The Fleet is unbeaten in San Diego, winning both games.

Under a Super Bowl-winning coach, the new football team is growing fast.

Does San Diego care?

Fans at both games were noisy. They tailgated, cheered, waved yellow pompoms. They sent up chants of “Fleet, Fleet, Fleet.”


Yet — and this is not a criticism — more than 50,000 seats were empty once again Sunday when an estimated crowd of about 11,000 gathered inside the huge old stadium in Mission Valley.

So the return of pro football isn’t exactly lighting America’s eighth-largest city on fire.

But the Fleet is two-for-two in Mission Valley including the 31-11 victory Sunday, and when fans hollered “Fleet, Fleet, Fleet,” the guys wearing gray-and-gold uniforms and silver jackets could hear it.

“It was terrific,” Fleet coach Mike Martz said. “I know the players really appreciate it. They love it. They love playing in San Diego, and hopefully we can continue to entertain and get people excited.”


The club announced it distributed 14,789 tickets for Sunday’s game at SDCCU Stadium. A few days before the season opener Feb. 9, Fleet president Jeff Garner reported season ticket sales of about 10,000. He said he was hopeful that crowds could exceed 20,000 and approach 30,000. The Fleet has three more home games.

Several players commended the fans, who were spared the rain that a turnout of about 9,000 had braved in the home opener seven days earlier.

“The fans were great,” said quarterback Philip Nelson, who threw two touchdown passes. The Wisconsin native and East Carolina alum added: “I didn’t realize how into football San Diego was.”

Wall Street to SD

The biggest defensive play Sunday – a go-ahead touchdown -- belonged to a Fleet linebacker who last spring was working on Wall Street.


Stanford alum A.J. Tarpley was a salesman in an investment bank’s distress-bonds department.

Did Tarpley take a pay cut when he quit Wall Street in May to join the Fleet, which is paying him a $70,000 salary?

“I’m not going to comment on that,” said Tarpley, laughing.

Tarpley intercepted an errant pass early in the second quarter and took it back 27 yards for the score that put the Fleet ahead to stay, 14-8.


He credited the Fleet’s pass rush led by former New York Giants edge rusher Damontre Moore, who in the opener had hit San Antonio’s quarterback six times.

Martz said last week that Tarpley, 26, was the most NFL-ready player that joined the Fleet.

Tarpley spent the 2015 season with the Buffalo Bills, appearing in 15 games mostly on special teams. In his final play with them, he made a big play to deny the New York Jets a playoff berth.

Due to multiple concussions, he quit the NFL.


He returned to the sport via the Fleet.

“Shout out to my (bond) desk back there,” said Tarpley of his pick-6, which he said was his first since high school ball in Minnesota.

Martz’s offense

As in the home opener, Martz turned to the ground game to get the offense untracked.

This time it was powerful running back Terrell Watson who launched the run attack.


Recently weighed at 238 pounds, the 6-foot-1/2 Azusa Pacific alum banged out good gains on the team’s third drive, which began at the 8.

Put in a better spot, Nelson capitalized with a 43-yard completion to speedster LaQuvionte Gonzalez.

The drive led to the first of two touchdown passes to Colorado alum Nelson Spruce.

Running back Ja’Quan Gardner all but locked up the victory with an 83-yard scoring run midway through the third quarter.


The football math was surprisingly in the Fleet’s favor on the second-and-13 play, a draw.

Martz went with a run formation, the I.

But the Commanders had a “light” defensive formation, with only six players in the tackle box.

So, counting the fullback, the Fleet had six blockers against six defenders.


“I’ll take that,” said Gardner, who had 122 rushing yards to go over 100 for the second straight game.

The Fleet double-teamed the nose tackle, and left tackle Terry Poole, a San Diego State alum, sustained a shield block.

Gardner made two quick cuts and then outran the defense.

Former SDSU tight end Gavin Escobar had his best game, catching all four targets for 40 yards.


Gardner averaged 10.2 yards per carry, and Watson was at 5.6 across 13 carries. Both praised an offensive line anchored by Fallbrook High alum Jeremiah Kolone, who was sidelined with an injury at San Antonio.

Nelson rebounded from the first-pass pickoff – something he also did in the home opener – to finish 17 for 25 for 193 yards.

On the losing side was former Chargers head coach Mike Riley, whose team fell to 1-2.

Tom.Krasovic@SDUnionTribune.com; Twitter: SDUTKrasovic