Pulse Jackals 37, Nova Raptors 28
Week 2 · Regular season · round 5 · Monday 5 October 2026
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLS Pulse Jackals | 10 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 37 |
| NVA Nova Raptors | 7 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
Game recap
Neither defense had an answer in round 5 of Week 2, but the Pulse Jackals scored last and best, beating the Nova Raptors 37-28. The teams combined for 65 points and 4 lead changes.
The Raptors opened the scoring with a 9-yard touchdown run by Omari Fenn with 2:01 left in the first quarter. At the break the Jackals were up 20-14. In the fourth quarter: a 16-yard touchdown pass from Rio Castellanos to Cassius Achebe for the Jackals (2:46 left, 30-28); a 15-yard touchdown pass from Rio Castellanos to Adrien Esposito for the Jackals (0:22 left, 37-28).
The play that tilted the game came with 1:57 left in the fourth quarter: a 0-yard run by Omari Fenn on fourth down. It moved the Jackals' chance of winning from 49% to 70%.
Player of the game: Rio Castellanos (QB, Jackals), with 31 of 43 passing for 351 yards, 4 TD; 2 carries for 17 yards. Elsewhere, Axel Stroud (Raptors) had 36 of 52 passing for 393 yards, 3 TD; 1 catch for -8 yards; Omari Fenn (Raptors) had 16 carries for 93 yards and 1 TD; 2 catches for 13 yards; Zion Whitaker (Raptors) had 13 catches for 136 yards and 2 TD; Jace Albright (Jackals) had 20 carries for 121 yards; 3 catches for 30 yards.
Before kickoff, the Raptors' game plan was on offense: attack the zones, target Bram Thorne; on defense: bracket Tavi Nkemelu (Bram Thorne finished with 10 catches for 135 yards). Meanwhile, the Jackals' game plan was on offense: attack the zones, stay underneath, target Cassius Achebe; on defense: bracket Zion Whitaker (Cassius Achebe finished with 12 catches for 120 yards and 2 TD).
The Raptors move to 3-2 and the Jackals to 3-1-1 this week.
Scoring summary
| Time | Team | Play | PLS-NVA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2:01 | Raptors | A 9-yard touchdown run by Omari Fenn | 0-7 |
| Q1 1:13 | Jackals | A 4-yard touchdown pass from Rio Castellanos to Tavi Nkemelu | 7-7 |
| Q1 0:02 | Jackals | A 36-yard field goal by Roman Zamora | 10-7 |
| Q2 1:51 | Jackals | An 11-yard touchdown pass from Rio Castellanos to Cassius Achebe | 17-7 |
| Q2 1:06 | Jackals | A 47-yard field goal by Roman Zamora | 20-7 |
| Q2 0:24 | Raptors | An 11-yard touchdown pass from Axel Stroud to Zion Whitaker | 20-14 |
| Q3 2:01 | Raptors | A 2-yard touchdown pass from Axel Stroud to Zion Whitaker | 20-21 |
| Q3 1:15 | Jackals | A 52-yard field goal by Roman Zamora | 23-21 |
| Q3 0:23 | Raptors | An 8-yard touchdown pass from Axel Stroud to Ivo Norcross | 23-28 |
| Q4 2:46 | Jackals | A 16-yard touchdown pass from Rio Castellanos to Cassius Achebe | 30-28 |
| Q4 0:22 | Jackals | A 15-yard touchdown pass from Rio Castellanos to Adrien Esposito | 37-28 |
Team stats
| PLS | NVA | |
|---|---|---|
| Total yards | 511 | 520 |
| Passing yards | 351 | 393 |
| Rushing yards | 160 | 127 |
| Completions | 31 of 43 | 36 of 52 |
| Offensive plays | 73 | 78 |
| Third downs | 7 of 12 | 5 of 10 |
| Fourth downs | 1 of 1 | 1 of 2 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Sacks allowed | 5 | 4 |
| Time of possession | 5:26 | 6:34 |
Pulse Jackals box score
Passing
| Player | C/ATT | YDS | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Castellanos | 31/43 | 351 | 4 | 0 |
Rushing
| Player | CAR | YDS | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jace Albright | 20 | 121 | 0 | 21 |
| Rio Castellanos | 2 | 17 | 0 | 9 |
| Adrien Esposito | 1 | 11 | 0 | 15 |
| Fabian Lachance | 2 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Receiving
| Player | REC | YDS | TD | TGT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tavi Nkemelu | 12 | 156 | 1 | 16 |
| Cassius Achebe | 12 | 120 | 2 | 13 |
| Jace Albright | 3 | 30 | 0 | 4 |
| Anders Quarles | 3 | 30 | 0 | 4 |
Defense
| Player | TK | SK | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darius Draven | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quentin Delacroix | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Darius Esposito | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Orson Castellan | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Valen Ashford | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Elio Oyelaran | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | FG | LNG | XP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roman Zamora | 3/4 | 52 | 0/0 |
Nova Raptors box score
Passing
| Player | C/ATT | YDS | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axel Stroud | 36/52 | 393 | 3 | 0 |
Rushing
| Player | CAR | YDS | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omari Fenn | 16 | 93 | 1 | 19 |
| Nils Coventry | 6 | 34 | 0 | 11 |
Receiving
| Player | REC | YDS | TD | TGT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zion Whitaker | 13 | 136 | 2 | 17 |
| Bram Thorne | 10 | 135 | 0 | 13 |
| Ivo Norcross | 9 | 109 | 1 | 12 |
| Omari Fenn | 2 | 13 | 0 | 3 |
Defense
| Player | TK | SK | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anders Delacroix | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quentin Brennan | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bastien Montague | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kasimir Oyelaran | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Adrien Varga | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Adrien Brennan | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Watch the replay
Every play of this game can be replayed on the big screen, with the play calls, the win probability and the commentary: replay Pulse Jackals 37, Nova Raptors 28 on Snapline. More about the teams: Nova Raptors · Pulse Jackals.