Both Rookies Looked Impressive Once Again
Lawrence vs Lance Will Be a Battle for Next Decade
March 7, 2021
Birmingham, AL - It was the first matchup between the two heralded rookie quarterbacks, and they were far from perfect, but both delivered in crunch time. If this is the start of a long rivalry, even if it's in the NFL, all football fans say, bring it on.
Express QB Trey Lance connected with WR Shaq Evans on a 34-yard, go-ahead touchdown with 1:49 left in the fourth quarter, capping a 94-yard march, and the Memphis Express beat the Birmingham Iron, 29-23.
Iron jumped out to a 16-0 lead in the first half and then responded to an Express rally to retake the lead, 23-21 in the fourth quarter. The Express got the ball down two at their own 6 with 3:07 left in the fourth quarter. Lance, after being up and down for much of the night, suddenly found his form. Memphis needed four plays and 1:18, with Lance completing all three of his passes and mixing in an 11-yard run. Lance who never lost a college start passed for 259 yards and two scores and ran for a career-high 107 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown late in the first half.
"Just the fight of this team. Didn't play great. Didn't look pretty, but just finding a way to get it done," Lance said. Lance added a 2-point conversion pass to Higgins, but left plenty of time for Birmingham QB Lawrence to respond. The Iron drove to the Express 23, but on second-and-7, Lawrence fired to the end zone and was picked off by Memphis DB Stevie Brown with 37 seconds left. Iron WR TJ Jones had broken off his route thinking Lawrence was going to scramble. "That ball was supposed to go to me and I was supposed to run a post and I believe it would have been a touchdown. Definitely put it on me," Jones said.
Birmingham went into the fourth quarter trailing 21-16, and with everything seemingly going Memphis' way. Iron RB Trent Richardson ran for 174 yards, including two 60-plus yarders in the first half, but was slowed by a twisted left ankle late in the second quarter. Lawrence heated up and orchestrated an 84-yard drive, capped by a fourth-and-short, 23-yard touchdown pass to WR L'Damian Washington to give make it 23-21 with 11:46 left in the fourth.
Express - 29 Iron - 23
(2-1)MEM: QB Trey Lance - 18/33 259 yards, 2 TDs, RB Zac Stacy - 16 carries, 98 yards, WR Shaq Evans - 9 catches, 98 yards, 2 TDs, WR Brandon Gibson - 6 catches, 47 yards
(3-0)BIRM: QB Trevor Lawrence - 30/46 320 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs, RB Trent Richardson - 25 carries, 174 yards, WR L'Damian Washington - 9 catches, 104 yards, 1 TD, WR TJ Jones - 6 catches, 67 yards
Conquerors - 19 Roughnecks - 20
(2-1)LV: QB Ryan Mallett - 26/46 303 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, RB Isaiah Crowell - 19 carries, 74 yards, 1 TD, WR Corey Coleman - 7 catches, 114 yards, WR Brandon Coleman - 7 catches, 81 yards, TE Troy Fumagalli - 3 catches, 31 yards, 1 TD
(1-2)HOU: QB PJ Walker - 13/19 209 yards, 2 TDs, RB Karlos Williams - 10 carries, 86 yards, RB D'Onta Foreman - 19 carries, 72 yards, WR Cam Phillips - 4 catches, 88 yards, 1 TD, WR Jaelen Strong - 4 catches, 68 yards, 1 TD
Alphas - 20 Stallions - 13
(0-3)CHI: QB JT Barrett - 13/29 221 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, RB Jacques Patrick - 33 carries, 116 yards, 1 TD, WR Antonio Callaway - 4 catches, 90 yards, WR Marquess Wilson - 3 catches, 63 yards, 1 TD
(0-3)STL: QB Paxton Lynch - 20/33 251 yards, 1 TD, RB Christine Michael - 17 carries, 39 yards, RB Matt Jones - 11 carries, 19 yards, WR Kevin White - 3 catches, 64 yards
Fleet - 24 Commanders - 27
(2-1)SD: QB Colin Kaepernick - 20/34 242 yards, 1 TD, RB Kapri Bibbs - 29 carries, 89 yards, 1 TD, RB Kalen Ballage - 20 carries, 81 yards, 1 TD, WR Martavis Bryant - 5 catches, 81 yards
(3-0)SA: QB Tim Tebow - 12/18 198 yards, 1 TD, RB Kenneth Farrow - 24 carries, 186 yards, 1 TD, RB David Cobb - 22 carries, 96 yards, 1 TD, WR MeKale McKay - 4 catches, 91 yards, 1 TD, WR Greg Ward - 4 catches, 54 yards
Storm - 19 Guardians - 27
(0-3)TB: QB Blake Bortles - 14/24 180 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, RB Alex Collins - 19 carries, 152 yards, WR Kelvin Benjamin - 5 catches, 58 yards, 1 TD
(2-1)NY: QB Josh Freeman - 18/28 233 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, RB Orleans Darkwa - 27 carries, 109 yards, WR Charone Peake - 4 catches, 52 yards, 1 TD, WR Brandon Burks - 4 catches, 47 yards, 1 TD
Dragons - 24 Vipers - 10
(2-1)SEA: QB Geno Smith - 12/19 167 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, RB CJ Prosise - 17 carries, 99 yards, RB Thomas Rawls - 19 carries, 93 yards, 2 TDs, WR Devier Posey - 5 catches, 71 yards, WR TJ Graham - 5 catches, 56 yards, 1 TD
(1-2)MEX: QB Aaron Murray - 16/29 162 yards, RB Jeremy Hill - 24 carries, 83 yards, 1 TD, WR Josh Doctson - 3 catches, 30 yards
Soul - 28 Defenders - 34
(0-3)PHIL: QB Cody Kessler - 32/51 426 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT, RB Alfred Blue - 22 carries, 105 yards, 1 TD, WR DeAnthony Thomas - 8 catches, 159 yards, 2 TDs, WR Jordan Matthews - 4 catches, 76 yards
(0-3)ATL: QB Cardale Jones - 20/37 310 yards, 4 TDs, RB Corey Clement - 34 carries, 124 yards, WR Justice Liggins - 2 catches, 71 yards, 2 TDs, WR Justin Hardy - 4 catches, 57 yards, 1 TD
Brigade - 30 Blues - 22
(0-3)BAL: QB Brett Hundley - 14/22 179 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs, RB CJ Anderson - 27 carries, 173 yards, 1 TD, WR Paul Richardson - 3 catches, 61 yards
(3-0)MIA: QB EJ Manuel - 16/23 198 yards, 1 INT, RB Denard Robinson - 23 carries, 117 yards, RB Montee Ball - 10 carries, 59 yards, 2 TDs, WR Leonard Hankerson - 6 catches, 92 yards
Valor - 27 Apollos - 38
(0-3)DC: QB Bryce Perkins - 17/32 257 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, RB Lorenzo Taliaferro - 26 carries, 118 yards, 1 TD, WR Rashod Ross - 7 catches, 100 yards, WR Eli Rogers - 3 catches, 56 yards, 1 TD
(3-0)ORL: QB Garrett Gilbert - 17/23 268 yards, 3 TDs, RB Akeem Hunt - 15 carries, 82 yards, 1 TD, RB Antonio Andrews - 13 carries, 57 yards, 1 TD, WR Jalin Marshall - 2 catches, 83 yards, WR Charles Johnson - 5 catches, 83 yards, 1 TD, WR Donte Moncrief - 5 catches, 44 yards, 1 TD
Wildcats - 14 *Renegades - 6
(3-0)LA: QB Josh Johnson - 19/34 283 yards, 1 TD, RB Spencer Ware - 20 carries, 74 yards, 1 TD, WR DaVaris Daniels - 8 catches, 156 yards, WR AJ Jenkins - 7 catches, 99 yards, 1 TD
(3-0)DAL: QB Landry Jones - 12/16 107 yards, RB Cameron Artis-Payne - 20 carries, 68 yards, WR Brice Butler - 5 catches, 45 yards
*Dallas starting QB Landry Jones knocked out of game in 2nd Quarter with concussion
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