Gladiators bitten by SaberCats 69-59
Published on April 15, 2006 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Las Vegas Gladiators News Release
(San Jose, CA) - An intense battle between Western Division rivals came down to the fourth quarter as Las Vegas (5-7) was outscored 28-14 in the final twelve minutes in route to a 69-59 loss at the hands of the San Jose SaberCats (6-7). The Gladiators dropped thier first game of the season when taking the lead into the fourth quarter, prior to Friday's game Las Vegas posted a perfect 5-0 in games when leading after three quarters. The defeat drops Las Vegas to third-place in the Western Conference.
The Gladiators overcame an opening play interception by SaberCat DS Clevan Thomas on a Jason Fife pass intended for Marcus Nash, to take a 31-28 halftime lead. Both teams continued exchanged punches through three quarters, only separated by three and four points throughout.
The game took a turn on the second play of the fourth quarter when SaberCat lineman Joe Jacobs sacked Gladiator quarterback Jason Fife jarring the ball loose in the endzone allowing fellow lineman Rex Richards to jump on the loose ball for a San Jose score, lifting them to a 10-point lead. The Gladiators rallied for two late scores but were not able to close the deficit. The Gladiators lost the turnover battle, coughing the ball up three times while the SaberCats did not commit a turnover. On the season the Gladiators are -12 in turnover margin.
Despite the loss the offense was impressive scoring on all possessions not halted by turnovers. Quarterback Jason Fife connected on 19-of-35 passes for 205 yards, three touchdowns despite one interception. Fife continued his stellar rushing attack, leading the team with 28 yards on eight carries adding three rushing touchdowns. WR/LB Junior Lord led the team with 9 grabs for a season-high 100 yards and one touchdown. WR/LB Joe Douglass and OS Marcus Nash added four receptions and a receiving touchdown each.
Defensively the Gladiators were led by DS Chris Canty who recorded a season-high 10 solo tackles. After a remarkable stretch of sub-50 point performances the defense has give up 58 (Nashville) and 69 (San Jose) points respectively in the past two games.
San Jose was led by quarterback Mark Grieb who finished with 388 yards on 28-of-41 passing adding eight touchdowns and no interceptions. WR/LB James Roe caught 11 passes for 147 yards and three touchdowns, while rookie OS Ben Nelson added 9 receptions for 160 yards and four touchdowns.
The Las Vegas Gladiators hit the road to take on American Conference foe the Chicago Rush on Sunday, April 23. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. (pacific). The Gladiators next and final regular-season home game is Saturday, April 29 at the Thomas and Mack Center. The Gladiators will be celebrating "Fan Appreciation Day". Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. (pacific). Call (702)731-4977 or log onto UNLVtickets.com for ticket information.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 15, 2006
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- Soul win big in Music City, silence Kats, 49-33 - Philadelphia Soul
- SaberCats Beat Gladiators 69-59 - San Jose SaberCats
- Gladiators bitten by SaberCats 69-59 - Las Vegas Gladiators
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