MILWAUKEE—The Rush,coming off a bye week,may have been flat. Or perhaps overconfident,but they lost the turnover battle they usually win,and collapsed after the first quarter and suffered their worst loss in more than six years, falling to the Milwaukee Iron 71-48 Friday night at the Bradley Center.The loss drops the Rush(4-1)into a tie with the Iron (4-1) atop the AFL’s Midwest Division.The Rush led 20-7 after the first quarter,but it looked like a different team showed up for the second and third period.The game was tied 27-27 at the half, but the Rush failed to answer the bell for the second half. After surrendering a Milwaukee touchdown on the Iron’s first drive of the third quarter to fall behind 34-27, the Rush proceeded to turn the ball over on four straight possessions – two fumbles on kick returns and two Russ Michna interceptions that were returned for TDs.By the time the fourth quarter began, it was 61-34 Milwaukee and the game pretty much over.The Rush turned the ball over six times, tying a dubious team record set in 2001.

“When you are playing one of the best offenses in the league, you can’t give them even one extra possession – let alone six,” said Rush head coach Mike Hohensee. “(Milwaukee QB Chris) Greisen has been playing as well as I have ever seen him play, and he continued his great play tonight.” Greisen has not thrown a single interception through the Iron’s first five games.After each team scored on its opening possession, Michna hit tight end Shawn McMackin with a 31-yard touchdown pass to put the Rush up 14-7.A Michna to Kenny Higgins 29-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the first quarter gave the Rush a 20-7 lead and it looked like the Rush was in good shape,but no!

NOTES: The 71 points given up by the Rush is the most a Rush defense has allowed since April 25, 2004 when the Los Angeles Avengers won 71-35 … the Rush returns home next Saturday, May 15 to rematch host the Iowa Barnstormers whom they beat week one in Des Moines.

LES