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Detroit Fury game notes

February 3, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Detroit Fury News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Detroit Fury (0-0) at San Jose SaberCats (0-0)
Date: February 5, 2004
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
Site: The Palace of Auburn Hills (14,826)
Officials: Steve Pamon (Referee), Jeff Carr (Umpire), Paul Engelberts (Head Linesman), Tom Symonette (Line Judge), Tony Lombardo (Back Judge).
Radio: WDFN, 1130 AM
Fred McLeod (Play-by-Play)
Rob Rubick (Color Analyst)
TV: Fox Sports Net
Mark Champion (Play-by-Play)
Jim Brandstatter (Color Analyst)
Series Record: Detroit Leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Friday, April 11, 2003 @ San Jose
Detroit 45 - San Jose 42
Streaks: San Jose – None
Detroit – None
Coaches: Darren Arbet (59-22)
Tom Luginbill (0-0, 1st Year)

MEDIA CONTACTS:
San Jose: Phil Simon
Office: (408) 573-5587
Mobile: (408) 202-8744
Detroit: Jason Miller
Office: (248) 377-8704
Mobile: (248) 318-5968


THE STAKES: Detroit finished 2003 tying the AFL’s mark for a single-season turnaround and won the franchise’s first-ever playoff game. Now, the Fury will begin their run for ArenaBowl XIV with a tough San Jose SaberCats team. Only eight teams out of 19 will make the playoffs, and each regular season game is a must-win for both teams. The Fury play two tough opening contests, heading to Arizona in week two. They are looking for a strong start to build momentum for the 2004 season.

THE SERIES: Last season, the Fury and SaberCats met for the first time in San Jose, where the Fury defeated the SaberCats 45-42. The win snapped San Jose’s 18-game home winning streak, and now the Fury will play their first game against the SaberCats on their own field, hoping to keeping an unblemished record against the SaberCats.
TEAM SCHEDULES:

DETROIT FURY (0-0)
Date Opponent Time TV Series
2/05 SAN JOSE 7:30 FSN 1-0
2/13 @Arizona 9:00 - 0-2
2/23 INDIANA 7:30 Comcast 1-4
3/04 @Colorado 9:00 - 1-0
3/12 @New Orleans 8:00 - n/a
3/18 AUSTIN 7:30 Comcast N/a
3/28 @Chicago 3:00 NBC 2-3
4/01 GEORGIA 7:30 Comcast 1-1
4/10 GRAND RAPIDS 7:30 - 2-3
4/16 @Los Angeles 10:30 - 1-0
4/25 @Las Vegas 3:00 NBC 1-3
5/02 CHICAGO 3:00 NBC 2-3
5/08 @Indiana 8:00 - 1-4
5/15 ARIZONA 7:30 - 0-2
5/23 COLORADO 3:00 NBC 1-0
5/29 @Grand Rapids 7:30 - 2-3
FSN – Fox Sports Net Detroit
Comcast Cable / Bright House Network

SAN JOSE SABERCATS (0-0)
Date Opponent Time TV -
2/05 @Detroit 7:30 - -
2/22 @Los Angeles 3:00 NBC -
2/28 GRAND RAPIDS 10:30 - -
3/07 @New York 12:00 NBC -
3/14 COLORADO 8:00 - -
3/20 LAS VEGAS 10:30 - -
3/26 LOS ANGELES 10:30 - -
4/04 @Tampa Bay 12:00 NBC -
4/10 @Dallas 8:30 - -
4/16 CHICAGO 10:30 - -
4/25 @Georgia 12:00 NBC -
5/01 NEW ORLEANS 10:30 - -
5/09 @Arizona 3:00 NBC -
5/16 @Las Vegas 3:00 NBC -
5/22 PHILADELPHIA 10:30 - -
5/30 ARIZONA 4:00 NBC -
* all times Eastern and subject to change


HEAD COACHES:

TOM LUGINBILL, Detroit (0-0, 1st Year): Luginbill enters his first season as an AFL head coach, after taking the reigns from his father Al, who served as the Fury’s head coach in 2003. At 30 years old, Luginbill is the youngest head coach in the AFL, and he looks forward to a breakout season as head coach. Last season, Luginbill helped to re-build the Fury team from a 1-13 record in 2002. With his guidance, the Fury finished the regular season at 8-8, which tied the AFL record for a single-season turnaround. The Fury also finished 1-1 in the playoffs, and the franchise won its first-ever playoff game. Prior to joining the Fury, Luginbill had coached for three different teams in three years, but he is no stranger to the game of Arena Football. Luginbill played two seasons as an AFL quarterback in 1996 & 1997, before joining the coaching staff on the New York CityHawks in 1998. Luginbill got his first head coaching job in 2000, with the Tennessee Valley Vipers of af2, where he led the team to the championship game in his first year with the team. Following a season in af2, Luginbill teamed with his father Al in the XFL as the quarterbacks coach of the Los Angeles Xtreme. There, he coached XFL MVP Tommy Maddox, and helped guide the Xtreme to the league’s first and only championship. He re-joined the AFL in 2002 as an assistant head coach with the expansion Dallas Desperados. In Dallas, Luginbill’s offense set an AFL record for scoring the most points ever by an AFL expansion franchise in one year, and his red-zone offense was ranked number one in the league.

DARREN ARBET, San Jose (59-22, 6th Year): Arbet enters his sixth year as the SaberCats head coach, but his tenth season as a coach with the team. In 2003, Arbet guided his team to a 16-win season and an ArenaBowl Championship. His team finished with a 12-4 regular season record. Arbet has guided the SaberCats to the semi-final round of the playoffs four straight years and has won the Western Division for the past four seasons. Arbet has also been named the AFL’s coach of the year twice, in 2000 and 2002. Despite his head coaching duties, Arbet also functions as the SaberCats Player Personnel Director. Before taking over as head coach, Arbet joined the SaberCats in 1995 (the inaugural season) as a defensive assistant and special teams coordinator. Arbet got his coaching start in the AFL with the Albany Firebirds as a defensive assistant. His ties to the AFL date back to 1988, when he played FB/LB for the Maryland Commandos and the Los Angeles Cobras. Arbet’s coaching career begin in 1990 at his alma matter, California State University, Sacramento. He played defensive end for the Hornets from 1981-1985, and he competed on the track team also.


FURY IN THE COMMUNITY:

FURY HOSPITAL VISITS

Members of the Fury Team visit local area hospitals to bring cheer and hope to children during their stay. Often, players and coaches will “take over” the ward, filling it with Fury decorations. Players spend time with the children, sign autographs and leave special gifts behind. The Fury hope that these events will leave a lasting impression on the children and provide a life long memory they are sure to never forget.

In 2003, the Fury traveled to William Beaumont Hospital in and St. Joseph’s Mercy Macomb to visit children in the hospitals’ pediatric units. Fury players, the Fury Cheerleaders, and team mascot Frenzy toured the units bringing cheer and hope to children of all ages.

FURY FIELD TRIPS PROGRAM

The Fury Field Trips program is designed to encourage young people’s interest in science, math and technology by introducing them to real-life examples of how the sciences are used in the world around them. The goal of Fury Field Trips is to instill an interest in the sciences that they will carry through adulthood.

The Fury embarked on three Field Trips in 2003. The first was a visit to the Ford River Rouge Plant in Dearborn. Children toured the plant with Fury players and representatives from Ford, and the children were treated to a behind the scenes look at Detroit’s automotive industry.
The Fury also traveled to Woodland Elementary School in Troy. Students in attendance were treated to a wonderful, educational learning experience through an interactive science show, involving players and students. Finally, the Fury joined forces with the Detroit Pistons family and traveled to the Selfridge Air National Guard Base. Students toured Selfridge Air National Guard History Museum as well as the Air Park, which displays over 30 planes.

THE 2004 SEASON

In 2004, the Fury are still committed to making a difference off the field. The Fury will continue to host Fury Field Trips and Hospital Visits throughout the season. This season, the Fury will have four hospital visits to local area hospitals, as well as the Ronald McDonald House. Additionally, the Fury will host two Fury Field Trips, one in April and one in May. Through these programs, the Fury hope to educate and enlighten the lives of over 500 metro-Detroit children.


2003 SEASON REVIEW:

Auburn Hills, Mich. – The Detroit Fury closed out the 2003 season with a tough loss to the eventual ArenaBowl Champion Tampa Bay Storm, but there was a lot of progress made in one year. The Fury (9-9 Overall, 8-8 Regular season) tied the AFL record for the biggest single season turnaround, going from 1-13 in 2002 to 8-8 in 2003. The franchise also won its first-ever playoff game, defeating the Grand Rapids Rampage 55-54 on the last play of the game.

In his first, and only, season as head coach of the Fury, Al Luginbill helped to rebuild the Fury with son and current head coach Tom Luginbill. They were able to sign AFL veterans from every position to build a strong nucleus of players.

The Fury’s offensive line finished as one of the league’s best in 2003. They only allowed nine sacks all season, which was second best in the AFL.

The Fury’s receiving corps was also re-vamped. Four different receivers with the team caught at least 50 passes in 2003.

The Fury also saw many individuals breakout to become marquee players for the team. Quarterback Andy Kelly set many of the Fury’s passing records. He finished fourth in the AFL in touchdown passes (93), although he led the AFL in interceptions (20).

Defensive specialist Ron Carpenter had a brilliant year as a kickoff returner. He set the new AFL single-season record for kickoff return yards (2,248), and he also led the Fury in interceptions with three. In one game, Carpenter returned 10 kicks for 292 yards, which was good enough to put him third on the AFL’s record books for kickoff return yards in a single game.

The Fury season was not without its hardships though. Injuries plagued the team all season. WR/LB Junior Lord ruptured his achilles in Week 10 against Chicago, sidelining him for the remainder of the season.

Quarterback Andy Kelly also struggled with consistency within his receivers. The Fury were never able to start the same player at offensive specialist for more than two weeks do to injuries, including two weeks when both Fury centers (Lucas Yarnell and Matt Norwood) were lined up as the OS, due to injury.




STATISTICS:

A look how Detroit and San Jose match-uped on both sides of the ball based on the 2003 regular season statistics:

Statistical DETROIT SAN JOSE
Category Rank Stat Rank Stat
Scoring Offense 9th 49.9 1st 60.4
Scoring Defense 8th 51.2 6th 48.8
Total Offense 11th 254.1 7th 282.7
Total Defense 10th 270.3 6th 260.8
Rushing Offense 14th 9.4 1st 36.8
Rushing Defense 10th 18.8 5th 13.2
Pass Offense 10th 244.8 9th 245.9
Pass Defense 11th 251.6 8th 247.5
Scoring (Kicking) 9th 6.9 6th 8.2
Pass Rating 11th 99.4 6th 115.1
Pass Def. Rating 14th 121.2 5th 95.8
Kickoff Returns 3rd 22.7 9th 19.5
MFG Returns 7th 17.9 1st 20.1
Turnover Margin 14th -0.56 2nd 0.94
Field Goals 2nd .577 10th .375
PAT Kicking 9th .825 6th .857
Sacks By 12th 14 (76) 15th 12 (59)
Sacks Against 2nd 9 (66) 3rd 9 (53)
First Downs 5th 327 4th 328
Opponent First Downs 2nd 288 1st 268
3rd Down Conv. (%) 14th 39.8 8th 48.1
Opp. 3rd Down (%) 5th 43.8 3rd 39.6
Penalties (Yds / Game) 1st 32.3 10th 45.5
Opp. Penalties (Avg.) 1st 56.8 14th 39.6
Red Zone Offense (%) 5th 85.7 1st 97.1
Red Zone Defense (%) 8th 83.3 4th 75.8


DETROIT FURY NEXT WEEK:

The Fury will hit the road for their first road trip of the 2004 season. The Fury will travel to Phoenix, Arizona to face the Arizona Rattlers, who have made back-to-back appearances in the ArenaBowl. Last season the Fury played Arizona on the road, and were defeated 51-41. Rattlers’ offensive specialist Chris Horn had a great performance against the Fury, catching 10 passes for 113 yards, four touchdowns, and he returned one kickoff 58 yards for a touchdown. 2003 Ironman of the Year Randy Gatewood contributed on both sides of the ball, catching one touchdown pass and making two interceptions in the game. The Fury are (0-2) all-time against Arizona, with their first loss coming in the opening round of the 2001 playoffs. That playoff game was also played in Arizona.


FURY NOTES / TRENDS:

Going Big and Going Deep: There is something unique about the Fury’s receiving corps in 2004…They are BIG. In the offseason, Head Coach Tom Luginbill made it a priority to bring in tall, physical receivers for his offense. Unlike some teams in the AFL that use smaller, quicker receivers, the Fury will use its receivers to simply run down the field and jump over defensive backs to make catches. With the exception of Herman Bell, no receiver on the 20-man active roster is shorter than 6’0”.

Upgrading the Defense: The Fury hope to challenge teams more defensively than they did in 2003. A top offseason priority, the Fury signed several veteran AFL defensive backs to play alongside current Fury DS Ron Carpenter. With the addition of Reggie Doster, Adrian Lunsford and John Williams, the Fury hope to create more turnovers and defensive stops.

Quarterback Depth: Since the Detroit Fury kicked off in 2001, they have never started back-to-back seasons with the same starting quarterback, until 2004. Andy Kelly returns as the Fury’s starter, but he has a solid back-up this season. Former Chicago Rush starting QB Billy Dicken has signed with the Fury, to give Detroit one of the most talented teams under center. No other team in the AFL can boast that they have two quarterbacks that started more eight games in 2003.

From one side of the boards, to the other: Last season, Jeff Russell stood on the sidelines with a headset and a polo shirt on, but this year he will be wearing a Fury jersey. In 2003, Russell served as the Fury’s wide receivers and defensive backs coach, while he was rehabilitating a severely torn ACL injury suffered in 2001. He always wanted to come back to the playing field, and after almost a three-year absence, Russell will return to the turf as a player. He is a hard hitter and possesses no fear of the boards. Watch for Russell to come back the playing field with a Fury.

Some familiar Mo-town Faces: It is not to often that players get to play professional football in the same cities that they grew up in, but the Fury are proud to have two Detroit locals on their roster. Returning lineman Jon McCall grew up in Troy and attended Central Michigan University. This season, Detroit native Dawan Moss will make his AFL debut in the city where he was raised. Moss grew up in Detroit and attended Michigan State University. Watch as these two try to make a lasting impression at home.

Bad Streaks: When the Fury kickoff against the SaberCats on Thursday, they will be playing to end a bad streak. The Fury have never won a season-opener.
RUNNING WITH THE RECORDS: Watch as Fury Quarterback Andy Kelly continues his assault on the Arena Football League’s record books, as he hopes to remain the league’s all-time leading passer. AFL Veterans Aaron Garcia (NY) and Sherdrick Bonner (AZ) are right behind.

All-Time Pass Attempts: #
1) Andy Kelly, Detroit 4,084
2) Todd Hammel* 3,501
3) Sherdrick Bonner, Arizona 3,410
4) Aaron Garcia, New York 3,338

All-Time Pass Completions #
1) Andy Kelly, Detroit 2,503
2) Sherdrick Bonner, Arizona 2,114
3) Aaron Garcia, New York 2,086
4) Clint Dolezel, Las Vegas 2,060

All-Time Passing Yards #
1) Andy Kelly, Detroit 27,847
2) Sherdrick Bonner, Arizona 27,786
3) Aaron Garcia, New York 27,780
4) Clint Dolezel, Las Vegas 24,425

All-Time Passing Touchdowns #
1) Andy Kelly, Detroit 548
2) Aaron Garcia, New York 540
3) Sherdrick Bonner, Arizona 534
4) Clint Dolezel, Las Vegas 482

* Denotes Retired Quarterback in the AFL


CARP’S COUNTDOWN: Last season, Ron Carpenter, “Carp”, set the AFL’s single-season record for kickoff return yardage in his first year with the Fury. Follow the countdown to see if Carp will defend his record and try to beat the mark he set in 2003.

KICK RETURN YARDS RECORD Yards
Ron Carpenter 2,248
Average Yds / Game to Break Record 140.5

THE IFs:
If DETROIT defeats SAN JOSE, it would …
· Give DETROIT a (2-0) record against San Jose, and their first win against San Jose at The Palace
· Give DETROIT a (1-0) record at home
· Give DETROIT a (1-0) record against the Western Division and a (1-0) vs. the American Conference
· Give DETROIT a (1-3) record in season openers and a (3-1) record in home openers
· Give DETROIT Head Coach Tom Luginbill his first win as an AFL head coach
FOLLOWING THE FURY IN 2004:

0-0 at The Palace of Auburn Hills
0-0 on the road

0-0 vs. National Conference
0-0 vs. American Conference

0-0 vs. Eastern Division
0-0 vs. Southern Division
0-0 vs. Central Division
0-0 vs. Western Division

0-0 on NBC
0-0 on Local TV Broadcast

0-0 on Thursdays
0-0 on Fridays
0-0 on Saturdays
0-0 on Sundays

0-0 in February
0-0 in March
0-0 in April
0-0 in May

0-0 when leading after first quarter
0-0 when trailing after first quarter
0-0 when tied after first quarter

0-0 when leading at halftime
0-0 when trailing at halftime
0-0 when tied at halftime

0-0 when leading after three quarters
0-0 when trailing after three quarters
0-0 when tied after three quarters

0-0 in games decided by 10+ points
0-0 in games decided by 4-9 points
0-0 in games decided by 3 or less points

0-0 when opponent scores more than 50 points
0-0 when opponent scores less than 50 points

0-0 when Fury score more than 50 points
0-0 when Fury score less than 50 points

0-0 when the Fury score first
0-0 when opponent score first

0-0 in overtime

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