SURGE CHASE #3 SEED IN SEASON FINALE

The Stuttgart Surge may have finally cemented their place in the European League of Football playoffs last weekend, but there is still much for the Swabians to play for in their regular season finale.

Stuttgart will be on the road for their Week 14 encounter with the Fehérvár Enthroners, and know that their opponents are much improved — and definitely more confident — than when they first met in early July. On that occasion, at the GAZi-Stadion auf der Waldau, head coach Jordan Neuman saw his Surge team

deliver a near-perfect performance in all areas and, after a slow opening quarter was kickstarted by Timo Bronn, the offense soon got rolling. Running back Kai Hunter twice went in for scores, while receiver Mike Harley Jr. shone with 190 yards and two spectacular touchdowns of his own, ensuring Stuttgart had a comfortable lead before half-time. With backup Lars Heidrich under center for the entire game as the Surge opted to rest starter Reilly Hennessey, the visitors continued to dominate after the break, highlighted by an 87-yard kickoff return touchdown by Daniel Pedro. The defense also impressed with five sacks and two interceptions, leaving the Enthroners with little chance of getting back into the game.

Until last weekend, the Hungarian side had lost every game they had played, but a narrow 34-31 victory over the Berlin Thunder last weekend ended a losing streak that stretched back to the middle of the 2024 campaign, prompting mass jubilation at First Field in Székesfehérvár. Despite their overall record now standing at 1-10, with -298 point difference, the Enthroners will take the field determined to show their home crowd that the victory was no fluke — even if they will be up against far better opponents than the Thunder.

Although the 9-2 Surge have yet to reveal whether they intend to again rest their starters for the playoffs, the game in Hungary has potential playoff implications, with a Stuttgart win and the Nordic Storm losing to Rhein Fire the following afternoon combining to elevate the Surge to the third seed in the rankings. Although the statistics clearly favour Stuttgart — including the odds of the Fire avenging the 25-24 defeat they suffered in Copenhagen — Neuman is still urging caution.

“It’s a long trip, and it’s been a long season, so these are all challenges that shouldn’t be underestimated,” the head coach pointed out. “We need to stay focused against the Enthroners from the very first second. We can’t let up for a moment and must play with concentration [if we want that higher seed].”

The Enthroners-Surge match is in Saturday’s early window, meaning that, if victorious, the German side will have to wait until the very end of the week’s fixture list to know their fate, with the Fire hosting Nordic late on Sunday afternoon.