 H H T H B TZ H Z H TZ Z <--runs TZ H ZZZ ZH ZZTZZZZZT ZZZ A ***************************************************************************** - 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 yards gained 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 <------ ***************************************************************************** A AI ZR R Z R E R R K F E <--passes ..runnin'....../.......throwin' & catchin'.... 1- 2 3- 21-1 J. plummer 22- 81 Ron moore 3- 12 l. Centers 1- 9 F. sanders 4- 53 rob Moore 4- 29 k. Williams 4- 54 A. edwards 1- 6 c. Gedney 1- 8 P. carter 1- 15 28-114-1 TOTAL 17-176 incomplete 18 intercepted 2 C R R R RCR <--runs RRJCRRR J RR RRRRRRR RJR R ***************************************************************************** - 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 yards gained 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 <------ ***************************************************************************** JM MMFGW WF M W F FA C P W <--passes comments ^^^^^^^^ * rookies Tomich, Mitchell, and Kelly started for the first time (they replaced injured vets Mickell, Harvey, and Newman) * a better team would've made us pay for such a slow start ******************************************************************************* Frank Serpas III serpas@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu