Nashville Kats game notes

Published on May 16, 2005 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Nashville Kats News Release


THE QUICK FACTS:
Game: Chicago Rush (8-7) at Nashville Kats (6-8-1)
Date: Sun., May 22
Kickoff: 2:00 p.m. (CT)
Site: Gaylord Entertainment Center (15,711)
Officials: R-Bill Athan, U-Paul King, HL-Tim Podraza, LJ-Tom Symonette, BJ-Greg Wilson
Television: NBC
Radio: Kats Radio Network. Flagship – 104.5 The Zone. Mike Keith (Play-by-Play), Larry Stone (Analyst).
Internet: Live stats available at www.arenafootball.com.
Series Record: Chicago leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Chicago 45, Nashville 38 (3/6/05)
Series Streaks: The Rush won the only previous meeting.
Last Week: Grand Rapids 51, Chicago 40
Colorado 52, Nashville 49
Coaches: Mike Hohensee (12th season; 87-76 overall)
Pat Sperduto, NAS (4th season; 39-26-1 overall)

OVERVIEW: With their playoff hopes dashed due to last week's last-second loss at Colorado, the Nashville Kats look to play spoiler this week and finish the season on a winning note. The Chicago Rush, at 8-7, are in the hunt for a playoff spot and may need a win against the Kats to get into the postseason. The Rush have struggled as of late, dropping three of their last four games, after having taken the Central Division lead just a few weeks ago. Both teams hope to put the sting of last week's disappointing losses behind them. A win by the Kats in the season finale would put an exclamation point on one of the biggest midseason turnarounds in league history, having rallied from a 1-7 start to finish 7-8-1. In order to win, the Kats' pass rush must be able to contain Chicago quarterback Raymond Philyaw, who can win a game as easily with his legs as with his arm. Philyaw had been outstanding until last week's loss to Grand Rapids.

THE SCHEDULES:
2005 Chicago Rush (8-7)
Game Opponent Result Time/Score
Jan. 30 @ Dallas Lost 65-66
Feb. 6 PHILADELPHIA Won 51-41
Feb. 13 @ Colorado Won 51-48
Feb. 19 @ Columbus Lost 39-52
Feb. 25 ORLANDO Lost 38-45
Mar. 6 NASHVILLE Won 45-38
Mar. 13 @ Grand Rapids Won 48-45
Mar. 20 NEW ORLEANS Lost 40-46 (OT)
Apr. 2 @ New York Won 44-43
Apr. 10 SAN JOSE Won 55-39
Apr. 17 COLORADO Won 75-51
Apr. 23 @ Los Angeles Lost 49-52
May 1 LAS VEGAS Won 63-62
May 7 @ Arizona Lost 43-61
May 15 GRAND RAPIDS Lost 40-51
May 22 @ Nashville 2:00 p.m.

2005 Nashville Kats (6-8-1)
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 Won 51-48
Apr. 24 TAMPA BAY Won 37-21
Apr. 29 @ San Jose Won 57-55
May 7 GRAND RAPIDS Won 54-33
May 13 @ Colorado Lost 49-52
May 22 CHICAGO 2:00 p.m.

THE SERIES: Chicago leads the series, 1-0, after taking the only previous meeting between the teams on March 6. The Rush won, 45-38, at home in a game played by each team's backup quarterback. Chicago entered the AFL in 2001, the last season for the original Kats franchise, but the teams did not meet that season.

Date Result
3/6/05 Chicago 45, Kats 38 (@ Chicago)

SERIES NOTABLES: The Kats have three former Rush players on their 2005 roster – OL/DL James Baron, FB/LB Levelle Brown and WR/LB Lindsay Fleshman... The Rush boasts a pair of players with Middle Tennessee connections – OL/DL D.J. Bleisath from Tennessee Tech and receiver C.J. Johnson from TSU... Chicago is co-owned by former Bears head coach and NFL Hall of Famer Mike Ditka.

LAST MEETING:
Chicago 45, Nashville 38 (@ Chicago – Mar. 6)
A furious late rally was not enough for the Nashville Kats, who cut a 21-point fourth quarter lead to a final seven-point deficit in a 45-38 loss on Sunday against the Chicago Rush. The Kats (1-5) were victimized by Rush QB Todd Hammel, who threw for five TD's on the afternoon. Hammel was 20-of-31 for 223 yards, two INT's and the five TD's, as the 14-year vet filled in for the injured Raymond Philyaw. Five different Rush players found the end zone on the day. Nashville's offense, which has been sluggish all season, never got untracked until it was too late. Tony Zimmerman, who was filling in at quarterback for an injured Leon Murray for the second straight week, completed 25 of 48 throws for 227 yards, four TD's and two picks, but the overwhelming majority of Zimmerman's stats and the Kats' 243 total yards were accumulated late in the fourth period, as Nashville tried to rally from a big deficit. The Kats had only 126 total yards with 10 minutes to go in the game. Darryl Hammond caught three TD passes for the Kats in the game.

LAST WEEK:
Grand Rapids 51, Chicago 40 (@ Chicago – May 15)
Chicago squandered a chance to wrap up a playoff spot by losing ,51-40, at home to Grand Rapids last week.The Rush struggled for three quarters before rallying in the fourth quarter and making it a much closer game. Chicago simply could not get going until the fourth quarter. Going into that period, the Rush trailed 38-12 and was seemingly out of the ball game. Despite the deficit, the Rush rallied late. Philyaw threw a four-yard TD pass to C.J. Johnson on the first play of the final period and, after a successful onside kick, threw a 39-yarder to Johnson to cut the lead to 12. The Rampage was up to the challenge, however, and put the game away by recovering a fumbled kickoff return for a score. Philyaw was only 23-of-45, and four of his five TD's came in the fourth period.

Colorado 52, Nashville 49 (@ Colorado – May 13)
Clay Rush hit a 30-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Colorado Crush to a 52-49 win over the Nashville Kats in a hard-fought game that ended the Kats' six-game unbeaten streak and any hope the team had of making the playoffs. Nashville rallied from an eight-point deficit to tie the game at 49 all with just 16 seconds remaining on a two-yard TD run and a scoring run on the subsequent two-point conversion by T.T. Toliver. But the Kats' quest to send the game to overtime evaporated when Crush quarterback John Dutton connected on two passes for 25 yards to set up Rush's winning kick. The Kats failed to stop the Crush from scoring on only one possession, but QB Leon Murray kept the team in it by tossing two TD's and no INT's.

THE COACHES:
Nashville – Pat Sperduto, 4th season
39-26-1 (.598) 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.

Chicago – Mike Hohensee, 11th Season
87-76 (.534) overall
One of the most enduring figures in AFL history, Hohensee is in his 19th season of arena football and 12th as a head coach. He is the only coach in Rush franchise history, having led the team to a 37-28 record and playoff appearances in each of the team's first four seasons of play. He was previously a head coach for franchises in Washington, Albany and New England. Hohensee started his AFL career as a player for the Pittsburgh Gladiators in the league's first season (1987), throwing for more than 2,000 yards as the team's QB for two seasons.

2005 TEAM STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Category Rush Kats
Scoring Offense (Rank) 49.5 (13th) 43.1 (17th)
Scoring Defense 49.5 (8th) 44.7 (1st)
Total Offense 297.8 (4th) 261.1 (17th)
Total Defense 290.7 (11th) 272.1 (5th)
Pass Offense 276.3 (5th) 227.9 (17th)
Pass Defense 268.2 (12th) 253.1 (5th)
Rushing Offense 21.5 (7th) 33.2 (3rd)
Rushing Defense 22.5 (11th) 19.0 (8th)
Interceptions 10 (15th) 19 (3rd)
Turnover Margin -6 (t-14th) +9 (2nd)
Kickoff Return Avg. 16.7 (13th) 17.5 (10th)
Kickoffs–Opp.Avg. Start 12.9 (9th) 13.4 (8th)
Sacks By 12 (12th) 23 (1st)
Sacks Against 7 (t-4th) 16 (t-10th)

NOTES:
END OF THE STREAK – The Kats' six-game unbeaten streak ended last week with the team's 52-49 loss at Colorado. It had been the longest such streak in the league and was the longest in franchise history. After going 1-7 to start the season, including a seven-game losing skid, Nashville posted one of the most dramatic turnarounds in AFL history. The team followed its 40-27 win over Grand Rapids on April 3 with a rare 41-41 tie at Dallas. They won again in a 51-48 victory over Los Angeles on April 17, then got a big 37-21 victory over Tampa Bay the next week. The Kats followed that with their biggest win of the year, a 57-55 victory over defending champ San Jose on Apr. 29, and a convincing 54-33 defeat of Grand Rapids two weeks ago. The earlier seven-game skid was the longest in franchise history, and spanned 64 days.

A BITTER PILL – Going into last week, the Kats knew that, in order to keep their playoff hopes alive, they must win their remaining two games and get some help. Two of either Chicago, San Jose or Las Vegas had to lose their remaining two games. As if the loss at Colorado was not bad enough, all three teams which the Kats needed to lose were defeated. If Nashville had won last week, they simply would have needed to win this week against Chicago and have either San Jose or Las Vegas lose to qualify for the postseason.

HISTORIC TURNAROUND – Despite last week's loss, the Kats' unbelievable run in the second half of the season has them on pace to make AFL history. If Nashville wins its final game against Chicago this Sunday, the club's turnaround from 1-7 at the season's midpoint to a potential final record of 7-8-1 would make it the biggest midseason turnaround in league history. The Kats' winning percentage after week eight was .125, and their final winning percentage (should they win) would be .469. The .344 percentage-point reversal would be higher than the largest previous turnaround of .313 held by the 2004 Arizona Rattlers. The '04 Rattlers started the season 3-5 and won their last eight games to finish 11-5.

HOME SWEET HOME – After starting the year by dropping their first four games at home, the Kats have won their last three at the Gaylord Entertainment Center, beating Los Angeles, 51-48; Tampa Bay, 37-21; and Grand Rapids 54-33. If Nashville can win its home finale this week against Chicago, they will finish with a .500 record at home in 2005.

THE FINALE – Pat Sperduto-coached teams are 2-1 in regular season finales, winning in 1999 and 2001, and the Kats as a whole are 3-2, all-time, in the final game of the year.

U-TURN – The Kats were written off entirely by most after starting the season at 1-7, but the team posted one of the biggest turnarounds in league history in the second half of the year. Here is the Kats' record since some key points in the season:

The Bye Week.............................................5-2-1
Midpoint of Season......................................5-1-1
Acquiring Rupert Grant.................................5-2-1
Firing Tres Sullivan......................................5-2-1
Acquiring T.T. Toliver...................................4-1-1
Return of Leon Murray from injury.................5-2-1

SACK ATTACK – Nashville leads the league in sacks, but was held without one for the first time since week seven at Colorado last week. Despite only getting two QB sacks in the first five weeks of the season, Nashville has exploded for 21 in the last 10 games and they lead the AFL with 23 sacks overall. The Kats are also averaging more sacks per play than any other team in the league. Six players (Henry Taylor, James Baron, Levelle Brown, Joe Minucci, Aaron McConnell and Rupert Grant) rank among the league's top 25 in sacks. Minucci, a rookie, leads the team with 5.0, and Taylor is next with 4.5. McConnell, who is also a rookie, is third with 3.5, while the other three each have three. Nashville is the only team to have more than two players among the top 25.

POINTS TAKEN – Despite allowing 52 points in a loss at Colorado last week, the Kats' defense leads the league in points allowed, giving up an average of just 44.67 points per game. From halftime of the first Grand Rapids game that started their unbeaten streak on Apr. 3 through the second win over the Rampage two weeks ago, the Kats have gave up only 25 touchdowns on their opponents' 66 offensive possessions. During the unbeaten streak, the Kats gave up TD's on only 37.9% of opponents' possessions, far below the league average of 60%. The 33 points given up to Grand Rapids two weeks ago marked the eighth time this season the Kats have held an opponent to 45 points or less (the most in the AFL). Earlier in the year, Nashville had a span of 55:20 in which they did not allow a single point, spanning from halftime of the first Grand Rapids game until late in the first half of the Dallas game. The 21 points Nashville gave up to Tampa Bay three weeks ago tied the team record for fewest allowed in a game.

RALLY KATS – Nashville has rallied from a second-half deficit in five of the seven games they have won or tied this season. In fact, the win over Grand Rapids two weeks ago marked just the second time all season the Kats have not trailed at all in the second half. After finding it difficult to rally after falling behind during their seven-game losing streak, Nashville has done so on a regular basis since breaking the skid. The Kats rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit to beat Grand Rapids, 40-27, on April 3. They were down 11 in the fourth quarter at Dallas and came back to take the lead before eventually ending the contest in a tie. On Apr. 17, they were down, 48-43, to L.A. before scoring the winning TD with nine seconds to play. Three weeks ago, Nashville trailed San Jose until late in the third quarter. Even last week, in the loss to the Crush, the Kats rallied from an eight-point deficit to tie the game with just :16 seconds to play, before eventually losing.

CLUTCH PERFORMERS – Since breaking the seven-game losing skid on April 3, the Kats have outscored their opponents 181-118 in the second half. The strong play in the final 30 minutes of those games has been a big reason for the team's turnaround after fizzling during the last two quarters during their earlier seven-game losing streak. In fact, Nashville was forced to play comeback nearly the entire time during their skid. Only three times in the seven-game slide 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 on April 3, the Kats had not held 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.

MURRAY ON FIRE – After struggling or missing time due to injury for much of the season, Nashville Kats quarterback Leon Murray has been impressive since returning to the lineup. In the last five games, Murray has completed 92-of-140 passes for 1,088 yards, 22 touchdowns and no interceptions. Since breaking the losing streak seven weeks ago, he is 131-of-210 for 1,857 yards, 30 TD's and four INT's. Murray missed all or part of four games earlier this season with a knee injury that forced him to undergo arthroscopic surgery, and he has also battled sternum and shoulder injuries as well. For the year, Murray has completed 60.4 percent of his throws for 2,652 yards, 45 touchdowns and 10 INT's. He has thrown for 138 touchdowns and 8,036 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 six weeks ago. Scott Rislov, a rookie from San Jose State, is now serving as the backup. Bill Whittemore, another rookie who played collegiately at Kansas, was moved back to the practice squad two weeks ago.

KAT BURGLARS – The Kats are second in the AFL in turnover ratio with a +9 mark. Kahlil Carter is tied for second in the league with seven interceptions overall, and Jarrick Hillery has three on the season. Five other players – DeRon Jenkins (four), Darryl Hammond, Levelle Brown, Lindsay Fleshman and the now-departed Angel Estrada have also recorded interceptions this season. Offensively, the Kats have only turned the ball over 19 times – tied for the second-lowest number of any team in the league.

NIFTY TO BE 50 – After failing to reach the 50-point mark all season, the Kats have reached that mark in three of their last five games, and they nearly did it again last week in a 52-49 loss at Colorado. Nashville beat L.A., 51-48, on Apr. 17, defeated San Jose, 57-55, three weeks ago, and then beat Grand Rapids, 54-33, two weeks ago. The Kats, who rank last in the league with an average of only 43.1 points per game, had not scored more than 48 points in a game all year before the L.A. win five weeks ago. They have now crossed that point in four of the last five games. After having been held in the 30s in five of their first eight contests this season – the most in franchise history – the Kats have passed the 40-point mark in six of the last seven games. Nashville has scored in the 30s or lower 17 times in franchise history, winning only four of those games. They are 48-19-1, all time, when scoring 40 or more points, and 32-9 when putting up more than 50.

T.T. MEANS TWO TOUCHDOWNS – 2004 All-Ironman selection T.T. Toliver, who was acquired by the Kats last month in a trade with Tampa Bay, has been an excellent addition since coming to the Kats. In fact, he was named Offensive MVP in each of his first three games he played with the team, and he has scored two touchdowns in five of the six contests he has played in since the trade. Toliver, a WR/DB, has 28 receptions for 437 yards and nine TD's since coming to Nashville. He also has 14 rushes for 54 yards and two TD's, and he has run in a pair of key two-point conversions as well. Toliver caught six passes for 78 yards and a TD last week against Colorado, and led all rushers with four carries for 14 yards and a score. He also ran in a two-point conversion that tied the game late in the fourth period. In his fourth season in the AFL, Toliver 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.

MR. SHUT DOWN – Kats DS Kahlil Carter, a third-year player from Southern Arkansas, continues to have perhaps the best second half of the season of any defender in the league. He has posted a team-high 45 tackles, five interceptions and 11 passes defended in the last seven games, and he is tied for second in the league with seven interceptions overall. He almost added another last week, but it was called back due to a penalty. He also forced a fumble and recovered one to help preserve a tie at Dallas. He was named Defensive MVP in consecutive upset wins over Tampa Bay (10 tackles, 5 pass breakups) and San Jose (8 tackles, 2 interceptions). He is part of a defense that has only allowed 25 TD's in the last 66 possessions by opponents (37.9%), dating back to the April 3 win over Grand Rapids.

DOGGHEAD HOPES FOR RETURN - FB/LB Rupert "Dogghead" Grant may return from an ankle injury that has kept him out of the last three games. The sixth-year vet has made a triumphant return to Nashville after being acquired in a trade from Orlando in March, and the team is 5-2-1 since his acquisition. He became the team's all-time leading rusher last month, surpassing Jason Bratton's old record of 328. Grant now has 347 rushing yards with the Kats. He also broke the team's all-time mark for most rushing TD's with 19 after scoring the winning TD against L.A. on a one-yard run with nine seconds left. 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 and earning Defensive MVP honors against Grand Rapids after notching a sack and helping make a key fourth-down stop in the win. He scored a TD and made 4.5 tackles at Dallas on April 8 and scored the winning points in the win over L.A. This season, Grant has 21 tackles with three quarterback sacks in seven games for the Predators and five for the Kats. The veteran from Howard University also has six 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 – Despite putting up more than 50 points in three of the last five weeks, the Kats' offense simply can't be found on the league leaders list. Nashville ranks dead last in the league in points per game and total yards per game. They also rank last in yards per play and passing yards per game. Quarterback Leon Murray ranks 20th 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 four 100-yard receiving games out of its players all season. Darryl Hammond has done it twice, while the now-departed Travis McGriff and T.T. Toliver have each gone over the century mark once 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 ROLLING – Kats WR/LB Darryl Hammond, who is in his 15th year in the AFL (the longest tenure in Arena Football League history), continues to defy Father Time, as he is in the midst of an outstanding 2005 season. He led all receivers with 12 catches for 118 yards in last week's loss at Colorado. Hammond has 65 receptions for 629 yards, eight TD's and 40 tackles in 13 games played this season. Earlier this year, 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 8,456 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 779 career receptions and ranks ninth on the league's all-time receiving-yards gained in a career with 8,456 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 629. The veteran was featured in last week's issue of Sports Illustrated.

BUMPS & BRUISES –DS Tony Scott OL/DL (quadriceps), Wes Stephens (shoulder) and Tim Morabito (concussion) are eligible to come off of injured reserve and are all questionable for this week, as is FB/LB Rupert Grant (ankle).

POUNDING THE ROCK – Nashville is once again starting to rely on its ground game to churn out key yards. Last week marked the sixth consecutive game in which the Kats have run the ball 10 or more times, as they carried 14 times for 37 yards. The renewed focus on the ground attack has come after the Kats' ground game was slowed during the team's seven-game losing streak. 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. After that, 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 contests leading up to the game at Dallas on April 8 when they broke loose for 51 yards. Nashville's ground game is ranked third in the league with an average of 33.2 yards rushing per game, and their 33 rushing TD's is second in the AFL. Dan Alexander, Leon Murray and Levelle Brown are all listed among the AFL's top 21 rushers.

RETURN OF THE IRONMAN - WR/DB Jarrick Hillery is one of the Arena Football League's top Ironmen, and never was that more apparent than two weeks ago, when he was named AFL Ironman of the Week after scoring four TD's (two rushing and two receiving) and picking off two passes against Grand Rapids. He also had an 18-yard kickoff return and a 36-yard missed field goal return in the game. Last week, he had another excellent all-around effort, throwing for a TD, running for one and catching another. He also had six tackles in the game. He was named Ironman of the Game five weeks ago against L.A. after taking back two kickoffs for TD's and racking up four kick returns for 169 yards in his first game back from a hamstring injury. He also had a 13-yard reception and two tackles in the game. Hillery scored on an eight-yard TD run in the win over Tampa three weeks ago, and he ran the ball twice for 15 yards, caught three passes for 23 yards and a TD and had two kick returns for 51 yards against San Jose three weeks ago. He has excelled in all facets of the game in his first five years in the league, and he has shown his versatility in the eight games he has played this year, catching 34 passes for 331 yards and nine TD's, while also carrying the ball 14 times for 59 yards and two TD's on offense. Defensively, he has intercepted three passes, broken up another and has 26 stops. He also has had 14 kickoff returns for 350 yards (a 25-yard average) on the year. The former Tennessee State star was selected to the All-Ironman team in 2001 and was an All-Rookie selection in 2000, while with the old Kats.

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 linemen, 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 10 tackles, four stops for loss, three sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a safety in his 13 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 lead the league in fourth-down conversions, having converted 15-of-25 fourth down plays (60 percent).

KICKING AND SCREAMING – The Kats' kicking game has been a roller coaster this season. Gary Kral started the season, and was only 3-for-17 on field goal tries in 2005. Rookie kicker Matt Hutto came on board for one week and missed three field goal attempts, including a potential game-winner from 31 yards in overtime. He also missed two extra points. Last month, the Kats added former Austin kicker Tony Dodson, who has made 23-of-31 PAT's while going 5-for-10 on field goals, including a team-record 56-yarder against L.A. Dodson connected on five of six PAT's. Kats kickers are a combined 8-for-30 (26.7%) on field goal attempts this season, ranking them next-to-last in the league in that category.

IN THE RED ZONE – The Kats have been good in the red zone, scoring touchdowns on 44 of 59 trips (74.6 percent) inside the 10-yard line this season, ranking them seventh in the AFL in that category. Defensively, Nashville ranks fourth in keeping opponents out of the end zone once they get inside the 10, allowing TD's on only 47 of 69 trips inside the red zone this season.

SCOUTING CHICAGO
The Chicago Rush are limping to the finish line, yet still have the opportunity to finish strong by making the playoffs. The Rush are a playoff lock if they win on Sunday on NBC. If the Kats are able to beat the Rush, Chicago can still make the playoffs if the San Jose SaberCats or Las Vegas Gladiators lose in their regular season finale. Winning is essential for the Rush considering they have lost three of four after taking over the division lead before their recent slide. The Rush started the season 7-4, but stand 8-7 heading into Sunday's contest.

QB RAYMOND PHILYAW – After missing last season with an MCL knee injury, Philyaw is back and making up for last year with giant numbers in 2005. During week two, Philyaw was named the AFLWA Player of the Week after he threw four touchdown passes and rushed for two other TDs in the Rush's 51-41 victory over the Philadelphia Soul. In that game, he completed 20 of 29 passes for 177 yards with no interceptions. One week later, Philyaw threw for 409 yards – a career-best – along with five touchdowns and two interceptions. The 409 yards that Philyaw put up versus the Colorado Crush is the most thrown by an AFL quarterback this season. Philyaw was named the AFL Offensive Player of the Week for the second time for his performance in Chicago's 55-39 win the San Jose SaberCats. On the season, Philyaw ranks second in the league in pass percentage completed with 68 percent of his passes completed.

WR/LB ETU MOLDEN – After defeating the Colorado Crush for first place in mid-April, Molden was named the AFL Offensive Player of the Game. Molden enjoyed one of the best games of his AFL career, catching eight passes for 152 yards and five touchdowns, while tying the team record for receiving touchdowns in a game set by Antonio Chatman in 2002. Molden has turned into one of the elite players in the AFL and is currently tied for 10th in the AFL with 174 points on the season. Molden is 15th in the league in receiving with 91 catches for 1094 yards and 24 touchdowns. Molden is also a force on defense with three interceptions and the ability to fly around and make plays. Etu was named Chicago's Rookie of the Year last season and was a finalist for AFL Rookie of the Year honors after joining the AFL from the University of Montana.

OL/DL JOHN MOYER – Moyer has taken over for former Rush and current Kats lineman James Baron by earning six sacks for the Rush during 2005. Moyer's six sacks in 2005 has him rated fifth in the league. Moyer is the Rush franchise leader in sacks for a career (19.0) and a season (9.0). Moyer earned first-team all-Arena and all-Ironman team honors in 2003 and was named to the second-team all-Arena squad after the 2002 season. Moyer also has one receiving TD during the 2004 season.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 16, 2005


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