cleveland gladiators logo

Three turnovers prove costly as the Cleveland Gladiators fall to the Jacksonville Sharks, 46-43.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Jacksonville Jaguars scored three times in the third quarter then held off a furious rally to defeat the Cleveland Gladiators, 46-43, in an Arena Football League game Saturday night at Quicken Loans Arena.

The loss drops the Gladiators to 4-3 on the season, while Jacksonville improves to 2-5.

Trailing 39-21 entering the final quarter, the Gladiators scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but two failed onside kicks kept them at bay.

One week after throwing eight touchdowns and being named AFL offensive player of the week, Cleveland quarterback Shane Austin completed 21 of 32 passes for 288 yards and six touchdowns, but a pair of turnovers proved costly.

Cleveland jumped ahead, 14-6, after one quarter as Austin completed touchdown passes of 13 yards to Dominick Goodman and 4 yards to Amarri Jackson.

Austin hit Collin Taylor with a 9-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter and the Gladiators were ahead at the half, 21-19. Jacksonville missed two extra points in the half. The Gladiators were driving at the end of the half but Austin was intercepted.

The Sharks scored on the opening possession of the second half to take the lead, then came up with two turnovers, a fumble by Austin and an interception, and scored each time for a 39-21 lead entering the final period.

Taylor made a spectacular catch falling over the boards to complete a 24-yard TD on the first play of the fourth quarter to pull Cleveland to 39-28.

After the Gladiators defense stopped Jacksonville on downs, breaking up a pass in the end zone, Austin drove Cleveland to the end zone with four consecutive pass completions, the touchdown coming on a 29-yard strike to Jackson. Austin hit Dominick Goodman for the two-point conversion to make it 39-36.

The Gladiators then tried an onside kick that was recovered by the Sharks and survived a replay challenge by Cleveland. With two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties tacked on, Jacksonville started from the three and Derrick Ross scored his third touchdown of the game for a 46-36 lead with 5:43 remaining.

Austin hit three straight passes to get the Gladiators in the end zone again in 1:51, finding Jackson with a 21-yard toss for the TD to make it 46-43 with 2:45 to go.

But Jacksonville again recovered an onside attempt and ran out the clock.

Jackson finished with nine catches for 135 yards and three touchdowns for the Gladiators, while Goodman had seven for 78 yards and a touchdown.

Jacksonville's Tommy Grady completed 20 of 31 for 191 yards and four touchdowns and Ross carried 13 times for 51 yards and three TDs.

The Gladiators will play host to the New Orleans VooDoo on Friday at 7 p.m. in the Q.