In the league's season opener, the Rush were the first to score when DeJuan Alfonzo intercepted a pass and took it 9 yards back for a touchdown.
The Barnstormers were able to cut the Rush's lead to 10 points in the 4th quarter, but Chicago was able to close them out, winning the game by a final score of 61–43.
The entire game was closely contended, with the score tied at the end of each of the first three quarters, and neither team led by more than a touchdown all night.
After a touchback following the ensuing kickoff, the Gladiators completed a pass, but failed to even get the ball past midfield, ending the game.
When Utah got the ball again, the Rush's Clifton Smith blocked a field goal attempt, and then scored a touchdown on a 1-yard run on Chicago's ensuing drive.
Utah only needed one play to score another touchdown and cut their deficit to 35–20, but the Rush did not allow the game to get any closer the rest of the night, winning 63–40.
Chicago held Utah to 40 points, a season-best for the Rush, and the defense stopped three fourth-down attempts by the Blaze offense.
At halftime, the game was tied at 27–27, but the Rush allowed 34 points in the 3rd quarter alone, a deficit that proved to large to overcome, resulting in the first loss of the season for Chicago.
Two of those giveaways were passes by Russ Michna that were intercepted and returned for touchdowns, while another was a fumble recovered by the Iron in the end zone.
Michna's 354 passing yards surpassed the season-high he had totaled in the previous week, and had six touchdowns in the game, four in the air and two on the ground.