Rush Avoid Lag, Defeat Brigade in Final Minutes

Jeff Sims
Monday June 2, 2008

“Remember what it felt like to lose last week fellas,” screamed Rush fullback Liam Ezekial, trying to hype up the team before they took to the field before warm-ups.

The Rush had lost last week in Utah to a team that at the time was 2-10 and still trying to keep some hope of making the playoffs in the dismal American Conference. The Blaze kicked a field goal with no time left to defeat the Rush 51 -48.

Ezekial and his teammates were determined to not have the same fate at home this week against another team that was fighting for their playoff lives.

The Kansas City Brigade came into Chicago with a 3-9 record and just like Utah, still alive with an opportunity at a playoff spot. The Rush, having not won a game in over two weeks, were looking to rebound and maintain their lead in the conference with San Jose sitting only 1.5 games back for home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

It would take a long time for the Rush to erase the loss from their memory. They trailed in the final minutes, but were able to pull out a 52-47 victory in front of a sold out Allstate Arena on Saturday night.

Kansas City scored on each possession in the first half and built a 34-28 lead at halftime.

“We were pressing too hard to make plays,” said Rush DB Dennison Robinson. “We just had to relax and let the game come to us.” 

“We talked about being more physical and being more nasty in the second half,” said Rush head coach Mike Hohensee.

While it took some time for the game to come to them, the Rush stepped up when they needed to. Late in the third quarter, the league leader in interceptions did it again. Robinson stepped in front of a D. Bryant pass for his twelfth interception of the season. The offense would respond with a score from Rush QB Russ Michna to WR Travis LaTendresse.

“They ran that same route before and made me look pretty bad,” stated Robinson. “So I knew that they would go back to it. I knew that I had to step up and make a play.”

The Brigade would hold a 47-42 lead with a little over two minutes to play in the game.

In a questionable decision by Brigade head coach Kevin Porter, the Brigade would decide to go for it on a fourth down and three from the Rush 19 yard line. The Rush defense would make the stop as QB D. Bryant’s pass was incomplete to Charles Frederick. A field goal at that point could have given the Brigade an eight-point lead with less than two minutes to play.

The Rush would take advantage as Michna would use the clock to his advantage and score on a one-yard keeper with 11 seconds remaining. A two-point conversion from Michna to LaTendresse would give the Rush a 50-47 lead. LaTendresse would fall on the play and would get up to complete his route and make the reception.

“That is the difference between winning and losing ballgames sometimes; just getting up,” said Hohensee.

Still with a chance to tie the game, the Brigade took over at their own 5-yard line. But Bryant was unable to control the snap as Rush defensive lineman James Baron jumped the count and forced a fumble that would go through the back of the endzone for a Rush safety.

“You have to play football on that edge,” boasted Baron. “The crowd is loud and you can’t go with a long snap count. If you get a penalty within that, sometimes it happens, but it means you are on that edge. You have to play that way. That’s why we are a 10-3 team. You can’t always play your best game, but you have to find a way.”

Game Notes

Dan Alexander became only the second player in Rush history to run for over 200 yards in a season. The only other fullback to run for over 200 yards in a Rush uniform was current fullbacks coach Bob McMillen. Alexander would gain 30 yards on seven carries Saturday night.

Dennison Robinson’s interception tied the team record for interceptions in a season with 12. Dameon Porter, who had 12 in 2001, previously held the team record. Robinson now sits one pick shy of the league record with three regular season games left to play.

The Rush have games on the road against Cleveland and Georgia before finishing off the season at home in what could be an ArenaBowl preview against Dallas.