2005 Tampa Bay Storm

Despite some training camp injuries, most notably to T.T. Toliver, the Storm returned eighteen players and all the starters from last year's team. Five year veteran WR/DB Anthony Derricks, rookie WR/DB Lynaris Elpheage and rookie FB/LB Elfrid Payton, who ranks second all-time on the CFL sack list, were newcomers expected to make an impact. Lawrence Samuels said before the season, "The teams that win are the teams that keep the same group of guys together. I have high expectations."

It did not take the Storm long to get rolling in the season opener against defending champion San Jose. After a 7-7 first quarter, the home team poured in on and lead 35-14 at the half. Lawrence Samuels had two interceptions and a pair of touchdown grabs, Freddie Solomon caught ten passes for 126 yards and three scores, and Clif Dell had two TD catches. Shane Stafford (28 of 35 for 273 yards) tied the team record with eight touchdown passes and did not throw an interception. James Roe and Rodney Wright each scored two touchdowns for the SaberCats, but quarterback Mark Grieb (25 of 49 for 298 yards with 3 TDs and 1 INT) was under pressure all afternoon and was sacked once in the end zone for a safety. The team tried to keep the big 63-33 victory in perspective. Stafford stated, "It's one win. We have to keep a businesslike attitude, don't get too high on ourselves." Tim Marcum added, "We have a lot of work to do, there's no question about it, but doggone it's good to start the season like this."

When the Storm hosted Austin on Super Bowl Sunday, Clif Dell caught a career high four touchdown passes. Shane Stafford (20 of 30 for 278 yards with 1 INT) threw seven TD passes, he also ran for a score, and Lawrence Samuels had seven receptions for 139 yards. Defensive specialist Jonathan Ordway picked off two passes, returning one a team record tying 49 yards for a touchdown. It was not all rosy for Tampa Bay, as the team was penalized ten times and turned the ball over three times. The Wranglers had their share of problems with thirteen penalties, four turnovers and quarterback Bobby Pesavento (1 of 4 for 12 yards) being knocked out in the first quarter. John Fitzgerald (23 of 38 for 234 yards with 2 INTs) came on to toss six TD passes, Kevin Nickerson had big afternoon with five catches for 104 yards and four touchdowns, but the Storm came out of top 62-45. Tim Marcum said of his one-hundredth regular season victory with the Storm, "Boy, it was sloppy. We've just got to get better."

The Storm held early leads of 10-0 and 17-6 at Orlando. A 41-7 run by the Predators would obliterate that. Orlando scored 27 unanswered points and held the Storm scoreless in the third quarter. Idris Price had two TD runs, as the home team ran for five scores. Price also recorded two sacks, lineman Rupert Grant likewise had two sacks, as Orlando got to Shane Stafford (24 of 45 for 241 yards with 2 TDs) five times. Stafford fumbled on one of the sacks and Buck Gurley returned it 16 yards for a TD. Joe Hamilton (13 of 24 for 173 yards with 1 INT) added three touchdown passes and a scoring run. Clif Dell caught three touchdown passes for Tampa Bay, Lawrence Samuels had eleven receptions for 119 yards and backup QB Stoney Case threw his first career AFL TD. The Storm scored twice in the final minute of the 61-46 defeat. Tim Marcum admitted, "We just got our butt kicked in every way possible."

The Storm got off to a good start and a 10-0 lead at New Orleans, then the Voodoo scored the next 21 points. In a game that featured seven lead changes, the 100th touchdown of Lawrence Samuels' career put Tampa Bay up 24-21 in the third quarter. Shane Stafford (32 of 54 for 274 yards with 5 TDs) set team records for attempts and completions. Clif Dell caught three touchdown passes and a two-point conversion to give the Storm a 42-35 lead at the one minute warning. New Orleans tied it up with 22 seconds left and the game headed to overtime. Andy Kelly (31 of 47 for 281 yards with 1 INT) threw his fifth TD pass of the night, and Jacques Rumph caught his second to open OT, however a missed extra point left the door open for Tampa Bay. On fourth and goal, the Voodoo stopped David Saunders just short of goal line and that was the way it ended. The Storm did not help themselves with a dozen penalties in the 48-42 defeat.

A home game against Grand Rapids was a 20-20 at the half, then the Storm exploded for a team record 50 second half points. Freddie Solomon (9 receptions for 148 yards) catch four touchdown passes after the intermission, as the Storm scored 70 points for the first time in four seasons. Shane Stafford (24 of 33 for 298 yards) threw for seven TDs and ran for another, while T.T. Toliver had TD catch and missed field goal return for another score. The defense sacked Rampage quarterback Michael Bishop (16 of 37 for 259 yards with 5 TDs and a TD run) three times, including once in the end zone to close out the scoring. Tim Marcum said after the 70-50 victory, I'm a much better football coach today, than I was at this time last week."

With Arizona in town, the game featured eight ties and some late game heroics. Shane Stafford (30 of 45 for 321 yards) continued his hot hand and threw for seven touchdowns. David Saunders had three touchdown receptions, T.T. Toliver caught a pair and Lawrence Samuels had a dozen catches for 145 yards with a score. Anthony Derricks had an interception to go with a 58 yard kickoff return for a TD. The Rattlers did not go quietly. Sherdrick Bonner (20 of 41 for 263 yards) tossed eight TD passes with Siaha Burley (10 catches for 160 yards) on the receiving end five times. It took some fancy footwork for Stafford to avoid a safety with 20 seconds left, then as time expired, Matt George kicked a 20 yard field goal to give the Storm a 56-53 victory.

As time expired, the Storm had a chance to win a back-and-forth contest at Philadelphia. Earlier in the afternoon Lawrence Samuels passed Stevie Thomas as the team's all-time reception leader, but a pass intended for him was deflected at the goal line as time ran out. Shane Stafford (31 of 45 for 348 yards with 2 INTs) threw for seven scores, Umar Muhammad ran for two touchdowns and Freddie Solomon (10 catches 113 yards with 2 TDs) had a big game. The Soul answered with eight TD passes by Tony Graziani (18 of 33 for 320 yards) with Marcus Knight hauling in three. Steve Smith had a huge game with eight receptions for for 122 yards with 3 TDs and he also returned a kickoff 57 yards for a score. Not only could the Storm not stop Philadeplphia, ten pentalties did not help matters. After a 69-63 defeat, Tim Marcum said "I'd like to comment about the defense, but they didn't show up."

Things got worse when the league suspended Tim Marcum for salary cap violations. The league claimed the Storm did not accurately report monies paid to players during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. Marcum would be susspended for four games, the next two this season and the first two games of the 2006 season. The Storm was also fined $150,000, of which Marcum would have to pay $25,000, and the team would be delayed in signing free agents over the next two years. Of the accusations, Marcum stated, "We don't believe that they're true, but in order to get this behind us, we've accepted the consquences."

Dave Ewart, who had head coaching experience with the Florida Bobcats, would become intern coach at Los Angeles. The Storm scored first, then went 29 minutes without putting up any points. After being held scorless on five straight posseesions, and scoring just seven points through three quarters, the Storm were behind 38-7. Former Storm QB John Kaleo (24 of 36 for 301 yards with 2 INTs) threw four TD passes and ran for two scores. Lonnie Ford also ran for two touchdowns as the Avengers had four TDs on the ground. Kevin Ingram chipped in with 8 receptions for 150 yards and a TD. Shane Stafford (16 of 43 for 342 yards with 4 TDs) had a rough night with a career high three interceptions and he lost two fumbles. Lawrence Samuels did catch nine passes for 116 yards with two TDs and the Storm scored three fourth quarter touchdowns to avoid one of the worst offensive efforts in league history. After the 59-28 loss, Ewart talked about the game and the fact that Tim Marcum was back in Tampa. "Any time you lose your leader, it affects you, of course. But it's not anything we're going to use as an excuse. We need to win a game right now. If we win a game, that will solve a lot of problems."

The Storm traded T.T. Toliver and David Saunders before a home game against Georgia. The game against the Force would feature seven lead changes. Shane Stafford (24 of 36 for 319 yards) tossed five TD passes, Clif Dell was on the receiving end twice and Freddie Solomon caught nine passes for 109 yards with a score. While the Storm forced four turnovers, thirteen penalties did not help. Matt Nagy (23 of 39 for 273 yards with 1 INT) threw for four touchdowns, Troy Bergeron caught a pair of scoring passes and Derek Lee finished the evening with twelve receptions for 124 yards with a TD. The Storm lead 38-31 at the half, and after a scoreless third quarter, posted a 48-38 victory.

Tim Marcum returned to the sidelines and the Storm won a home game against Orlando. Shane Stafford (27 of 40 for 262 yards with 1 INT) threw four touchdown passes and ran for the game's first score. David White and Umar Muhammad also rushed for touchdowns, while Freddie Solomon caught a pair of TD passes. Joe Hamilton (24 of 39 for 309 yards with 1 INT) threw for five touchdowns, with Jimmy Fryzel (10 receptions for 159 yards) catching three and Cory Fleming the other two, but the Storm stopped the Predators on five possessions. The Storm won the game 54-42.

In eight straight games the Storm had scored first, before the Wranglers took a 21-7 lead after the first quarter in Austin. John Fitzgerald (17 of 32 for 216 yards with 1 INT) threw four touchdown passes, twice hooking up with Ira Gooch (5 receptions for 111 yards) on long TD passes, and Henry Bryant ran for two scores to pace the home team. The Storm struggled with three fumbles, ten penalties for 64 yards and a miscue on a kickoff return. Tim Marcum rallied the troops at halftime and the Storm would come back. While Jarrod Pentright ran for two Tampa Bay scores, Shane Stafford (24 of 41 for 207 yards) tossed five TD passes with Lawrence Samuels (11 catches for 103 yards) on the receiving end three times. The Storm posted the team's first road victory of the season by the score of 54-42. Of the locker room at the half, Stafford said, "Coach told us to get our butts in gear. He let us have it and rightfully so." The Storm got off to a slow start at Nashville, falling behind 16-0, and turned in one of the worst performances in team history. After not scoring in the first quarter, Shane Stafford (23 of 42 for 313 yards with 1 INT) threw for two TDs and ran for another in the second. Tampa Bay would not score at all in the second half. Leon Murray (13 of 23 for 166 yards) had three touchdown passes and T.T. Toliver scored twice. After scoring on a reception and a run Toliver said of facing his former teammates, "It feels strange, but it's a business. I'm a Nashville Kat now." Tim Marcum was not pleased with a 37-21 loss where the Storm was held scoreless in three quarters and penalized 14 times for 108 yards. "I don't know if they really care if they're going to the playoffs or not. I know they care about Thursdays. That's when they get a check. I don't know if they care about anything else past Thursday. Not when you play like that."

The Storm would never trail against New Orleans. Shane Stafford (24 of 34 for 215 yards) threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more. Lawrence Samuels caught eleven passes for 80 yards and Matt George established a new team record with four field goals. George also had four extra points for a total of 16 points on the evening. For the visiting VooDoo, Carl Bond caught three of Andy Kelly's (30 of 47 for 279 yards with 1 INT) five touchdown passes and Aaron Bailey had 13 receptions for 129 yards with a score. Jonathan Ordway set a Storm record with 14.5 tackles in the 47-36 victory.

Shane Stafford (22 of 42 for 337 yards) threw for six touchdowns and surpassed 10,000 career passing yards at Atlanta. However, the Storm still struggled. Ricky Parker intercepted Stafford twice and the Storm failed on five of six conversions, including three pass plays. Storm offensive specialist Demetris Bendross, a CFL veteran playing in his second AFL game, caught a pair of early TD passes and the Force lead 20-15 at the half. Lawrence Samuels recovered an onsides kick between a pair of TD passes and the Storm trailed 32-27. When Chris Jackson returned the ensuing kickoff 56 yards for a score, the Storm could not recover. Jackson caught a dozen passes for 130 yards with three touchdowns and Troy Bergeron had two TD catches. Matt Nagy (24 of 37 for 269 yards) threw for five scores and was not picked off, as Georgia's 52-40 victory gave them the Southern Division crown. The Storm were still in the playoff hunt, as Tim Marcum said, "Our goals are still ahead of us. It's all about us doing what we need to do the next two weeks to take care of business."

The Storm got out to a twenty point first half lead over New York in the home finale. Shane Stafford (19 of 32 for 317 yards) threw seven touchdown passes and Lawrence Samuels had another big afternoon with nine catches for a career high 166 yards and three scores. The running game was a big factor, as David White rushed for two TDs and a career high 36 yards. Aaron Garcia (25 of 36 for 292 with 1 INT) threw for sevens scores and the Dragons would come back to take the lead by the fourth quarter. Mike Horacek had nine receptions for 133 yards with three scores and Chris Anthony had a pair of TD grabs. William Holder had 111 yards in kickoff returns, ran one back for a score and also had an interception. Stafford had some trouble with the picks and Billy Packer intercepted him twice. New York's nemesis were flags, as they were penalized 13 times for 97 yards. The third Samuels touchdown provided the winning margin in a 61-58 Storm victory. The locker room talk centered around the postseason. Samuels said, "It's a lonely feeling being home for the playoffs. If you can't lay it on the line, you don't belong in the AFL." Tim Marcum added, "We're in total control of our destiny right now."

The postseason seemed in jeopardy when the Storm fell behind 20-7 after the first quarter at Columbus. Destroyers quarterback Matt D'Orazio (16 of 26 for 213 yards with 1 INT) finished with seven TD passes with Cornelius White hauling in three touchdowns catches. With the help of four Columbus fumbles, the Storm came back to lead 28-27 at the half, out-scored the Destroyers 23-0 in the third and reeled off 43 consecutive points. Shane Stafford (26 of 38 for 277 yards) threw for five TDs and ran for three scores. Demetris Bendross and Rodney Daniels each had a pair of touchdown grabs in the 78-53 victory. Tim Marcum said afterwards, "I'm proud of the way the team hung in there and came back. It's going to be a great playoffs. I think it's anybody's to win."

At Atlanta, the Storm were up 19-13 in the second quarter before Georgia scored with fourteen seconds left to tie things up. As the half expired, Matt George attempted a 39 field goal to give Tampa Bay the lead going into the locker room. Troy Bergeron, who also had three touchdown catches, returned the missed field goal 56 yards for a score to put the Force on top 26-19. Special teams killed the Storm as George missed three extra points, all three of his field goal attempts and Chris Jackson returned a kickoff for score. Shane Stafford (19 of 34 for 304 yards with 2 INTs) did throw for three TDs and ran for two more, and Freddie Solomon caught five passes for 102 yards and a pair of scores, but the Storm also turned the ball over four times. Matt Nagy (21 of 38 for 223 yards with 1 INT) threw five TD passes in a 62-46 Georgia victory. Tim Marcum said of the first round playoff loss, "We just kind of got whipped by the turnover thing. We had a good season, but around here, that ain't good enough."

The Storm finished undefeated at home for the first time, yet had the worst road record in team history. Including the playoff loss, the team went 2-7 away from home. Shane Stafford set team records for pass completions (405), attempts (632), completion percentage (64.1%), passing yards (4,524) and touchdown passes (83). Lawrence Samuels was third in the league and set a new Storm record with 123 receptions. Matt George set team record for field goals (17), extra points 97 and extra point attempts (100) and points by a kicker (148). George was third in the AFL in points by a kicker. The Storm finished second in the league in attendance averaging 15,518.

The AFL played the Arena Bowl at a neutral site for the first time, as Colorado defeated Georgia in Las Vegas.

Related Links

2005 Tampa Bay Storm Results

2005 AFL Southern Division Standings

2005 Tampa Bay Storm Statistics

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