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Crush Falls to Rush, 49-48

February 13, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Colorado Crush News Release


DENVER -- It was not the 21-yard Keith Gispert field goal with three seconds left that the Crush lamented most following a 49-48 loss to the Chicago Rush in front of 16,620 at Pepsi Center on Sunday.

Rather, it was the squandered opportunities in the moments throughout the game that gnawed at the team the most. Chicago might not have been in position for its last-minute comeback from eight points down had the Crush managed to convert either of the Rush turnovers it forced into points.

Colorado's defense coaxed two interceptions from Chicago quarterback Raymond Philyaw -- a second-quarter grab by Andy McCullough and a fourth-period, goal-line snare by wide receiver/linebacker Kevin McKenzie. But the Crush offense could turn neither into points, as an interception and a missed field goal ended the Crush's chances of capitalizing on Chicago's mistakes.

"Those are things we've certainly got to take advantage of," Crush Head Coach Mike Dailey said. "If we're going to be a great football team, we've got to correct those (mistakes)."

That inability to convert proved costly as the Crush dropped to 1-2 while falling one game behind its Central Division rivals, who left the Mile High City as the only team over .500 in the division at 2-1.

McCullough's second-quarter interception gave the Crush the ball at the Chicago 16. But Colorado gave it back one play later when John Dutton's toss to Damian Harrell went short and was intercepted by Chicago's Russell Shaw in the end zone, thwarting an opportunity for the Crush to take an 11-point lead.

"They turn it over to us, we turn right back and turn it over to them the very next play," Dailey said. "Those things can't happen."

McKenzie's interception came early in the fourth quarter with the Crush in front 41-34. He stepped in front of Philyaw's pass just inside the Crush end zone; the play ended in a touchback and the Crush drove to the Chicago 11-yard-line.

At that point, the march stalled. Two Dutton passes for McKenzie and Damian Harrell fell incomplete. With third-and-10, Dutton found Harrell in the end zone, but the play was ruled incomplete.

"(The officials) said he would have landed out of bounds, and that's a judgment call," Dailey said. "From where I was, I couldn't see it."

Added Dutton: "That was huge in the game. We could have gone up 14 points and we didn't do it."

One play later, Clay Rush missed a 26-yard field-goal attempt.

"I always say kicking a field goal in this league's way too hard to rely on a kicker to make a field goal," Dutton said. "We're paid to play and put the points on the board offensively. We can't allow him to be kicking field goals."

Three plays later, the Rush found the end zone on a 23-yard pass from Philyaw to Henry Douglas, and the tit-for-tat resumed. But the Crush never had another chance to build a two-score lead, and that squandered chance proved costly when the Rush followed a touchdown with 35 seconds left with a successful on-side kick, setting up Gispert's game-winning field goal.

"I do appreciate my team's effort," Dailey said. "I think they played hard tonight. We've just got to do a better job of executing and giving ourselves a chance to win."

FIRST QUARTER

For the second consecutive week, the Crush won the coin toss and deferred its option to the second half, allowing the Rush to take the ball first. Chicago used the opening possession to take the first lead of the game -- but it was only a 3-point edge as the Crush stopped the Rush in a goal-to-go situation at the Colorado 2-yard-line when Hugh Hunter forced Raymond Philyaw to throw into the stands on third-and-goal. Keith Gispert drilled the 16-yard field goal to give the Rush a 3-0 lead 5:02 into the contest.

Colorado began its first possession at its 5-yard-line, and began with a 9-yard gain on a pass from John Dutton to Andy McCullough. McCullough was drilled by Chicago's Greg Williams and did not immediately arise, but soon got up and stayed in the game. After a protracted delay and a timeout, Dutton found Willis Marshall for a 35-yard gain past two Chicago defenders, giving the Crush first-and-goal at the Rush 1-yard-line. Marshall then finished off the drive with a 1-yard run to put the Crush in front 7-3.

Five plays later, the Rush took the lead back when Jamie McGourty capped a 45-yard drive with a 6-yard scoring run to the right side. Gispert drilled the extra point, giving the Rush a 10-7 edge with 2:46 left in the period.

Colorado reclaimed possession, gained two first downs and advanced to its 24-yard-line as the quarter concluded.

SECOND QUARTER

As the second period began, a plague of penalties helped the Crush move into a goal-to-go situation. Colorado was flagged once, while the Rush drew three flags, helping set up a third-and-goal, 4-yard pass from Dutton to Damian Harrell that put the Crush in front 14-10 with 11:37 left before halftime.

One snap later, the Rush moved into scoring range when Philyaw and Molden hooked up for a 36-yard pass in front of Rashad Floyd. One play after that, the duo connected again for the 9-yard score that allowed Chicago to reclaim the lead at 17-14.

Colorado wasted little time in moving downfield on its next possession, beginning the drive with a 17-yard pass from Dutton to Marshall. Another Dutton-to-Marshall connection provided 13 yards and moved the Crush to the Rush 15-yard-line, and set up the second Dutton-to-Harrell touchdown of the day two snaps later, when Harrell snagged a 10-yard pass and waltzed into the end zone for the score. Kicker Clay Rush made his third extra point of the day to put Colorado in front 21-17 with 5:08 left in the quarter.

Chicago began its next drive at its 5, and was at midfield one play later thanks to a 20-yard pass from Philyaw to Russell Shaw. Philyaw found Molden for a 17-yard pass two plays later, but a holding infraction against McGourty pushed the Rush back to 2nd-and-20 at its 15, setting up the first turnover of the game when Philyaw was pressured by Maurice Anderson, forcing a short, errant pass that McCullough intercepted at the Chicago 17-yard-line. But one play later, the Crush returned the favor when Dutton fired a pass for Harrell that Shaw intercepted in the end zone. Shaw advanced out of the end zone, but was then pushed back into it on the subsequent tackle; however, the Rush got the football back at its 1-yard-line.

Philyaw found Shaw for 23 yards one play later, moving the Rush into more comfortable field position. Philyaw overthrew an end-zone pass for Shaw one play later, but subsequently found Henry Douglas for a 26-yard touchdown with 52 seconds left in the half to give the Rush the lead once again, at 24-21.

Chicago then tried an on-side kickoff, but the ball sailed into the stands, giving the Crush the ball at the Rush 12-yard-line. Dutton's first-down pass for Harrell went incomplete, but it was nullified by a holding penalty on Colorado's Rich Young, pushing the Crush back to the Rush 22 with 46 seconds left before intermission. A Dutton pass for Harrell on first-and-20 went out of play. He found Harrell one play later for 10 yards, giving the Crush third-and-10 from the 12 with 36 seconds left in the half and setting up the 12-yard touchdown strike to Kevin McKenzie. But Colorado's lead stayed at just three points when Rush missed the extra point, keeping the Crush's lead at 27-24 with 31 seconds left before halftime.

Chicago reclaimed possession, but could advance no further than the Crush 14-yard-line. Gispert then drilled a 29-yard field goal as time expired, leaving the game deadlocked at intermission.

THIRD QUARTER

After a first half of scores and turnovers, a pair of quick stops provided a change to open the second half. Colorado opened with a three-and-out, forcing a Clay Rush field-goal try that sailed wide left, but then the Crush defense stopped Chicago on a fourth-and-1 from the Rush 15-yard-line, giving the Crush good field position for its second possession of the third period.

Two short Dutton passes gave the Crush first-and-goal from the Rush 5. Rich Young ran for three yards to give the Crush second-and-goal from the 2, and Hugh Hunter finished the drive with a leaping 2-yard grab in the back of the end zone for a touchdown. Rush nailed the extra point, putting the Crush up by seven points for the first time, at 34-27 with 7:35 left in the third period.

Flags marred the next drive, helping the Rush tie the game. Illegal-formation and illegal-defense infractions against Colorado's Young and McCullough helped the Rush move to the Crush 18, from where Philyaw found Douglas for a score that knotted the game with 3:48 left in the quarter.

Flags marred the next drive, helping the Rush tie the game. Illegal-formation and illegal-defense infractions against Colorado's Young and McCullough helped the Rush move to the Crush 18, from where Philyaw found Douglas for a score that knotted the game with 3:48 left in the quarter. Four plays later, the Crush reclaimed the lead when Dutton and Harrell collaborated for their third touchdown of the day -- a 17-yarder with 1:29 left in the quarter. Clay Rush nailed the extra point, putting the Crush up 41-34.

Chicago ran two more plays before the period ended -- an incomplete pass that McKenzie swatted away and a 33-yard Philyaw-to-Molden connection that moved the Rush to the Crush 12 as the period ended.

FOURTH QUARTER

Chicago had first-and-10 from the 12, but McKenzie made sure they couldn't turn that into points three plays later by intercepting a pass from Philyaw at the goal line. Hunter had the pressure that forced the errant toss, one that was downed for a touchback and gave the Crush first-and-10 at its 5-yard-line with 13:33 left in the final period.

But once again, the Crush could not capitalize off a turnover. Colorado's drive stalled when three straight passes fell incomplete from the Rush 11-yard-line, including one that the crowd thought Harrell had in the back left corner of the end zone. One play later, Clay Rush's field-goal try smacked off the top of the right upright and was no good, giving the Rush possession again at its 5-yard-line with 8:22 left in regulation. Less than two minutes later, Philyaw and Douglas connected for a touchdown, but Gispert's extra point went wide, keeping the Crush in front 41-40.

Two plays later, the Crush pushed the lead up to eight points thanks to passes of 29 and 12 yards to Ahmad Hawkins and McCullough. Hawkins' catch was his first of the season, and McCullough's gave him a touchdown that put the Crush in front 48-40 with 4:03 left to play.

That would be the last time the Crush led. Chicago scored the final nine points to eke out the one-point win.



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from February 13, 2005


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