Chicago Rush game notes
April 17, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Chicago Rush News Release
The Quick Facts
TV: Comcast Sports Net ... Ben Holden, Ray Bentley
Radio: WCKG 105.9 FM...Tom Dore, James "Big Cat" Williams
Overall Series Record: Rush leads 8-5 (8-4 in regular season, 0-1 in postseason)
Series Streaks: Chicago has won two in a row and six of the last seven meetings.
Last Meeting: May 13, 2006, Rush 70, Grand Rapids 47
Coaches (regular season, postseason records):
Mike Hohensee (100-86, 11-9 - 14th season)
Sparky McEwen (11-27, 0-0 - 3rd season)
Officials: Riley Johnson (Referee), Rick Podraza (Umpire), Jullian Mapp (Head Linesman), R.G. Detillier (Line Judge), Bud McCleskey (Back Judge)
2007 Chicago Rush Schedule
Date Opponent Time/Score TV/Attend
March 4 @ Kansas City* L, 54-41 13,600
March 9 San Jose W, 48-45 16,201
March 18 New York W, 61-40 16,128
March 24 @ Columbus W, 55-47 16,390
April 1 Los Angeles W, 66-31 15,846
April 7 @ Nashville* W, 66-54 7,332
April 15 Bye
April 21 @ Grand Rapids* 6 p.m. CSN
April 30 Philadelphia 7 p.m. ESPN 2
May 7 Colorado* 7 p.m. ESPN 2
May 11 @ Dallas 6:30 p.m.
May 19 Nashville* 7 p.m. CSN
May 26 @ Arizona 9 p.m. CSN
June 2 @ Los Angeles 9:30 p.m.
June 9 Grand Rapids* 7 p.m. CSN
June 18 @ Colorado* 9 p.m. ESPN 2
June 23 Kansas City 7 p.m. CSN
* Central Division game
American Conference - Central Division
W-L-T PF PA Division
RUSH 5-1-0 337 271 1-1
Kansas City 4-2-0 327 284 2-1
Colorado 4-3-0 337 377 2-1
Nashville 3-4-0 389 396 0-2
Grand Rapids 2-4-0 302 378 1-1
BACK TO WORK: After a week off the Central Division-leading Rush gets back to work this week when the team travels to Grand Rapids to play the Rampage Saturday night at Van Andel Arena. The game will be the 14th meeting between the Central Division rivals - the most between the Rush and any other opponent.
The Rush enters the game well rested and riding a five-game winning streak, while Grand Rapids is coming off a 52-41 loss in Kansas City last weekend.
This Saturday's game is sold out, and Grand Rapids is expecting its biggest crowd since hosting ArenaBowl XV on August 19, 2001.
DEFENSE KEYS ANOTHER WIN IN NASHVILLE: In a sloppy, defensive struggle that saw the teams combine for seven turnovers, 26 penalties and two Nashville ejections, the Chicago Rush improved to 5-1, winning its fifth-consecutive game by outlasting the Kats 66-54 April 7 at the Gaylord Entertainment Center. The game was Chicago's last before its bye week.
Rush wide receiver Bobby Sippio tied his own team-record with six touchdown receptions and quarterback Matt D'Orazio passed for 179 yards in the win.
The Rush defense again set the tone for the team, adding to its league-lead in forced turnovers with four more.
Linebacker DeJuan Alfonzo had an interception and a fumble recovery, and defensive backs Jeremy Unertl and Jonathan Ordway each had interceptions as the Rush took over the game in the second quarter, eventually building an 18-point second half lead.
In fact, it could have been have been worse for Nashville, as Kats' QB Jeff Smoker had two more interceptions wiped away by penalties on the Rush.
TOUGH STRETCH AHEAD: After this week's game in Grand Rapids, the Rush plays three games in 12 days, facing Philadelphia and Colorado at home on April 30 and May 7, before traveling to Dallas on May 11. Entering this week, Chicago's next three opponents have combined for a 15-5 record.
RUSH SWEEPS RAMPAGE IN 2006: The Rush has dominated the series with Grand Rapids in recent years, winning six of the last seven meetings, including both games in 2006. In addition, Chicago has not lost at Van Andel Arena since March 29, 2003.
Here is a recap of last season's Rush-Rampage games:
March 26, 2006 - Trailing Grand Rapids 24-3 with less than 30 seconds remaining in the first half at Allstate Arena, the Rush mounted the biggest comeback in team history and defeated the Rampage 51-44. Chicago went on a 33-7 run over an 18-minute stretch to take a 36-31 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Grand Rapids regained its footing and took a 44-42 lead with 1:02 remaining in the game, but Rush QB Matt D'Orazio led the team on a 37-yard drive that culminated in a 14-yard TD pass to Cornelius White with just four seconds remaining, giving the Rush a 49-44 lead. Then, on the game's final play, lineman Curtis Eason sacked Rampage QB Chad Salisbury for a safety, giving the Rush a 51-44 win.
May 13, 2006 - QB Matt D'Orazio completed 18 of 28 passes for 189 yards and six touchdowns and Dennison Robinson intercepted two passes and forced a fumble as the Rush defeated Grand Rapids 70-47 on the final week of the regular season to earn a trip to the AFL playoffs.
Leading 14-7 late in the first quarter, Grand Rapids had the ball first-and-goal on the Rush 3-yard line when Robinson forced Rampage FB Chris Ryan to fumble. The ball bounced into the end zone where Rush LB Charlie Cook recovered it for a touchback. Four plays later D'Orazio hit Bobby Sippio with a 23-yard touchdown pass to put the Rush up 21-7.
Grand Rapids cut the score to 21-17 with 2:41 left in the first half, but the Rush responded with a Charlie Cook two-yard touchdown catch and DeJuan Alfonzo's 24-yard TD reception sandwiched around Robinson's first interception. The flurry gave Chicago a 35-17 halftime lead on its way to the 23-point win.
Here is a look at the Rush-Rampage Series Results:
2001: Grand Rapids 54, Rush 52 (May 19 @ Chicago)
Grand Rapids 79, Rush 58 (July 7 @ GR)
Grand Rapids 53, Rush 21 (August 5 @ GR)*
2002: Rush 71, Grand Rapids 59 (May 4 @ Chicago)
Rush 56, Grand Rapids 50 (July 6 @ GR)
2003: Grand Rapids 48, Rush 34 (March 29 @ GR)
Rush 54, Grand Rapids 46 (April 27 @ Chicago)
2004: Rush 50, Grand Rapids 30 (February 8 @ Chicago)
Rush 63, Grand Rapids 35 (May 8 @ GR)
2005: Rush 48, Grand Rapids 45 (March 13 @ GR)
Grand Rapids 51, Rush 40 (May 15 @ Chicago)
2006: Rush 51, Grand Rapids 44 (March 26 @ Chicago)
Rush 70, Grand Rapids 47 (May 13 @ GR)
*AFL playoffs
FAMILIAR FACES: Three members of the Rampage - QBs Michael Bishop and Chad Salisbury, and DB Try Bell - have ties to the Chicago Rush organization. Bishop was the team's backup QB last season, while Salisbury was the team's backup QB in 2003 and 2004. Bell attended training camp with the Rush this season and opened the year on the team's practice squad before being waived March 1.
GRAND RAPIDS WEST: Rush assistant coach Tony Bowick, defensive backs Jonathan Ordway and Dennison Robinson, kicker Dan Frantz and equipment manager Jeff Henderson all have spent time in Grand Rapids. Bowick had two stints with the Rampage (1998-2001, 2005) as a player before finishing the 2005 season as one of the team's assistant coaches. Ordway was signed as a free agent by Grand Rapids prior to the start of the 2007 season, but was released during training camp in a salary cap move. Robinson played for the Rampage in 2005, while Frantz spent a week on the Rampage practice squad in 2006. Henderson was the team's equipment manager from 1998-2001.
FAST START: This is the second time in Chicago's history that the team has gotten off to a 5-1 start after six games. The team's other 5-1 start came in 2004, when the Rush finished the year 11-5 and advanced to the AFL semifinals. A win this week in Grand Rapids would raise Chicago's record to 6-1 for the first time in team history. In 2004, the Rush lost to Detroit 72-71 in Week 7, dropping its record to 5-2.
STRONG AFTER A BREAK: Traditionally, the Rush has fared very well after its bye week, posting a 3-1 record after a week off. The team's only loss after a bye week came in its inaugural 2001 season, when the Rush opened the year with the bye. Then in Week 2, the Rush lost at Oklahoma 45-44. Since that loss Chicago is 3-0 after its bye week.
Here is a look at how the Rush has fared after its bye weeks:
Year Week After Bye
2001 L, 44-45 @ Oklahoma
2002 W, 60-47 vs. Dallas
2004 W, 58-15 vs. Orlando
2005 W, 44-43 @ New York
2007 ??
OFFENSE ROLLING: After scoring just 41 points in its Week 1 loss at Kansas City, the Rush offense is averaging 59.2 points per game during its five-game winning streak.
TAKE THAT BALL: Chicago forced four more turnovers in its win over Nashville April 7, raising its season total to 20 takeaways. The Rush leads the AFL in takeaways and turnover margin at +10. The team record for takeaways in a season is 34, set in both 2002 and 2003.
CENTRAL THEME: Three of Chicago's next five games are against its Central Division rivals. After playing Grand Rapids this week, the Rush hosts Colorado on May 7 and Nashville on May 19. The only two non-division games in the stretch are against Philadelphia on April 30 and at Dallas May 11.
OWNING THE DIVISION: In its history, the Rush has a 25-17 regular season record against the Central Division, and has won two Central Division titles - 2002 and 2004. The Rush also is 2-1 in the postseason against its Central Division opponents.
HOME COOKIN': The Rush owns a 35-16 all-time record at Allstate Arena (including postseason). The team is 3-0 at home this year and was 5-3 at home last season.
QUITE A HOME STREAK: With its win April 1 over Los Angeles, the Rush has won six games in a row at Allstate Arena. The franchise record for consecutive home wins is eight, set during the final two home games of the 2001 season and the first six home games in 2002.
TWICE AS NICE?: Chicago's goal for the 2007 season is simple: become the first AFL team in more than a decade to repeat as champions. In fact, only two teams in the 20-year history of the Arena Football League - the Detroit Drive (1988-90) and the Tampa Bay Storm (1995-96) - have been able to accomplish the feat of repeating. Interestingly, both Detroit and Tampa Bay were coached by Tim Marcum.
PLAYOFF CONSISTENCY: Chicago has never missed the playoffs, qualifying for the postseason in each of its six seasons. Orlando and San Jose are the only two AFL teams which also have made the playoffs in each of the last six seasons.
THE SIPPIO FACTOR: Since acquiring wide receiver Bobby Sippio late in the 2006 season, the Rush is 12-3, including last season's championship run.
RECORD PACE: Six games into the season Bobby Sippio leads the league in touchdowns (27) and scoring (162 points) and is on-pace to shatter Damian Harrell's league records for both.
The AFL's Single Season Touchdown leaders
Player Season Team TDs
Bobby Sippio 2007 (projected) Chicago 72
Damian Harrell 2006 Colorado 61
Eddie Brown 1996 Albany 51
Barry Wagner 1997 Orlando 51
The AFL's Single Season Scoring Leaders
Player Season Team Points
Bobby Sippio 2007 (projected) Chicago 432
Damian Harrell 2006 Colorado 366
Barry Wagner 1997 Orlando 310
Eddie Brown 1996 Albany 308
HIGH FIVE: Rush receiver Bobby Sippio caught six touchdown passes in the team's April 7 win at Nashville. It is the fourth time this season and the sixth time in his Rush regular season career that he scored five or more TDs in a game. (Sippio also added a five-TD performance vs. San Jose in last season's American Conference Final.)
Since the start of the 2006 season only Colorado's Damian Harrell (6) has as many five-TD games as Sippio.
SIPPIO LOVES PLAYING AT HOME: Rush wide receiver Bobby Sippio can't explain it, but he loves playing at Allstate Arena. In his five home games as a member of the Rush, Sippio has caught 45 passes for 786 yards and 25 touchdowns, and set Rush single-game records for receiving yards (224) and touchdown receptions (6 - twice).
Sippio also played one game at Allstate Arena in 2004 as a member of the Dallas Desperados - catching five passes for 119 yards and two TDs.
D'ORAZIO IN A GROOVE: Matt D'Orazio continues to manage the Rush offense well, helping lead the Rush during its current five-game winning streak.
For the season, D'Orazio has completed 114 of 176 passes for 1,285 yards and 32 touchdowns, while only throwing six interceptions.
Earlier this season, the Rush rewarded D'Orazio with a two-year contract extension through the 2009 season.
D'ORAZIO vs. GRAND RAPIDS: Matt D'Orazio is 2-1 as a starter against Grand Rapids - 2-0 with Chicago, 0-1 with Columbus - passing for 704 yards and 14 touchdowns in his three games against the Rampage
Here are D'Orazio's career numbers against Grand Rapids:
Comp Att Pct. Yds. TD Int Rating
61 96 63.5% 704 14 2 116.5
MICHNA MAKES HIS DEBUT: Rush backup QB Russ Michna made his AFL debut in the fourth quarter of the team's April 1 win over LA. On his first career pass attempt, Michna hooked up with Bobby Sippio for a 34-yard completion down to the LA 3-yard line. Two plays later, Michna dove into the end zone from the 1-yard line for his first career touchdown.
WORKING ON HIS SECOND 100: Chicago Rush head coach Mike Hohensee is the third-winningest coach in AFL history with 111 career victories. He is one of four coaches in AFL history with 100 or more wins, joining Tampa Bay coach Tim Marcum, Utah coach Danny White and Colorado coach Mike Dailey in the 100-win club.
The only head coach in Rush history, Hohensee has guided Chicago to a 64-47 overall record and playoff appearances in each of the team's six seasons. In addition to winning ArenaBowl XX under Hohensee, the Rush has won two Central Division titles (2002, 2004) and advanced to the AFL semifinals four times (2002, 2004, 2005, 2006), including each of the past three seasons.
One of only four men to be involved in the Arena Football League in each of the league's 21 seasons, Hohensee:
8 has a regular season record of 100-86 (including a
56-42 mark with the Rush).
8 has a career 11-9 mark in the postseason.
8 has led the Rush to six-consecutive playoff berths and two Central Division titles (2002 and 2004).
8 is 8-5 all-time vs. Grand Rapids and 3-1 all-time vs. Sparky McEwen.
All-Time Winningest AFL Coaches
Including Postseason
Coach Team Wins This Week
Tim Marcum Tampa Bay 180 Bye
Danny White Utah 153 vs. Arizona
Mike Hohensee Rush 111 @ Grand Rapids
Mike Dailey Colorado 103 vs. Las Vegas
Darren Arbet San Jose 95 vs. Los Angeles
CHASING 1,500: Rush FB Bob McMillen gained four more yards in the team's April 7 win at Nashville, giving him 30 for the season and 1,447 for his career.
McMillen, who announced he is retiring at the end of the 2007 season, is the AFL's second all-time leading rusher and needs just 53 yards to become only the second player in AFL history to rush for 1,500 career yards.
Last year, 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. Now in his 13th season, he ranks second on the AFL's all-time rushing list, second all-time in rushing attempts and fourth in rushing touchdowns. He is one of only two players (Darrin Kenny) who has won ArenaBowl championships with three different teams (1997 with Arizona, 2002 with San Jose and 2006 with Chicago).
The AFL's All-Time Rushing Yards list
Player Seasons Team Yards
Bo Kelly 1996-present Arizona 1,512
Bob McMillen 1995-present Chicago 1,447
Les Barley 1992-2001 - 1,382
Andre Bowden 1991-2004 - 1,241
The AFL's All-Time Rushing Attempts list
Player Seasons Team Attempts
Bo Kelly 1996-present Arizona 514
Bob McMillen 1995-present Chicago 463
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 1992-2006 - 126
Andre Bowden 1991-2004 - 93
Bo Kelly 1996-present Arizona 88
Bob McMillen 1995-present Chicago 81
Les Barley 1992-2001 - 71
ALFONZO ALWAYS AROUND THE BALL: Rush linebacker DeJuan Alfonzo, who always seems to be around the ball, was at it again in Nashville, recording 5.0 tackles, intercepting a pass which he returned 46 yards and recovering a fumble.
Through six games, Alfonzo ranks second on the team with 41.5 tackles. He also has three interceptions and has recovered four fumbles - just two shy of tying the AFL record for fumbles recovered in a season.
Alfonzo currently leads the AFL in fumbles recovered and is tied for eighth in tackles.
SPEED RUSH: Rush lineman E.J. Burt continues to make life difficult for opposing quarterbacks. This season Burt has recorded 10.0 tackles, four sacks, four forced fumbles and two passes broken up in the team's six games. Burt leads the AFL in forced fumbles and is tied for fourth in sacks. In addition, Rush linebacker DeJuan Alfonzo has recovered two of the fumbles for Rush touchdowns.
Just six games into his fifth season, Burt already has recorded 32 career sacks, and has moved past Hugh Hunter into 11th place in AFL history. He also has forced 19 fumbles in his career.
FORD ADDED: The Rush added wide receiver Carl Ford to its 24-man roster on April 3 when the team activated him from its Refused to Report list. Signed to a two-year contract in November, Ford was originally a seventh-round draft pick of the Packers in 2003. He spent a season in Green Bay before being signed to the Bears practice squad in 2004. He was elevated to the Bears active roster in 2005 and appeared in 10 games before being released and signed by the Eagles for the remaining six weeks of the season.
IBEH WAIVED: The Rush waived wide receiver Buchie Ibeh Monday. Ibeh appeared in two games for the Rush this season, catching seven passes for 71 yards. A starter at the beginning of the season, Ibeh was injured in the team's opener in Kansas City and spent the next four weeks on Injured Reserve. He was activated prior to the team's April 7 game in Nashville and caught two passes.
McCULLOUGH ADJUSTING: When an ankle injury suffered Week 1 in Kansas City landed Buchie Ibeh on Injured Reserve, the Rush needed to add a receiver. Prior to the team's game against San Jose in Week 2, the Rush signed free agent Andy McCullough to fill the opening.
A member of the league's All-Rookie team in 2002 with Dallas, McCullough spent the past two seasons playing for John Elway's Colorado Crush, catching 163 passes for 1,833 yards and 25 touchdowns. He was released by Colorado for salary cap reasons at the end of camp.
McCullough might best be remembered by Rush fans as the Crush player who caught the game-winning touchdown in overtime of the "Confetti Bowl" - the 2005 American Conference Championship game between Chicago and Colorado.
In his first five seasons, McCullough played in 74 games, catching 381 passes for 4,336 yards and 82 touchdowns.
In five games in a Rush uniform, McCullough has caught 33 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns.
BLEISATH BACK IN LINEUP: After missing two games with an ankle injury sustained Week 1 in Kansas City, D.J. Bleisath has returned to the lineup with a vengeance. In his first game back March 24 in Columbus, Bleisath flew downfield to cover a kickoff, hit Destroyers return man Josh Bush and forced a fumble that the Rush recovered on the 4-yard line. Two plays later, the Rush scored to go up 14-7. April 1 against Los Angeles, Bleisath hit FB Lonnie Ford and, again, forced a fumble. Bleisath recovered the ball on the Rush 19-yard line and eight plays later, the Rush turned the fumble into three points with a Dan Frantz field goal.
MOYER TO MACK: With linebacker D.J. Bleisath nursing an ankle injury sustained in Week 1 at Kansas City, the Rush turned to veteran lineman John Moyer to play the Mack linebacker position. In his five games at Mack, Moyer has played well, recording 10 tackles, including two tackles for loss, a pass broken up and recovered a fumble, not to mention providing constant pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
DON'T FORGET MOYER ON OFFENSE: With the changes to the substitution rules this year, lineman John Moyer has found himself playing mostly defense this season. However, Moyer has taken some snaps on offense the past few games, and on April 1 vs. Los Angeles, caught his first touchdown pass of the year. Dating back to the start of the 2005 season, Moyer has caught 13 passes, 10 of which have gone for touchdowns.
PETERS GETS AN OPPORTUNITY: With the move of lineman John Moyer to linebacker, the door was opened for Joe Peters to start on the defensive line. Peters, in his second season with the Rush, has made the most of his opportunity, recording 12.0 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a pass broken up. He also placed a hit on New York QB Rohan Davey March 18 that led to a Rush interception.
NEW LOOK OFFENSIVE LINE: The Rush offensive line has a very different look to it this year. Center Frank Moore, who had started 72 of 73 games since joining the Rush in 2003, had off-season surgery on his knee and opened the season on Injured Reserve, forcing veteran John Sikora to move to center. Sikora is flanked by two rookies - Jason Thomas at guard and Robert Boss at tight end.
SACK MACHINES: The Rush has two players - John Moyer and E.J. Burt - who rank in the top 11 in AFL history in sacks. Moyer has 34.5 career sacks - including 29.5 as a member of the Rush - and currently is in ninth place on the AFL's all-time list for career sacks. His teammate E.J. Burt is just 2.5 sacks behind, in 11th place with 32. Moyer also is the team's all-time leader with 6.0 playoff sacks.
Here are Chicago's regular season & 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
E.J. Burt 4.0 (2007) E.J. Burt 4.0
LAST LINE OF DEFENSE: The Rush secondary of Jeremy Unertl, Dennison Robinson and Jonathan Ordway might be the strongest in the team's history. In six games, the trio has combined for 92.5 tackles, six interceptions and 24 passes broken up.
As a unit - working in conjunction with the great pressure the Rush line continues to put on opposing quarterbacks - the secondary looks like it is on its way to being considered one of the AFL's best. Through six games the Rush ranks second in the league in pass defense and second in scoring defense, giving up just 43.4 points per game.
Individually, each of the members on the Rush secondary ranks among the top 10 in the AFL in at least one key category - Unertl is tied for ninth in interceptions with three; Robinson ranks seventh in the league with 43 tackles; and Ordway is tied for sixth in passes broken up with six.
Last season Unertl and Robinson were the team's two top tacklers, combining for 145.5 tackles to go along with 13 interceptions and 21 PBUs.
Ordway, who spent the first four years of his AFL career with the Tampa Bay Storm, had signed in the off-season with the Grand Rapids Rampage, but was released at the end of training camp.
Prior to coming to Chicago, Ordway played in 45 games, recording 226.5 tackles, seven interceptions and 69 passes broken up. He was the Storm's leading tackler in 2006 and finished tied for fourth in the league with 19 passes broken up.
MAKING HALFTIME KICKS A HABIT: Kicker Dan Frantz is making a habit of booting a field goal on the final play of the first half. Frantz did it again April 7 in Nashville, kicking a 24-yard field goal with no time remaining to give the Rush a 31-21 halftime lead.
Overall, Frantz has kicked a field goal on the final play of the half three times this year and eight times in the team's last 12 games (including last year's postseason).
For the 2007 season, Frantz has converted 41 of 45 extra points, including his last 27 in a row. He also has converted six of 11 field goals - including a team record 56-yarder vs. San Jose. Frantz ranks sixth in the league in scoring among kickers with 59 points and is tied for fourth in field goals made with six.
2007 RUSH BY THE NUMBERS: Here is a breakdown of the 2007 Rush:
Site: Home 3-0 Road 2-1
Time: Day 2-1 Night 3-0
Opponents: vs. American Conf. 3-1
vs. Central 1-1
vs. West 2-0
vs. National Conf. 2-0
vs. East 2-0
vs. South 0-0
INJURY REPORT: The following players appeared on this week's injury report to the AFL:
Injured Reserve - Frank Moore (knee), Demetrios Walker (hamstring), Kevin Beard (Knee), Russell Shaw (ankle)
RUSH GAME AWARD WINNERS: The following Rush players won individual game awards for their play this season:
Offensive Player of the Game:
Bobby Sippio - 3/9 vs. San Jose, 3/18 vs. New York, 4/1 vs. Los Angeles, 4/7 @ Nashville
Matt D'Orazio - 3/24 @ Columbus
ADT Defensive Player of the Game:
Jeremy Unertl - 3/9 vs. San Jose
EJ Burt - 3/18 vs. New York
DeJuan Alfonzo - 3/24 @ Columbus, 4/7 @ Nashville
Curtis Eason - 4/1 vs. Los Angeles
Ironman of the Game:
Jonathan Ordway - 4/7 @ Nashville
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 5 (4/1 vs. Los Angeles)
ADT Defensive Player of the Week:
DeJuan Alfonzo - Week 3 (3/18 vs. New York)
AFL MONTHLY AWARD WINNERS: The following Rush players won AFL monthly awards for their play this season:
ADT Defensive Player of the Month:
E.J. Burt - March
TALE OF THE TAPE - Regular Season Numbers
Chicago Category Grand Rapids
6 Games 6
56.2 (7) Scoring Offense 49.3 (14)
45.2 (3) Scoring Defense 63.0 (18)
231.5 (19) Total Offense 259.7 (17)
281.2 (5) Total Defense 308.8 (15)
19-23 82.6% Red Zone Offense 22-26, 84.6%
21-26 80.8% Red Zone Defense 22-23, 95.7%
213.0 (19) Pass Offense 243.0 (17)
247.5 (2) Pass Defense 290.3 (14)
18.5 (10) Rushing Offense 16.7 (12)
33.7 (19) Rushing Defense 18.5 (10)
337 Scoring 296
59 (6) Scoring (Kicking) 52 (13)
30-549-2 Kickoff Returns 45-919-3
18.3 (7) Kick Return Average 20.4 (2)
3-84-0 Missed Field Goal Returns 2-21-0
28.0 (1) Missed FG Return Avg. 10.5 (13)
+10 (1) Turnover Margin -7 (18)
6-11, 54.5 Field Goals 6-12, 50.0%
41-45, 91.1% PAT Kicking 34-39, 87.2%
6-30 (8t) Sacks By 5-21 (12t)
13-43 (18) Sacks Against 8-38 (13)
16-37, 43.2% Third Down Conversion 22-47, 46.8%
6-8, 75.0% Fourth Down Conversion 6-8, 75.0%
47-275 (6) Penalties (#-Yards) 54-367 (15)
54-337 (8) Opp. Penalties (#-Yards) 60-444 (1)
INDIVIDUAL LEAGUE LEADERS: The following Rush players rank among the 2007 AFL league leaders:
Matt D'Orazio: quarterback rating (10th - 111.9)
DeJuan Alfonzo: interceptions (T-9th - 3), tackles (T-8th - 41.5), special teams tackles (2nd - 8.0), fumble recoveries (T-1st - 4)
Dennison Robinson: tackles (7th - 43), passes defensed (T-6th - 8)
Bobby Sippio: scoring (1st - 162 points), touchdowns (1st - 27), receiving yards (4th - 758), third-down receiving (T-1st - 11 receptions for 158 yards and 8 TDs), first downs (5th - 42)
Dan Frantz: touchbacks on kickoffs (T-6th - 14), scoring (6th - 59 points)
Jonathan Ordway: passes defensed (T-6th - 8)
Jeremy Unertl: interceptions (T-9th - 3), passes defensed (T-3rd - 9)
EJ Burt: sacks (T-4th - 4), forced fumbles (1st - 4)
D.J. Bleisath: forced fumbles (T-3rd - 2)
• Discuss this story on the Arena Football League (1987-2008) message board...
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 17, 2007
- Storm Acquire Quarterback - Tampa Bay Storm
- New York Dragons game notes - New York Dragons
- UTAH'S JOE GERMAINE EARNS WEEKLY HONOR - Utah Blaze
- Colorado Crush's Angel Named Defensive Player Of The Week - Colorado Crush
- Chicago Rush game notes - Chicago Rush
- Colorado Crush game notes - Colorado Crush
- Storm to host March of Dimes Day Sunday, April 29 - Tampa Bay Storm
- Big Promotions, Guests Slated for Final Five Home Games - Grand Rapids Rampage
- Utah's Germaine, Colorado's Angel, And New Orlean's Neal Earn Week Seven Honors - AFL I
- Avenger Double Days - Los Angeles Avengers
- Soul Fall Short To Desperados - Philadelphia Soul
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
