Artillery Beat Hounds as Dat Throws Two Interceptions
Riley Kade — JRSports One
Ben Dat threw two interceptions and Pittsburgh quarterback Viktor Wurdorf threw two touchdown passes as the Artillery beat the Hounds 27-20. The win lifted Pittsburgh to 2-6 and dropped Nashville to 2-7.
Pittsburgh took the lead for good on Wurdorf's 2-yard touchdown pass to Jesse Nacklin at 7:58 of the first quarter. Nashville outgained the Artillery 370 yards to 309, but the Hounds turned the ball over twice and Pittsburgh did not turn it over at all.
Nashville's Zach Leatrick kicked a 23-yard field goal at 1:41 of the first quarter to make it 7-3. Pittsburgh then scored 14 unanswered points, the best run of the game, on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Wurdorf to Mack Torkrick at 9:29 of the second quarter and a 1-yard run by Ji-ho Mungmura at 2:54, which made it 21-3. Mauricio Bierana intercepted Dat at 6:45 and returned it 10 yards.
Nashville answered before halftime. Joel Gos broke off a 65-yard run at 2:46 to make it 21-10, and Cole Tharker threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Brent Faidman at 0:36 that cut the margin to 21-17. Pittsburgh led 21-17 at the half and at the end of the third quarter, when neither team scored.
Mack Dollson's 61-yard field goal at 10:03 of the fourth quarter made it 24-17. Leatrick's 53-yard field goal at 7:24 pulled Nashville within 24-20. Dollson's 24-yard field goal at 1:55 settled it at 27-20. Fausto Soena fumbled at 4:37 but recovered for 26 yards to the Nashville 7, a play that kept the Artillery's drive alive. Wurdorf finished 26 of 30 for 223 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Nacklin caught seven passes for 96 yards and a touchdown.
Dat completed 10 of 21 passes for 162 yards, with two interceptions and no touchdowns. Gos carried twice for 68 yards and a touchdown and caught six passes for 65 yards. Heath Pandson had six catches for 78 yards for Nashville. Andrew Thumman intercepted a pass for Pittsburgh and made seven tackles. Miles Folfield led Nashville with nine tackles and forced a fumble.
Dat, Emilio Tarr, Eli Loolman and Eli Shollrick are all listed as out. Dat had a shoulder sprain and is out one week. Tarr has a high ankle sprain and is out three weeks. Loolman has a shoulder sprain and is out two weeks, and Shollrick has a high ankle sprain and is out two weeks.
Pittsburgh has won two of its last eight, and Nashville has lost seven of its nine games.
