Game 12 Preview @ Iowa
By Timothy Wallis
Following a needed 43-37 win over the Green Bay Blizzard at home to keep their playoff chances alive, the 4-7 Quad City Steamwheelers will travel on the road for the second-to-last time this regular season when they travel west to compete in the last iteration of the Battle of I-80 this season against the 1-9 Iowa Barnstormers.
Kick-off is at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 13, at Casey's Center in Des Moines, IA. To watch, you can go to Overnght online or on iOS, Android, or Apple TV.
About the Steamwheelers
Last week, the Steamwheelers earned a crucial 43-37 victory over their rival Green Bay Blizzard to keep their playoff hopes alive and improve to 4-7 on the season. After falling behind early, the Wheelers took control behind a one-yard rushing touchdown from Daquan Neal, a safety by KeShaun Moore, and two rushing scores from Jarrod Ware Jr. Neal finished with 103 passing yards, one passing touchdown, 72 rushing yards, and a rushing score, while Ware totaled 87 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. Trailing late in the fourth quarter, Quad City answered with a game-winning touchdown run by Jazeric Peterson with 20 seconds remaining before Nolan Krinsky sealed the win with his third deuce of the night. Defensively, Moore recorded two sacks and a safety, while Steven Adair added an interception as the Wheelers secured their second win over Green Bay this season. Despite only averaging the ninth most points per game with 40.1, below league average, the Wheelers 172.1 passing yards per game are the fifth most out of any team and an improvement from last season. Their 40.1 points per game are also starkly contrasted with the team's first-down numbers, where they average the third-most first downs per game, at 12.1. Defensively, the Wheelers give up an average of 46.6 points per game, which is the fourth most in the league, and their 175.3 passing yards allowed per game is the second most. On a positive note, their run defense has been stellar; only 49.8 rushing yards allowed per game is the second-fewest among any IFL team.
QC - Players to Watch
Jazeric Peterson / WR - Since being utilized in the Steamwheelers offense, Peterson has certainly made an impact. Against Vegas, the wideout hauled in four passes for 83 yards and a touchdown in his first game, and despite combining for 14 yards last week, his touchdown with 20 seconds left proved to be the game-clinching score. With Vesey most likely sidelined for another week, Peterson will be an impact player yet again.
The Defensive Backs / DB - In the last matchup between these two teams, Iowa gashed the Quad City defense through the air for 207 yards and four touchdowns, helping upset the Wheelers. Following a performance last week in which the defense got stops when they needed them, the defensive backs will have another opportunity to redeem themselves and stop the Barnstormers.
About the Barnstormers
Last week, the Barnstormers struggled offensively throughout the game and were held scoreless until late in the second quarter, when David Elder capped a drive with a one-yard rushing touchdown. Quarterback Dante Aviles-Santos completed 7 of 18 passes for 66 yards but threw three interceptions and lost multiple fumbles, while backup Kobe Gatson added 17 passing yards and later fumbled as well. Elder was Iowa's top offensive performer, rushing 17 times for 63 yards and the team's lone touchdown, while Demonte Martin led the receivers with 30 yards on three catches. Defensively, Jahkari Larmond recorded 1.5 sacks, Richie Coffey III intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter, and both Larmond and Trenton McGhee finished with six tackles. By the end of the game, the Barnstormers managed just 169 total yards and fell 50-7 to drop to 1-9. Unsurprisingly, with their record, the Barnstromers rank near the bottom of most statistical categories. Offensively, they score only around 30.2 points per game, the third-fewest, and their 137.7 passing yards per game is, again, the third-fewest in the league. While they average the fifth-most rushing yards per game at 76.9, they average only 3.1 yards per rush, meaning they rush the ball a lot but don't get much per carry. Defensively, the Barnstormers let up a whole lot of points, the most out of any team, with 53.3 points per game allowed. Their passing defense has been stellar, allowing only 129.1 passing yards per game, the second-fewest, but they allow the most rushing yards per game, 101.5.
Iowa - Players to Watch
Dante Aviles-Santos / QB - The quarterback's first game with the Barnstormers was the last matchup between these two teams, where Aviles-Santos completed nearly 70% of his passes for 207 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. While he has not repeated that success in subsequent games, he will certainly be someone the Steamwheelers have to force into making mistakes if they want to come out and get revenge.
Trevon Pope / DB - So far this season, Pope has only two interceptions, both of which came against Daquan Neal in each of the previous two matchups. The shifty defensive back has shown the ability to fly across the field against the Steamwheelers, and if they want to get revenge, Neal will have to rein in the turnovers and play a clean game, like he did last week.
Last Time Around….
The Steamwheelers and Barnstormers last met on 5/2/26, when the Barnstormers upset the Steamwheelers, which gave Iowa their first and only win of the season so far. The Wheelers jumped out to an early lead behind touchdown passes from Daquan Neal to Jordan Vesey and Quian Williams, plus a rushing score from Jarrod Ware, taking a 23-13 advantage into halftime. Camron Harrell added an interception on defense, and Jan Bogdan's deuce to open the second half extended the lead to 25-13. However, the Wheelers were held scoreless for the remainder of the game as turnovers, missed field goals, and stalled drives allowed Iowa to rally. Neal threw for two touchdowns, while Ware added a rushing score, but Quad City could not answer Iowa's second-half push. The 35-25 loss dropped the Steamwheelers to 2-5 overall an