Chicago Uses Rush and Defense to Crush Colorado
Jeff Sims
Thursday February 26, 2004
“We just wanted to control the game,” said Chicago wide receiver/defensive back Dejuan Alfonso. “They have a good offense and we were just trying to keep them off the field. So we just tried to run some shorter things and take some tome off the clock. Whenever you can rush in Arena Football, you are doing well.”
After recovering a Colorado fumble, the second possession was not much different. After a 13-yard pass play, the Rush ran three consecutive plays on the ground, leading to a one-yard Jamie McGourty touchdown, his first of two for the game.
“You can do that when you have a lead,” McGourty stated after the game. “We jumped out to an early lead and we never looked back. It gives you a little more freedom to work with the ball.”
Chicago controlled most of the first half. They held the ball for over twenty minutes, scored touchdowns on all four possessions, and took a 28-14 lead into halftime. After defeating Colorado 65-35, the Rush had set new franchise records in rushing yards for a game (56) and rushing touchdowns in a game (6). Rush fullbacks, McGourty and Bob McMillen, each scored twice in this division matchup, while quarterbacks Raymond Philyaw and Chad Salisbury scored the other two.
“My history in the AFL is I’m a big run guy,” said coach Mike Hohensee. “We started running more last year and have put more plays in this year.”
The offense wasn’t quick to take all of the credit in this game. The top ranked Chicago defense, led by ADT Defensive Player of the Week John Moyer, forced three Crush turnovers and was able to consistently put pressure on Colorado quarterback John Dutton, forcing him to force some passes and get rid of the ball quickly. Dutton was intercepted twice in the fourth quarter to help the Rush secure the win.
“Our defense had really took over and allowed us to go ahead and play that ball control game because they kept points off the board,” stated Molden, who also scored twice in the victory. “And when you’re playing with a lead, it’s one of the greatest feelings in the world and it makes it a whole lot easier to play.”
“The defense did a really good job,” said Philyaw. “We did a lot of game planning this week because a lot of guys ran in this system (Indiana’s under coach Dailey) for the last couple of years. So we got our defense up to what to expect for the game. It was great. It was a good win.”
Philyaw continued his fine play as well in this game. He has not thrown an interception in the first three games, which includes 80 pass attempts, and he has the ability to set a new franchise record this Sunday in Indiana as the first Rush quarterback to go four games without an interception.
Chicago also sees itself ranked number two in the most recent Arena Football League Writers Association team rankings. They are only behind the San Jose Sabercats, who had a bye two weeks ago and play this Saturday against Grand Rapids.
“The key to this team is chemistry,” said Philyaw. “You have chemistry when you win. The more you win, the more chemistry you have. Right now we just got good chemistry every week.”
Jeff has been writing for ArenaFan.com since 2004. Originally from New York, Jeff has been living in the Chicago area for the past ten years and is an avid football fanatic. He holds a BA in communications from Hofstra University in New York and a sports management certificate from Loyola University in Chicago.
