Chicago Rush Game Notes
May 5, 2010 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Chicago Rush News Release
The Quick Facts
TV: None
Radio: None
Webcast: www.arenarush.com Les Grobstein
Overall Series Record: This is the first meeting between the teams
Coaches (regular season, postseason records - AFL only):
Mike Hohensee (122-94, 12-11 16th season)
Bob Landsee (3-1, 0-0 1st season)
Officials: Bob McElwee (Referee), Pat Bayers (Umpire), Neil Brunner (Head Linesman), Matt Kukar (Line Judge), Reggie Berry (Back Judge)
2010 Chicago Rush Schedule
Date Opponent Time/Score TV/Attend
April 2 @ Iowa * W, 61-43 12,184
April 9 Cleveland * W, 59-56 8,075
April 17 @ Arizona W, 70-56 14,994
April 23 Utah W, 63-40 7,459
May 1 Bye
May 7 @ Milwaukee* 7:30 p.m.
May 15 Iowa* 7 p.m.
May 22 @ Dallas 7:30 p.m.
May 29 @ Cleveland* 6 p.m.
June 4 Jacksonville 7 p.m. NFL Net
June 12 @ Utah 8 p.m.
June 19 Milwaukee* 7 p.m.
June 26 Orlando 7 p.m.
July 2 @ Tampa Bay 7 p.m. NFL Net
July 10 Arizona 7 p.m.
July 17 Dallas 7 p.m.
July 23 @ Spokane 7 p.m. NFL Net
* Midwest Division game
Midwest Division 2010 Standings
W-L-T PF PA Division
RUSH 4-0-0 253 195 2-0
Milwaukee 3-1-0 278 236 1-0
Iowa 2-2-0 209 226 0-2
Cleveland 1-3-0 234 251 0-1
SHOWDOWN IN MILWAUKEE: After enjoying its bye week, the Rush returns to action Friday when it travels north to Wisconsin to take on the Milwaukee Iron in a matchup of the top two teams in the Midwest Division.
Chicago is looking to move to 5-0 for the first time in team history, while Milwaukee looks to rebound after suffering its first loss of the season - a 75-67 defeat at Alabama last Saturday.
BARNSTORMERS UP NEXT: After this week's trip to Milwaukee, the Rush returns to Allstate Arena on Saturday, May 15, to host the Iowa Barnstormers. Chicago defeated Iowa 61-43 in Des Moines April 2, in the season opener for both teams.
DIVISION TESTS ON THE HORIZON: Chicago's 4-0 start has put the team in the driver's seat in the Midwest Division heading into the second quarter of the season. The next month, however, could help determine if the Rush will control the division through the remainder of the year. Three of the team's next four games are against division opponents - this week at Milwaukee; May 15 vs. Iowa; and May 29 at Cleveland. The only non-division game during the stretch is the team's May 22 game at Dallas.
RUSH UPENDS BLAZE: Prior to its bye week, the Rush used a dominant all-around performance to reach 4-0 for only the second time in team history, knocking off the Utah Blaze, 63-40, April 23 at Allstate Arena.
The Rush passing game was on full display as quarterback Russ Michna went 22 for 31 for a career-high 330 yards and six passing touchdowns to go along with his first rushing touchdown of the season.
For the second straight week, Michna's favorite target proved to be Nichiren Flowers, who caught nine passes for 129 yards and three touchdowns.
On the other side of the ball, the Rush defense held the Blaze to a Rush opponent season-low 40 points. And although the defense only forced one turnover - Nygel Rogers' league-leading fifth interception of the season - the Rush stopped the Blaze offense on three fourth down attempts.
BEST START EVER?: Chicago's current 4-0 start has equaled the best start in team history. The only other season in which Chicago started this quickly was in 2004, when the team began the season 4-0 before falling at Philadelphia in its fifth game of the season. That year, the Rush finished the regular season with an 11-5 record and advanced to the AFL semifinals before losing in San Jose, 49-35.
OWNING ITS DIVISION: It is no surprise that the Rush is off to a great start against its Midwest Division rivals, as Chicago has a history of playing its best football within the division.
In fact, dating back to 2004, the Rush is 30-9 against its Central Division or Midwest Division rivals, including a 6-2 record in 2007, a 6-1 record in 2008, and now a 2-0 record this season.
GETTING AHEAD EARLY: The Rush has had no problems getting on the scoreboard early this season, scoring on the first official play from scrimmage in each of its last three games.
In Week 2 at home against Cleveland, QB Russ Michna connected with WR Samie Parker on a 42-yard touchdown pass on the game's first play.
In Week 3 in Arizona, Michna hooked up with Nichiren Flowers on a 45-yard TD strike on the game's first play.
Finally in Week 4, Michna hit Parker with a 34-yard TD pass on the team's first play from scrimmage.
STRONG AFTER A BYE WEEK: The Rush enters this week's game with a 6-2 record after a bye week, including 2-1 after a bye in the playoffs. The team's only regular season 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 6-0 during the regular season after its bye week.
Here is a look at how the Rush has fared after 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 W, 75-54 @ Grand Rapids
W, 52-20 vs. Los Angeles*
2008 W, 72-28 vs. Los Angeles
2009 L, 58-41 vs. Grand Rapids*
* Playoff game
A TIME TO HEAL: The bye week couldn't have come at a better time for the Rush, giving several Chicago players an extra week to heal some nagging injuries. Rush wide receiver Kenny Higgins and defensive lineman Joe Peters both missed the team's April 23 game vs. Utah with leg injuries, and several other players, including linebacker Clifton Smith, were banged up with injuries sustained during training camp or the first month of the season.
PEORIA CONNECTIONS: Two Players on the 2010 Rush roster played for head coach Mike Hohensee last season as members of the af2's Peoria Pirates - DB Josh Ferguson and defensive lineman Darnell Whitley.
Ferguson played in eight games for Peoria, recording 50 tackles, two interceptions and 11 passes broken up. He also forced two fumbles and recovered a fumble which he returned for a touchdown.
Whitley appeared in three games for the Pirates, playing on both the offensive and defensive line.
NOT THE MUSTANGS: Many AFL fans might remember Milwaukee's first AFL team, the Mustangs, which played from 1994-2001. The Rush and Mustangs only overlapped for the 2001 season, with Chicago winning both meetings against its then Central Division rival.
COACHING CONNECTIONS: Milwaukee assistant head coach/director of player personnel Mark Stoute was a member of Rush head coach Mike Hohensee's staff with the New England Sea Wolves from 1999-2000. When the team was sold and moved to Toronto following the 2000 season, Hohensee came to Chicago to lead the Rush, while Stoute assumed the head coaching duties of the new Toronto Phantoms.
FAMILIAR FACES: Three members of the Iron have ties to the Rush - defensive coordinator Cedric Walker, wide receiver Damian Harrell and defensive lineman Khreem Smith.
Walker played for the Rush from 2001-2003 and still holds the team record for most tackles in a game (13.0). A fan favorite at Allstate Arena, his 98 tackles in 2002 rank second on the Rush single-season list, and his 166.5 career tackles are fifth-most in Rush history.
Harrell spent the 2008 season playing for the Rush, catching 94 passes for 1,165 yards and 24 touchdowns. The 11-year veteran is the AFL's all-time leader in touchdown receptions with 328, and ranks second in AFL history with 1,013 career receptions and 13,323 career receiving yards.
Smith was a rookie with the Rush during the team's 2006 ArenaBowl championship season. He was named second team All-Arena and to the AFL's All-Rookie team after recording 22.5 tackles, eight sacks and six forced fumbles in 16 games. After missing the entire 2007 season and part of the 2008 season while with the Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs, Smith returned to the Rush for the team's final 10 games in 2008.
GREISEN vs. RUSH: While this week's game is the first meeting between the Rush and Iron, it will be the second time Iron QB Chris Greisen has started against Chicago.
The starting QB for the Georgia Force from 2007-2008, Greisen started one game against the Rush, leading his team to a 50-47 win in Atlanta on June 14, 2008. In the game, Greisen completed 25 of 39 passes for 263 yards and six touchdowns, while only throwing one interception.
Greisen has opened the 2010 season as hot as any QB in the league, completing 114 of 159 passes (72%) for 1,339 yards, 32 touchdowns and no interceptions.
BATTLE OF TOP OFFENSES: Friday's game will mark a battle of two of the league's top offenses. Milwaukee enters the game ranked first in the AFL in scoring offense and first in total offense at 69.5 points per game and 357.5 yards per game, respectively.
The Rush, on the other hand, is sixth in scoring offense (63.3 ppg) and ninth in total offense (288 ypg).
MICHNA LEADING RUSH OFFENSE: Rush QB Russ Michna also is having a great start to the 2010 season. Through four games, Michna has completed 73 of 111 passes for 1,117 yards and 27 touchdowns, while only throwing three interceptions. His passer rating of 127.1 ranks second in the AFL behind Milwaukee QB Chris Greisen (136.5). Most importantly, Michna is winning games for the Rush, and now has an overall record of 12-3 as the Rush starting QB.
FLOWERS BREAKS OUT: WR Nichiren Flowers has found himself to be QB Russ Michna's favorite target in each of the team's last two games. April 16 at Arizona, Flowers caught five passes for 107 yards and four touchdowns, including a 45-yard touchdown pass from Michna on the game's first offensive play. Flowers followed up that performance by catching a team-high nine passes for 129 yards and three TDs on April 23 vs. Utah.
For the season, Flowers has caught 24 passes for 405 yards and nine touchdowns.
Flowers was a rookie with the Los Angeles Avengers in 2007, before spending 2008 and 2009 playing in af2 with Central Valley and Boise.
PARKER A BIG PLAY THREAT: Wide receiver Samie Parker, who signed with the Rush just after training camp started, has joined Nichiren Flowers as the team's other big-play receiver.
Parker's numbers are almost identical to Flowers', catching 24 passes for 409 yards and seven touchdowns.
A fourth-round draft choice of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2004, Parker spent four seasons in Kansas City, catching 110 passes for 1,529 yards and seven TDs. After leaving KC, Parker had stints with the Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders before playing with the UFL's Las Vegas Locomotives in 2009.
HIGGINS GETTING CLOSE TO 100%: The man who was projected to be the team's top receiver, Kenny Higgins, has been slowed at the start of this season by a hamstring injury suffered during training camp and a foot injury suffered early in the season.
Higgins missed the second half of the team's April 16 game at Arizona and the entire April 23 game vs. Utah with his injuries, but expects to be back on the field at full speed this week at Milwaukee.
Prior to missing the time, Higgins had 13 catches for 145 yards and five touchdowns.
Higgins was named Second Team All-Arena in 2008 after catching 112 passes for 1,552 yards and 39 touchdowns as a member of the Grand Rapids Rampage.
HE'S THE BOSS: Fan favorite Robert Boss has moved from tight end to fullback this season. In his four weeks at the new position, Boss has proven he can be a weapon at fullback, rushing for 16 yards and a touchdown, and catching three passes for 36 yards and a TD.
NEW LOOK LINE: The new Rush offensive line continues to improve with each game. Returning center Beau Elliott is playing with a new linemate on either side of him - tight end Palauni Ma Sun and guard Thaddeus Coleman.
The line ranks third in the AFL in fewest sacks allowed, giving up only three sacks the entire season (two of which came in the April 2 opener at Iowa).
TURNOVERS A RUSH TRADEMARK: The ability to force turnovers has been a long-standing trademark of the Rush defense. In the season's first four games, the Rush has continued that tradition, forcing 13 turnovers - 11 interceptions and two fumbles - an average of 3.25 turnovers per game.
In fact, the defense set a Rush team record with its five interception performance in the April 2 opener at Iowa.
If it continues its current pace, the Rush will finish the season with 52 turnovers forced - breaking the league's single-season record of 49 set in 1988.
In 2007, the Rush led the AFL in forced turnovers with 44 - 20 fumbles and a league-high 24 interceptions. The following season, the Rush defense forced a total of 33 turnovers, again ranking among the league leaders.
AFL's Single Season Takeaways
Team Season Takeaways
Pittsburgh Gladiators 1988 49
Columbus Destroyers 2006 46
San Jose SaberCats 2008 45
Albany Firebirds 1996 45
Chicago Rush 2007 44
Dallas Desperados 2006 44
THE NEW GLOVE: Through four games, rookie DB Nygel Rogers might be the biggest surprise on the Rush roster this year. Rogers currently leads the league with five interceptions, including a 14-yard interception which he returned for a touchdown April 16 at Arizona.
Rogers' five interceptions are equal to or more than the total interceptions of every other team in the league with the exception of Arizona.
For the season, the rookie has recorded 28 tackles, five interceptions, four passes broken up and 1 forced fumble.
FERGUSON NOT FAR BEHIND: Rookie DB Josh Ferguson is pushing his fellow DB Nygel Rogers for top rookie DB on the squad. Through four games, Ferguson is tied with teammate Chris Martin for the team lead with 37 tackles and has added two interceptions and six passes broken up.
Ferguson currently ranks second in the league in tackles and is tied for fourth in interceptions.
PRESSURE UP FRONT: Perhaps one reason the Rush leads the AFL in interceptions with 11 is the fact that the team has been getting consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks, forcing them to throw the ball earlier than planned. Through four games the Rush ranks third in the AFL in sacks with six. Linebacker Clifton Smith leads the team with three sacks, while defensive lineman Michael Alston has two.
GOOD AS GOULD: Rookie kicker Chris Gould, brother of Chicago Bears kicker Robbie Gould, is off to a fast start in his first season with the Rush.
Gould has started the season by connecting on 34 of 35 PAT attempts, including his last 29 in a row. In addition, Gould has been good on three of five field goal attempts, including the game-winning 20-yard field goal April 9 vs. Cleveland. To date his only misses have come from 38 yards (vs. Cleveland) and 62 yards (at Iowa).
Gould got his first taste of Arena Football in 2009, playing in 4 games for the af2's Milwaukee Iron. In his brief stint with the Iron, Gould converted 19 of 20 PATs and 1 of 9 field goal attempts.
A 2008 graduate of the University of Virginia, Chris began his college career as a punter before adding the placekicking duties as a junior.
IT MUST BE IN THE GENES: It should not come as any surprise that Rush kicker Chris Gould was able to ignore the pressure and boot a game-winning field goal with two seconds remaining April 9 against Cleveland, since his brother, Robbie, is known for his pressure kicks with the Bears.
In his five-year career, Robbie has connected on eight game-winning field goals, most recently a 44-yarder with 15 seconds remaining on September 20, 2009 to give the Bears a 17-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
STILL ON THE SIDELINE: While many of the faces have changed, one aspect of the Rush remains the same - head coach Mike Hohensee. Hohensee, the only head coach in Rush history, is back on the sidelines running the team. Now in his ninth season with the Rush, Hohensee has posted an 87-57 overall record, and has led the team to the playoffs in each of its first eight seasons.
In addition to winning ArenaBowl XX, Hohensee has led the Rush to four Central Division titles (2002, 2004, 2007, 2008) and has helped the team advance to the AFL semifinals five times (2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007).
Hohensee ranks third in AFL history in career victories, behind Tampa Bay coach Tim Marcum and former Utah and Arizona coach Danny White.
One of only four men to be involved in the Arena Football League in each of the league's 23 seasons, Hohensee:
has a regular season record of 122-94 (including a 77-50 mark with the Rush).
has a career 12-11 mark in the postseason.
has led the Rush to eight-consecutive playoff berths and four Central Division titles (2002, 2004, 2007 and 2008).
All-Time Winningest AFL Coaches
Including Postseason
Coach Team Wins This Week
Tim Marcum Tampa Bay 200 vs. Jacksonville
Danny White - 161
Mike Hohensee Rush 134 @ Milwaukee
Darren Arbet - 121
Mike Dailey - 116
2010 RUSH BY THE NUMBERS: Here is a breakdown of the 2010 Rush:
Site: Home 2-0 Road 2-0
Time: Day 0-0 Night 4-0
Opponents: vs. Midwest 2-0
vs. West 2-0
vs. East 0-0
vs. South 0-0
INDIVIDUAL LEAGUE LEADERS: The following Rush players are among the 2010 AFL league leaders:
Russ Michna: passing yards (8th - 1,117), total offense (7th - 1,148 yards), passer rating (2nd - 127.1)
Chris Gould: field goals made (1st - 3), scoring for kickers (1st - 43 points)
DeJuan Alfonzo: interceptions (T-4th - 2)
Nygel Rogers: interceptions (1st - 5)
Josh Feguson: interceptions (T-4th - 2), tackles (T-2nd - 37)
Chris Martin: tackles (T-2nd - 37)
Michael Alston: sacks (T-6th - 2.0)
Clifton Smith: sacks (T-2nd - 3.0)
RUSH GAME AWARD WINNERS: The following Rush players won individual game awards for their play this season:
Russell Athletic Offensive Player of the Game:
Russ Michna - 4/2 @ Iowa
Samie Parker - 4/9 vs. Cleveland
Nichiren Flowers - 4/23 vs. Utah
Riddell Defensive Player of the Game:
Chris Martin - 4/9 vs. Cleveland
DeJuan Alfonzo - 4/2 @ Iowa, 4/16 @ Arizona
Nygel Rogers - 4/23 vs. Utah
Ironman of the Game:
Robert Boss - 4/9 vs. Cleveland
Clifton Smith - 4/23 vs. Utah
AFL WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS: The following Rush players won AFL weekly awards for their play this season:
Riddell Defensive Player of the Week:
Chris Martin - 4/9 vs. Cleveland
Nygel Rogers - 4/23 vs. Utah
JLS Ironman of the Week:
Clifton Smith - 4/23 vs. Utah
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