IBM Big Blue (1-1) stormed to a 45-14 win over the All Mitsubishi Lions (0-2) at Fujitsu Stadium Kawasaki, fueled by quarterback Yuki Masamoto’s four touchdown passes and a balanced offensive showcase.
Masamoto’s aerial mastery sets tone
Masamoto (25/35, 292 yards) connected with WR Katsuhito Omi (5 catches, 79 yards, 2 TDs) and TE Tommy Auger (7 catches, 71 yards, 2 TDs) on back-to-back first-quarter drives, staking IBM to a 14-0 lead. Masamoto hit Omi again midway through the second stanza to boost the lead to 21-0. After All Mitsubishi’s Isaiah Khalil Malcome returned a kickoff 95 yards for a score, rookie RB Shoei Itami answered with a 5-yard TD run and Yuto Fukuoka booted a FG, extending the halftime lead to 31-7.
IBM TE Tommy Auger (right) contributed to the victory with two TD pass catches ©X LEAGUE
Rookies shine in second-half surge
First-year QB Kai Mizushima (2/5, 7 yards) capped the scoring with a 5-yard TD pass to RB Yohei Shibata, while Itami (17 rushing yards, 1 TD) and RB Akimoto Minjae (38 rushing yards) bolstered a 137-yard ground attack. IBM’s defense held the Lions to 53 rushing yards, stifling QB Keisuke Nishizawa (14/32, 153 yards, 1 TD) until his late 36-yard scoring pass to WR Takeshi Fukuda.
Special teams, defense seal rout
Kicker Yuto Fukuoka converted all six PATs and added a 22-yard field goal, while IBM’s defense forced eight punts and limited All Mitsubishi to 2-of-12 third-down conversions. Malcome’s 69 rushing yards and kick-return TD provided the Lions’ lone bright spot.
Balanced effort fuels turnaround
Masamoto spread targets to 10 receivers, including RB Pingmatsu (40 receiving yards), while Auger’s red-zone reliability (two TDs inside the 15-yard line) underscored IBM’s efficiency. The Big Blue’s 319 total yards and 45 points marked a stark rebound from their Week 1 loss.
The Lions, now 0-2, face urgency to fix a stagnant offense, while IBM’s decisive win injects momentum into their X League campaign.
Source: XLeague