Elliott throws eight TD passes, leads Blitz over Islanders, 56-48

Advertiser Staff

Chad Elliott passed for eight touchdowns, including five to Gerrick Bivins, as the Bakersfield Blitz defeated the Hawaiian Islanders, 56-48, last night in an af2 game at Bakersfield, Calif.

Elliott completed 20-of-25 passes for 231 yards. Bivins caught 12 passes for 157 yards, including five for touchdowns.

Bakersfield improved to 7-4 in the National Conference's West Division. The Islanders fell to 2-10 and, with four games remaining, were officially eliminated from playoff contention.

Islander quarterback Darnell Arceneaux completed 18-of-40 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran nine times for 39 yards and five touchdowns. Mike Tillis caught seven passes for 80 yards and two TDs.

The Islanders took a 14-7 lead after one quarter with Arceneaux passing 15 yards to Tillis for the first TD, and running three yards for another score.

Elliott rallied the Blitz with three second-quarter TD passes — one to Ryan Sloth and two to Bivins — for a 28-21 halftime lead.

The Islanders closed to 42-41 on Arceneaux's 16-yard scoring pass to Tillis with 11:54 to play, but Elliott connected with Nathan Munson on a 7-yard touchdown pass with 9:17 left, and hit Bivins with a 10-yard scoring toss with 1:40 to make it 56-41.

Arceneaux capped the scoring with a 1-yard TD run with 30 seconds left in the game.

The Islanders had 56 offensive plays and 258 total yards for the game, while the Blitz ran 33 plays and amassed 224 total yards.