Danube Dragons grind out 15-7 road win over Graz Giants in Austrian Football League showdown

In Austrian Football League action, the Danube Dragons improved to 6-1 with a hard-earned 15-7 road win over the Graz Giants, who fell to 4-3 after a physical Sunday matchup at ASKÖ Stadium Graz-Eggenberg.

Storm delay sets the stage

The game started 30 minutes late because of a thunderstorm, which only added to the tension around a meeting between two top-four teams. Graz had come in riding a four-game winning streak, while the Danube Dragons were looking to bounce back after their first loss of the season — a 28-14 defeat against these same Graz Giants.

Once the game finally kicked off, Graz struck first. Quarterback Bastian Steinmair connected with Ezra Gray for a touchdown in the opening quarter, and the extra point gave the Giants a 7-0 lead.

Dragons claw back

The Danube Dragons did not light up the scoreboard, but they slowly worked their way back into the game. Quarterback Walter Kuhlenkamp cut the deficit before halftime with a touchdown run, although the extra point was blocked, leaving Graz ahead 7-6 at the break.

In the third quarter, Kuhlenkamp struck again on the ground, scoring his second touchdown of the day to give the Dragons their first lead. The two-point conversion failed, but Danube had moved in front 12-7.

Defense closes it out

From there, the Dragons defense took over. Graz could not find another score, and a late Danube Dragons field goal pushed the final margin to 15-7.

Afterward, Dragons head coach Michael Hönig pointed to a cleaner defensive performance, while Graz head coach Stefan Pokorny said turnovers and the strength of the Dragons defense made the difference. The win kept Danube even at the top of the AFL standings with the Vienna Knights at 6-1.