Game Preview: Rush vs. Utah Blaze
April 18, 2013 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Chicago Rush News Release
The Rush travel to Salt Lake City this weekend to take on the Utah Blaze in the AFL's Game of the Week featured on the CBS Sports Network. After an uncharacteristic 0-2 start for the Rush, they've evened their record at 2-2 by defeating the San Antonio Talons and the Pittsburgh Power in the past two weeks.
After allowing 76 points to the Spokane Shock in week two, it's safe to say that nobody expected the defensive turnaround that the Rush have recently orchestrated. The defense held the Pittsburgh Power to just fourteen points this past Sunday afternoon. The zero points that they allowed in the first half was a franchise record, and it was the first time all season that the Rush comfortably held a lead the duration of the game. This comes after knocking off the San Antonio Talons in week three; it was the first victory for the Rush over the Talons since they moved out of Tulsa in 2011.
Allowing 63 and 76 points in losses to the Iowa Barnstormers and Spokane Shock certainly wasn't what anybody envisioned to open the 2013 season. However, the average of 69.5 points allowed for the two first games dropped dramatically to 27.5 for the last two weeks, and to 48.5 overall on the season. Instead of starting the reassignment carousel, the Rush have stood by their defensive front, and they've responded. "It's fun to see these guys perform out there," Coach McMillen stated after practice Wednesday. "We brought every single one of them in for a reason, and that's to make plays. They're starting to gel out there, and that's a dangerous thing for offenses around the league."
With the Power electing to defer to open the game this past weekend, all eyes were on the Rush offense to come out and set the tone for the game. They did, but it was quarterback Danny Southwick leading the pace for the Rush in the first half instead of the familiar Carson Coffman. With Coffman still feeling the after-effects of a dislocated finger on his throwing hand thanks to the Talons defensive line, the choice was made to go with Southwick, who has played with both the San Jose SaberCats and Tampa Bay Storm. Southwick went 17 of 26 with two touchdowns and no turnovers until being knocked out shortly before halftime with concussion symptoms. Always one to answer the call, Coffman took his spot under center, and led the Rush on five scoring drives to put the Power out of commission. He finished seven of ten with two touchdowns.
Coffman will be returning to a familiar place; he backed up Tommy Grady and his MVP campaign in 2012. Since his high-water mark last season, Grady has shown some off-season rust, throwing for eight interceptions early on. While five of those came in just one game against Arizona, it's still unchartered territory for the Oklahoma product. While the numbers are skewed due to Utah having an early bye week, Coffman is officially posting better numbers across the board than Grady so far this season. This matchup will be a good indication if that story will remain the same.
While the Grady vs. Coffman matchup is intriguing, it all hinges upon the defensive performances. The Rush have obviously made strides, but Utah has been going in the opposite direction on that side of the ball. After opening their season by allowing only 33 points to the Power, they've allowed a whopping 77 points in each of their past two games.
The Rush are out to avenge their worst loss in franchise history last season. In early June, they suffered a 68-28 defeat at the hands of to-be MVP Grady and the Blaze. The cold offensive start by the Rush combined with Grady's hot arm made it 28-0 in favor of Utah just eighteen minutes into the contest. The loss brought the Rush road record to 1-5, a mark which set the tone for the season.
This game will be Chicago's first nationally televised game since 2011. While the Rush will not have a home game on the CBS Sports Network this season, they will be featured in one more game on the road May 25th, as they take on the New Orleans VooDoo in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
• Discuss this story on the Arena Football League message board...
Arena Football League Stories from April 18, 2013
- SaberCats Host Spokane in Key Divisional Game on Friday - San Jose SaberCats
- Philly Hosts Cleveland in Home Opener - Philadelphia Soul
- Jacksonville Sharks Food Drive Tomorrow Night - Jacksonville Sharks
- Game Preview: Rush vs. Utah Blaze - Chicago Rush
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.
