RUNNING back Jonas Lewis rushed for a World Bowl record 126 yards and a touchdown as the Frankfurt Galaxy became the first team in NFL Europe League history to win three World Bowls as they defeated their Deutschland Derby rivals in Glasgow, Scotland.
Lewis was named MVP of World Bowl XI as the Galaxy added to the World Bowl titles they won in 1995 and 1999 in emphatic fashion. Fellow running back Robert Gillespie added 88 rushing yards and also scored a touchdown for victorious Frankfurt.
Rhein was able to move the football, gaining 418 yards on offense, but they failed to take advantage of several scoring opportunities, settling for field goals instead of touchdowns before finally finding the end zone late in the fourth period when the game was already out of reach.
Frankfurt took the opening kickoff of the contest and quickly moved into scoring range as quarterback James Brown hit wide receiver Robert Baker for 14 yards and Lewis gained 22 yards on a scamper up the middle.
The drive stalled in Fire territory when Brown threw two incompletions and then came up short on a third down scramble. But the Galaxy took an early lead when Jon Hilbert kicked a 53-yard field goal - worth four points in NFL Europe.
The Galaxy stretched their lead to 11-0 in the first period after forcing the Fire to punt on their opening drive. Lewis carried five times for 22 yards on the 79-yard scoring drive and capped the march with a 1-yard touchdown run.
Brown also moved Frankfurt downfield with completions of 11 and 17 yards to wide receiver Marc Lester. However, the key play was a pass interference call on defensive back Lemual Ligon, who tackled Brian McDonald to the ground as a third down pass into the end zone fell incomplete. The penalty cost the Fire 29 yards and one play later Lewis skipped untouched into the end zone and Ralf Kleinmann tacked on the extra point.
Rhein responded with Frank Moreau carrying the ball five times for 24 yards and Nick Rolovich hitting wide receiver Todd Elstrom for a 32-yard gain.
The drive stalled at the Galaxy 21-yard line when All-NFL Europe League defensive tackle Luis Almanzar sacked Rolovich. Todd France kicked a 39-yard field goal with 56 seconds remaining in the first quarter to reduce the Frankfurt lead to 11-3.
The Fire gifted the Galaxy their next points when Josh McKibben's fourth down snap went over punter Jay Taylor's head, giving Frankfurt possession at Rhein's 15-yard line.
Three plays later, Jacksonville Jaguars allocated quarterback Quinn Gray lofted a 20-yard touchdown pass to Lester and the Galaxy had an 18-3 lead with 9:53 to play in the second quarter.
Rhein fought back with Moreau running for gains of 13 and 8 yards, and Chris Greisen hitting tight end Chad Mustard on completions of 14 and 11 yards, as well as a 10-yarder to wideout Kendall Newson.
The drive was halted on third and goal at the Galaxy 3-yard line when Greisen was sacked for a 10-yard loss by defensive end Joey Evans. German kicker Ingo Anderbrügge split the uprights on a 31-yard field goal attempt to reduce the arrears to 18-6 with just under four minutes remaining in the first half.
Frankfurt's response was emphatic as Lewis ripped off a jinking 42-yard run before Gillespie, of the Washington Redskins, capped a three-play scoring drive with a 29-yard sprint off left tackle into the end zone for a 25-6 Galaxy lead.
Rhein managed to claw three points back as Anderbrügge chipped a 27-yard field goal as time expired at the end of the first half. Greisen moved the Fire into scoring range with completions of 11 and 10 yards to running back Autry Denson, 10 yards to wideout Emmett Johnson and 7 yards to Lavell Boyd.
The Fire made a promising start to the second half as they marched 79 yards to the Galaxy 1-yard line on Rolovich completions to Elstrom (8 yards), tight end Dwayne Blakley (23 yards), Newson (6 and 18 yards) and Boyd (7 yards).
But on fourth and goal from the 1-yard line, the scoring opportunity was wasted as Rolovich fumbled the snap from center and German defensive end Daniel Benetka recovered the loose ball for Frankfurt.
Starting at their own 1-yard line, the Galaxy marched 99 yards in 10 plays and extended the lead to 32-9 when Adam Tate dived into the end zone from a yard out with 3:13 remaining in the third period.
Gillespie ripped off runs of 17 and 31 yards on the drive, while Brown completed passes of 16 and 6 yards to Baltimore Ravens allocated wideout Lester.
The Fire had another chance to score a touchdown early in the fourth quarter when they moved to Frankfurt's 3-yard line. But Rolovich's second down pass into the end zone was picked off by Galaxy cornerback Chris Pointer.
Kleinmann put an exclamation point on Frankfurt's victory when he booted a 34-yard field goal with 4:37 remaining. Rhein scored a consolation touchdown with 1:55 left on the clock when Greisen hit Blakley from 5 yards out.
