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Nashville Kats game notes

April 11, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Nashville Kats News Release


THE QUICK FACTS:
Game: L.A. Avengers (6-4) at Nashville Kats (2-7-1)
Date: Sunday, April 17
Kickoff: 12:00 noon (CT)
Site: Gaylord Entertainment Center (15,711)
Officials: R-Bill LeMonnier, U-Tom Laverty, HL-Neil Brunner, LJ-David Meslow, BJ-Barry Anderson
Television: None
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: Nashville leads 2-0
Last Meeting: Nashville 40, Los Angeles 27 (7/7/01)
Series Streaks: The Kats have won two in a row.
Last Week: Los Angeles 66, New York 35
Nashville 41, Dallas 41
Coaches: Ed Hodgkiss (4th season, 34-23 overall)
Pat Sperduto, NAS (4th season; 34-25-1 overall)

OVERVIEW: The Nashville Kats return home this week riding their first unbeaten streak of the season. The good news from last week is that the Kats went on the road and tied a team most thought would handle them easily. The bad news is they had plenty of opportunities to win and only came away deadlocked.Nashville will once again play host to one of the league's top teams in the Los Angeles Avengers. L.A. is 6-4 and in good position to secure a playoff spot. Leading the Avengers is veteran quarterback John Kaleo, who threw for 261 yards and five touchdowns in a rout of New York last week. Kaleo has won an ArenaBowl with Tampa Bay and has the Avengers playing very well this season. However, the excitement over their success has been tempered this week due to the tragic death of lineman Al Lucas after being injured in last week's game.

THE SCHEDULES:
2005 Los Angeles Avengers (6-4)
Game Opponent Result Time/Score
Jan. 30 @ Las Vegas Lost 37-46
Feb. 4 GEORGIA Won 46-41
Feb. 11 @ Austin Won 64-51
Feb. 20 SAN JOSE Won 71-69
Feb. 27 @ Colorado Lost 40-58
Mar. 6 @ Arizona Won 33-29
Mar. 18 DALLAS Lost 50-72
Mar. 26 TAMPA BAY Won 59-28
Apr. 3 @ Orlando Lost 54-55 (OT)
Apr. 10 NEW YORK Won 66-35
Apr. 17 @ Nashville 12 noon
Apr. 23 CHICAGO 9:30 p.m.
Apr. 30 ARIZONA 9:30 p.m.
May 7 @ San Jose 9:30 p.m.
May 14 LAS VEGAS 9:30 p.m.
May 21 @ Grand Rapids 6:30 p.m.

2005 Nashville Kats (2-7-1)
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 Won 40-27
Apr. 8 @ Dallas Tied 41-41
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.

MEDIA NOTE: This game was originally scheduled to be aired on NBC, but will not be televised. The network paired its original schedule for this week from four games down to two.

Also, due to the early start this week, media will call doors will open at 10 a.m. – two hours prior to kickoff.

THE SERIES: The two teams played twice in the 2001 season. In the first meeting, the Kats scored a franchise-record 44 first half points and rolled to a 64-27 victory at home. The teams met again in L.A. two months later, and Nashville once again came out on top 40-27. The Kats were sold and moved to Georgia after the 2001 season.

Date Result
5/18/01 NASHVILLE 64, Los Angeles 27
7/7/01 Nashville 40, LOS ANGELES 27

SERIES NOTABLES: Although Hodgkiss and Sperduto have never met as head coaches, Sperduto's Kats were 0-2 against the Albany Firebirds when Hodgkiss was their offensive coordinator... Kats DS Reggie Stephens was on L.A.'s exempt list before being selected by Nashville in the last expansion draft... Kats WR/DB T.T. Toliver played against the Avengers while with the Tampa Bay Storm just three weeks ago, making three catches for 39 yards and a TD and intercepting a pass on defense... Kats GM Bob Flynn spent four seasons with the Avengers' organization.

LAST MEETING:
Nashville 40, Los Angeles 27 (@ LA – July 7, 2001)
The Kats rolled to a 40-27 win at the Staples Center despite going into the game without the services of Tyronne Jones and Darryl Hammond, and then losing Andy Kelly due to injury early in the game. Nashville forced five L.A. turnovers and knocked out both Avengers quarterbacks while thoroughly dominating the game. James Brown, who filled in for the injured Kelly, completed 9-of-18 passes for 96 yards and two TD's.

LAST WEEK:
Nashville 41, Dallas 41 (@ Dallas – Apr. 8)
The Kats and Desperados fought to just the second tie in AFL history, as both teams overcame slow offensive starts to go into overtime locked up at 41. From there, both squads committed turnovers and missed field goals that could have won the game. Nashville's defense was outstanding, as they did not allow a point until 4:40 left in the first half. They allowed only seven points in the fourth quarter and the overtime. Offensively, Leon Murray threw for 244 yards and three TD's – two of which went to T.T. Toliver. He was intercepted twice.

Los Angeles 66, New York 35 (@ L.A. – Apr. 10)
The Avengers used an inspired team effort to crush the New York Dragons, 66-35, on Sunday afternoon. After giving up an initial touchdown to the Dragons, the Avenger defense regrouped and allowed only seven more points in the first half, while recording nine points of their own on a safety and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. The defensive effort was led by OL/DL Silas Demary's record-breaking three sacks, forced fumble and safety, which helped the Avengers improve to 6-4 and remain in the thick of things atop the Western Division standings. John Kaleo finished 25-of-41 for 261 yards and five touchdowns.

THE COACHES:
Los Angeles – Ed Hodgkiss, 4th Season
34-23 (.596) overall
Ed Hodgkiss, one of the brightest offensive masterminds in the Arena Football League, is in his fourth season as the head coach of the Los Angeles Avengers. He owns an overall record of 28-18 and has advanced to the AFL Playoffs in each of his previous three seasons as a head coach. In his first two years at the helm, he directed the Avengers to a 19-11 record. No head coach in league history has won more games in his first two seasons than Hodgkiss, who was the runner-up for the 2003 AFL "Coach of the Year" award. Prior to joining the Avengers, Hodgkiss had been with the Indiana Firebirds since 1997. He was the team's offensive coordinator for three seasons (1999-2001). In each of those campaigns, Hodgkiss proved to be the architect of one of the AFL's most prolific offenses, ranking among the league leaders in most statistical categories.

Nashville – Pat Sperduto, 4th season
34-25-1 (.575) 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 Avengers Kats
Scoring Offense (Rank) 52.0 (t-6th) 39.9 (17th)
Scoring Defense 48.4 (9th) 46.1 (4th)
Total Offense 277.1 (11th) 264.5 (14th)
Total Defense 302.4 (14th) 269.3 (6th)
Pass Offense 256.1 (10th) 233.0 (16th)
Pass Defense 290.0 (16th) 246.9 (5th)
Rushing Offense 21.0 (7th) 31.5 (4th)
Rushing Defense 12.1 (2nd) 22.4 (9th)
Interceptions 16 (t-2nd) 13 (4th)
Turnover Margin +14 (1st) +4 (5th)
Kickoff Return Avg. 15.5 (17th) 16.2 (14th)
Kickoffs–OppAvg. Start 11.9 (15th) 12.2 (12th)
Penalty Yard Avg. 39.7 (1st) 57.9 (9th)
Sacks By 9 (t-10th) 11 (t-3rd)
Sacks Against 13 (t-12th) 10 (10th)

NOTES:
A DIFFERENT KIND OF STREAK – A week after ending their franchise-record seven-game losing streak, the Kats are now working on their first unbeaten streak of the season. The team followed its 40-27 win over Grand Rapids two weeks ago with a rare 41-41 tie at Dallas last week. They will seek to win consecutive games for the first time this year with a win over L.A. this week. The earlier seven-game skid had been the longest current losing streak in the AFL, and spanned 64 days.

GETTING STINGY – The Kats' defense has been the toughest in the league to score on in the last two weeks, giving up an average of just 34 points per game in that span. In fact, from halftime of the Grand Rapids game until there was just 4:40 remaining in the first half of the Dallas game (a span of 55:20), Nashville's defense did not allow a single point. From there, the Kats only gave up seven points in the fourth quarter and the overtime period against Dallas, and those points were a result of the desperation TD pass off the net that tied the game. Altogether, Nashville has only allowed 41 points in the last 105 minutes of play. Opponents have only scored five touchdowns in the last 24 possessions against the Kats. Nashville is currently fourth in the league in scoring defense (allowing an average of 46.1 points per game), and they have not allowed more than 48 points in any of the last six games.

FIT TO BE TIED – The Kats and Dallas fought to a rare 41-41 tie last week, resulting in only the second deadlock in the AFL's 19-year history. The last time a game ended in a tie was in July 1988 when the Chicago Bruisers and L.A. Cobras finished in a 37-37 tie.

COMEBACK KIDS – After finding it difficult to rally after falling behind during their seven-game losing streak, Nashville has come back from double-digit second half deficits in each of the last two games. The Kats rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit to beat Grand Rapids, 40-27, two weeks ago. Last week, they were down 11 in the fourth quarter and came back to take the lead before eventually ending the contest in a tie. During the losing streak Nashville was forced to play comeback nearly the entire time. Only three times in the seven-game skid did the Kats hold a lead in the second half. In a total of 210 second-half minutes during those seven losses, Nashville only led for 17:14 of that time. Until the win at Grand Rapids, the Kats did not hold a lead past the six-minute mark of the third quarter since their week one win over Columbus. The Kats were outscored, 182-143, in the second half of their first eight games this year, and Nashville has outscored its opponents 55-31 in the second half of the last two games. Even in the team's two wins and the tie, they have had to play catch up after trailing in the second half.

MURRAY COMING AROUND – After struggling or missing time due to injury for much of the season, Nashville Kats quarterback Leon Murray has put together solid games the last two weeks. He was 17-of-30 for 258 yards, five TD's and two INT's in the win at Grand Rapids two weeks ago, and he was 22-for-40 for 244 yards, three TD's and two INT's last week. He missed all or part of four games earlier this season with a knee injury that forced him to undergo arthroscopic surgery. He has also battled sternum and shoulder injuries as well. For the year, Murray has completed 57.4 percent of his throws for 1,564 yards, 23 touchdowns and 10 INT's. He has thrown for 116 touchdowns and 6,948 yards in his third year in the league. Backup QB Tony Zimmerman, who made three starts while Murray was recovering from his injury, was released two weeks ago. Bill Whittemore, who has not taken an AFL snap, is now serving as the backup. Whittemore, who played collegiately at Kansas, has spent most of the season on the practice squad.

KAT BURGLARS – The Kats are fifth in the AFL in turnover ratio with a +4 mark. Nashville forced five turnovers in last week's tie at Dallas – three interceptions and two fumbles. Defensive specialists Kahlil Carter and DeRon Jenkins each picked off their fourth passes of the year. Five other players – Darryl Hammond, Levelle Brown, Lindsay Fleshman, Jarrick Hillery and the now-departed Angel Estrada have recorded interceptions this season. Offensively, the Kats have only turned the ball over 16 times – the fifth lowest number of any team in the league.

T.T. EQUALS TD – 2004 All-Ironman selection T.T. Toliver, who was acquired by the Kats two weeks ago in a trade with Tampa Bay, had an outstanding game in his first appearance as a Kat, making two excellent TD receptions and earning Offensive Player of the Game honors. Toliver, a WR/DB, is in his fourth season in the AFL and has been one of the league's best all-around players in the last two seasons. He was named to the AFL's All-Ironman Team after last season, when he led the Storm with 2,095 all-purpose yards. He returned four kickoffs for scores, tied for the team lead in interceptions with three and finished second on the squad with 14 touchdown receptions. Toliver also ranked third on the team in receptions (64), receiving yards (749) and tackles (54.5) in 2004. The Bethune-Cookman product was a member of Tampa Bay's 2003 ArenaBowl championship squad, and he has spent time on NFL practice squads with the San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Bucaneers and St. Louis Rams. Toliver got a late start to this season after suffering a knee injury in training camp that kept him sidelined for the first four weeks of the year. Since returning on March 6, he has started five games and caught 22 passes for 250 yards and seven TD's. He also has returned a missed field goal for a 53 yard score and averaged 17.0 yards on 12 kickoff returns. Defensively, he has 7.5 tackles and an interception.

HE JUST MAKES PLAYS – Kats FB/LB Levelle Brown may be the quietest man on the roster, but his play has spoken very loudly in recent weeks. In every game since coming off injured reserve in week five, Brown has made one or more big plays on either side of the ball. Against Chicago on March 6, he had a TD run, a sack, a forced fumble and an INT. Against Colorado the next week, he ran for another score and had a tackle for loss. In the Arizona game, Brown once again had a TD run and added a sack. He had another sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a dazzling 27-yard TD reception in the win at Grand Rapids. Last week at Dallas, he had 22 rushing yards, a TD and a key fumble recovery in overtime. For the year, Brown has 58 rushing yards and five TD's. He also has three receptions for 47 yards and a score. Defensively, he has 14 tackles, 4.5 stops for loss, three sacks, an interception, two forced fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries.

SACK ATTACK – Despite only getting two QB sacks in the first five weeks of the season, Nashville has exploded for 11 in the last five games and they are currently tied for third in the AFL with 13 sacks overall. The Kats are averaging more sacks per play than any other team in the league. Four players (James Baron, Levelle Brown, Henry Taylor and Rupert Grant) rank among the league's top 15 in sacks with three a piece. Nashville is the only team to have more than two players among the top 15.

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 also picked up the first in both of his third down rushing attempts.

DOGGHEAD DANCES TO RECORDS - FB/LB Rupert "Dogghead" Grant has made a triumphant return to Nashville after being acquired in a trade from Orlando last month. He became the team's all-time leading rusher last week, surpassing Jason Bratton's old record of 328. Grant now has 337 rushing yards with the Kats. He also tied the team's all-time mark for most rushing TD's with 18. Grant has been a factor on both sides of the ball for the Kats since joining the team, scoring on a one-yard run against Arizona, earning Defensive MVP honors against Grand Rapids after notching a sack and helping make a key fourth-down stop in the win, and scoring a TD and making 4.5 tackles at Dallas. He is in his seventh season in the AFL and returns to Nashville, where he accumulated 318 rushing in his previous 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 20 tackles with three quarterback sacks in seven games for the Predators and three for the Kats. The veteran from Howard University also has five 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 quarterback Leon Murray ranks 19th in the AFL in passer rating, and the Kats do not have a player among the league's top 20 in receptions, receiving yards or kickoff returns. Nashville has only gotten two 100-yard receiving games out of its players all season. Darryl Hammond and Travis McGriff are the team's only players to have 100-yard receiving performances this year. The Kats still have not had a QB throw for more than 300 yards in a game so far this season.

HAMMOND KEEPS ON GOING – Kats WR/LB Darryl Hammond, who is in his 15th year in the AFL (the longest tenure in Arena Football League history), never seems to slow down. He once again had an outstanding game last week, leading the team with seven receptions for 56 yards, a TD and a two-point conversion. His TD reception in the fourth quarter started the Kats' comeback after falling behind by 11 points. He became just the second player in league history to have 8,000 receiving yards and 30 interceptions in a career a few weeks ago. San Jose WR/LB Barry Wagner is the only other player to have accomplished the feat. Hammond now has 8,220 receiving yards and 30 INT's. Earlier this season, he became the third player in AFL history to surpass 600 stops (Wagner and Grand Rapids' Damon Mason are the other two). He is fifth in AFL history with 766 career receptions and ranks ninth on the league's all-time receiving-yards gained in a career with 8,220 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 617.5. 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 41 receptions for 393 yards, five TD's and 23 tackles in eight games played this season.

BUMPS & BRUISES –WR/DB Jarrick Hillery is questionable with a hamstring injury. He is eligible to come off of injured reserve this week, and is expected to practice. Quarterback Leon Murray is probable with various injuries. DS Tony Scott is out with a quadriceps injury, while OL/DL Wes Stephens and WR/DB Jermaine Lewis are both eligible to come off of IR this week and will be evaluated in the next few days. Stephens has been out with a shoulder injury, while Lewis has been battling tonsillitis. DS Reggie Stephens, who suffered a neck injury in last week's game, is probable.

NEW SUPERHERO – Since joining the team just a few weeks ago, offensive specialist Travis McGriff has been the main target for Kats quarterbacks. In fact, Sperduto has said that he is Robin to Murray's Batman on this team. Since taking the field for the Kats for the first time four games ago, McGriff has shown his superhero qualities, leading all Nashville receivers with 19 receptions for 330 yards and four scores. He also has returned 13 kickoffs for 215 yards, averaging 16.5 yards per return. McGriff, who started the first four games of the year with Orlando, had a huge game two weeks ago in the win at Grand Rapids, hauling in four passes – three of which went for scores – for 138 yards. It was the biggest receiving game for a Kats player this season. McGriff was named 2003 AFL Rookie of the Year.

THE ELUSIVE FIVE-O – After having been held in the 30s in five of their first eight games this season – the most in franchise history – the Kats have passed the 40-point mark in each of the last two games. Still, they have been unable to hit the 50-point mark at all this season, and they rank last in the AFL in scoring offense, averaging a mere 39.9 points per game. Nashville has scored in the 30s or lower 16 times in franchise history, winning only three of those games. They are 45-18-1, all time, when scoring 40 or more points.

POUNDING THE ROCK – Nashville's ground game showed last week why it was one of the best in the AFL earlier in the year. The Kats ran the ball 13 times for 51 yards and three TD's at Dallas. It was the team's most rushing attempts since a Feb. 19 game at New York, and their second-highest output of the season. The performance came after the Kats' ground game had been slowed in recent weeks. After running for a whopping 82 yards on 22 carries in the team's opening week win over Columbus, Nashville had averaged 46 yards per game on the ground through the season's first four weeks. Since that time, however, the Kats ran the ball much less. In fact, after carrying the ball 10 or more times in each of the first four games, the Kats ran more than 10 times in only one of the next five games leading up to last week. After last week's rebirth, Nashville's ground game is ranked fourth in the league with an average of 31.5 yards rushing per game. FB/LB Dan Alexander is still ranked eighth in the league in rushing with 105 yards, despite missing the last three games. Leon Murray, Rupert Grant and Levelle Brown are also listed among the AFL's top 30 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 19 first downs allowed per game. Overall, Nashville's defense ranks sixth in the AFL in total defense, allowing only 269.3 yards per game. However, the Kats have been giving up the yards when it matters most. On third down, Nashville ranks 14th out of 17 AFL teams in the league in opponents' third-down conversions, giving up a first down 50 percent of the time. However, the Kats have kept opponents out of the end zone on all but five of their last 24 possessions.

A NEW ROLE – Kats receiver Fred Coleman, who started at offensive specialist for the Kats in the first six games, has made the switch to a two-way player with the addition of OS Travis McGriff. He caught five passes for 53 yards in the game at Dallas. Since moving to the two-way spot two games ago, Coleman has caught 12 balls for 128 yards and a TD, and he has 1.5 tackles on defense. 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 56 catches for 588 yards and six scores by air. 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.

BIG PLAY DROUGHT – The Kats have only had nine offensive plays go for more than 30 yards all season. The Kats got three plays of 30+ yards in the win at Grand Rapids two weeks ago (all passes from Murray to McGriff), including a season-long 47-yard strike, and one long play from Murray to Toliver in the Dallas game last week. Currently, the Kats still rank last in the AFL in yards per play, averaging only 5.2 yards per offensive play. They also rank last in yards per pass play, averaging only 6.2 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 – OL/DL James Baron is widely known as one of the AFL's all-time greatest lineman, and he is showing why in his return to the Kats this season. 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, Baron has returned, registering eight tackles, four stops for loss, three sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a safety in his eight games this season. Baron 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 39.5 career sacks — the fifth-highest total in league history. His 24.5 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, having converted 11-of-20 fourth down plays (55 percent). Only three teams have gone for it on fourth down more often than the Kats this season.

KICKING AND SCREAMING – The Kats continue to endure problems in their kicking game. After replacing Gary Kral, who was only 3-for-17 on field goal tries in 2005, with rookie kicker Matt Hutto, things got no better in last week's game. Hutto, a two-time NAIA All-American from Cumberland, missed three field goal attempts, including a potential game-winner from 31 yards in overtime. He also missed two extra points. Kats kickers are a combined 3-for-20 (15%) on field goal attempts this season, ranking them last in the league in that category.

IN THE RED ZONE – The Kats have been good in the red zone, scoring touchdowns on 31 of 41 trips (75.6 percent) inside the 10-yard line this season, ranking them sixth in the AFL in that category. Defensively, Nashville ranks second in keeping opponents out of the end zone, allowing TD's on 31 of 50 trips inside the red zone this season.

SCOUTING LOS ANGELES
Los Angeles travels to Nashville with heavy hearts after the loss of teammate Al Lucas during last week's win over the New York Dragons. Despite the pain of the loss, look for the Avengers to come out inspired to get back on the football field. This is the second straight week that the Kats have faced a division leader. The Avengers lead the Western Division with a 6-4 record. Quarterback John Kaleo leads an extremely efficient offense that features OS Tony Locke and WR's Kevin Ingram and Greg Hopkins. The Avengers lead the AFL in turnover margin with a +14 after earning three takeways last week while committing no turnovers of their own.

QB JOHN KALEO – During the 2005 season, Kaleo has consistently led the Avengers to success including two games with seven TD's and four games with five TD completions. Kaleo ranks seventh in the league in total offense, averaging nearly 259 yards per game during 2005. The well-traveled QB ranks among the all-time greats in league history in passing yards, touchdowns, passing attempts, completions and rushing TD's. Kaleo led the Tampa Bay Storm to an Arena Bowl victory during the 2003 season.

WR/LB GREG HOPKINS – Hopkins is the consummate two-way player. The four-time All-Arena player ranks tied for fourth with interceptions during 2005 with five. In his nine-year career, Hopkins has 25 interceptions and 10 returned for scores which ranks among all-time league leaders. In addition to his defense, Hopkins ranks among the all-time league leaders in receptions, receiving yards, receiving TD's and scoring. During 2005, Hopkins ranks second on the team in receptions with 51, while catching six touchdowns and amassing 522 yards.

OS TONY LOCKE – Locke is in his first full year in the AFL. As a rookie last year, Locke spent the first couple games with the Columbus Destroyers before heading to af2 and ranking second in the league in all-purpose yards. During the first three games of 2005, the former Ohio State Buckeye spent time on the Avengers practice squad. Since that time, Locke has translated his success to the AFL and has scored 13 TD's in seven games with 45 catches for 587 yards. Against the New York Dragons last week, Locke caught three touchdowns along with eight catches and 109 yards.

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