Rush overpowers Crush with record-setting performance
Published on April 17, 2005 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Chicago Rush News Release
The Rush wanted to make a statement as it took on Colorado in a crucial battle Sunday at Allstate Arena. Naturally, it wanted to come away with the win, but it also wanted to show it could score with the high-powered Crush as well.
Chicago (7-4) did just that in registering an overwhelming 75-51 victory that drew the team within one game of the Crush (8-3) in the AFL's Central Division with five games to play. Chicago also owns the tie-breaker over Colorado, having swept the season series with the Crush.
Both teams had been red-hot coming into the game, as Colorado had won seven straight games while the Rush had won 4-of-5. But on this day, the Rush was just sharper and made more key plays when the game was on the line.
None of those plays was bigger than the missed field goal that Henry Douglas returned 53 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the first half. That score gave the Rush a 41-26 lead and left Colorado with a huge deficit to make up in the final 30 minutes.
Colorado did not give up by any stretch as quarterback John Dutton came out firing in the second half, but the potent Rush offense just had too many answers.
The combination of QB Raymond Philyaw and WR Etu Molden proved devastating. Not only did Philyaw throw eight TD passes, but he played with a fire and intensity that lifted his teammates. Molden caught five TD passes and also returned an unsuccessful Colorado onsides kick for a touchdown. His six touchdowns scored set a team record for the Rush.
Chicago would have tied the team record for most points in a game with just one more successful extra point. The 75 points was the most put on the board by Chicago since the Rush scored 76 in a game two years ago in Colorado.
In the first half, the Rush came out on fire. Philyaw directed a two-play, 45-yard opening drive and hit Etu Molden with a 14-yard scoring pass 1:13 into the game. The defense matched that opening salvo when Russell Shaw intercepted John Dutton's pass in the endzone.
After earning that break, Chicago took advantage. Philyaw went right back to work and found a wide-open Jeremy McDaniel with a perfectly thrown 28-yard TD pass to give Chicago a 14-0 lead.
Nobody expected Colorado to go away meekly as a result of that early deficit and they did not. Rich Young got the Crush on the board for the first time when he ran in from two yards out. That score gave Colorado the confidence to know that it could hang in there with Chicago for the rest of the first half.
Philyaw continued his air attack with an 18-yard TD pass to Bob McMillen, but this time Colorado responded with a 14-yard scoring strike from Dutton to Kevin McKenzie. Both sides followed with touchdowns, but Colorado appeared to seize momentum late in the first half when Dutton threw an 11-yard scoring pass to Damian Harrell with 36 seconds left in the first half. That touchdown drew the Crush to within one at 27-26.
Momentum was clearly on Colorado's side in the waning seconds of the first half, but Philyaw refused to go down easily. In front of solid blocking from the Chicago offensive line, he hit Molden with a 24-yard scoring pass to extend the lead to 34-26 with just 12 seconds remaining.
Instead of running out the clock, Colorado tried to put a field goal on the board on the final play of the first half. Clay Rush's long kick sailed high off the net into Douglas's hands and he had enough time to make a series of moves to get free and clear. He then sped into the open and into the endzone to give the Rush a shocking score and 41-26 halftime lead.
Chicago will try to stretch its winning streak to four games next week, when it travels to Los Angeles on Saturday.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 17, 2005
- Avengers Fall Short in Nashville 51-48 - OSC Original by Tim Peterson
- Wranglers lose to Storm, 54-42 - Austin Wranglers
- Gladiators pull out victory against Soul, 56-49 - Las Vegas Gladiators
- Las Vegas' last-second score downs Soul - Philadelphia Soul
- Rush overpowers Crush with record-setting performance - Chicago Rush
- Kats continue hot play with 51-48 victory over Avengers - Nashville Kats
- Destroyers fall to VooDoo - Columbus Destroyers
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.
