Iowa Barnstormers Fall to the Green Bay Blizzard - Iowa Barnstormers (2024)

Box Score

Iowa Barnstormers Fall to the Green Bay Blizzard

Kicker Gabriel Rui got Iowa on the board first, knocking down a 50-yard field goal, which marked the third longest kick in the Indoor Football League this season.

Green Bay then quickly silenced the arena in the matter of 37 seconds. Quarterback Max Meylor found wide receiver Lowell Patron Jr. open for a 30-yard touchdown.

Even after a holding penalty, the Barnstormers came out firing as quarterback Darius-James Peterson threaded the needle to find wide receiver Darren Wilson in the back corner of the end zone for a score.

The exchanging of blows continued. In three plays, running back E.J. Burgess bullied his way through traffic to get the lead back at 14-12 with two minutes left in the first quarter.

Rui added a field goal and a deuce, but the Iowa offense struggled to get its rhythm back. Leading by just a point, the Blizzard drove down the field and Meylor ran into the end zone for a touchdown.

Just when Iowa needed to make a big play, running back Robert Washington ran through the defense for a crucial first down. Peterson then connected with wide receiver Keshaun Taylor hugging the sideline for his first catch of the game, an eight-yard score.

Down 24-23, Green Bay had the clock in their control. They capitalized, converting on a red zone third down with a toss to running back Jalyn Cagle who then ran into the end zone two plays later to give them a 30-24 halftime lead.

The Blizzard came out of the half time break with lightning in a bottle with Cagle returning the kickoff nearly 38 yards. However, they weren't able to do anything with the excellent field position as defensive back Simeon Gatling broke up a third down pass which held Green Bay to a field goal.

The defensive stop gave the Barnstormers offense a much needed shot in the arm. Following a face mask penalty that moved the ball across midfield, Taylor twisted and turned for an acrobatic catch along the sideline for a 20-yard touchdown to bring the score back to two points.

Just when the Iowa defense forced two fourth down plays, Meylor made two huge throws to wide receiver Demetrius Moore who was later left open in the back of the end zone for a score.

Three consecutive downs without gaining more than five yards, all looked bleak. However, the Barnstormers decided to go for it on fourth down and Wilson got free for a deep throw touchdown to tie the game 40-40 in the waning seconds of the third quarter.

The Blizzard marched down the field in a matter of seconds as Meylor found wide receiver Harry Ballard who was able to hang onto an over-the-wall ball, which once again gave the team a seven-point lead.

Despite the roar of the crowd and their cowbells, Meylor connected with Ballard who escaped his defender on a fourth down play, extending the lead with a 26-yard score.

Neither team scored in the last three minutes of the game and Green Bay held on to win 54-40.

Peterson threw for 128 yards and four touchdowns, two to Taylor and two to Wilson, who had a team-leading 88 yards.

The Barnstormers will hit the road for a four-hour trip to the Mount Rushmore state when they take on the Sioux Falls Storm (2-6) Saturday at 7:05 pm.