Gladiators desperate to regain form

Adam Candee

Friday, April 25, 2003 | 10:01 a.m.

NEXT UP

What: Detroit at Las Vegas

When: Sunday, 3 p.m.

Where: Thomas & Mack Center

TV: None

Radio: KBAD 920-AM

Life looked just peachy when the Las Vegas Gladiators set out on a tough two-game road trip to Grand Rapids and Orlando two weeks ago.

The Gladiators owned a three-game win streak, Jay McDonagh appeared to have staked his claim to the starting quarterback job, and the team sat alone in first place in the Eastern Division at 6-4.

Coach Frank Haege worried only that a couple of blowouts could slow the momentum.

Uh-oh.

The Gladiators (6-6) come into Sunday's home game with co-division leader Detroit (6-6) off two of their worst losses of the season: a 69-21 trouncing at Grand Rapids and a 56-31 beating at Orlando.

"Obviously, the last two weeks haven't gone the way we wanted to, but things could be worse," McDonagh said. "We're hanging tough."

McDonagh will retain the starting QB spot, after being yanked in favor of backup Todd Hammel in the past two games. Last week, Haege pulled McDonagh after his first pass of the game -- an interception.

"I'll definitely give Jay a little bit more leeway than I did last week," Haege said.

Turnovers and penalties, the same Achilles' heel problems the team has had all season, cost the Gladiators in both games.

"If we don't turn the ball over, and we keep our penalties under eight or nine, we win -- automatic," wideout Mike Horacek said. "Is that scenario going to happen every time? You can't say for sure, but it's been consistent for us all season long."

With such maladies showing no signs of ending, however, and the Gladiators still ranked 14th of out 16 teams in turnover margin at minus-8, Haege feels a new coaching strategy is in order.

"Instead of beating these guys down, we need to build them up," Haege said. "We're a good football team, we've got a lot of good players, and we just need to instill a sense of confidence and composure, along with some sense of urgency."

In any other division, the Gladiators would find themselves no better than third, but the mediocre Eastern Division still offers the chance for an easy playoff berth. With the treacherous non-division schedule behind them, the Gladiators feel confident with their final four games against the Eastern Division, and three of those four games coming at home.

"We're playing teams that we're more familiar with, and hopefully we can have a good go at it," McDonagh said. "Get things right in practice, and carry it into the game."

Detroit poses the most immediate threat to Las Vegas' playoff hopes. The Fury proved its mettle by winning at powerful San Jose two weeks ago, and the Gladiators feel the urgency around this game.

"It's on," Horacek said. "The pressure's on now. Right now, it's a one-game season."