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Chicago Rush game notes

May 31, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Chicago Rush News Release


The Quick Facts
TV: NBC...Tom Hammond, Pat Haden, Lewis Johnson
Radio: WCKG, 105.9 FM...Tom Dore, James "Big Cat" Williams
Overall Series Record: San Jose leads 4-2 (3-2 in regular season, 1-0 in postseason)
Series Streaks: The Rush has won the last two meetings between the teams.
Last Meeting: February 26, 2006, Rush 54, SJ 48 (OT)
Coaches (regular season, postseason records):
Mike Hohensee (95-85, 9-9 - 13th season)
Darren Arbet (83-37, 10-4 - 8th season)
Officials: Bill McCabe (Referee), Doug Wilson (Umpire), Brent Durbin (Head Linesman), Bob McElwee (Line Judge), Joe Duncan (Back Judge), Dave Cutaia (Alternate)


2006 Chicago Rush Schedule
January 29 @ Colorado* L, 65-56 14,832
February 3 New York L, 51-47 14,947
February 12 Nashville* W, 56-55 (OT) 12,663
February 18 @ Los Angeles W, 65-46 12,554
February 26 San Jose W, 54-48 (OT) 12,950
March 5 Dallas L, 59-42 13,503
March 10 Colorado* L, 49-42 13,807
March 17 @ Nashville* L, 48-47 8,772
March 26 Grand Rapids* W, 51-44 15,228
April 2 @ Orlando L, 55-27 13,111
April 9 @ Philadelphia L, 56-55 (OT) 14,778
April 15 @ Arizona L, 61-42 11,790
April 23 Las Vegas W, 67-47 16,230
April 29 @ Georgia L, 55-20 13,087
May 6 Utah W, 84-48 16,154
May 13 @ Grand Rapids* W, 70-47 7,280
May 21 y-@ Nashville W, 55-47 7,838
May 28 y-@ Colorado W, 63-46 13,258
June 3 y-@ San Jose 2 p.m. NBC
y-AFL Playoffs
* Central Division game

American Conference - Central Division
Final 2006 Standings
W-L-T PF PA Division
Colorado 11-5-0 903 833 5-1
Nashville 8-8-0 818 799 3-3
RUSH 7-9-0 825 834 3-3
Grand Rapids 5-10-0 722 875 1-5
THE RUSH KNOWS THE WAY TO SAN JOSE: For the third-consecutive year, and the fourth time in the last five seasons, the Rush has qualified for the AFL semifinals. Chicago advanced with its 63-46 win over the defending ArenaBowl champion Colorado Crush last Sunday in Denver. Next, the team travels to San Jose to face the SaberCats in the American Conference Championship, with the winner earning the right to play the National Conference champion in ArenaBowl XX. San Jose won the AFL's Western Division title with a 10-6 record in the regular season. After an opening-round bye, the SaberCats advanced to the conference title game with a 62-48 win over Arizona last Saturday.

As the game approaches, both Chicago and San Jose are playing their best football of the season. The Rush has won four in a row, and five of its last six, while San Jose is riding an eight-game winning streak.

AFL PLAYOFF PICTURE: With their wins in last weekend's conference semifinals, Chicago, San Jose, Orlando and Dallas are the only four teams remaining in the 2006 postseason.

Here is a recap of the 2006 AFL playoffs:
Wild Card Round
Arizona 57, Utah 34 Georgia 72, New York 69
Chicago 55, Nashville 47 Philadelphia 52, Austin 35

Conference Semifinals
San Jose 62, Arizona 48 Chicago 63, Colorado 46
Dallas 62, Georgia 27 Orlando 31, Philadelphia 27

American Conference Final National Conference Final
Chicago at San Jose Orlando at Dallas

ArenaBowl XX: Sunday, June 11

FINAL FOUR FACT: Chicago is making its third-consecutive trip to the AFL semifinals, the longest current streak of any AFL team. It also will be the team's fourth semifinal appearance in the last five years. Orlando and San Jose also have advanced to the semifinals in four of the last five years. During that span San Jose is 2-1 in semifinal games, eventually winning ArenaBowl titles in both 2002 and 2004.

STREAKING: The Rush enters this week's game with a four game winning streak - its longest winning streak since winning four in a row twice during the 2004 season. San Jose's current eight-game winning streak is the team's longest since 2002, when the SaberCats went 15-1 and won the ArenaBowl title.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: This week's game in San Jose will be the fourth-consecutive road game for the Rush. It also will be the eighth time in the last 10 weeks that Chicago has played away from Allstate Arena. Including this week's trip, the Rush will have traveled approximately 8,200 miles and played in four different time zones since the start of its 10 game stretch on April 2.

DEFENSE KEEPS RUSH ROLLING: The Rush built an early 13-0 lead and never trailed as Chicago defeated the defending ArenaBowl champion Colorado Crush 63-46 Sunday to advance to the AFL semifinals.

The Chicago defense turned in another outstanding performance forcing four turnovers - two of which it returned for touchdowns - and recovering a loose ball off of the net for a score.

With the Rush leading 6-0, WR/DB Dennison Robinson intercepted a John Dutton pass and returned it 45-yards for a touchdown to give the Rush an early 13-0 lead.

After the Crush narrowed the score to 16-14, the Rush went on a 17-0 run to close the first half, taking a 33-14 lead at the break. One of the big keys was a goal line stand, with less than one-minute remaining, where the Chicago defense stopped Colorado four times from inside the Rush 3-yard line.

The Crush battled back to cut the score to 36-27 in the third quarter, and was threatening to score again, when Rush WR/LB DeJuan Alfonzo scooped up a fumbled snap and returned it 20 yards to give the Rush a 43-27 lead.

With 2:06 remaining, the Crush narrowed the lead to 56-46 and recovered an onside kick to regain possession. However, Rush DS Jeremy Unertl intercepted a Dutton pass in the end zone with 47 seconds remaining to seal the Chicago win.

TURNOVERS KEYING RUSH WINS: During Chicago's four-game winning streak, the Rush defense has forced five fumbles, intercepted eight passes, recorded eight sacks and recovered a kickoff off of the net. The 14 turnovers have translated into 78 Rush points.

The defensive pressure continues a trend from the regular season in which the Rush finished third in the league with a +10 turnover ratio.

SOUND FAMILIAR? The last time the Rush played in San Jose was June 12, 2004. That afternoon the SaberCats defeated Chicago 49-35 in the AFL semifinals to advance to ArenaBowl XVIII.

With the game tied 7-7, the Rush lost quarterback Raymond Philyaw to a torn ACL in his right knee on the first play of the second quarter. However, backup QB Chad Salisbury entered the game and led the Rush to two second quarter TDs to give the Rush a 21-14 lead with 3:52 remaining in the first half.

Perhaps the key play of the game (other than the Philyaw injury) occurred with one minute remaining in the first half when the Rush forced a fumble by San Jose QB Mark Grieb and returned it for a touchdown, giving the Rush an apparent 27-14 lead.
However, the officials ruled the play an incomplete pass, not a fumble, and San Jose retained possession. The SaberCats scored with 18 seconds left in the half and the teams went to the locker room tied 21-21.

Chicago never recovered. It turned the ball over on downs on its first series of the second half, giving momentum to San Jose. Then, trailing 42-35, an interception and a fumble in the game's final four minutes sealed Chicago's fate.

RUSH-SABERCATS SERIES HISTORY: After failing in its first four games against the SaberCats, the Rush has won two in a row against San Jose. Chicago finally broke through in 2005 with a 55-39 win at Allstate Arena and followed up with a 54-48 overtime win in Chicago earlier this season.

Here is a recap of the game from earlier this year:

February 26, 2006 - In one of the most-exciting games of the season, the Rush pulled out a thrilling 54-48 win over the SaberCats when quarterback Matt D'Orazio connected with Cornelius White on a 27-yard touchdown pass in overtime.

The game-winning TD came only after the Rush had scored with 11 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 48-48, and defensive specialist Jeremy Unertl had intercepted a Mark Grieb pass in overtime (his second INT of the game) to give the Rush offense the ball on its own 23-yard line.

Overall the Rush is 2-4 all-time vs. San Jose. Here is a look at the all-time series results:

Rush-SaberCats All-Time Series Results:
2002: San Jose 74, Rush 68 (June 15 @ San Jose)
2003: San Jose 71, Rush 49 (March 9 @ Chicago)
2004: San Jose 51, Rush 43 (April 16 @ San Jose)
San Jose 49, Rush 35 (June 12 @ San Jose)*
2005: Rush 55, San Jose 39 (April 10 @ Chicago)
2006: Rush 54, San Jose 48, OT (February 26 @ Chicago)
*AFL playoffs

SMITH A DIFFERENCE MAKER IN SERIES: San Jose defensive specialist Omarr Smith has been a key player in the Rush-SaberCats series, intercepting two passes that directly led to two San Jose victories.

When the two teams met during the 2004 regular season, the Rush held a 43-37 lead with less than five minutes remaining and was driving for another score when Smith intercepted a Raymond Philyaw pass. San Jose capitalized, marching down the field and scoring a TD to take a 44-43 lead with one minute remaining. The SaberCats then recovered the ensuing on-side kick and scored two plays later, giving the SaberCats a 51-43 victory.

In 2002 in San Jose, Smith intercepted a Billy Dicken pass at the San Jose 16-yard line with less than 1:30 to play and the Rush trailing 67-62. Then, on the game's next play, San Jose QB Mark Grieb hit Smith with a 34-yard touchdown pass to give the SaberCats a 74-62 lead and put the game out of reach.

FAMILIAR FACES: Two members of the SaberCats - WR/DB Charles Pauley and assistant coach Dave Witthun have ties to the Rush. Pauley spent the 2005 season with Chicago, catching 21 passes for 298 yards and two touchdowns and recording 14 tackles, one interception and four passes broken up. He was a free agent after the season and returned to San Jose.

Witthun joined the Rush as an assistant coach prior to the 2002 season and spent four years in Chicago. He left in July 2005 to accept the job as director of player personnel and line coach with the SaberCats.

GRIEB vs. RUSH: San Jose QB Mark Grieb has played in every one of the six San Jose-Chicago games and is one of eight QBs who have passed for 300 or more yards against the Rush defense, joining Donnie Davis, Clint Dolezel, John Dutton, Aaron Garcia, Andy Kelly, Chad Salisbury and Clint Stoerner.

Here are Grieb's career numbers against Chicago:
G Comp Att Pct. Yds. TD Int Rating
6 126 191 65.9% 1,709 31 5 123.0

Rush opponent's 300-yard passing games:
Player Date Yards
Clint Stoerner 1/30/05 @ Dallas 398
Clint Stoerner 2/13/06 vs. Nashville 368
Mark Grieb 4/10/05 vs. San Jose 368
Clint Dolezel 5/1/05 vs. Las Vegas 355
Clint Dolezel 7/7/01 @ Grand Rapids 342
Aaron Garcia 3/23/03 vs. New York 339
Clint Dolezel 5/4/02 vs. Grand Rapids 321
Andy Kelly 3/20/05 vs. New Orleans 311
Clint Dolezel 3/29/03 @ Grand Rapids 317
Andy Kelly 3/28/04 vs. Detroit 306
Donnie Davis 5/18/02 vs. Georgia 304
Aaron Garcia 6/30/02 vs. New York 303
John Dutton 3/10/06 vs. Colorado 300
Chad Salisbury 5/13/06 @ Grand Rapids 300

CALL HIM MR. IRONMAN: Rush WR/LB DeJuan Alfonzo is enjoying the best month of his AFL career. Since May 1 Alfonzo has been named to the AFL's All-Ironman team, been named Ironman of the Game in each of the team's four games, and selected as the AFL's Ironman of the Week each of the last two weeks.

Just three days after being named to the AFL's All-Ironman team May 18, Alfonzo showed why the honor was justified in the team's playoff opener at Nashville. When Rush WR/LB Etu Molden was injured on the game's first play from scrimmage, Alfonzo was asked to play every snap on offense and defense for the rest of the game - an amazing 91 of 92 plays. Alfonzo responded by recording 6.0 tackles and one pass broken up on defense; catching four passes for 62 yards and two touchdowns on offense; and serving as the holder as kicker Dan Frantz converted all seven of his extra point attempts and two of his three field goal attempts.

Last week in Colorado, Alfonzo caught seven passes for 63 yards and two touchdowns, recorded 3.0 tackles, and recovered two fumbles - one of which he returned 20 yards for a TD.

Alfonzo is one of the team's best all-around players. He finished the year with 20 receptions for 213 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games. On defense he added 50.0 tackles, a safety, two passes broken up and two fumble recoveries - including one that he returned for a team-record 46-yard touchdown. Alfonzo also returned two onside kickoffs for touchdowns, scored three two-point conversions and served as the team's main holder on extra points and field goals.

TALK ABOUT A HOT QB: Rush QB Matt D'Orazio closed the regular season as one of the AFL's hottest quarterbacks. In Chicago's final three regular season wins D'Orazio completed 60 of 86 passes (69.8%) for 806 yards and 21 touchdowns without throwing an interception. His QB rating during the stretch was 137.7. D'Orazio has continued his hot play in the playoffs, completing 41 of 63 passes for 523 yards and nine touchdowns, while only throwing one interception. D'Orazio also has rushed for 39 yards and two TDs in the playoffs.

ON A ROLL: Including last week's playoff win in Colorado, the Rush enters this week's game at San Jose as winners of five of its last six games. In its five wins against Las Vegas, Utah, Grand Rapids, Nashville and Colorado, the Rush has averaged nearly 68 points a game and outscored its opponents 339-235.

PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE: The Rush enters the game with 120 games of postseason experience. Rush FB/LB Bob McMillen leads all Rush players with 21 career playoff games. On the other hand, San Jose has 13 players on its roster remaining from its 2004 championship team and 11 left from the 2002 club that won the ArenaBowl. Overall, the 24 players on San Jose's current roster have combined to win 28 titles.

PLAYOFF CONSISTENCY: Only three teams - Chicago, Orlando and San Jose - have qualified for the AFL playoffs in each of the past six seasons. Chicago has advanced to the AFL semifinals three times during that span - 2002, 2004 and 2005.

Here is a look at Chicago's all-time playoff results:
2001: W, 41-26 at Orlando (Wild Card Round)
L, 53-21 at Grand Rapids (Quarterfinal)
2002: W, 60-47 vs. Dallas (Quarterfinal)
L, 46-35 at Arizona (Semifinal)
2003: L, 48-45 at New York (Wild Card Round)
2004: W, 59-49 vs. Orlando (Quarterfinal)
L, 49-35 at San Jose (Semifinal)
2005: W, 52-45 at Los Angeles (Quarterfinal)
L, 49-43 (OT) at Colorado (Semifinal)
2006: W, 55-47 at Nashville (Wild Card Round)
W, 63-46 at Colorado (Conference semifinals)

PLAYOFF STREAKS: Chicago's six-year playoff streak is the third longest current streak in the AFL behind Orlando (15 straight years) and San Jose (7). In addition, Mike Hohensee's streak of taking his teams to the playoffs for seven straight seasons is tied for the second-longest consecutive streak by any AFL coach. Danny White led the Blaze to the playoffs in his first year on the Utah sidelines after taking his Arizona Rattlers to 12 consecutive playoff appearances. San Jose head coach Darren Arbet has taken his team to the playoffs for seven-consecutive seasons and Orlando head coach Jay Gruden has taken his teams to six-straight playoff appearances.

PLAYOFF DEBUTS: Six Rush players - Woody Dantzler, Matt D'Orazio, Joe Peters, Bobby Sippio, Khreem Smith and Jeremy Unertl made their AFL playoff debuts in Chicago's Wild Card win at Nashville on May 21. Here is a recap of their inaugural postseason performances:
8 Dantzler - caught a 16-yard TD pass and recorded 2.5 tackles.
8 D'Orazio - completed 21 of 28 passes for 276 yards and five touchdowns...also rushed for 30 yards and a TD.
8 Peters - recorded 0.5 tackles.
8 Sippio - Caught six passes for 100 yards and one TD.
8 Smith - recorded 3.5 tackles and 2.0 sacks.
8 Unertl - had 6.0 tackles, one interception and three passes broken up.

HOME COOKIN': The Rush finished the regular season with a 5-3 record at home, averaging 55.4 points per game in its eight games this year. Chicago now has a 32-16 all-time record at Allstate Arena (including postseason).

ROAD WEARY: The Rush finished the regular season with a 2-6 road record. It's the team's worst road season in its six-year history. Prior to this season, Chicago's worst road record was in its inaugural 2001 season when the team went 2-5 on the road during the regular season and 3-6 on the road including postseason. Overall, the Rush has a 24-30 road record in its six-year history (including postseason).

HIGH SCORING OFFENSE: The Rush offense scored 825 points during the 2006 regular season for an average of 51.6 points per game. The offensive output was just 22 points shy of the team record of 847 points (52.9 ppg) set in 2004.

2006 RUSH BY THE NUMBERS: Here is a breakdown of how the Rush fared in certain situations during the 2006 season (including postseason):
Site: Home 5-3 Road 4-6
Time: Day 8-4 Night 1-5
Opponents: vs. American Conf. 9-4
vs. Central 5-3 vs. West 4-1
vs. National Conf. 0-5
vs. East 0-3 vs. South 0-2
vs. 2006 playoff teams 4-9

WORKING ON HIS SECOND 100: With Chicago's 67-47 win over Las Vegas April 23, head coach Mike Hohensee finally got the 100th win of his AFL career. Hohensee, who now has 104 career victories, is only the third head coach in AFL history with more than 100 career wins, joining Tampa Bay coach Tim Marcum and Utah coach Danny White.
The only head coach in Rush history, Hohensee has guided Chicago to a 57-46 overall record and playoff appearances in each of the team's six seasons. During his tenure, the Rush has won two Central Division titles (2002, 2004) and advanced to the AFL semifinals four times (2002, 2004, 2005, 2006).

One of only four men to be involved in the Arena Football League in each of the league's 20 seasons, Hohensee has taken his teams to the playoffs 10 times and won five division titles in his 13 seasons as a head coach. Earlier this season, the Rush extended Hohensee's contract through the 2009 season.

Hohensee originally was hired on September 26, 2000. He
8 has a regular season record of 95-85 (including a
51-41 mark with the Rush).
8 has a career 9-9 mark in the postseason.
8 has led the Rush to six-consecutive playoff berths and two Central Division titles (2002 and 2004).
8 is 2-8 all-time vs. San Jose.

All-Time Winningest AFL Coaches
Including Postseason
Coach Team Wins This Week
Tim Marcum Tampa Bay 180
Danny White Utah 148
Mike Hohensee Rush 104 @ San Jose
Mike Dailey Colorado 99
Darren Arbet San Jose 93 vs. Chicago

D'ORAZIO AMONG AFL LEADERS: Rush QB Matt D'Orazio finished the 2006 regular season ranked among the league's top passers. D'Orazio finished the year ranked second in the AFL in completion percentage (68.7%) and third in QB rating (123.4) after setting career highs in all of his passing stats. He completed 305 of 444 passes for 3,546 yards and 63 touchdowns, while only throwing five interceptions, and finished the season by attempting 99 consecutive passes without throwing an interception.

Earlier in the year, D'Orazio set a team record by attempting 231 consecutive passes without throwing an interception. His streak began February 3 vs. New York and was snapped when he was picked off in the second quarter vs. Grand Rapids on March 26.

D'Orazio also finished the season ranked fifth in the AFL in rushing with 56 carries for 162 yards.

D'ORAZIO GREAT IN CLUTCH: Rush QB Matt D'Orazio is at his best when it counts the most. D'Orazio finished the season ranked second in the AFL in fourth quarter passing, converting 72 of 99 attempts for 804 yards and 16 TDs in the fourth quarter for a QB rating of 131.9.

SIPPIO, UNERTL KEYS TO PRESENT, FUTURE: The Rush helped solidify its present and future by acquiring offensive specialist Bobby Sippio and defensive specialist Jeremy Unertl this season and then signing them to contract extensions through the 2007 and 2008 seasons, respectively.

Sippio played in five regular season games for the Rush after being claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay, catching 38 passes for 654 yards and 17 TDs. He played in nine games with the Storm before being waived, catching 55 passes for 666 yards and 18 touchdowns.

In the playoffs, Sippio has caught 16 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns.

Unertl helped solidify the Rush secondary since his trade from Columbus in February. He led all Rush players in tackles, interceptions and passes broken up, recording 74.0 tackles, eight interceptions and 11 PBUs since being inserted into the Rush secondary. He was named ADT Defensive Player of the Game three times - February 12 vs. Nashville, February 18 at Los Angeles and February 26 vs. San Jose - and his eight interceptions were the most by any Rush player in one season since Dameon Porter had 10 interceptions in 2002.

Although he was not named Defensive Player of the Game in either playoff win, Unertl has played very well in the postseason, recording 13.0 tackles, two interceptions, four passes broken up and recovering a kick off of the net for a TD.

KHREEM SMITH NAMED ALL-ROOKIE, ALL-ARENA: Rush rookie lineman Khreem Smith was named to the AFL's All-Rookie team as well as second team All-Arena, becoming the fourth Rush player in six years to be named to the All-Rookie team (Antonio Chatman, Keith Gispert and Etu Molden). Smith finished his rookie season as the AFL leader in forced fumbles (6), and ranked second in the AFL in sacks (8.0). He also recorded 22.5 tackles, two passes broken up and one blocked kick. His sack total is the third-highest single-season total in Rush history, behind John Moyer's 10 sacks in 2004 and nine in 2003.

MOLDEN INJURED AGAIN: It has been an injury-plagued season for WR/LB Etu Molden, the team's leading receiver in 2004 and 2005. Molden missed four of the team's first nine games this season with shoulder and knee injuries before coming back in the second half of the year to finish the season with a team-leading 67 receptions for 694 yards and 10 touchdowns. Molden suffered a rib contusion in the regular season finale at Grand Rapids and re-aggravated the injury on the first play of the game may 21 at Nashville. He left the game after taking the hit from Monty Montgomery and did not return. He missed last week's game at Colorado and is listed as probable for this week's game at San Jose.

MOLDEN RE-WRITES RUSH RECORDS: This season, Rush WR/LB Etu Molden moved past former offensive specialist Antonio Chatman for franchise records for career receptions, career receiving yards, career receiving touchdowns and total touchdowns.

Career Numbers Chatman Molden
Games 30 43
Receptions 197 264
Yards 2,676 3,132
Receiving TDs 52 58
Total TDs 62 72
UNDER PRESSURE: The Rush defensive line recorded 21 sacks during the regular season, eight more than the defense registered during the entire 2005 season, and two shy of the team-record 23 set in 2004. The Rush finished the season tied for third in the AFL in sacks.

MOYER IS CHICAGO'S ALL-TIME SACK LEADER: In his eighth AFL season, Rush lineman John Moyer has 35.5 career sacks - including 30.5 as a member of the Rush. He is currently in eighth place on the AFL's all-time list for career sacks and needs just one more sack to pass Andre Bowden for seventh place. Moyer also is the team's all-time leader with 6.0 playoff sacks.

Here are Chicago's season and career sack leaders:
Player Season Player Career
John Moyer 10.0 (2004) John Moyer 30.5
John Moyer 9.0 (2003) James Baron 10.0
Khreem Smith 8.0 (2006) Khreem Smith 8.0
John Moyer 6.0 (2005) Anthony Hutch 6.5
Anthony Hutch 5.5 (2001) Riley Kleinhesselink 5.0
John Moyer 4.0 (2002) Jamie McGourty 5.5
James Baron 4.0 (2003) D.J. Bleisath 5.0
Tony Henderson 4.0 (2001) Bob McMillen 4.5
D.J. Bleisath 4.0 (2006) Tony Henderson 4.0

ALFONZO SETS TACKLE RECORD: Rush WR/LB DeJuan Alfonzo recorded 6.0 tackles in the regular season finale at Grand Rapids, giving him 186.5 for his Rush career. This season Alfonzo moved past former Rush DS Cedric Walker (166.5) as the team's career tackles leader. Alfonzo also has recorded 12.0 tackles in six career postseason games.

OVERTIME TURNAROUND: Entering this season, the Rush was 2-4 all time in overtime and had lost its last three overtime games overall. This year the Rush played three overtime games - February 12 vs. Nashville, February 26 vs. San Jose and April 9 at Philadelphia - going 2-1.

PROTECT THAT QB: Perhaps the key to Rush victories is protecting its QB. In Chicago's seven regular season wins the team gave up a total of seven sacks and none in its last four wins of the regular season. However, in its nine losses the offensive line allowed 17 sacks. For the season the Rush allowed a franchise record 24 sacks. Coming into this season the Rush offensive line had given up a total of 13 sacks in the last two seasons combined.

In the playoffs the Rush line only has allowed one sack in two games.

FANTASTIC FINISHES: Six of Chicago's 16 regular season games this season were decided on the game's final play.

Dating back to last season's American Conference Semifinal in Colorado, seven of Chicago's last 19 games overall have been decided on the final play.

Games decided on final play:
June 5, 2005 - Colorado QB John Dutton connects with Andy McCullough on a 22-yard touchdown pass in overtime for the 49-43 win.
January 29, 2006 - Dutton hit Colorado OS Damian Harrell with an 11-yard TD pass with one-second left, breaking a 56-56 tie. After a safety on the ensuing kickoff, the Crush handed Chicago a 65-56 defeat.

February 3, 2006 - Rush QB Matt D'Orazio's one-yard touchdown scramble as time expired was nullified by a Rush penalty, turning a 53-51 Rush win into a 51-47 loss to New York.

February 12, 2006 - D'Orazio's TD pass to C.J. Johnson and two-point conversion pass to Cornelius White in overtime gave the Rush a 56-55 win over Nashville.

February 26, 2006 - D'Orazio's 12-yard TD pass to Buchie Ibeh with 11 seconds remaining forced overtime vs. San Jose. Then, after a Jeremy Unertl interception on San Jose's first possession of OT, D'Orazio's 27-yard TD pass to Cornelius White gave the Rush a 54-48 win.

March 26, 2006 - D'Orazio's 14-yard TD pass to White with four seconds remaining gave the Rush a 49-44 lead over Grand Rapids. Then, after the ensuing kickoff went for a touchback, Curtis Eason sacked Rampage QB Chad Salisbury for a safety on the game's final play, giving the Rush a 51-44 victory.

April 9, 2006 - D'Orazio's game-winning two-point conversion attempt in overtime was intercepted by Philadelphia Soul DS Eddie Moten, giving the Soul a 56-55 OT win over the Rush.

McMILLEN TOPS 1,400: Rush FB/LB Bob McMillen became the AFL's all-time leading rusher March 17, when he rushed for four yards in the team's game at Nashville. McMillen finished the season with 89 yards rushing, breaking his streak of seven-consecutive 100-yard seasons. He became the first AFL player to eclipse the 1,400 yard mark and now has 1,417 for his career.

Earlier this season, as part of the league's celebration of its 20th season McMillen was named one of the AFL's 20 Greatest Players of all-time. In his 12th season, he ranks first on the AFL's all-time rushing list, second all-time in rushing attempts and third in rushing touchdowns. He has won two ArenaBowl championships (1997 with Arizona and 2002 with San Jose) and is the only player in AFL history to rush for 100 or more yards in seven-consecutive seasons.

The AFL's All-Time Rushing Yards list
Player Seasons Team Yards
Bob McMillen 1995-present Chicago 1,417
Les Barley 1992-2001 - 1,382
Bo Kelly 1996-present Arizona 1,346
Andre Bowden 1991-2004 - 1,241

The AFL's All-Time Rushing Attempts list
Player Seasons Team Attempts
Bo Kelly 1996-present Arizona 458
Bob McMillen 1995-present Chicago 449
Andre Bowden 1991-2004 - 438
Les Barley 1992-2001 - 425

The AFL's All-Time Rushing Touchdowns list
Player Seasons Team Rushing TDs
Barry Wagner 1992-present San Jose 126
Andre Bowden 1991-2004 - 93
Bob McMillen 1995-present Chicago 80
Bo Kelly 1996-present Arizona 77
Les Barley 1992-2001 - 71

D-ROB AS STEADY AS IT GETS: Rush WR/DB Dennison Robinson might be the most unsung player on the Rush roster. Signed as a free agent in the off-season, Robinson is strong in all three facets of the game - offense, defense and special teams. He finished the season as the team's second leading tackler, recording a career-high 71.5 tackles to go along with five interceptions and nine passes broken up. He also tied for third in the AFL in special teams tackles with 15.5 and was the team's fourth-leading receiver, catching 36 passes for 319 yards and five touchdowns.

D-Rob has been named Defensive Player of the Game in both of the team's playoff wins, recording 11.5 tackles, including a tackle for loss, and two interceptions in the postseason. Last week's 45-yard interception return for a touchdown in the first quarter gave the Rush a 13-0 lead over Colorado. On offense, Robinson has eight receptions for 64 yards and two TDs.

COOKIE MONSTER: Rush FB/LB Charlie Cook finished the year healthy and playing his best football of the season. One week after winning ADT Defensive Player of the Game honors for his performance against Utah, Cook showed his strength on offense. In the season finale at Grand Rapids, Cook had three carries for 29 yards and a touchdown and caught a two-yard TD pass. He also recovered a fumble in the game.

WRIGHT MAN FOR RETURNS: With the trade of Henry Douglas to Columbus on February 7, the Rush coaches turned to Carlos Wright to handle kickoff returns. Wright has proven to be not only a wise choice for the job, but one of the best kick return men in the league. Wright returned 59 kickoffs for 1,325 yards and three touchdowns and finished the season tied for second in the AFL in kickoff returns, averaging 22.5 yards per return.

DAN THE MAN: Rush kicker Dan Frantz has been a steadying influence on the kicking game in his two stints with the Rush this season. Overall, Frantz converted 51 of 54 PAT attempts and nine of 15 field goal attempts during the regular season. He finished the season by converting his last 20 one-point PATs in a row (Frantz attempted a two-point drop kick in the regular season finale at Grand Rapids).

In the playoffs, Frantz has converted 13 of 15 extra point attempts and 5-of-7 field goal attempts, including kicks of 52 and 53 yards last week in Colorado. He was named Offensive Player of the Game for his performance in Colorado.

INJURY REPORT: The following players appeared on this week's injury report to the AFL:

Injured Reserve - Levelle Brown (right shoulder), Todd Howard (right hamstring), Buchie Ibeh (hamstring), Nick Myers (right ankle sprain)

Probable - Etu Molden (rib contusion)

TALE OF THE TAPE - Regular Season Numbers
Chicago Category San Jose
16 Games 16
51.6 (7) Scoring Offense 56.1 (2)
52.1 (9t) Scoring Defense 53.1 (12)
285.4 (8) Total Offense 316.6 (1)
286.4 (11) Total Defense 290.8 (12)
61-78 78.2% Red Zone Offense 67-79, 84.8%
69-81 85.2% Red Zone Defense 62-80 77.5%
261.3 (11) Pass Offense 297.6 (1)
258.9 (6) Pass Defense 111.4 (11)
24.1 (6) Rushing Offense 19.0 (9)
27.6 (17) Rushing Defense 13.9 (2)
825 (7) Scoring 898 (2)
125 (12) Scoring (Kicking) 120 (13)
99-1,774-6 Kickoff Returns 90-1,493-1
17.9 (6) Kick Return Average 16.6 (13)
9-257-3 Missed Field Goal Returns 5-64-0
28.6 (2) Missed FG Return Avg. 12.8 (16)
+10 (3) Turnover Margin +7 (4)
15-31, 48.4% Field Goals 7-17, 41.2%
80-91, 87.9% PAT Kicking 99-116, 85.3%
21-129 (3t) Sacks By 17-105 (9)
24-115 (15) Sacks Against 15-85 (11)
56-110,50.9% Third Down Conversion 53-108, 49.1%
11-27, 40.7% Fourth Down Conversion 12-29, 40.7%
128-740 (16) Penalties (#-Yards) 119-711 (13)
91-551 (17) Opp. Penalties (#-Yards) 106-676 (9)

INDIVIDUAL LEAGUE LEADERS: The following Rush players finished the regular season among the 2006 AFL league leaders:

Matt D'Orazio: QB Rating (3rd - 123.4 rating), completion percentage (2nd- 68.7), 4th quarter passing (2nd - 131.9 rating), rushing yards (5th - 162 yards)
Khreem Smith: sacks (2nd - 8.0), forced fumbles (1st - 6)

Carlos Wright: kickoff returns (3rd - 22.5 avg.)

Jeremy Unertl: interceptions (4th - 9), tackles (15th - 77.0)

Dennison Robinson: special teams tackles (4th - 15.0)

Bobby Sippio: scoring (6th - 222 points), receiving yards (12th - 1,320 yards)

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

Offensive Player of the Game:
Matt D'Orazio (2/12 vs. Nashville, 2/18 @ Los Angeles, 5/13 @ Grand Rapids, 5/21 @ Nashville)
C.J. Johnson (2/26 vs. San Jose)
Cornelius White (3/26 vs. Grand Rapids)
Bobby Sippio (4/23 vs. Las Vegas, 5/6 vs. Utah)
Dan Frantz (5/28 @ Colorado)

ADT Defensive Player of the Game:
Khreem Smith (2/3 vs. New York, 3/10 vs. Colorado, 3/26 vs. Grand Rapids)
Jeremy Unertl (2/12 vs. Nashville, 2/18 @ Los Angeles, 2/26 vs. San Jose)
Curtis Eason (4/23 vs. Las Vegas)
Charlie Cook (5/6 vs. Utah)
Dennison Robinson (5/13 @ Grand Rapids, 5/21 @ Nashville, 5/28 @ Colorado)

Ironman of the Game:
Bob McMillen (2/3 vs. New York)
John Moyer (2/12 vs. New York)
Dennison Robinson (2/18 @ Los Angeles)
Carlos Wright (3/26 vs. Grand Rapids)
DeJuan Alfonzo (4/23 vs. Las Vegas, 5/6 vs. Las Vegas, 5/13 @ Grand Rapids, 5/21 @ Nashville, 5/28 @ Colorado)

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

Offensive Player of the Week:
Bobby Sippio - Week 15 vs. Utah

Ironman of the Week:
DeJuan Alfonzo - Wild Card Playoff Round at Nashville (5/21), Conference Semifinals at Colorado (5/28)

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