Billings Outlaws Overwhelm Washington Wolfpack 61-23

Week 4 kicked off with a showdown between Billings and Washington on Thursday night. The Angel Of The Winds Arena was rocking for the weekday action and there was action from the get-go to keep them hyped. Both teams were looking to build on momentum from their last games. For the Wolfpack, that was a Week 2 win over Oregon that saw them score 29 unanswered points. Billings, meanwhile, has been out of action since Week 1, when they blew the very same Oregon team out of the water. 

While both teams kept things going, the offense of the Outlaws was just too much for Washington. Billings scored early and often to put up another absurd number on the board. While JR Wells' squad stayed active on the offensive side of things as well, it just wasn't enough to keep pace. Ultimately the Outlaws would put things out of reach and would go on to win the game by a score of 61-23. Let's take a look at how the action unfolded on Thursday night. 

Quick Scoring

It didn't take long for points to appear on the board. The Wolfpack took the opening kickoff and established some solid field position. New quarterback Ed Crouch made quick use of that short field. After a quick reception to wideout Ledarian McAllister, Crouch kept the ball for a 25-yard keeper to put the first points on the board. A Manny Higuera kick followed and had the Wolfpack up seven points. 

The Outlaws would answer, albeit not nearly as quickly. Quarterback Braden Wingle led the squad down the field with a bunch of chunk plays. None of the early plays would go for more than six yards. However, after six of them for shorter yardage, he'd hit Adrian Adams for a ten-yard completion and seven for Billings. 

Defensive Takeover

While the first two possessions were all offense, the defense of Billings stepped up big for them after. The kickoff and subsequent return would see the Wolfpack start from their own 11 yard line for their second possession. Crouch stepped back to pass on the first play of the drive and was promptly picked off by Keon Clary. Clary would take it the short distance to the house and give the Outlaws their first lead of the day. 

The defensive takeover wasn't stopping there. After a kickoff and another short return, this one to just the 9 yard line, the Wolfpack offense would again concede points. Crouch dropped back and felt the pressure. As he was about to get brought down in the end zone, he fired off a pass that landed nowhere near any receivers. After a review, it was deemed to be intentional grounding in the end zone and Billings was awarded a safety for a 15-7 lead.

Big Returns

Despite falling behind early yet again, the Wolfpack would find a way to hang around. One of the biggest reasons would be the return game from Washington. Caleb Brown would take a pair of kickoffs deep into Billings territory. The first was thought to be a touchdown on first look, but after consideration he would be marked out at the 2 yard line. The Wolfpack would eventually turn that into a Deshon Williams touchdown reception. 

Similarly, just one return later, Brown would bring the ball down to the 12 yard line. However, that drive would bare less fruit for Washington as they settled for a Manny Higuera field goal instead. While that helped to chip away at the lead, Billings would lead 41-17 going into the break. 

Premium QB Play

The name of the game on Thursday was quarterback play. Billings QB, Braden Wingle, seemingly could not be stopped for the bulk of the game. They scored every time on the field up until there was just a few minutes left in the third quarter - when a strip sack ended the streak. The bulk of that work was done through the air for Billings. Wingle ended the game with 249 yards and a whopping 6 passing TDs. He was seeing the field well with three different receivers getting 6+ targets. 

Ed Crouch was effective as well, but in a completely different manner. Crouch was solid through the air, but largely focused on just a pair of receivers. Ledarian McAllister and Deshon Williams got the bulk of the work for Washington - particularly early in the game. McAllister ended the game with a pair of carches, whereas Williams ended with four for himself. Josh Meier would make his presence known later in the game as well. 

Also, a lot of Crouch's value came from the ground. He ran in two touchdowns over the course of the game. His threat to run kept Billings on their toes for the bulk of the game. He would rack up a game-high 63 yards on 12 attempts. 

Heavy Flags

Another story of Thursday's action was the heavy amount of flags on the field. Billings racked up 13 penalties and gave away five first downs as a result of the work. Washington was a bit more in check, but only hardly. They put up big numbers as well with eight penalties for a total of 43 yards - one of which took points off the board. 

Too Much to Overcome

While Washington kept the battle up, the potency of Billings was just too much for them to overcome. The first and only possession that Billings failed to score on then saw them get a fumble recovery on the other side of the ball. That presistent threat was just to much for the Wolfpack to keep up with as Billings pulled away and cruised to a comfortable victory.  

After week 4, Billings moves to 2-0, while Washington moves to 1-2. Both teams will be in action again during week 5. Billings will remain on the road and head out East to face the Albany Firebirds on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Wolfpack will look to build some home momentum as they welcome the Corpus Christi Tritons to the Angel Of The Winds Arena on Saturday. All AF1 games can be caught on EVERGREENNOW each week.