White blasts Blaze's inability to limit big plays

Shortly after Utah dropped an ugly, embarrassing 83-69 decision to their rivals from Arizona, Blaze coach Danny White wasted little time in lamenting his team's inability to stop big plays.

And as bad as the Rattlers hurt Utah with their quick-strike offense, Utah's special-teams breakdowns were arguably the turning point in the game.

The Blaze have been hurt on special teams several times this season. Steve Videtich had seen four of his kickoffs returned for touchdowns already, and Arizona took advantage of Utah's soft coverage.

After Utah's first touchdown of the game, Darrell Jones took the ball off the net and slipped virtually untouched through the Blaze defenders for a 56-yard touchdown.

Jones struck again just before half when he caught a missed Videtich field goal attempt as time expired and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown — turning what could have been a 10-point Utah lead at the break into a 48-48 draw.

"That's a 17-point swing right at the end of the half when you count the two plays before that," White said. "That's a bad time for that to happen."

That missed field goal gave all sorts of momentum to the Rattlers.

"It was huge for us to get back in the game," Arizona quarterback Sherdrick Bonner said. "To get that return for a touchdown made a big difference."

Videtich, one of the best kickers in AFL history, has not been as dependable as White and the Blaze would like him to be this season. Instead of giving opposing kick returners little to work with like he did a year ago, the 11-year AFL veteran has been a little off-target with his boot and occasionally finds himself as the only thing standing between the returner and a touchdown.

"I'm usually about 10 yards behind everything watching it unfold," Videtich said. "And when they come at me in the open field and I try to tackle, I'm not going to win very often."

Neither have his teammates.

"It's just guys not staying in their lanes," Videtich said. "When one guy gets knocked out of his lane, that's all it takes and there's a big hole."

Of course, not every special-teams play was a disaster for the Blaze.

Twice in a row, Videtich and Michael Davis Jr. hooked up on perfectly executed on-sides kick plays to give the Blaze the three consecutive scoring drives without giving Arizona a chance to answer.