After narrow victories in its previous two games, the Rush welcomed the winless Kansas City Command to Allstate Arena Saturday night — and remained the only undefeated team in the Arena Football League after a 69-40 victory for a franchise-tying 4-0 start.
Rookie receiver Jared Perry caught five touchdown passes from quarterback Russ Michna.
“More than anything else, I made throws,” said Michna, who completed 17 of 20 passes for 311 yards and seven touchdowns. “Last week (a 62-61 victory in overtime in Iowa) we struggled a little bit because I missed a couple of throws. Simple as that. I keep talking about this group of receivers. They understand this game. They are doing everything right, making the game easy. I just have to make every throw.”
Perry had 10 catches for 175 yards. Reggie Gray added seven receptions for 125 yards and three touchdowns.
“We had four dynamic receivers out there and we have a quarterback who understands the game,” Rush coach Bob McMillen said. “Everyone is communicating in that huddle.”
The Command (0-4) scored first when quarterback Matt Gutierrez (23 of 39 for 258 yards and five touchdowns) passed seven yards to Syvelle Newton with 7 minutes, 53 seconds left in the first quarter, but after that it was mostly all Rush.
“We were very basic,” McMillen said. “A lot of those long touchdown passes were three-step drops. So we were just able to run past them.”
Defensively, Vic Hall intercepted a Command pass in the end zone with about six minutes left until halftime.
“Whenever we get our hands on the ball, that’s one of our seven key things for our defensive backfield that we stress at the beginning of training camp,” Hall said. “When you’re in position to make a play, make it.”
