Post by David on May 25, 2017 21:41:35 GMT -8
Colorado Crush at Spokane Empire
What: Spokane looks to avenge its first ever loss to Colorado in the final meeting of the season.
When: Friday, May 26, 7 p.m. (PST)
Where: Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, Spokane, WA
Empire Media: Radio - ESPN 700 AM/105.3 FM
National Media: Stream - YouTube
Series History: Spokane leads regular season series 4-1 (2-0 in Spokane)
Note: This is second of back-to-back home-and-home games between both clubs.
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 3-9 overall, 1-5 on the road and 2-8 in conference play. Colorado is coming off a 45-36 home win against the Spokane Empire on May 18. They are averaging 38.4 points per game (8th) and are allowing 51.8 points per game (10th). The Crush are fifth in the Intense Conference.
The Empire are 7-5 overall, 4-2 at home and 6-3 in conference play. Spokane is coming off a 36-45 road loss to the Colorado Crush on May 18. They are averaging 43.3 points per game (5th in IFL) and are allowing 41.6 points per game (6th). The Empire are third in the Intense Conference.
BREAKDOWN
Total Yards per Game - Crush 193.2; Empire 221.1
Pass Yards per Game - Crush 135.6; Empire 142.3
Rush Yards per Game - Crush 57.7; Empire 78.8
3rd Down Conversion - Crush 33.0%; Empire 33.3%
4th Down Conversion - Crush 57.1%; Empire 50.0%
Total Tackles - Crush 549; Empire 521
Tackles for Loss - Crush 35; Empire 61
Total Sacks - Crush 8.0; Empire 23.0
Fumble Recoveries - Crush 8; Empire 7
Interceptions - Crush 6; Empire 11
COLORADO CRUSH
Crush DB Antonio Marshall (image credit: Dick's Photography)
ROSTER
# - name (pos)
1 - Zavier Steward (RB)
2 - Derrick Morgan (DB)
4 - Love Rose III (WR)
5 - Sean Goldrich (QB)
6 - Cardelro Jones (DB)
7 - Antonio Marshall (DB)
8 - Kyle Kaiser (WR)
9 - Chris Gant (WR)
10 - Azziz Higgins (LB)
12 - Anthony Jones Jr. (WR)
13 - Josh Ford (RB)
16 - Liam Nadler (QB)
18 - Daniel Lindsey (DB)
21 - Ace Clark (LB)
25 - Keith Trumps (DB)
42 - Bryce McClain (DL)
44 - Spencer Groner (K)
48 - Tevin Hood (DL)
59 - Kwame Bell (DL)
65 - Sean Brown (OL)
78 - Forrestal Hickman (OL)
95 - Terrence Surratt (DL)
99 - Phillip Lewis (DL)
N/A - Daniel Anousheh (OL)
N/A - Miles Bergner (K)
N/A - Terrance Evans (DL)
Marvin Jones - Interim Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator
Dean Picotte - Assistant Head Coach/Offensive & Defensive Line Coach
Damien Ware - Co-Defensive Coordinator
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Yards - Sean Goldrich 860
Passing TDs - Sean Goldrich 19
Passing INTs - Sean Goldrich 7
Rushing Yards - Josh Ford 286
Rushing TDs - Josh Ford/Sean Goldrich/Liam Nadler 4
Receptions - Kyle Kaiser 45
Receiving Yards - Kyle Kaiser 568
Receiving TDs - Kyle Kaiser 17
Tackles (Solo) - Cardelro Jones 47
Sacks - Ace Clark 2.5
Interceptions - Daniel Lindsey 2
KO Return Ave - Daniel Lindsey 22.6
KO Return TDs - Daniel Lindsey 3
*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 LB Pasquale Vacchio (image credit: James Snook / Special to the Spokesman-Review)
ROSTER
# - name (pos)
1 - Samuel Charles (WR)
2 - Bryan Pray (WR)
4 - Orlandus Harris (WR)
5 - Tyree Robinson (DB)
8 - Andrew Jackson (LB)
10 - Devonn Brown (WR)
13 - Pasquale Vacchio (LB)
16 - Aaron Wilmer (QB)
17 - Brendon Garcia (K)
18 - Trevor Kennedy (OS)
20 - Qua Cox (DB)
21 - Antoine Tharpe (DB)
33 - John Hardy-Tuliau (DB)
41 - Toney Hurd Jr. (DB)
47 - Nick Haag (LB)
55 - Bill Vavau (OL)
57 - Dante Moses (OL)
66 - Deveric Gallington (OL)
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 - Andrew Pierce (RB)
N/A - Kaelin Burnett (DL)
N/A - Marcus McDade (QB)
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 1,750
Passing TDs - *Charles Dowdell 40
Passing INTs - *Charles Dowdell 16
Rushing Yards - *Charles Dowdell 411
Rushing TDs - *Charles Dowdell 9
Receptions - Bryan Pray 48
Receiving Yards - Bryan Pray 532
Receiving TDs - Bryan Pray 14
Tackles (Solo) - Andrew Jackson 49
Sacks - J.D. Griggs 9.5
Interceptions - *Robert Brown/John Hardy-Tuliau/Pasquale Vacchio 3
KO Return Ave - *Mulku Kalokoh 17.7
KO Return TDs - Trevor Kennedy 1
*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.
ANGI'S TAKE
COLORADO:
The Crush shocked Spokane in Week 14, accomplishing a pair of tasks in the process: Colorado ended a three-game skid and the Empire into third place in the Intense Conference standings. They also ensured the Empire would not be able to earn a season sweep. The teams will face off for the fourth and final time this season in Week 15. It will be the second back-to-back over a four-week span for the Crush who, prior to last week's win over the Empire, had lost two straight to the Salt Lake Screaming Eagles.
Though it was not a perfect performance, it was certainly efficient for Colorado. They completed their only fourth down conversion attempt, and were four of 10 on their third down conversion attempts. The Crush didn't have a turnover and they limited their penalties to just two infractions for 10 yards. The Crush defense also forced a pair of turnovers on two interceptions of Empire quarterback Charles Dodwell.
Colorado could feel a sense of confidence. Perhaps the players feel they have the blueprint for how to beat the Empire. With quarterback Sean Goldrich having a solid outing, and a stingy defense and a solid kick return game, the Crush could be poised to walk into the Pacific Northwest and come away with another win. It will not be easy, but winning last week in Loveland was not easy either. Head coach Marvin Jones will have his team looking at tape and will develop a plan to try to pick up their second victory in as many weeks.
For Spokane, They sit at third place in the conference behind the Arizona Rattlers (8-4). The Empire share a 7-5 record with the Nebraska Danger, but the Danger hold the tiebreaker between the two after defeating the Empire in the teams' only match up this season. Spokane has lost three straight, having not won a game since defeating the Screaming Eagles at home by a slim 31-29 margin; a game which could have gone into overtime if not for a missed two-point conversion attempt in the final seconds of the game.
Last week's win over the Empire was the first win for Jones since he was named head coach three weeks ago after the dismissal of Jose Jefferson for what Jefferson deemed "financial reasons." It also was the first win for Goldrich as the starting quarterback.
Goldrich, who passed for 184 yards and five touchdowns last week, is completing 54.7 percent of his passes for 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Though he is capable of scrambling out of the pocket, he is most effective when dropping back and finding his receivers. Josh Ford can be effective on the ground, but he is only averaging just over seven carries per game. Ford is the featured back and, if he were given running lanes, he could be much more of a factor in taking the pressure off Goldrich.
Kyle Kaiser had two touchdowns in the win over the Empire. He is the leading receiver in all categories. However, it was Anthony Jones Jr. who made a huge impact in his Crush debut with four receptions for 86 yards and two touchdowns.Look for the duo of Kaiser and Jones to pace Colorado in this one. Goldrich has a couple more targets in Lovie Rose III (33 receptions for 393 yards and five touchdowns) and deep threat Chris Gant (23 receptions for 273 yards). Keep an eye out Rose carrying the ball out of the backfield.
Derrick Morgan and Cardelro Jones lead a defense which has shown it can be effective, if not consistent. The duo has combined for 108.5 tackles, two interceptions and four pass break ups. Antonio Marshall has 50.5 total tackles and five pass break ups. In just six games, Ace Clark is pacing the team with 2.5 sacks on the season. Daniel Lindsey, who intercepted a pass for the second week in a row, also scored last week on his third kickoff return for a touchdown this season. Lindsey is dangerous in the return game and a big play from him on either defense or in special teams can go a long way to lifting the Crush up to a win in this one.
A solid dose of nearly mistake-free football won it for the Crush last week. Adding a big play or two on defense, and perhaps on special teams, would be a huge lift. The other key will be to do what they did last week by eliminating turnovers and severely limiting their penalties. Another win for the Crush would be huge, as they will be at home in Week 16 against the defending United Bowl champion Sioux Falls Storm.
Player to Watch: Daniel Lindsey (KR/DB)
DAVID'S TAKE
SPOKANE:
The most cliché phrase in sports is that every single game is a “must win” game. For the Spokane Empire, that phrase isn’t so much a cliché as it is fact. This Friday night’s game against the Colorado Crush is a must win for a team that was in control of its own destiny just two weeks ago. Last Thursday’s 36-45 loss to the Colorado Crush was devastating in more ways than one. The loss saw the Empire fall into third place behind the Arizona Rattlers and the Nebraska Danger, delivering a serious blow to Spokane’s playoff chances. Now, with four games left in the regular season, Spokane has to get back on the winning track, and potentially win out, in order to secure a playoff position.
Quarterback will look vastly different for Spokane this week, as starter Charles Dowdell was released by the team on Tuesday. A key member of the Empire's Intense Conference Championship team in their first season in the Indoor Football League, Dowdell did not reach the same level that earned him Second Team All-IFL honors. In 2016, Dowdell helped lead the Empire to a 12-4 record and the Intense Conference Championship. He completed 61.9% of his passes (263-of-425) for 2,735 yards, 63 touchdown passes and 21 interceptions. This season, despite ranking 4th in the IFL with 40 touchdown passes, his production took a dip. Although he's shined bright at times, he completed only 56.7% of his passes for 1,750 yards and 16 interceptions, the second highest in the IFL.
Based on what fans have seen, the move appears to be in response to a combination of his struggles this season and the disappointing 45-36 loss to the Colorado Crush last Thursday night, in which Dowdell completed 12-of-22 passes for 135 yards, 1 touchdown pass and 2 interceptions. He was pulled in the 4th Quarter in favor of Aaron Wilmer, who helped spark a comeback attempt. Although he only completed 2 of 5 passes, Wilmer’s two passes went for a total of 70 yards, including a 39 yard touchdown pass to Orlandus Harris Sr. His second pass, which put the Empire in the red zone, was capped off by Wilmer rushing for a 7 yard touchdown. It had the makings of a comeback, but it wasn’t enough as the Empire would fall to the Crush for the first time in franchise history. With three consecutive losses for the Empire’s, it was enough to spark a discussion among fans of who should play in Friday night’s game.
While the quarterback position has been in transition, the running game for the Empire remains a strong point. Trevor Kennedy, who only rushed the ball 6 times for 34 yards two weeks ago against Arizona, got more opportunities against the Crush, rushing for 97 yards and 2 touchdowns. In spite of two fumbles, Kennedy was a valuable source of offense for the Empire. Abandoning the running game hasn’t worked out well for Spokane in the past, so getting Kennedy plenty of touches on the ground (and in passing situations) will be a big boost if Spokane’s looking to snap its losing streak. Historically, Kennedy has been effective against the Crush, and the Empire will have to lean on him to get the offense rolling.
In spite of the struggles on offense, Spokane’s wide receivers have done the best that they could. Veteran Bryan Pray continues to lead the Empire as the #1 receiver, posting team leading 48 receptions for 532 yards and 14 touchdowns. Samuel Charles has had a nice run as of late, recording 5 touchdown receptions and 60 or more yards in two of the past three games. His recent run has placed him second on the team with 402 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. First year receiver Devonn Brown is due for a big game; since his 104 yard, 2 touchdown performance against Arizona, he’s only recorded 89 yards and 1 touchdown over the past four weeks. Recently re-activated Orlandus Harris Sr finally found his way onto the stat sheet last week, making 2 receptions for 39 yards and a TD, and could be a dark horse in Spokane’s passing offense. A talented receiver with the Bloomington Edge, Harris could be a key contributor over the next four weeks.
Defensively, the Empire need to work on getting communication re-established, especially in the defensive backfield. The release of DB Robert Brown was felt in the secondary last week, as Spokane’s young defensive backs missed several assignments and allowed Colorado’s receiving trio of Kyle Kaiser (4 receptions, 46 yards, 2 TDs), Anthony Jones Jr. (4 receptions, 86 yards, 2 TDs), and Loive Rose III (3 receptions, 39 yards, TD) to all find the endzone. The return of LB Pasquale Vacchio (65 total tackles, 2 interceptions, 7 pass breakups), who missed last week’s game with a pectoral injury, should help direct the secondary into maintaining their coverage. Even with veteran Tyree Robinson (65 total tackles, 2 interceptions) and rookie John Hardy-Tuliau (60 total tackles, 3 INT, 3 pass breakups), newcomers Antoine Tharpe (9 total tackles, 2 pass breakups), Qua Cox (5 total tackles, 1 pass breakup) have got to step up to justify the release of Brown. Toney Hurd Jr. (12 total tackles, 1 pass breakup), who saw his first action in six weeks, will also need to step up to not only justify playing time, but to fill in the void left by Brown.
The Empire’s rushing defense, which doomed them against Arizona and Sioux Falls, was strong against the Crush last week, only allowing RB Josh Ford to gain 15 yards. A lot of that had to do with the return of LB Nick Haag (58 total tackles, 5 sacks, 7 tackles for loss). With Vacchio and Haag back as the linebackers, Andrew Jackson (78 total tackles, 4.0 sacks, 10.5 tackles for loss) provides much needed pressure on the defensive line. The Empire will have to increase the pressure on QB Sean Goldrich, who shredded the Empire’s secondary for 184 yards and 5 TDs. IFL sack leader J.D. Griggs (35 total tackles, 9.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss) managed to get a sack on Goldrich in the previous game, and will need to increase the pressure this week. Harold Love III (29 total tackles, 1.0 sacks, 5 tackles for loss) has been disruptive in the middle and by shutting down the middle of the field for the Crush’s run game should help the Empire get pressure on Goldrich.
With a new starting quarterback, and a defensive backfield missing its best piece, the Empire are going to have to band together to achieve victory this week. If they can at least break the losing streak, it could go a long way into helping them shape their destiny and get back to the playoffs.
Player to Watch: Aaron Wilmer (QB)
QUOTABLE
Empire HC Adam Shackleford on the release of QB Charles Dowdell.
"We need to give Charles a lot of credit for the year and a half he had with us and for what he did for us,” coach Adam Shackleford said. “As a coach, when you see a player struggle and the same mistakes and you have a guy behind that’s not only ready but probably deserves a shot... Charles was one of my favorites. It was a tough business decision."
Shackleford on the Empire's 3-game losing streak.
"Sioux Falls flat-out beat us, Arizona ran it down our throat and Colorado, we didn’t take them as seriously as we should have because they took it to us."
FEATURED SOCIAL MEDIA
IFL SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
May 26 - Green Bay Blizzard (2-11) at Iowa Barnstormers (10-2), 5:05 p.m.
May 27 - Wichita Falls Nighthawks (9-3) at Sioux Falls Storm (11-1), 5:05 p.m.
May 28 - Nebraska Danger (7-5) at Arizona Rattlers (8-4), 3 p.m.
May 29 - Cedar Rapids Titans (1-12) at Salt Lake Screaming Eagles (3-9), 6 p.m.
EXTRA
With the release of QB Charles Dowdell, the Empire will now turn to rookie QB Aaron Wilmer. Although limited in his appearances, Wilmer has passed for 109 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT in 3 games. Now he'll get his first career start Friday night against the Crush.
Although this will be re-posted in its own thread, get to know the Empire's new starting QB by reading his responses to SCtoC's Player Survey.
#16 Aaron Wilmer (QB):
1. What do you consider to be your greatest achievement in football so far?
Signing CFL contract.
2. What was it that drew you to Spokane and to earn a roster spot with this team?
Opportunity.
3. What's your impression of the Spokane Empire organization and the Ninth Man compared to other places you've played?
Great fan base and organization really cares for players.
4. What impact do you hope to make with the Empire this season?
Make my team and community better.
5. What personal or team goals do you wish to accomplish this season?
Win United Bowl.
6. What is your biggest long-term goal for your professional football career?
CFL starting QB.
7. Who has inspired you the most in your football career and in life?
Family.
8. How do you like to spend your free time?
With my daughter when I am home and with my teammates.
9. What would you like Empire and IFL fans to know about you that they might not know?
I ran Nick Haag over in practice.
(Graphic courtesy SCtoC)