Fleet team members were introduced to the San Diego crowd for the first time at SDCCU Stadium. Photo by Chris Stone

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The San Diego quarterback’s name was Philip, and the home team’s diminutive running back scored two touchdowns.

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But Sunday night, the QB wasn’t Rivers, and the tiny rusher wasn’t Darren Sproles as Mission Valley hosted its first professional football game in 777 days. (But Chargers fans were present — with Bolts logos on tailgater tents, caps and other gear.)

Philip Nelson fed 5-foot-7 Ja’Quan Gardner numerous times to lead the San Diego Fleet to victory in its first-season home opener at SDCCU Stadium amid a sometimes soaking rain.

The Fleet, wearing battleship gray and yellow, evened its Alliance of American Football record to 1-1 as it beat the winless Atlanta Legends 24-12 before an announced crowd of 20,000-plus.

The game was closer than the score indicated, with all Fleet scoring coming on three Donny Hageman field goals (the longest being 46 yards) in the first three quarters. (Gamblers were happy, as the Fleet covered its 9.5-point spread.)

The game was knotted 9-9 going into the final 15 minutes.

The Fleet had fallen behind 9-0 in a game aired live on Fox and the NFL Network. The rain was a nuisance, but didn’t dampen the San Diego crowd’s enthusiasm.

“I’m from Wisconsin and a couple of weeks ago it was minus-50 with the wind chill, so I’m not complaining,” Nelson told a league reporter.

Gardner scored on 8- and 7-yard runs in the fourth quarter with the score at 12-12. The Fleet couldn’t convert its two-point tries (no point-after-TDs are allowed in Alliance play. No kickoffs either.)

Nelson was 6-for-17 for 71 yards (and an interception) in the first half, but improved to 8-for-13 for another 71 yards in the second half.

“There’s a lot of things offensively to clean up, but that first victory definitely helps us going forward,” Nelson was quoted as saying. “It was long overdue as an offense. I definitely felt some emotions going into the game. We all kind of had some nerves there.

“But we settled in, and once we got rolling we were in a zone there.”

But Fleet head coach Mike Martz, the former St. Lous Rams coach, promised to have a word with QB Nelson about a play with 6:13 left in the third quarter.

That’s when Nelson, under pressure from the Legends defense, threw the ball backwards, over his shoulders, with no chance to see any receivers.

Tight end Gavin Escobar caught the ball out of bounds.

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Tailgaters brought out their Chargers tents to cook up some meals before the game. Photo by Chris Stone Fireworks go off at SDCCU Stadium as the San Diego Fleet starts its home opener. Photo by Chris Stone A U.S. Marine Corps band played in the opening ceremony of the home opener for the San Diego Fleet. Photo by Chris Stone Steady rain during parts of the game may have put a damper on attendance, but 20,000 fans came to the stadium to cheer. Photo by Chris As the game started, couples were prepared for football season in an El Niño year. Photo by Chris Stone Fans used yellow pompoms given away at the entrances to cheer throughout the game. Photo by Chris Stone San Diego Fleet quarterback Philip Nelson started and finished his first Alliance league game. Photo by Chris Stone Atlanta Legends running back Lawrence Pittman goes airborne in an attempt to gain yardage. Photo by Chris Stone San Diego Fleet running back Terrell Watson carries the ball before being tackled. Photo by Chris Stone A nearly full moon rises between goal posts at the season opener at SDCCU Stadium. Photo by Chris Stone San Diego Fleet quarterback Philip Nelson, No. 9, gains yardage after a busted play. Photo by Chris Stone Atlanta Legends defensive back Ed Reynolds gets a hold of airborne Fleet quarterback Philip Nelson. Photo by Chris Stone San Diego Fleet center Jeremiah Kolone of Fallbrook prepares for a snap amid drenching rain in the second half at SDCCU Stadium. Photo by Chris Stone In a steady downpour, San Diego Fleet players await the quarterback for play call. Photo by Chris Stone San Diego Fleet’s Ron Brooks sprints in the rain during the second half of the game. Photo by Chris Stone Atlanta Legends wide receiver Ervin Philips get taken down after jumping for a pass. Photo by Chris Stone San Diego Fleet fans cheer after a successful field goal. Photo by Chris Stone San Diego Fleet fans get enthusiastic as the team racks up points on the scoreboard. Photo by Chris Stone Fleet running back Terrell Watson finds a gap to sprint through. Photo by Chris Stone Fans in ponchos watch as Fleet coaches confer. Photo by Chris Stone Fleet wide receiver Nelson Spruce finds running room. Photo by Chris Stone San Diego Fleet quarterback Philip Nelson completed his first whole game at SDCCU Stadium. Photo by Chris Stone San Diego Fleet head coach Mike Martz speaks to the media after the game. Photo by Chris Stone A fan takes a selfie with Fleet outside linebacker Travis Feeney after the game. Photo by Chris Stone Fleet defensive tackle Tani Tupou greet his baby after the game. Photo by Chris Stone Fleet defensive end Damontre Moore (left) and outside linebacker Eric Pinkins celebrate after a quarterback sack. Photo by Chris Stone Fleet running back Ja’Quan Gardner sprints toward a touchdown in the second half at SDCCU Stadium. Photo by Chris Stone Fleet running back Ja’Quan Gardner (far left) and his teammates celebrate after he made a touchdown in the second half. Photo by Chris Stone A stadium worker sweeps water out of an aisle after a downpour in the first half. Photo by Chris Stone Legends running back Lawrence Pittman finds a gap to run through. Photo by Chris Stone

Said Martz in the postgame press conference: “Yeah, we’re going to talk about that. We’re going to have a long discussion about that.”

Nelson would say: “I hope I don’t get cut. I was trying to throw that ball away. When I heard, ‘Pass completed,’ I was like, ‘OK, thank you, God. Next play.’ ’’

The Fleet made changes on offense, defense and special teams from its losing opener at the San Antonio Commanders last weekend — the biggest, arguably, was bringing in Philip Nelson over QB Mike Bercovici.

“Mike’s just not ready,” Fleet head coach Mike Martz said before Sunday’s game. “Mike going to be a real good player. Mike has not been in this kind of system, Phil has.”

Nelson was the starting quarterback for the Martz-coached Team National in the 2017 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl college football all-star game, but he had a slow start Sunday night completing 14-of-30 passes for 142 yards and an interception against the Legends.

Safety Ryan Moeller nabbed an interception for the Fleet, helping cement the team’s first victory as a franchise and for head coach Martz.

The Fleet play host to the San Antonio Commanders next weekend.

San Diego Fleet Tromp Atlanta Legends in First Home Game at SDCCU Stadium was last modified: by

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