Football | 7/30/2009 2:34:10 PM

Boise, Idaho - Mark Thorson's first pass as the Boise Burn's starting quarterback was a 25-yard touchdown toss to Nichiren Flowers.

It was that kind of night for Thorson and the Burn, who rolled to a 77-36 win over the Arkansas Twisters in a first-round arenafootball2 playoff game Saturday at Qwest Arena.

"We've got a heck of a team," said Thorson, who made his first professional start in place of injured starter Taylor Tharp. "I'm so proud of all our guys. We've just got to keep rolling."

Boise (13-4) advances to play top-seeded Spokane (16-1) next weekend in a National Conference semifinal game. Three of the Burn's four losses this year were against the rival Shock, who lead the all-time series 8-0.

"Our guys want Spokane next week," Boise coach Brent Winter said. "You can see it in their eyes. They think we've been robbed twice this year by the football gods, so they want Spokane really bad."

The Burn get their wish thanks to Saturday's win over Arkansas (11-6), arguably Boise's best performance this season. Thorson was sharp, completing 13-of-20 passes for 149 yards and five touchdowns, including four to Flowers. But the rookie quarterback had plenty of help from his teammates, particularly a swarming defensive unit that forced five turnovers and scored three touchdowns.

"Our defense has been great all year," Thorson said. "I didn't expect them to be any different tonight. They made some huge plays and really picked us up."

Perhaps the play of the night was made by linebacker Marcus Lawrence. Boise trailed 12-7 after kicker Ben Scott had a second-quarter field goal attempt blocked, but Lawrence stepped in front of Arkansas quarterback Kyle Rowley's screen pass on the very next play and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown.

The ensuing kickoff bounced off the uprights and into the arms of Maurice Banks, who scored to give the Burn a 21-12 lead they would never relinquish.

"That was huge," Winter said of Banks' recovery. "We finally had one of those bounces go our way."

The Boise defense was far from finished. Jomo Wilson scored on a 43-yard interception return in the third quarter and Lawrence scooped up a fumble and rumbled 32 yards for another score in the fourth.

Linebacker Levi Madarieta added two interceptions, including a spectacular catch where he batted the ball out of the air with one hand and tipped it several times before corralling it.

Not all the highlights went to the Boise defense. Flowers emerged as Thorson's favorite red-zone target, scoring on four of his five receptions.

"It was a big win," Flowers said. "Mark Thorson stepped up showcased his talent tonight. Everybody did a good job. We just want to take this momentum into next week."

Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score
Arkansas Twisters 6 6 12 12 36 Record: (11-6)
Boise Burn 7 28 35 14 77 Record: (13-4)

LEADERS:
PASSING: THORSON, Mark (BOI) 13-20-2 149 yards 5 TD's; ROWLEY, Kyle (ARK) 19-25-3 143 yards 2 TD's
RECEIVING: ALLEN, Casey (BOI) 5-62 yards 1 TD ; HARVEY, Jeron (SPO) 17-157 4 TD's


More information below on the announcement of Thorson's first start.

MONMOUTH, Ore. - Former Western Oregon University quarterback Mark Thorson will receive his first professional start, Saturday (Aug. 1), as the Boise Burn open up the af2 playoffs against the Arkansas Twisters.

Thorson, who played quarterback for the Wolves from 2004-07, has appeared in four games this season as he recovered from a shoulder injury, throwing four touchdowns while completing 55-percent of his passes.

Thorson came into the game in the third quarter of the season finale last weekend to replace injured starter Taylor Tharp. The Sandy, Ore., native completed 8-of-12 passes for 94 yards and three touchdowns in the second half while nearly leading the Burn to an improbable come-from-behind win over league-power Spokane.

The Burn (12-4) hosts its first-ever af2 playoff game Saturday night against the Arkansas Twisters (11-5). Game time is 7:10 PM at Qwest Arena. Tickets are available by calling the Qwest Arena box office at 208.331.TIXS or visiting www.boiseburn.com