Former LA KISS quarterback J.J. Raterink threw nine touchdown passes Saturday leading the Las Vegas Outlaws to a 61-48 victory, spoiling his former team’s home opener of its second Arena Football League season at Honda Center.
The KISS failed to field back-to-back kickoffs in the fourth quarter, with Raterink capitalizing with touchdown passes on both occasions.
Doug Williams recovered the first kickoff that went off a rebound net behind the end zone. KISS rookie returner Marcus Trice was then unable to control a kick off a net with Dwight McLean recovering for the Outlaws (2-1).
Adrian McPherson completed 15 of 29 passes for 193 yards and three touchdowns and ran for four scores for the KISS (0-3), which lost their ninth consecutive game dating back to last season.
Raterink completed 24 of 37 passes for 291 yards for Las Vegas, an expansion team co-owned by Motley Crue front man Vince Neil. Raterink was the KISS starting quarterback for their first eight games last season.
The game was billed by the league as the start of the “Rock Star Rivalry.” The KISS’ owners include two members of the rock band KISS, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley.
The KISS trailed 27-21 at halftime, then scored touchdowns on each of their first three second-half possessions to take a 42-33 lead with two minutes, 25 seconds left in the third quarter.
Las Vegas scored touchdowns on all four of its first-half possessions. McPherson ran five yards for a touchdown as time expired in the first half.
The KISS received an additional play after a video review determined there was one second left when McPherson’s pass fell incomplete on the previous play.
— City News Service