VooDoo Set For Match Against Rush
Published on May 22, 2013 under Arena Football League (AFL)
New Orleans VooDoo News Release
NEW ORLEANS - After three straight road games, the VooDoo (1-7) return to the friendly confines of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to square off with the Chicago Rush.
New Orleans will host Military Appreciation Night on the heels of Memorial Day Weekend to honor our nation's active military, veterans, and their families.
The VooDoo are searching for a win after losing seven straight, and Chicago (4-5) is also looking for a win after losing their last three. These teams last met in 2011 in Chicago as the Rush beat the VooDoo 50-28.
Despite losing a close one to Spokane last weekend, the VooDoo made some positive strides. Starting quarterback Kurt Rocco returned after being out with injury and played a solid statistical game going 22-38 for 318 yards with a season high seven touchdowns. However, Rocco did throw three interceptions, and two of those were returned for touchdowns.
Rocco's overall play was solid, though, and is something that the team can build on to get a win. Receiver Donovan Morgan had a breakout game as he hauled in 13 passes for 255 yards and five touchdowns, all season highs. Rocco's chemistry with Morgan was evident, which is also a good sign for future games. Morgan is now the team's leading receiver with 506 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Chicago brings the league's leading receiver in Reggie Gray, who has 76 receptions for 1,136 yards and 27 touchdowns. Last week, he was one of only three receivers to catch passes in the loss to Arizona as the Rush had a slew of receivers on the inactive list. Quarterback Carson Coffman has been solid all season and ranks in the top 10 in passing with 1,700 yards. Coffman has done most of this work with a small receiving corps over the last two weeks, as his top three receivers have caught everything.
Defensively, Chicago fields the league's top two tacklers in Jorrick Calvin (58) and Joe Phinisee (56.5). Calvin also leads the team with 14 pass breakups. The VooDoo have the edge in sacks 13-10, while the Rush hold the turnover edge 12-9. Turnovers could be a very important edge in this game as both teams have turned the ball over multiple times during their respective losing streaks. One thing that has not plagued these teams is penalties, as both teams rank in the top five in least penalties allowed in the league.
On special teams, VooDoo kick returner Brent Holmes is fifth in the league despite missing three games. Holmes has 601 return yards and returned to action last week with eight returns for 132 yards. Chicago's Gray ranks eighth league-wide with 545 yards. Chicago kicker Jose Martinez ranks third in the league with 62 points with 56/59 extra points and 2/6 on field goals. The VooDoo's Gary Cismesia has been up and down at times with 28/38 extra points and 2/7 on field goals. The kicking game could come into play considering both teams suffered close losses last weekend.
Kickoff is set for 8:00 p.m. local time in the Dome, also known as the Mausoleum, this Saturday night.
Arena Football League Stories from May 22, 2013
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- Talons to Host Shock Friday, May 24 - San Antonio Talons
- VooDoo Set For Match Against Rush - New Orleans VooDoo
- Blaze vs. SaberCats Set To Square Off Saturday May 25th - Utah Blaze
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