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Colorado Crush game notes

May 19, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Colorado Crush News Release


QUICK FACTS:

Colorado Crush (9-5) at Detroit Fury (4-10)
Date: May 23, 2004
Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. MT
Site: The Palace of Auburn Hills (capacity 14,826)
Officials: Wes Fritz (Referee), Tony Payne (Umpire),
Jim Hatfield (Head Linesman), David Chesney (Line Judge), James Cole (Back Judge)
Television: none
Radio: AM 760 The Zone
(Cory Lopez – play-by-play, Damon Bowers – analyst)
Series Record: Series tied 1-1
Last Meeting: March 4, 2004 (Week 5): CRUSH 62, Detroit 61
Coaches: Mike Dailey (72-51 in 8th season, 9-5 w/ Colorado)
Tom Luginbill (4-10 in 1st season, 4-10 w/ Detroit)

ALL-TIME SERIES: This will be the third meeting between the two teams, and the second this season. The home team is winless in the series, as is Coach Dailey, having coached the Firebirds during last season's 38-35 Crush victory in Indiana (3/2/03), and this year heading the Crush as Indiana escaped with a 45-42 overtime win at the Pepsi Center in Week 9 (4/3). Indiana's Anthony Hines was Offensive Player of the Game after catching 13 balls for 196 yards and 3 TDs. Colorado's Rashad Floyd and Kevin McKenzie took Defensive and Ironman honors.

RADIO/TV COVERAGE: The game will broadcast on AM 760 The Zone (KKZN) and online at www.760thezone.com/listen with Marc Stout handling play-by-play duties and former Crush player and "Bachelorette" contestant Damon Bowers serving as color commentator.

THE STAKES: A Crush win would ...
· Clinch the Crush's first-ever playoff berth
· Improve the Crush record to 10-5
· Equal the biggest turnaround in AFL history at +8 wins:
(+7 wins by NJ Gladiators 2001-02, Detroit Fury 2002-03)
· Tie Coach Dailey for 6th on AFL's all-time win list at 73.
· Keep the Crush in first place in the Central Division and no worse than tied for the second seed.
· Assure the Crush of at least a .500 record on the road (4-3)
· Give the Crush a 2-1 series lead over Indiana
· Give the Crush a split of the season series with Indiana
· Give the Crush their first-ever three-game win streak

Colorado Crush
Date Opponent Time/Score Record
Fri, 2/6 LAS VEGAS W 43-42 1-0
Sat, 2/14 @ Grand Rapids W 55-37 2-0
Sun, 2/22 @ Chicago L 35-65 2-1
Fri, 2/27 AUSTIN W 37-35 3-1
Thu, 3/4 DETROIT W 62-61 4-1
Sun, 3/14 @ San Jose L 55-35 4-2
Sun, 3/21 @ Philadelphia W 40-33 5-2
Sat, 3/27 ARIZONA W 54-46 6-2
Sat, 4/3 INDIANA L 42-45 (OT) 6-3
Sat, 4/10 @ Los Angeles W 57-55 7-3
Sun, 4/18 @ New York L 49-52 7-4
Fri, 4/23 GRAND RAPIDS W 69-30 8-4
Sat, 5/1 PHILADELPHIA W 58-40 9-4
5/8-5/9 Bye Week
Sun, 5/16 @ Indiana L 56-59 9-5
Sun, 5/23 @ Detroit 1 p.m.
Sun, 5/30 CHICAGO 2 p.m.
(All times Mountain)

DRIVE TO ARENABOWL XVIII:


Team W L T Pct
p-Chicago* 10 4 0 .714
p-New Orleans* 10 4 0 .714
p-San Jose* 10 4 0 .714
p-Arizona 10 5 0 .667
x-CRUSH 9 5 0 .643
Austin 8 6 0 .571
Los Angeles 8 6 0 .571
New York* 8 6 0 .571
Orlando 8 6 0 .571
===========================
Indiana 8 7 0 .533
Las Vegas 7 7 0 .500
Tampa Bay 7 7 0 .500
Dallas 6 8 0 .429
Carolina 5 9 0 .357
Columbus 5 9 0 .357
Georgia 5 9 0 .357
Philadelphia 5 9 0 .357
Detroit 4 10 0 .286
Grand Rapids 1 13 0 .071

p-Clinched playoff berth x-Can clinch playoff berth with win

Central Division Standings
Team W L T PCT. PF PA H A Conf. Div. Strk
Chicago 9 4 0 .692 702 593 4-2 5-2 6-3 5-1 W2
Colorado 9 4 0 .692 636 596 6-1 3-3 7-2 3-2 W2
Indiana 7 7 0 .500 705 634 4-3 3-4 4-4 4-2 W1
Detroit 4 9 0 .302 622 698 2-4 2-5 3-7 2-4 L5
Gr. Rapids 1 12 0 .077 468 712 0-7 1-5 1-10 1-6 L4

Practice Schedule
Wednesday, May 19
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Practice @ Crush Facility

Thursday, May 20
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Practice @ Crush Facility

Friday, May 21
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Practice @ Crush Facility

Saturday, May 22
10:14 a.m. Depart for Detroit
Sunday, May 23
1:00 p.m. Crush @ Detroit
The Palace of Auburn Hills


Mike Dailey (72-51 in 8 seasons, 9-5 in 1st w/ Colo.):
Dailey became the Crush's second head coach on June 26, 2003. Dailey joined the Crush after seven seasons as head coach of the Indiana Firebirds, and his teams have compiled an overall record of 72-51, a winning percentage of .585. He is seventh on the AFL's all-time list for coaching wins. In 1999 Dailey led the Firebirds to their only ArenaBowl championship and a combined regular season/playoff record of 14-3, best in Firebirds history. He was named AFL Coach of the Year following that standout campaign. He joined the Firebirds prior to the 1992 season, spending five seasons as an assistant coach before being named head coach in 1997. Dailey began his Arena Football coaching career with the Washington Commandos where he served as offensive/defensive line coach. Prior to the AFL, Dailey worked as an assistant coach at Towson State University and was the Offensive Coordinator at Montgomery College-Rockville (MD).

All-Time Winningest AFL Coaches
Including Postseason
Rk Coach Team Wins This Week
1. Tim Marcum Tampa Bay 162 vs. New Orleans
2. Danny White Arizona 138 bye
3. Perry Moss 86
4. Mike Hohensee Chicago 83 vs. Indiana
5. Michael Trigg Philadelphia 78 at San Jose
6. John Gregory 73
7. Mike Dailey Crush 72 at Detroit
8. Darren Arbet San Jose 69 vs. Philadelphia

Tom Luginbill (4-10 in 1st season, 4-10 in 1st w/ Det.):
Luginbill enters his first season as an AFL head coach, after taking the reigns from his father Al, who served as the Fury's head coach in 2003. At 30 years old, Luginbill is the youngest head coach in the AFL, and he looks forward to a breakout season as head coach. Last season, Luginbill helped to re-build the Fury team from a 1-13 record in 2002. With his guidance, the Fury finished the regular season at 8-8. The Fury also finished 1-1 in the playoffs, and the franchise won its first-ever playoff game. Prior to joining the Fury, Luginbill had coached for three different teams in three years, but he is no stranger to the game of Arena Football. Luginbill played two seasons as an AFL quarterback in 1996 & 1997, before joining the coaching staff on the New York CityHawks in 1998. Luginbill got his first head-coaching job in 2000, with the Tennessee Valley Vipers of af2, where he led the team to the championship game in his first year with the team. Following a season in af2, Luginbill teamed with his father Al in the XFL as the quarterback's coach of the Los Angeles Xtreme. There, he coached XFL MVP Tommy Maddox, and helped guide the Xtreme to the league's first and only championship. He re-joined the AFL in 2002 as an assistant head coach with the expansion Dallas Desperados. In Dallas, Luginbill's offense set an AFL record for in scoring the most points ever by an AFL expansion franchise in one year, and his red-zone offense was ranked number one in the league.

LEADERS OF THE PACK: Crush players who rank in the Top 10 in the AFL entering Week 15 (Top 5 in Bold):
Colorado Crush
Player Rank Category Stat
Anthony Brenner T-6thT-10th Scoring (Kickers)Touchbacks 10822
John Dutton 1st2nd5th5thT-5th7th7thT-8th10th10th Fumble Recoveries3rd Down Pass RatingPass Attempts% INT / Pass AttemptPass CompletionsPassing TDsPassing Yards InterceptionsQB Pass RatingCompletion % 8118.74341.6274603,3127114.363.1
Rashad Floyd 1st1st2nd3rdT-4th6th TacklesSolo TacklesTackles for LossInterceptionsFumble RecoveriesPass Breakups 103.5924.06416
Damian Harrell 3rd3rd3rd3rdT-3rd6th Receiving YardsYds fr ScrimmageScoring (non-Kick)First Downs3rd Down ReceptionsReceptions 1,3591,359210771789
Ahmad Hawkins 6th8th Solo TacklesTackles 6368.0
Willis Marshall T-1st3rd 3rd-and-1 rush %Missed FG Return Yds 100.080
Kevin McKenzie T-6th Interceptions 4

TALE OF THE TAPE: Here's how the Crush and the Firebirds stack up (through Week 14): (Top 5 in bold)
Statistical COLORADO INDIANA
Category Rank Stat Rank Stat
Points per Game 10th 48.9 8th 50.4
Points Allowed 5th 45.8 2nd 45.3
Total Offense 6th 269.5 11th 262.7
Pass Offense 6th 253.1 15th 224.0
Rushing Offense 13th 16.4 1st 38.7
Total Defense 10th 267.8 11th 268.4
Pass Defense 15th 251.5 12th 246.6
Rushing Defense 5th 16.4 10th 21.7
Kickoff Return Avg. 19th 15.0 12th 17.9
Opp. KO Return Avg. 2nd 15.7 15th 19.1
Field Goal % 15th 35.7 11th 40.6
Turnover Margin T-3rd +12 1st +15
Avg. Yds per Play 6th 6.5 13th 6.1
Opp. Avg Yds/Play 5th 6.0 13th 6.6
1st Downs/ Game T-10th 18.2 17th 17.6
Opp. 1st Dwns/Game 17th 20.2 5th 18.6
3rd Down Efficiency 15th 43.0 12th 47.6
Opp. 3rd Down Eff. 14th 51.2 T-9th 49.4
4th Down Efficiency 12th 50.0 4th 65.2
Opp. 4th Down Eff. 4th 48.0 T-5th 50.0
TD% Inside the 10 17th 64.3 13th 71.9
Opp. TD% Inside the 10 15th 77.9 19th 82.8

COLORADO CRUSH NEXT WEEK
The Crush return to the road for another Central Division clash, this time traveling to Detroit for the first time ever to take on the reeling Fury. The Crush defeated Detroit, 62-61, in Week 5 (3/4) earlier this season at Pepsi Center. The Crush will then close out the regular season by hosting Chicago on May 30.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:
OS Damian Harrell: Now in his sixth AFL season, Harrell has amassed 6,575 receiving yards on 462 catches, an average of 14.23 yards/catch, along with 140 career touchdowns (1 on return) ... Has second-most receiving yards in the AFL since 2000 ... Ranks 3rd in AFL in receiving yards (1,359), scoring (non-kickers) with 210 points on 35 touchdowns, first downs (77), tied for 3rd in third-down receptions (17) and 6th in receptions (89) ... Leads the Crush with 89 catches for 1,359 yards this season ... Has a TD catch in 30 straight games, including all 27 games as a member of the Crush (longest active streak in AFL)... Has been named Offensive Player of the Game six times in 13 games ... Reached 1,000 receiving yards for the fourth straight season ... Has seven 100-yd receiving games this season, including five of last seven games.

QB John Dutton: The former ArenaBowl MVP (XVI w/ SJ) has completed 274-of-434 passes (63.1%) for 3,312 yards, 60 touchdowns and just 7 interceptions... Three times named Offensive Player of the Game ... Threw for a season-high 28 completions and 333 yards vs. Indiana on 4/3... Ranks 5th in pass attempts, tied for 5th in completions and 7th in TD passes and passing yards ... Has thrown for 300+ yards three times this season ... The second-highest rated QB in the league on third down (118.7 rating).

WR/DB Kevin McKenzie: Twice named AFL Ironman of the Week (2, 10) ... Crush's second leading receiver with 72 catches for 900 yards and 11 TDs... Tied for 6th in the AFL in interceptions (4) ... Scored a TD rushing, receiving and on an interception return in a win at Grand Rapids (Ironman of the Week)... He has been named Ironman of the Game in seven of the Crush's first 13 games ... Caught six passes for 133 yards vs. his former team at San Jose on 3/14 ... Has two interceptions returned for touchdowns (44, 9) ... Has two 100-yd receiving games ... Scored on a 4-yd net recovery on the opening kickoff vs. Philadelphia (5/1)

DS Rashad Floyd: Voted AFL Defensive Player of the Mid-Year by the AFLWA ... Named AFL Defensive Player of the Month for March ... Also Defensive Player of the Week for Week 8 after 11.5 tackles, a forced and recovered fumble, an INT and a 4-yd. net recovery for a TD vs. Arizona ... Leads the league in tackles 103.5 and ranks 2nd in tackles for a loss (4.0) ... Also 3rd in interceptions (6), tied for 4th in fumble recoveries (4) and ranks 6th in pass break-ups (16) ... Has been named Defensive Player of the Game in 7 of 13 games ... Made two interceptions in win at Philadelphia ... returned a fumble 35 yards for a TD at New York on 4/18 ... Has two net recoveries for touchdowns ... On pace to set the AFL's all-time record for tackles in a season (121.5 by Cornelius Coe, Ind., 2001).


INJURY REPORT
Colorado Crush
Player Pos. Injury Status
Maurice Anderson OL/DL Right Knee on IR (1/27)
Chad Dukes FB/LB Sprained left ankle on IR (4/8)
Nate Jacquet WR/DB Rt. Achilles' Rupture on IR (2/2)
Derrick Pickens OL/DL Right Shoulder on IR (1/30)
Thal Woods WR/DB Hamstring On IR (5/14)

RECENT CRUSH TRANSACTIONS
Date Transaction
5/14/04 Activated FB/LB Rich Young (sprained rt. shoulder) and WR/DB Tony Scott (strained rt. quadriceps) from injured reserve list; placed WR/DB Thal Woods on injured reserve (hamstring).
5/11/04 Placed OL/DL Patrick Downey on reserve/retired list
5/4/04 Grand Rapids signed OL/DL Tyshaun Whitson off of the Crush practice squad.
5/3/04 Waived QB Pete Gonzalez from the practice squad.
4/22/04 Placed FB/LB Rich Young on injured reserve (sprained rt. shoulder); Activated FB/LB Sunungura Rusununguko from injured reserve (sprained lt. shoulder); Signed OL/DL Tyshaun Whitson to the practice squad.
4/20/04 Placed OL/DL Tyshaun Whitson on recallable waivers.
4/16/04 Placed DS Tony Scott (strained rt. Quadriceps) on injured reserve. Signed WR/DB Thal Woods and OL/DL Tyshaun Whitson from the practice squad to the active roster.
4/8/04 Placed FB/LB Sunungura Rusununguko (sprained lt. shoulder) and FB/LB Chad Dukes (sprained lt. ankle) on injured reserve. Activated FB/LB John Peaua (Lt. knee MCL sprain) and OL/DL Bryant Shaw (Lt. knee MCL sprain) from the injured reserve list.
4/6/04 Activated WR/DB Kamau Peterson from injured reserve (hamstring) and placed him on waivers.
3/26/04 Placed WR/DB Kamau Peterson on injured reserve (hamstring). Activated WR/DB Robert Redd from injured reserve (influenza).
3/16/04 Activated WR/DB Wade Davis from injured reserve and waived him.
3/12/04 Signed OL/DL Aaron Johnson. Placed OL/DL Patrick Downey (groin strain) and WR/DB Robert Redd (flu) on injured reserve. Activated WR/DB Kamau Peterson (left ribs) and WR/DB Tony Scott (foot sprain) from injured reserve.
3/10/04 Waived OL/DL Winfield Garnett.
3/9/04 Placed OL/DL Bryant Shaw on injured reserve (left knee MCL sprain). Activated OL/DL Winfield Garnett from the refused to report list.
2/26/04 Activated WR/DB Dwayne Stukes from the injured list (left Quadriceps strain).
2/24/04 Placed WR/DB Ron Rogers on waivers.
2/10/04 Signed OL/DL Tyshaun Whitson to the practice squad.
2/4/04 Signed OL/DL Donny Klein. Placed WR/DB Tony Scott on injured reserve (sprained foot).

MILESTONES & RECORDS
Coach Mike Dailey: A win over Indiana would move Coach Dailey into a tie with former Iowa/New York & Carolina coach John Gregory for sixth on the AFL's all-time list. Including the playoffs, Dailey is currently 72-50. Gregory was 73-56.

OL/DL Kyle Moore-Brown: A true AFL Ironman, he is in his 10th season in the league and has never missed a game. The game at Indiana will mark his 153rd consecutive start. The first 139 all came with the Firebirds organization before he signed with the Crush this past offseason.

DS Rashad Floyd: Leads the league in tackles with 103.5, 23.5 ahead of second place - Indiana's Anthony Derricks with 80.5 ... At his current pace, Floyd will finish with 127.5 to set a new AFL single-season record ... He already has the third highest total.
AFL Record - Most Tackle in a Season
Player Team Year Total
Cornelius Coe IND 2001 121.5
Damon Mason ORL 2000 108.0
Rashad Floyd COL 2004 103.5*
Damon Mason ORL 1999 103.0
Damon Mason ORL 2001 101.0
* indicates still has 3 games remaining


OS Damian Harrell: Has caught a TD pass in 30 straight games, including all 27 games as a member of the Crush ... That streak is the longest active streak of consecutive games scoring a TD and consecutive games with a TD reception ... The mark is the third longest streak of consecutive games with a TD reception in AFL history ... It is also the fifth longest streak of consecutive games with a TD ... Harrell's streak began with the Toronto Phantoms on 7/4/02 ... Ironically, Chris Jackson's consecutive TD streak (2nd all-time), was snapped by the Crush, at LA during Week 15 of the Crush's inaugural season (5/10/03).
AFL Consecutive Games with a TD Reception
Year (Week)
Player (team) Stk began Stk ended # Games
Eddie Brown (Alb/Ind) 1997 (Wk 3) 2000 (Wk 1) 41
Eddie Brown (Ind) 1994 (Wk 1) 1996 (Wk 14) 33
Damian Harrell (Tor/Col) 2002 (Wk 12) --- 30
Chris Jackson (LA) 2000 (Wk 1) 2002 (Wk 7) 28

AFL Consecutive Games Scoring a Touchdown
Year (Week)
Player (team) Stk began Stk ended # Games
Eddie Brown (Alb/Ind) 1997 (Wk 3) 2002 (Wk 3) 65
Chris Jackson (LA) 2000 (Wk 1) 2003 (Wk 14) 47
Barry Wagner (Orl) 1992 (Wk 10) 1996 (Wk 11) 43
Eddie Brown (Ind) 1994 (Wk 1) 1996 (Wk 14) 33
Damian Harrell (Tor/Col) 2002 (Wk 12) --- 30

More Harrell Marks: Harrell also has the second-most receiving yards in the AFL since 2000 ... Made 450th career receptions during win over Grand Rapids on 4/23 ... Also set a Crush single-game record with 176 receiving yards vs. GR.
AFL Receiving Leaders (2000-04)
Catches – Receiving Yards
Player (team) 2000-03 2004 Total
Chris Jackson (LA) 355 – 4,992 100 – 1,478 455 – 6,470
Damian Harrell (COL) 348 – 4,851 89 – 1,359 437 – 6,210
Greg Hopkins (LA) 400 – 4,888 55 – 630 455 – 5,518
Mike Horacek (IND) 363 – 4,735 36 – 513 399 – 5,248


Three Amigos
In their first season together, Damian Harrell, Kevin McKenzie and Willis Marshall have been instrumental in the Crush turnaround and have quickly formed one of the most prolific receiving corps in the Arena Football League. As a threesome, Harrell, McKenzie and Marshall rank 2nd in the league in receptions (224), 3rd in receiving yards (2,856) and 4th in receiving touchdowns (55).
Here is how the Crush trio compares to the rest of the league:
Trio Leaders - Receptions
Receivers Team Games Recepts
Nash, Bonner, Blalock LV 13 236
Harrell, McKenzie, Marshall COL 13 224
Shelley, Pettis, Sippio DAL 13 218
Solomon, Samuels, Toliver TB 14 213
Jackson, Ingram, Hopkins LA 13 212

Trio Leaders – Receiving Yards
Receivers Team Games Rec Yds
Jackson, Ingram, Hopkins LA 13 2,866
Shelley, Pettis, Sippio DAL 13 2,865
Harrell, McKenzie, Marshall COL 13 2,856
Nash, Bonner, Blalock LV 13 2,813
Solomon, Samuels, Toliver TB 14 2,613

Trio Leaders – Receiving Touchdowns
Receivers Team Games Rec TDs
Jackson, Ingram, Hopkins LA 13 64
Shelley, Pettis, Sippio DAL 13 61
Nash, Bonner, Blalock LV 13 56
Harrell, McKenzie, Marshall COL 13 55
Burley, Gatewood, Pace ARI 13 51



FB/LB Chad Dukes ranks fourth on the AFL's all-time rushing list with 1,111 yards. Dukes was the fourth player in AFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in his career. Currently on IR, Dukes trails Arizona's Bo Kelly by 85 yards for third place.
AFL Career Rushing Yards
Player Team 2004 Career
Les Barley — — 1,382
Andre Bowden TAM 4 1,198
Bo Kelly ARI 133 1,196
Chad Dukes COL 85 1,111
Bob McMillen CHI 232 1,096


FAMILIAR FACES
There will be plenty of family ties on opposite sides on Sunday. Seven Crush players and three coaches are former employees of the Firebirds organization. In addition, Indiana Coach Wilpolt not only served five seasons under Coach Dailey, Wilpolt is a native of Broomfield, Colo. and played college ball at Mesa State in Grand Junction. In addition, to the ex-Firebirds on the Crush, three current Firebirds played for the Crush last season. DS Delvin Hughley led the Crush in tackles last season with 71.5. Anthony Derricks made seven catches for 101 yards and a TD, and made 12 tackles for the Crush last season. Chris Janek also made 11.5 tackles in a Crush uniform. All three were traded to Indiana as part of the deal to bring in Dailey.

WIN AND YOU'RE IN
With a win Sunday over the Firebirds, the Crush will clinch their first-ever trip to the playoffs. They will also remain no worse than tied for the Central Division lead and second seed.

8 IS GREAT
One more Crush win will set a new record for the biggest turnaround in AFL history, with +8 wins over the previous season. The 9-4 Crush finished 2-14 in their inaugural 2003 campaign. The New Jersey (now Las Vegas) Gladiators improved from 2-12 in 2001 to post a 9-5 mark in 2002, but failed to make the playoffs. The Detroit Fury tuned a 1-13 season in 2002 into an 8-8 record and playoff berth in 2003.

HANDS OFF
After allowing 14 sacks last season (12 on Dutton), the Crush pass protection has been stellar this season. The team has allowed just four sacks through 13 games, and none since Week 6 at San Jose (3/14). Crush quarterbacks last season combined to throw 24 picks to 86 touchdowns. With the extra time, Dutton has decreased his interception total from 19 last season, to just seven through 13 games. Last season, 4.1 % of Crush passes were intercepted. This season that percentage is down to just 1.6

TAKEAWAY
The Crush defense has been active in forcing turnovers. When they have a positive turnover margin the team is 7-0. No team in the league has forced more turnovers, with the Crush, Indiana and Tampa Bay each inducing 28 opponent miscues. The Crush also ranks third in the league in turnover margin at +12 and only two teams have forced more fumbles.

KEEPAWAY
The Crush has also limited its own mistakes. They have thrown only seven interceptions, tied for fourth fewest in the league. They have surrendered the fifth fewest turnovers. Last season the Crush committed 46 turnovers while forcing just 20. This season they have committed 16 and have already taken away 28.

DON'T I KNOW YOU FROM SOMEWHERE?
A few current Crush players were also teammates in college. Here are some of those faces that are familiar to one another.
Virginia – Ahmad Hawkins, Dwayne Stukes, Maurice Anderson
Ball State – Sunungura Rusununguko & Aaron Johnson
Nevada – John Dutton & John Peaua

FLOCK OF FIREBIRDS
With Coach Dailey's move to the Crush came a flock of former Albany and Indiana Firebirds migrated west to Denver. In all seven Crush players and three Crush coaches stopped in either Albany, Indiana or both before reaching the Rockies.

Former Firebirds (years with Firebirds)
Players Coaches
Jose Davis (2003) Mike Dailey (1992-2003)
Chad Dukes (1996-98) Ernesto Purnsley (1997-98, 2000-03)
Hugh Hunter (2002-03) Brian Partlow (2000-03)
Aaron Johnson (2001-03)
Kyle Moore-Brown (1995-03)
Sunungura Rusununguko (2002-03)
Rich Young (2002-03)


NEW BLOOD
In addition to a new coaching staff, the Crush features a revamped roster. Only five players from last year's inaugural season made the 2004 opening day roster.
Returning 2003 Players
John Dutton Saul Patu Ahmad Hawkins
Damian Harrell Bryant Shaw

CALL TO THE HALL
Legendary Denver Broncos QB and Crush co-owner and CEO John Elway was among four players named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 2004. Elway is the winningest quarterback in NFL history (148-82-1) and led the Broncos to five Super Bowls, including championships in his final two seasons. He was named MVP of Super Bowl XXXIII. He will be inducted to the Hall in Canton, Ohio on August 8, 2004.

BAILEY BRENNER FUND
Club Crush, the official fan club of the Crush, has established a fund to raise money for the medical expenses for kicker Anthony Brenner's special needs daughter. To contribute to the fund, make checks payable to Bailey Brenner and send to: Guaranty National Bank and Trust, Attn: Miracle Ford, 1331 17th St., Denver, CO 80202. For more information about Club Crush, log on to www.clubcrush.com.

CRUSH NOTABLES
Team
· A Crush win would mark the biggest turnaround in AFL history at +8 (+7 wins, NJ Gladiators 2001-02, Detroit 2002-03)
· Colorado's three remaining opponents have an overall record of only 20-20 (.500), but they are 2-1 vs. the Crush this season .
· The Crush finished 0-8 at home last season. They have started the 2004 season 6-1 at Pepsi Center.
· The Crush is 7-0 in games with a positive turnover margin. They are 0-3 with a negative margin.
· Strange but true – The Crush is 5-1 when they commit more penalties than their opponent and are also 5-1 when they have less total yards that their opponent.
· The Crush has not allowed a sack since Week 6 @ San Jose (3/14).
· Nine times the Crush have held their opponent without a sack. No Crush opponent has had multiple sacks.
· The Crush has only scored first in one of their six road games (@ LA, 4/10).
· The Crush is 1-3 on Sundays and 8-1 on all other days.
· They have been shutout in a quarter only twice all year.
· The Crush has held 2 of its last of 3 opponents under 200 yards passing (179 @ NY, 168 by GR).
· The Crush has surrendered only 70 points over the last two games.
· The Crush has allowed 30+ points in a half only once this season (33 by Det., 2nd, 3/4)

Individual
· Coach Dailey (72-50) needs one Crush win to pass former Iowa/New York head coach John Gregory (73-56) for sixth on the AFL's all-time win list.
· Damian Harrell has caught a TD pass in 30 straight games, including all 27 career games with the Crush (3rd longest streak in AFL history).
· Harrell's 176 yards receiving vs. Grand Rapids was a new franchise high (168 by Joe Douglass @. Ari., 3/16/03).
· The game at Indiana will mark the 153rd straight start for Kyle Moore-Brown – every game in his 10-year career.
· John Dutton completed a Crush season-long 45-yd TD pass to Kevin McKenzie vs. Philadelphia.

AWARDS

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME (selected by media)
Week Opp. Player
1 vs. Las Vegas Damian Harrell (COL))
2 @ Gr. Rapids John Dutton (COL)
3 @ Chicago Raymond Philyaw (CHI)
4 vs. Austin John Dutton (COL)
5 vs. Detroit Damian Harrell (COL)
6 @ San Jose Mark Grieb (SJ)
7 @ Philadelphia Damian Harrell (COL)
8 vs. Arizona Damian Harrell (COL)
9 vs. Indiana Anthony Hines (IND)
10 @ Los Angeles Damian Harrell (COL)
11 @ New York Aaron Garcia (NY)
12 vs. Gr. Rapids Damian Harrell (COL)
13 vs. Philadelphia John Dutton (COL)

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME (selected by media)
Week Opp. Player
1 vs. Las Vegas Ahmad Hawkins (COL)
2 @ Gr. Rapids Rashad Floyd (COL)
3 @ Chicago John Moyer (CHI)
4 vs. Austin Rashad Floyd (COL)
5 vs. Detroit Willis Marshall (COL)
6 @ San Jose Joe Jacobs (SJ)
7 @ Philadelphia Rashad Floyd (COL)
8 vs. Arizona Rashad Floyd (COL)
9 vs. Indiana Rashad Floyd (COL)
10 @ Los Angeles Rich Young (COL)
11 @ New York Donvetis Franklin (NY)
12 vs. Gr. Rapids Rashad Floyd (COL)
13 vs. Philadelphia Rashad Floyd (COL)

IRONMAN OF THE GAME (selected by media)
Week Opp. Player
1 vs. Las Vegas Kevin McKenzie (COL)
2 @ Gr. Rapids Kevin McKenzie (COL)
3 @ Chicago Jamie McGourty (CHI)
4 vs. Austin Kevin McKenzie (COL)
5 vs. Detroit Willis Marshall (COL)
6 @ San Jose Rashied Davis (SJ)
7 @ Philadelphia Chris Ryan (PHI)
8 vs. Arizona Kevin McKenzie (COL)
9 vs. Indiana Kevin McKenzie (COL)
10 @ Los Angeles Kevin McKenzie (COL)
11 @ New York Lincoln DuPree (NY)
12 vs. Gr. Rapids Willis Marshall (COL)
13 vs. Philadelphia Kevin McKenzie (COL)

AFL WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS:
IRONMAN OF WEEK: Kevin McKenzie (Week 2)
Kevin McKenzie (Week 10)
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF WEEK: Rashad Floyd (Week 8)

AFL MONTHY AWARD WINNERS:
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF MONTH: Rashad Floyd (March)


FIRST MEETING: WEEK 5 · COLORADO 62, DETROIT 61
PEPSI CENTER · DENVER, COLORADO · Attendance: 15,942
AWARDS: OFF-DAMIAN HARRELL (COL) · DEF-WILLIS MARSHALL (COL) · IRONMAN-WILLIS MARSHALL (COL)

DENVER -- Mark Lewis' 55-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide right at the final buzzer, allowing the Colorado Crush (4-1) to escape with a 62-61 win over the Detroit Fury (2-2) on a snowy Thursday night in the Mile High City.

The Crush battled to a 62-48 lead thanks to a pair of touchdowns in the final five minutes. But the Fury stormed back in the final 60 seconds, scoring on an 8-yard pass from Andy Kelly to Junior Lord, successfully recovering an onside kick, then scoring again on a 2-yard pass from Kelly to Thabiti Davis with three seconds remaining. But the Fury chose to go for two following the second touchdown, a decision that proved unsuccessful when Kelly's pass for Lord skipped high and just out of the receiver's grasp. Detroit recovered the ensuing onside kick with one second left, sending the 15,942 at the Pepsi Center into silence and setting up Lewis' unsuccessful field-goal try.

Until the final minute, the game was defined by turnover margin. Detroit surrendered the football four times -- three on Kelly fumbles and once via a Willis Marshall interception. Two of Kelly's fumbles came on mishandled snaps, a problem that has plagued the Crush in the last two years. Colorado kept its grip on the football, going without a turnover. That error-free football allowed the Crush to overcome a 370-233 deficit in total yardage and a 30-12 disadvantage in first downs. Colorado's 62 points set a franchise record.

Crush quarterback John Dutton only completed 12 passes, but seven went for scores. Damian Harrell caught four of the touchdown passes, posting his biggest game of the season with 5 catches for 124 yards. Marshall added two TDs as the Crush doubled its win total from 2003.


LAST GAME: WEEK 13 · COLORADO 58, PHILADELPHIA 40
May 1, 2004 · PEPSI CENTER · DENVER, COLORADO · Attendance: 16,055
AWARDS: OFF- JOHN DUTTON (COL) · DEF- RASHAD FLOYD (COL) · IRONMAN- KEVIN McKENZIE (COL)

DENVER -- The Colorado Crush advanced to 9-4 and clinched its first winning season in franchise history, defeating the Philadelphia Soul 58-40 in front of 16,055 at the Pepsi Center on Saturday evening. The Soul dropped to 5-7 with the defeat, jeopardizing its playoff hopes.

Wide receiver/linebacker Kevin McKenzie led the way for the Crush, scoring three touchdowns, intercepting a pass and amassing 100 yards on six receptions. McKenzie's first touchdown came just 10 seconds into the contest, when he recovered a kickoff that slammed off the left upright, returning it four yards for the quickest score in franchise history.

Colorado never trailed. Philadelphia tied the game at 7 when Todd Hammel fired a 40-yard touchdown pass to Sean Scott just 1:40 into the game, but the Crush responded with a 49-yard touchdown drive that put them in front for good.

Quarterback John Dutton completed 23-of-33 passes for 263 yards and five touchdowns for Colorado. Four Crush pass-catchers topped 40 receiving yards, including Damian Harrell, whose 16-yard touchdown reception increased his streak of games with a touchdown catch to 30.

The Crush increased its lead to 37-20 by halftime and was never seriously threatened from that point forward, scoring a touchdown on its initial second-half possession and maintaining a lead of at least three scores from that point on. Colorado built a 32-point fourth-quarter lead before Soul quarterback Nick Browder tossed two touchdown passes in the game's final six minutes.

Browder replaced Hammel, who completed 16-of-25 passes for 247 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in three quarters of work. Browder connected on 12 of his 18 attempts for 126 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Colorado triumphed in spite of being outgained 369 yards to 270 and outpassed 367 yards to 263. The Crush compensated for its yardage deficit by posting a plus-2 turnover ratio thanks to two interceptions and a fumble recovery. (Andrew Mason, ColoradoCrush.com)



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 19, 2004


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