Game Info
Record: 0-1
@
Record: 1-0
Saturday, March 10th 8:00 PM @ Allstate Arena
Tickets: www.arenarush.com | 847-882-9400
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 7 | 28 | 0 | 13 | 48 |
| H | 14 | 21 | 14 | 21 | 70 |
- Top Performers
- Passing: Stephen Wasil (TB) - 326 YDS, 4 TD
- Rushing: Stephen Wasil (TB) - 16 YDS, 3 TD
- Receiving: Prechae Rodriguez (TB) - 186 YDS, 3 TD
Away Passing
| Player | C/ATT | YDS | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen Wasil | 26 / 44 | 326 | 4 | 2 |
Home Passing
| Player | C/ATT | YDS | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russ Michna | 24 / 37 | 247 | 8 | 1 |
Away Rushing
| Player | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen Wasil | 5 | 16 | 3.2 | 3 | 11 |
| Wondell Rutledge | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
Home Rushing
| Player | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JJ Payne | 6 | 16 | 2.67 | 0 | 7 |
Away Receiving
| Player | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prechae Rodriguez | 12 | 186 | 15.5 | 3 | 47 |
| Michael Lindsey | 6 | 76 | 12.67 | 1 | 43 |
| Chandler Williams | 8 | 64 | 8 | 0 | 18 |
Home Receiving
| Player | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marquis Hamilton | 10 | 116 | 11.6 | 3 | 29 |
| Reggie Gray | 7 | 80 | 11.43 | 4 | 31 |
| Jared Perry | 6 | 42 | 7 | 1 | 15 |
| TJ Watkins | 1 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
Away Defense
| Player | TUA | TA | TOT | SUA | SA | YDS | FF | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erick McIntosh | 6 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marcus Udell | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Paul Griffin | 3 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jimmy Saddler-McQueen | 2 | 1 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tavious Polo | 1 | 3 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Victor Williams | 1 | 1 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prechae Rodriguez | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brad Serini | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pernell Phillips | 1 | 3 | 2.5 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| David Akinniyi | 1 | 1 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Riley Swanson | 0 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Chandler Williams | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Home Defense
| Player | TUA | TA | TOT | SUA | SA | YDS | FF | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vic Hall | 5 | 1 | 5.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Brandon Freeman | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Ervin Baldwin | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Lindsey Witten | 3 | 1 | 3.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kelvin Rodgers | 3 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marquis Hamilton | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Xavier Brown | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Reggie Gray | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jared Perry | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kelvin Morris | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Mike Salerno | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| JJ Payne | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Semaj Moody | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Courtney Harris | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Away Interceptions
| Player | INT | YDS | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riley Swanson | 1 | 10 | 0 |
Home Interceptions
| Player | INT | YDS | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kelvin Morris | 2 | 48 | 2 |
Away Kick Returns
| Player | NO | YDS | AVG | LG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Lindsey | 6 | 113 | 18.83 | 26 |
| Chandler Williams | 1 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
Home Kick Returns
| Player | NO | YDS | AVG | LG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reggie Gray | 2 | 25 | 12.5 | 16 |
Away Missed Field Goal Returns
| Player | NO | YDS | AVG | LG |
|---|
Home Missed Field Goal Returns
| Player | NO | YDS | AVG | LG |
|---|
Discussion
The Tampa Bay Storm head to
The Tampa Bay Storm head to Chicago to face the Rush at Allstate Arena Saturday evening at 8:00 PM EST. This is the fifth meeting between the two teams and second in Chicago. The two teams have split the previous four meetings two games apiece.
The Storm enters the game not only with a new logo and uniform, but new look as well. Head coach Dave Ewart went out and added new members to his coaching staff. The team has two new coaches on the offensive side of the ball; offensive coordinator John Gregory and wide receiver coach Lawrence Samuels. They join returning defensive backs coach Donnie Abraham, who had defensive coordinator added to his title this season.
Only eight players on the current 24-man roster return from the 2011 season. Ewart will lean on quarterbacks Matt Grothe and Stephen Wasil to engineer an improved offense which finished last in the AFL last season in points per game with 44.6. The quarterbacks will rely on the experience of Gregory and a bevy of talented wide receivers including new comers Prechae Rodriguez, Chandler Williams, Mark Jones and Victor Williams, who join returning veterans Amarri Jackson and Michael Lindsey.
Protecting the quarterbacks is returning stalwart Tom Kaleita, along with veterans Julius Wilson and George Bussey. They are joined by two rookies; center Brad Serini and the versatile Wondell Rutledge.
On the defensive side of the ball, returning to the back four are Erick McIntosh, Marcus Udell, Tavious Polo and Eric Ortiz. The front four will have a brand new look with six new faces; David Akinniyi, John-Kevin Dolce, Paul Griffin, Richard Jones, Pernell Phillips and Jimmy Saddler-McQueen. Griffin is the lone AFL veteran having spent the past two seasons with the Orlando Predators.
Chicago is led by head coach Bob McMillen and fourth-year quarterback Russ Michna. Offensively, Michna will rely upon his go-to receiver Reggie Gray, an All-Arena performer who set franchise records last season with 130 receptions and 1,969 yards receiving, he added 49 touchdown receptions.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Rush will rely upon two play makers in the back-four, Vic Hall and Kelvin Morris. This unit led the AFL in 2011 with the fewest points per game in the League allowing only 46.3 points. Both Hall and Morris earned First-Team All-Arena Honors. Hall finished second in the AFL with 15 interceptions meanwhile the versatile Morris accumulated 64 tackles, nine interceptions and a fumble recovery from the Jack linebacker position.