Rush overwhelms Blaze 84-48
May 6, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Chicago Rush News Release
As the regular season winds down to its final week, the Rush knows what is expected. Go out and establish dominance early and leave nothing in doubt.
That has been the philosophy of this team all season, but it has rarely worked out as well as it did when it hammered the Utah Blaze 84-48 Saturday night before a sellout crowd of 16,154 at the Allstate Arena.
The Rush (6-9) set a team record for most points in a game, easily eclipsing the previous record of 76 set in 2003. The Rush's 36-point margin of victory was the team's largest of the season.
The Rush heads into next week's regular-season finale at Grand Rapids in control of its own destiny. If it can beat the Rampage, it is assured of making the playoffs for a sixth-straight season. Chicago can still make the postseason if it loses, but would need a number of other results to work in its behalf in order for that to happen.
The Rush took charge of the game with the Blaze (6-9) early in the first quarter. QB Matt D'Orazio - who brought a 50-5 TD-interception ratio into the game - hit Bobby Sippio with the first of three first-half TD passes. The 24-yard TD pass was a perfect strike between defenders.
Less than six minutes later, D'Orazio connected with Sippio on a 26-yard scoring pass. Sippio broke free at the 10-yard line and D'Orazio's pass hit him in stride to put the Rush up 14-0. Utah appeared to be in over its heads and was reeling with the two-TD deficit.
Sippio would go on to have a record night, catching 10 passes for a Rush record 217 yards and six touchdowns - tying his own team record set two weeks ago against Las Vegas.
The point differential continued to grow. The Blaze quickly brought the ball downfield and was threatening to score. On first-and-goal from the Chicago 2-yard line, QB Andy Kelly lost the handle on the ball and LB DeJuan Alfonzo picked the ball up at the four, headed to the sidelines and raced 46 yards for a touchdown, giving the Rush a 21-0 lead.
The Rush was playing as though its playoff lives depended on it and Utah simply could not keep up. The Rush defense, led by Jeremy Unertl and Charlie Cook, was shutting down every Utah possession. After D'Orazio hit Sippio with his third TD of the half, Unertl kept the rout going when he intercepted Kelly's pass. It was his eighth interception of the season for the Rush.
That play gave Chicago possession at its own five, and D'Orazio marched the Rush down the field. D'Orazio culminated an eight play-45 yard drive by hitting Etu Molden with an eight-yard TD pass.
The touchdown gave the Rush a 35-0 lead - and it was obvious that Utah was not going to give Chicago much of a fight. Kelly finally got his team on the board when he hit Siaha Burley with a 24-yard TD pass with 3:57 to go in the half, but there was no turnaround at hand. Chicago pushed the lead to 42-7 when D'Orazio hit Alfonzo with a 10-yard TD pass.
By halftime, the Rush had a 47-13 lead as Dennison Robinson returned a blocked extra point attempt all the way for a two-point safety and kicker Dan Frantz added a 28-yard field goal at the gun. The point total set a new first half record for the Rush.
The second half saw the Rush continue to dominate. The team refused to allow Utah back in the game and Chicago was able to continue to score even when backup QB Michael Bishop came in to relieve D'Orazio. Bishop threw two TD passes - one to Sippio and one to Woody Dantzler - giving head coach Mike Hohensee a secure feeling if he should have to turn to Bishop at some point in next week's crucial game.
Cook, who earned ADT Defensive Player of the Game honors, finished the scoring for the Rush when he picked up a fumble at midfield and ran 26 yards for a score. He punctuated the play by diving joyously into the endzone with the Rush crowd roaring its approval.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 6, 2006
- Blaze burned by Chicago, 84-48 - Utah Blaze
- Brigade Loses to Orlando in front of 16,095 fans at Kemper - Kansas City Brigade
- Rush overwhelms Blaze 84-48 - Chicago Rush
- Destroyers weather Storm; close in on playoff birth - Columbus Destroyers
- Desperados season finale date change - Dallas Desperados
- Georgia falls to the Dragons, 47-35 - Georgia Force
- Soul stay alive in playoff hunt; defeat Desperados 51-48 - Philadelphia Soul
- Gladiators make coaching change - Las Vegas Gladiators
- Gladiators rattled by Arizona 75-28 - Las Vegas Gladiators
- Rattlers Playoff Tickets on Sale Now - Arizona Rattlers
- Rattlers Clinch Playoffs in a 75-28 Record-setting Win Over Las Vegas - Arizona Rattlers
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