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Detroit Fury game notes

February 10, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Detroit Fury News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Detroit Fury (0-1) at Arizona Rattlers (0-1)
Date: Friday, February 13, 2004
Kickoff: 9:00 p.m. ET
Site: America West Arena
Officials: Craig Wrolstad (Referee), Rick Lowe (Umpire),
Gary Cavaletto (Head Linesman), Rusty Banes (Line Judge),
Scott Helverson (Back Judge).
Radio: WDFN, 1130 AM
Fred McLeod (Play-by-Play)
TV: None
Series Record: Arizona Leads (0-2)
Last Meeting: Friday, March 7, 2003 @ Arizona
Arizona 51 – Detroit 41
Streaks: Arizona – Lose 1
Detroit – Lose 1
Coaches: Danny White (128-60)
Tom Luginbill (0-1, 1st Year)

THE STAKES: Detroit and Arizona both finished their opening week with heart-breaking home losses, and Detroit will be looking to rebound on the road. The Fury are looking for their first win under Head Coach Tom Luginbill, and it is critical for both teams to get a win under their belt. After the game in Arizona, the Fury return to face off against division rival Indiana Firebirds, when they begin conference play. The Fury would like to build some positive momentum before heading into their bye week.

THE SERIES: The Fury and Rattlers have met twice, once in the postseason (2001) and last year during the regular season. The Rattlers hold the 2-0 series record over the Fury, and both games were played in Phoenix. Last year, AFL Ironman of the Year Randy Gatewood helped lead the Rattlers over the Fury, with two interceptions on defense and one touchdown on offense.


TEAM SCHEDULES:

DETROIT FURY (0-1)
Date Opponent Series Result Score
2/05 SAN JOSE 1-1 L 43-58
Date Opponent Time TV Series
2/13 @Arizona 9:00 - 0-2
2/23 INDIANA 7:30 Comcast 1-4
2/28 BYE WEEK - - -
3/04 @Colorado 9:00 - 1-0
3/12 @New Orleans 8:00 - n/a
3/18 AUSTIN 7:30 Comcast n/a
3/28 @Chicago 3:00 NBC 2-3
4/01 GEORGIA 7:30 Comcast 1-1
4/10 GRAND RAPIDS 7:30 - 2-3
4/16 @Los Angeles 10:30 - 1-0
4/25 @Las Vegas 3:00 NBC 1-3
5/02 CHICAGO 3:00 NBC 2-3
5/08 @Indiana 8:00 - 1-4
5/15 ARIZONA 7:30 - 0-2
5/23 COLORADO 3:00 NBC 1-0
5/29 @Grand Rapids 7:30 - 2-3
Comcast Cable / Bright House Network

ARIZONA RATTLERS (0-1)
Date Opponent Series Result Score
2/8 LOS ANGELES -- L 32-51
Date Opponent Time TV Series
2/13 DETROIT 3:00 -- 2-0
2/21 @ Carolina 7:30 - -
2/29 NEW YORK 3:00 NBC -
3/5 COLUMBUS 9:00 - -
3/14 @ Las Vegas 6:00 - -
3/18 NEW ORLEANS 9:00 - -
3/27 @ Colorado 9:00 - -
4/4 @ Grand Rapids 3:00 - -
4/10 LAS VEGAS 10:00 - -
4/18 DALLAS 3:00 NBC -
4/25 @ Indiana 3:00 NBC -
5/1 @ Los Angeles 10:30 - -
5/9 SAN JOSE 3:00 NBC -
5/15 @ Detroit 7:30 - 2-0
5/23 BYE WEEK - - -
5/30 @ San Jose 4:00 NBC -
* all times Eastern and subject to change

HEAD COACHES:

TOM LUGINBILL, Detroit (0-1, 1st Year): 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, which tied the AFL record for a single-season turnaround. 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 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.

DANNY WHITE, Arizona (128-60, 13th Year): White is the first and only head coach and general manager of the Arizona Rattlers, and he has guided his team to two ArenaBowl titles (1994 & 1997) and four ArenaBowl appearances (1994, 1997, 2002, 2003). White is entering his 13th season with the Rattlers, and is the second coach in Arena Football history to win 100 games as a coach in the AFL. In 2002, he was inducted to the AFL Hall of Fame, and was the only coach inducted into the 2002 class. Prior to joining the Rattlers, White had a stellar career as a quarterback with the Dallas Cowboys on the NFL. In his first year as a starting QB with Dallas, he broke the Cowboys’ single-season touchdown passing record. White still holds 21 passing records within the Cowboys organization, and he led the Cowboys to three NFC East titles, and five playoff appearances. White played his college football at Arizona State University, where he finished as one of the Sun Devils’ best. White still holds many passing records at ASU, and is one of only five players to have their jerseys retired by the University. White’s father also has his number retired at ASU.


FURY IN THE COMMUNITY:

FURY HOSPITAL VISITS

Members of the Fury Team visit local area hospitals to bring cheer and hope to children during their stay. Often, players and coaches will “take over” the ward, filling it with Fury decorations. Players spend time with the children, sign autographs and leave special gifts behind. The Fury hope that these events will leave a lasting impression on the children and provide a life long memory they are sure to never forget.

In 2003, the Fury traveled to William Beaumont Hospital in and St. Joseph’s Mercy Macomb to visit children in the hospitals’ pediatric units. Fury players, the Fury Cheerleaders, and team mascot Frenzy toured the units bringing cheer and hope to children of all ages.

FURY FIELD TRIPS PROGRAM

The Fury Field Trips program is designed to encourage young people’s interest in science, math and technology by introducing them to real-life examples of how the sciences are used in the world around them. The goal of Fury Field Trips is to instill an interest in the sciences that they will carry through adulthood.

The Fury embarked on three Field Trips in 2003. The first was a visit to the Ford River Rouge Plant in Dearborn. Children toured the plant with Fury players and representatives from Ford, and the children were treated to a behind the scenes look at Detroit’s automotive industry.
The Fury also traveled to Woodland Elementary School in Troy. Students in attendance were treated to a wonderful, educational learning experience through an interactive science show, involving players and students. Finally, the Fury joined forces with the Detroit Pistons family and traveled to the Selfridge Air National Guard Base. Students toured Selfridge Air National Guard History Museum as well as the Air Park, which displays over 30 planes.

THE 2004 SEASON

In 2004, the Fury are still committed to making a difference off the field. The Fury will continue to host Fury Field Trips and Hospital Visits throughout the season. This season, the Fury will have four hospital visits to local area hospitals, with the first coming next Tuesday, February 17, at St. Joseph Mercy Macomb Hospital. Fury players and cheerleaders will visit the pediatric wing of the hospital bringing Fury swag and cheer to all the kids. The players and cheerleaders will also tour the hospital and visit with other patients as well.

LAST WEEK:

Auburn Hills, Mich. – In the Arena Football League’s opening game in 2004, the San Jose SaberCats defeated the Detroit Fury 58-43 in front of 12,314 fans at The Palace of Auburn Hills. With the loss, the Fury, now in their fourth season of AFL play, are 0-4 in season opening games.

San Jose used three turnovers and a solid rushing attack to beat the Fury. The SaberCats had two interceptions and one fumble recovery, including a 38-yard interception return for a touchdown by lineman Chuck Reed. After the score, the SaberCats took the lead for the remainder of the game.

Quarterback Andy Kelly led the Fury offense, completing 23-of-48 passes for 217 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Receiver Junior Lord led all receivers wit nine catches for 78 yards and one touchdown.

Fury rookie FB/LB Dawan Moss, who rushed three times for 12 yards and one touchdown, sparked the Fury offense with a rushing attack, and FBLB Cameron Chance also rushed twice for eight yards and a score.

Defensively, the Fury defensive unit registered three sacks, forced one fumble and held the SaberCats offense to two field goal attempts.

SCORE BY QUARTER

1 2 3 4 Final
San Jose 14 21 9 14 58
Detroit 14 14 7 8 43


DETROIT FURY NEXT WEEK:

Next week, The Fury return home for a Monday Night Football contest against the Indiana Firebirds, on February 23. The game will be the Fury’s first division game, since returning to the Central Division in the offseason. The Fury hold a 1-4 records against the Firebirds, with their only win coming at home in 2001 that qualified them for a berth in the playoffs. The Firebirds have re-vamped their team for 2004, with new Head Coach and former NFL quarterback Steve DeBerg at the helm. Last season, the Firebirds defeated the Fury 66-57 in the season opener at The Palace of Auburn Hills.






STATISTICS:

A look how Detroit and Arizona match-up on both sides of the ball based on the 2004 regular season statistics:

Statistical DETROIT ARIZONA
Category Stat Stat
Scoring Offense 43 32
Scoring Defense 58 51
Total Offense (yds/g) 236.0 241.0
Total Defense (yds/g) 179.0 236.0
Pass Offense (yds/g) 216.0 229.0
Pass Defense (yds/g) 141.0 195.0
Rushing Offense (yds/g) 20.0 12.0
Rushing Defense (yds/g) 38.0 41.0
Kickoff Return Avg. 18.2 15.0
Field Goals 0 / 1 0 / 1
PAT Kicking 5 / 5 0 / 3
Sacks By (sks-yds) 3 (16) 3 (21)
Sacks Against (sks-yds) 1 (1) 2 (12)
First Downs 23 14
Opponent First Downs 15 15
Penalties (#/yds) 5 / 32 5 / 29
Turnover Margin -2 -4
Time of Possession 34:00 32:42
3rd Down % 44.4% 12%
4th Down % 33.3% 33.3%

Statistical DETROIT ARIZONA
Category Rank Rank
Total Offense 11th 10th
Total Defense 2nd 7th
Kickoff Returns 13th 9th
Kickoff Coverage 17th 11th
Red Zone Offense Tied 1st Tied 1st
Red Zone Defense Tied 4th Tied 8th

THE IFs:
If DETROIT defeats ARIZONA, it would …
· Give DETROIT a (1-2) record against Arizona, and their first win against the Franchise
· Give DETROIT a (1-0) record on the road
· Give DETROIT a (1-1) record against the Western Division and a (1-1) vs. the American Conference
· Give DETROIT a (1-1) record vs. 2003 Playoff teams
· Give DETROIT Head Coach Tom Luginbill his first win as an AFL head coach






FURY NOTES / TRENDS:

Pressure Up Front: Last season the Fury defensive line managed to sack opposing quarterbacks 14 times in 16 regular season games. In Week One, the Fury defensive front garnered three sacks against a top pass blocking team. Getting sacks were two Fury newcomers, OL/DL Karl Bates and FB/LB Cameron Chance, and the third was by Fury OL/DL Angel Rubio.

Two-Headed Rushing Attack: Last season, the Fury were statistically one of the worst rushing offenses in the AFL, but have already made a mark in 2004. Fury rookie FB/LB Dawan Moss, a Detroit Native, led the rushing attack, rushing three times for 12 yards and one TD. His counterpart, FB/LB Cameron Chance, rushed twice for eight yards and a touchdown, giving Detroit a powerful rushing attack to compliment its passing game.

Going Big and Going Deep: There is something unique about the Fury’s receiving corps in 2004…They are BIG. In the offseason, Head Coach Tom Luginbill made it a priority to bring in tall, physical receivers for his offense. Unlike some teams in the AFL that use smaller, quicker receivers, the Fury will use its receivers to simply run down the field and jump over defensive backs to make catches. With the exception of Herman Bell, no receiver on the 20-man active roster is shorter than 6’0”.

From one side of the boards, to the other: Last season, Jeff Russell stood on the sidelines with a headset and a polo shirt on, but this year he will be wearing a Fury jersey. In 2003, Russell served as the Fury’s wide receivers and defensive backs coach, while he was rehabilitating a severely torn ACL injury suffered in 2001. He always wanted to come back to the playing field, and after almost a three-year absence, Russell will return to the turf as a player. He is a hard hitter and possesses no fear of the boards. Watch for Russell to come back the playing field with a Fury.

Some familiar Mo-town Faces: It is not to often that players get to play professional football in the same cities that they grew up in, but the Fury are proud to have two Detroit locals on their roster. Returning lineman Jon McCall grew up in Troy and attended Central Michigan University. This season, Detroit native Dawan Moss will make his AFL debut in the city where he was raised. Moss grew up in Detroit and attended Michigan State University. Watch as these two try to make a lasting impression at home.

Bad Road History: The Fury do not have a great overall record on the road. In the last three seasons, the Fury are (6-16) on the road, with four of the six wins coming from the 2003 season.
RUNNING WITH THE RECORDS: Watch as Fury Quarterback Andy Kelly continues his assault on the Arena Football League’s record books, as he hopes to remain the league’s all-time leading passer. AFL Veterans Aaron Garcia (NY) and Sherdrick Bonner (AZ) are right behind.

All-Time Pass Attempts: #
1) Andy Kelly, Detroit 4,132
2) Todd Hammel, Philadelphia* 3,501
3) Sherdrick Bonner, Arizona 3,443
4) Aaron Garcia, New York 3,369

All-Time Pass Completions #
1) Andy Kelly, Detroit 2,526
2) Sherdrick Bonner, Arizona 2,132
3) Aaron Garcia, New York 2,105
4) Clint Dolezel, Las Vegas 2,082

All-Time Passing Yards #
1) Andy Kelly, Detroit 28,064
2) Sherdrick Bonner, Arizona 28,027
3) Aaron Garcia, New York 28,021
4) Clint Dolezel, Las Vegas 24,631

All-Time Passing Touchdowns #
1) Andy Kelly, Detroit 552
2) Aaron Garcia, New York 545
3) Sherdrick Bonner, Arizona 538
4) Clint Dolezel, Las Vegas 486

* Denotes In-active Quarterback in the AFL

CARP’S COUNTDOWN: Last season, Ron Carpenter, “Carp”, set the AFL’s single-season record for kickoff return yardage in his first year with the Fury. Follow the countdown to see if Carp will defend his record and try to beat the mark he set in 2003.

KICK RETURN YARDS RECORD Yards
Ron Carpenter in 2003 2,248
Kickoff Returns Yards to Date in 2004 72
Average Yards / Game to Break Record 145.1

MILESTONES
Andy Kelly Needs
1,936 Passing Yards for: 30,000 Career Passing Yards
48 Touchdowns for: 600 Career Passing Touchdowns

Ron Carpenter Needs
2 Interceptions for: 20 Career Interceptions

Curtis Eason Needs
2 Sacks for: 20 Career Sacks


GAME AWARD WINNERS:

BABY ROOTH MVP

WEEK TEAM PLAYER
1 San Jose Mark Grieb
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

ADT DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME

WEEK TEAM PLAYER
1 San Jose Omarr Smith
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

ARMY IRONMAN OF THE GAME

WEEK TEAM PLAYER
1 Detroit Cameron Chance
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

FOLLOWING THE FURY IN 2004:

1-0 at The Palace of Auburn Hills
0-0 on the road

0-0 vs. National Conference
0-1 vs. American Conference

0-0 vs. Eastern Division
0-0 vs. Southern Division
0-0 vs. Central Division
0-1 vs. Western Division

0-0 on NBC
0-1 on Local TV Broadcast

0-1 on Thursdays
0-0 on Fridays
0-0 on Saturdays
0-0 on Sundays

0-1 in February
0-0 in March
0-0 in April
0-0 in May

0-0 when leading after first quarter
0-0 when trailing after first quarter
0-1 when tied after first quarter

0-0 when leading at halftime
0-1 when trailing at halftime
0-0 when tied at halftime

0-0 when leading after three quarters
0-1 when trailing after three quarters
0-0 when tied after three quarters

0-1 in games decided by 10+ points
0-0 in games decided by 4-9 points
0-0 in games decided by 3 or less points

0-1 when opponent scores more than 50 points
0-0 when opponent scores less than 50 points

0-0 when Fury score more than 50 points
0-1 when Fury score less than 50 points

0-1 when the Fury score first
0-0 when opponent score first

0-0 in overtime


Last Week in the AFL:
Thursday, February 5
San Jose SaberCats-58 @ Detroit Fury-43
Friday, February 6
Las Vegas Gladiators-42 @ Colorado Crush-43
Saturday, February 7
Columbus Destroyers-54 @ Indiana Firebirds-48
Sunday, February 8
Los Angeles Avengers-51 @ Arizona Rattlers-32
Grand Rapids Rampage-30 @ Chicago Rush-50
New York Dragons-54 @ Georgia Force-28
New Orleans VooDoo-42 @ Philadelphia Soul-34
Orlando Predators-41 @ Tampa Bay Storm-52
Carolina Cobras-67 @ Dallas Desperados-41

Bye: Austin Wranglers

This Week in the AFL:
Friday, February 13
Carolina Cobras @ Columbus Destroyers, 7:00 pm
Georgia Force @ Tampa Bay Storm, 7:30 pm
Austin Wranglers @ Orlando Predators, 7:30 pm
Detroit Fury @ Arizona Rattlers, 9:00 pm
Saturday, February 14
Chicago Rush @ New York Dragons, 3:00 pm
Indiana Firebirds @ New Orleans VooDoo, 3:00 pm
Los Angeles Avengers @ Las Vegas Gladiators, 3:00 pm
Colorado Crush @ Grand Rapids Rampage, 12:00 pm
Sunday, February 15
Philadelphia Soul @ Dallas Desperados, 4:00

Bye: San Jose SaberCats

Next Week in the AFL:
Saturday, February 21
Columbus Destroyers @ Philadelphia Soul, 7:30 pm
Arizona Rattlers @ Carolina Cobras, 7:30 pm
Sunday, February 22
Las Vegas Gladiators @ Grand Rapids Rampage, 3:00 pm
San Jose SaberCats @ Los Angeles Avengers, 3:00 pm
Colorado Crush @ Chicago Crush, 3:00 pm
Tampa Bay Storm @ Austin Wranglers, 3:00 pm
New Orleans VooDoo @ Georgia Force, 3:00 pm
Dallas Desperados @ New York Dragons, 3:00 pm
Monday, February 23
Indiana Firebirds @ Detroit Fury, 7:30 pm

Bye: Orlando Predators

* All Times Eastern

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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