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Nashville Kats game notes

February 21, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Nashville Kats News Release


THE QUICK FACTS:
Game: Las Vegas Gladiators (2-2) at Nashville Kats (1-3)
Date: Saturday, February 26
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. (CT)
Site: Gaylord Entertainment Center (15,711)
Officials: R-Riley Johnson, U-Rick Podraza, HL-Julian Mapp, LJ-Paul Engelberts, BJ-Bud McCleskey
Television: Fox Sports Net South (Tape-delayed, 11:00 p.m. CT)
Radio: Kats Radio Network. Flagship – 104.5 The Zone. Mike Keith (Play-by-Play), Larry Stone (Analyst).
Internet: Live stats online at www.arenafootball.com.
Series Record: Nashville leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Nashville 38, New Jersey 28 (5/3/01)
Series Streaks: Nashville won the only meeting.
Last Week: Georgia 38, Las Vegas 13
New York 62, Nashville 49
Coaches: Pat Sperduto, NAS (4th season; 33-21 overall); Ron James (1st season, 2-2 overall).
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Las Vegas, Brian Sternberg (wk: 702.731.4977; cell 702.501.5256; email: bsternberg@lvgladiators.com)
Nashville, Ryan Altizer (wk: 615.565.4282; cell: 615.330.6969; email: raltizer@titans.nfl.com).


OVERVIEW: Two teams with big question marks will meet when the Kats host the Las Vegas Gladiators on Saturday in Nashville. The Kats stand at 1-3 and are in the midst of only their second three-game losing streak in franchise history. Last week's loss at New York was a difficult one to take considering that Nashville led through much of the first half. Las Vegas is also trying to find a rhythm after scoring only 13 points in a home loss to Georgia last weekend. In addition to their recent struggles on the field, both teams are also trying to overcome injuries at key positions. The Kats will likely be without the services of WR/DB Jarrick Hillery after he pulled his hamstring in the second half of last week's game, and QB Leon Murray is questionable with nagging knee and shoulder injuries. In Las Vegas. The Gladiators are hoping to get back QB Clint Dolezel, who has spent the last two weeks on injured reserve with a broken finer on his throwing hand. While the Gladiators will look to contain the Kats' powerful running game, Nashville will have its hands full trying to stop a Vegas passing attack that features one of the league's all-time best quarterbacks in Dolezel and the reigning AFL Offensive MVP in OS Marcus Nash. At 1-3, Nashville is certainly not where it wants to be. However, the playoff race in the American Conference looks like it will be wide open this year, with only one team in the eight-team conference having fewer than two losses. A win this week can put the Kats back in the thick of the postseason picture and give the team a tremendous boost as it prepares to battle tough division foes Chicago and Colorado in the next two weeks.

THE SCHEDULES:
2005 Las Vegas Gladiators (2-2)
Game Opponent Result Time/Score
Jan. 30 LOS ANGELES Won 46-37
Feb. 5 @ San Jose Lost 31-66
Feb. 11 NEW YORK Won 41-37
Feb. 20 GEORGIA Lost 13-38
Feb. 26 @ Nashville 7:30 p.m.
Mar. 4 AUSTIN 9:00 p.m.
Mar. 12 @ Columbus 6:00 p.m.
Mar. 19 @ Arizona 8:00 p.m.
Mar. 28 SAN JOSE 9:00 p.m.
Apr. 3 @ Colorado 2:00 p.m.
Apr. 8 GRAND RAPIDS 9:00 p.m.
Apr. 17 @ Philadelphia 12 noon
May 1 @ Chicago 12 noon
May 7 DALLAS 9:00 p.m.
May 14 @ Los Angeles 9:30 p.m.
May 22 ARIZONA 2:00 p.m.

2005 Nashville Kats (1-3)
Game Opponent Result Time/Score
Jan. 28 @ Columbus Won 47-38
Feb. 4 NEW ORLEANS Lost 34-59
Feb. 13 @ Philadelphia Lost 48-59
Feb. 19 @ New York Lost 49-62
Feb. 26 LAS VEGAS 7:30 p.m.
Mar. 6 @ Chicago 2:00 p.m.
Mar. 12 COLORADO 7:30 p.m.
Mar. 26 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.


THE SERIES: The Kats defeated the Gladiators, 38-28, on May 3, 2001. The 2001 season was the last for the Kats before the franchise was resurrected this year. The Gladiators moved to Las Vegas prior to the 2003 season. The Gladiators only keep team records dating back to the 2001 season, when the franchise was sold and renamed as the Gladiators. Prior to that point they were known as the New Jersey Red Dogs. The Kats were 4-1, all-time, against the Red Dogs.

SERIES NOTABLES: The last time the Kats faced Las Vegas starting QB Clint Dolezel was in ArenaBowl XV when he was the starter for Grand Rapids... In a game against Las Vegas last season, Leon Murray was 21-for-31 for 228 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions... With San Jose in 2004, Fred Coleman had five receptions for 72 yards and two TD's in two games against Las Vegas.

LAST SERIES MEETING: Nashville 38, New Jersey 28 (May 3, 2001) Andy Kelly connected on 23-of-34 for 226 yards and four TD's while completing passes to five different receivers. Jarrick Hillery caught a pair of TD passes, as did Tyronne Jones, helping the Kats score 20 unanswered points in the second half and helping Nashville pull away for the win. Gladiators QB Connell Maynor was 24-of-33 for 229 yards and three TD's in the game.

LAST WEEK:
Georgia 38, Las Vegas 13 (Feb. 20 @ Las Vegas)
Las Vegas backup QB Rod Robinson was picked off three times and fumbled twice more as the Gladiators fell, 38-13, at home to the Georgia Force. It marked the lowest offensive output in franchise history and the second time this season that Vegas was shut out in the second half. The Gladiators were also penalized 20 times for 141 yards. Coco Blalock caught both touchdowns for Las Vegas.

New York 62, Nashville 49 (Feb. 19 @ New York)
Aaron Garcia threw seven touchdown passes, five of which went to Kevin Swayne, as the New York Dragons downed the Nashville Kats, 62-49, on Saturday night at Nassau Coliseum. The loss leaves Nashville at 1-3 and ups the Dragons' record to 2-1 on the year. It marks only the second time in franchise history that the Kats have lost three games in a row. Nashville scored on a pair of TD passes from Leon Murray to Jarrick Hillery and a pair of scoring runs by Murray, who was pulled in favor of backup Tony Zimmerman late in the game after going 19-of-31 for 192 yards and two touchdowns. Zimmerman completed four-of-seven passes for 72 yards and two TD's in relief. The Kats ran the ball 16 times for 43 yards and three scores as well.

THE COACHES:
Las Vegas – Ron James, 1st Season
2-2 (.500) overall
Ron James is in 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 coached a combined fourteen years at the collegiate level. He was a four-year starter at offensive tackle at Siena College.

Nashville – Pat Sperduto, 4th season
33-21 (.611) 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.

2005 TEAM STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Category Gladiators Kats
Scoring Offense (Rank) 17th (32.8) 15th (44.5)
Scoring Defense t-9th (44.5) t-9th (54.5)
Total Offense 8th (282.3) 10th (271.8)
Total Defense 1st (221.8) 6th (261.8)
Pass Offense 9th (258.0) 14th (225.8)
Pass Defense 2nd (213.5) 8th (250.5)
Rushing Offense t-6th (24.3) 2nd (46.0)
Rushing Defense 1st (8.3) 5th (14.3)
Interceptions t-9th (4) t-5th (5)
Turnover Margin 17th (-7) 7th (0)
Kickoff Return Avg. 8th (18.2) 9th (16.8)
Penalties 17th (48) t-6th (30)
Sacks By t-2nd (8) t-8th (2)
Sacks Against t-1st (1) t-11th (4)

NOTES:
BREAKING THE SKID – Nashville's current three-game losing streak is only the third in franchise history (1999 was the only previous season in which the Kats lost three straight). The team will try to avoid its first-ever four-game skid this Saturday. 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.

BUMPS & BRUISES – The wear and tear of a very physical first four weeks is beginning to show. WR/DB Jarrick Hillery will miss this week's game with a hamstring injury, while quarterback Leon Murray is questionable with shoulder and knee injuries. Four players – WR/LB Cosmo DeMatteo, WR/DB Reggie Stephens, DS Tony Scott and FB/LB Levelle Brown – are eligible to come off of injured reserve and will be evaluated as the week progresses.

KATS ON FSN – The Kats will play on Fox Sports Net for the second consecutive week. This will mark the second of seven scheduled appearances for the team on FSN in 2005. The game is tape-delayed on FSN South, with the telecast scheduled to begin at 11:00 p.m. CT.

MURRAY QUESTIONABLE – The status of Kats QB Leon Murray is up in the air, as he battles nagging knee and shoulder injuries. He completed 19-of-31 passes for 192 yards, two TD's and one INT before being pulled in the fourth quarter of Saturday's loss to New York. For the year, Murray has completed 60 percent of his throws for 845 yards, 12 touchdowns and five INT's. He has thrown for 105 touchdowns and more than 6,000 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 47 yards rushing ties him for sixth in the league in that category, and his six rushing TD's are the most in that department. Murray leads the league in rushing on third down-and-one, having converted all four of his third-and-one rushing attempts.

WAITING IN THE WINGS: Should Murray not be able to play, backup quarterback Tony Zimmerman is slated to get the start. Zimmerman looked sharp in relief of Murray in last week's loss at New York, completing four-of-seven passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns. Zimmerman played last season with the Indiana Firebirds, also in a relief role, and he was the af2 Offensive MVP in 2003. Zimmerman played his college ball at Duquesne.

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 four weeks, the Kats rank second in the league in rushing, having gained 184 yards on a league-high 60 carries for an average of 3.1 yards per carry. In addition, their 11 rushing TD's are the most of any team in the league. Nashville has two players in the AFL's top six rushers. FB/LB Dan Alexander is second with 96 yards (3.6 yds per carry) and quarterback Leon Murray is sixth with 47 yards (3.1 yds per carry). In week one the Kats ran the ball a whopping 22 times for 82 yards in the win over the Columbus Destroyers, and they have run for 43 yards or more in three of four games this season. Some AFL teams struggle to gain that many yards on the ground in a year (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.

THE WORKHORSE: Speaking of a potent running game, Kats FB/LB Dan Alexander has been the top running threat for Nashville and one of the top ground threats in the league through the first four weeks of the season. Alexander ranks second in the league with 96 yards rushing and leads the AFL with 27 carries. His nine carries in last week's game at New York are the most by any player in the league this season. He is averaging 3.6 yards per carry, and he has run for four TD's so far. He is also a receiving threat, having caught five passes for 69 yards and two TD's as well.

GETTING PICK-Y – The Kats have intercepted five passes so far this season, three by DS DeRon Jenkins, who is tied for the league lead in picks. DS Angel Estrada and WR/DB Jarrick Hillery also has an INT this year.

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 – FB/LB Casey Urlacher, OL/DL Joe Minucci and FB/LB Kevin Nagle – have all played in the af2 ranks.

THE PLAYMAKER – Kats offensive specialist Fred Coleman has been a star for the Kats in the first three games, leading the team with 31 catches for 321 yards and four scores by air. He is tied for fourth in the league in receptions, and he is seventh in the AFL with 532 all-purpose yards. He also found the end zone on a thrilling 56-yard kickoff return against New Orleans in week two. 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.

WHERE'S THE BIG PLAY? – Through four weeks, the Kats rank last in the AFL in yards per play, averaging only five yards per offensive play. They also rank last in yards per pass play, averaging only 6.03 yards per attempt.

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'S BACK –After sitting out the first two games of the year with an ankle injury and having his streak of 131 consecutive games played come to an end, OL/DL James Baron has played the last two weeks, registering two tackles and giving the Kats an extra push from the defensive line. 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 and the first part of the season with an ankle injury, but is expected to play this week.

COMING THROUGH IN THE CLUTCH – The Kats are second in the league in third-down efficiency and tied for fifth in fourth-down efficiency. Nashville has converted 24-of-40 third down plays (60 percent) and 5-of-10 fourth down plays (50 percent).

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.

SPECIAL TEAMS STRUGGLES – The Kats rank next-to-last in the league in average yards allowed per kickoff return, giving up 18.1 yards per return so far this season. The Kats have allowed opponents to start at an average of their own 19-yard line following kickoffs this season.

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 7,904 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 seven receptions for 51 yards and 8.5 tackles in three games played this season. Hammond missed the Philadelphia game because of a minor injury.

IN THE RED ZONE – The Kats have been good in the red zone, scoring touchdowns on 14 of 18 trips inside the 10-yard line this season, ranking them fourth in the AFL in that category. Defensively, Nashville ranks fifth in keeping opponents out of the end zone, allowing TD's on 15 of 22 trips inside the red zone this season.

SCOUTING LAS VEGAS
The Gladiators head to Nashville with a 2-2 record in hopes of erasing last week's 13-point output in a loss to the Georgia Force. Expectations for Las Vegas to bounce back are high as quarterback and offensive coordinator Clint Dolezel may be returning from injured reserve after injuring his finger and missing the last two games. His favorite target is offensive specialist Marcus Nash who was the 2004 Baby Ruth Offensive Player of the Year. Dolezel and Nash combined for 46 TDs in 2004 and terrorized secondaries around the league. If Dolezel can't go, then backup Rob Robinson is likely to eran his third straight start. In both of the Gladiators wins, Nash, a former University of Tennessee standout, was named the Offensive Player of the Week. He has had more than 100 receiving yards in three of the team's four games this season. On defense, first-year head coach Ron James has put together a secondary that leads the AFL with eight interceptions. Linebacker Frank Carter was named the ADT Defensive Player of the Week in the AFL after Week 3 and leads the AFL with five sacks. Vegas will try to correct the numerous mistakes it committed in last week's loss, turning the ball over five times and earning 20 penalty flags.

FB/LB FRANK CARTER – Carter leads the AFL in sacks and was named the Arena Football League's ADT Defensive Player of the Week on Feb. 16 after recording three sacks versus the New York Dragons. A four-year veteran of the Arena Football League, Carter sacked Dragons quarterback Aaron Garcia three times on consecutive plays in the first half. This marked the first time that the he has earned an AFL weekly honor. On the season, Carter has 5.0 sacks to lead the league and 7.5 total tackles in four games. On offense, he has carried the ball 13 times for 47 yards with three touchdowns.

QB CLINT DOLEZEL- On Feb. 9, Dolezel was placed on injured reserve due to an injured finger. Dolezel has not played in the Gladiators' last two ball games and figures to be an important presence for the Las Vegas squad if he can return this week. On the season, Dolezel has thrown for 509 yards, going 36-for-60 with seven TD's and four interceptions. The 10-year AFL veteran is only the fourth player in AFL history to throw for 500 touchdowns, fourth player with over 25,000 passing yards and third player with over 2,000 career completions. He also holds the AFL single-game record with 479 passing yards on May 14, 1999 vs. Milwaukee. Dolezel has also twice thrown for 10 touchdown passes in a game.

OS MARCUS NASH – In both of the Gladiators wins during 2005, Nash has been named the Offensive Player of the Game. The former University of Tennessee standout and NFL first round pick leads the Gladiators with 27 catches, 431 receiving yards and four touchdowns. In the Gladiators' last win, the third-year AFL pro caught 11 catches for 126 yards and a TD. Nash is no stranger to accolades, as he was awarded the 2004 Baby Ruth Offensive Player of the Year. He broke the AFL's mark for receptions in a season by hauling in 154 passes for 1,771 yards. Nash also tied the AFL record for touchdown receptions in a season with 46.



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from February 21, 2005


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