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There may be no perfect game in football, but Charles Dowdell came close to testing that theory.

The Sioux City Bandits quarterback went 14 of 15 for 201 yards and seven touchdowns through the air while adding 13 yards and another TD on the ground in his team's 73-59 victory over Salina on Saturday.

"I have had some pretty efficient games but never one where I was one completion from a perfect game," Dowdell said. "I am definitely shooting for the perfect game this year some time."

Dowdell, who was named the CIF offensive player of the week for the second time this season, did not find out about his impressive game until well after it ended and Coach Erv Strohbeen and Bandits owner Bob Scott asked him about it.

"I was blown back by it because I was just out there having fun with the guys and enjoying winning," he said.

The impressive completion percentage of 93 percent broke the previous Bandits record of 83.3 by Scott Jensen when he went 15 of 18 in a win over the Kansas Koyotes in 2011, and his seven scores through the air tied the most by a Sioux City quarterback with Chad Kapanui in 2008.

It didn't take long to realize that Dowdell and the Bandits could be in for a big night against the Bombers. The first offensive play of the game went for a 29-yard touchdown from Dowdell to Jeremiah Oates.

"We took a shot early just to throw a punch early in the game and it was successful," Dowdell said. "We respected them most of the game because we knew how effective their offense was and how their defense could turn it on also."

Strohbeen was impressed with the way his team bounced back after a disappointing loss to Dodge City the week before and believes the Bandits are only set to improve with each game.

"Once (Dowdell) gets the hang of the offense the sky is the limit," he said. "Credit to the offensive line for giving him time and opening up a great running game so we could run the ball effectively."

Sioux City has won both of its games at home to open the season after drilling Omaha in its opener and Dowdell said there is no mystery behind it.

"We play better at home and you can really have fun and that is where the love of the game comes," he said. "I feel like when you are out there having fun and things are working for you offensively and defensively you can really have camaraderie with the team."

Dowdell, who began his college career at Indiana State before transferring to Saginaw Valley State for his final two years, spent his early indoor football career in the IFL with stops in Wenatchee, Wash., Bloomington, Ind., and Green Bay, Wis., before beginning his fifth year of indoor ball in Sioux City.

Dowdell has thrown for 649 yards with 14 touchdowns and just one interception in his first three games, and Strohbeen believes a lot of that success is because of his preparation.

"He watches more film than I have seen anybody do," Strohbeen said. "We don't get to practice that much because guys are living in different places so we put a lot of the preparation on them each week and he is really doing it."

The Bandits were able to have excellent offensive balance against Salina as running back Johnny Bentley ran for 82 yards and a score and Sioux City racked up 150 total yards on the ground.

"The running game is crucial and us being balanced is really where coach wants us to be," Dowdell said. "It helped us immensely."

Dowdell is off to an impressive start with the Bandits a season after being named league offensive player of the year with Bloomington, but he doesn't feel any pressure to perform to a certain level each week. It is the end goal everyone is worried about.

"I wouldn't say it is pressure ... because we all have the same mentality of a championship," he said. "That is what my expectations are too so I didn't see it as pressure. It is a high expectation."

The 2-1 start has the Bandits as the top scoring offense in the Champions Indoor Football league at 58 points a game while churning out nearly 292 yards of offense per game. Now Dowdell and the Bandits hope to continue the strong start with a road test at Wichita on Saturday.

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