Slaughter falls in first-ever outdoor game

The Chicago Slaughter suffered a loss on the road to the Rochester Raiders late Saturday night in the first ever outdoor football game in IFL history.

A strong fourth quarter push gave Rochester the 43-36 victory. Slaughter QB Randy Hutchinson threw for 153 yards and 3 touchdowns with 1 interception. Wide receiver Reggie Gray had 4 receptions for 69 yards and 2 touchdowns.

With winds blowing in around 20 mph, the Slaughter (6-6) started things off with three penalties in a scoreless first possession that also saw running back Jarrett Payton leave the game with an injured hamsting.

"This was a very disappointing loss for us," said Slaughter GM Alan Perkins. "The loss of Payton on the first play of the game, combined with two other starters being down (WRs Shatone Powers and kicker Chris Nendick), gave us difficult odds to overcome against a tough Rochester (9-4) team. Our team has been resilient all year, though, and we are focused on winning our last home game and continuing our playoff run."

Payton is expected to return next week when the Slaughter face the LaCrosse Spartans at home for their last home game of the regular season at 7:05 p.m.