AUSTIN, Texas — Utah Blaze coach Danny White said all week that the Austin Wranglers were much better than their 1-4 record indicated.
Apparently he was right.
The Wranglers rallied from a two touchdown deficit at halftime to beat the Blaze 65-64 on Friday night at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin.
Utah fell to 4-2 after the loss but remains alone atop the Arena Football League's Western Division. Austin improves to 2-4.
The Wranglers scored the game-winning touchdown with eight seconds remaining when quarterback Adrian McPherson hit Anthony Hines for a 17-yard score.
That didn't end the suspense, however. After a kickoff return and a quick pass, the Blaze lined up for a potential game-winning field goal with two seconds remaining. But Steve Videtich's 46-yard kick was no good and the Wranglers put an end to their four-game losing streak.
"We knew coming in that Austin was a talented team," said White. "We just didn't put them away when we had a chance and it came back to bite us."
McPherson, whose AFL rights belonged to the Blaze last season when he was a backup in the NFL, finished the game with six touchdown passes and two TD runs to earn player of the game honors.
Utah quarterback Joe Germaine was almost as good. Germaine completed 29-of-38 passes for 304 yards and six touchdowns without an interception. He also rushed for one score.
The difference in the game was a single extra point — as both teams scored nine touchdowns and a field goal. Austin kicker Mark Lewis was 8-for-8 on extra points, however, while Videtich was 7-of-8. Both teams missed their only two-point conversion attempts.
Utah got off to a fast start, scoring on a Germaine to Aaron Boone pass on the first play from scrimmage. Boone's second TD catch of the first quarter then gave Utah a 21-14 lead.
The Blaze increased their lead following a successful onside kick that was recovered by Tom Pace. When Germaine hit Siaha Burley for an 18-yard score early in the second quarter, the Blaze held a 28-14 advantage.
The Blaze made their best defensive stop of the game late in the first half. After Burley's second touchdown of the game gave Utah a 42-28 lead with one minute remaining in the second quarter, the Blaze tried an onside kick. Austin's Derrick Lewis grabbed the kick and returned it to the one.
But three straight plays lost yardage for the Wranglers, leaving them a 4th-and-goal situation at the six with two seconds left. They attempted a field goal, but the kick was wide right and the Blaze took a two-touchdown lead into the halftime locker room.
Austin pulled to within a touchdown by scoring on their first possession of the second half. But the Blaze immediately responded when Clarence Lawson returned the ensuing kickoff 55 yards for a score, giving Utah a 49-35 lead.
McPherson found Hines for a score to again cut the game to seven points midway through the third. That's when Austin made their defensive play of the game. The Wranglers sacked Germaine, who fumbled. The ball was recovered by Austin's Greg Brown. An Otis Amey TD run tied the game 49-49 entering the final quarter.
Siaha Burley caught his third TD pass to open the scoring in the fourth quarter, but Videtich missed the extra point, giving Utah a 55-49 lead with 13:40 to play. After another McPherson TD pass and a successful extra point, Austin took its first lead of the game — at 56-55 — with 12:17 to play.
Utah took its final lead of the game at 64-59 with 52 seconds left when Germaine hit Tom Pace for a 30-yard score. That left plenty of time for McPherson to engineer the game-winning drive, however.
Aaron Boone, who missed three of the past four weeks with ankle injuries, finished the game with 99 yards receiving and three touchdowns — including one on a kickoff return. Burley had 10 catches for 95 yards and three scores.
It was Utah's fourth road game in the past five weeks. The Blaze won two of those road games, losing to Nashville and Austin while winning at Arizona and Las Vegas. They will now begin a streak of three of the next four games in the friendly confines of EnergySolutions Arena — starting next Friday night when they host division-rival Los Angeles.