Dailey Gets No. 100 In 67-54 Win Over Avengers
April 5, 2008 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Colorado Crush News Release
On a night that Colorado Crush head coach Mike Dailey achieved his 100th career regular season victory, becoming only the fifth coach in Arena Football League history to achieve the century mark, Charles Dickens would have been proud: the game was a tale of two halves.
In the end the Crush (2-3) defeated the Los Angeles Avengers (2-4) by a score of 67-54 on Friday at Pepsi Center on the strength of 4 turnovers forced by the Crush defense and a strong passing day from QB John Dutton.
The Avenger's held a 34-21 lead at one point in the first half after the L.A. defense stifled the Crush offense for the better part of two quarters. However, the Crush outscored the Avengers 47-20 in the final 30:24 of the game.
"We knew we had to get a win today just to get our team back in the right mindset," said Dutton, who completed 32-of-50 throws for 334 yards and 8 touchdowns while also running for another score. "In the second half, guys just kept fighting and fighting and made some big plays."
The Avengers started journeyman QB Tim Hicks over Sonny Cumbie in the game and Hicks was picked off twice in the game, both by Crush defensive back Rashad Floyd. Floyd was named the Defensive Player of the Game after his 5.5 tackle, 2 interception, and 3 pass break-up night.
"The team really came together in the game," Floyd said. "We had some injuries out there, with [DB] Zach Norton and [WR] Brad Pyatt going down, but we persevered and made some big plays and we won a game we knew we had to win."
Crush WR Ben Nelson also had a career-day, finishing with 13 catches for 174 yards and 5 touchdowns, a career high in touchdowns for him.
"I'm just happy to get the win," Nelson said. "The second half we really exploded offensively and defensively and when it comes together like that, it's going to be a huge day."
Los Angeles' first turnover came on their first third quarter drive when Crush defensive DB Jason Harmon caused one of his two forced fumbles on the day; both balls falling out of the grasp of Avengers WR J.R. Tolliver.
Tolliver's first fumble went out of the back of the end zone for a touchback. The play could have put Los Angeles up 41-28, but instead turned into a Crush possession. The Crush scored two plays later to make the score 35-34 with 10:52 left in the third quarter.
"Harmon came up huge for us today," Floyd said. "He caused a couple turnovers and turnovers are huge in this game. He came in off the bench to do it, so that makes it all the more special."
Floyd would intercept Hicks on the ensuing L.A. drive at the goal line, again making for another 14-point swing in Colorado's favor. The very next series Dutton connected with WR Ben Nelson on a 5-yard touchdown pass to make the score 41-34.
The Avengers would tie it up 41-41 on their next series, but the Crush then rattled off 20 unanswered points making a 61-41 separation. Harmon would force another fumble and Floyd intercepted another pass, which were both converted into Crush touchdowns.
The Avengers did not go away quietly, however. Avengers FB Lonnie Ford plowed in from 1-yard out to make the score 61-47 and just when the Crush could have put the nail in the coffin, Dutton was intercepted by L.A. LB Justin Hickman at the goal line. Hickman would rumble 50 yards untouched for a Los Angeles score that pulled the Avengers within seven, 61-54.
That would be the final score for Los Angeles, however, and the Crush sealed the win with Nelson's fifth touchdown of the day, a 9-yard pass from Dutton.
"I am really proud of the guys," Crush Head Coach Mike Dailey said. "They kept fighting and persevering in that second half and they deserved to win tonight."
Game Notes
Coach Mike Dailey became only the fifth coach in AFL history to achieve 100 regular seasons wins in his career. Dailey now has 110 career victories...
Wide receiver Ben Nelson's career night of 5 touchdown catches comes after having his previous career night against the same Los Angeles Avengers when he was a member of the San Jose Sabercats. In the first game of last season against the Avengers, Nelson tallied 14 catches for 180 yards and four touchdowns in the Sabercats 66-58 win...
Quarterback John Dutton passed for eight touchdowns for the first time since Week 12 of last season against Columbus. Dutton's eight touchdowns in the game against the Avengers leaves him just two shy of 500 touchdown passes for his career, which would make him only the seventh layer in AFL history to achieve 500 touchdowns or more...
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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 5, 2008
- VooDoo tame SaberCats, 72-43 - New Orleans VooDoo
- Blaze fall short in loss to Soul, 64-56 - Utah Blaze
- Destroyers steal one from Storm 49-51 - Tampa Bay Storm
- Destroyers' linebacker Neal comes up with key interception leading to Columbus win - Columbus Destroyers
- Rampage Offense Slowed by New York in 63-34 Defeat - Grand Rapids Rampage
- Soul douse Blaze to remain unbeaten - Philadelphia Soul
- Soul douse Blaze 64-56 to remain unbeaten - Philadelphia Soul
- Avengers Crushed; Lose Fourth Straight - OSC Original by Tim Peterson
- Dailey Gets No. 100 In 67-54 Win Over Avengers - Colorado Crush
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