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Nashville Kats game notes

March 28, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Nashville Kats News Release


THE QUICK FACTS:
Game:Nashville Kats (1-7) at Gr. Rapids Rampage (1-7)
Date: Sunday, April 3
Kickoff: 1:30 p.m. (CT)
Site: Van Andel Arena (10,594)
Officials: R-Bill Athan, U-Tim Morris, HL-Tim Podraza, LJ-Tom Symonette, BJ-James Cole
Television: Delayed (2 pm CT) - Fox Sports Net South
Radio: Kats Radio Network. Flagship – 104.5 The Zone. Mike Keith (Play-by-Play), Larry Stone (Analyst).
Internet: Live statistics at www.arenafootball.com.
Series Record: Series tied 2-2
Last Meeting: Gr. Rapids 64, Kats 42 (AB XV-8/19/01)
Series Streaks: Gr. Rapids has won the last two meetings.
Last Week: Arizona 48, Nashville 35 (Mar. 26)
Philadelphia 64, Gr. Rapids 41 (Mar. 26)
Coaches: Pat Sperduto, NAS (4th season; 33-25 overall)
Sparky McEwen, GR (1st season, 1-6 overall)

OVERVIEW: For the second week in a row, the Nashville Kats will take part in a battle of one-win teams in the midst of long losing streaks. This time, the opponent is the Grand Rapids Rampage, who own a 1-6 record and have won just two of their last 27 games. Nashville is in the midst of a franchise-record seven game losing streak, which is also the longest current streak in the AFL. The Kats have scored fewer than 40 points in each of their last four games and rank last I n the league in scoring offense, while Grand Rapids is allowing a league-worst 64.25 points per game on defense. Defensively, Nashville must try to slow down QB Michael Bishop, who leads the AFL in rushing.
THE SCHEDULES:
2005 Nashville Kats (1-7)
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 Lost 35-48
Apr. 3 @ Grand Rapids 1:30 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 Grand Rapids Rampage (1-7)
Game Opponent Result Time/Score
Jan. 28 ARIZONA Lost 38-58
Feb. 5 @ Colorado Lost 56-72
Feb. 19 AUSTIN Lost 61-73
Feb. 27 COLUMBUS Won 66-57
Mar. 6 @ Tampa Bay Lost 50-70
Mar. 13 CHICAGO Lost 45-48
Mar. 18 @ San Jose Lost 48-72
Mar. 26 @ Philadelphia Lost 41-64
Apr. 3 NASHVILE 1:30 p.m.
Apr. 8 @ Las Vegas 9:30 p.m.
Apr. 15 @ Georgia 6:30 p.m.
Apr. 23 NEW ORLEANS 7:30 p.m.
Apr. 30 COLORADO 7:00 p.m.
May 7 @ Nashville 7:30 p.m.
May 15 @ Chicago 12 noon
May 21 LOS ANGELES 6:30 p.m.

THE SERIES: The series is tied, 2-2, but the teams have not met since ArenaBowl XV in 2001, as the original Kats played their final game before being sold and moved to Georgia a month later. Nashville lost, 64-42, in ArenaBowl XV and dropped a contest earlier in the 2001 regular season to the Rampage as well. Nashville won the first two meetings between the clubs, including a 54-17 thrashing in the opening round of the 2000 playoffs, which ranks as one of the biggest playoff blowouts in AFL history.
Date Result
7/1/99 Kats 48, Rampage 47 (@ G.R.)
7/29/00 Kats 54, Rampage 17 (@ Nashville)*
6/8/01 Rampage 60, Kats 54 (@ Nashville)
8/19/01 Rampage 64, Kats 42 (@ G.R. – AB XV)*
* Denotes playoff game

SERIES NOTABLES: Grand Rapids FB/LB Travis Reece played for the Kats in their 2001 ArenaBowl season, winning the league's rushing title with 190 yards on the ground... First meeting of the two teams since ArenaBowl XV.

LAST MEETING:
Gr. Rapids 64, Kats 42 (@ G. Rapids-8/19/01)
Terrill Shaw scored five touchdowns and had 12 receptions in an MVP performance during ArenaBowl XV in Grand Rapids. Andy Kelly threw for 243 yards and three TD's, two of which went to Tyronne Jones, but it was not enough to match Rampage QB Clint Dolezel's seven TD throws.

LAST WEEK:
Arizona 48, Nashville 35 (@ Nashville – Mar. 26)
Joe Germaine threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to OS Siaha Burley with 57 seconds remaining to seal Arizona's 48-35 victory over the Kats. Germaine threw six touchdown passes on the night, including two to Burley, who led all receivers with 11 catches for 107 yards. Germaine completed 27-of-37 passes for 314 yards on the night, eclipsing the 217 passing yards of Kats QB Leon Murray who was returning after missing the past three games recovering from knee surgery. Murray was 17-of-34 for three touchdowns and an interception, and the Kats held a 35-28 lead midway through the third period, but could not manage to score again.

Philadelphia 64, G. Rapids 41 (@ Phil. – Mar. 26)
Three Rampage turnovers resulted in 21 points for Philadelphia as Grand Rapids lost, 64-41, to the Soul Saturday night in front of 14,308 at the Wachovia Center. The game also featured a combined 24 penalties for 191 yards. Two of the turnovers were interceptions off the nets by Michael Bishop, who finished 18-of-33 for 272 yards with two passing scores and the two picks. On the ground, Bishop bolted for 65 yards on ten carries with three touchdowns.

THE COACHES:
Arizona – Sparky McEwen, 1st Season
1-7 (.125) overall
McEwen became the Grand Rapids Rampage's fourth head coach in team history on August 13, 2004. He was the Rampage's offensive coordinator during the team's best three years on the field (2001-03), which included winning ArenaBowl XV in his first season. During those three years, the Rampage's offense scored more points and gained more yards and points than any other team in the AFL. For 2004, McEwen was the assistant head coach/offensive coordinator for the Okalahoma City Yard Dawgz of arenafootball2. The Yard Dawgz (10-6) finished with the af2's second-best scoring team (56.8 points per game). McEwen was a quarterback on the Rampage's inaugural 1998 season. He appeared in five games and had a 2-1 record as starting quarterback with 477 passing yards, four passing touchdowns and six rushing scores. McEwen was the starting quarterback for Ferris State University in Big Rapids from 1987-90.

Nashville – Pat Sperduto, 4th season
33-25 (.569) 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 Rampage Kats
Scoring Offense (Rank) 50.6 (10th) 39.8 (17th)
Scoring Defense 64.3 (17th) 49.1 (10th)
Total Offense 294.5 (6th) 260.0 (17th)
Total Defense 299.8 (12th) 265.1 (5th)
Pass Offense 237.4 (15th) 230.0 (16th)
Pass Defense 243.8 (7th) 243.3 (6th)
Rushing Offense 57.1 (1st) 30.0 (4th)
Rushing Defense 15.6 (3rd) 16.0 (5th)
Interceptions 3 (17th) 8 (t-10th)
Turnover Margin -8 (t-14th) + 1 (t-7th)
Kickoff Return Avg. 19.0 (5th) 16.1 (14th)
Kickoffs–Opp.Avg. Start 18.7 (16th) 15.0 (13th)
Penalty Yard Avg. 46.5 (2nd) 59.2 (10th)
Sacks By 4 (t-13th) 8 (t-8th)
Sacks Against 11 (t-13th) 10 (t-8th)

NOTES:
THE SKID – Nashville's current seven-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 seven-game skid is the longest current losing streak in the AFL. The team will try to bounce back against a Grand Rapids club that is also 1-6 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.

SUNDAY BLUES – The Kats have played twice on Sunday so far this season, dropping both contests. All-time, Nashville is just 1-4 on Sundays.

FOLLOW THE LEADER – During the Kats' seven-game losing streak, they have been forced to play comeback nearly the entire time. Only three times in the seven-game skid have the Kats held a lead in the second half. And during a total of 210 second-half minutes during those seven losses, Nashville has only led for 17:14 of that time. In fact, the Kats have not held a lead past the six-minute mark of the third quarter since their week one win over Columbus. The Kats have been outscored, 182-143, in the second half of their six games this year, and Saturday's loss to Arizona marked the first time in franchise history that the team was held scoreless in the fourth quarter.

MURRAY BANGED UP – Nashville Kats quarterback Leon Murray is questionable this week after suffering a bruised sternum on the last play of Saturday's loss to Arizona. The injury forced him to spend the night in the hospital on Saturday, but he was released on Sunday morning. Murray was playing in his first game in more than four weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on March 7 to repair damage done in the Kats' week one win over Columbus. The third-year quarterback struggled on the night, completing 17-of-34 passes for 217 yards, three TD's and an interception. For the year, Murray has completed 58.1 percent of his throws for 1,062 yards, 15 touchdowns and six INT's. He has thrown for 108 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 on the year, and he will be ready should Murray not be able to play on Sunday.

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.

WAIVER WIRE – Nashville placed WR/LB Cosmo DeMatteo and WR/DB Rich Musinski on recallable waivers, and the Kats also released OL/DL Tyronn Johnson less than a week after signing him to the practice squad.

DOGHEAD HAS BITE - FB/LB Rupert "Doghead" Grant made his return to Nashville on Saturday after being acquired in a trade from Orlando. Despite the loss, Grant was a factor on both sides of the ball for the Kats, scoring on a one-yard run and compiling three tackles on defense. He is in his seventh season in the AFL and returns to Nashville, where he accumulated 318 rushing yards – the second highest total in franchise history – in his three-year tenure with the Kats. Since the Kats were sold and moved following the 2001 season, Grant has played for three different teams. He missed the entire 2002 season as a member of the Georgia Force after suffering an Achilles injury in training camp. In 2003, he played for the Detroit Fury and had a team-high five rushing TD's. Grant moved on to Orlando in 2004, where he had perhaps the best season of his career, tying a Predators record with 9.5 sacks – one of the highest sack totals for a "Mac" linebacker in AFL history. He earned second-team All-Arena honors and had 121 rushing yards and six touchdowns in addition to three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries on defense. This season, Grant has 15.5 tackles with two quarterback sacks in seven games for the Predators and one for the Kats. The veteran from Howard University also has four touchdowns rushing, and he has continued to add to his reputation as one of the best blocking fullbacks in all of arena football.

STATISTICALLY CHALLENGED – The Kats' offense simply can't be found on the league leaders list. Nashville's quarterback duo of Zimmerman and Murray rank 18th and 19th in the AFL, respectively, and the Kats do not have a player among the elague's top 20 in receptions, receiving yards or kickoff returns. Nashville has only had one 100-yard receiving game out of a player (Darryl Hammond) this year, and they have not had a QB throw for more than 300 yards in a game so far this season.

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 8,142 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 589.5. In the last four games, the University of Virginia product has caught 24 passes for 264 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. Quarterback Leon Murray is questionable after bruising his sternum. DS Tony Scott is also questionable with a quadriceps injury, while OL/DL Wes Stephens and WR/DB jermaine Lewis are both out with a shoulder injury and tonsillitis, respectively.

NEW THREATS – Since joining the team just a few weeks ago, offensive specialist Travis McGriff and wide receiver/linebacker Lindsay Fleshman have been the main targets for Kats quarterbacks. In fact, since taking the field together for the first time two games ago, the two newcomers have combined for more than half of the team's total offense, teaming up for 24 catches for 297 yards and four TD's. All other Nashville receivers have combined for just 17 receptions, 152 yards and one TD. McGriff, who started the first four games of the year with Orlando, has 12 receptions for 151 yards and a score in two games played for the Kats since coming over from Orlando. He also has returned 10 kickoffs for 176 yards, averaging 17.6 yards per return. McGriff was named 2003 AFL Rookie of the Year. Fleshman has 15 receptions for 175 yards and three TD's in three games with the Kats. He 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 five of their eight games this season – the most in franchise history. In fact, Nashville has not gotten out of the 30s in their last four games. The Kats are last in the AFL in scoring offense, averaging a mere 39.75 points per game. Nashville has scored in the 30s or lower 16 times in franchise history, winning only three of those games.

RUNNING GAME SLOWED – After starting the season with a bang, Nashville's ground game has been slowed significantly in recent weeks. The Kats ran for a whopping 82 yards on 22 carries in the team's opening week win over Columbus, and Nashville averaged 46 yards per game on the ground through the season's first four weeks. Since that time, however, the Kats have run the ball much less. In fact, after carrying the ball 10 or more times in each of the first four games, the Kats have stayed on the ground more than 10 times in only one of the four games since, and they have gained an average of only 14 yards per game during that span. Nevertheless, Nashville's ground game, when it gets rolling, can be formidable to deal with. Overall, the Kats are still ranked fourth in the league with an average of 30 yards rushing per game. FB/LB Dan Alexander is still ranked sixth in the league in rushing with 105 yards, despite missing the last two games. Leon Murray and Rupert Grant are also listed among the AFL's top 23 rushers.

THE LONGEST YARDS: Nashville's defense is one of the stingiest in the league when it comes to giving up first downs, ranking fourth in first downs allowed. The Kats are averaging only 18.9 first downs allowed per game. Overall, Nashville's defense ranks sixth in the AFL in total defense, allowing only 265.1 yards per game. However, the Kats have been giving up the yards when it matters most. On third down, Nashville ranks last in the league in opponents' third-down conversions, giving up a first down 58.3 percent of the time. In last week's loss, the Kats gave up a first down on seven of nine Arizona third down plays.

A NEW ROLE – Kats receiver Fred Coleman, who started at offensive specialist for the Kats in the first six games, made the switch to a two-way player last week with the addition of OS Travis McGriff. He caught two passes for 23 yards and a TD and had one stop on defense in his first action on both sides of the ball against Arizona. 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 46 catches for 483 yards and five scores by air. He is 22nd in the league in receptions, and he is 13th in the AFL with 861 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 nine 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 6.0 yards per attempt. Their longest play from scrimmage this season was a 36-yard TD pass from Zimmerman to Lindsay Fleshman against Colorado on March 12th.

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 seven tackles, three stops for loss, two sacks and a safety in his six 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 37.5 career sacks — the fifth-highest total in league history. His 21.5 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 36-of-75 third down plays (48 percent) and 11-of-19 fourth down plays (57.9 percent). No team has gone for it on fouth down more often than the Kats this season.

ON THE WRONG FOOT – Kats kicker Gary Kral has struggled so far this season. He is only 3-for-15 on field goal tries in 2005, ranking him last in the AFL in FG percentage at 20.0 percent. He is 35-for-43 on PAT tries so far this season.

IN THE RED ZONE – The Kats have been good in the red zone, scoring touchdowns on 25 of 33 trips inside the 10-yard line this season, ranking them eighth in the AFL in that category. Defensively, Nashville ranks fifth in keeping opponents out of the end zone, allowing TD's on 28 of 42 trips inside the red zone this season.

SCOUTING GRAND RAPIDS
The positive for the Grand Rapids Rampage is that they rank sixth in the AFL in total offense and first in rushing offense. QB Michael Bishop is just 110 yards away from the single-season rushing record in the AFL. The problem for the Rampage is that they rank last in the AFL in points allowed by nearly eight points per game, last in touchdowns allowed and last in defensive interceptions. In an effort to resurrect the struggling defense, head coach Sparky McEwen fired assistant head coach Robert Lyles and defensive coordinator Brian Young before the Philadelphia loss last week. Both were responsible for the defense and special teams.

QB MICHAEL BISHOP – Bishop ranks sixth in all-time AFL single-season rushing. He stands just 110 yards from passing Major Harris' 424 set in 1991 with the Columbus Thunderbolts for the AFL's most yards on the ground in a season. He also now ranks fifth all-time in AFL history for rushing yards by a quarterback (only Harris, Mike Hold, Connell Maynor and Aaron Garcia have more career yards). Bishop's 315 on the season are the second-most ever by a QB in AFL history, again to Harris' 424. The former Kansas State star has completed 121-for-225 for 1,754 yards and 34 TD's and five interceptions during 2005. Bishop leads the league in rushing with 315 yards and nine touchdowns on 49 attempts.

OS CHRIS JACKSON – For the third consecutive game, the Kats will face a great offensive specialist. Jackson ranks 18th in the AFL in receptions with 48 and 14th in yards with 651. Jackson has 12 TD's during 2005. Entering 2005, Jackson had caught more passes, gained more receiving yards and scored more touchdowns or points than any other player in the AFL. He has scored a touchdown in all but two games in his AFL career. Additionally, Jackson is the only player in AFL history to be named Rookie of the Year (2000) and then be named Offensive Player of the Year (2003).

DS CECIL DOGGETTE – Despite being injured for two games this season, Doggette is tied for 36th in the league in total tackles with 29.0. The 11-year AFL veteran is the team's all-time leader in tackles and pass breakups. He was named First Team All-Arena in 1999 and was selected Second Team All-Arena in 2002. Doggette has led the team he's played for in tackles the last seven seasons. He is the only player in AFL history to be the all-time leader in tackles and pass breakups for two different teams (Grand Rapids and Arizona).



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 28, 2005


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