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Fury Game Notes

May 14, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Detroit Fury News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Indiana Firebirds (2-2) at Detroit Fury (1-3)
Date: May 18, 2002
Kickoff: 7:30 PM
Site: The Palace (14,826))
Officials: Referee: Bill McCabe; Umpire: Doug Wilson ; Head Linesman: Royce Cooley; Line Judge: Gary Cavaletto; Back Judge: Joe Duncan
Fury Radio: WDFN 1130 AM (Matt Dery, Bubba Baker)
Fury TV: Fox Sports Net (Mark Champion, Jim Brandstatter, Matt Shepard)
All-time Regular Season Series Record: Series tied 1-1
Streaks: Detroit lost one; Indiana lost one
Coaches: Mouse Davis (8-10, 2nd)
Mike Dailey (47-27, 6th)

THE STAKES: Detroit is a struggling team right now. They have managed just one win out of their first four games and lost their top offensive player for the season. They released three players on Monday, including starting QB Rickey Foggie and somehow must figure out a way to stop the bleeding. The good news is that Detroit is 6-2 all-time at The Palace and defeated Indiana the last time these two clubs met. QB Drew Miller takes over as Detroit's top gunslinger and has to find a way to pull his team together.

THE SERIES: This is the first of two times these divisional rivals will meet this season. The last time these two clubs met was the final regular season game of 2001 when Detroit defeated Indiana 66-58. With that win, Detroit clinched a spot in the ArenaBowl playoffs. The Fury and Firebirds will meet in Indiana on June 14 to close out this season's series.

THE IFs:

If DETROIT defeats INDIANA, it would ...
· Give DETROIT 2-3 record
· Give DETROIT 2-1 all-time record against Indiana
· Give Mouse Davis a 9-10 all-time record
· Give DETROIT a perfect 2-0 home record for this season

HEAD COACHES: Mouse Davis returns to right the ship for Detroit. Davis led a first-year team to a 7-7 record last season, coupled with the 10th seed in the AFL playoffs. Davis vows that the Fury will compete for the ArenaBowl Championship this season and feels that he has many of the pieces to the puzzle to accomplish that.

Mike Dailey is considered one of the best coaches in the game. Entering his sixth season as head coach with the Firebirds, Dailey led the 2001 squad to a 9-5 record. The team this year is just as strong, if not better. Dailey will likely be selected to the AFL Hall of Fame by the time his coaching career is completed, if not sooner.

2001 REVIEW: Detroit capped off a successful freshman season in the AFL in 2001. The Fury finished with a 7-7 record and the 10th seed in the ArenaBowl playoffs. Robert Gordon led the team in virtually every offensive category, finishing the year third in the AFL in scoring.

PRESEASON HISTORY: Detroit completed the 2002 preseason with a 47-37 loss to the Arizona Rattlers at The Palace on April 9. The Fury sank the Buffalo Destroyers on March 30 32-27, winning their first-ever preseason game. In the 2001 season, Detroit dropped both contests.

LAST WEEK: BUFFALO, NY—Fred McNair passed for 248 yards and Buffalo used a 28-point second half explosion, as the Destroyers hammered the Detroit Fury 49-21 Saturday night. Detroit drops to 1-3 on the season and 0-3 on the road, while the Destroyers climb to 2-2. With the loss, the Fury solely occupy last place in the Central division. Prior to the start of the game, Buffalo announced that star offensive specialist Lamont Cooper was hospitalized late last night due to internal bleeding. According to a Destroyers public relations representative, the preliminary diagnosis is an ulcer. A procedure will be performed Sunday morning to determine the exact problem. Carlos James scored the game's first TD, pulling in a four-yard pass from McNair at 7:56. Robert Gordon tied the game, bringing in a 17-yard pass from Rickey Foggie at 4:37 to close out the scoring in the first quarter. In the second frame Jarrail Johnson caught a 22-yard pass followed by Gordon's second strike of the night off a 27-yard hurl from Foggie at 8:52. Kevin Mason's 24-yard reception at 5:46 proved to be the final scoring play of the half. Mason's seven-yard TD with 32 seconds remaining was the only tally of the third stanza. It was Buffalo who turned up the heat in the final quarter, scoring 21 points and chasing Foggie from the game in favor of Drew Miller. David Caldwell's fumble recovery in the endzone at 13:40, Eddie Brown's 56-yard reception at 11:11 and Bret Cooper's six-yard catch spelled doom for Detroit. Gordon scored Detroit's lone second half TD at 5:44 of the fourth. Foggie finished the evening going 8-for-17, two TDS and 114 yards before being replaced by Miller (9-of-11, 80 yards one TD). Gordon scored all of Detroit's TDs and led the Fury in receiving yards with 88.

DETROIT INJURY REPORT:
Pos. Name Injury Status
OS Robert Gordon Fractured arm Out
DS Carl Greenwood Dislct L thumb Probable
DS Kevin Scott R hamstring Probable
OL/DL Troy Sienkiewicz L ankle sprain Questionable
DS Kenny Wheaton R hamstring Out

THIS WEEK'S QUOTES:

Mouse Davis on this week's game: "It's good to get back to home quarters. Indiana, once again, has a good team this year. We must play better than the last few weeks to beat them."

Mouse Davis on Raymond Philyaw: "He is a good athlete that has played well for them over the course of the last two seasons."

Kevin Scott on the 1-3 start: "After a 1-3 start it is important for us to get the win at home. We need to get that feeling of being able to win again and get it back now."

DETROIT NEXT WEEK: 5/24-The Fury travel to Long Island to take on the New York Dragons led by former Fury QB Scott Semptimphelter. This will be the first time these two clubs have ever met.

FURY NOTES/TRENDS:

Flash Finished: Robert Gordon suffered a broken arm in the final minute of last week's game in Buffalo. The injury will sideline Gordon for the remainder of the regular season. Gordon needs just 164 yards to reach 3,000 yards and 31 TDs to hit 100.

Waive Goodbye: The Fury let the axe fall on QB Rickey Foggie, FB/LB Errick Herrin and DS Torey Hunter on Monday. Replacements at the time of this release have not been named.

Miller Time: Drew Miller will get the start for this weekend's game against Indiana. The rookie product out of the University of Montana has played well in two relief appearances this season.

Home Cookin': Since Detroit seems to only be able to win at home, this game against Indiana at The Palace couldn't come at a better time. Indiana dropped their last outing to Toronto and you can bet that the purple and black will look to continue their winning ways at home.

Road Kill: After posting a poor 2-5 record on the road last season, Detroit realizes that they need to change that around for 2002. The Fury have yet to win on the road, posting a 0-3 record this year. The franchise owns a brutal 2-8 all-time record away from home.

PLAYERS/MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

Fury WR/DB Chuck Levy: Chuck Levy knows the pressure is on his shoulders to produce Robert Gordon-like numbers for the remainder of the season. Levy is more than capable to do that, as he cuurently leads the Fury in most receiving categories.

Fury QB Drew Miller: All eyes will be on Drew Miller on Saturday, as the rookie will get his first-ever start. Miller has played well when forced into action during the first four games as a backup to Rickey Foggie. Davis feels comfortable with Miller and believes that the Tacoma, Washington native will have lengthy AFL career.

Indiana QB Raymond Philyaw: The 6-1, 200-pound QB out of Northeast Louisiana put together one of the finiest seasons of any Firebirds QB last year. Philyaw is considered one of the best young QBs in the league and is mobile enough to give linemen fits.

Indiana OS Eddie Brown: "Touchdown" Eddie Brown in widely considered one of, if not the best, receiver in AFL history. Ranks first in AFL history in receiving TDs with 276. The Fury's Kevin Scott is going to have his hands full covering this OS.

BUILT FORD TOUGH AWARD (selected by coaches) The Built Ford Tough Award is a national recognition award given after every game to the player or players on each team best demonstrating determination and toughness in that game. The award honors the players, who made a game-saving tackle or score-saving tackle, threw a key block on the big play or exhibited physical sacrifice or consistent tough blocking and tackling on both sides of the ball.

Week Opp. Player
4 BUF Robert Gordon
4 BUF Chuck Winters
4 BUF Harry Deligianis
4 BUF Kelvin Kinney
4 BUF Chuck Levy

GAME MVP AWARD (selected by media)
Week Opp. Player
4 BUF Fred McNair

GAME IRONMAN AWARD (selected by media)
Week Opp. Player
4 BUF Juan Long

RECENT ROSTER MOVES:
Date Action Player
5/13 Waived Rickey Foggie
5/13 Waived Torey Hunter
5/13 Waived Errick Herrin

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 14, 2002


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