BLOOMINGTON - The postgame statistical packet didn't need a drive chart Saturday. It needed an odometer. | Extreme page | Photo gallery

But with Dusty Burk behind the wheel and Peter Christofilakos driving home the last-second heroics, Bloomington got a bit better mileage in a record-setting 76-73 United Indoor Football victory over Sioux City before a paid crowd of 4,181 at U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

Despite aggravating a groin injury that kept him out of last week's loss to Billings midway through the fourth quarter, Christofilakos drilled a 28-yard field goal on the game's final play to solidify Bloomington's position atop the UIF's Eastern Conference.

"Seven or eight minutes left, it popped again," said Christofilakos. "When it came down to that (final field goal), I was not going to miss it. I was not going to let them down. I told myself 'suck it up.' I can fall to my knees (in pain) afterward if I have to."

Bloomington moved to 6-5, while the Bandits slipped to 3-7 in the highest scoring UIF game of the season.

"Was I wrong when I said it was going to be a shootout?" asked Extreme coach Kenton Carr. "Whoever has the ball last wins. Pete was hurting. He was amazing. I begged him to gut it out."

Bloomington grabbed a 73-66 lead when James Walton caught a 9-yard Burk touchdown pass while flying into the crowd with 46 seconds left.

Sioux City pulled into a tie on an 8-yard scoring pass from Chad Kapanui to O.J. Simpson with just 15 seconds left.

The Extreme moved the ball to the Bandits' 12-yard line on two quick pass routes that took the clock down to two seconds. Christifilakos did the rest.

"That's why it was vital we got it as close as we could," said Burk of his kicker's injury. "I can't say enough about him. That's why he's the best kicker in the league."

While the Extreme was setting a franchise record for points, Burk set another record with seven touchdown passes. He completed 21 of 29 for 252 yards.

"The playmakers stepped up and made plays. There were some unbelievable catches out there," Burk said. "I didn't get hit hard all night. My job was easy because everybody around me was playing so well."

The Extreme made up a one-point halftime deficit on the first touchdown exchange of the third quarter. Christofilakos nailed the conversion after Burk ran 15 yards into the end zone on a quarterback draw, but Sioux City's Mitch Lynch banged his extra-point try off the left upright after John Bentley ran 5 yards for a score.

Andre Raymond's 49-yard kickoff return was answered by a 2-yard Bentley plunge on fourth-and-goal for a 45-45 tie.

Bloomington converted on fourth-and-goal from the 1 as Burk lofted a quick pass to Walton, who outjumped Alex Ardley for the touchdown. Another tie was forged at 52-all when Bentley bulled in for a 1-yard TD.

Like gas prices, the score just kept rising. A 5-yard SoSo Brooks touchdown run combined with a 15-yard scoring toss from Kapanui to Johnny Ostermeyer to reach 59-59.

How about 66-66? Why not? An 8-yard TD connection from Burk to Walton and a Bentley 1-yard run (his fourth touchdown) made it happen.

An eventful first half merely set the stage for a better second half.

The first two plays from scrimmage resulted in touchdowns as Kapanui and Simpson hooked up on a 38-yard score. Marvin Campbell blocked Lynch's extra point kick.

Bloomington struck back with a 35-yard TD toss from Burk to Glenn Johnson. Scoring receptions of 18 and 25 by Simpson sandwiched a 23-yard Christofilakos field goal for a 19-10 Bandits' lead.

Burk threw TD passes of 31 yards to Derin Graham and 5 yards to Johnson as the Extreme surged ahead 24-19. Lynch field goals of 16 and 37 yards put Sioux City back ahead, 25-24, before Burk passed 33 yards to Johnson for his fourth touchdown of the half.

The Bandits stole a late first-half touchdown as at least two Extreme players and one Sioux City player tipped a Kapanui pass before Bentley grabbed the football for a 3-yard touchdown. Lynch's extra point with 26 seconds left in the opening half gave the Bandits a 32-31 edge.

---

Scoring summary

First Quarter

14:30 SCB Simpson, O.J. 38 yd pass from Kapanui, Chad (Lynch, Mitch kick blocked) 1 play, 38 yards, TOP 0:24 6-0

13:45 BLO Johnson, Glenn 35 yd pass from Burk, Dusty (Christofilakos, kick) 1 play, 35 yards, TOP 0:24 6-7

11:05 SCB Simpson, O.J. 18 yd pass from Kapanui, Chad (Lynch, Mitch kick) 4 plays, 32 yards, TOP 2:24 13-7

07:57 BLO Christofilakos, 23 yd field goal 5 plays, 22 yards, TOP 2:47 13-10

06:58 SCB Simpson, O.J. 25 yd pass from Kapanui, Chad (Lynch, Mitch kick failed) 2 plays, 30 yards, TOP 0:59 19-10

05:34 BLO Graham, Derin 31 yd pass from Burk, Dusty (Christofilakos, kick) 2 plays, 35 yards, TOP 0:57 19-17

Second Quarter

14:56 BLO Johnson, Glenn 5 yd pass from Burk, Dusty (Christofilakos, kick) 5 plays, 39 yards, TOP 2:43 19-24

11:14 SCB Lynch, Mitch 16 yd field goal 6 plays, 25 yards, TOP 3:24 22-24

04:29 SCB Lynch, Mitch 37 yd field goal 6 plays, 23 yards, TOP 4:05 25-24

02:36 BLO Johnson, Glenn 33 yd pass from Burk, Dusty (Christofilakos, kick) 2 plays, 30 yards, TOP 1:53 25-31

00:26 SCB Bentley, Johnny 3 yd pass from Kapanui, Chad (Lynch, Mitch kick) 5 plays, 26 yards, TOP 1:14 32-31

Third Quarter

13:56 BLO Burk, Dusty 15 yd run (Christofilakos, kick) 2 plays, 23 yards, TOP 0:58 32-38

11:43 SCB Bentley, Johnny 6 yd run (Lynch, Mitch kick failed) 4 plays, 33 yards, TOP 1:55 38-38

11:15 BLO Raymond, Andre 49 yd kickoff return (Christofilakos, kick) 38-45

07:24 SCB Bentley, Johnny 2 yd run (Lynch, Mitch kick) 6 plays, 18 yards, TOP 3:31 45 45

04:09 BLO Walton, James 1 yd pass from Burk, Dusty (Christofilakos, kick) 5 plays, 24 yards, TOP 2:59 45-52

01:05 SCB Bentley, Johnny 1 yd run (Lynch, Mitch kick) 5 plays, 30 yards, TOP 2:54 52-52

Fourth Quarter

13:23 BLO Brooks, Keith 5 yd run (Christofilakos, kick) 4 plays, 28 yards, TOP 2:20 52-59

11:40 SCB Ostermeyer, Joh 12 yd pass from Kapanui, Chad (Lynch, Mitch kick) 3 plays, 42 yards, TOP 0:20 59-59

07:25 BLO Walton, James 8 yd pass from Burk, Dusty (Christofilakos, kick) 6 plays, 33 yards, TOP 3:42 59-66

03:05 SCB Bentley, Johnny 1 yd run (Lynch, Mitch kick) 7 plays, 30 yards, TOP 4:12 66-66

BLO Walton, James 9 yd pass from Burk, Dusty (Christofilakos, kick) 7 plays, 38 yards, TOP 2:01 66-73

00:15 SCB Simpson, O.J. 14 yd pass from Kapanui, Chad (Lynch, Mitch kick) 5 plays, 30 yards, TOP 0:31 73-73

00:00 BLO Christofilakos, 28 yd field goal 3 plays, 14 yards, TOP 0:10 73-76