On Sunday, August 8th, the Leipzig Kings hosted the Stuttgart Surge in a one-sided affair. The Kings claimed victory over the Surge with a final score of 49-23, with quarterback Michael Birdsong dominating the passing attack and the Leipzig defense sacking Stuttgart quarterback Aaron Ellis a total of 8 times. The Kings will move to a 3-4 record on the year, while the Surge move to 2-5.
— European League of Football (@ELF_Official) August 8, 2021
Recap
It was a slow 1st quarter for both teams, but the Surge would find the endzone first on a great pass from Stuttgart quarterback Aaron Ellis finding wide receiver Paul Steigerwald over 2 defenders in the endzone. They’d miss the PAT attempt and take a 6-0 lead near the end of the 1st quarter.
Leipzig began to take control of the game in the 2nd quarter, putting a nice drive together, ending in a screen pass from Michael Birdsong to Jason Aguemon for the King’s first touchdown of the game. They’d convert the 2 point attempt and take the lead 8-6 early in the 2nd quarter.
The Kings defense was causing problems for the Surge offensive line. They’d force a punt following a big sack by Surge defensive lineman Aslan Zetterberg.
The Kings returned to the field, picking up right where they left off. Another solid drive, with good plays by Alpha Jalloh, Anton Doroshev, and Jason Aguemon, would set up a 6-yard touchdown run by Aguemon. They’d miss the PAT wide to the right and stretch their lead to 14-6.
Following sacks by Kings defensive linemen Kyle Kitchens and Aslan Zetterberg, the Surge were stopped again on their next drive.
Leipzig found the endzone one more time before the end of the 1st half, with quarterback Michael Birdsong connecting with wide receiver Timothy Knuettel perfectly placed over a few defenders for the score. They’d convert the 2 point attempt, increasing their lead to 22-6. The Surge had one more attempt at a drive before halftime, but sacks by Kings defensive lineman Kyle Kitchens and Aslan Zetterberg ended the half.
Stuttgart received the ball to begin the second half, and they’d make a field goal on the quarter’s opening drive, making the score 22-9, Kings still leading. Leipzig answered with a quick touchdown from Michael Birdsong to Alpha Jalloh. They’d make the PAT and stretch the lead to 29-9.
The Surge stalled out again on their next drive as the Kings pass rush continued to dominate. They’d be forced to punt, and the Kings would get the ball back with solid field position. Another good drive by the Kings would lead to Timothy Knuettel going up for a nice grab for a touchdown. The PAT was missed, making the score 35-9.
The struggles in pass protection would continue for the Surge, stalling out yet another drive. The Kings kept the momentum rolling, and Birdsong would find running back Luc Schneider for a touchdown. They’d add the PAT, moving the score to 42-9 early in the 4th quarter. A quick 3 and out for the Surge would lead to Leipzig backup quarterback Jaleel Awini finding wide receiver Alpha Jalloh for a touchdown. They’d convert the PAT and stretch their lead to 49-9.
Stuttgart would finally find the endzone on the following drive. Some good running by Jean-Charles Moukouri and Bryan Yankson ended with Moukouri running it into the endzone from 12 yards out. They converted the PAT, moving the score to 49-16.
Surge quarterback Aarin Ellis would find the endzone one more time before the game ended, connecting with wide receiver Domenik Rofalski on 3rd & goal. They’d convert the PAT, making the score 49-23. The Kings would run out the clock to end the game with a final score of 49-16.
The Stuttgart Surge move to a 2-5 record on the year, while the Leipzig Kings move to a 3-4 record.
Next Opponents
The Leipzig Kings will be on a bye next week. They will play their next game in Cologne versus the Centurions on Saturday, August 21st, at 12 pm EST.
The Stuttgart Surge will host the Barcelona Dragons on Sunday, August 15th, at 9 am EST.
