Post by David on Apr 13, 2017 14:21:31 GMT -8
Colorado Crush at Spokane Empire
What: Off their first win of the season, Colorado looks to upset Spokane.
When: Friday, April 14, 7 p.m. (PST)
Where: Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, Spokane, WA
Empire Media: Radio - ESPN 700 AM/105.3 FM
National Media: Stream - YouTube
This Season: March 17 - Empire 70, Crush 37
Series History: Spokane leads regular season series 3-0 (1-0 in Spokane)
Note: Both Colorado and Spokane are coming off BYE weeks
HELPFUL LINKS
Indoor Football League Rules
Indoor Football League Schedule and Results - 2017 Season
2017 Spokane Empire Schedule
Spokane Empire - Vital Statistics
2017 Colorado Crush Schedule
Colorado Crush - Vital Statistics
IFL Franchise Index
The Crush are 1-5 overall, 1-2 on the road and 1-5 in conference play. Colorado is coming off a 52-49 road win over the Salt Lake Screaming Eagles on March 31. They are averaging 36.0 points per game (8th in IFL) and are allowing 56.8 points per game (10th). The Crush are tied for fourth in the Intense Conference.
The Empire are 4-2 overall, 2-1 at home and 3-1 in conference play. Spokane is coming off a 36-42 home loss to the Nebraska Danger on April 1. They are averaging 48.3 points per game (4th) and are allowing 39.7 points per game (3rd). The Empire are tied for first in the Intense Conference.
BREAKDOWN
Total Yards per Game - Crush 194.2; Empire 228.0
Pass Yards per Game - Crush 123.7; Empire 141.7
Rush Yards per Game - Crush 70.5; Empire 86.3
3rd Down Conversion - Crush 37.3%; Empire 42.5%
4th Down Conversion - Crush 53.3%; Empire 66.7%
Total Tackles - Crush 257; Empire 269
Tackles for Loss - Crush 12; Empire 30
Total Sacks - Crush 3; Empire 13
Fumble Recoveries - Crush 2; Empire 5
Interceptions - Crush 0; Empire 8
COLORADO CRUSH
Crush WR Kyle Kaiser (image credit: Dick's Photography / Colorado Crush)
ROSTER
# - name (pos)
1 - Zavier Steward (RB)
2 - Derrick Morgan (DB)
3 - Erick Brundidge (WR)
4 - Love Rose III (WR)
6 - Cardelro Jones (DB)
7 - Antonio Marshall (DB)
8 - Kyle Kaiser (WR)
9 - Chris Gant (WR)
10 - Azziz Higgins (LB)
12 - Aaron Aiken (QB)
13 - Josh Ford (RB)
16 - Liam Nadler (QB)
18 - Daniel Lindsey (DB)
21 - Ace Clark (LB)
22 - Paris Cotton (RB)
24 - Antonio Vance (DB)
42 - Bryce McClain (DL)
44 - Spencer Groner (K)
48 - Tevin Hood (DL)
59 - Kwame Bell (DL)
65 - Sean Brown (OL)
66 - Lance McDowdell (DL)
78 - Forrestal Hickman (OL)
79 - Chad Kolumber (OL)
95 - Terrence Surratt (DL)
99 - Phillip Lewis (DL)
Jose Jefferson - Head Coach
Dean Picotte - Assistant Head Coach/Offensive & Defensive Line Coach
Marvin Jones - Defensive Coordinator
Damien Ware - Co-Defensive Coordinator
Tristian Johnson - Wide Receivers Coach
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Yards - *Sean Goldrich 328
Passing TDs - Liam Nadler 8
Passing INTs - *Sean Goldrich 3
Rushing Yards - Josh Ford 144
Rushing TDs - *Sean Goldrich 4
Receptions - Kyle Kaiser/Tim Lukas 22
Receiving Yards - Kyle Kaiser 291
Receiving TDs - Kyle Kaiser 6
Tackles (Solo) - Derrick Morgan 24
Sacks - Phillip Lewis 1
Interceptions - N/A
KO Return Ave - Daniel Lindsey 19.3
KO Return TDs - N/A
*Not on Active Roster
Note: Roster information is subject to change and is presented here as a basic guide for following the game. Roster information is gathered from the IFL and the team's official websites.
SPOKANE EMPIRE
Empire RB Trevor Kennedy (image credit: 1889 Washington's Magazine / 1899mag.com)
ROSTER
# - name (pos)
1 - Samuel Charles (WR)
2 - Bryan Pray (WR)
5 - Tyree Robinson (DB)
6 - Robert Brown (DB)
7 - Mulku Kalokoh (RB/KR)
8 - Andrew Jackson (LB)
10 - Devonn Brown (WR)
11 - Charles Dowdell (QB)
13 - Pasquale Vacchio (LB)
16 - Aaron Wilmer (QB)
18 - Trevor Kennedy (OS)
19 - Craig Peterson (K)
22 - Adrian James (DB)
24 - Dejuan Miller (WR)
33 - John Hardy-Tuliau (DB)
41 - Toney Hurd Jr. (DB)
47 - Nick Haag (LB)
55 - Bill Vavau (OL)
63 - Junior Alexis (DL)
70 - Jonah Austin (OL)
74 - Darren Pinnock (OL)
91 - O.J. Mau (DL)
93 - J.D. Griggs (DL)
99 - Harold Love III (DL)
N/A - Orlandus Harris Sr. (WR)
Adam Shackleford - Head Coach
Cleveland Pratt - Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams
Anthony Payton - Assistant Coach
Marquise Liverpool - Assistant Coach
Marshall Hart - Line Coach
Joshua Artis - Assistant Coach
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Yards - Charles Dowdell 904
Passing TDs - Charles Dowdell 22
Passing INTs - Charles Dowdell 10
Rushing Yards - Charles Dowdell 259
Rushing TDs - Charles Dowdell 6
Receptions - Devonn Brown 17
Receiving Yards - Bryan Pray 231
Receiving TDs - Devonn Brown/Bryan Pray 6
Tackles (Solo) - Tyree Robinson/Pasquale Vacchio 22
Sacks - J.D. Griggs 5.5
Interceptions - Pasquale Vacchio 3
KO Return Ave - Mulku Kalokoh 19.6
KO Return TDs - N/A
*Not on Active Roster
Note: Roster information is subject to change and is presented here as a basic guide for following the game. Roster information is gathered from the IFL and the team's official websites.
DREW'S TAKE
COLORADO:
Winning sure feels good. The Colorado Crush had a week of rest and recovery after another thrilling matchup against Salt Lake. The Crush (1-5) look ahead to Friday’s game against Spokane (4-2).
Colorado looked average on offense last week, losing in the total offense, passing, and rushing categories. Defense is the reason Colorado got their first win of the year forcing one fumble and recording a sack. Lets not forget the leg of Spencer Groner, who was 2/3 on field goals, 4/7 on extra points, and hit the game winning field goal as time expired.
Kyle Kaiser remained scorching hot, nabbing five catches for 77 yards and a three scores. Lovie Rose III also recorded three catches for 72 yards and two scores as well. The man under center, Liam Nadler, threw for six scores as well.
The Crush are looking for a better performance this time around than they had in their first matchup with Spokane, as the Empire ran away with the game 70-37. The Crush only mustered 173 yards of total offense, and while they had more yards on the ground, Spokane aired it out for 200 yards.
Colorado must take the game plan they had last week and apply it this week. It wasn’t the prettiest victory but a win is a win is a win. Expect Kyle Kaiser and Lovie Rose III to continue their offensive trend. The defense needs to continue to force fumbles as well. The Crush defense has forced at least one fumble the last three weeks and has recovered two of the three they have forced.
Keys to the game for the Crush:
Air it out
Defense forcing turnovers
Confidence
Using the bye week to full advantage.
The Crush look to derail the Empire and earn their second victory of the season. This is the second of four matches between these two teams.
Player to Watch: Liam Nadler (QB)
DAVID'S TAKE
SPOKANE:
The coaching staff and the players for Empire return from their bye week with a bitter taste in their mouths. After riding a 3-game win streak, the Empire laid a goose egg against the Nebraska Danger, resulting in a 36-42 loss that didn't feel anything like the final score would suggest. The urgency to rebound will be critical as Spokane hosts a Colorado Crush team that should not be overlooked. Friday night's game has the makings of a potential trap game; Spokane has dominated in its 3 meetings against Colorado, but it will be critical for the Empire to not have another flat performance against the Crush. Unlike the March 17th meeting, the Crush look a little bit different under new QB Liam Nadler. Since his debut replacing the ineffective Aaron Aiken against Nebraska, Nadler's performance has trended upward and was on full display in Colorado's 52-49 win over the Screaming Eagles. He completed 12 of 18 passes for 166 yards and 6 TDs. Nadler can only continue to grow the more experience he gains learning the style of Indoor Football, and might be their best option for the rest of the season.
Despite throwing for 188 yards and 3 touchdowns, as well as rushing for 30 yards and 2 TDs, QB Charles Dowdell was bitten by the turnover bug, fumbling the ball that slipped out of his hands in the end zone and throwing two critical interceptions as a result of miscommunication with his wide receivers. Dowdell was set to work with his receivers during the bye week, and Friday's game will be a good indicator of how much work he and his receivers have put into the timing of the passing game. When Dowdell and his receivers are in rhythm, they're one of the more dynamic passing offenses in the IFL. He had his best passing game of the season in the 70-37 win over the Crush, completing 17 of 23 passes for 200 yards and 7 touchdowns. It was also the breakout game for first year WR Devonn Brown, who leads all Empire receivers with 8 catches for 75 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Spokane has shown to have an effective running game with RBs Trevor Kennedy (83 total net rushing yards, 3 TDs) and Mulku Kalokoh (160 rush yards, 5 TDs). Both players have opened up the field for Dowdell (259 rush yards, 6 TDs) to run the read option with effectiveness. Unfortunately, both RBs have not been on the field at the same time. Could the time finally be here to feature both backs in the same game? Dowdell, Kennedy, and Kalokoh have all expressed excitement about the possibility of having all three be a rushing threat in a game, and the Empire have hinted that this could happen. If Kennedy and Kalokoh are both active, it could spell a long night for Colorado's patchwork defense, which has struggled against the run. The Crush rank 9th in the IFL against the run, allowing 93.5 rush yards per game and 18 rushing touchdowns.
With Spokane's running game as the looming threat, Colorado might try and overcompensate by focusing on Spokane's running threats. This could put the advantage to Spokane in the passing game, as the Crush rank 8th in the IFL allowing 157.2 pass yards per game and a total of 27 passing touchdowns. Devonn Brown (17 catches, 179 yards, 6 TDs) could be due for a repeat performance; in the previous game vs Colorado, there were times that he was the forgotten man and Spokane capitalized. Bryan Pray (16 catches, 231 yards, 6 TDs), Samuel Charles (9 catches, 147 yards, 4 TDs), and Dejuan Miller (10 catches, 131 yards, 3 TDs) could be poised to have big games. RBs Trevor Kennedy (4 catches, 74 yards, 2 TDs) and Mulku Kalokoh (6 catches, 72 yards, TD) are capable receiving threats as well. Should Kennedy and Kalokoh both be active, it could mean one of Spokane's wide receivers will be deactivated for this game. Regardless of who starts and who sits, Spokane has talented pass catchers. The hope is, with the recent bye week, the passing game will be much more polished than it was against Nebraska.
The biggest contributor to Spokane's 4-2 start has been the play of their defense. The Empire rank 2nd in the IFL with 13 QB sacks, led by ex-Crush DL J.D. Griggs (5.5 sacks). Colorado has allowed the most sacks on their QBs this season, giving up 13 in 6 games. Spokane's defensive unit will look to put the pressure on with the help of Spokane's 9th Man and disrupting the backfield. In spite of giving up the most sacks in the league, Colorado has managed to carve out success in running the football, ranking fifth with an average of 70.5 yards per game. Look for Griggs (11 solo tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss), Junior Alexis (8 solo tackles, 2.0 sacks), and LBs Nick Haag (15 solo tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks) and rising rookie Andrew Jackson (17 solo tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks) to reel in the running game and force the Crush to throw the football.
Spokane's pass defense could determine what swings the game in the Empire's direction. Nadler has looked impressive, but he hasn't gone up against Spokane's skilled defensive backs. Robert Brown (21 solo tackles, 2 INTs, 7 pass breakups), Tyree Robinson (22 solo tackles, INT, 3 pass breakups), John Hardy Tuliau (16 solo tackles, 2 INTs, 3 pass breakups) and Toney Hurd Jr. (4 solo tackles, 1 pass breakup) have made the plays when it counts, which could swing the game from Colorado. Pasquale Vacchio has had an excellent season covering the middle of the field. In addition to ranking second with 4 pass breakups, he leads the Empire with 3 interceptions and tied for the team lead with 22 solo tackles. Kyle Kaiser (22 receptions, 291 yards, 6 TDs) and Tim Lukas (22 receptions, 167 yards, 3 TDs) present viable receiving threats for Colorado, but both were contained by the Empire in the previous game.
Player(s) to Watch: Trevor Kennedy/Mulku Kalokoh (RB)
QUOTABLE
Empire HC Adam Shackleford on the Crush coming off their first win.
"This is a marathon, not a sprint. Doesn't matter how the first four games go sometimes; you gotta win the meat of your schedule and they have the chance to do that, and I think they're going to come in with some confidence."
Empire QB Charles Dowdell on the return of Trevor Kennedy to the starting lineup
"To have a play maker like Trevor anywhere on the field is a boost for our offense. To have a dynamic, explosive player like Trevor, I think, it's going to help our offense a lot."
Empire DB Robert Brown on Spokane's struggles on offense against Nebraska.
"Our offense wasn't at our best tonight as we usually see it, but I think we're going to get it together after the bye week."
Shackleford on the team's composure in the 36-42 loss to Nebraska.
"Even more disappointing, for the first time in my career possibly, I'm disappointed with the way we acted. Adam Shackelford teams don't act that way."
FEATURED SOCIAL MEDIA
IFL SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
April 14 - Cedar Rapids Titans (1-6) at Wichita Falls Nighthawks (6-1), 5:05 p.m.
April 14 - Arizona Rattlers (3-3) at Salt Lake Screaming Eagles (1-5), 6 p.m.
April 15 - Green Bay Blizzard (2-5) at Sioux Falls Storm (6-0), 5:05 p.m.
April 15 - Nebraska Danger (4-3) at Iowa Barnstormers (4-2), 5:05 p.m.
EXTRA
Empire GM Ryan Eucker (image credit: Ryan Eucker / Facebook)
This week's extra is dedicated to an individual we consider as a friend here at SCtoC.
This week, Spokane Empire GM Ryan Eucker announced that Friday's game would be his last. Ryan will depart Spokane after 7 seasons to take a new position as VP of Ticket Sales for the Normal Cornbelters baseball team. The Cornbelters play in the Frontier League, an independent professional baseball league, and are based out of Normal, Illinois, which is part of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area.
Thanks to Ryan, SCtoC was able to gain media credentials to enhance our coverage of the Spokane Empire. It was the first major stepping point for not only our coverage of the Empire, but in covering other Indoor Football League franchises. Not only do we respect the outstanding job he's done with his time with the Shock/Empire franchise, he was gracious to conduct interviews with us and share our content on the team's Twitter page.
On behalf of the entire site, we like to thank Ryan for coordinating with us. We wish you the best of luck on your future endeavors.