Spokane Empire comeback falls short in loss to Colorado Crush

Daniel Lindsey returned a fourth-quarter kickoff 45 yards for a touchdown and the Colorado Crush beat the Spokane Empire 45-36 in Indoor Football League action in Loveland, Colorado, on Thursday.

Spokane (7-5) has lost three in a row.

The Empire had pulled to within two points on Aaron Wilmer’s 7-yard touchdown run with 4:50 left. The two-point conversion failed, though, and Lindsey took the ensuing kickoff to the house.

Colorado (3-9) never trailed. The teams exchanged touchdowns in the first quarter, then the Crush scored back-to-back TDs in the second and led 21-10 at halftime.

The Empire went down 38-24 midway through the fourth quarter, but scored on a 39-yard pass from Wilmer to Orlandus Harris Sr, then got Wilmer’s TD carry on the next possession to make it a game.

Colorado missed a 53-yard field goal on the next possession, but Wilmer missed on his last three pass attempts and the Empire couldn’t complete the comeback.

Wilmer finished 2 of 5 or 70 yards passing and had three carries for 14 yards. Charles Dowdell went 12 of 22 for 135 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Trevor Kennedy carried 12 times for 97 yards and two scores.

Colorado’s Sean Goldrich went 13 fo 25 for 184 yards and five touchdown passes, two apiece to Anthony Jones Jr. and Kyle Kaiser.

The Empire hosts Colorado on on Friday.