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Las Vegas Gladiators game notes

February 22, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Las Vegas Gladiators News Release


GLADIATORS VS. KATS: THE FACTS
Date: Saturday, February 26, 2005
Kickoff: 5:30 PM PT
Site: Gaylord Entertainment Center (Nashville, TN)
Officials: Referee: Riley Johnson, Umpire: Rick Podraza, Head Linesman: Julian Mapp, Line Judge: Paul Engelberts, Back Judge: Bud McCleskey

THE GAME CAN BE HEARD...
On ESPN Radio 920 in Las Vegas with Andrew Siciliano handling play-by-play and Mike Pritchard with expert analysis.

THE GAME CAN BE SEEN...
On FOX Sports Net West/South with Eli Gold and Dave Archer and Steve Wrigley on the call.


THE SERIES – GLADIATORS VS. KATS
Kats lead series 1-0
This will be the second meeting between the teams. The only other meeting between the Kats and the Gladiators came in 2001 when the Kats beat the New Jersey Gladiators in Nashville, 38-28.

WHAT'S AT STAKE

If the Gladiators win, it would
· Give the Las Vegas a 1-1 record vs. the Kats
· Give Las Vegas a 3-2 overall record
· Give Las Vegas a 1-1 road record

SCHEDULES


LAS VEGAS GLADIATORS (2-2)
Date Opponent Time Result Score
Jan. 30 Los Angeles 12:00 W 46-37
Feb. 5 @ SanJose 6:00 L 31-66
Feb. 11 New York 7:00 W 41-37
Feb. 20 Georgia 3:00 L 13-38
Feb. 26 @ Nashville 5:30
March 4 Austin 7:00
March 12 @ Columbus 4:00
March 19 @ Arizona 6:00
March 28 San Jose 7:00
April 3 @ Colorado 12:00
April 8 Grand Rapids 7:00
April 17 @ Philadelphia 10:00 AM
BYE
May 1 @ Chicago 10:00 AM
May 7 Dallas 7:00
May 14 @ Los Angeles 7:30
May 22 Arizona 12:00
All times PST


NASHVILLE KATS (1-3)
Date Opponent Time Result Score
Jan. 28 @ Columbus 6:00 W 47-38
Feb. 4 New Orleans 7:30 L 34-59
Feb. 13 @ Philadelphia 2:00 L 48-59
Feb. 19 @ New York 6:00 L 49-68
Feb. 26 Las Vegas 7:30
March 6 @ Chicago 2:00
March 13 Colorado 5:30
BYE
March 28 Arizona 7:30
April 3 @ Grand Rapids 2:00
April 8 @ Dallas 7:30
April 17 Los Angeles 12:00
April 24 Tampa Bay 12:00
April 29 @ San Jose 9:30
May 7 Grand Rapids 7:30
May 13 @ Colorado 8:00
May 22 Chicago 2:00
All times CST

GLADIATORS VS. KATS
BY THE NUMBERS

Statistical GLADIATORS KATS
Category Rank Stat Rank Stat
Scoring Offense 17 32.8 15 44.5
Scoring Defense 4 44.5 13 54.5
Total Offense 8 282.3 10 271.8
Total Defense 1 221.8 6 261.8
Pass Offense 9 258.0 14 225.8
Pass Defense 2 213.5 8 250.5
Rushing Offense 6t 24.3 2 46.0
Rushing Defense 1 8.3 5 14.3
Pass Rating 17 78.9 15 86.4
Pass Defense Rating 6 98.7 13 117.8
Turnover Margin 17 -7 5t 0
Sacks By 2t 8 6t 2
Sacks Against 1t 1 4t 4
3rd Down Conversion % 17 23.8 2 60.0
Opponent 3rd Down Conversion % 12 50.0 14 52.6
Red Zone Offense Scoring Percentage 17 57.1 10 78.9
Red Zone Defense Scoring Percentage 8 79.2 11 82.6

GLADIATORS LAST WEEK

GEORGIA FORCE SHUT DOWN GLADIATORS 38-13

Georgia Force quarterback Jim Kubiak threw for five touchdowns to lead the Force to victory on the road in Las Vegas, NV, against the Gladiators 38-13 at the Thomas & Mack Center in front of 9,722 in attendance.

Both teams combined to set an Arena Football League record with 34 total penalties including 20 by Las Vegas and 14 by the Force. The previous record was 21 combined penalties in 2003 when the Georgia Force played the Orlando Predators on April 20.

Las Vegas struggled to get their offense going as quarterback Rod Robinson threw three interceptions and fumbled the ball twice and finished 15-of-23 for 159 yards passing.

The Gladiators 13 points were the lowest they have scored in a game in franchise history and the second time this season they have been shutout in the second half.

Kubiak finished 24-of-45 with 209 yards and one interception. Two of his touchdowns went to U.S. Army Ironman of the Game Derek Lee. Lee finished the day with eight receptions for 100 yards to go along with two fumble recoveries.

ADT Defensive Player of the Game Kevin Gaines picked off Robinson three times and had 7.5 total tackles.

THE COACHES

Ron James (First Season, 2-2)

Ron James enters his first season as the head coach of the Gladiators. He spent the previous three seasons as assistant head coach/offensive defensive line/special teams coach.

James previously served as line coach for the Houston ThunderBears and Director of Player Personnel from 1999-2001. He is entering his seventh season in the Arena Football League.
Prior to his time in the AFL, James served as the Assistant Football coach, offensive line coach and Admissions Support Officer at Army in 1998 and 1999. Army captured two Collegiate Sprint Football League (CSFL) rushing titles during his stint, averaging more than 257 yards per game.

James spent five seasons at Kentucky Wesleyan College, where he served as associate head coach for the final four years. James began his stay at Kentucky Wesleyan in 1993 as offensive coordinator in addition he managed the offensive line. In 1994, James was promoted to associate head coach at Kentucky Wesleyan and added defensive coordinator/secondary coach to his repertoire.

James coached a combined fourteen years at the collegiate level. In 1992-93, he served as defensive coordinator/secondary coach at Hartwick College. From 1989-1991, James was defensive coordinator/linebacker coach at St. Lawrence University. He began his coaching career in 1986 as a linebacker coach at Siena College (New York) and served as head coach of the junior varsity team.

James was a four-year starter at offensive tackle at Siena College. An N.C.F.A All-America First Team and two-time First-Team All-Conference selection, James also saw action at defensive tackle. He earned a BA from Siena and a MBA from Rockefeller College, which is a subsidiary of the State University of New York at Albany.

Pat Sperduto (Fourth Season 33-21)

Pat Sperduto joined the Titans staff in 2001 to oversee the startup process of a new AFL team to be placed in Nashville. He now returns to the sidelines as head coach of the new Nashville Kats.

Sperduto, who has assisted the Titans' coaching and scouting staffs, joined the NFL club after spending five seasons with the old Nashville Kats. He compiled a 32-18 record as head coach the last three seasons and led his team to back-to-back appearances in the ArenaBowl in 2000 and 2001.

Sperduto replaced Eddie Khayat as head coach in 1999 and posted the best record of seven AFL coaches who took over new teams in 2000. Sperduto spent his first two years as defensive coordinator for the Kats and was elevated to assistant head coach in 1998.

He is a three-time ArenaBowl World Champion, winning twice as a player for the Tampa Bay Storm (1991 and '93) and once as an assistant coach with the Storm (1994). Sperduto began his professional career as a player with the Canadian Football League's British Columbia Lions before joining the Tampa Bay Storm in the AFL from 1991-93.
He began his coaching career as an assistant with Murray State (Ky.) during the offseason in 1991, prior to taking over football operations for the American Sports Foundation of Macelata in Tolentino, Italy in 1992. He was an assistant with the Storm in 1994 and defensive coordinator and director of player personnel with Connecticut in 1995 before joining the Nashville Kats staff in 1997 as the defensive coordinator and player personnel director.

2004 SEASON

Offensive Player of the Game
Week Opp. Player
1 LA Marcus Nash (LV)
2 SJ Calvin Schexnayder (SJ)
3 NY Marcus Nash (LV)
4 GEO Jim Kubiak (Geo)
5 NVL


ADT Defensive Player of the Game
Week Opp. Player
1 LA Antuan Simmons (LA)
2 SJ Omarr Smith (SJ)
3 NY Billy Parker (NY)
4 GEO Kevin Gaines (Geo)
5 NVL

Army Ironman of the Game
Week Opp. Player
1 LA Dameon Porter (LV)
2 SJ Matt Kinsinger (SJ)
3 NY Frank Carter (LV)
4 Geo Derek Lee (Geo)
5 NVL


AFL TOP 10: League Leaders after Week 4
GLADIATORS
Player Rank Category Stat
Clint Dolezel 3t Had Intercepted 4
Rod Robinson 3 Passing Completion % 69.2
3t Rushing TDs 3
1t Had Intercepted 6
Frank Carter 3t Rushing Touchdowns 3
10 Rushing Attempts 13
6 Rushing 47
8t Yards Per Rush 3.6
1 Sacks 5.0
Coco Blalock 8 Kick Return Yards 229
Mark Lewis 7 Scoring (kickers) 22
5t Field Goals Made 3
4 FG % 75.0
Marcus Nash 4 Receiving Yards 447
7 Receptions 22
4 Receiving Yards Per Game 109.8
Marvin Taylor 2t Interceptions 2
Dameon Porter 2t Interceptions 2
Wilky Bazile 4t Sacks 1.0
Steve Konopka 4t Sacks 1.0
Rodney Filer 4t Sacks 1.0
Joe Douglass 9 Kick Return Avg. 21.0
Cornelius Bonner 10 Tackles 23.0

MILESTONE WATCH

PLAYER MILESTONE CURRENT NUMBER TO GO
Clint Dolezel 600 Touchdown Passes 582 18
Clint Dolezel 30,000 Passing Yards 29,359 641


GLADIATORS' NOTES AND TRENDS


THE OLD DAYS
Marcus Nash will be returning this week to the state of Tennessee, where he starred for the Volunteers as a collegiate. While with the Vols, Nash was a favorite target to current Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. He left Tennessee ranked second in the record books with 177 receptions for 2,447 yards and 20 touchdowns. As a senior, he was named an All-American and named to the All-SEC first team. He also broke school records for catches (77), yards receiving (1,170) and touchdowns (13) in a season.

THREE IS NOT A LUCKY NUMBER
The Gladiators have yet to score in the third quarter in four games thus far this season.

UGLY STUFF
The Red and Black posted 13 points against Georgia last week and set a Gladiators franchise record for fewest points scored in a game. The previous record was 14 in 2002 when the Gladiators faced the Chicago Rush on June 2.

THE DONUT
Las Vegas has been shutout twice this season in the second half (February 5 @ San Jose, February 20 vs. Georgia). Prior to this season, the Gladiators had been shutout in the second half twice in team history (April 14, 2001 vs. Carolina, June 2, 2002 @ Chicago).

FLAGS GALORE
Las Vegas and Georgia combined for 34 penalties last week to set an Arena Football League record (LVG-20, GEO-14). The previous record was 21 combined penalties in 2003 when the Georgia Force played the Orlando Predators on April 20.

THE DUET
The Kats and Gladiators have met one time in history and Nashville came away with the victory 38-28 on May 3, 2001. In that game, Darryl Hammond was the MVP and Jarrick Hillary was the Ironman. They will both face the Gladiators once again as members of the Kats. The Gladiators don't have any members on its current roster that played in that game.

BROKEN STREAK
After 20 games of scoring touchdowns, Marcus Nash was kept out of the endzone for the first time since being a member of the now defunct Detroit Fury on May 25, 2003.

LOSING THE YARDS
The Gladiators have three of the League leaders in tackles for loss after four games including Thaddeus Bullard (2.5), Wilky Bazile (2) and Marvin Taylor (2).

HOLDING IT DOWN
Las Vegas is ranked number one in the League in total defense after four games. They are averaging just 221.8 yards of offense allowed (passing 213.5, rushing 8.3).

THE REPORT
Las Vegas is without FB/LB Cameron Chance (thumb strain), OL/DL Rick Cunningham (low leg strain), QB Clint Dolezel (finger fracture), WR/DB T.J. Hill (knee), OL/DL Steve Konopka (adductor strain), Joe Burch (knee sprain), DS Chameion Sutton (back) and WR/LB Ricky Ross (thigh) do to injuries.



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from February 22, 2005


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