Post by David on Apr 8, 2016 11:23:36 GMT -8
Colorado Crush at Spokane Empire
What: The Empire host the winless Colorado Crush in an Intense Conference battle.
When: Saturday, April 9, 7 p.m. (PT).
Where: Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, Spokane, Washington
Empire Media: TV - SWX; Radio - 700/1080 AM ESPN
National Media: Stream (paid subscription) - IFL Live TV
Series History: First Meeting.
Note: This is the first of 4 games to be broadcast on SWX.
Forum: To comment, please login or register.
HELPFUL LINKS
Indoor Football League Rules
Indoor Football League Schedule and Results 2016
Spokane Empire Schedule 2016
IFL Franchises and Links
The Crush are 0-5 overall, 0-2 on the road and 0-2 in conference play. Colorado is coming off a 37-34 road loss to the Tri-Cities Fever on April 1. They are averaging 42.8 points per game (8th in IFL) and are allowing 52.6 points per game (8th). The Crush are fifth in the Intense Conference.
The Empire are 3-1 overall, 2-0 at home and 1-1 in conference play. Spokane is coming off a 54-51 home win over the Iowa Barnstormers on April 1. They are averaging 50.5 points per game (6th) and are allowing 49.2 points per game (6th). The Empire are first in the Intense Conference.
BREAKDOWN
Total Yards per Game - Crush 268.2; Empire 250.2
Pass Yards per Game - Crush 175.2; Empire 144.2
Rush Yards per Game - Crush 93.0; Empire 106.6
3rd Down Conversion - Crush 40.8%; Empire 44.4%
4th Down Conversion - Crush 43.8%; Empire 37.5%
Total Tackles - Crush 182; Empire 174
Tackles for Loss - Crush 22; Empire 22
Total Sacks - Crush 3.0; Empire 10.0
Fumble Recoveries - Crush 2; Empire 3
Interceptions - Crush 3; Empire 7
COLORADO CRUSH
Crush WR Demarius Washington (image credit: Colorado Crush / Facebook)
ROSTER
# - name (pos)
1 - Darnell Evans (DB)
2 - Rashard Smith (WR/DB)
3 - Louis Covington (DB)
4 - Breon Allen (RB)
5 - Theodore Beuchert (K)
6 - Jerome McGee Jr. (WR)
7 - Demarius Washington (WR)
8 - Kyle Kaiser (WR)
10 - Jake Johnson (LB)
13 - Josh Ford (RB)
15 - Doug Williams (WR)
19 - Damien Fleming (QB)
20 - Corey Sample (DB)
24 - Edward Brown (DB)
28 - Quinton Richardson (DB)
33 - Tevin Davis (DL)
55 - Bill Vavau (OL)
58 - Nai Fotu (LB)
66 - Scott Stuller (OL)
77 - Michael Howell (OL)
78 - Brandon Leary (OL)
92 - Noel Clarke Jr. (DL)
93 - Shaun Ward (LB/DL)
98 - Braylon Broughton (DL)
Heron O'Neal - Head Coach
Brian Arndt - Assistant Defensive Coordinator, Special Teams; Defensive Backs Coach
Robert Reed - Offensive Coordinator
George Martinez - Wide Receivers; Running Backs Coach
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Yards - Damien Fleming 554
Passing TDs - Damien Fleming 10
Rushing Yards - Damien Fleming 171
Rushing TD's - Damien Fleming 5
Receptions - Demarius Washington 33
Receiving Yards - Demarius Washington 521
Receiving TDs - Demarius Washington 10
Tackles - Darnell Evans 22.5
Sacks - Rodney Gnat *1.0
Interceptions - Rashard Smith 2
KO Return Ave - Breon Allen 24.8
* Not on Active Roster
SPOKANE EMPIRE
Empire RB Trevor Kennedy (image credit: Gary Peterson Photography)
ROSTER
# - name (pos)
1 - Samuel Charles (WR)
2 - Lorenzo White Jr. (DB)
3 - Josh Ferguson (DB)
4 - Carl Sims (WR)
5 - Tyree Robinson (DB)
7 - Demetruce McNeal (DB/KR)
8 - Aaron Aiken (QB)
11 - Charles Dowdell (QB)
12 - Toby Jackson (DL)
13 - Kyle Brotzman (K)
16 - Robert Brown (DB)
17 - Pasquale Vacchio (LB)
18 - Trevor Kennedy (OS)
19 - Alex Wheat Jr. (WR)
44 - Brett Bowers (DL)
47 - Nick Haag (LB)
56 - Dave Lefotu (OL)
62 - Dominique Duster (DL)
72 - Kyle Fischer (OL)
76 - Michael Boyefio (OL)
78 - Brandon Haskin (OL)
79 - Mike Trice (OL)
80 - Jefferson "JJ" Hayes (WR)
88 - Justin Helwege (WR)
93 - Benjamin Perry (DL)
95 - Byron Bennett (DL)
Adam Shackleford - Head Coach
Cleveland Pratt - Assistant Head Coach
Ameer Ismail - Defensive Coordinator
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Yards - Charles Dowdell 606
Passing TDs - Charles Dowdell 15
Rushing Yards - Trevor Kennedy 296
Rushing TD's - Trevor Kennedy 10
Receptions - JJ Hayes 22
Receiving Yards - JJ Hayes 273
Receiving TDs - JJ Hayes/Carl Sims 5
Tackles - Nick Haag 29.5
Sacks - *Byron Bennett 3.5
Interceptions - Demetruce McNeal 3
KO Return Ave - Demetruce McNeal 12.2
* Not on Active Roster
DAVID'S TAKES
COLORADO:
It's been a rough start to the season for the Colorado Crush, who enter Saturday night's game with an 0-5 record. They're the only winless franchise in the IFL, ranked last overall behind the Green Bay Blizzard (1-5).
Despite the big fat zero in the win column, the Crush haven't played like the worst team in the IFL. In fact, three of the Crush's losses have come by a total of 6 points or less. They kept pace with a highly powerful Sioux Falls Storm, only to fall on a miracle 42-yard field goal in the game's final seconds. The Crush also had the opportunity to win last week against Tri-Cities, holding a 34-30 lead with 4 minutes to go in the game, but the Fever would score with 20 seconds left to pull ahead 37-34. The Crush would get the ball back to try and march downfield for a late score, but three straight incomplete passes set up a difficult 54-yard field goal attempt that fell short, resulting in a fifth consecutive loss.
The Crush have had to overcome major injuries, including a huge blow to their offense in the second game of the season with the loss of starting QB Brandon Mitchell. Mitchell got off to a good start in 2016, tossing 7 touchdowns and only 1 interception for 371 yards in two games, but a suffered an injury in the loss to the Billings Wolves on February 26th. There have been no reports of what sort of injury Mitchell suffered, but the Crush were hopeful he would be able to return sometime before or after their first bye week. Unfortunately, the injury was so severe that Mitchell was placed on Season Ending Injured Reserve on March 9th. Backup QB Damien Fleming has had to step into the starting role for Colorado, forcing the rookie to learn the indoor game on the fly. Fleming has done reasonably well so far this season, completing 59% of his passes for 554 yards with 10 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He also leads the team in rushing attempts (28), rushing yards (171) and rushing touchdowns (5). The more experience Fleming has under his belt, the more stabilized the Crush offense could potentially become.
The Crush offense has been somewhat inconsistent this season; Colorado ranks 3rd overall in total offense (268 ypg), 4th overall in rushing offense (93 ypg), and 3rd overall in passing offense (175.3 ypg), but have struggled to put points on the board, ranking 8th overall in scoring offense. The more time Fleming has running the Crush offense, the more potential this team has in ripping off points and potentially wins. It helps that he has one of the best WRs in the IFL in Demarius Washington, who seems to catch everything that's thrown in his direction this season. Spokane's defense ranks last in the IFL, giving up an average of 215 yards per game. The key to Colorado succeeding on offense will come with the combined running game of Fleming and RBs Josh Ford and Breon Allen and Washington potentially gaining the attention to free up WR Kyle Kaiser and ironman WR/DB Rashard Smith, both of whom haven't cracked 100 yards on the season.
On defense, the Crush are going to have their hands full with Spokane's high powered offense. Colorado ranks 8th overall in points allowed (52.6 ppg), last in total defense (259 ypg), second to last in rushing defense (103 ypg) and 6th in passing defense (156 ypg). If the Crush want to win the battles on defense, they're going to have to put pressure on Empire QB Charles Dowdell. Colorado ranks 9th in the IFL in total sacks this season (3), but have managed to amass 3 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries. DB Darnell Evans leads the Crush with 22.0 total tackles this season, and fellow DBs Louis Covington and Rashard Smith are going to have to bring their A-game in shutting down the Empire WRs Carl Sims, Justin Helwege and JJ Hayes.
Player to Watch: Demarius Washington (WR)
One of the bright spots on the 2016 Crush roster has been the play of WR Demarius Washington. So far this season, the veteran WR is having a monster season, ranking at the top of several receiving categories. In five games, he ranks 1st in the IFL in receptions (33), 1st in receiving yards (521), 1st in yards per catch (15.8), and 2nd in touchdown receptions, trailing by only 1 (Jared Elmore of Cedar Rapids). He's been the clear go-to receiver for the Crush this year; the closest WR in terms of receptions and yards in comparison to Washington is Kyle Kaiser, (13 receptions, 79 yards, 4 TDs). A total 10 eligible Crush receivers have only amassed 342 yards and 7 touchdowns combined, nowhere near close to Washington's totals.
Washington has been nothing but consistent this season, catching nearly everything that's been thrown his direction. He's been a tremendous help to rookie QB Damien Fleming, who has had to quickly learn the game due to the season ending injury suffered by starting QB Brandon Mitchell. With the Empire's defense struggling in defending the pass, this could open up a huge game for Washington. If the Empire decide to focus solely on stopping Washington, it could free up opportunities for other Crush WRs to make big plays and help stabilize the struggles in scoring.
SPOKANE:
After two weeks off, there was some degree of expectation that the Empire would have some rust to shake off against the Iowa Barnstormers. Within four minutes after kickoff, it was evident that there wasn't much rust to shake off, as the Empire got off to a quick start and jumped ahead 7-0 on a Trevor Kennedy 10-yard run that resulted from an improvised reverse. On the ensuing Barnstormers drive, QB Donovan Porterie, who entered the game with one interception on the season, was picked off by the red-hot DB Demetruce McNeal. Spokane would score on a 9-yard pass from QB Charles Dowdell to WR Carl Sims and increased the lead to 13-0. The Barnstormers and Empire would trade scores, but an interception by DB Robert Brown and two back-to-back touchdowns by the Empire resulted in a 40-21 halftime lead.
Spokane would eventually increase the lead to 47-21, but the Barnstormers would make a late push for a comeback that would fall short. Spokane would hang on to win 54-51 in a game that wasn't as close as the final score sounded. Dowdell would finish the game 19/25 for 104 yards and 2 touchdowns, but Trevor Kennedy led the charge for Spokane, rushing 13 times for 127 yards and 4 touchdowns. Carl Sims (6 receptions, 46 yards), JJ Hayes (5 receptions 40 yards) and Justin Helwege (5 receptions, 10 yards) didn't have monster games, but Sims and Helwege would the Empire's only receiving touchdowns in the game. Defensively, the Empire had its hands full with Barnstormers WRs Lemans Casimier and Brady Roland, both of whom went over 100 yards receiving, but managed to maintain RB Robbie Rouse (13 carries, 56 yards, 1 TD) and harassed QBs Donovan Porterie and Brion Carens with interceptions by Demetrce McNeal, Robert Brown and Josh Ferguson.
Spokane played much better than they did against Billings, but had a bit of trouble sealing the victory. It's a learning process, one in which Spokane can potentially play a complete game against a Colorado team that hasn't managed to earn a victory in 2016. However, the Empire cannot take the Crush lightly, as Colorado has had the opportunity to win at least 3 games so far this season. This match-up has the potential of being a trap game for Spokane, and if they don't keep the foot on the gas pedal in all four quarters, Colorado could make a comeback similar to what Iowa and Wichita Falls were able to accomplish. The Empire have to play a complete game and avoid the risk of the opponent making a comeback, or else Colorado could re-surge at the end and potentially pull off the upset.
Spokane's offense has shown to be one of the most dangerous in the league, ranking 4th in the IFL. QB Charles Dowdell (57/97, 606 yards, 15 TD, 3 INT) has a variety of weapons to work with, including the Empire's three-headed monster at wide receiver. Carl Sims (15 receptions, 171 yards, 5 TD), JJ Hayes (23 receptions, 273 yards, 5 TD) and Justin Helwege (11 receptions, 102 yards, 4 TD) will keep the Crush defensive backs honest and open the ground game for RB Trevor Kennedy, who could have a big day against Colorado's 9th ranked rush defense.
Defensively, Spokane defenders have to be licking their chops to get after Damien Fleming. Despite the threat of Demarius Washington, Colorado hasn't much production out of their other receivers, which could help an Empire pass defense that ranks last in the IFL. Demetruce McNeal looks to pile on with his team leading 3 interceptions, having come up with at least 1 interception in the last two games. Colorado's rushing offense ranks 4th in the IFL, but the bulk of their rushing yardage has come from QBs Fleming and Brandon Mitchell. Look for LB Nick Haag (team leading 29.0 tackles) and Pasqual Vacchio to try and contain Fleming and prevent him from running wild. The defensive line needs to apply more pressure on Fleming as well; Spokane's D-Line did not register a sack against the Barnstormers, sorely missing Byron Bennett (3.5 sacks). Bennett, who left to pursue an opportunity in the Major League Football spring league, should be back with the team relatively soon and could help bolster the defensive pressure.
Player to Watch: Trevor Kennedy (RB)
So far this season, Kennedy has made the case to be a fan favorite for the Spokane Empire. The rookie RB from MercyHurst University (PA) has made his impact on the expansion Empire after joining the team on a tryout in mini-camp. Kennedy, who was featured on the Week 7 edition of This Week in the IFL podcast, has done a remarkable job at the running back position. Remarkably, Kennedy's natural position is at wide receiver, but head coach Adam Shackleford converted him to play running back, believing his speed and agility would benefit the Empire's running game. So far, Shackleford has looked like a genius, as Kennedy leads the IFL in rushing yards per game (74.0) and ranks second in the IFL in rushing touchdowns (10), rushing yards (296), and yards per rush (6.2).
After a 13 carry, 127 yard performance that saw him cross the endzone 4 times, Kennedy has to be hungry to go after Colorado's 9th ranked rushing defense. He has yet to be shut out of the endzone this season, having rushed for a touchdown in all four games this season. Colorado could send the house to try and contain Kennedy, which could open up opportunities for the Empire's wide receivers to make an impact. This could result in the Crush changing their strategy, backing off to focus on the pass while Kennedy breaks off some big runs.
What could be interesting is how Kennedy's role will be when RB Andrew Pierce returns to the Empire. Pierce, who played with the Tri-Cities Fever last season, was slated to be Empire's starting running back before he was placed on the league exempt list for an opportunity to play in Major League Football. Shackleford mentioned in post-game on Friday that Pierce was going to return, and his statements were backed up when Pro Football Talk reported that MLFB pulled the plug on its inaugural season. Shackleford expected Pierce to suit up against the Crush, but he has not been re-activated at this point in time. Even without pierce, it's reasonable to expect Kennedy could have a repeat performance of what he did against the Barnstormers.
QUOTABLE
Empire RB/WR Trevor Kennedy on his 127 yard, 4 touchdown performance.
“We have a great line and those guys work hard every day. They open up holes and it's my job to get through them. They do a great job holding their blocks and the receivers do as well so all I have to do is run.”
Empire HC Adam Shackleford on Kennedy's performance.
"Not bad for a kid that hasn't played the position before (this season. And we're going to get (All-IFL running back) Andrew Pierce back next week, so we're going to have a nice stable of backs."
Kennedy on his reverse run that turned into a 10-yard touchdown.
"I don't know where that came from. I was thinking if I reverse this I have to score or coach is going to yell at me."
Shackleford on Colorado's winless start to the 2016 season.
"This is the best 0-5 team I’ve ever seen. They have a championship coach that at some point will get the losing to stop. They are a team that is capable of winning football games."
FEATURED TWEETS
IFL SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
April 9 - Cedar Rapids Titans (4-2) at Sioux Falls Storm (4-1), 5 p.m.
April 9 - Nebraska Danger (4-2) at Iowa Barnstormers (3-2), 5 p.m.
April 9 - Tri-Cities Fever (2-3) at Wichita Falls Nighthawks (3-1), 5 p.m.
April 9 - Colorado Crush (0-5) at Spokane Empire (3-1), 7 p.m.
Byes - Billings Wolves (2-4), Green Bay Blizzard (1-5)
EXTRA
The Colorado Crush have been a staple of the IFL since the league began play in 2009. Originally named the Colorado Ice, the organization re-branded itself as the Colorado Crush in July 2015. However, they're not the first indoor/arena organization to use the Crush name.
Colorado Crush QB John Dutton (Image Courtesy of Brian Brainerd / Denver Post file photo)
The original Colorado Crush played in the Arena Football League from 2003-2008. Based out of Denver, the expansion team was owned by former Denver Broncos QB John Elway, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, and billionaire Stan Kroenke (owner of the NHL's Colorado Avalanche, NBA's Denver Nuggets, MLS's Colorado Rapids). The team played its home games at the Pepsi Center. The name "Crush," and the team's primary orange color, were a reference to the Denver Broncos and their monster defensive unit of the 1970's known as the "Orange Crush."
The team's inaugural season was rather forgettable, as the Crush finished the 2003 season with a 2-14 record. Remarkably, the Crush's two wins came on the road. Inaugural head coach Bob Beers was fired after the season and replaced with Mike Dailey, who would coach the team until it folded with the AFL in 2009. The Crush found instant success under Dailey, bouncing back in 2004 with a 11-5 record, including the team's first home victory over the Las Vegas Gladiators 43-42. They won their first playoff game, 47-44 over the New Orleans Voodoo, but fell in the second round to the Arizona Rattlers.
In 2005, the Crush would win their first Central Division title with a 10-6 record and clinched homefield advantage in the American Conference as the number 1 seed. Colorado defeated the San Jose SaberCats in the American Conference Semifinals and hosted the Chicago Rush in an exciting American Conference Championship game. The game went into overtime, tied 43-43. Colorado QB John Dutton would complete a 22-yard pass to WR/LB Andy McCullough, punching the Crush's ticket to ArenaBowl XIX. The game was ranked the 20th greatest AFL game during the league's 20th Anniversary Season.
In the ArenaBowl, Colorado would take on the Georgia Force, who defeated the Orlando Predators in the National Conference Championship. The game was played in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Thomas & Mack Center, and was the first AFL Championship game to be played on a neutral site. Colorado would defeat the Force 51-48 on a 20-yard field goal from kicker Clay Rush as time expired. Crush WR/DB Willis Marshall was named ArenaBowl XIX MVP for his huge offensive performance, hauling in 6 passes for 11 yards and 1 TD, and rushing 4 times for 12 yards and 3 touchdowns.
The Crush's Championship appearance in ArenaBowl XIX would be the one-and-only time the Crush would appear in the AFL's title game. In 2006, the Crush would win its second consecutive Central Division title with an 11-5 record. Colorado took on the Chicago Rush in the Divisional Round, but the Rush would have their revenge from last season's American Conference Championship and defeated the Crush 63-46.
The Crush would struggle to break .500 from 2007-2008, but would make the playoffs in both seasons.
In 2009, the AFL would suspend league operations, resulting in a lost season for the Crush. The AFL would soon fold afterward and the Crush followed shortly afterward. When the AFL returned in 2010, the Crush were rumored to be part of the league's return, but ultimately did not. Rumors floated for years that Denver was a potential expansion site for the AFL, but the ownership would not include the original Crush ownership.
The Colorado Crush would eventually return to the world of arena football in 2015, but in the Indoor Football League as part of a re-brand for the Colorado Ice. This version of the Crush, based in Fort Collins and plays its games in Loveland, has no affiliation with the AFL's Crush. According to owner Tim Wigley, the trademark of the Crush name expired in 2014, which allowed the Ice to purchase the Crush trademark and subsequently re-brand itself.
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