News: Beef 54 Cobras 43

The Omaha Beef opened the 2024 season Sunday with a 54-43 win over the Carolina Cobras in Greensboro, North Carolina. Tommy Armstrong rushed for five touchdowns and threw for two as the Beef outgained the Cobras 237-202.  The Beef quarterback gained 87 yards on the ground and completed eight passes for 111 yards. 

The Cobras took the opening kickoff and fumbled on the second play that Omaha’s Fulani Freeman recovered at Carolina’s 15 yardline.  Four plays later Armstrong ran it in from one yard and the Beef took the early lead.  Carolina came right back with a 44-yard pass from Guy Myers to Adam Smith to tie the game and took the lead with Kevin DiDio-Weber extra point kick.  The Beef only needed two plays to retake the lead when Armstrong hit Korrell Koehlmoos with a 32-yard pass to take a 12-7 lead.  Omaha extended the lead to 20-7 as Tabyus Taylor rushed it in from four yards out and then caught the two-point conversion.  The Cobras’ Adam Smith returned the next kickoff 57 yards for a touchdown as the first quarter ended with a six-point Beef lead. Taylor had 99 all-purpose yards (33 rushing, 34 receiving, 32 kick returns) in the game as well as four tackles. Carolina’s Smith had 301 all-purpose yards (88 receiving, 167 kick returns, and 46 MFG return yards)

The start of the second quarter didn’t go as expected as Armstrong was sacked on fourth down at the Beef’s own six-yard line.  Three plays later the Cobras had their first lead of the game when Myers ran it from two yards out.  Carolina would go up 18 as Omaha’s kicker Ryan Hibbets 52-yard FG was returned by Adam Smith for a touchdown. Omaha would close the gap before halftime when Barton caught a 30-yard completion to the Cobras one yard line before Armstrong scored on the next play and the Beef trailed by two. Barton had three receptions for 38 yards in the game as the Beef had three players get 30 yards or more. (Taylor 34 yds, Koehlmoos 32 yds).

The third quarter started slow for both teams as both failed to score on their first drives before both offenses picked it up.  On the second Beef possession Armstrong broke through line and rushed 37 yards to paydirt and the Beef regained the lead.  Myers, who went 18-26 for 201 yards and three touchdown, hit running back James Summer with a 24-yard touchdown and Carolina had a three-point lead. A three play Beef drive finished with an eight-yard touchdown reception by Jordan Barton and the fourth quarter started with the Beef ahead 39-35.

Omaha increased its lead to 11 when Armstrong scored from five yards and picked up a Ryan Hibbets rouge when the Cobras were tackled in the endzone on the kickoff.  Carolina would cut in back to three when Myers hit Milton Williams for a 22-yard touchdown and Adam Smith two-point conversion. The Beef pushed it back up to 11 when Armstrong scored his fifth rushing touchdown and hit Koehlmoos with the two-point conversion with 50 seconds left in the game.

Ponce Deleon led the Beef defense with 11 tackles.  Dylan Pettway (8 tackles) and Zion Farmer (4 tackles) recorded 1.5 sacks and one quarterback hurry.  Trey Dudley-Giles added an interception for Omaha.  Cam Ellis led the Cobras with 10 tackles and former Beef Gibson Ziah added six tackles and one sack.

Omaha returns to Liberty First Credit Union this coming Saturday when they host the Colorado Spartans.

OTHER NOTES:

Beef now has a 13-game winning streak. 

2024 Omaha Beef Schedule (0-0)

Beef All-Time records vs. (As of 3/24/24)