On Friday, the Indoor Football League office took five wins away from the Sioux Falls Storm. Saturday night, the Billings Outlaws took another one.

Billings erased a 12-point deficit with three touchdowns in the final 4:55 - finally pulling ahead on a two-point conversion pass from Chris Dixon to Willie Austin with 10 seconds remaining - to shock the Storm 42-41 before 4,396 joyous fans at Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark.

"I won't lie … we had some guys with their heads down when were down two scores in the fourth quarter," said Billings coach Heron O'Neal. "But I knew our veteran guys wouldn't let us lay down in the last five minutes. Too much can happen in five minutes in the indoor game.

"We had some guys step up and make clutch plays on both sides of the ball. Sioux Falls is a great team. With all the stuff going on with them and the league, I knew we would get their best effort, and we did. But we came up with one more play than they did."

Sioux Falls, the four-time defending league champions, began the season 6-0. But Storm coach Kurtiss Riggs and his players found out Friday night during their bus trip to Billings that the IFL was taking away five wins as a penalty for Storm ownership violating the league's workers' compensation insurance rules.

To no one's surprise, the Storm came out and played like the best 1-5 team in indoor football history. For 3Æ' quarters, anyway.

Sioux Falls led for all but one three-minute stretch in the second quarter, and - leading 34-22 - the Storm appeared poised to put the game away after intercepting Dixon in the end zone with just over five minutes remaining.

But Sioux Falls uncharacteristically committed turnovers on its next two drives - Billings defensive tackle Anthony Bonner recovered a fumble by receiver Brent Little and Outlaws safety Michael Eby intercepted a pass by quarterback Terrance Bryant.

Billings answered both turnovers with touchdowns, but could only tie the score (34-34) as both extra-point kicks failed.

Sioux Falls regained the lead at 41-34 on a 45-yard catch and run from Bryant to James Terry, but the 1:16 remaining after the score was plenty for Dixon and the Billings offense.

Long before Dixon hit James Walton with a 15-yard TD pass with 10 seconds remaining, it had been decided that there would be no extra-point kick.

"We were going for two from the start of that drive," said Dixon, with tears in his eyes as he signed autographs for young fans after the game. "I knew we were going to score, and I knew we were going for two."

O'Neal called the play - Nine Hitch Right - and Dixon and Austin delivered. The veteran receiver, whose playing time has been limited due to injuries all season, snagged a laser from Dixon just inside the end zone and just before getting smacked into the boards.

"This is an unbelievable feeling right now," said Austin, fighting back tears. "It's been a rough start to the season for me personally … for coach and Chris to call that play for me and to have faith in me like that … it's unbelievable."

Sioux Falls had one more shot after Austin's go-ahead catch. But the Outlaws' kickoff team limited the Storm to a short return, and kicker Parker Douglass' long field goal as time expired fell short.

"We had a chance to put the game away. We were up 12 and driving … but I had a feeling after (Little's) fumble that we were going to have to scrap and fight for the rest of the game," said Riggs. "We usually do a very good job of taking care of the ball and finishing off wins, but not tonight.

"The more opportunities you give Dixon, he'll eventually make you pay. And he did. They called a good play on the two-point conversion and they executed it … give them credit for that."

Sioux Falls 14 3 10 14 - 41
Billings 6 7 6 23 - 42

First quarter

SF - Terrance Bryant 2 run (Parker Douglass kick), 12:10

Bil - Robert Redd 29 pass from Chris Dixon (kick failed), 9:49

SF - Dusty Hovorka 10 pass from Bryant (Douglass kick), 5:23

Second quarter

Bil - James Walton 2 pass from Dixon (Carlos Ojeda kick), 11:42

SF - Douglass 36 field goal, :07

Third quarter

Bil - Charles Anthony 1 run (kick failed), 13:50

SF - Brent Little 7 pass from Bryant (Douglass kick), 11:06

SF - Douglass 27 field goal, 4:23

Fourth quarter

Bil - Ojeda 44 field goal, 14:52

SF - Sean Treasure 11 run (Douglass kick), 10:35

Bil - Anthony 17 run (kick failed), 4:55

Bil - Dixon 1 run (pass failed), 2:20

SF - James Terry 45 pass from Bryant (Douglass kick), 1:16

Bil - Walton 15 pass from Dixon (Willie Austin pass from Dixon), :10

Rushing - Sioux Falls: Sean Treasure 17-86, Terrance Bryant 5-15. Billings: Chris Dixon 13-59, Charles Anthony 6-21, Chris Markey 2-2, Robert Redd 1-1.

Passing - Sioux Falls: Terrance Bryant 18-28-1, 171 yards. Billings: Chris Dixon 14-26-2, 149 yards.

Receiving - Sioux Falls: James Terry 7-96, Ben Nelson 3-22, Brent Little 3-21, Dusty Hovorka 3-21, Sean Treasure 2-11. Billings: James Walton 5-62, Charles Anthony 4-37, Robert Redd 3-44, Willie Austin 1-5, Chris Markey 1-1.

Leading tacklers - Sioux Falls: Brian McIntire 8, T.J. Simmons 4. Billings: Kelly Rouse 91/2, Michael Landry 51/2.

Sacks - Sioux Falls: Leif Murphy 1, Rachman Crable 1. Billings: None.

Interceptions - Sioux Falls: Kevin Adams 1, Brian McIntire 1. Billings: Michael Eby 1.

Attendance - 4,396.