Crush beat VooDoo, 63-57; Kelly reaches 700 career TDs
May 8, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
New Orleans VooDoo News Release
NEW ORLEANS--Colorado QB John Dutton threw for eight TDs as the Crush beat the New Orleans VooDoo, 63-57 in the New Orleans Arena.
Dutton, who was selected as the Offensive Player of the Game, completed 30-of-40 passes for 296 yards as the Crush (9-5) broke a three-game losing streak.
VooDoo QB Andy Kelly became only the second player in AFL history to throw for 700 touchdowns as he completed a 14-yard TD pass to OS Aaron Bailey in the second quarter. Kelly was 28-of-42 passing for 272 yards and seven touchdowns on the day.
New Orleans (8-6) had an opportunity to tie the game on the final play after DS Denario Smalls recovered an onside kick with four seconds to play at the VooDoo 17. Kelly threw a long pass for the back corner of the end zone, but the ball was knocked away from the intended receiver, WR/LB Thabiti Davis, as time expired.
The VooDoo trailed, 63-51 with 33 seconds remaining after a five-yard TD pass from Dutton to OS Damian Harrell for the Crush. Kelly then engineered a five-play, 43-yard drive to score on a 13-yard pass to Davis with five seconds left. The extra-point kick by K Brian Schmitz was blocked by FB/LB Chad Dukes to preserve Colorado's six-point margin.
New Orleans had rallied from a 49-42 deficit to take their first lead since the late first quarter with nine points in eight seconds in the early stages of the fourth quarter. Schmitz made a 32-yard field goal with 10:31 to play to pull the VooDoo to 49-45.
On the ensuing kickoff, the ball was recovered off the net by Smalls at the Crush 2 and returned for a touchdown with 10:23 left for a 51-49 New Orleans lead after a missed extra point.
Colorado retook the lead, 56-51 on their next possession as Dutton hit WR/DB Ahmad Hawkins with 7:06 left.
The Crush attempted an onside kick and the ball was recovered by Smalls at the Colorado 8. An offsides call during the kickoff on Colorado moved the ball half the distance to the goal line at the 4.
The New Orleans offense could not convert as Kelly's fourth down pass attempt to Davis was incomplete with 4:05 to play.
From there, the Crush went on a time-consuming drive that took eight plays and 3:32 off the clock that forced New Orleans to use all three of their timeouts before Dutton's scoring pass with 33 seconds to play.
Crush WR/DB Willis Marshall, who caught 12 passes for 110 yards and one TD on offense and returned four kickoffs for 101 yards on special teams, was selected as the U.S. Army Ironman of the Game. Colorado DS Rashad Floyd, who had 10 solo tackles, two pass breakups and one fumble recovery, was selected as the ADT Defensive Player of the Game.
The Crush got on the board first as Dutton completed a fade pattern in the back corner of the end zone to Harrell with 12:29 to play in the quarter as Colorado took a 7-0 lead. New Orleans answered on their first possession as Kelly threw a 26-yard bomb to WR/DB Jacques Rumph with 9:21 to go for a 7-7 tie.
The VooDoo defense got their first turnover of the game as Dutton was sacked by OL/DL Mike Landry at the Crush 24 and fumbled. FB/LB Dawan Moss recovered for the VooDoo with 4:33 left in the quarter.
Kelly and the New Orleans offense capitalized after the turnover as he hit Bailey in the back of the end zone six plays later for a 10-yard TD and a 14-7 lead with 1:23 remaining.
On the ensuing kickoff, Marshall took the ball four yards deep in his end zone and wove his way 51 yards to the VooDoo 3. Two plays later, Dutton rolled out to his right and tossed a two-yard TD pass to FB/LB John Peaua for a 14-14 tie with 14:38 left in the second quarter.
New Orleans fumbled the ball on their next possession as FB/LB Leroy Thompson was stripped of the ball by Colorado FB/LB Saul Patu. DS Rashad Floyd recovered for the Crush at the Colorado 13.
Three plays later, Dutton found WR/LB Kevin McKenzie for a four-yard touchdown as the Crush led for the first time in the contest, 21-14 with 11:47 to play in the quarter.
Kelly reached the 700 career passing touchdown mark as he found Bailey for a 14-yard score with 9:11 remaining in the first half as the VooDoo tied the game, 21-21.
Colorado took eight plays to go ahead again, 28-21, on a two-yard run by Dukes with 2:31 to play in the period.
Kelly tied the contest again, 28-28 on a 10-yard pass to Davis with 55 seconds to go in the half.
The Crush took a 35-28 halftime lead with three seconds to go as Dutton threw a three-yard TD pass to Marshall.
In the third quarter, New Orleans tied the game at 35-35 with 10:44 left on a six-yard TD reception by Rumph. Harrell caught his second TD pass of the game, a 32-yarder with 7:50 to go for a 42-35 Colorado margin.
Davis' second TD reception of the game with 4:26 to play in the period tied the game for New Orleans at 42-42, but Dutton and Harrell hooked up again, this time on a 14-yard pass play with 1:03 to go, as the Crush went up, 49-42, at the end of three quarters.
The loss was the second straight for the VooDoo and their first against an American Conference team in 2005 after seven straight victories. New Orleans can qualify for the AFL playoffs with victories in their final two games vs. Austin at home and at Orlando.
Davis led all VooDoo receivers with 15 catches for 140 yards and three TDs. Bailey added nine receptions for 91 yards and two TDs for New Orleans. Harrell led the Crush with 13 catches for 130 yards and four touchdowns.
The VooDoo have their final regular season home game in the Arena this coming Saturday vs. Austin (May 14) at 7 pm. The Crush host Nashville this Friday at 7 pm MT in the Pepsi Center.
VooDoo SPELLS: Thompson became the sixth player in AFL history with 1,000 career rushing yards after he picked up seven yards in the contest...the VooDoo are one-half game out of the final playoff spot at 8-6...they are tied with Tampa Bay, but the Storm own the tiebreaker between the two clubs. Orlando holds the other Wild Card position currently at 9-6...the net recovery by Smalls in the fourth quarter was the first-ever against Colorado in the three-year history of the Crush...Harrell had his seventh three-TD contest of the year and extended his consecutive-game TD reception streak to 47 contests.
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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 8, 2005
- Crush beat VooDoo, 63-57; Kelly reaches 700 career TDs - New Orleans VooDoo
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- Dragons outlast Destroyers, 56-44 - Columbus Destroyers
- Grand Rapids loses to Nashville - Grand Rapids Rampage
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