Force Stay Unbeaten, Defeat SaberCats 64-62
March 24, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release
Atlanta - Quarterback Chris Griesen threw seven touchdown passes and the Georgia Force remained unbeaten on the year after a dramatic 64-62 win over the San Jose SaberCats in an Arena Football League game Saturday night at Philips Arena.
Griesen completed 23 of 34 passes for 313 yards on the evening with offensive player of the game Chris Jackson hauling in a team-high nine for 185 yards and three scores. Derek Lee added three TDs on eight catches and FB Matt Huebner had a team record 43 yards rushing.
After seven lead changes and three ties, Griesen's 9-yard scoring pass to Lee with 5:39 left in the third quarter gave the Force the lead for good at 44-40 setting up a wild ending.
Rodney Wright brought San Jose within two following a 54-yard kickoff return with 1:48 left in the game, but Mark Grieb's pass to Ben Nelson on the game-tying two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete.
Grieb threw six scoring passes and completed 29 of 44 for 284 yards. Along with his kickoff return, Wright had a game-high 11 catches for 110 yards and amassed a career-high 259 all-purpose yards.
A.J. Haglund whiffed on an onsides kick giving Georgia the ball at the SaberCats 1-yard line. Griesen scored on the next play, but new kicker Xavier Beitia missed the PAT leaving San Jose a touchdown and 2-point conversion behind.
The SaberCats got their touchdown following a Grieb to Roe 6-yard scoring pass with 19.1 seconds left, but Grieb fumbled the snap on the two-point conversion try leaving the SaberCats down a pair.
Derek Lee recovered the ensuing kickoff for Georgia, seemingly ending the game, but the kick occurred before the television timeout ended and referee Bill Athan ordered a re-kick.
San Jose's Ben Nelson recovered the onside kick on the re-try but the officials ruled Nelson touched the ball before it went 10-yards when television replays clearly show a clean recovery by Nelson.
Georgia ran out the clock to move to 4-0 on the year while San Jose ended its three-game season-opening road trip with a 1-2 record. The SaberCats will be the last team in the league to play a home game when they host the winless Tampa Bay Storm next Saturday in the team's home opener.
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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 24, 2007
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- Georgia Force improve to 4-0 with 64-62 win over San Jose - Georgia Force
- Destroyers fall in home opener - Columbus Destroyers
- Force Stay Unbeaten, Defeat SaberCats 64-62 - San Jose SaberCats
- Rush defense keys win in Columbus, 55-47 - Chicago Rush
- Rattlers Get Defensive in 68-41 Win - Arizona Rattlers
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