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The answer to this question will be eagerly awaited over the next few months. The 2012-2013 UIC Flames men’s basketball team turned a huge curve in the rebuilding of the program. Howard Moore, who took over the head coaching position from Jimmy Collins in 2010, had quite the mess to clean up.
The Flames had not been to the postseason since 2004, they were coming off of back-to-back losing seasons, and they were struggling in the recruiting department. It has been an exhausting road but Howard Moore has been able to steer the Flames in the right direction.
In 2013, the Flames had their first winning season since the 2007-2008, their first season with at least 15 victories since the previously aforementioned season, their first postseason bid since 2004, and their first postseason victory in school history. Not a bad turnaround in just three seasons.
It wasn’t easy, but Coach Moore’s formula for success is finally starting to pay off. The first thing Moore did in rebuilding the program is bringing back local recruits. Oak Park-River Forest alum Daniel Barnes, Aurora Central Catholic’s Anthony Kelley, Simeon’s Ahman Fells, Thornton’s Jay Parker, and Whitney Young’s Gabe Snider were all on the active roster in 2013.
Coach Moore was also able to get former Hales-Franciscan big man Josh Crittle to transfer home from Central Florida. Moore also had a knack for finding diamonds in the rough from other parts of the country. Players such as Gary Talton, Will Simonton, Marc Brown, and Jake Weigand.
I think that one of the biggest moves the Flames made was being able to pull Hayden Humes away from the grasp of Valparaiso, Humes’ home town. He was aggressively recruited by the hometown Crusaders but opted to come to Chicago instead. All of these players each played an intricate part in the Flames success this past season.
The biggest reasons for this newfound success were guards Gary Talton and Daniel Barnes, along with center Josh Crittle. They accounted for the majority of the Flames offense this year. Role players such as Kelley, Simonton, Humes, Brown, and Weigand also played a pivotal role.
Now granted the Flames did not make the NCAA tournament, instead they played in the College Insider Tournament. The reason why they didn’t make the big dance was because of bad key losses towards the end of the season. Not helping matters was getting eliminated in the second round of the Horizon League Tournament.
But they did get into the postseason. They beat an upstart Chicago State team in the first round, but got out shot by Northern Iowa in the second round. It’s not what Flames fans were hoping for, but it’s a building block and a good place to start. Of course the Flames will have to work even harder come next season.
Crittle, Barnes, and Talton are graduating next month. One or perhaps all of them could be headed into the NBA. Barnes and Talton were the beginning and the end of this UIC offense. Their leadership will also be a tough act to follow. You can replace the roster spot but it’s never easy to replace the player.
With the dismissal of center Matt Gorski in February, the Flames will have to search for another big man to fill in for Crittle or at the very least back up Will Simonton.
In the meantime, I expect Marc Brown to be one of the starting guards for the 2013-2014 season. The other guard spot will be a battle between Joey Miller, Jay Parker, and Gabe Snider. Anthony Kelley will also be difficult to replace. Kelley was one of those major role players who made a difference when it counted the most.
While it will be hard to replace everything he brought to the table, I’m sure that Ahman Fells will try his best. This is the perfect spot for Fells to prove himself, I can only hope that Coach Moore will give him the opportunity. I also expect to see more out of Jake Wiegand next season.
I think for now it’s safe to say that Brown, Humes, Fells, and Simonton are the probable starters for the Flames next season. Let’s hope that Howard Moore can continue to bring in the local recruits and mix them in with core players on the roster now. Next season begins now for the UIC Flames.
Tonight I will be covering the Chicago Cubs first night game of 2013 when they take on the Houston Astros. The first pitch will be after 7pm, you can look for game updates here on Q101. You can also follow me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
After two agonizing home losses to start the season, the Rush hit the road with a lot of uncertainty on Friday night. It was their first road game of 2013 and the Rush had a ton of weight on their shoulders. They would go up against their division foes the San Antonio Talons.
The Rush lost both meetings to the Talons last year who went on to win the division. The Rush also had the burden of only winning three road games all of last season on them as well. But fear not, the Rush went on the road and did the unthinkable. They went to the Alamodome, and defeated San Antonio 48-41.
The Rush defense showed significant improvement from the previous two weeks, they held San Antonio to just three touchdowns in the first half. The Rush had a 28-21 lead at halftime. Bob McMillen’s group would continue to put on the pressure as they held the Talons to just one touchdown in the third quarter.
The Rush outscored the Talons 14-7 in the third quarter. The Talons would break through in the fourth as they outscored the Rush 13-6 and came within a hair of taking the lead. With 4:30 left in the game, Talons quarterback Rohan Davey threw a 12-yard-touchdown pass to wide receiver Burl Toler. The Rush led 42-41 and the Talons just needed the extra point to tie.
But the PAT was blocked by the Rush special teams unit, their second blocked PAT of the season. The Rush would finish the game with Carson Coffman throwing a 15-yard touchdown pass to fullback J.J. Payne. They attempted a two point conversion but it failed. The Rush defense would get a couple more stops to seal the deal.
The Rush would hang on to win, 48-41. Reggie Gray did not catch a touchdown, his first game without a score this year. Carson Coffman also had a rough night as he only completed 16-of-38 passes for 199 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also threw an interception and was sacked three times.
Rodney Wright was the leading receiver as he caught 6 passes for 77 yards and 2 touchdowns. The rushing game also chipped in as J.J. Payne, Rodney Wright, and Carson Coffman combined for 7 carries and 20 yards. Coffman had two rushing touchdowns in the game.
The defense also finally managed to get some turnovers, four of them to be exact. But they are still looking for their first sack of the season. Defensive back Joe Phinisee led the Rush in tackles with 9. The Rush can return home in a good mood as they have finally tasted victory.
They have a chance to get to the .500 mark with their second win of the season a week from Sunday when the winless Pittsburgh Power makes it’s way to Rosemont. It looks like the Rush are finally starting to get things together.
The White Sox celebrate their opening day victory.
Opening Day in Major League Baseball always has the bells and whistles. Today the national anthem was sung by one of Chicago’s prominent media families, Phil Ponce and his sons Anthony and Dan. It was followed up by former White Sox and Royals outfielder Bo Jackson throwing out the ceremonial first pitch.
Afterwards Jackson jokingly told the media: “I’ll give you 100-1 odds that my team is gonna win today. You can quote me on that.” If anyone bet money on those odds they are probably a rich person now. Jackson played for the White Sox from 1991-1993 and won a division title with the franchise.
As for the game……
What happens when you get very little offense but a solid pitching effort? You get a White Sox victory. It wasn’t pretty, then again it never is when it comes to the South Siders. The Sox have always had a reputation for “Winning Ugly”, and today was no different. Despite the winter-esque weather today, 39,012 managed to show up to sellout U.S. Cellular Field.
The fans would go home happy thanks to a marvelous effort from starting pitcher Chris Sale. In 7.2 innings, he allowed 7 hits but no runs, no walks, and he had six strikeouts. He threw a total of 103 pitches, 72 of which were strikes. The White Sox bullpen held it down and did the rest.
Nate Jones was first in relief, he didn’t officially pitch an inning but he walked a batter and threw a wild pitch. Matt Thornton only faced one batter but did strike him out. Addison Reed got his first save of the 2013 season in one inning of play. He did walk a batter but did get a strikeout to end the game.
The only run of the day came in the bottom of the 5th inning thanks to a solo home run by White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers. The Sox did get eight hits today but stranded eight base runners. Alex Rios, Adam Dunn, and Paul Konerko finished a combined 2-11 with 3 strikeouts. Rios got the only two hits out of the three.
He also had the only stolen base of the day for the White Sox. Lead-off man Alejandro De Aza also had a rough day as he went 0-4 and struck out twice. Alexei Ramirez had two singles, Gordon Beckham, Jeff Keppinger, and Dayan Viciedo had combined for the rest of the teams hits.
It’s always good when your team gets the victory. I know it’s only the first day, but if the big bats in the White Sox lineup can’t get things going it will create some problems down the line. But for now, let’s enjoy this victory.
Both teams will get to rest tomorrow but the series does resume from U.S. Cellular Field on Wednesday. The starting pitchers have yet to be announced. Here is the box score from today’s game:
For sports anytime you can always follow me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
With today being April Fools Day, Mother Nature must be playing a joke on us because it is only 35 degrees here in Chicago today. 35 degrees is the minimum temperature that Major League Baseball allows games to be played in. So let’s just hope and pray that it doesn’t get any colder here at U.S. Cellular Field.
The White Sox still have a bitter taste in their mouths after last season’s August/September collapse which ultimately cost them a trip to the playoffs. They hope not to make the same mistakes in 2013, but they will do it with some new additions to the roster. Kevin Youkilis is no longer the third baseman here on the South Side.
Long-time utility man Jeff Keppinger will man the hot corner this season, last year the right hander suited up for Tampa Bay. Also gone is fan favorite catcher A.J. Pierzynski. Of course A.J. wasn’t always a favorite with his teammates, but today is a new day. Tyler Flowers who spent years either as the backup or in AAA, will finally get his chance to be the full-time starter.
The biggest surprise is that Paul Konerko is still wearing a White Sox uniform. The only question is how much longer will be still be a good guy in black?
There are some other new faces as well, mostly younger players. But most of the core players from 2012 are still on the roster. Today they open the season against the Kansas City Royals. Even though the Royals finished in third place with a below .500 record last season, they gave the White Sox problems all year. They were also instrumental in keeping the Sox out of the postseason.
They come into this year with a blended mix of season veterans and hungry young players. Today everyone is 0-0 with a chance to start fresh and erase the bad memories of 2012. Robin Ventura is in his 2nd season as the White Sox manager. He is glad to finally come home to start the season after a lengthy winter in Arizona. If only the weather could reflect how he feels.
Kansas City is headed by Ned Yost who is in his fourth season as the Royals skipper. He is hoping to get his team above the .500 mark and to become a division contender. Today’s pitching match up will be interesting to say the least. The South Siders will send Chris Sale to the hill this afternoon.
Sale was one of the better pitchers on Robin Ventura’s staff last year. He finished the 2012 campaign with 17 wins, 8 losses, and an earned run average of 3.05. He also had 192 strikeouts to just 51 walks. If he can keep up that consistency this year, the Sox should be in good shape.
Kansas City will counter with 31-year-old right hander James Shields. This is his first year in a Royals uniform as he played in Tampa Bay from 2006-2012. Last year he sported a 15-10 record with a 3.52 ERA.
Here are the rest of the lineups for both teams.
Kansas City:
1. #4 Alex Gordon LF
2. #2 Alcides Escobar SS
3. #16 Billy Butler DH
4. #8 Mike Moustakas 3B
5. #13 Salvador Perez C
6. #35 Eric Hosmer 1B
7. #6 Lorenzo Cain CF
8. #21 Jeff Francoeur RF
9. #17 Chris Getz 2B {Former White Sox player}
White Sox:
1. #30 Alejandro De Aza CF
2. #7 Jeff Keppinger 3B
3. #51 Alex Rios RF
4. #32 Adam Dunn DH
5.#14 Paul Konerko 1B
6. #24 Dayan Viciedo LF
7. #10 Alexei Ramirez SS
8. #21 Tyler Flowers C
9.# 15 Gordon Beckham 2B
You can follow me on Twitter for game update @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
Happy Easter everyone!
Despite the holiday and the decent weather we had on this day, not everyone is feeling so festive. The Chicago Rush are not in the best of moods today. They dropped their second straight game with a 76-61 loss to the Spokane Shock. Last year the Rush won their first two season games, this year has been a completely different story.
The Rush are starting to look better on offense but their defense has been a concern thus far. They have given up 139 total points to start the season. The 2012 Chicago Rush defense was known for putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks and forcing turnovers. This year that has not been the case.
Aside from the total points, they have also given up 587 total yards. As a team, the Rush so far have been outscored 139-102. And they have been out-gained 587-550. Not the ideal way to start the season, but the Rush are still trying to put themselves back together from top to bottom.
The worst part about all of this is that they have lost two home games already. Last year the Rush lost three home games all season. And if that isn’t bad enough, both games have been conference games. Unfortunately it only gets harder from here. On Friday the Rush make their first road trip of the season when they head to San Antonio for another division game.
The Talons swept both meetings with the Rush in 2012, and the Rush struggled on the road last year. Bob McMillen’s team sported a dismal 3-6 record away from Allstate Arena last season. San Antonio is hostile territory for anyone who sets foot in the Alamodome. The Talons won the Central Division last year and are favored to do so again.
The good thing is, there still some bright spots about this Rush team. New quarterback Carson Coffman is finally starting to come into his own now. He threw for a season-high 294 yards and seven touchdowns against Spokane. “Big Play” Reggie Gray is still living up to his nickname, he caught another four touchdown passes today.
J.J. Payne is also getting involved which is something that didn’t happen last year. The Rush fullback already has 21 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the season. The new offensive line of Steve Edwards, Collin Madison, and Jeff Maddux have only allowed one sack all season.
The Rush have also been getting good performances from new receivers Rodney Wright and AFL veteran Nate Forse. It also appears that Rodney Wright could take over as the team’s full-time kick returner. He had five returns for 122 yards this afternoon, including a 43-yard return which helped to set up a touchdown.
He has 190 total return yards after just two weeks of play. Jose Martinez is also looking better on the turf. After missing his only field goal attempt and missing an extra point in the opener last week, Martinez went 7-7 on PAT’s today. He was on point. Even though the Rush offense keeps getting better, the defense is still struggling to find it’s identity.
They will to find that identity in a hurry as they have a short week ahead of them. Even though the Talons lost their season opener last week, this week was a bye week for them. And they will have a full week to prepare for the Rush. Even though it is only two weeks into the season, the Rush must put themselves into panic mode now if they are going to turn things around.
Tomorrow afternoon I will be covering the Chicago White Sox 2013 season opener from U.S. Cellular Field. First pitch will be around 3:05pm, and you can follow me on Twitter for game updates @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
Like I said in my pre-game article, this was going to be a physical game. Here are photos of the five fights that broke out tonight:
The game started out rather slowly, but got more physical as the game went on. Trash talking led to pushing and shoving. Pushing and shoving led to cheap shots. Those cheap shots led to fighting and it was the story of the game tonight. But despite the physicality, the Wolves and Admirals did actually play hockey tonight. Here is how it all went down….
The game began with both teams playing defense back and forth. At point, Milwaukee put an extra forward on the ice and went with an empty net. But finally with 12 minutes left, the Admirals broke the ice first and scored off of an Austin Watson shot to take a 1-0 lead. Six minutes later, forward Darren Hayder smacked one past Admirals goalie Magnus Hellberg to tie the game at 1.
After that things started to get chippy with pushing and shoving by both teams but cooler heads would prevail. During the last couple of minutes both teams would trade shots but with no success. There would also be a little more pushing and shoving before the buzzer sounded.
The first period ended with Brett Sterling for the Wolves and Ryan Ellis for the Admirals in the penalty box. The period also ended in a 1-1 tie. For the first half of the period both teams defenses were playing hard and not giving up too many shots. Admirals winger Patrick Cehlin finally got one past Wolves goalie Matt Climie eight minutes into the second to take a 2-1 lead.
Kevin Connauton would get the Wolves back into it at with 4:30 remaining with a goal of his own on a power play. It was tied at 2 from there. With under a minute remaining, Wolves forward Guillaume Desbiens took a shot to the back of the head from Admirals defenseman Scott Ford. That caused two fights to break out within a 60 second span.
This led to penalties for Ford and a Wolves player Darren Archibald who retaliated. The second period would wind up in a 2-2 tie. The third period began with another set of penalties but less physicality. It wasn’t until the clock hit 12:28 that we would get another score. Milwaukee winger Daniel Bang snuck one past Matt Climie to take a 3-2 lead.
Then with 3:35 remaining, the Admirals would score again thanks to forward Juuso Puustinen. It was a power play goal and it gave the Admirals a 4-2 lead. The Wolves would try to fight back one last time thanks to a goal by defender Mark Matheson. It was his sixth goal of the season and it came with 53 seconds left on the clock.
The Wolves got one last shot with 10.6 left, but Admirals goalie Magnus Hellberg stopped it dead in it’s tracks to preserve the lead. On the ensuing face-off, the Wolves got the puck back and tried one last shot but Hellberg stopped it once again. Another fight broke out as the buzzer sounded.
Milwaukee gets to drive back up I-94 with 4-3 victory, snapping the Wolves two-game winning streak, and winning their fourth in a row against the Wolves. The Admirals now move past the Wolves in the Midwest Division standings. They improve their record to 34-25-4-3 with 74 points. They now hold seventh place in the Western Conference.
The Wolves drop to third in the division and eighth in the conference. Their record now stands at 32-24-5-4 and the loss keeps them stuck at 73 points. The Wolves finish this four game home stand with a record of 2-2-0-0. Both teams get to go home for the Easter holiday. The Wolves hit the ice again on Tuesday when they travel to San Antonio. Milwaukee will return to the state of Illinois on the same day when they travel to Rockford.
Here is the box score from tonight’s game:
For sports anytime you can follow me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
Crews are getting the ice ready and fans will be filing into the Allstate Arena shortly. The Wolves are in the midst of a two-game winning streak and hope to make it three games tonight. The Wolves last lost back on March 24th to the Milwaukee Admirals. Tonight, they will play these same Milwaukee Admirals for the second time in six days. Last week’s lost also took place here in Rosemont.
The Wolves are wrapping up a four game home stand tonight before hitting the road on Tuesday. The key to the Wolves recent success has been their offense. They have scored a combined nine goals in their last three games. Their defense has been a little shaky at times, but they have managed to find a way to win.
The Admirals have always played the Wolves tough. This year they are struggling against the Admirals with just a 2-5-0-2 record against them, including the March 24th game. Despite having the advantage against the Wolves, Milwaukee does trail overall in the standings.
The Wolves are second in the Midwest Division and seventh overall in the Western Conference with an overall record of 32-23-5-4. They have 73 points on the season and they trail first place Grand Rapids by nine points. Milwaukee is third in the division and eighth in the conference with a record of 33-25-4-3. They have 72 points on the season and only trail the Wolves by one single point.
So tonight’s game will have huge implications and could set the tone for the regular season. A win for Milwaukee could put them ahead of the Wolves in the standings. All the Wolves need to do is get one point for tonight’s game to stay ahead. Both teams are looking to go home for a Happy Easter after tonight, but it will not be easy.
I expect a lot of hard hitting, I expect physical play, and I also expect a few penalties. Both of these teams take it to each other out there on the ice and I don’t expect tonight’s game to be any different.
You can get game updates from me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
With the college basketball season winding down, I got to thinking about what lies ahead for Chicago’s men’s college basketball programs. I’ll begin with the team I covered the most this season, the DePaul Blue Demons. The Demons finished the 2012-2013 season with a disappointing 11-21 overall record and just a conference record of 2-16.
They were the worst team in the “old” Big East Conference. DePaul didn’t get much press in the preseason. But after compiling a 9-4 non-conference record in November and December, this team had a lot of promise and high expectations. They began their conference schedule with a loss to Seton Hall but defeated Providence two nights later.
It would all fall apart from there as the Demons would go on to lose nine in-a-row. They finally broke their losing streak with an amazing six point victory over Rutgers back on February 16th. From there many had hoped the Demons would be able to turn the curve and salvage their season.
Unfortunately all hopes would wind up fading as DePaul finished the season with another losing streak, they would lose the final six regular season games. They would eventually get eliminated in the first round of the final “old” Big East Tournament against the same Rutgers team they beat a month before.
DePaul had a lot of talent on the court this year. They also had a solid coach in Oliver Purnell. But there were some flaws, and those flaws cost the Demons dearly this season. Turnovers, inconsistency, missed shots, and the inability to rebound were just the beginning of DePaul’s troubles.
Their defense let DePaul fans down when it counted the most. Allowing easy shots, giving up three pointers, a lack of presence in the paint, and unable to sustain second half leads also plagued the Blue Demons. DePaul lost 10 games by less than 10 points this season. They were also outscored by a total of 821-712 in the second halves of all of their losses this season.
In four of those games, DePaul either had the lead or was tied at halftime. This is a trend that must change if Oliver Purnell is to keep his job. Historically, DePaul has not fared well in the Big East. They were just 27-115 as an original Big East member. Hopefully entering the “new” Big East next season will help this program.
The defense must also improve. Heading into a new league next season, DePaul will have to contend with some of the best shooting teams in the country. Teams such as Butler, Creighton, and Xavier are all high percentage shooting teams. DePaul has the talent but there are some ways they can improve that talent and become a better team.
DePaul only had two seniors on this years roster, guard Worrell Clahar and forward Stuart Pirri. Pirri didn’t see much playing time, but Clahar’s three-point shooting will be missed. All five of DePaul’s starters will return next year:
PG Brandon Young
SG Charles McKinney
PF Cleveland Melvin
SF Jamee Crockett
3F Donnavan Kirk
Young, Melvin, and Kirk will all be seniors next season. If they want to get into the 2014 NBA Draft, they will need to step up their game tremendously. Young needs to become more of a true point guard. He shoots the ball too much, takes unnecessary shots, and tries to take matters into his own hands when the Demons are down.
He needs to start dishing out more assists, be patient, and not take as many shots. He needs to pass the ball more and give the guys on the inside more chances to get it done. Cleveland Melvin is the leader of this DePaul team, he just needs more help from his teammates. Melvin is already a second round draft pick in my eyes. But if he can get better assistance from his teammates, he can become a first round pick.
Then we have Donnavan Kirk. Even though he is listed as the “third forward” like most college teams have these days, he technically lines up as a center. He’s 6’9″ and has great length, leaping ability, wing span, and is a decent inside scorer. The only problem is that he only weighs 223 pounds. He always defends the biggest man on the opposing team. But sometimes 223 pound frame hurts more than it helps.
He gets pushed around easily and this allows teams to move him out of the box. And when that happens, the other team gets easy inside buckets, they can maneuver to out-rebound DePaul, and it puts pressure on his teammates. This was evidenced in the games against Connecticut, Villanova, and Pittsburgh.
Kirk should gain at least 15-20 pounds and become more physical in the paint. When his inside game is compromised, he tries to compensate for that by shooting jump shots. Shooting is not Kirk’s strong suit, he needs to spend some time in that weight room so he can be effective in 2014.
Then we have Jamee Crockett and Charles McKinney, they will be juniors next year. They are now ascending into leadership roles and Coach Purnell will be highly dependent upon these men. DePaul needs more production from McKinney. He averaged 20 minutes per game last season but only scored five points per game.
He will need to become a better scorer and be a more aggressive player if DePaul is to have success next year. As for Crockett, he is a great outside shooter. He hit plenty of clutch three pointers this past season. But if he truly wants to be a small forward in this game, he needs to become a better perimeter player and develop more of an inside game.
DePaul also has the remainder of their bench players coming back next season. Backup guard Cory Dolins will most likely be the man to give Young a breather. The soon-to-be sophomore only played in five games in 2013. Next year will be his chance to break out. Edwind McGhee will be a senior next year. He also only got into five games last season. He will end up being McKinney’s backup, he needs more playing time.
Then there is also Durrell McDonald. It’ll be interesting to see how/if Oliver Purnell uses him next year. Las Vegas native Moses Morgan will also be a senior come next school year. He’s already proven himself to be a solid player. If he can keep playing the way he did this past season, the Demons should be in good shape.
Then we have forward Montray Clemons. At 6’7″ and 235 pounds, he already has the physical tools to get the job done. As a freshman, Clemons only saw garbage minutes in DePaul’s drastic losses. He will be a year older and hopefully a year wiser next season. He will be the man to backup Cleveland Melvin in 2014. He needs to prove that he can play with the big boys.
Another youngster who could be something special is swing man Jodan Price. I’ve seen him practice, he’s a heck of a shooter and has some potential. At 6’7″ he can either come in for Charles McKinney or give both Crockett and Morgan a break. I would love to see what he could do with more playing time.
Then you have the reserve big men with Darrell Robertson Jr. and Peter Ryckbosch. Robertson was the main guy to backup Donnavan Kirk and will probably do so again. Measuring 6″10″ and 247 pounds he seems like he should be a monster in the post. But he seemed timid at times last season. He needs to unleash the beast and show that his size can match up to his game.
Ryckbosch will only be a sophomore next school year. When your 6’9″ your expected to do some great things. Unfortunately he’s only 225 pounds, he’ll need to bulk up about 15 or 20 pounds first. Then perhaps he’ll get more playing time to show what he can do. All of this of course doesn’t even count whatever recruits DePaul has coming in next year.
If DePaul’s roster can get it together, they can improve and make a run at the postseason. The new conference should help because there is no more UConn, Syracuse, Cincinnati, Louisville, or Rutgers to make their lives miserable anymore. But they will have to contend with Georgetown, Villanova, and St. Johns.
I think DePaul will fare much better not having to worry about so many power teams. But it should be interesting to see how Butler, Xavier, and Creighton will play into all of this. But for now, things to look brighter for the DePaul Blue Demons.
Tonight I will be at the Allstate Arena taking in the Chicago Wolves game against the Milwaukee Admirals. You can follow me on Twitter during the game @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
Despite all of the excitement, anticipation, and positive energy heading into tonight’s game, the energy was anything but positive as the Rush lose the 2013 season opener to the Iowa Barnstormers. Miscues and poor offense in the first half, followed by some bad plays and turnovers in the second half, left the Rush playing catch up all night.
Some costly errors within the first few minutes of tonight’s contest put the Rush behind early. Here is how it all went down:
The first quarter was a very low scoring affair. Iowa scored first when J.J. Raterink threw a touchdown pass from midfield to wide receiver Collin Taylor. Assisting that play was Rush defensive back Jorrick Calvin who slipped and fell on the turf while in coverage. The good thing is that defensive end Anthony Hoke sacked the holder to break up the extra point, Iowa led 6-0 early on.
On the Rush’s opening possession they marched into the red zone in just five plays. But after three straight incomplete passes by Carson Coffman, the Rush attempted a 12-yard field goal. Joe Martinez missed wide right allowing the Barnstormers to hang onto their 6-0 lead.
A couple of drives later, the Barnstormers would score again. After an unnecessary roughness penalty put them at 3rd and 20 from their own 8-yard line, Raterink again found some luck when Rush defensive back Joe Phinisee lost his footing on the turf allowing Darius Reynolds to score. Iowa missed the extra point again but still lead 12-0.
The Rush’s only score in the first came from a 4-yard touchdown pass from Carson Coffman to Reggie Gray. This cut the deficit to 12-7. As the second quarter began, Iowa again created another scoring drive capped off by a Raterink touchdown pass to receiver Marco Thomas off of a screen pass from three yards out. Iowa increased their lead to 19-7 at that point.
Midway through the second, the Rush would get back into it when Carson Coffman found Rodney Wright from 14 yards away to cut Iowa’s lead to 19-14. Just before the one minute warning J.J. Raterink found Iowa wide receiver Darius Reynolds for the second time in the corner of the end zone from 10 yards away to add to their lead, it was now 26-14.
On the ensuing kickoff, Rodney Wright could not recover the ball for the Rush after it bounced off of the net. Iowa would recover and score an easy touchdown, the Barnstormers led 33-14 by this point. The Rush would try to score one more time, but a sack on Coffman and poor clock management prevented that.
Then with just 10 seconds before halftime, Iowa would score again to add insult to injury. A pass by Raterink bounced off of the net but was recovered by Collin Taylor for his second touchdown of the evening. They would once again miss an extra point but the damage was none the less as they now led 39-14.
The Rush would manage to get some form of damage control before halftime. The Rush had one more play and Carson Coffman threw a 6-yard bullet to Reggie Gray for his second touchdown of the game. Iowa took at 39-21 lead into the locker room at halftime. When the second half began the Rush had the first possession and made good use of it.
Coffman threw his fourth touchdown pass to Reggie Gray from 24 yards out. It was Gray’s third TD catch of the night, and it cut Iowa’s lead to 39-28. But the Barnstormers would come back on their next drive and despite three straight penalties in the red zone, Iowa still managed to score to increase their lead to 46-28.
The Rush would come right back on the next drive as Reggie Gray would haul in his fourth touchdown catch of the night. This cut Iowa’s lead to 11, 46-35. Once the fourth quarter began, Iowa was hanging onto that 11-point lead. But they would add to it with a J.J. Raterink quarterback sneak, they were now up 53-35.
The Rush would make it a back and forth affair after Rodney Wright caught his second touchdown pass to make it a 53-41 game. The Barnstormers would come right back with 5:50 remaining and increase their lead to 19, 60-41. On the ensuing possession, Carson Coffman would throw his first pick in a Rush uniform to kill a four play, 20 plus yard drive.
The Rush would get the ball back but only for Coffman to throw another drive killing pick. After that pick things started to get chippy as both teams began to push and shove, leading to penalties and two ejections, one for each team. The Barnstormers would continue to add insult to injury by adding a field goal at the one minute warning to make it a 63-41 ball game.
The Rush would get one last drive, but they decided to run out the clock to end the game instead of scoring. The Rush lose their 2013 home opener, and their first home opener since since 2008 by the final score of 63-41. Here is tonight’s box score:
Even though they allowed J.J. Raterink and Darius Reynolds to combine for four of Iowa’s six touchdowns, among the other mistakes, there were still some positives. Reggie Gray caught four touchdown passes tonight, he now has 101 touchdown receptions for his career.
Rush linebacker Kelvin Morris went unnoticed for his nine tackles, and new quarterback Carson Coffman managed to throw for 225 yards and 6 touchdowns in his first game in a Rush uniform. After the game, head coach Bob McMillen, receiver Reggie Gray, and defensive back Jorrick Calvin all spoke at the post-game press conference.
I give them a ton of credit for speaking with the media considering how much of a foul mood they were all in. You’ll see what I mean when you look at their body language in the video below:
I also spoke with a visibly upset Reggie Gray:
Next week the Rush will resume the season on Easter Sunday when the Spokane Shock comes into town. The Shock has always given the Rush a hard, they split the season series last year 1-1. Both teams are physical against one another and I expect next week to be no different.
The Shock was one of the teams that kept the Rush out of the playoffs last year. There is no doubt that the Rush will be looking for some #REDemption this time around. For sports anytime, follow me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
After one of the more chaotic off seasons in team history, the 2013 Chicago Rush have made it to opening day. And they do so with a new look, new colors, new uniforms, and a new attitude. Today they take on their bitter division rivals, the Iowa Barnstormers. The Barnstormers are coached by former Rush head coach Mike Hohensee, who called the shots at Allstate Arena from 2001-2010.
He was the brains behind the operation that led the Rush to their only Arena Bowl title back in 2006. He is familiar with his counter part, former Rush fullback and current head coach Bob McMillen. McMillen in in his third season as the head coach of the Rush. He was the Rush starting fullback from 2002-2007, then transitioned into coaching from there.
He began as Mike Hohensee’s fullback/linebacker coach and held that position from 2008-2010. When Hohensee departed Chicago in 2011, McMillen took over the head coaching job and still holds the position to this day. There are a lot of new faces on this years roster. But just like Hohensee, Coach McMillen has a nack for finding undiscovered talent.
The Rush led by new over David Staral, made sure to bring in plenty of solid players for this years roster. Aside from Coach Hohensee, Iowa is led by veteran AFL quarterback J.J. Raterink. He is in his third season as their signal caller and would like to get payback from last season’s sweep by the Rush.
Throwing the ball for the Rush is Carson Coffman. He was brought in during the offseason after the retirerment of Russ Michna and the departure of Luke Drone. He will be backed up by Zach Frazer. There are still a few players leftover from last season. Reggie Gray, J.J. Payne, Derek Walker, Darrell Campbell, Kelvin Morris, Vic Hall, Semaj Moody, and Jorrick Calvin still wear Rush jerseys.
But there are some new players ready to come in and make an impact. Wide receiver Nate Forse has been around the block in the Arena Football League. He played with Orlando last season. Defensive lineman Anthony Hoke has played in both the AFL and NFL and he now brings his talents to Chicago.
There is all new offensive line, a few other players mixed in here and there, and a new kicker. Jose Martinez takes over the kicking duties which were held by Mike Salerno in 2012. As the old saying goes, “Out with the old and in with the new.” And that is the approach the Rush will take this season as they try to make the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
Last year was the only year in franchise history in which the Rush did not make the postseason. Their record of 10-8 wasn’t enough to get a playoff spot. This year they will try to change the mistakes from last year that put them in that position. The Rush were only 3-6 on the road last year, that has to change.
They also struggled in Central Division play, this also needs to change. They also need to limit turnovers and perform better on special teams. Here are the starting lineups for both teams today:
Rush:
Offense:
QB: #11 Carson Coffman
FB: #34 J.J. Payne
WR: #1 Reggie Gray
WR: #2 Rodney Wright
WR: #10 Nate Forse
OG: #79 Steve Edwards {Former Chicago Bear}
C: #66 Jeff Maddux
TE: #75 Colin Madison
Defense:
DE: #91 Derek Walker
NT: #92 Darrel Campbell
DE: #12 Anthony Hoke
MLB: #7 Tyus Jackson
JLB: #11 Kelvin Morris
DB: #4 Vic Hall
DB: #14 Jorrick Calvin
DB: #3 Joe Phinisee
Barnstormers:
QB: #11 J.J. Raterink
FB: #41 Kai Brown
WR: #2 Collin Talyor
WR: #3 Marco Thomas
WR: #7 Darius Reynolds
G: #77 Michael Garrity
C: #72 Dace Richardson
TE: #70 Jayson Palmgren
DL: #23 Rodney Gnat
DL: #53 Mike Lewis
DL: #55 Odrick Ray
LB: #57 Darnell Carter
LB: #5 John Mohring
DB: #1 Errick McIntosh
DB: #12 Mike Williams
DB: #6 Jason Simpson
Kickoff will be underway shortly. You can follow me on Twitter for game updates @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports #REDemption
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