The Swedish Superserien heads into the back half of the season with a crucial game between the Carlstad Crusaders and Örebro Black Knights.
Both teams need a win badly after losing their two opening games. The Carlstad Crusaders (0-2) came close to pulling off the upset last week against the Stockholm Mean Machines but lost 9-6 on a last second field goal. Meanwhile, Örebro (0-2) struggled and were beaten 41-6 by the Tyresö Royal Crowns. The Black Knights lost in their opening game to Stockholm 48-12 while the Crusaders suffered a 33-7 loss to Tyresö to open the season.
The last time these two teams met was in the 2022 semifinals when the Black Knights prevailed, beating Carlstad 43-20.
Carlstad has the league’s third best offense producing 241 yards a game with 116.5 of that coming from the ground game. Crusaders running back Viktor Toresson leads the Superserien in rushing, averaging 122 yards a contest. This is where the Örebro defense will need to step up as they have been giving up 122.5 yards a game.
Örebro quarterback Trevor Vasey has struggled compared to the 2022 season, throwing for just 244 yards and two touchdowns in the two games. Wide receiver Jesper Lindeus has accounted for 112 of those yards and both touchdowns. Vasey will be facing the second pass defense in the league as Carlstad has given up an average of 152.5 yards a game. Still, if Vasey can find his form from the past two seasons and if the Lindeus brothers, Johannes and Jesper, can remain dangerous, the Crusaders secondary will be put to the test.
Carlstad has relied on two quarterbacks with young Albin Forsman throwing for 150 yards in the opening game against Tyresö. He was replaced by wide receiver turned quarterback Dante Vandeven in the game against Stockholm who managed just 99 yards passing.
The Black Knights are playing at home in Behrn Arena, giving them an advantage. Örebro has not lost at home to Carlstad since 2019.