"We're so lucky as a team to have these guys," he said of receivers J.J. McKelvey, Aaron Boone and Huey Whittaker.

Thanks to a quick-strike offense built around a record-setting performance by this trio of pass catchers, the Blaze have scored 60 or more points in six of their last seven games.

Utah is also 6-1 in that stretch, good enough for an improbable spot in the Wild Card round of the AFL Playoffs, which can be seen on ESPN.

"I had to change golf tee times," Utah coach Danny White said.

Nine straight losses seem so long ago. In turn, the Blaze believe they are not the same team that couldn't win a game for nearly two months, but rallied to claim the fourth of six American Conference seeds

Yet, there they are, poised to host the team's first AFL playoff home game today when the No. 5 Colorado Crush (6-10) come calling at 2 p.m. at EnergySolutions Arena.

Those who kept the faith were in the Utah locker room.

"The first half is still fresh in our minds," White said.

Germaine understands why not too many people believed that the Blaze, winners of six of seven to close the regular season, would be part of the postseason.

"We knew if we stayed the course, good things would happen," said Germaine, recently named to the second team All-Arena team. The former Ohio State star finished second with 97 touchdowns and 303.7 yards per game, while finishing third in pass completions with 411.

"We said all along, if we get a win and remember what it felt like, we'd get that [winning] feeling back," Germaine said.

The Blaze (6-10) earned their playoff spot with a 62-45 win at the Arizona Rattlers in the final game of the regular season. Following a familiar scenario, Utah had to win or pack up for the summer.

"The playoffs started for us eight weeks ago," said McKelvey, one of three Blaze pass receivers with 1,500 or more yards, an AFL first.

McKelvey (1,529 yards), Fillmore native Boone (1,527) and first team All-Arena Whittaker (1,541) give Germaine plenty of options.

"We depend on each other," McKelvey said. "It was a matter of us learning to play together. We weren't one unit. Once we were one unit together, things started to get together. We started to jell."

The jelling began with White's play calling and Germaine's ability to look beyond just relying on one or two targets.

"You don't single out one player," Germaine said. "It starts there. They all play for one another."

Germaine also understands that he has to ride the hot horse. For example, in a win at New Orleans, Whittaker tied an AFL record for most receptions in a single game with 20.

McKelvey hauled in four scoring passes during the Blaze's most lopsided win of the season, a 71-36 pasting of Colorado.

"It's pretty incredible year they've had," Germaine said.

martyr@sltrib.com

Playoffs

Utah Blaze vs. Colorado Crush

Where: EnergySolutions Arena

Kickoff: Today, 2 p.m.

Radio: 1320 AM

TV: ESPN

Records: Colorado 6-10; Utah 6-10

Last meeting: Blaze, 71-36