Rush Defense Leads Way Over Gladiators
June 2, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Chicago Rush News Release
Instead of the normal offensive explosions that usually set the tone for the Rush, it was defense that led the way in Chicago's 44-14 Arena Football League victory over the New Jersey Gladiators in front of 7,094 fans Sunday at the Allstate Arena.
The win improved the Rush's record to 4-3, which puts them in second place in the Central Division of the AFL's American Conference. The Rush are a game behind the Grand Rapids Rampage. New Jersey fell to 4-3 with the loss.
The Rush defense set the tone by forcing turnovers on the Gladiators' first three possessions. Dameon Porter intercepted Jay McDonagh's pass at the Rush eight-yard line and the Rush put the first points on the board when Bruce Rienecker connected on a 23-yard field goal.
"We were able to capitalize on the opportunities we were given," head coach Mike Hohensee said. "The defense played very well and we were able to do it on offense and special teams as well. We tackled very well â that's something that has been a problem before."
Cornelius Bonner gave the Rush another turnover when he recovered New Jersey WR Sedrick Robinson's fumble at the Rush 17-yardline. Robinson was running in the open field, but LB Lindsay Fleshman popped the ball loose and allowed Bonner to jump on it. This time the Rush responded with a touchdown as QB Billy Dicken (19-32, 224 yards and four TDs) connected with Fleshman on a three-yard TD pass to give the Rush a 10-0 lead. On the play, Fleshman made a diving pickup of the pass in the corner of the endzone.
"Fleshman came of age today," Hohensee said. "He had two big-time catches for touchdowns today. He did what we asked him to do."
The Gladiators were unable to score in the first period and that marked the first time the Rush had held an opponent scoreless in any quarter this season.
New Jersey scored midway through the second quarter on RB Frank Carter's one-yard run. That play culminated a 10-play, 37-yard drive but the Rush responded quickly. Dicken dropped back from his own five-yard line, surveyed the field and hit a wide-open Antonio Chatman with a 45-yard TD pass.
New Jersey QB Jay McDonagh engineered a drive late in the second quarter and was able to find Robinson with a three-yard TD pass with less than a minute remaining in the half to pull the Gladiators within 18-14. However, that scoring pass was all Dicken needed to get fired up.
He led the Rush on a quick drive following a failed New Jersey onsides kick and increased the margin to 10 points when he hit Dameon Porter with a two-yard TD pass four seconds before halftime.
In the second half, the Rush offense picked up where it left off at the half. RB Jamie McGourty scored on the first possession after halftime â a one-yard blast â and Dicken hit Fleshman on the second drive.
At the same time, the Rush defense was frustrating the New Jersey offense. The Gladiators failed to score in the third quarter and fell behind by a 37-14 margin after three quarters.
In the fourth quarter, the Rush was able to add to its lead and take time off the clock. After Dameon Porter knocked away a fourth-down New Jersey pass in the endzone on the first play of the fourth quarter, McGourty put the game away with his second rushing TD of the game. He side-stepped a tackler and easily got in from a yard out to extend the lead to 44-14.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from June 2, 2002
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