Fujitsu Frontiers return to Japan’s X Bowl for 6th straight year

The Fujitsu Frontiers staged a fourth quarter comeback, scoring two late touchdowns to defeat arch rivals, the Obic Seagulls 13-10 at Fujitsu Stadium Kawasak and advance to Japan’s X Bowl for the sixth straight year.

Fujitsu quarterback Michael Birdsong completed 14 of 21 passes for 157 yards and one touchdown while running back Treyshaun Nixon had 20 carries for 123 yards and another touchdown for the win.

Seagulls quarterback Skyler Howard threw for 238 yards and a touchdown completing 16 of 30 passes. Wide receiver Noriaki Kinoshita hauled in  five passes for 103 yards while former Berlin Adler Yuki Ikei caught a touchdown pass with under two minutes to go.

The teams scored all their points in the second half as Obic broke open a scoreless game in the third quarter with a  field goal.

However, Birdsong scored on a four yard run three minutes into the fourth quarter to give the Frontiers a 6-3 lead. Then Nixon rumbled in from 22 yards out four minutes later to extend the lead to 13-3.

Ikei then pulled Obic to within three with his seven yard touchdown reception from Howard. The Seagulls got the ball back on their own seven yard line with no timeouts left and 1:19 remaining in the game. However, Frontiers cornerback Al-Rilwan Adeyami, the league leader in interceptions, picked off Howard to snuff out the Seagulls last gasp attempt.

Fujitsu, who will be looking for a three-peat,will face IBM Big Blue for the second year in a row in the X Bowl.  IBM defeated the Panasonic Impulse 24-17 in the other semifinal.

The Japan X Bowl will be held Dec. 17 at Tokyo Dome.

Watch the game highlights here.