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Chicago Rush game notes

May 17, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Chicago Rush News Release


The Quick Facts
TV: NBC ... Allen Bestwick, Ray Bentley, Steve Wrigley
Radio: WCKG, 105.9 FM ... Tom Dore, James "Big Cat" Williams, Sharon Jackson
Overall Series Record: Rush leads 1-0
Last Meeting: March 6, 2005, Rush 45, Nashville 38
Coaches (regular season records):
Mike Hohensee (87-75 — 12th season)
Pat Sperduto (33-23-1 — 4th season)
Officials Bill Athan (Referee), Paul King (Umpire), Tim Podraza (Head Linesman), Tom Symonette (Line Judge), Greg Wilson (Back Judge)

2005 Chicago Rush Schedule
January 30 @ Dallas L (OT), 65-66 11,229
February 6 Philadelphia W, 51-41 16,036
February 13 @ Colorado* W, 51-48 16,620
February 19 @ Columbus L, 39-52 17,171
February 25 Orlando L, 35-48 14,126
March 6 Nashville* W, 45-38 15,881
March 13 @ Grand Rapids* W, 48-45 8,110
March 20 New Orleans L (OT), 40-46 13,614
March 27 BYE
April 2 @ New York W, 44-43 11,719
April 10 San Jose W, 55-39 14,865
April 17 Colorado* W, 75-51 12,953
April 23 @ Los Angeles L, 49-52 11,904
May 1 Las Vegas W, 63-62 12,994
May 6 @ Arizona L, 43-61 12,349
May 15 Grand Rapids* L, 40-51 15,198
May 22 @ Nashville* 2 p.m. NBC

*Central Division Game ... All times Central


American Conference — Central Division
2005 Standings
W-L-T PF PA Division
Colorado 10-5-0 845 809 3-3
RUSH 8-7-0 743 743 4-1
Nashville 6-8-1 647 670 2-3
Grand Rapids 3-12-0 690 867 2-4



MUSIC CITY: The Rush closes its regular season this Sunday when the team makes its first trip to Tennessee to take on the Nashville Kats. After being as hot as any team in the AFL through the middle part of the season, the Rush enters the season finale having lost three of its last four games. Nashville, on the other hand, has been playing well since the season's midpoint, going 5-0-1 and holding opponents to an average of 39 points per game since April 1.

RUSH FALLS AT HOME TO RAMPAGE: Grand Rapids held the Rush to just 12 points through three quarters last Sunday, building a 38-12 lead, before the Rush mounted a furious comeback. Chicago outscored the Rampage 28-10 in the first 13 minutes of the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to 48-40 with 1:40 left in the game. However, the Rush was unable to recover an onside kick, allowing the Rampage to run the clock down and kick a 17-yard field goal for its final 11-point margin of victory. The win was the first for Grand Rapids at Allstate Arena since May 19, 2001.

HAMMEL HELPS RUSH DEFEAT KATS IN MARCH: QB Todd Hammel started for an ailing Raymond Philyaw and completed 20 of 31 passes for 223 yards and five touchdowns as the Rush snapped a two-game losing streak with a 45-38 win over the Nashville Kats on March 6. The Rush defense stepped up to force two turnovers and record four defensive stops as the Rush built a 21-point fourth quarter lead before hanging on for the victory.

PLAYOFF SCENARIOS: Despite its recent slump, the Rush still controls its playoff destiny. The Rush can clinch its fifth-consecutive playoff berth with a win this weekend at Nashville or a loss by either San Jose or Las Vegas.

Here is a look at the American Conference playoff race:
American Conference
1. c-Colorado 10-5
2. w-Los Angeles 10-5
3. Chicago 8-7
3. San Jose 8-7
3. Las Vegas 8-7

c-Colorado has clinched the Central Division, a first-round home game on May 29 and holds the tie-breaker over Los Angeles for the top seed in the American Conference.

w-Los Angeles has clinched the Western Division and a first-round home game on May 29.

Key American Conference Games This Weekend:
Saturday: Colorado @ New York, Los Angeles @ Grand Rapids, Georgia @ San Jose
Sunday: Rush @ Nashville, Arizona @ Las Vegas

PLAYOFF CONSISTENCY: If the Rush qualifies for the playoffs this week, it will mark the fifth-consecutive season the Rush has made the playoffs. Only three other teams – Orlando, Tampa Bay and San Jose – have the opportunity to qualify for the playoffs in each of the last five years.

CUTTING IT CLOSE: Twice in the team's history – 2001 and 2003 – the Rush has entered the final week of the season with a playoff spot hanging in the balance. In 2001 the Rush defeated Orlando 55-41 to secure its first playoff spot, while in 2003 Keith Gispert's 16-yard field goal in overtime lifted the Rush to a 46-43 win over Indiana and a spot in the postseason. Both the 2001 and 2003 wins came at Allstate Arena.

IN GOOD COMPANY: Since entering the league in 2001, the Rush has been one of the most consistent teams in the league. In fact, over the past five seasons, only four teams have won more regular season games than Chicago.

Here are the AFL's best records since 2001:
San Jose 54-21
Arizona 46-29
Orlando 46-29
Tampa Bay 46-29
Chicago 43-32
Los Angeles 43-32

OWNING THE DIVISION: The Rush is 4-1 this season in games against Central Division foes and 10-3 vs. the Central since the start of the 2004 season.

BACK-TO-BACK: The Rush has lost back-to-back games for just the second time this season. The last time the Rush lost two in a row was February 19 at Columbus and February 25 vs. Orlando. The Rush snapped its two-game losing streak earlier this year with a March 6 win over Nashville.

BACK-TO-BACK – PART TWO: The Rush has not lost back-to-back games against Central Division opponents since February 9 and February 16, 2003, when Chicago fell at Dallas 46-38 and at Indiana 28-23.

HOME COOKIN': The Rush finished its 2005 regular season with a 5-3 record at Allstate Arena. The Rush has a 27-13 all-time record at home (including postseason) and is 12-5 at home since the start of the 2004 season.

OT NOT KIND: The Rush has struggled in overtime in 2005, falling in both of its chances this year. The Rush lost the season opener in Dallas, 66-65, when Etu Molden's game-winning two-point conversion attempt fell one-yard short of the goal line. Against New Orleans on March 20, Rush QB Raymond Philyaw threw his only interception of the game on Chicago's first possession in OT, and VooDoo QB Andy Kelly capitalized, leading New Orleans on a 47-yard drive for the game-winning TD.

BETTER AFTER THE BREAK?: After going 4-4 in the first half of the season, the Rush is looking to post five wins in the second half of the season for the fourth-consecutive year. Here is a look at the team's record in the first and second halves of the past four seasons:

First Half Second Half Final Record
2001 4-3 3-4 7-7
2002 4-3 5-2 9-5
2003 3-5 5-3 8-8
2004 6-2 5-3 11-5
2005 4-4 4-3 ?

MOYER IN CHICAGO TILL 2007: The Rush announced last week it had signed John Moyer, the AFL's reigning Lineman of the Year, to a contract extension that will keep him in Chicago through the 2007 season. Everyone knows that Moyer is one of the game's best pass rushers, recording 27.5 tackles and six sacks this season, but what makes Moyer special is his ability to excel on offense and special teams in addition to defense. One of the best pass protectors in the AFL, Moyer only has allowed one sack in the past two seasons. His footwork and hands have made him a dangerous receiver as well, catching eight passes for 34 yards and six touchdowns this season. On special teams, Moyer has blocked four kicks this season, and nine dating back to the start of the 2004 season.

MOYER 8TH ALL-TIME: Rush lineman John Moyer has recorded six sacks this season, giving him 34 for his career – including 29 as a member of the Rush. This season Moyer has moved past Joe March into eighth place on the AFL's all-time list for career sacks. Next up for Moyer is San Jose's Joe Jacobs with 35.5 career sacks.

In fact, in the four years Moyer has been with Chicago no player has recorded more sacks than the Rush star.

Here is a look at the AFL's leaders in sacks since the start of the 2002 season:
1. John Moyer - 29
2. EJ Burt - 24
3. B.J. Cohen - 23
4. Tom Briggs - 21
5t. Jermaine Smith - 19.5
5t. Silas Demary - 19.5

Here are Chicago's season and career sack leaders:
Player Season Player Career
John Moyer 10.0 (2004) John Moyer 29.0
John Moyer 9.0 (2003) James Baron 10.0
John Moyer 6.0 (2005) Anthony Hutch 6.5
Anthony Hutch 5.5 (2001) Jamie McGourty 5.5
John Moyer 4.0 (2002) Riley Kleinhesselink 5.0
James Baron 4.0 (2003) Tony Henderson 4.0
Tony Henderson 4.0 (2001)
James Baron 3.0 (2004)
James Baron 3.0 (2002)
Jamie McGourty 3.0 (2004)

BLOCK THAT KICK: Rush lineman John Moyer blocked a Peter Martinez 59-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter of last week's game against Grand Rapids. The blocked kick bounced out of the back of the end zone for a Rush safety. It was Moyer's fourth blocked kicks of the season and his ninth since the start of the 2004 season. May 6 in Arizona, Moyer blocked a PAT attempt by Gary Kral. It was the second time this season Moyer had blocked a Kral kick. The first time came on the final play of the first half March 6 against Nashville, when Kral was still with the Kats. In the season opener against Dallas, Moyer blocked a Carlos Martinez 22-yard field goal attempt – also on the final play of the first half.

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN: Rush lineman John Moyer actually got his start in the Arena Football League with the Nashville Kats. After graduating from Eastern Illinois University, Moyer was on a trip around the United States with a high school friend when he received a call from Kats head coach Pat Sperduto inviting him to Kats training camp in 1999. Moyer cut his trip short, spent one month getting back into shape and headed to Nashville. Although he was released after just four days with the Kats, Sperduto called the Florida Bobcats and recommended they sign Moyer. Moyer played three seasons (1999-2001) with the Bobcats before being selected by Chicago with its first pick (6th overall) in the 2002 dispersal draft.

ALFONZO, GISPERT BACK FOR MORE: Rush WR/LB DeJuan Alfonzo and kicker Keith Gispert are the latest Chicago free-agents-to-be to sign contract extensions with the Rush. Both Alfonzo and Gispert signed two-year extensions late last week, keeping them in Chicago through the 2007 season.

Alfonzo is the team's third-leading tackler this year, recording 47 tackles, one interception and two forced fumbles. He ranks second on the team's all-time tackles list with 135, trailing former Rush DS Cedric Walker by 31.5 tackles.

Gispert continues to be one of the AFL's most consistent kickers. For the season Gispert has connected on 84 of 97 extra-point attempts (86.5%), including his last 13 in a row and 10 of 16 field goal attempts (62.5%). Last season Gispert connected on 95 of 108 PAT attempts (87.9%) and 12 of 22 field goal attempts.

The pair joins linemen Frank Moore and John Moyer on the list of Rush players who recently have signed contract extensions.

THOMAS PAYS DIVIDENDS: OL/DL John Thomas re-signed with the Rush last week and made an immediate impact on the defensive line in Sunday's game. Thomas helped the Rush get good pressure on Grand Rapids QB Michael Bishop, recording two tackles and a sack against the Rampage. Thomas spent his rookie season in Chicago in 2004, recording five tackles and one sack in 11 games. He signed with the New York Dragons as a free agent prior to the start of the 2005 season, but his stay in the Big Apple was marred by injuries, playing in only eight games and recording five tackles before being released.

THE PHILYAW FILE: Despite missing two games this season with a sprained MCL in his right knee, Rush QB Raymond Philyaw is on pace to set career highs in almost all his passing statistics. For the season, Philyaw has completed 305 of 448 passes for 3,464 yards and 63 touchdowns. While his 305 completions already are a career high, Philyaw needs two attempts, 54 yards and five touchdowns to equal his career highs in those categories. Philyaw has completed 68.1 percent of his passes in 2005, just shy of the 68.3 percent he completed in 2001. One career high that Philyaw would rather not discuss, is his career high 12 interceptions, three more than his previous career high in 2002 and triple the amount he threw last season. Philyaw's QB rating is 115.0, the third highest of his career.

THE OLD MAN CAN STILL PLAY: Backup QB Todd Hammel has played in five games for the Rush this season (two starts), including the 150th game of his career April 17 vs. Colorado. Hammel has shown that after 14 years he still can throw the ball, completing 53 of 74 passes for 717 yards and 14 touchdowns and posting a passer rating of 124.8. He is 2-0 as a starter this year and was named Offensive Player of the Game after completing 21 of 25 passes for 348 yards and six touchdowns and leading the Rush to a 48-45 win in Grand Rapids March 13.

MOLDEN APPROACHING RUSH RECORDS: In just his second season, Rush WR/LB Etu Molden is close to becoming the team's all-time leading receiver. For the second-consecutive season, Molden leads the team in all receiving categories, catching 91 passes for 1,094 yards and 24 touchdowns. Overall, Molden has scored 29 TDs this season (24 receiving, 4 rushing, 1 return). With his impressive season, Molden has moved into second place in Rush history behind former OS Antonio Chatman in receptions, receiving yards, receiving TDs and total TDs.

Career Numbers Chatman Molden
Games 30 30
Receptions 197 192
Yards 2,676 2,374
Receiving TDs 52 47
Total TDs 62 61

McMILLEN TOPS 1,300 YARD MARK: Rush FB/LB Bob McMillen has rushed for 166 yards this season and 1,316 for his career. He is the first player in AFL history to rush for 100 or more yards in seven-consecutive seasons and currently sits in second place all-time on the league's career rushing list. Les Barley is the AFL's all-time leading rusher with 1,382 career yards.

The AFL's All-Time Rushing list
Player Seasons Team Yards
Les Barley 1992-2001 — 1,382
Bob McMillen 1995-present Chicago 1,316
Bo Kelly 1996-present Arizona 1,253
Andre Bowden 1991-2004 — 1,241

McMILLEN THIRD IN RUSHING TDs: Bob McMillen added another rushing touchdown May 1 against Las Vegas, bringing his career total to 74. McMillen now sits by himself in third place on the AFL's All-Time list for rushing TDs behind Barry Wagner (123) and Andre Bowden (93).

ROOKIE'S STOCK RISING: Rookie offensive specialist C.J. Johnson has made the most of his limited opportunities to play this season. Johnson has played in four games while filling in for either an injured Henry Douglas or an injured Etu Molden, catching 24 passes for 370 yards and eight touchdowns. He also has added a rushing touchdown and 17 kick returns for 285 yards this year. Johnson was named Offensive Player of the Game for his effort against Grand Rapids May 15 when he caught 9 passes for 175 yards and four touchdowns.

DOUGLAS BACK THIS WEEK? Rush offensive specialist Henry Douglas has missed the last two games with a turf toe injury suffered in the team's May 1 win over Las Vegas. Douglas is Chicago's second-leading receiver, catching 82 passes for 965 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also has returned 55 kickoffs for 1,051 yards and two touchdowns.

COMPLETE INJURY RECAP: The Rush currently has five players on its injured reserve list, including three who are out for the rest of the regular season. Here is a list of the team's IR players and their status.
8 OL/DL Colin Greczek is out for the regular season after fracturing the Fibula in his left leg April 17 against Colorado.
8 OL/DL Jon McCall had surgery to repair tendon and ligament damage in his left middle finger on March 24. He is expected to miss at least the rest of the regular season.
8 WR/DB Charles Pauley is out for the season after suffering a fractured Radius in his left arm May 1 against Las Vegas.
8 WR/LB Carlos Wright injured his left quad in practice March 9. He is expected to miss a few more weeks.
8 OL/DL Johnathan Taylor suffered a back contusion in practice and was placed on IR last week. He will be eligible to return for the first round of the playoffs.

CAREER YEAR ON BOTH SIDES FOR SHAW: Given an opportunity to play for the first time in his five-year AFL career, WR/DB Russell Shaw is making the most of his opportunity. Shaw has set career-highs by catching 41 passes for 431 yards. In addition, Shaw is the team's second-leading tackler, recording career-highs on defense with 50 tackles, nine passes broken up and three interceptions. Due to injuries to Todd Howard and Tony Lukins earlier in the season, Shaw proved his versatility, moving from WR/DB to defensive specialist for three games (April 10 vs. SJ, April 17 vs. Col and April 23 @ LA).

HOHENSEE NOW IN 3RD PLACE ALL-TIME: With Chicago's 51-48 win in Colorado February 13, Rush head coach Mike Hohensee moved into sole possession of third place on the AFL's all-time wins list. Hohensee, in his 12th season as a head coach in the AFL, was hired as the first coach in Rush history on September 26, 2000. He
8 has a regular season record of 87-75 (including a
43-32 mark with the Rush).
8 has a career 6-8 mark in the postseason.
8 has led the Rush to four-consecutive playoff berths and two Central Division titles (2002 and 2004).
8 is 1-1 all-time vs. Nashville, 1-0 with the Rush.
All-Time Winningest AFL Coaches
Including Postseason
Coach Team Wins This Week
Tim Marcum Tampa Bay 175 @ Columbus
Danny White 141
Mike Hohensee Rush 93 @ Nashville
Perry Moss 86
Mike Dailey Colorado 85 @ New York
Darren Arbet San Jose 81 vs. Georgia
THE OLD GUYS: In addition to the six rookies on the Rush roster, the team also features many players with a wealth of AFL experience. Todd Hammel leads all Rush players with 151 career games, followed by Bob McMillen (125), John Moyer (94), John Sikora (90) and Frank Moore (89).

FAMILIAR FACES: The Nashville roster features three players who have spent time in Rush blue during the past several seasons.
8 Six-time All-Arena lineman James Baron anchored the Rush defensive line for the 2002, 2003 and 2004 seasons, recording 10 sacks during his Rush career. Baron was traded to Nashville last off-season for the first three picks in the expansion draft – picks that resulted in Charles Pauley, Russell Shaw and Todd Hammel becoming members of the Rush.
8 FB/LB Levelle Brown played for the Rush in 2003 and 2004 after a career at Northwestern University that included Big 10 titles in 1995 and 1996. Brown played in seven games during his two years in Chicago, recording 6.0 tackles, one sack and one interception.
8 WR/LB Lindsay Fleshman spent the past three seasons with the Rush. He was voted the team's Ironman of the Year after the 2003 and 2004 seasons. In his Rush career, Fleshman caught 136 passes for 1,551 yards and scored 42 touchdowns. He also notched 88 tackles and seven interceptions.

TALE OF THE TAPE
Chicago Category Nashville
15 Games 15
49.5 (13) Scoring Offense 43.1 (17)
49.5 (8) Scoring Defense 44.7 (1)
297.8 (4) Total Offense 261 (17)
291.5 (11) Total Defense 272.1 (5)
61-73, 83.6% Red Zone Offense 52-65, 80%
51-63, 81% Red Zone Defense 55-72, 76.4%
276.3 (5) Pass Offense 227.8 (17)
269 (12) Pass Defense 253.1 (5)
21.5 (7) Rushing Offense 33.2 (3)
22.5 (11) Rushing Defense 19 (8)
743 (13) Scoring 647 (17)
115(9) Scoring (Kicking) 89(17)
97-1621-3 Kickoff Returns 66-1173-3
16.7 Kick Return Average 17.8
8-157-1 Missed Field Goal Returns 9-122-0
19.6 Missed FG Return Avg. 13.6
-7 (15) Turnover Margin +9 (2)
10-16, 62.5% Field Goals 8-30, 26.7%
85-98, 86.7% PAT Kicking 65-85, 76.5%
12-41 yards Sacks By 23-154 yards
7-36 Sacks Against 16-75
41-83, 49.4% Third Down Conversion 60-124, 48.4%
11-23, 47.8% Fourth Down Conversion 15-25, 60%
122-766 Penalties (#-Yards) 134-835
122-798 Opp. Penalties (#-Yards) 138-920

INDIVIDUAL LEAGUE LEADERS: The following Rush players are among the 2005 AFL league leaders:

Henry Douglas: all-purpose yards (7th-2157 yards), MFG returns (3nd -6), MFG return yards (2nd-138 yards), MFG return average (T-4th-23.0), MFG return TD (T-1st-1), kick return TD (T-6th-2)

Keith Gispert: scoring (kicking) (8th-114 points), touchbacks (6th-30), field goals made (9th-9), field goal percentage (9rd-62.5%), PAT made (9th-84), PAT percentage (9th-85.9), PAT attempts (T-7th-92)

Bob McMillen: rushing (8th-166 yards)

Etu Molden: touchdowns (T-8th-29), first downs (11th-55)

John Moyer: sacks (5th-6), fumbles recovered (T-2nd-3), tackles for loss (4rd-9)

Raymond Philyaw: average gain per pass (8th-7.6), pass rating (4rd-115), completion percentage (2st-68.1), passing yards per game (5th-266.5), pass attempts (10th-403), pass yards per attempt (6th-7.8), completions (8th-282)

RUSH GAME AWARD WINNERS: The following Rush players have won individual game awards for their play this season:

Offensive Player of the Game:
Raymond Philyaw (2/6 vs. Philadelphia, 4/10 vs. San Jose, 5/1 vs. Las Vegas)
Henry Douglas (2/13 @ Colorado, 4/2 @ New York)
Etu Molden (3/6 vs. Nashville, 4/17 vs. Colorado)
Todd Hammel (3/13 @ Grand Rapids)
C.J. Johnson (5/15 vs. Grand Rapids)

ADT Defensive Player of the Game:
Russell Shaw (2/6 vs. Philadelphia, 4/17 vs. Colorado)
Todd Howard (3/6 vs. Nashville, 3/13 @ Grand Rapids, April 2 @ New York)
Jeroid Johnson (3/20 vs. New Orleans)
Charles Pauley (4/2 @ New York)
Etu Molden (4/10 vs. San Jose)

U.S. Army Ironman of the Game:
Henry Douglas (1/30 @ Dallas)
John Moyer (2/6 vs. Philadelphia)
Etu Molden (3/6 vs. Nashville, 3/13 @ Grand Rapids, 4/17 vs. Colorado)
Bob McMillen (3/20 vs. New Orleans, 4/10 vs. San Jose, 5/1 vs. Las Vegas)

RUSH WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS: The following Rush players have won AFL weekly awards for their play this season:

Offensive Player of the Week:
Raymond Philyaw (Week 11 vs. San Jose)
Etu Molden (Week 12 vs. Colorado)

INJURY REPORT: The following players appeared on this week's injury report to the AFL.
Out – Colin Greczek (left fibula fracture), Jon McCall (finger), Charles Pauley (left arm fracture), Johnathan Taylor (back contusion), Carlos Wright (left quad)
Probable – Henry Douglas (turf toe, left foot), John Sikora (MCL sprain, right knee)

RUSH PRACTICE SCHEDULE:
Practice for the week of May 16:
Monday, May 16 – Meetings only
Tuesday, May 17– Off
Wednesday, May 18 – 12:35 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.
Thursday, May 19 – 8:35 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
Friday, May 20 – 8:35 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
Saturday, May 21 –Meetings only in Nashville.

All practices this week will be held at the team's Hoffman Estates practice facility, Poplar Creek Sports Centre.

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