QUICK FACTS:Philadelphia Soul (1-1) v. Nashville Kats (1-1)
Site: Wachovia Center (17,639 capacity)
Officials: Referee: Dennis Lipski; Umpire: Richard Brown; Head Linesman: Rod Pearson; Line Judge: Art Lucky; Back Judge: Joe Duncan
TUNE IN:
TV: NBC Sports
Play-by-Play: Bob Papa
Color: Ray Bentley
Sideline: Vai Sikahema
RADIO: WNTP 990-AM (Phila.) and 106.7
FM WDOX (Atlantic City)
Play-by-Play: Ari Wolfe
Color: Bill Osborn
THE MATCHUP:
The Soul look to rebound after last week's loss at Chicago to move to 2-1. Philadelphia, 5-11 a year ago, had an impressive offseason, signing key components from around the league. With the additions of QB Tony Graziani and OS Steve Smith, the Soul have created high expectations throughout the league and are Danny White's pick in the AFL's preview magazine to win ArenaBowl XIX. The Kats are also looking to rebound from last week's loss to New Orleans.
PHILADELPHIA SOUL SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
Date Opponent Time (ET) Result/Streak
1/30 @ Austin 12:00 p.m. W, 66-35/ W1
2/6 @ Chicago 1:00 p.m. L, 51-41/ L1
2/13 Nashville 3:00 p.m.
2/20 @ New Orleans 12:00 p.m.
2/27 Dallas 3:00 p.m.
3/6 New York 12:00 p.m.
3/11 @ San Jose 10:30 p.m.
3/20 Tampa Bay 12:00 p.m.
3/27 Grand Rapids 3:00 p.m.
4/3 @ Columbus 12:00 p.m.
4/10 @ Colorado 1:00 p.m.
4/17 Las Vegas 1:00 p.m.
4/24 @ New York 1:00 p.m.
5/1 Orlando 1:00 p.m.
BYE
5/15 Columbus 1:00 p.m.
5/22 @ Dallas 3:00 p.m.
NASHVILLE KATS SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
Date Opponent Time (ET) Result/Streak
1/28 @ Columbus 7:00 p.m. W, 47-38/W1
2/4 New Orleans 8:30 p.m. L, 59-34/ L1
2/13 @ Philadelphia 3:00 p.m.
2/19 @ New York 7:00 p.m.
2/26 Las Vegas 8:30 p.m.
3/6 @ Chicago 3:00 p.m.
3/13 Colorado 6:30 p.m.
3/20 BYE
3/28 Arizona 8:30 p.m.
4/3 @ Grand Rapids 3:00 p.m.
4/8 @ Dallas 8:30 p.m.
4/17 Los Angeles 1:00 p.m.
4/24 Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m.
4/29 @ San Jose 10:30 p.m.
5/7 Grand Rapids 8:30 p.m.
5/13 @ Colorado 9:00 p.m.
5/22 Chicago 3:00 p.m.
What If
If Philadelphia defeats Nashville, it would
· Mark the Soul's first ever win over the Kats in the teams' first ever Matchup.
· Mark the Soul's first win in a home opener in franchise history (2/8/04 loss to New Orleans)
· Give the Soul a winning record for 2nd time ever
· Make the Soul 2-0 in the National Conference
The Coaches Corner
Michael Trigg: After guiding the expansion Philadelphia Soul to a 5-11 Inaugural Season mark, Trigg (76-78 reg. season, 3-7 post-season) is in his 17th year of Arena Football. Prior to joining the Soul, Trigg spent six seasons as head coach in Grand Rapids, guiding the Rampage to the playoffs in five of his six years. His team won ArenaBowl XV in 2001 as Trigg was named AFL Coach of the Year. A veteran of expansion endeavors, Trigg spent 1994 as head coach of the expansion Fort Worth Calvary and 1995-97 as head coach of the Milwaukee Mustangs. He turned a 0-12 team into a two-time playoff participant and set the then-AFL record for single-season turnaround as he guided the Mustangs from 4-8 in 1995 to 10-4 in 1996.
Pat Sperduto: In 1999 the Nashville Kats appointed Sperduto as their new head coach, after he spent the previous three years with the team as an assistant. From 1999-2001, Sperduto led the Kats to a record of 32-18, along with back-to-back ArenaBowl appearances in 2000 and 2001. When the Kats moved to Atlanta and became the Georgia Force, Sperduto assisted the NFL's Tennessee Titans, as a member of their coaching and scouting staffs. Now that the Kats are back in Nashville, Sperduto is looking to rekindle his magic and lead the Kats back to the ArenaBowl.
Philly Phlavor
Two players on the Soul's active roster are Philadelphia natives: Sean Scott and Keita Crespina. Scott, last year's Soul MVP, grew up in Overbrook and attended Millersville University in Lancaster. Crespina, who grew up in North Philly and continues to reside there, graduated from Temple University and was voted the Owls' MVP in 1992.
Soul WR/DB Rob Milanese is a rookie and a graduate of Penn, where he holds the school record in receiving yards.
Tale of the Tape
Philadelphia Category (Rank) Nashville
41 (6th)51 (4th ) Scoring OffenseScoring Defense 34 (14th)59 (12th)
604 (5th)510 (4th) Total OffenseTotal Defense 475(15th)522(7th)
4-5- 80% (T-3rd)9-14-64% (6th) Red Zone OffenseRed Zone Defense 7-9-77.8% (5th)7-12-58.3% (4th)
578 (4th)429 (2nd) Pass OffensePass Defense 378 (17th) 506 (10th)
26 (12th)81 (15th) Rushing OffenseRushing Defense 97 (2nd) 16 (2nd)
107 (6th) Scoring 81 (14th)
916.8 (10th) Kickoff ReturnsKick Return Average 1219.7 (6th)
0 (T-9th)1/2 (T-14th) Turnover MarginField Goals +1 (T-3rd)0/0 (T-10th)
10 Sacks BySacks Against 14
7/13- 54% (3rd) 2/4- 50% (7th) Third Down ConversionFourth Down Conversion 13/19- 68.4% (10th)1/5- 20% (T-9th)
14- 92 Penalties (# - Avg. Yards/Game) 14-98
27:43 Time of Possession (Avg.) 34:36
2005 Standings
Philadelphia Soul 1-1 (T-2nd in Eastern Division)
Nashville Kats 1-1 (T-2nd in Central Division)
2005 Record When
Wachovia Center 0-0
On the Road 1-1
Score First 1-0
Opp. Score First 0-1
Leading at Half 1-0
Trailing at Half 0-1
Friday 0-0
Saturday 0-0
Sunday 1-1
On NBC 1-1
Vs. Eastern 0-0
Vs. Central 0-1
Vs. Western 0-0
Vs. Southern 1-0
January 1-0
February 0-1
March 0-0
April 0-0
May 0-0
The Soul's new Money Man
· In October, Tony Graziani signed the wealthiest contract in AFL history. As the most coveted free agent on the market, Graziani's addition sent waves through the National Conference.
· For the 2004 season, Graziani completed 333 of 510 passes for 4,265 yards with only five INTs.
· As 2004 All Arena First Team QB, he threw a career-best of 99 touchdowns and added four rushing scores.
· Graziani is one of just four players in League history to account for more than 100 touchdowns in a single season.
· His 99 TDs were third-most by a QB in League history.
· His signing should greatly improve the Soul's turnover margin which was 3rd worst in the league a year ago at -18; L.A. led the League at +15.
Day of Rest?
The Soul play a league-high 15 of their 16 games on Sundays this season. Philadelphia will also be featured 14 times on NBC, also most among all AFL teams.
Coaching Re-Match
Sunday's game marks a re-match for the head coaches of ArenaBowl XV. Mike Trigg and Pat Sperduto squared off when Trigg's Rampage topped Sperduto's Kats for the AFL Championship in 2001.
Scott's the Heart of the Soul
· Philadelphia-born WR/LB Sean Scott was named US ARMY IRONMAN OF THE WEEK for his performance on Sunday in Chicago for the SECOND CONSECUTIVE WEEK.
· Scott becomes the first AFLer to win back-to-back US Army Ironman of the Week honors since Chicago's Dameon Porter in Weeks 7 and 8 of 2001.
· His career-best five TDs tied a franchise high and moved him into a tie for first in TDs league-wide with seven. He also added four tackles in the game.
· In Week 1 vs. Austin, Scott scored two touchdowns, broke up a pass and forced a fumble in the Soul's 66-35 win over the Wranglers.
· Scott was named Team MVP by his peers for the Soul's Inaugural Season and appears to have picked up where he left off.
· His 56 catches were third on the team despite playing just 12 games and his 16 TDs tied for second.
· A graduate of Millersville (PA) University, Scott is a reliable two-way player for the Soul.
· Playing linebacker he led the team with three forced fumbles, made 21 tackles and collected 0.5 sack and one fumble recovery.
· His tough play twice earned him US Army Ironman of the Week honors (Week 5 vs. Chicago and Week 6 vs. Columbus).
Famous Ownership
Both the Soul and Kats have world famous performers in their ownership groups. The Soul are co-owned by rock icon Jon Bon Jovi while country music star Tim McGraw has a minority share of the Kats.
Graziani Vs. The Kats
While playing for the Los Angeles Avengers, Tony Graziani went head to head with the Kats just once, in Week 13 of 2001. Playing as a rookie, Graziani completed 12 of his 20 passes for 134 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Jones Faces His Old Team
Soul OS Tyronne Jones starred for the Nashville Kats' previous franchise from 1998-2001. He accumulated 277 catches for 3,644 yards and 65 TDs during his tenure there. Jones led the Soul in scoring in 2004 but has missed each of the Soul's first two games this season with a hamstring injury and remains questionable for Week 3.
Home Sweet Home
The Soul finally make their home debut for 2005 after opening the season on the road in Weeks 1 and 2. Four of the Soul's five wins in 2004 came at home so Philadelphia will look forward to its homecoming. The team's venue the Wachovia Center was recently rated the "Toughest Opposing Arena" to play at in a recent poll on arenafootball.com.
Approaching Milestones
· Graziani is just 14 completions shy of the 1,000th of his AFL career.
· Graziaini is just 17 TD passes away from his 300th career TD pass.
Good Things Come in Small Packages
· At just 5-foot-9, Steve Smith is not one of the biggest offensive specialists in the League, but he is one of the most explosive.
· Smith's five TDs in Week 1 set a career and franchise record.
· For 2005, he has 12 catches for 172 yards and 5 TDs.
· Smith led the Grand Rapids Rampage with 59 catches for 658 yards and 10 TDs last season.
· His five kick return TDs led the league.
· Smith's speed gives Graziani a wide receiver who can stretch the field and make big plays.
Sunday's Local Ties
Several Nashville players/coaches enter Sunday's game with local ties. Kats' OL/DL coach Darrin Kenney was the Soul's color analyst a season ago and hails from Philly. OL/DL Charlie Morris is also from Philadelphia and played his college ball at Temple. FB/LB Kevin Nagle is from PA and attended East Stroudsburg University and OL/DL Joe Minucci played at the University of Delaware. WR/DB Reggie Stephens graduated from Rutgers University and practice-squader Tyler Lenda was a Penn State Nittany Lion.
Soul Train Makes Wing Bowl Debut
Chris "Soul Train" Ryan makes his Wing Bowl debut on Friday morning. Accompanied by his teammates, Soul Train took on 28 of the most talented chicken-wing-eaters in the country at the Wing Bowl 13 at the Wachovia Center. He downed 46 wings in 14 minutes.
Players to Watch
Philadelphia
#7 QB Tony Graziani
Armed with a wealth of talented receivers, led by Sean Scott, Steve Smith and Terrill Shaw, Graziani is off to a torrid start in his first season with the Soul. #7 has thrown for 14 TDs (2nd in the AFL) through two weeks, amassing an impressive QB ratting of 111.
#84 OS Steve Smith
As another one of the team's key offseason additions, Smith's Soul debut was a memorable one. Catching nine passes for 131 yards and five touchdowns, Smith played a vital role in the Soul's season-opening win over Austin. He added three catches for 41 yards last week.
#9 DS Arkee Thompson
Thompson, in his second year in the AFL, made his Soul debut a week ago in Austin. On top of his team-high 9.5 tackles and three pass break-ups, Thompson scored his first career TD on his first-ever interception, returning it 17 yards for a score. He currently leads the team in tackles (14) and INTs (1).
#88 WR/LB Sean Scott
Scott won the US Army Ironman of the Week for the second straight week for his five-TD performance versus Chicago. His seven TDs are tied for the AFL lead.
Nashville
# 18 - DS DeRon Jenkins
After spending his rookie season playing for the Austin Wranglers last season, Jenkins looks to bring his strong cover skills to the Kats secondary. In 15 games last season he recorded 59.5 tackles, two interceptions and 15 pass defenses. Jenkins has already matched his interception total from last year, as he recorded two picks in the first game of the season.
# 14 QB Leon Murray
A dual threat, Murray has the ability to beat you with his arm and his legs. While playing for the Georgia Force last season, Murray threw for 3645 yards and 60 touchdowns, and ran for an additional 217 yards and 13 touchdowns. So far this season he has connected on 25 of 35 attempts for 232 yards and three TDs, while running for 36 yards and 2 TDs.
# 7 WR/LB Darryl Hammond
No one has more experience in the AFL than Hammond, who enters his 15th year in the League. He currently ranks 10th in League history in receiving yards with 7,889 and has returned six interceptions for TDs in his career (3rd most in AFL history).
He's "Eligible"
Soul WR/LB Sean Scott was featured in the November 2004 issue of Main Line Today as one of the Philadelphia area's "20 Most Eligible Singles."
NFL Experience
Several Soul players boast NFL experience:
Donovan Arp - Wash, Car, Tenn
Cyron Brown - Den
Marvin Brown - KC, Bal, Cle
Keita Crespina - Phi, Ari
Winfield Garnett - Minn, NO, Sea
Tony Graziani - Atl, Cle
Marlion Jackson - NYJ, Den
Marcus Knight - TB, Oak
Tim Levcik - Mia, Pit
Arnold Miller - Cle
Dwayne Missouri Bal
Wes Ours Ind, Tenn, Pit
Dwayne Sabb - S.D., Buf, NE
Derek Schorejs - Cin, Cle, NYJ, Jax
Sean Scott - Phi
Terrill Shaw - KC
Charles Stackhouse - NYG, Min
Penn Grad's Got Soul
Soul rookie Rob Milanese recorded his first career TD catch this past Sunday. Milanese graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, where he tore up the Ivy League from '99-'02 as a Quaker.
· The 5-foot-9 wideout finished his career as Penn's all-time leader in receiving yards and third in catches.
· He became the first-ever Penn receiver to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in a single season.
Protecting the Investment
QB Tony Graziani has yet to be sacked as a member of the Soul. The Soul currently rank first in the AFL in sacks allowed with zero (along with four other teams). This stat is even more impressive considering the strong line play of Austin and Chicago both of whom boast All Arena Linemen in Tom Briggs, Bryan Henderson and John Moyer.
Nashville enters Sunday with one defensive sack while having allowed four sacks on offense.
Soul Train' De-railed
Soul FB/LB Chris "Soul Train" Ryan is expected to miss another couple of weeks with a broken finger on his right hand. He is currently on the injured reserve list.
Nashville's Ground Attack
Nashville has an impressive running game, ranking second in the League in rushing (97 yards). The Kats' seven rushing TDs are tops in the League and the team has two runners in the AFL's top 7: QB Leon Murray and FB/LB Dan Alexander.
S3
The Soul are deep at the receiver position. Sean Scott, Terrill Shaw and Steve Smith make up a lethal triumvirate of S's available to Graziani. Scott was the Soul's 2004 Team MVP, Shaw was ArenaBowl XV MVP and Smith led the AFL in kickoff returns for TDs a season ago.
Fresh Faces
Nashville enters Sunday's game as one of the youngest teams in the AFL. 10 of the Kats' 24 players are rookies, although three of those rookies have combined for 13 years of NFL experience (FB/LB Dan Alexander, OL/DL Tim Morabito and WR/DB Reggie Stephens).
That's a Record
The Soul's Week 1 win over Austin was a record-breaker on many accounts:
· Most points scored by the Soul: 66
· Largest margin of victory: 31
· Most TD passes: 8 (Graziani)
· Most TD receptions: 5 (Smith tied in Week 2 by Scott)
· Receptions (tie): 9 (Smith)
· Total offense: 373 yards
Turnovers are Telling
· The Soul are 5-4 when the team ties or wins the game's turnover battle and 1-8 when they don't.
QB Stats 2004 vs. 2005
The Soul's top offseason priority was an upgrade at the QB position and the team's efforts appear to have paid off.
Through Week 2
2004:
Nick Browder 43 of 76 (57%); 8 TDs; 1 INT; 81 points; 0 wins.
2005:
Tony Graziani 43 of 69 (62%); 14 TDs; 3 INT; 107 points; 1 win.
"The New Rocky"
Tony Graziani a.k.a. "The New Rocky" is currently featured on a vertical billboard on I-95 South near the Stadium Complex. Flanked by an American flag, the larger-than-life QB takes in the sites of his new city.
• Discuss this story on the Arena Football League message board...
• Digg this story
• Add to Del.icio.us
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.