Taking Over Tivoli! Clear victory against Raiders
Austria Is Purple. With a dominant win in their luggage, the Vienna Vikings returned home from Innsbruck to Vienna Monday morning at 3am. Head coach Chris Calaycay's team left no doubt who is number one in Austria. In addition, the defending champions underlined their supremacy in the European League of Football.
The Viennese franchise prevailed on Sunday in front of 4,375 spectators at Innsbruck's Tivoli Stadium with a commanding 34:13 and celebrated the fifth victory in the fifth game of the season. In addition to the Rheinfire from Dusseldorf and the Stuttgart Surge, the Vikings are thus the third team in the league that 2023 still Undefeated is.
For the Tyroleans it was the second defeat in five games and the third in the third ELF duel overall against the Vikings, whose game plan against the archrivals from Innsbruck worked out completely. A smiling Head Coach was also thrilled about this: "I trust my great coaching staff. Coach Shannon on offense, Dani Auböck as DC and Coach Hönig, our Special Teams Coordinator, had prepared the players very well. We had traveled to Tyrol with an exact game plan and implemented it in all phases of the game. The players simply executed it in a disciplined manner, which was crucial for the impressive victory."
Vikings clearly superior in all 3 phases of the game
On the Vikings offense, quarterback Chris Helbig impressed with three thrown touchdowns (15 comp at 21 atm, 213 passing yards, 22 rushing yards), finishing Week 6 of the European League of Football as the playmaker of all franchises with the best QB ranking (143.5). The brilliant pair of running back brothers Florian and Anton Wegan each scored a touchdown and combined for 108 rushing yards. TE Florian Bierbaumer (3 REC, 54 yards) and WR Weston Carr (3 REC, 73 yards) also entered the scoring list. The fifth touchdown was contributed by wide receiver Jordan Bouah. The Italian speedster scored a 92-yard kick return touchdown before halftime, where it was already 20-6 in favor of the visitors.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Vikings' defensive line was convincing. Until garbage time, where the Tyroleans still managed result cosmetics in the form of a Platzgummer TD, Luis Horvath and Co. held the Raiders to just two field goals. Purple Tackle Leader at the Tivoli was LB #49 Alex Watholowitsch with 10 total tackles. LB #42 Moriz Elmauthaler and defensive backs #36 Fabio Tartarotti and #26 Elmeri Laalo each had eight tackles. With 5 tackles, 2 sacks and a tackle for loss (15 yards) the US-American Jamarcus Henderson showed his danger at the defensive line. For Henderson, who was not used until Week 5 due to a minor muscular injury, it was only the second game as a Viking.