Nashville Kats game notes

Published on February 7, 2005 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Nashville Kats News Release


THE QUICK FACTS:
Game: Nashville Kats (1-1) at Philadelphia Soul (1-1)
Date: Sunday, February 13
Kickoff: 2:00 p.m. (CT)
Site: Wachovia Center (17,597)
Officials: R-Dennis Lipski, U-Richard Brown, HL-Rod Pearson, LJ-Art Lucky, BJ-Joe Duncan
Television: NBC
Radio: Kats Radio Network. Flagship Station – 104.5 The Zone. Mike Keith (Play-by-Play), Larry Stone (Analyst).
Internet: Live stats online at www.arenafootball.com.
Series Record: Have never met
Last Meeting: First meeting.
Series Streaks: NA
Last Week: New Orleans 59, Nashville 34
Chicago 51, Philadelphia 41
Coaches: Pat Sperduto, NAS (4th season; 33-19 overall); Michael Trigg , PHI (11th season, 76-78 overall).

OVERVIEW: The Nashville Kats look to get back on track after falling 59-34 at home to New Orleans last week. The loss evened the Kats' record at 1-1, putting them in a three-team tie for first place in the AFL's Central Division (with Chicago and Colorado). The Kats had an off night in almost every phase of the game last week, turning the ball over three times, dropping passes and giving up scores on all but two of the VooDoo's offensive possessions. This week, the Kats make their first-ever visit to the City of Brotherly Love to take on the Philadelphia Soul, an expansion team from last season that has quickly become one of the most explosive teams in all of arena football. The Soul is coached by longtime Grand Rapids head coach Michael Trigg, who led the Rampage to their ArenaBowl XV victory over the Kats in 2001. Despite dropping a game at Chicago last week, Philly has shown marked improvement from last season, when they finished 5-11 in the AFL's Eastern Division. Quarterback Tony Graziani has brought instant energy to the Soul offense after signing as a highly sought after free agent in the offseason. He has teamed up with WR/LB Sean Scott for seven TD passes in the first two games. Nashville, meanwhile, continues to boast an excellent running game, ranking second in the AFL in that category while scoring seven TD's on the ground in the first two weeks. A win this week would help the Kats keep pave in the Central Division, as no team in the AFL's American Conference is unbeaten after week two.

THE SCHEDULES:
2005 Nashville Kats (1-1)
Game Opponent Result Time/Score
Jan. 28 @ Columbus Won 47-38
Feb. 4 NEW ORLEANS Lost 34-59
Feb. 13 @ Philadelphia 2:00 p.m.
Feb. 19 @ New York 6:00 p.m.
Feb. 26 LAS VEGAS 7:30 p.m.
Mar. 6 @ Chicago 2:00 p.m.
Mar. 13 COLORADO 5:30 p.m.
Mar. 28 ARIZONA 7:30 p.m.
Apr. 3 @ Grand Rapids 2:00 p.m.
Apr. 8 @ Dallas 7:30 p.m.
Apr. 17 LOS ANGELES 12 noon
Apr. 24 TAMPA BAY 12 noon
Apr. 29 @ San Jose 9:30 p.m.
May 7 GRAND RAPIDS 7:30 p.m.
May 13 @ Colorado 8:00 p.m.
May 22 CHICAGO 2:00 p.m.

2005 Philadelphia Soul (1-1)
Game Opponent Result Time/Score
Jan. 30 @ Austin Won 66-35
Feb. 6 @ Chicago Lost 41-51
Feb. 13 NASHVILLE 2:00 p.m.
Feb. 20 @ New Orleans 11:00 a.m.
Feb. 27 DALLAS 2:00 p.m.
Mar. 6 NEW YORK 11:00 a.m.
Mar. 11 @ San Jose 9:30 p.m.
Mar. 20 TAMPA BAY 11:00 a.m.
Mar. 27 GRAND RAPIDS 2:00 p.m.
Apr. 3 @ Columbus 11:00 a.m.
Apr. 10 @ Colorado 12 noon
Apr. 17 LAS VEGAS 12 noon
Apr. 24 @ New York 12 noon
May 1 ORLANDO 12 noon
May 15 COLUMBUS 12 noon
May 22 @ Dallas 2:00 p.m.

THE SERIES: Nashville and Philadelphia have never met. The Soul entered the Arena Football League last season, while Nashville has returned in 2005 after being out of the league for three seasons.

SERIES NOTABLES: Both teams have world famous performers in their respective ownership groups. While Philadelphia boasts rock star Jon Bon Jovi, Nashville has country music star Tim McGraw... Soul OS Tyronne Jones, who is on the team's injured reserve list, was a star player for the previous Kats franchise from 1998-2001, catching 277 passes for 3,644 yards and 65 TD's. He was the Soul's leading scorer in 2004.

LAST SERIES MEETING: This is the first meeting between the Kats and the Soul.

LAST WEEK:
New Orleans 59, Nashville 34 (Feb. 4 @ Nashville)
An overflow crowd of 16,517 fans was not enough to hold off a determined New Orlenans squad in the Kats' first home game in three years. VooDoo receiver Thabiti Davis caught three of Andy Kelly's six TD passes on the night. Kelly finished the game 29-for-33 for 277 yards and no interceptions. Kats QB Leon Murray was 16-for-33 with three interceptions and one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown. Fred Coleman and Dan Alexander both recorded two TD's for the Kats. Nashville was plagued by mistakes all night, with three turnovers and several dropped passes, while New Orleans scored on all but one of its offensive possessions.

Chicago 51, Philadelphia 41 (Feb. 6 @ Chicago)
The Philadelphia Soul dropped to 1-1 on the season falling to the Chicago Rush, 51-41, despite five touchdown receptions by wide receiver/linebacker Sean Scott, who caught a game high eight passes for 81 yards.
Soul quarterback Tony Graziani tossed six more touchdowns but the Rush (1-1) used six total touchdowns from QB Raymond Philyaw to earn their first victory of the season. Graziani finished 19-for-32 for 226 yards while Philyaw went 20-for-29 for 177 yards and four touchdowns. The Soul fell behind early in the first quarter after failing on their first of two fourth down conversion attempts. Philadelphia came out firing in the second half, managing to cut their deficit to 10 points twice in the fourth quarter, but they were unsuccessful on two onside kick attempts

THE COACHES:
Nashville – Pat Sperduto, 4th season
33-19 (.635) overall
After a three-season absence, Pat Sperduto returns as a head coach in the Arena Football League. He has spent the last four seasons as an assistant on the staff of the Tennessee Titans. He 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.

Philadelphia – Michael Trigg 11th Season
76-78 (.494) overall
In his 17th year of Arena football, Trigg is one of the most enduring figures of the AFL. He has served as head coach for four different franchises, and is currently in his second season at the helm of the Philadelphia Soul. Prior to coming to Philly in 2004, Trigg spent six highly successful years in Grand Rapids. In his first season with the Rampage, 1998, Trigg took a 3-11 expansion team to 7-5 in 1999 and directed the Rampage to their first-ever playoff appearance. He enjoyed continued success with the Rampage, guiding the AFL's smallest market team to an ArenaBowl XV victory in 2001. His third ArenaBowl ring came as the Rampage finished the season 11-3 and claimed a 64-42 victory over the Nashville Kats in the championship. Before coming to Grand Rapids, he was head coach at Milwaukee for three years and with Ft. Worth for one season.

2005 TEAM STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Category Kats Soul
Scoring Offense (Rank) 13th 5th
Scoring Defense 11th 4th
Total Offense 15th 5th
Total Defense 7th 4th
Pass Offense 17th 4th
Pass Defense 10th 2nd
Rushing Offense 2nd 12th
Rushing Defense 2nd 15th
Pass Rating 16th 6th
Pass Defense Rating 13TH 7th
Interceptions t-4th t-8th
Turnover Margin t-3rd t-9th
Kickoff Return Avg. 6th 10th
Field Goal Return Avg. 3rd t-6th
Sacks By t-14th t-1st
Sacks Against t-8th t-8th

NOTES:
BOUNCING BACK – The Kats look to get back on track after their disappointing 59-34 defeat to New Orleans last week. In his previous tenure with the Kats, Sperduto's teams were very good at bouncing back after a loss. In the five seasons of their previous existence, the Kats were 17-5 in games following a loss.

THE BIG STAGE – This will be Nashville's first appearance on NBC television this season. The Kats are slated to play on NBC four times in all this year. The Kats are 1-2, all-time, on network television, having lost ArenaBowls XIV and XV on ABC and won a 2001 semifinal game against San Jose on ABC.

A TALE OF TWO WEEKS – Kats quarterback Leon Murray struggled in the loss to New Orleans, completing 16-of-33 passes for 160 yards and a TD. He was picked off three times. That outing came only a week after he had an outstanding game in the team's season opener at Columbus. Murray completed 25-of-35 passes for 232 yards, no INT's and three TD's, while also running for a game-high 36 yards and two scores on seven carries. He has thrown for 97 touchdowns and more than 5,700 yards in his third year in the league. The former Tennessee State star played his first two seasons with Georgia, then signed as a free agent with Nashville in the offseason. His 37 yards rushing ties him for third in the league in that category, and his three rushing TD's ties him for the most in that department. Murray leads the league in rushing on third down-and-one, having converted all three of his third-and-one rushing attempts.

BIG BOY FOOTBALL – While most teams in the Arena Football League tend to air it out, Nashville loves to keep the ball on the ground. After two weeks, the Kats rank second in the league in rushing, having gained 97 yards on 32 carries for an average of three yards per carry. In addition, their seven rushing TD's are the most of any team in the league. Nashville has two players in the AFL's top seven rushers. Quarterback Leon Murray is tied for third with 37 yards and FB/LB Dan Alexander is seventh with 35 yards. Both players have run for three scores each. In week one the Kats ran the ball a whopping 22 times for 82 yards in the win over the Columbus Destroyers. Some AFL teams struggle to gain that many yards on the ground in a season (the 2001 Detroit Fury ran for only 12 yards all year), but for Pat Sperduto-coached teams it is not a surprise. The original Kats, under Sperduto, perfected what the coach calls "Big Boy Football," highlighted by a pounding ground game. Nashville led the AFL in rushing in 2000 and 2001, averaging more than 35 yards per game on the ground in both seasons.

BUMP IN THE ROAD – After an impressive start to the season in week one in which Kats DB's intercepted three passes off of Columbus QB Chad Salisbury, Nashville's secondary was not nearly as sharp in last week's loss to New Orleans, allowing Andy Kelly to complete 29-of-33 passes for 277 yards and six TD's through the air, while not picking off any passes. In week one, DS DeRon Jenkins picked off two passes while Jarrick Hillery intercepted one. In that game, the Kats' secondary only allowed Columbus QB Chad Salisbury to complete 53 percent of his passes.

FRESH FACES – Of the 24 players on the Kats' active roster, 10 are AFL rookies. However, that stat may be misleading. Three of those "rookies" are FB/LB Dan Alexander, OL/DL Tim Morabito and WR/DB Reggie Stephens, who have a combined 13 years of experience in the National Football League. Three more – OL/DL Noah Drucker, OL/DL Joe Minucci and FB/LB Kevin Nagle – have all played in the af2 ranks.

EARLY MISTAKES – The first two weeks have seen the Kats draw their share of flags, earning 14 penalties for 97 yards (third most in the AFL after week two). Nashville was flagged eight times for 60 yards in the victory at Columbus in week one.

TITANS CONNECTIONS – Five of the 24 players on Nashville's active roster have spent time with the Tennessee Titans organization. FB/LB Dan Alexander and DS DeRon Jenkins saw extensive playing time with the NFL club, while DS Rober' Freeman, OL/DL Aaron McConnell and WR/DB Rich Musinski were all in camp with the Titans at some point. Head coach Pat Sperduto has been on the Titans' staff the last four seasons, and FB/LB Levelle Brown is the brother of Titans' starting tailback Chris Brown.

BARON MAY RETURN – Nashville lineman James Baron had his streak of 131 consecutive games played come to an in the season opener, when he missed the Columbus game with an ankle injury. After sitting out last week's game as well, he is questionable to return for this week's game. Baron is widely known as one of the top players at his position in AFL history. He has been named the league's defensive player of the year once and lineman of the year twice. The former Virginia Tech standout earned all-Arena honors six times (1997-2002), including the first-team five times. He is a two-time member of the all-Ironman team (1999, 2001), and he has 36.5 career sacks — the fifth-highest total in league history. His 20.5 career tackles for loss is the second-highest total in AFL history, and he was named to the AFL's 15th Anniversary all-time team at the 2001 ArenaBowl. Baron, who played the last three seasons with Chicago, was one of only two players to play in all 80 games with the previous Kats franchise, including 10 postseason contests (joining quarterback Andy Kelly). He is Nashville's franchise leader in sacks (26.5), and he also holds team records for sacks in one season (7.0) and sacks in one game (2.5). He has been slowed during the second part of training camp with an injury, but is expected to play this week.

EXPERIENCE UP FRONT – The Kats have a wealth of experience in the trenches. Their usual starting offensive front – Baron, Charlie Morris and Henry Taylor – have 17 years of AFL experience between them. In addition to Baron's eight years in the league, Morris has played five seasons (all with the Arizona Rattlers) and Taylor has played two. Morris, who has played in the last three ArenaBowls with the Rattlers, has developed into one of the top blockers in the AFL, while Taylor has made a name for himself in two seasons with Dallas and New Orleans as a fearsome pass rusher, racking up 6.5 sacks in the last two years.

THE VETERAN – Speaking of experience, no one in Arena Football League history has more of it than Kats WR/LB Darryl Hammond, who is in his 15th year in the sport. He is tenth on the AFL's all-time receiving-yards gained in a career with 7,889 yards. Hammond has returned six interceptions for touchdowns in his career, tied for third-most in the AFL, and he ranks third in the league for career tackles with 588. The University of Virginia product has played with five different organizations, including Austin last season. However, he posted some of the best years of his career with the old Kats, with whom he played from 1997-2001. If age has slowed him down, no one has noticed. In 2004 with the Wranglers, he was on his way to having one of his finest seasons, catching 21 passes and scoring seven TD's in the first three games, before missing four weeks with an injury. Hammond has four receptions for 25 yards and 6.5 tackles in the first two weeks.

FULLY STOCKED – The Kats have three fullbacks/linebackers on their active roster and another on their practice squad, which is more than the average team carries. Nashville kept a spot for all but one of the five players it brought to camp at the position (Dan Alexander, Levelle Brown and Kevin Nagle are on the active roster, while Casey Urlacher is on the practice squad). Despite entering the seasonwith just 12 AFL carries and 63 yards between them, the group has been impressive, combining for 45 yards on 17 carries, 39 yards receiving and four touchdowns. Of the four, only Brown has previous AFL experience, having played the last two seasons with the Chicago Rush. Alexander played three years in the NFL, while Nagle and Urlacher have each been standouts in the af2 ranks.

THE PLAYMAKER – Kats offensive specialist Fred Coleman has been a star for the Kats in the first two games, leading the team with 16 catches for 162 yards and two scores. He also found in the end zone on a thrilling 56-yard kickoff return against New Orleans last week. Coleman knows a thing or two about winning a championship. In fact, he is one of the few players to have won championships in both the NFL and the AFL. As a member of the New England Patriots in 2001, he won a Super Bowl ring in the team's win over the St. Louis Rams. Last season, he was an integral part of San Jose's ArenaBowl championship season, catching 55 passes for 719 yards and 17 TD's, despite playing in the shadow of some of the likes of the SaberCats' Barry Wagner. He signed a free agent deal with the Kats in the offseason and is looking to emerge as one of the top receivers in the sport this season.

GOING HOME: Sunday's game will be homecoming of sorts for a couple of Nashville Kats. Line coach Darrin Kenney hails from Philadelphia and was the Soul's color analyst on their radio broadcasts last year. Lineman Charlie Morris is also from Philly and played college ball at Temple. He plans to have at least 100 family and friends in the stands at the game on Sunday. Two others, Rich Musinksi and Kevin Nagle, also hail from Pennsylvania.

FIVE-WAY THREAT – WR/DB Jarrick Hillery is one of the Arena Football League's top Ironmen, having excelled in all facets of the game in his first five years in the league. He showed his versatility in the week one win over Columbus, catching seven passes for 56 yards and a TD, while also carrying the ball once for four yards on offense. Defensively, he intercepted one pass, broke up another and led the team with 5.5 stops. He also had two kickoff returns for 23 yards in the game. The former Tennessee State star was selected to the All-Ironman team in 2001 and was an All-Rookie selection in 2000, while with the old Kats. He played with the Georgia Force in 2002 and 2003, and played last season with the Carolina Cobras. In his first five years in the league, Hillery made 186.5 tackles, caught 231 passes for 2,483 yards and 36 TD's, rushed for 311 yards and 24 more TD's on the ground and accumulated more than 1,900 yards and scored four times on kickoff and missed field goal returns.

SCOUTING PHILADELPHIA
The Soul look to be a much-improved squad from last year's team that went 5-11 in its expansion season. Philadelphia improved its offense tremendously in the offseason by signing free agent quarterback Tony Graziani. The 2004 first-team All-Arena player has proven his worth in the season's first two weeks, throwing for 578 yards and 14 touchdowns. In fact, the Soul has scored 107 points in their first two games and are shaping up to be one of this year's most explosive offensive teams. Philly boasts an explosive group of receivers in Sean Scott, who has seven TD's in two games, Terril Shaw, who was MVP for Grand Rapids in their ArenaBowl XV win, and Steve Smith, who led the AFL in kickoff returns for TD's a year ago. Former Kat Tyronne Jones may even return from injured reserve this week. Defensively, the Soul is fourth in the league in total defense and second against the pass after two weeks of play.

WR/LB SEAN SCOTT - Philadelphia-born WR/LB Sean Scott was named US ARMY IRONMAN OF THE WEEK for his week one performance in Austin. Scott scored two touchdowns, broke up a pass and forced a fumble in the Soul's 66-35 win over the Wranglers. In the week two loss at Chicago, Scott caught eight passes for 91 yards and five TD's, to give him seven on the year so far. 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 in 2004 were third on the team despite playing just 12 games and his 16 TDs tied for second. Playing linebacker he led the team with three forced fumbles, made 21 tackles and collected 0.5 sack and one fumble recovery.

QB TONY GRAZIANI - 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. In the first two games this season, he has completed 43-of-69 passes for 578 yards, 14 TD's and three INT's.

DS ARKEE THOMPSON - Thompson, in his second year in the AFL, made his Soul debut two weeks 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 ranks among AFL leaders with 14 stops in two games.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from February 7, 2005


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