Six different players found the end zone as the Emirates American Football League (EAFL) Falcons cruised to a 42-0 blowout in their first international clash of the weekend over Jeddah.
In only their fourth game overall, the squad from Saudi Arabia put up a fight, but were ultimately overmatched from the very first play when Lorrance Reid returned the kickoff for the opening score.
From there, an all-around effort with contributions coming across the board made it a comfortable night for the hosts at The Sevens.
Robby Lopez recovered a botched snap by Jeddah in the end zone for a touchdown, while Michael Andersen grabbed a 2-yard slant from Zavier Cobb and Luke Norrey found paydirt on a 10-yard reverse.
The two others scores for the Falcons came on the legs and arm of quarterback Justin Johnson, who played much of the second half under centre in relief of Cobb.
Johnson first bulldozed his way in for a 5-yard rushing touchdown before finding Cobb on a 35-yard throw for a quarterback-to-quarterback connection.
“We always joke around that the only reason I came here was to throw touchdowns to Zavier. So the first play I had to throw one deep, I had to throw it to Zavier and the story came true,” said Johnson, who played with the champion Al Ain Desert Foxes this past season.
“We feel like the Dallas Cowboys out here.”
Jeddah’s lone highlight came in the first quarter and nearly put points on the board, when cornerback Taj Al Haj Hussein, playing in his first ever game, intercepted a tipped Cobb pass and returning it to the Falcons’ 15-yard line.
Jeddah coach Abdullah Al-Kidd admitted expectations were kept low, but said he saw some promising signs for his developing programme, who play again tomorrow against the Almaty Titans.
“I actually predicted this, just because we haven’t been practicing that well. To be honest, I’m not disappointed. It’s an experience and they can taste it,” said Al-Kidd.
“They know the reason why they didn’t play better. I never expected them to come in and win, but if it happened, it happened.”