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Nashville Kats game notes

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


THE QUICK FACTS:
Game: Arizona Rattlers (1-7) at Nashville Kats (1-6)
Date: Saturday, March 26
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. (CT)
Site: Gaylord Entertainment Center (15,711)
Officials: R-Tom McCabe, U-Matt Jordan, HL-Neil Brunner, LJ-Bob McElwee, BJ-Keith Washington
Television: None
Radio: Kats Radio Network. Flagship – 104.5 The Zone. Mike Keith (Play-by-Play), Larry Stone (Analyst).
Internet: Live broadcast on AFL Net and live statistics at www.arenafootball.com.
Series Record: Arizona leads 3-2
Last Meeting: Kats 66, Arizona 46 (5/6/00)
Series Streaks: Nashville won the last meeting.
Last Week: Las Vegas 66, Arizona 63 (Mar. 19)
Nashville - bye
Coaches: Todd Shell, ARI (7th Season; 47-43 overall)
Pat Sperduto, NAS (4th season; 33-23 overall)

OVERVIEW: Something has to give as the Nashville Kats and the Arizona Rattlers meet in a game between teams that have not won since the season's opening week. The Kats, at 1-6, are in desperate need of a win after dropping six straight. Arizona has not any better, having lost seven in a row themselves after playing in the last three ArenaBowls. The Kats' biggest problem has been the lack of offensive production. Nashville ranks 16th out of 17 AFL teams in points per game, averaging just over 40 points per contest. Like the Kats, the Rattlers have struggled in recent weeks. Offensively, they must deal with another knee injury by QB Shedrick Bonner, who has already missed several games this year.
THE SCHEDULES:
2005 Arizona Rattlers (1-7)
Game Opponent Result Time/Score
Jan. 28 @ Grand Rapids Won 58-38
Feb. 3 ORLANDO Lost 40-51
Feb. 12 @ Georgia Lost 47-61
Feb. 19 COLORADO Lost 69-74
Feb. 27 @ New York Lost 37-61
Mar. 6 LOS ANGELES Lost 29-33
Mar. 13 @ Tampa Bay Lost 56-59
Mar. 19 LAS VEGAS Lost 63-66
Mar. 26 @ Nashville 7:30 p.m.
Apr. 3 @ San Jose 7:00 p.m.
Apr. 8 COLUMBUS 8:00 p.m.
Apr. 22 AUSTIN 9:00 p.m.
Apr. 30 @ Los Angeles 9:30 p.m.
May 7 CHICAGO 9:00 p.m.
May 14 SAN JOSE 9:00 p.m.
May 22 @ Las Vegas 2:00 p.m.

2005 Nashville Kats (1-6)
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 Lost 32-40
Mar. 6 @ Chicago Lost 38-45
Mar. 12 COLORADO Lost 35-42
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: Arizona leads the series between the teams, 3-2, including a 34-30 win in the first round of the 1999 playoffs. The teams have not faced each other since the 2000 season, when the Kats ran away with an easy 66-46 win at America West Arena. The Kats were sold and moved to Georgia following the 2001 season. The teams have split the two games played at the Gaylord Entertainment Center, with Nashville upsetting the eventual ArenaBowl XI champs, 56-49, at home in 1997. In 1999, the Rattlers rallied to win, 65-64, in overtime.

Date Result
7/6/97 Kats 56, Arizona 49 (@ Nashville)
8/2/98 Arizona 59, Kats 55 (@ Arizona)
7/25/99 Arizona 65, Kats 64 – OT (@ Nashville)
8/7/99 Arizona 34, Kats 30 (@ Arizona) - playoffs
5/6/00 Kats 66, Arizona 46 (@ Arizona)

SERIES NOTABLES: Kats' OL/DL Charlie Morris played the last five seasons with the Rattlers, helping to lead Arizona to appearances in the last three ArenaBowls... Nashville line coach Darrin Kenney played with Arizona from 1996-2000, winning an ArenaBowl ring with the club in 1997... Arizona OL/DL Jerry Sharp played for the Kats during the 1998 season... Rattlers assistant head coach Lary Kuharich was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Storm when Pat Sperduto was a lineman for the team.

LAST MEETING:
Kats 66, Arizona 46 (@ Phoenix – May 6, 2000)
Aaron Hamilton recovered a fumble in the end zone to cap a 21-point second quarter as the Kats built a big halftime lead and handed the Rattlers a 66-46 loss. Andy Kelly completed 16-of-24 passes for 203 yards and five TD's. Cory Fleming caught six passes for 77 yards and two TD's in the win. Arizona QB Shedrick Bonner was 29-of-42 for 388 yards and seven TD's with an interception.

LAST WEEK:
Las Vegas 66, Arizona 63 (@ Phoenix – Mar. 19)
Clint Dolezel hit Marcus Nash for the game-winning touchdown for Las Vegas with just two seconds to go, handing Arizona its seventh consecutive defeat. The Rattlers also lost quarterback Shedrick Bonner to a knee injury in the second quarter. The veteran QB had been off to a great start, completing seven of his first eight passes before leaving with the injury. Backup Joe Germaine had his best game of the year in relief, hitting on 17 of 24 throws for 238 yards and six TD's. DS Terrance Joseph had two interceptions for the Rattlers, but Arizona's defense allowed nine TD passes by Dolezel.

Nashville had a bye
Colorado 42, Nashville 38 (@ Nashville – Mar. 12)
The Kats fell for the sixth consecutive week, 42-35, at home to intra-division foe Colorado. Nashville actually held the lead at halftime and had a potential go-ahead touchdown wiped away by a penalty late in the game. Penalties were Nashville's main downfall, as the Kats were flagged 12 times for 74 yards and had three TD's called back due to penalty. Tony Zimmerman, starting again in place of the injured Leon Murray, completed 23-of-34 passes for 243 yards and two TD's. He was picked off once. Crush QB John Dutton was 23-of-34 for 232 yards and six TD's.

THE COACHES:
Arizona – Todd Shell, 7th Season
47-43 (.522) overall
Shell is in his first season as Arizona's head coach. He began his Arena Football coaching career as the first Defensive Coordinator in Rattlers history, leading the Rattler defense from 1992 until 1994, winning the ArenaBowl title in his final season with the club. Shell coached San Jose from 1995-98. In his four seasons as Head Coach, San Jose was 29-25, making three playoff appearances. Shell returned to Arizona in 2003 as the Color Analyst on Rattlers TV broadcasts, but he appeared on only one telecast, leaving to join the New York Dragons after Week 4. The Dragons, off to an 0-4 start, fired Head Coach John Gregory and replaced him with Shell. New York went 8-4 under Shell, finishing the year 8-8 and as the Eastern Division Champs. Following New York's last-second win over Chicago in the Wild Card round of the AFL playoffs, Shell was named the Arena Football League's 2003 Coach of the Year. He led New York to a second consecutive Eastern Division title last year.

Nashville – Pat Sperduto, 4th season
33-24 (.579) 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 Rattlers Kats
Scoring Offense (Rank) 49.9 (10th) 40.4 (17th)
Scoring Defense 55.4 (14th) 49.3 (10th)
Total Offense 284.3 (8th) 265.1 (11th)
Total Defense 255.1 (3rd) 260.1 (5th)
Pass Offense 270.0 (8th) 233.0 (14th)
Pass Defense 243.8 (7th) 243.3 (6th)
Rushing Offense 14.3 (12th) 32.1 (4th)
Rushing Defense 11.4 (1st) 16.9 (8th)
Interceptions 6 (t-12th) 8 (t-8th)
Turnover Margin -7 (15th) 0 (t-9th)
Kickoff Return Avg. 13.7 (6th) 12.8 (11th)
Kickoffs–Opp.Avg. Start 20.8 (17th) 15.9 (14th)
Penalty Yard Avg. 60.4 (14th) 59.0 (8th)
Sacks By 10 (t-4th) 5 (t-10th)
Sacks Against 8 (t-11th) 6 (t-7th)

NOTES:
THE SKID – Nashville's current six-game losing streak is the first in franchise history (1999 was the only previous season in which the Kats lost more than two straight). The six-game skid is second only to Arizona for the longest current losing streak in the AFL. The team will try to bounce back against that Rattlers club this 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.

MURRAY SET TO RETURN – Nashville Kats quarterback Leon Murray is expected to return to the field this week after sitting out the team's last three games with a knee injury. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on March 7 to repair damage done in the Kats' week one win over Columbus. The procedure was performed by Dr. David Alexander, Nashville's team physician. He continued to play on the injured knee until Nashville's week four game at New York, but he finally was forced to sit out the team's last three games. Murray was active but did not play in the Kats' losses to Las Vegas and Chicago. He was placed on injured reserve prior to the game against Colorado two weeks ago. Arthroscopic surgery has a normal recovery time of two to four weeks. 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. Backup QB Tony Zimmerman has completed 60 percent of his passes while throwing for 809 yards, nine TD's and three INT's since Murray has been out.

THIRD AND SHORT – Nashville quarterbacks are a perfect six-for-six in running for first downs on third-down attempts. Leon Murray leads the league in that category by moving the chains all four times he has run the ball on third down, while Tony Zimmerman has also picked up the first in both of his third down rushing attempts.

NEW LOOK OFFENSE - With Murray back and other key players like Fred Coleman and Dan Alexander set to return, the Kats' offense is nearly back at full strength, especially with the recent additions of WR/LB Lindsay Fleshman and OS Travis McGriff. After losing to Colorado two weeks ago, Nashville relieved offensive coordinator Tres Sullivan of his duties and have since reshuffled the coaching responsibilities. Sperduto, along with assistant coach Dean Cokinos, will primarily handle the play-calling, while newly added quarterbacks coach Scott Semptimphelter will assist in coaching the offense. The Kats hope that the reshuffling will help boost an offense which ranks last of 17 AFL teams in scoring, averaging only 40.4 yards per game.

HAMMOND JUST KEEPS GOING – No one in Arena Football League history has more experience in the sport than Kats WR/LB Darryl Hammond, who is in his 15th year. Earlier this season, he became the third player in AFL history to surpass 600 stops (San Jose's Barry Wagner and Orlando's Damon Mason are the other two). He also is just one INT shy of becoming only the second player in league history to record 30 interceptions and 8,000 receiving yards in a career (only Wagner has accomplished that feat so far). He is tenth on the AFL's all-time receiving-yards gained in a career with 8,106 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. In the last three games, the University of Virginia product has caught 21 passes for 228 yards and three touchdowns. He 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. Hammond has 28 receptions for 279 yards, three TD's and 16 tackles in six games played this season.

BUMPS & BRUISES –WR/DB Jarrick Hillery is still questionable with a hamstring injury, as is DS Rober' Freeman with the same ailment. Quarterback Leon Murray is expected to return this week after undergoing knee surgery. WR/LB Cosmo DeMatteo and WR/DB Rich Musinski are eligible to come off of injured reserve this week and could play on Saturday.

THIRD QUARTER WOES – Nashville has only scored seven points in the third quarter of the last three games, having been shut out in the third period in two of the last three contests. In five of their six losses this season, the Kats have received the second half kickoff but failed to score on any of those possessions. Nashville QB Leon Murray was intercepted on the team's first drive of the second half in weeks two through four, and the Kats went three-and-out in the opening possession of the third quarter in their losses against Las Vegas and Chicago in weeks five and six, respectively. In their most recent loss against Colorado two weeks ago, the Kats scored on their first possession of the second half, but Nashville had kicked off to start the third quarter. Nashville has held a lead in the fourth quarter only once this season – in their only win at Columbus in week one. The Kats have been outscored, 162-129, in the second half of their six games this year.

INSTANT OFFENSE – Offensive specialist Travis McGriff saw his first action for the team against Colorado and caught seven passes for 73 yards in the game. He also returned four kickoffs for 76 yards, including a long return of 25 yards. McGriff, who was named the 2003 AFL Rookie of the Year, started the first four games of this season at offensive specialist for the Orlando Predators, catching 20 passes for 221 yards and four touchdowns. He comes to the Kats with an impressive resume. As an AFL rookie with Orlando in 2003, the former University of Florida receiver caught 81 passes for 1,216 yards and scored 25 touchdowns. He also added more than 1,000 kick return yards and added another touchdown. Last season, he missed the first six games of the regular season with a hamstring injury. He returned to catch 34 passes for 473 yards and 12 touchdowns in five games, but tore a thumb ligament in Week 12 against New Orleans and missed the final five games of the regular season. For his career, he has 142 receptions for 1,983 yards and 41 touchdowns in 24 career games played.

NEW THREAT – WR/LB Lindsay Fleshman is shaping up to be a fine addition for the Kats, having caught 10 passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns. He had seven grabs and both TD receptions in the loss to Colorado two weeks ago. Fleshman, who played three seasons with the Chicago Rush and was named the team's Ironman of the Year the last two years, has 3.5 tackles on defense and has returned four kickoffs for 46 yards since joining the team three weeks ago.

THIRTYSOMETHING – The Kats have been held to less than 40 points in four of their seven games this season. Nashville has scored in the 30s or lower 15 times in franchise history, winning only three of those games. The only other time the Kats have scored fewer than 40 four times in a season was in 1999 (Pat Sperduto's first year as head coach).

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 eight weeks, the Kats rank fourth in the league in rushing, having gained 225 yards on 89 carries for an average of 2.5 yards per carry. In addition, their 18 rushing TD's are the third most of any team in the league. FB/LB Dan Alexander is fourth in the AFL with 105 yards (2.9 yds per carry) and quarterback Leon Murray was ranked highly with 47 yards (3.1 yds per carry) before being injured earlier in the year. 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 six 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 eight weeks of the season. Despite missing the last game with a neck injury, Alexander ranks fourth in the league with 105 yards rushing and leads the AFL with 36 carries. His nine carries in the Feb. 19 game at New York are the most by any player in the league this season. He is averaging 2.9 yards per carry, and he has run for five TD's so far. He is also a receiving threat, having caught seven passes for 72 yards and two TD's as well. Alexander is expected back this week after resting the injured neck the last two weeks.

THE LONGEST YARDS: Nashville's defense is one of the stingiest in the league when it comes to giving up first downs, ranking second (behind only this week's opponent, Arizona) in first downs allowed. The Kats are averaging only 18.5 first downs allowed per game. Overall, Nashville's defense ranks fifth in the AFL in total defense, allowing only 260.1 yards per game.

GETTING PICK-Y – The Kats have intercepted eight passes so far this season, tying them for eighth in the AFL in that category. Three of the INT's came by DS DeRon Jenkins, who is tied for third in the AFL in picks. DS Khalil Carter has two picks and DS Angel Estrada, FB/LB Levelle Brown and WR/DB Jarrick Hillery also have INT's this year.

A NEW ROLE – Kats receiver Fred Coleman, who started at offensive specialist for the Kats in the first six games, is expected to make the switch to a two-way player this week with the addition of OS Travis McGriff. It is not an entirely new responsibility for Coleman, who helped lead San Jose to a championship as a two-way star last season, making 18 tackles and an interception on the defensive side of the ball. He currently leads the team with 44 catches for 460 yards and five scores by air. He is 17th in the league in receptions, and he is 13th in the AFL with 826 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 eight weeks, the Kats rank last in the AFL in yards per play, averaging only 5.0 yards per offensive play. They also rank last in yards per pass play, averaging only 7.25 yards per attempt.

TITANS CONNECTIONS – Five players on Nashville's 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 OF DEFENSE – 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 returned, registering 5.5 tackles, two stops for loss, a sack and a safety in his five games this season. 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).

COMING THROUGH IN THE CLUTCH – The Kats are third in the league in fourth-down efficiency and seventh in third-down efficiency. Nashville has converted 32-of-67 third down plays (47.8 percent) and 10-of-17 fourth down plays (58.8 percent).

ON THE WRONG FOOT – Kats kicker Gary Kral has struggled n recent weeks, missing three extra points in the loss at Chicago three weeks ago and missing both field goal attempts in the game against Colorado two weeks ago. He is 30-for-38 on PAT tries so far this season and only 3-for-13 on field goal tries. The Kats rank 16th out of 17 teams in the league in field goal percentage.

IN THE RED ZONE – The Kats have been good in the red zone, scoring touchdowns on 19 of 26 trips inside the 10-yard line this season, ranking them seventh in the AFL in that category. Defensively, Nashville ranks fifth in keeping opponents out of the end zone, allowing TD's on 19 of 31 trips inside the red zone this season.

SCOUTING ARIZONA
The Rattlers bring the league's third-ranked total defense and first-ranked rushing defense to Nashville. Unfortunately for Arizona, the Rattlers have been unable to hold teams out of the end zone, as they rank 14th in the AFL in scoring defense, surrendering an average of 55.4 points per game. They have also been unable to produce big plays, posting a disappointing -7 mark in turnover ratio. On offense, back-up quarterback Joe Germaine is expected to fill in for starter Sherdrick Bonner, who suffered another knee injury in last week's loss to Las Vegas. Germaine has been extremely productive and has no problem finding the AFL's leading receiver OS Siaha Burley. Burley leads the AFL in touchdowns, total points, and receiving yards. WR/LB Randy Gatewood compliments Burley well and will also catch many balls from Germaine. Between the two, they have 114 of the team's 168 receptions.

QB JOE GERMAINE – With starter Sherdrick Bonner doubtful, quarterback Joe Germaine looks to get the nod yet again for the Rattlers. Germaine ranks sixth in the AFL in QB rating. In five games and three starts, Germaine is 88-for-137 with 1,139 yards. He has thrown 23 TD's and only 5 interceptions during 2005. An Arizona native, Germaine led the Ohio State Buckeyes to a Rose Bowl championship in 1997 before spending four seasons as a back-up in the NFL. Germaine played the 2004 season for the Rattlers and went 16-for-29 with five touchdowns.

OS SIAHA BURLEY – Burley leads the AFL in scoring with 146 total points during the 2005 season. Burley also leads the AFL in receiving yards with 943 yards, 55 more yards than the next-best receiver. The fifth-year OS is second in the AFL in all-purpose yards with 1,480 yards. Burley has 470 yards on kickoff returns with 28 attempts. In his second year in Arizona, Burley has already attained the 24 TD's he accumulated to lead Arizona during 2004. Burley spent his first three seasons with the Orlando Predators and was named to the All-Rookie team in his first year.

WR/DB RANDY GATEWOOD – Gatewood is the franchise's all-time leader in total tackles (336.5) and interceptions (30). In his 10th season, Gatewood has been a standout on offense, ranking 12th in receiving yards with 607 and tied for 14th in the AFL in receptions with 47. The 2003 Ironman of the Year is also tied for 14th in the AFL in interceptions with two. Gatewood is 22nd in both total tackles and solo tackles with 34 and 28, respectively.

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