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Greisen throws nine TD passes as Force win opener

Mar 4, 2007 - 7:16 AM PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Chris Greisen threw for 337 yards and nine touchdowns to lead the Georgia Force to a 69-65 victory over the Arizona Rattlers in the season opener for both teams.

His nine touchdowns passes tied a franchise high, which was set in 2005 by Matt Nagy vs. Dallas

Greisen hit wide receiver Troy Bergeron with two TD passes and lineman Bruce McClure rushed for a one-yard TD to give the Force a 20-7 lead after one period.

Greisen tossed three more touchdowns, including two more to Bergeron, in the second quarter to help Georgia take a 41-24 halftime lead. Bergeron finished with nine catches for 138 yards and six touchdowns.

After Arizona outscored Georgia, 21-14, in the third quarter and then scored again at the 11:40 mark of the fourth period to narrow the Rattlers' deficit to 55-52, Greisen found Bergeron in the end zone from 25 yards out to put the Force back up by 10 points with 9:40 remaining.

Sherdrick Bonner was 32-of-52 for 361 yards with eight TD passes and one interception, and his three-yard score to Randy Gatewood with 4:26 left cut Georgia's lead to 62-59. However, Greisen's final scoring toss to wide receiver Chris Jackson with 1:59 on the clock again pushed the lead back to 10, 69-59.

Bonner's final TD pass to Cosmo DeMatteo completed the scoring with 15 ticks left on the clock. DeMatteo had 13 receptions for 171 yards and three scores, while Gatewood hauled in 14 passes for 149 yards and four TDs.