The undefeated Vienna Vikings (8-0) pay a visit to Graz to face the number two team in the Austrian Football League, the Graz Giants (7-1) Saturday, June 8.
The Giants only loss this season came at the hands of Vienna a month ago with the Vikings handing Graz a sound 35-7 beatdown. The Giants will no doubt like to return the favor.
Both teams feature highly when looking at the statistics for the AFL, with the Vikings having the number one passing offense in the league with 31 touchdowns and averaging 301.4yards per game. In fact, Vienna is so successful that both of quarterbacks, Nico Hrouda and Michae Szabo, feature in the top 10 of QBs in the AFL and their receivers also feature prominently the league’s top 10 . Andre Fine Maximillion tops the AFL with 12 touchdowns and a whopping 842 yards in eight games, while Fabian Eder is third with 403 yards and two touchdowns and Leonard Foidl 11th 238 yards and three touchdowns.
Their rushing attack might not be considered the best in the league but there are still two Vikings who have put up top 12 numbers. Florian Wegan has 70 carries for 387 yards and six touchdowns while Kevin Wojita takes the 11th spot rushing for four touchdowns and 257 yards so far.
The defense for the Vikings is almost as impressive as their O, with the Vikings leading the AFL in rush defense only allowing 59.5 yards on average and only allowing three touchdowns when their opponents take to the ground. Their passing defense on the other hand sits at third, having allowed nine touchdowns and 138.4 yards a game on average.
The Graz Giants take the second place spot behind their opponents for this Saturday when it comes to throwing the ball, with 21 passing touchdowns so far and 178.8 yards per game on average from Nicolas Visser who has 1,098 yards sand 15 touchdowns o far this season. The Giants have the sixth and seventh ranked receivers in the league in Valentin Reissner and Christoph Pierer who have 358 and 350 receiving yards respectively and 12 touchdowns between them. This trio can make an impact as they try to improve to 8-1.
The Giants rushing attack sits at sixth in the AFL league stats gaining 11 touchdowns on the ground and gaining 103.6 yards on average. Fritz Bleckmann leads the charge for the Giants as the sixth rated running back in the AFL having rushed for 360 yards and four scores. He could have a hard time getting through the AFL’s leading rushing defense.
The Giants boast the second best passing defense in the AFL, giving up just 127.9 yards per game. They have snagged a league high 13 interceptions and recorded 16 sacks and they will be a tough test of Vienna’s high flying offense.
These two squads have battled 22 times since 2013 and the Vikings are far and away the leaders in this rivalry, winning 16 of 22 including last month’s lopsided win. Their longest streak is six games from 2020 to 2021.
The Giants will have to put that earlier loss to Vienna in the back of their minds and in front of a raucous home crowd look for revenge.
Vienna Vikings @ Graz Giants
June 8, 15:00 CET (3 pm, 9 am EDT)
