Bizarre stretch continues for Knight Hawks as they drop second straight Western Conference contest

Vegas had one loss through the first 13 weeks of the IFL season. Now, it has a loss in back-to-back weeks.

In a Week 15 matchup, the Knight Hawks were defeated, 43-39, by the San Diego Strike Force. That is the second road loss for the reigning National Champions in five showings.

Moreover, it’s the second straight Western Conference game dropped by the team.

“We’re just not being efficient in any of the three phases of the football game,” head coach Mike Davis said. “There’s not been one person that’s done something to us. It’s been self-inflicted.”

Friday night’s showcase was for first place in the West standings with Arizona lurking in the third spot at 7-4. Following the outcome, Vegas sits in second at 9-3, just under San Diego, who is now 9-2. Both the Knight Hawks and Strike Force will see each other again in Week 18 in Las Vegas.

In fact, three of the last four games of the year for Vegas are at Lee’s Family Forum beginning with next week’s contest against San Antonio. That meeting is set for Saturday, June 27 with tip-off set for 6 p.m.

“It’s all correctable,” Davis said. “If you look at the first part of the season – the first half – we were doing everything right [...] We’ve got to get back to fundamental football.”

San Diego took notes from Vegas’ loss last week to Tucson and subsequently had a fast start to this one. It even included a deuce as the home team went up 9-0.

That deficit would soon grow to 16 after a long deep touchdown pass by the Strike Force.

“Early in the season, we were coming up with turnovers and stops,” Davis said. “It was masking [the mistakes]. The offense was clicking so nobody really noticed that but the coaches. We’ve been saying that the whole time.”

Defensive lineman Maurice Jackson had his own forced fumble on a strip sack along with the recovery. In addition, defensive back Terry Roberts later earned an interception in the third quarter for the second forced turnover of the night by the Knight Hawks.

After enduring back-to-back first half stops, San Diego closed the second quarter with a made field goal to go into halftime up five points.

On two separate occasions in the second half, the Strike Force challenged plays that included long conversations with the officials. It appeared the referees were informing head coach Taylor Genuser of what he was able to challenge and what he wasn’t.

“Our officials are terrible,” Davis said. “You can’t lead a coach and say, ‘You can’t challenge this but you can challenge that.’ If you’re going to challenge something that’s not challengeable, you lose your timeout and your challenge. So that’s one thing we’ll go back and watch.

“There were so many blown plays but if that did happen, I will raise a stink about it.”

Vegas still had a chance late but a two-point conversion by receiver Senika McKie was wiped off the board after a penalty. That would’ve made it a two-point game after San Diego banged a 34-yard field goal following two false start penalties.

Even with that, the Knight Hawks took their chances on an onside kick which they recovered with a chance to win the game. On the final play of the game, running back Josh Tomas caught a pass across the middle but would be tripped up attempting to make a move pass the defender.

Earlier chances at points that went array loomed large following the final possession.

On the team’s first drive of the game, it was capped by a missed field goal by kicker Gabe Rui. On the ensuing drive, receiver Deshon Stoudemire fumbled the ball in the middle of the field.

Stoudemire would more than make up for the first quarter mistake as part of a performance that included two rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns. He was the team’s leading rusher and receiver in the losing effort.

His final touchdown of the night was the reception with 42 seconds left in regulation ahead of that failed two-point conversion.

Fellow receiver Quentin Randolph added two receiving touchdowns of his own. The latter of the two gave the team its first and only lead of the game.

Quarterback Jayden De Laura went 17-for-24 for 220 yards, four touchdowns and an interception that came just before halftime. While driving in the fourth quarter, he lost the ball while dropping back for a pass attempt.

Though he recovered the fumble would move the offense backward in the process. Rui missed his field goal attempt shortly after.

“You can’t put it all on him,” Davis said. “The line wasn’t blocking, snaps weren’t [where they should be], we were dropping balls. You can’t put that all on Jayden.

“When we lose games, everybody wants to point the finger at the quarterback. I’ll be damned if I’m letting people do that. We’ve got to be better as a group.”