Who has top offense and defense in France? What club is the biggest surprise? The biggest disappointment? Meet the MVP’s of the first half of the Elite season.
After five games the French American Football Elite 2015 season is already approaching its mid-point. Vox Stadium is taking this opportunity to review all the best team and individual performances of the 2015 Fédération Française de Football Américain (FFFA) season so far.
[tps_title] Top Offense[/tps_title]
Averaging 31.7 points, and 4.5 touchdowns per game, the Argonautes have the most prolific attack in the league. Spearheading the squad is Jimmie Russell. With his 64% completion percentage Russell is by far the most accurate quarterback in the French Elite league (before Paul Durand who has 52%). His accuracy has produced a touchdown to interception ratio of 8 to 2, again the best in the league.
The Argonautes also lead the league in fewest turnovers having only turned the ball over twice since the start of the season. Attribute it to a well-oiled rushing attack (161 yards per game) led by Geoffrey Lewis, the small Danish protégé of head coach Kenneth Suhl. Indeed, the former running back from the Triangle Razorbacks has had an excellent season with 356 yards already in four games, with 7 touchdowns, the best record for a running back, and only Billy Greene (QB of the Black Panthers) can boast better numbers.
As for receivers, Jimmie Russell can rely on solid players like Kevin Chevalme (13 receptions, 169 yards, 3 TD), Adrien Ortu (15 receptions, 161 yards) or Jesse Kirstatter, who has been particularly effective with 3 touchdowns and a two-point conversion on 6 receptions. The next game for the Argonautes is on Saturday, April 4 in Nîmes. This is a match that already looks very challenging for the Centurions (0-4), a club at the bottom of the league.
[tps_title]Top Defense [/tps_title]
If the Seattle Seahawks have their Legion of Boom, the Cougars are not far behind. They are the only unbeaten team in the Elite league, and Xavier Mas‘s club owes its first place to its hyper aggressive defense.
Although it is only the second best defense in terms of points against (18.6 per game against 13.6 for Flash), it is the top scoring squad with 5 TDs so far this season. Besides scoring touchdowns, the Cougars defense is proving a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks and has recorded 16 sacks, and 8 INTs (including 4 pick-sixes), 18 pass break-ups, and 4 forced fumbles, all the best defensive statistics in the Elite.
This has been a collective performance conducted masterfully by the new American rookie, Tim Willman. The defensive end is simply the best in the league with 6 sacks and he is also the only defender to have scored at least two touchdowns. The former UConn player is not solely responsible for the smooth running of the defensive squad of Saint-Ouen-L’Aumône and is surrounded by high-performance players like Carl Tembo, second best tackler in the leauge ( 39 tackles, 1 sack, 1 fumble caused, 1 INT, 1 TD), Sébastien Torel (20 tackles, 2 INT, 1 TD) or Demarty Raphael (11 tackles, 5 sacks, 4 assists, 1 recovered fumble).
The Flash de la Courneuve, the Cougars next opponent, will have to be wary because Saturday, April 4 they will face a team intending on proving that defense does win championships.
[tps_title]The Biggest Surprise[/tps_title]
Nice Dauphins (5th) (3-2)
Following a complicated offseason, the Dauphins starting 2015 with conservative ambitions. In an interview with Vox Stadium , Jean-Luc Donivar, president of the Nice club, said the team’s top goal was maintaining staying in the Elite league. But it is clear that the Dauphins could ultimately play spoilsport in the quest for the playoffs.
Even on points with the Flash and the Black Panthers, respectively third and fourth, the Dauphins, fifth, enjoy an a position where everything is possible. This is evidenced by their 3-0 home victory against defending champs Thonon in week 2 (see highlights ). This low score perfectly illustrates the strengths that Yannick Fattorini‘s players rely on: defense. With a great defense – allowing only 18.8 points per game – the Dauphins have been strong at home.
But one thing is for sure, Nice will have to work hard if they hope to keep pace in the second half of the season. This will begin next Saturday with the tough road trip to the Black Panthers who have revenge on their minds.
[tps_title]The Biggest Disappointment[/tps_title]
Molosses d’Asnieres-sur-Seine (7th) (1-4)
A finalist of in the 2014 Casque de Diamant, the Molosses debuted in 2015 with the idea to repeat their strong performance. Unfortunately, it’s been a pretty bad start for the Jerome Dondey’s team as the Molosses has only one victory, against the Templiers, another team in trouble.
The defense is giving up 25.4 per game while the offense can only manage to score 16.2 per game, and turnovers have been an issue. The Molosses are tied with Templiers for the most turnovers with 11 on the season.
This is a delicate but not irreversible situation and it’s convenient that the Molosses go to Elancourt on Saturday as part of the Week 6. Both teams are seeking their second win of the season.
[tps_title]MVP Offense – Best Offensive Player[/tps_title]
Milton Knox Jr (RB, Panthers): 787 yards, 8 touchdowns
After five weeks, Milton Knox Jr., a rookie for the Black Panthers, has been undeniably be the best offensive player in France. The running back, a former NCAA player, is as comfortable on the ground and as his is in the air. A “dual-threat” that makes him one of the toughest players to defend. This is demonstrated by his impressive statistics since he is both the 3rd best rusher (407 yards, 4 TD) and the 3rd best receiver in the Elite (18 receptions, 380 yards, 4 TD).
The duo Knox has formed with QB Billy Greene, who is adept in the option set, is logically the most effective in the league as they have combined for 15 touchdowns … 68% of the TDs scored by the Black Panthers.
[tps_title]MVP Defense – Best Defensive Player[/tps_title]
Jesse Kirstatter (LB, Argonautes): 43 tackles (31 solo), three interceptions (73 yards), 1 sack
Kirstatter is the top tackler in the Elite (43), and the linebacker is often found on in the defensive backfield and has three interceptions for 73 yards, all in just 4 games. Kirstatter has also made an impact on offense and we believe he could join in the race for best player of the year.
Statistical Leaders Elite – Offense
| Top Quarterback |
Total Yds / M |
TD – INT |
TD run |
Passer Rating |
| 1. Tanner Price, Cougars | 302 | 9-4 | 4 | 124.6 |
| 2. Jimmie Russell, Argonautes | 255 | 8-2 | 2 | 163.6 |
| 3. Billy Greene, Black Panthers | 228 | 7-2 | 7 | 99.1 |
| 4. Zach Shaw, Templiers | 216 | 5-9 | 2 | 102 |
| 5. Paul Durand, Flash | 210 | 12 – 6 | – | 139.7 |
| Top Running Back |
Yards |
TD |
Yds / Course |
Yds / Game |
| 1. Alexander Tsassong, Templiers | 450 | 5 | 6.3 | 90 |
| 2. Billy Greene, Black Panthers | 437 | 7 | 7.8 | 87 |
| 3. Milton Knox Jr., Black Panthers | 407 | 4 | 8.5 | 81 |
| 4. Marcus Shaw, Flash | 397 | 4 | 6.5 | 79 |
| 5. Geoffrey Lewis, Argonautes | 356 | 7 | 5.7 | 89 |
| Top Receiver |
Yards |
TD |
Receptions |
Yds / Game |
| 1. Mickaël Doukouré, Flash | 460 | 6 | 24 | 92 |
| 2. Jeremy Larroque, Templiers | 396 | 1 | 37 | 79 |
| 3. Milton Knox Jr., Black Panthers | 380 | 4 | 18 | 76 |
| 4. Jefferson Alexandre, Cougars | 374 | 4 | 23 | 75 |
| 5. Jonathan Eckmans, Templiers | 297 | 1 | 21 | 59 |
Statistical Leaders Elite – Defense
| Leader Veneer |
Veneer |
Solo |
Assisted |
Plq / Match |
| 1. Jesse Kirstatter, Argonauts | 43 | 31 | 12 | 10.7 |
| 2. Carl Tembo, Cougars | 39 | 26 | 13 | 7.8 |
| 3. Rody Surpin, Templiers | 37 | 25 | 12 | 7.4 |
| 4. Tony Anderson, Templiers | 31 | 19 | 12 | 6.2 |
| 5. Maxence Gaudet, Black Panthers | 30 | 10 | 20 | 6 |
| Sacks Leader |
Sacks |
FB prov. |
FB Payback. |
Passes countries |
| 1. Tim Willman, Cougars | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 2. Manual Thicot, Molosses | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 3. Raphael Demarty, Cougars | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 4. Bessala Nyada de Besbeck, Flash | 4 | 1 | – | – |
| 5. Samuel Norca, Flash | 4 | – | – | – |
| Leader Interceptions |
Int. |
Yards |
TD |
Passes countries |
| 1. Jesse Kirstatter, Argonautes | 3 | 73 | – | 2 |
| 2. Lionel Toucet, Molosses | 2 | 97 | 1 | – |
| 3. Guillaume Molinier, Centurions | 2 | 62 | – | – |
| 4. Kevin Helios, Dauphins | 2 | 51 | 1 | 5 |
| 5. Sofiane Mahmoudi Argonautes | 2 | 48 | – | 2 |