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Chicago Rush Game Notes

June 16, 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: Milwaukee leads 1-0

Series Streaks: Milwaukee won the only meeting

Last Meeting: May 7, 2010, Milwaukee 71, Rush 48

Coaches (regular season, postseason records - AFL only):

Mike Hohensee (125-97, 12-11 16th season)

Bob Landsee (7-3, 0-0 1st season)

Officials: Tom McCabe (Referee), Jeff Carr (Umpire), John Quinn (Head Linesman), Jacob Kemp (Line Judge), Larry Orrico (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

* L, 71-48 5,386

May 15 Iowa

* L, 44-30 10,363

May 22 @ Dallas W, 63-56 4,583

May 29 @ Cleveland

* W, 52-49 8,688

June 4 Jacksonville L, 64-56 7,430

June 12 @ Utah W, 70-50 4,892

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

Milwaukee 7-3-0 671 567 3-0

RUSH 7-3-0 572 529 3-2

Iowa 4-5-0 449 465 1-3

Cleveland 4-6-0 594 561 1-3

MIDWEST DIVISION SHOWDOWN: The Rush returns home this Saturday in what could turn out to be its biggest game of the season - hosting the Milwaukee Iron in a battle for sole possession of first place in the Midwest Division. Both teams enter the game with equal 7-3 records and are coming off big wins last week - the Rush defeated the Utah Blaze 70-50 in Salt Lake City, while Milwaukee hammered Cleveland 82-54.

Since Milwaukee won the previous meeting between the teams, 71-48, an Iron win would give Milwaukee a one-game lead plus the tiebreaker over the Rush with just five games to play. A Rush win however, would give Chicago the one-game lead in the division race as well as a split of the season series.

ORLANDO COMPLETES TWO-GAME STAND: After this week's game against Milwaukee, the Orlando Predators come to town on Saturday, June 26. The game against Orlando will bring former Rush star wide receiver Bobby Sippio back to Allstate Arena. Sippio played for the Rush from 2006-2007 before signing with the Kansas City Chiefs. The game will mark Sippio's first trip back to Allstate Arena since the end of the 2007 season.

SIX-PACK OF TROUBLE: Chicago's final six games to close the season look to be the most difficult stretch of the season for the Rush. While the Rush will play four of those six games at home, the combined record of Chicago's final six opponents is 31-24. If you remove the 1-8 record of the Dallas Vigilantes from the mix, it leaves the other five opponents with an impressive 30-16 record.

RUSH PUTS OUT BLAZE: The Rush used an all-around dominating performance to extinguish the Utah Blaze 70-50 last Saturday night at the Maverick Center in Salt Lake City.

Quarterback Russ Michna's nearly perfect play (16-19, 217 yards, 6 TDs), and a 28-6 second quarter - including DB Josh Ferguson's 40-yard interception return for a touchdown - proved too much for the Blaze (1-8) to overcome.

With the Rush facing serious injury problems at wide receiver, Travis La Tendresse, who played for the Rush in 2008 and lives in Salt Lake City, was signed Thursday to help his former team. LaTendresse met the team at its hotel Friday night and took the field without even one practice with the team.

The receiver proved quite a spark, catching three touchdown passes on the night, including the first two Rush scores of the game.

With the game tied at 14-14 early in the second quarter, Utah QB Mark Thorson fumbled a snap from center. It was recovered by the Rush and led to a 6-yard TD strike from Michna to Alan Turner. The reception gave Chicago its first lead of the game and the Rush never looked back.

On the ensuing kickoff the Rush surprised Utah with a Chris Gould onside kick that was recovered by DeJuan Alfonzo. Two plays later Michna hit Samie Parker with a 17-yard score and the Rush was up 28-14.

The teams traded scores and the Rush was up 35-20 late in the first half when Ferguson picked off a Thorson pass and returned it 40-yards for a TD, giving the Rush a 42-20 lead at the half. It was Ferguson's fifth-consecutive game with an interception and his seventh interception of the year.

After the Blaze recovered the opening kickoff of the second half in the Rush end zone to cut the score to 42-27, Chicago responded with a 49-yard touchdown reception by Parker extending the lead to 49-27.

Utah did not get closer than 19 points the rest of the game.

RUSH FALLS IN MILWAUKEE IN MAY: What was billed as a matchup of the two best teams in the Arena Football League turned into the worst loss for the Chicago Rush in more than six years, as the Milwaukee Iron defeated the Rush 71-48 May 7, at the Bradley Center.

The loss was the first of the season for Chicago (4-1) and dropped the team into a tie with the Iron (4-1) atop the AFL's Midwest Division.

The game was tied 27-27 at the half, but the Rush failed to answer the bell for the second half. After surrendering a Milwaukee touchdown on the Iron's first drive of the third quarter to fall behind 34-27, the Rush proceeded to turn the ball over on four straight possessions - two fumbles on kick returns and two Russ Michna interceptions that were returned for TDs.

By the time the fourth quarter began, the Rush found itself behind 61-34 and the game was out of hand.

All told, the Rush turned the ball over six times, tying a dubious team record set in 2001.

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.

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: This week's game marks the third start for Iron QB Chris Greisen against Chicago. Greisen started against the Rush once in 2008 as the starting QB for the Georgia Force and once earlier this season while with Milwaukee. He is 2-0 in his two starts against the Rush.

Here are Greisen's career numbers against Chicago:

G Comp Att Pct. Yds. TD Int Rating

2 45 75 60% 602 11 1 119.6

Greisen enters this week's game as the top-rated passer in the league, with a QB rating of 130.8. He has completed 252 of 373 passes (68%) for 3,317 yards and 69 touchdowns while on throwing four interceptions.

STRENGTH vs. STRENGTH: This week's game with Milwaukee matches the top offense in the league against one of the AFL's best defenses. The Iron enters the game as the AFL leader in points per game (67.1) and yards per game(352.1), while the Rush defense is ranked first in interceptions (19) and is tied for first in touchdowns scored on defense (6). The Rush also is ranked fourth in the league in fewest points allowed, giving up just 52.9 points per game.

BACK-TO-BACK LOSSES AT ALLSTATE: Chicago returns to Allstate Arena this week sporting a dubious two-game home losing streak. It is the first time the Rush has lost consecutive home games since 2006 when the team lost to Dallas and Colorado on March 5 and March 10, respectively.

The Rush has only lost three in a row at home once in its team history. That streak came in 2003 when the Rush lost to San Jose on March 9, New York on March 23, and Dallas on April 20.

Overall, Chicago is 49-21 all-time at Allstate Arena (including postseason).

THE SECOND HALF: The Rush reached the season's midway point with a record of 6-2, which at the time was tied for the best record in the AFL with Jacksonville, Milwaukee and Spokane.

Here is a breakdown of Chicago's history in the first and second halves of the season:

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 5-3 9-7

2006 3-5 4-4 7-9

2007 7-1 5-3 12-4*

2008 6-2 5-3 11-5*

2010 6-2 1-1 ?

* Central Division champion

LATENDRESSE MAKES FINE DEBUT: In need of a healthy wide receiver, the Rush was able to coax Travis LaTendresse back into action for last week's game in Utah. LaTendresse, who played for the Rush in 2008, still lives in Utah and met the team in Salt Lake City for its game against the Blaze last Saturday.

Without so much as one practice under his belt, LaTendresse looked great, catching three passes - all for touchdowns.

LaTendresse caught 91 passes for 1,105 yards and 20 touchdowns in his first season with the Rush. Prior to coming to Chicago, LaTendresse played one season for the Las Vegas Gladiators. Before that he was a four-year letterwinner (2002-2005), at the University of Utah, catching 135 passes for 1,782 yards and 12 touchdowns in 43 career games. He finished his college career ranked sixth in Utah history in receptions and ninth in receiving yards.

MICHNA'S ROLL CONTINUES: Rush QB Russ Michna has been playing some of his best football the last month. During the team's last four games, in which Michna has helped lead the Rush to a 3-1 record, the QB has completed 88 of 114 passes (77.2%) for 1,120 yards and 19 touchdowns, without throwing an interception. In fact, dating back to the third quarter of the team's May 15 game vs. Iowa, Michna has attempted 125 consecutive passes without throwing an interception.

His quarterback rating for the last four games is an outstanding 146.9.

For the season, Michna has completed 203 of 296 passes for 2,838 yards and 52 touchdowns, while throwing eight interceptions. His QB rating for the year is 127.5.

Currently, Michna leads the league in completion percentage and ranks second in the AFL in passer rating and fourth in passing yards.

PARKER NOW THE MAN: With injuries to starting wide receivers Nichiren Flowers and Kenny Higgins, WR Samie Parker is the only one of the team's original starting wide receivers who remains healthy.

Parker proved his ability to step up when needed again last week in Utah, leading the team with nine receptions for 117 yards and two touchdowns, including a 49-yard TD reception with the Rush facing third-and-ten from its own 1-yard line.

Parker, who signed with the Rush just after training camp started, has played in each of the team's 10 games, catching 69 passes for 1,040 yards and 14 touchdowns.

As evidence of his big-play ability, Parker's 923 receiving yards rank him sixth in the league, despite only ranking 14th in the AFL in receptions.

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.

TURNER'S TIME TO SHINE: The injuries to starting receivers Nichiren Flowers and Kenny Higgins - along with the early season injury to reserve WR James Banks - have opened the door for rookie wide receiver Alan Turner. Turner moved into the starting lineup May 29 at Cleveland and will remain there for the foreseeable future.

In his three games as a starter, Turner has caught 16 passes for 210 yards and four touchdowns.

HE'S THE BOSS: Rush fullback Robert Boss continues to excel after making the switch from tight end to fullback this season. Last week against Utah, Boss rushed for 19 yards and a touchdown and caught one pass for seven yards.

So far this season Boss has rushed for 84 yards and seven touchdowns and caught eight passes for 80 yards and three TDs. His 10 total touchdowns rank third on the team behind Nichiren Flowers and Samie Parker.

FERGUSON STREAK CONTINUES: Standing at just 5'7", Rush defensive back Josh Ferguson is the smallest player in the AFL this season. However, despite being the smallest, Ferguson has come up with some of the team's biggest plays and is making a case for the league's Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Ferguson was at it again last week in Utah, intercepting a Mark Thorson pass with eight seconds left in the first half. He returned the pick 40 yards for a touchdown, completely changing the course of the game. Instead of Utah potentially cutting the Rush lead to 35-27 at the half, the Rush went to the locker room leading 42-20.

It was Ferguson's fifth-consecutive game with an interception and his seventh pick overall.

He currently leads the Rush and ranks second in the AFL in both tackles with 77 and interceptions with seven.

PETERS BRINGING PRESSURE: Rush defensive lineman Joe Peters has played two of the best games of his career in the team's last two games against Jacksonville and Utah.

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