Blaze looking for answers

Hunkie Cooper is unquestionably one of the best players in Arena Football League history. Cooper was a star for the Arizona Rattlers from 1993 to 2005 and he holds that team's records for receiving yards, receptions, force fumbles, fumble recoveries and touchdowns. In addition, he is the AFL's all-time leader in all-purpose yardage and kickoff returns.

He's seen a lot of wild games in his 14 years associated with the AFL, but Saturday night was a new one.

"I've never been in a situation when you score 81 points and lose," said Cooper, who retired from playing after last season and is now the offensive coordinator under Danny White for the expansion Utah Blaze. "I've seen teams score 81 points and win, but a team shouldn't lose if it scores 81 points."

But that is exactly what happened to the Blaze on Saturday night in the Delta Center. The New York Dragons edged the Blaze, 84-81, when time ran out with Utah 11 yards shy of the game-winning score.

That heartbreaking loss was difficult for the Blaze players to put behind them as they began preparations to play the 0-3 Rattlers in Phoenix on Saturday.

"They came out (at Tuesday's practice) a little sluggish trying to get over that loss," said Cooper, "but then they started to work hard. And that's the only way I know of to fix the problem we have, to come back to work like we did today with an intensity that is out of this world."

Cooper chalks some of the Blaze's struggles simply to youth. As an expansion team, the Blaze have less experience than most teams in the league.

"You've got to find a way to win and we're not doing that," said Cooper of the Blaze, now 1-2 on the year following a pair of home losses. "We are two plays from being 3-0, but because we didn't make those plays we are 1-2."

DEFENSIVE VOLUNTEER: Utah's two offensive specialists — quarterback Joe Germaine and receiver Siaha Burley — certainly did their parts to help the Blaze have a chance to win on Saturday night. Germaine threw for 444 yards and 10 touchdowns against the Dragons, while Burley caught 16 passes for a career-high 259 yards and six scores.

"That hurts," said Cooper, "when you have your quarterback and your offensive specialist have career-best games and you still lose."

Germaine and Burley, however, are not pointing fingers at their defensive counterparts.

"You win together as a team and you lose together as a team," said Burley. "As a leader on this team, I need to make sure the guys on defense don't get down."