ROSEMONT— The Rush started off their 2013 season on an uncharacteristic note Saturday night, dropping their home opener 63–41 to the Iowa Barnstormers. They could not get a stop on the evening until the fourth quarter as Barnstormers quarterback JJ Raterink was a model of efficiency, accounting for eight total touchdowns on the night.
Raterink opened the game connecting with wide receivers Marco Thomas and Darius Reynolds for scores to put Iowa up 12-0 before the crowd could get settled. Once the Rush were able to establish their footing, it was more of the same story from last season as receiver Reggie Gray hauled in his first touchdown of the night from Quarterback Carson Coffman. After Iowa responded with a five play scoring drive, Rodney Wright introduced himself to the Rush faithful with a touchdown reception with seven and a half minutes to go in the second quarter. Iowa responded quickly, as receiver Darius Reynolds caught a ten yard touchdown, one of four on the night for him.
The Barnstormers kept the pressure going on the resulting kickoff, as kicker Phil Marfuggi placed the ball off the upright. Defensive back Ter’Ran Benton was in the perfect position to catch it in stride and punch it in for six more, giving Iowa 14 points in the span of just eight seconds.
While the Rush had sufficient time to put together a drive, Iowa defensive lineman Odrick Ray seemingly put an end to any hopes with a drive-stalling sack to give the Barnstomers the ball with sixteen seconds remaining. From there, it was clockwork for Raterink. A lofty pass ended up in receiver Collin Taylor’s hands after the ball deflected off the uprights once again.
Marfuggi attempted to make a play on the kickoff, sending a frozen rope at the front line of the Rush returners. The Rush recovered, and Coffman took the final snap and fired away to  Gray, who caught his second touchdown of the night, sending the Rush into the locker room with an eighteen point deficit.
Gray started the second half the same way he finished the first, reeling in a 29 yard strike from Coffman to bring the Rush to within 11. Raterink was up to his old tricks once again though as he orchestrated an eight play drive capped off by a Marco Thomas snag of a Jorrick Calvin deflection in the end zone with 8:13 remaining in the third.
The Rush finally found a groove in the next two drives, as the hands of Rodney Wright and the Barnstormers’ undisciplined nature provided the Rush with much needed scores. Despite the bright spots, Raterink snuck into the end zone between the two drives to reclaim seven of those points.
While it seemed that the Rush had turned a corner offensively, the clock quickly became their worst enemy. A Jose Martinez onside kick with just under eight minutes remaining in the game ended up in the stands, and it only took Raterink one play to turn it into six, putting the Barnstormers up by a decisive nineteen points.
The Barnstormers effectively ended the game with just under five minutes remaining, as De’Mon Glanton intercepted Coffman’s first mistake of the night. The teams traded stalled drives and turnovers to wind down the first week of the season. The Rush will take on the Spokane Shock next Sunday.

NOTES—Gray’s third quarter catch was the 100th of his career…..Rodney Wright had an impressive first game as a member of the Rush, catching 12 balls for 121 yards and two touchdowns….Jorrick Calvin and Kelvin Morris led the way for the Rush on defense, accounting for 13 total tackles….The Rush host Spokane Easter Sunday at 3pm.