Storm Unable To Overcome Rush

TAMPA - Tampa Bay coach Tim Marcum felt pretty good heading into the locker room at halftime of Monday night's game against the visiting Chicago Rush. The Storm had just caught a break - something they hadn't gotten much of this season - and were still in position to pull out a win.

That feeling, however, turned out to be short-lived.

Chicago capitalized on a Tampa Bay turnover early in the second half, and the Storm were never able to recover in a 51-46 loss to the Rush in front of an announced crowd of 14,491 at the St. Pete Times Forum.

It was the Storm's sixth loss in their last seven games, and it came after the team felt a win last week at rival Orlando was going to turn their season around.

"It's disappointing. We had a chance to grab some momentum and a chance to start swinging this thing around," Marcum said. "We've got a tough road right now, and we've got to plow through it."

The game-changing play came just after Chicago (8-2) scored on its opening possession of the second half.

Storm return man Sedrick Robinson fumbled the ensuing kickoff, giving the Rush a chance to add to their 31-24 lead. They did.

Two plays later, quarterback Russ Michna went untouched on a 25-yard touchdown run to put Chicago ahead by two scores.

Tampa Bay (3-6) threatened to get back into the game when Lawrence Samuels, who, on the Storm's first possession, tied an AFL record by recording a catch in his 128th consecutive game, picked off a Michna pass in the Rush end zone to snuff out a scoring drive.

However, the Storm were unable to convert the turnover into a touchdown, instead settling for a Seth Marler 20-yard field goal that cut the deficit to 37-33, and Tampa Bay never got any closer the rest of the way.

"That was critical. We've got a chance to tie the game right there and we have to take the three," Marcum said.

Things started looking bad for the Storm late in the first half. Chicago defensive back Dennison Robinson jumped in front of a Brett Dietz pass for an interception with 4:44 left in the second quarter.

The Rush led 21-17 at the time and were set to get the ball back to begin the second half. But just as quickly as things looked grim for the Storm, they flipped to positive again, thanks to the combined efforts of Tampa Bay defensive lineman Tom Briggs and linebacker Torrance Marshall.

On the second play of Chicago's ensuing drive, Briggs beat his blocker around the corner and hit Michna as he was about to throw, knocking the ball into the air. It landed into the arms of Marshall at the 7 and he did the rest, scampering into the end zone untouched to give the Storm a 24-21 lead and preventing the home team from going into the half in a huge hole.

But Chicago took advantage of the Tampa Bay miscue early in the second half and went on to post its fourth straight win.

Tampa Bay, which fell deeper into the cellar of the National Conference standings, returns to the field Friday when the Storm host Southern Division-leading New Orleans.

"Something's got to happen. We've got to catch fire," Marcum said.