Rush season ends in overtime in Colorado

June 6, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Chicago Rush News Release


Denver – For the second-consecutive year, the Chicago Rush season ended in heartbreak in the AFL semifinals. Sunday afternoon, Chicago's dream of an ArenaBowl title came to an end with a 49-43 overtime loss to the Colorado Crush in front of 13,719 rabid fans at Pepsi Center.

It was Chicago's third overtime loss of the season.

Colorado Crush QB John Dutton, who completed 28 of 43 passes for 299 yards and five touchdowns on the day, hit Andy McCullough with the game-winning 22-yard touchdown pass with 5:15 remaining in OT to give the Crush the win.

Colorado (12-6) now advances to ArenaBowl XIX Las Vegas next Sunday to play the Georgia Force.

"It was a great game, with all kinds of crazy stuff that went on," said Rush head coach Mike Hohensee. "But I am really proud of the way we played today. We fought hard and battled back into the game and gave ourselves a chance to win after digging a big hole. I am not so sure there are many teams that would have been able to do that."

Chicago (10-8) actually had a chance to win the game in overtime after Rush defensive specialist Todd Howard's interception of a Dutton pass gave Chicago the ball and put the Rush in control. However, an apparent game-winning 15-yard touchdown run by Rush FB Bob McMillen was called back because of an offsides penalty. Then, Rush QB Raymond Philyaw was unable to connect with C. J. Johnson on third and eight from the Crush 20-yard line, bringing up fourth down.

Rush head coach Mike Hohensee turned to kicker Keith Gispert, whose 17-yard game-winning field goal had beaten Colorado at Pepsi Center earlier this season. However, this time Gispert's 35-yard field goal attempt missed wide right, giving the ball back to Colorado on its own 5-yard line. Dutton then moved his team down field in four plays, setting up the game-winning score.

The overtime session came after one of the most bizarre endings to regulation that one might ever witness.

Trailing 43-40, the Rush moved the ball to the Colorado 5-yard line with six seconds remaining in the game. Going for the win Philyaw looked for WR/LB Etu Molden in the back of the end zone. Molden was knocked down on the play and DB Rashad Floyd stepped in to intercept Philyaw's pass as time expired. Thinking the game was over, the Crush staff fired confetti cannons, covering the field with multi-colored paper. However, pass interference was called on Floyd, giving the Rush one more un-timed play.

The ball was placed on the Crush 2-yard line and Gispert was brought on and, after clearing a spot in the piles of confetti to place the ball, booted a game-tying 17-yard field goal to send the game to overtime.

The back-and-fourth finish was quite different from the first three quarters as, for the second-consecutive week, Chicago found itself in an early hole, this time down 20-0.

Colorado scored on each of its first three possessions, while the Rush offense struggled, failing to score on its first three tries.

But just like last week in Los Angeles when the team trailed by 18 points in the third quarter, the Rush battled back.

Trailing 33-13 with five seconds to go in the second quarter, Molden caught a "Hail Mary" pass from Philyaw off the net for a 26-yard touchdown, cutting Colorado's lead at the half to 33-20.

The momentum continued to swing as the Rush scored on its opening drive of the second half. Two Colorado penalties – including one on a fourth-down-and-10 – helped the Rush move to the Crush 10-yard line. That was when Philyaw found Johnson dragging the back of the end zone for a touchdown.

Suddenly the 20-point deficit was down to just six, 33-27.

The Rush defense then came up with a stop, holding Colorado on fourth-and-one and getting the ball back to Philyaw and the offense. And the offense responded, as Philyaw and Johnson hooked up on a 17-yard touchdown on third-and-ten. A bad snap led to a failed extra point attempt, but the Rush had crept back to even at 33-33.

After forcing Colorado to settle for an 18-yard field goal with 11:31 remaining, the Rush had an opportunity to take its first lead of the game.

Chicago did grab the lead, 40-36, with 7:25 left to play when FB Charlie Cook knifed into the end zone from the 2-yard line capping a six-play Rush drive.

The Crush responded, marching down field and scoring its only touchdown of the second half on an eight-yard pass play from Dutton to McCullough with 2:52 left, taking a 43-40 lead and setting up the dramatic finish.



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from June 6, 2005


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