The Fujitsu Frontiers (3-1) and IBM Big Blue (2-1) meet Sunday at Aoba no Mori Athletics Stadium as two teams carrying winning records into the fall portion of the XLeague Premier season square off in Chiba.
Fujitsu opened the year with three straight wins before suffering its first loss against the Obic Seagulls, while IBM rebounded from an opening defeat with back-to-back victories.
Frontiers lean on Takagi
Quarterback Tsubasa Takagi gives the Frontiers a proven foundation through the air. He completed 75 of 114 passes for 833 yards and seven touchdowns over the first four games.
Samajie Grant has been one of his productive targets, catching 15 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns.
Finding more production on the ground could give Fujitsu another dimension. Masanari Kagawa carried 42 times for 155 yards and two touchdowns during the opening portion of the season, with Takeshi Miyake another option in the backfield.
Big Blue adjust without Wright
The biggest question for IBM is how its offense responds to the absence of Jiya Wright, who has been removed from the fall roster after driving much of the attack earlier in the year.
Wright threw for 385 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 238 yards and two scores on 22 carries. Reece Horn remains a major weapon after catching 21 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns, while Austrian tight end Bernhard Seikovits gives IBM another target.
On the other side of the ball, former All-Europe linebacker AJ Wentland leads the Big Blue defense. The veteran of the European League of Football, German Football League and Finnish Maple League ranks third in the XLeague Premier with 24 tackles through three games.
With Fujitsu looking to bounce back and IBM chasing a third straight victory, Sunday’s matchup gives both teams an early chance to make a statement as the fall schedule gets underway.