Nashville Kats Claw Through Oregon Lightning 50-36

Photos courtesy of Parker Clowers @pc__flicks

The first game in Week 11 saw the 3-3 Nashville Kats host the 4-5 Oregon Lightning at the historic Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday night. It was a great turnout for Nashville as the venue was buzzing before, during, and after the game. These two teams met in Week 4 with Nashville getting the better of Oregon early on in the season. This second contest had massive playoff implications for both franchises. With Nashville broadcasting legend Eli Gold calling all the action on EvergreenNOW, Nashville won a hard-fought battle with Oregon by a final score of 50-36. Interested in betting on Arena Football One games? Head over to Bettor Edge to get started!

AN even first half

The Lightning won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. Kats Quarterback Tyler Kulka would get his fifth straight start, connecting with multiple receivers on the opening drive. The main target was Wide Receiver Jordon Gandy, who hauled in three receptions during Nashville’s first offensive possession. Facing a 4th and goal on the one yard line, Kulka would be stopped short on a QB-sneak, as Oregon stood tall forcing a turnover on downs. The Lightning would take over backed up deep in their own territory. Quarterback Dalton Cole could not connect with his pass-catchers on the opening drive. Oregon would face its own 4th down situation as Nashville forced a turnover. Now with excellent field position, the Kats offense went right back to work. Kulka would connect with Offensive Lineman Payton Muljo on a one-yard, “Big Man Touchdown”, giving Nashville an early 6-0 lead. Kats Kicker Stevie Artigue, filling in for an injured Gunnar Raborn, added an extra point to make it 7-0 Kats.

Oregon would get the ball next on offense with roughly four minutes of play left in the first quarter. Wide Receiver Maurice Ashley began to open things up for the Lightning via a screen play. The drive would be capped off by a 24-yard strike from Cole to Wide Receiver Kris Lewis. A successful extra point by Fullback/Kicker Ethan Skarmas would bring the score to 7-7. With 1:39 left to play in the opening quarter, Nashville would get a chance to regain the lead. In the blink of an eye, Wide Receiver Nih-Jer Jackson would haul in a 27-yard touchdown from Kulka. The Kats took control of the lead 13-7 thanks to a fantastic pitch and catch. On the ensuing kickoff, Artigue would notch a deuce for Nashville, extending their lead to 15-7.

The Lightning would get the ball next, spilling into the start of the second quarter of action. Nashville’s pass rush kept Cole on the run in the pocket while being backed up in their own territory. Another 4th down for the Lightning would see Wide Receiver Donovan Ollie extend Oregon’s drive. The Lightning did a great job of mixing up personnel within its offense on the drive. Facing another 4th down, Cole would rush for a first down for the Lightning. Cole-to-Lewis would continue to get hot as Lewis would haul in another touchdown. Oregon would still trail 15-13 midway through the second quarter. The Kats would possess the ball next on offense. After a Jackson pass would result in a first down, Gandy would haul in a touchdown pass from Kulka. Following a missed extra point try, Nashville would edge out a 21-13 lead. The Lightning offense would look to keep their momentum in the passing game on the next drive. Kats' Defensive Back Shaun Lewis would come away with his seventh interception on the year following an errant throw from Cole. Nashville would be unable to capitalize off the turnover. Kulka would fumble the ball, and it would result in a safety for Oregon.

A now slim 21-15 lead for Nashville was in serious jeopardy with the Lightning getting the next offensive possession following the safety. Facing pressure from Nashville, Cole would throw another interception. Defensive Back Kenny Veal saw the pass head directly for him on the pick, Nashville’s second on the game. With under a minute left in the opening half, Nashville looked to extend their lead before halftime. Wide Receiver DJ Thorpe would haul in a ten-yard pass from Kulka just three plays into the drive. An Artigue extra point would give the Kats a 28-15 lead late in the half. Cole and the Oregon offense continued to face pressure from Nashville’s defensive front. Cole would connect with Ollie for a beautiful 45-yard touchdown reception. A two-point conversion by Cole would bring the score to 28-23 with nine seconds remaining. Nashville’s kick return unit would muff the ensuing kickoff, giving Oregon offensive possession from the one-yard line. A Cole rushing touchdown would give the Lightning a 30-28 lead in dramatic fashion to end the first half.

kats DOMINATE in second half

The Lightning would possess the ball first on offense to begin the second half of play. Cole and Lewis continued to connect, but Oregon would turn the ball over on downs to Nashville yet again. Kulka and the Nashville offense would get a chance to regain the lead. A Kulka rushing touchdown would do just that, as the Kats took a 34-30 lead. Next, the Lightning would look to score on offense. Backed up deep in their own territory, Cole and company would face more pressure from Nashville. The Lightning would pick up their first 3rd down conversion of the game, previously going zero for seven until midway through the third quarter. A key illegal defense penalty by Nashville would extend Oregon’s chances of a score. Those chances would fade as Nashville's Lewis would come away with his second interception of the game, taking the ball away from the receiver in the end zone.

The Kats would look to get out of its own end zone to start the next drive. Oregon’s defensive front would begin to overwhelm the Kats, forcing a 3rd down. Kulka would connect with Jackson on a 45-yard touchdown. The score sat at 41-30 Kats with about two minutes to play in the third quarter. The Lightning looked to answer the score with a score of their own on offense. Unfortunately for Oregon, the Kats defense continued to dominate in the trenches. Newly signed Defensive Lineman JaQuan Artis came away with a safety, giving Nashville a 43-30 lead. Keeping possession on offense, Nashville looked for another score to extend their lead. A methodical, slow-moving drive would take precious minutes off the clock for Nashville. Keeping the ball on the ground with Fullback Calvin Fance, the Kats inched closer to a score. Fance would score on a one-yard rush to conclude an eight-plus minute possession for Nashville. A successful two-point try made it 50-30 Kats. After scoring 30 points in the first half, Oregon had not scored in the second half up to this point. With 2:46 remaining in the game, the Lightning were trying to mount some offense, and more importantly, points on the scoreboard. Cole-to-Ollie would spark some offense for Oregon. A 47-yard touchdown strike would pull the Lightning to within 14 with 54 seconds remaining. The Kats would run out the clock and take a 50-36 win, sending Kats’ fans home happy.

standouts for oregon

The Lightning offense continues to operate with Dalton Cole at the helm. On a short list for league MVP, Cole threw for 200 yards and four touchdowns in this game. Cole did throw three costly interceptions. He also added a rushing touchdown to that tally. Wide Receiver Kris Lewis reaped the benefits, hauling in two touchdowns from Cole. Newly signed Wide Receiver Donovan Ollie developed a rapport with Cole quickly. Ollie hauled in seven catches for 81 yards and a touchdown in the game. Defensive Backs Nicholas Brassell and Angelo Grose were all over the field for Oregon, with seven total tackles. Though Oregon’s defensive line did not register a sack, they pushed the pocket time and time again. Head Coach Chuck Jones’ unit played well despite the loss. Oregon moves to 4-6 on the year and cannot afford to lose any more games in the regular season. 

standouts for nashville

Quarterback Tyler Kulka continues to deliver for Nashville this season. Kulka threw for 187 yards and accounted for six total touchdowns against a much-improved Oregon defense. Wide Receiver Nih-Jer Jackson emerged as Kulka's favorite target with Robert Jones Jr. banged up. The newcomer showed his speed on two impressive receiving touchdowns. Wide Receivers Jordon Gandy, Milton Williams III, and DJ Thorpe all caught touchdowns in the win as well. Nashville’s offensive line protected Kulka beautifully all night. Defensive Linemen Roderick Perry II and Justin Alexandre pressured Oregon’s offense all night long. Defensive Back Shaun Lewis picked off two passes, while Defensive Backs Isaiah McFarland and Kenny Veal locked down Oregon’s receivers on the outside. Head Coach Darren Arbet’s unit only gave up six second half points. Nashville moves to 4-3 on the year and is in a great position to make the playoffs with more regular season wins.

week 12 schedule and beyond

Nashville and Oregon will each play games in Weeks 12, 13, and 14. The Kats now sit at 4-3 and hold a postseason berth if the season were to end today. For Nashville, they will travel to Corpus Christi to take on the Tritons in Week 12. The Kats will play the Billings Outlaws in Week 13, followed by the Tritons again in Week 14. As for Oregon, they fall to 4-6 on the year. To make a push for the playoffs, they will need to avoid any more regular season losses. The Lightning will travel to Billings to face the Outlaws in Week 12, followed by the Tritons in Week 13, and Billings once again in Week 14. With playoff implications growing week after week, both of these teams need to keep winning games to make the 2025 Arena Football One playoffs.