in NCAA F Articles

Burks starring

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones might want to consider replacing overrated wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson with Dialleo Burks, the leading receiver on his Arena Football team.

The Dallas Desperados star wideout caught 10 passes for 114 yards and four touchdowns in the Desperados 55-48 win over the Las Vegas Gladiators as 11-point home favorites last Saturday.

Burks was named offensive player of the game for his efforts. The 6-foot-3 receiver now has 36 receptions for 452 yards and 13 TDs, fourth-most in the 18-team league.

Like most AFL players, Burks plays offense and defense. On defense, he’s what is called a jack linebacker (JLB). Last week, Burks had one tackle and now has 6.5 tackles on the season. (Note: According to AFL rules, the JLB is limited to an imaginary five-yard box off the line of scrimmage and cannot rush the passer or float into a zone coverage in the secondary.)

Burks played college football at Eastern Kentucky, where he was also on the varsity track team and competed in the high jump. The Georgia native had a cup of coffee in the NFL having been on the practice squads in New Orleans and Philadelphia and appearing in one game with the Carolina Panthers in 1999. He also played in NFL Europe and the now-defunct XFL.

The man responsible for getting the ball to Burks has been Clint Dolezel, one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in AFL history. Dolezel has more than 1,500 passing yards through five games and is tied for the league lead in TDs with 32.

The Desperados are now 4-1 straight up (and 4-1 against the spread) and sit atop the AFL’s Eastern division.

This Sunday, Burks and Dolezel will lead the Desperados into Chicago where they will take on the Rush in a game that will be televised nationally on NBC (12 p.m. ET).

The Rush are coming off a dramatic 54-48 overtime victory against the San Jose SaberCats before nearly 13,000 fans at the Allstate Arena. It was their second straight OT win.

The winning score was set up when Rush defensive specialist (DS) Jeremy Unertl intercepted a pass by SaberCats QB Mark Grieb early in the extra frame. It was Unertl’s second pick of the game.

Rush quarterback Matt D’Orazio then tossed a 27-yard game-winning touchdown pass to wideout Cornelius White.

Besides D’Orazio and White, the offensive star for Chicago was wideout Buchie Ibeh. The 6-foot-2 receiver out of Temple was activated from the practice squad for the game and had eight catches for 102 yards and three touchdowns in his Arena League debut.

Chicago covered the spread as 5.5-point home favorites and the combined score dipped below the 105-point total. The Rush are now 3-2 SU (2-2-1 ATS) and sit third in the Central division.

Chicago is averaging 55.6 points per game, second-most in the AFL. QB D’Orazio has not only been a force through the air but also on the ground. The 6-foot-4 pivot has the third-best QB rating in the league (127). He also leads the league in rushing with 98 yards and five touchdowns.

The Rush have seen three of five games go OVER.

In another nationally televised game this Sunday, the Los Angeles Avengers will travel to the Sunshine State to take on the Orlando Predators (12 p.m. ET, NBC).

The Avengers are coming off heart-wrenching 68-66 home loss to the expansion Utah Blaze in a game that was listed a pick ‘em. The Avengers lost on the final play of the game when Blaze quarterback Joe Germaine tossed a 12-yard touchdown pass to Orshawante Bryant as time expired.

With the loss, the Avengers dropped to 1-4 SU (1-4 ATS). Nevertheless, they are still tied for second in the weak Western division.

The final score of the game went way OVER the 99.5-point total.

One of the bright spots for L.A. was 6-foot-4 rookie quarterback Sonny Cumbie, who threw for seven touchdowns and was named Offensive Player of the Game. Cumbie played college at Texas Tech and led the NCAA in passing in 2004.

Orlando, meanwhile, is coming off a 55-35 beat down to the New York Gladiators as 3.5-point road dogs. With the loss, the Predators dropped to 3-2 SU (2-3 ATS) and are now tied for second in the Southern division.

The final score of the game fell well below the 105-point total. The Predators have seen just one game top the total so far.

Despite throwing four TDs, Orlando quarterback Joe Hamilton had a rough game throwing three interceptions, fumbling the ball twice and getting sacked three times. Hamilton has the most interceptions in the league with nine.

Comments? Email FaceOff@BetUS.com.