Game Preview: Boise at Stockton

Matchup: Boise Burn (5-2) at Stockton Lightning (2-5), 8 PM (Mtn), Saturday In the Polls: Boise has reached no. 8 in the weekly af2 Coaches Poll. Stockton is not ranked. Previous Meeting: The Burn and Lightning met on May 2 in Boise?s Qwest Arena, with the Burn rolling to a 68-18 victory in front of the home fans. Boise?s defense was credited with seven takeaways on the night and Taylor Tharp threw seven touchdown passes. Get to know? Stockton QB Chad Cavender, because he may not resemble the quarterback that fans watched play here in Boise. He made his first start of the year in the previous meeting and was hurried into four interceptions and sacked three times as the Boise defense had their way. That was then. Now, just three short weeks later, Cavender comes into the rematch coming off a career game where he threw for 359 yards and ten scores (with just one interception) in an impressive win over Rio Grande Valley last weekend. Flowers continues to blossom: Receiver Nichiren Flowers has become more and more explosive as the season has worn on. In Boise?s first three games, Flowers had just ten receptions for less than 100 yards and five scores. In the past four, he has exploded for 25 receptions, 434 yards, and 11 scores. With 18 scores already, he?s on pace to break the franchise?s single-season touchdown record (33, Casey Allen, 2007). Rogers makes an impact: DB Nygel Rogers has played just three games with the team and has already cracked the squad?s top-five in tackles with 21 total stops. He?s also got a pair of interceptions. Rogers starred the past two seasons with West-Division rival Spokane before signing with Boise this spring. On the air: You can listen to every Burn game live in the Treasure Valley on KGEM radio (1140 AM) with Scott Conklin handling the play-by-play duties. You can also watch the Burn live via Nifty TV on www.boiseburn.com.