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The Rage hath fury Orlando rallies to remain unbeaten
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- The XFL team from Florida heated up in the cold of Giants Stadium to remain unbeaten. The Orlando Rage rallied to beat the New York-New Jersey Hitmen 18-12 on Sunday, leaving the Rage at 3-0 and the Hitmen winless in as many games in the new league. Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jeff Brohm, looking like Steve Young, scrambled 33 yards down the middle, juking three defenders on his way to the winning touchdown with 2:33 remaining. "There were a lot of guys slipping out there," Brohm said. "Maybe that's why I got in. "I played under Steve and learned from one of the best." When the sputtering offenses found some rhythm in the second half, the announced crowd of 25,626 -- perhaps 20,000 fans actually were on hand in 30 degree temperatures with a wind-chill of 8 -- came alive. "You could tell we were the warm weather team early on," Brohm said. "The field and the conditions affected us, but we sucked it up and showed we are the best team." Maybe the spectators were more inspired by the gyrating cheerleaders, fireworks and miked players with their primal screams, all staples of the XFL. But they weren't exiting because of dull football and the frigid conditions, as they did the previous week at Giants Stadium. The Hitmen began moving the ball in the second half behind backup quarterback Wally Richardson. Heeding the advice from several signs in the stands saying "Pull Puleri," Hitmen head coach Rusty Tillman benched struggling quarterback Charlie Puleri after another poor half. Richardson guided New York-New Jersey 74 yards on 12 plays and a fourth-quarter touchdown. He hit tight end Marcus Hinton over the middle from the 20 and Hinton bulled into the end zone for a 12-3 edge. "He did a pretty good job for the first time in there," Tillman said. "We were just trying to get a spark out of somebody." The Hitmen took the lead 6-3 when Leo Araguz, who had a 42-yard field goal in the first half, made one from 39 in the third quarter. It was set up by Damen Wheeler's interception and 12-yard return to the Rage's 29. But Wheeler was victimized for a 42-yard reception by Dialleo Burks that led to Jay Taylor's second field goal, a 45-yard yarder that made it 12-6. Burks later beat him again for a 22-yarder to the Hitmen 1-yard line and Derrick Clark scored to tie it. "The field was like a block of ice," Burks said. "It was like playing in the street. But that is no excuse for us to play the way we did early in the game." When Richardson's seam pass to Hinton went off the receiver's shoulder and was intercepted by Stephen Fisher, it set up Brohm's decisive dash. "I'm going to tell the coach to put him at running back," Burks said of Brohm, who vehemently shook his head no at that suggestion. The Hitmen got to the Orlando 34 in the final minute, but a 20-yard sack and Fisher's second interception ended the threat. One miked Orlando player than pointed to the fans and said, "You all can go home now."
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