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Nashville Kats game notes

May 10, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Nashville Kats News Release


THE QUICK FACTS:
Game: Nashville Kats (7-8) vs. Tampa Bay Storm (7-8)
Date: Saturday, May 13, 2006
Kickoff: 7 p.m. (CT)
Site: Gaylord Entertainment Center (15,871)
Officials: R- Perry Havener, U- Tom Laverty, HL- Rusty Baynes, LJ- David Meslow, BJ- Barry Anderson
Television: CSS (Tape Delay) Sunday 10:30 a.m. & Monday 6 p.m.
Radio: Kats Radio Network (LIVE). Flagship - 104.5 The Zone. Mike Keith (Play-by-Play), Larry Stone (Analyst).
Internet: www.arenafootball.com
Series Record: Nashville is 4-7 all-time vs. Tampa Bay
Last Meeting: NASHVILLE 37, Tampa Bay 21 (4/24/05)
Series Streaks: Nashville won previous two meetings.
Last Week: Nashville 56, Los Angeles 73
Tampa Bay 48, Columbus 51
Coaches: Pat Sperduto, NAS (5th season; 45-35-1).
Tim Marcum, TBS (18th season; 183-77).

OVERVIEW: A struggling Kats team (7-8), that has dropped four straight and five of their last six, returns home after back-to-back road games to take on the Tampa Bay Storm. Wrapping up what has been a disappointing second half of the season, Nashville's last four losses have been to teams that had a combined record of 15-35 before facing the Kats. Tampa Bay's fortune has been nearly identical lately; the two share the same record and the Storm has lost four of its last five. The difference is that Tampa Bay is missing the postseason for the first time in franchise history, while the Kats, who have secured their playoff spot, are fighting for a first-round home game. The deciding factor in this game should be the Kats ability to defend the pass. Nashville's defense has been porous, at best, as of late and has taken heavy losses due to injuries. They face a Storm offense that has the No. 1 ranked passing game in the league, averaging 299.0 yards per game.

THE SCHEDULES:

2006 Nashville Kats (7-8)
Game Opponent Result Time/Score
Jan. 28 @ New York Won 57-28
Feb. 3 COLUMBUS Won 53-27
Feb. 12 @Chicago Lost 56-55 (OT)
Feb. 18 COLORADO Won 58-36
Feb. 25 GRAND RAPIDS Won 47-31
Mar. 4 @ Arizona Lost 52-49
Mar. 10 @ Utah Lost 63-34
Mar. 17 CHICAGO Won 48-47
Mar. 25 SAN JOSE Won 51-48
Apr. 1 @ Colorado Lost 77-47
Apr. 8 @ Las Vegas Won 58-44
Apr. 14 PHILADELPHIA Lost 49-33
Apr. 21 KANSAS CITY Lost 58-52
Apr. 29 @ Grand Rapids Lost 61-54
May 6 @ Los Angeles Lost 73-56
May 13 TAMPA BAY 7:00 p.m.

2006 Tampa Bay Storm (7-8)
Game Opponent Result Time/Score
1/29 @ Philadelphia Lost 52-34
2/3 @ Grand Rapids Won 51-43
2/10 GEORGIA Won 61-60
2/19 ORLANDO Lost 67-64 (OT)
2/25 AUSTIN Won 58-48
3/5 @ Kansas City Won 69-59
3/12 DALLAS Loss 64-35
3/18 NEW YORK Won 60-44
3/26 @ Georgia Loss 61-51
4/1 UTAH Won 56-41
4/7 SAN JOSE Lost 52-43
4/15 @ Austin Lost 60-59
4/22 @ Orlando Lost 52-13
4/29 KANSAS CITY Won 58-42
5/6 @ Columbus Lost 51-48
5/13 @ Nashville 7:00 p.m.

CURRENT PLAYOFF STANDINGS:
American Conf. National Conf.
x-Colorado 10-5 *-Dallas 12-3
x-San Jose 9-6 x-Orlando 10-5
y-Arizona 8-7 y-New York 10-5
y-Nashville 7-8 y-Austin 9-6
Chicago 6-9 Georgia 8-7
Utah 6-9 Columbus 8-7
Las Vegas 5-10 Philadelphia 8-7
Grand Rapids 5-10 Tampa Bay 7-8
Los Angeles 4-11 Kansas City 3-12
y-Clinched playoff berth
x-Clinched Division
*-Clinched best record in conference

THE SERIES: The Nashville and Tampa Bay franchises have a storied history, facing each other 11 times since 1997 with the Storm winning seven times. The games have been decided by an average of 7.9 points.

Date Result
5/23/97 Tampa Bay 42, NASHVILLE 26
8/10/97 Tampa Bay 52, NASHVILLE 49 (playoff)
5/9/98 Nashville 54, TAMPA BAY 52
7/17/98 NASHVILLE 49, Tampa Bay 43
5/22/99 TAMPA BAY 41, Nashville 34
5/28/99 Tampa Bay 32, NASHVILLE 43
6/17/00 TAMPA BAY 40, Nashville 30
7/14/00 Tampa Bay 35, NASHVILLE 31
4/21/01 TAMPA BAY 45, Nashville 40
7/13/01 NASHVILLE 45, Tampa Bay 38
4/24/05 NASHVILLE 37, Tampa Bay 21

KATS INJURY REPORT
Player Injury Status
Chris Angel Knee Questionable
Reggie Stephens Knee Out
Eric Joyce Knee Out
Jarrick Hillery Hamstring Questionable
Darryl Hammond Knee Questionable
M. Montgomery Ribs Questionable
Anthony Herron Knee Out
Cory Fleming Abdomen Questionable

SERIES NOTABLES:
Quarterback Shane Stafford went against the Kats for the first time last year in a 37-21 loss. In what was a low output for both teams, Stafford had one of his worst performances in his career:

Stafford vs. Kats
Date Result Com-Att Yds Td Int
4/24/05 NAS 37,TBS 21 23-42 213 2 1
Totals 23-42 213 2 1

Storm wide-receiver Lawrence Samuels has been the favorite target for Stafford this year. Here's his numbers against the Kats last year:

Samuels vs. Kats
Date Result Rec Yds Td
4/24/05 NAS 37, TBS 21 5 41 1
Totals 5 41 1

The Kats' second-year quarterback Clint Stoerner will get his first chance against Tampa Bay this week. Out of his available receivers, only Cory Fleming and T.T. Toliver have had any experience against the Storm. Toliver, had his first game against his former club, after being acquired in a trade mid-way through last season. Here are Toliver's and Fleming's results in recent years against Tampa Bay:

Toliver vs. Storm
Date Result Rec Yds Td
4/24/05 NAS 37, TBS 21 2 26 1
Totals 2 26 1

Fleming vs. Storm
Date Result Rec Yds Td
2/9/03 ORL 54, TBS 51 6 91 4
3/16/03 TBS 52, ORL 32 7 115 1
2/8/04 TBS 52, ORL 41 13 151 3
5/2/04 TBS 63, ORL 58 12 131 3
4/9/05 TBS 54, ORL 42 8 69 2
Totals 46 557 13

LAST MEETING:
Nashville 37, Tampa Bay 21 (4/24/05, @ Nashville)
The Nashville Kats defense was the main ingredient in a 37-21 upset win over the Tampa Bay. Nashville held the Storm scoreless in three of four quarters, forced two turnovers and hounded Tampa QB Shane Stafford all day, sacking him twice. Nashville roared out to a 16-0 lead in the first quarter. Fred Coleman caught a 38-yard pass from quarterback Leon Murray on the first play of the game, setting up a one-yard TD run by T.T. Toliver. Coleman recovered a Stafford fumble a few plays later, then scored on a 17-yard TD pass from Murray to help the Kats to a lead they would never relinquish. The Storm made things interesting in the second quarter, scoring all three of their touchdowns and sneaking to within two points at the intermission. Tampa was unable to continue the momentum in the second half, however, as the stingy Nashville defense shut them out in the final 30 minutes of the game. Toliver was named offensive player of the game for the third straight week. His 19-yard TD reception gave the Kats a 30-21 lead in the third period. In the fourth quarter, the Kats got another TD pass from Murray - this time to Lindsay Fleshman - and snuffed out Tampa Bay's last gasp drive with an interception by Reggie Stephens. Murray finished the game 13-for-23 with three TD's and no interceptions, while Coleman led Nashville receivers with seven catches for 96 yards and a TD.

LAST WEEK:
Nashville 56, Los Angeles 73 (May 6, @ L.A.)
The Nashville Kats continue to limp down the stretch of the regular season, dropping their fourth consecutive game, in a 73-56 loss to the Los Angeles Avengers. L.A. scored 28 unanswered points to start the second half and built an insurmountable 32-point lead to stop a six-game losing streak. Nashville's defense, which was easily the league's best through the first half of the season, continued its recent struggles, allowing Los Angeles to score on its first six possessions and on 8 of its 11 total drives in the game. Avengers quarterback Sonny Cumbie completed 22 of 32 passes for 240 yards and five TD's, in what was his best outing of the season. Rob Turner was his favorite target, catching 10 passes for 96 yards and a TD. The Kats' offense looked to be up to the task throughout the first half rolling up 34 points in the second period, setting a franchise record for points in a single quarter. But the Avengers' second-half onslaught, plus two Nashville turnovers that were returned for touchdowns kept the Kats well out of range. Nashville QB Clint Stoerner finished 19-of-34 for 357 yards, one INT and seven TD's.

Tampa Bay 48, Columbus 51 (May 6, @ Columbus)
The Tampa Bay Storm never fully recovered from an early 14-point deficit to start the game and four costly turnovers against the Columbus Destroyers, as they lost, 51-48. Storm QB Shane Stafford finished the evening 38 of 63 (both career and franchise records) for 389 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. This is his seventh 300-plus yard passing performance and that too is a career high. Freddie Solomon led all receivers as he caught 14 passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns, giving him a two-week total of 25 receptions for 317 yards and five touchdowns. Very little went right as the Storm started the game with a 14-point deficit. They ended their scoring drought as Stafford found Lawrence Samuels for a 4-yard touchdown on fourth and goal. Earlier in the drive, Samuels caught his 700th reception in franchise history, a record he owns. Trailing by 11 late in the fourth quarter, Stafford found Lynarise Elpheage for a two-yard score and pulled to within three points after Stafford found Samuels in the back of the end zone for the two-point conversion. The Destroyers recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran the ball and clock for the victory.

THE COACHES:
Nashville - Pat Sperduto, 5th season
45-35-1 (.562) overall
Pat Sperduto is in his fifth season as head coach of the Nashville Kats. After struggling to a 1-7 start in 2005, the Kats first year back in Nashville after moving to Atlanta in 2001, Sperduto pushed the Kats to win five of their last eight games to finish 6-9-1. He was at the helm of the original Kats team from 1999-2001. Prior to last year, he 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.

Tampa Bay - Tim Marcum, 18th season
183-77 (.703) overall
Legendary AFL head coach Tim Marcum enters his 12TH season as head coach of the Tampa Bay Storm in 2006 and his 18th overall as an AFL head coach. A charter member of the Arena Football League Hall of Fame, Marcum's AFL coaching legacy is unmatched and his incredible on-field achievements continue to overwhelm. Marcum is the winningest head coach in Arena Football history. He enters the 2006 season having won seven ArenaBowl championships and has coached in ten of the league's 19 ArenaBowls. Marcum is the only coach in Arena Football history to lead three different teams to ArenaBowl championships (Denver, Detroit, and Tampa Bay), and is the AFL career-coaching leader in victories (183), winning percentage (.703), games coached (256), and postseason victories (25). A two-time recipient of the AFL Coach of the Year Award (1987 and 1998), Marcum has overseen the Tampa Bay Storm's development into the league's flagship franchise. He was the first coach in AFL history to win more than 100 games and has missed out in playing for the league championship only six times in his career. Incredibly, Marcum's AFL clubs have advanced to the postseason in every year he has coached, including 15 consecutive appearances with the Storm.

2006 TEAM STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Category Kats Storm
Points Per Game 50.1 (11th) 50.7 (9th)
Points Allowed 49.9 (8th) 53.1 (11th)
Total Offense 270.3 (15th) 310.6 (3rd)
Total Defense 266.4 (1st) 293.5 (14th)
Pass Offense 239.7 (16th) 299.0 (1st)
Pass Defense 245.0 (2nd) 272.6 (11th)
Rushing Offense 30.7 (3rd) 11.6 (16th)
Rushing Defense 20.2 (8th) 20.9 (10th)
Interceptions 13 (t-11th) 15 (8th)
Turnover Margin -1 (10th) -3 (13th)
Kickoff Return Avg. 16.5 (15th) 14.6 (18th)
Sacks By 23 (1st) 8 (t-10th)
Sacks Against 19 (9th) 15 (7th)

NOTES:

PLAYOFF BOUND - Nashville (7-8) has done enough to shore up a spot in the playoffs this season, now it is a matter of fighting to stay at home the first round. Currently, the Kats hold the fourth seed in the American Conference, which will host a first-round wildcard game. They hold a one game lead over both Chicago and Utah, who sit atop a 6-9 record. There are two scenarios in which the Kats would guarantee a home playoff game:

1. Nashville win
2. Chicago loss + Utah Loss

Arizona (8-7) leads Nashville by one game, and owns the tie-breaker over the Kats, so it is impossible to leapfrog the Rattlers to take the number three spot. Colorado (10-5) and San Jose (9-6) have already clinched the Central and Western Divisions, respectively.

KATS MAKE MOVES - In an attempt to slim the roster before the postseason, the Kats let four players go earlier this week. Among those released are rookies, DS Rober' Freeman and OL/DL Ronald Jones. Second-year WR/DB Jermaine Lewis and fourth-year QB Glen Gauntt were also let go.

BANGED UP - The Kats limp into their regular season finale, having lost key players to injuries the past several weeks. Three players will sit out this game with a chance of sitting another five. DS Monty Montgomery (ribs) sat out last week, but may return this week. Joining him is WR/DB Jarrick Hillery (hamstring) who missed the past two weeks but is expected to return for Saturday's game. Also listed as questionable is WR/DB Cory Fleming (abdomen). OL/DL Anthony Herron (knee), will miss at least one more week, after getting injured in Grand Rapids. WR/DB Reggie Stephens and Eric Joyce are both out for the season with knee injuries.

ALL 'O' AND NO 'D'- While the Kats defensive problems continue, their offensive game is hitting on all cylinders. In the last five games, they have been right at their seasonal average, scoring 50.6 points per game. Nashville has scored over 50 points in all but six contests this season and even in losing efforts, they are averaging 47.5 points per game. The difference between the strong start to the season and the weak finish has been the ability to stop the drive. Through the first five games, the Kats gave up an average of 35.6 points per game, and stopped their opponents 27 out of 57 possessions, or 47.4 percent of the time (1st in the league at that time). Through the last five games they allowed an average of 57.0 points, and have given up scores on 86 out of 112 possessions, or 70.4 percent of the time. Prior to last week's three-sack performance, the Kats had logged only one sack in the past five games, and they have only one interception in their past nine. Through week five, the Kats totaled 8 picks and 13 sacks. Despite the recent back-track, the Kats are still ranked first in allowed yards per game (265.2) and allowed yards per play (5.4).

HILLERY EXPECTED TO RETURN - WR/DB Jarrick Hillery is expected to return after missing the past two weeks with a hamstring injury. Hillery is the Kats' main return-man and will give a much needed boost to the special teams. In ten games Hillery has been in action this season, the Kats average 107.3 return yards per game, while only managing 85 yards in games where he had to sit. He is averaging 20.2 combined-kickoff/field goal return yards and is ranked 8th in the league in that category. Nashville is third in the AFL in starting position following kickoffs, starting at an average of their own 14.6 yard line.

HAMMOND'S FINALE - At this weekend's match-up against the Storm, the Kats will begin saying farewell to their ageless-wonder. WR/DB Darryl Hammond, who announced before the season this will be his final year in the AFL, is expected to suit up in his final regular season game after being on injured reserve since week 11. Hammond is in the twilight of his 16th year in the AFL (the longest tenure in Arena Football League history). He became the fourth player in league history to catch at least 800 passes at Utah in week seven. Hammond had a 44-yard fumble return in the win over Colorado in week four, continuing his string of game-changing defensive performances. His nine tackles at Chicago in week three led the team, and he also registered his first sack since 2002 in the game. He had a 49-yard interception return for a TD against Columbus in week two, marking the seventh pick in which he has run back for a TD in his career. Hammond continued to defy Father Time in 2005, earning a selection to the league's All-Ironman team. He had 66 receptions for 632 yards, eight TD's and 42.5 tackles in 14 games played last season. In 2005, he became just the second player in league history to have 8,000 receiving yards and 30 interceptions in a career. San Jose WR/LB Barry Wagner is the only other player to have accomplished the feat. Hammond now has 8,563 receiving yards and 30 INT's. He is one of only three players in AFL history to surpass 600 stops (Wagner and Grand Rapids' Damon Mason are the other two). He is fourth in AFL history with 801 career receptions and ranks eighth on the league's all-time receiving-yards gained in a career with 8,563 yards. Hammond has returned seven interceptions for touchdowns in his career, tied for third-most in the AFL, and he ranks third in the league for career tackles with 653.

JENKINS RETURNS - The Nashville Kats brought back a familiar face last week in veteran defensive specialist DeRon Jenkins in hopes that he can help boost a struggling and beat-up secondary. He led the Kats in total tackles against Los Angeles, bringing down 6.0 players in his first game in 2006. Jenkins (5-11, 192) is a two-year veteran who played in every game for the Kats in 2005. His presence is a welcomed one in a defensive backfield that has lost Reggie Stephens, Monty Montgomery, Eric Joyce and Jarrick Hillery due to injury in recent weeks. Stephens and Joyce (knee injuries) are both out for the season, while the Kats hope to get Montgomery and Hillery back in time for the playoffs. Jenkins led the team with 85 tackles, and he picked off four passes in 2005. He spent his rookie season with the Austin Wranglers in 2004, earning AFL All-Rookie honors. Jenkins, who played at the University of Tennesee, also played several years in the NFL.

GETTING HIS KICKS - One of the few bright spots in the Kats' recent doldrums is the turnaround of the kicking game. Kicker Jason Witczak, who was brought in to replace Tony Dodson after week six when he dipped below 80% on PAT attempts, is in one of the best kicking streaks in recent history for the Kats. Three weeks ago versus K.C., he connected on all six of his PAT attempts and nailed his only field goal of the game, a 26-yarder. In Grand Rapids, Witczak went 6-for-7 on PAT's and nailed two field goals, a 32-yarder and a career best, 40-yarder. Last week he missed his only field-goal attempt from 28 yards, but hit 4-for-5 PAT's. Witczak was a little rusty when he first came to Nashville in week seven and was moved to the practice squad in favor of Jason Ball after three weeks. Neither kicker gained a solid hold on the job, and Witczak left the team in week 12 before the Philadelphia game. In that contest, Ball pulled his hamstring and missed the entire second half, forcing WR/DB Jarrick Hillery to take over kickoff duties. Witczak was then recalled to take the starting spot in time for the April 22 game against the Brigade.

STOERNER BOUNCES BACK- QB Clint Stoerner seems to have found his rhythm since returning from an injury in week 11. It has been up and down for the second-year starter since his three-week absence, but he posted solid numbers in last week's loss to Los Angeles. He went 19-for-34 with a season-high seven touchdowns and only one interception. His 357 yards was also his highest since a 368 yard performance in Chicago in week four. Two weeks ago in Grand Rapids, with one interception, Stoerner completed 17-of-27 throws with four TD's. Rebounding from a poor outing at home against Philadelphia in week 12, he went 27-for-41 passing with no interceptions against Kansas City. He also managed five touchdowns, the fifth time he's reached that number or higher this year. For the year, he has completed 58.6 percent of his throws for 2,699 yards, 50 TD's and 12 interceptions. During his stint on IR, Stoerner was replaced by Leon Murray, who completed 57.5 percent of his passes for 824 yards, 15 TD's and 10 INT's.

T.T. MEANS TD - T.T. Toliver continues to show why he is one of the top touchdown machines in the league, scoring at an amazing pace through the 2006 season. After a mediocre performance against Kansas City in week 13, in which he did not register a touchdown in a game for the first time in a Kats jersey, T.T. Toliver got back to his old ways with a solid performance at Grand Rapids the next week, grabbing four passes with three going for scores. Last week, he hauled in five catches for 55 yards and one touchdown. Twenty-one of his last 47 catches have gone for touchdowns, and he is ranked ninth in the league with 32 total touchdowns on the year. He has scored on 35.5 percent of his receptions this year, placing him fourth in the league in that category. Toliver has scored 27 TD's on receptions, three on rushes and two on kick returns. He also threw a TD pass to Cory Fleming in a week nine win over San Jose. His 1225 receiving yards ranks him 16th in the league through week 15, and his 16.1 yards-per-catch average is the best of any receiver in the AFL with at least 60 receptions this season. He continues to show the "true meaning" of his initials by scoring two or more touchdowns in nearly every game he plays with the Kats. He has at least two TD's in 16 of the 23 contests he has played in with the Kats since being acquired in a midseason trade with Tampa Bay last season. Toliver, who was named to the league's All-Ironman squad as a WR/DB in 2004, had 55 receptions for 768 yards and 17 TD's with Tampa Bay and Nashville last season. He also had 14 rushes for 57 yards and three TD's, and he ran in a pair of key two-point conversions as well. 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 Buccaneers and St. Louis Rams. Toliver, who has played only offensively for the Kats this season, moved back to playing two-way football last week, where he has played his previous four seasons in the AFL. He was tied for second in total tackles versus Kansas City, pulling down 3.5 Brigade players.

Average Yards Per Catch (Min. 60 rec.)
Player Avg.
T.T. Toliver, NAS 16.1
Ben Nelson, SJS 15.0
Tony Locke, LAA 15.0
Siaha Burley, UTH 14.5

Pct. Of Rec. for TD (Min. 60 rec.)
Player Pct.
Randy Gatewood, ARI 40.7
Damian Harrell, COL 37.4
Bobby Sippio, CHI 37.9
T.T. Toliver, NAS 35.5
Terrill Shaw, DAL 33.3

T.T. TIES RECORD - With his 100-yard showcase two weeks ago against Grand Rapids, T.T. Toliver tied Cory Fleming for the Kats record for the most 100-yard receiving games in a single season. Toliver currently has six games where he has reached the century mark and is averaging 81.6 yards per game. Fleming had six 100-yard games in 1998 when he averaged 98.3 yards per game.

PICKED OFF - The Kats throwing accuracy has been off-kilter since the season's first few games. The Kats have tossed 22 interceptions this season which is the second most in the league, despite only logging one in the first four games of 2006. They are being picked off on 4.6 percent of their passes, which is the worst in the league. Since week four, Nashville has thrown 21 INT's - an average of 1.9 per game. Regular starter Clint Stoerner has thrown 12 in his ten outings this year, while Leon Murray has also been picked off 10 times in his four appearances this season.

RUNNING TO GLORY - The Kats have been quite effective running the ball in 2006, averaging the second-most yards per carry (3.3) of any team in the AFL. Overall, Nashville ranks third in the league in rushing, averaging 30.7 yards per game. They have also run for 29 touchdowns on the season. FB/LB Dan Alexander leads the team and is second in the AFL in rushing, despite playing in only nine of the team's 15 games this season. Alexander has run for 163 yards on 44 carries so far this season. In fact, the Kats average 32.9 rushing yards per game in contests in which Alexander plays, while they average 19.5 yards on the ground in games when he has not been on the field.

PUTTING ON THE PRESSURE - The Kats had one of the most fierce pass rushes in the league through the first nine games this season, but their heat on the quarterback has cooled as of late. Last week, they broke out of that funk against Los Angeles registered three sacks on quarterback Sonnie Cumbie. Prior to that, they went through a dry spell where they only had one sack in five games, opposed to the first nine weeks where they brought down the quarterback 19 times. Much due to that strong start, they are first in the league in total sacks with 23 on the season. Eight players have had sacks so far this season - Frank Carter (4.5), Joe Minucci (5.5), Anthony Herron (4), James Baron (3), Aaron McConnell (3), Darryl Hammond (1), Jermaine Lewis (1) and Ronald Jones (1). Carter's four in a game at New York was the most in team history and ties him for third in AFL history. He, Minucci and Herron make up three of the 22 AFL players who have recorded four or more sacks this year. Georgia is the only other team with three players on that list. Nashville nearly tied the AFL record for sacks in a game in its week one win at New York. The seven QB takedowns that the Kats registered against the Dragons were the most in team history and just one shy of the league record of eight. Last year, the Kats had six players who had at least three sacks on the year, while no other team had more than three players reach that mark. Of those six players, the Kats return four (James Baron, Rupert Grant, Aaron McConnell, Joe Minucci), plus they have added FB/LB Frank Carter, who tied for second in the league with nine sacks a year ago.

PROTECTING THE PASSER - One of the key factors in the outcome of games for the Kats so far this season has been the play of the offensive line. Nashville is 6-3 in games in which they give up no more than one sack, while they are 1-5 in contests in which they have allowed more than one QB takedown. The Kats have allowed a team record 18 sacks this year, and QB Clint Stoerner was brought down a team-record four times against Grand Rapids two weeks ago.

ROAD WOES - Nashville has traditionally been a solid road team, but 2006 has seen the Kats struggle away from home. Going into the season, the Kats were 27-15-1, all-time, as the visitors, but are only 2-6 this year. In their seven home games, Nashville has outscored its opponents 342-297, while being outscored 449-396 in their eight road contests.

A GOOD START - The Kats have found themselves with great field position to start most of their drives this season. Their main return-man Jarrick Hillery has been benched with a hamstring injury the past two weeks and hopes to return this week.

SECOND-AND-LONG - The Kats have been the best defensive team in the AFL to this point on first down, holding opponents to 5.2 yards per play on first down. The league average is 6.48 yards.

THIRD DOWN BLUES - Despite being the best in the league on first down, Nashville's defense has had its share of struggles on third down plays. The Kats rank 17th out of 18 teams in third down efficiency on defense, surrendering the first down 53.8 percent of the time.

THE 800 CLUB - In Cory Fleming and Darryl Hammond, Nashville features two of the top receivers in AFL history, and they have given the Kats a historic first. Cory Fleming became just the third player in league history to catch 800 passes in his career at New York in week one, and now sits at 818. With his four receptions at Utah in week seven, Darryl Hammond became the fourth player to reach that milestone with 801. The Kats are the first team ever to have two 800-catch receivers on the same roster.

OLD SCHOOL - This Kats team has a familiar look to it, as five players on this year's roster were also with the team in its previous version (1997-2001). OL/DL James Baron, WR/LB Cory Fleming, FB/LB Rupert Grant, WR/LB Darryl Hammond and WR/DB Jarrick Hillery all played with the old Kats, and all were on Nashville's back-to-back ArenaBowl squads in 2000 and 2001.

NOT YOUR AVERAGE JOE - OL/DL Joe Minucci is proving his outstanding rookie season was no fluke. The second-year player from Delaware was named to the AFL's All-Rookie squad in 2005 after leading the Kats with five sacks. So far this season, he leads the team with 5.5, and he is sixth among league leaders in that category. His four forced fumbles ties him for third in the AFL. He was recently named to the Arena Football Writers Association mid-season All-AFL team.

SUPER SOPHS - The Kats feature four of last year's AFL All-Rookie selections, easily the most of any other team. Nashville FB/LB Dan Alexander and linemen Aaron McConnell and Joe Minucci were honored for their outstanding rookie seasons in 2005, and the Kats got the All-Rookie quarterback (Clint Stoerner) in a trade with Dallas in the offseason.

TITANS CONNECTIONS - Seven of the 22 players on Nashville's active roster have spent time with the Tennessee Titans organization. FB/LB Dan Alexander and saw extensive playing time with the NFL club, while DS Rober' Freeman, WR/LB Jermaine Lewis, OL/DL Aaron McConnell, OL/DL Joe Minucci, K Jason Witczak and WR/LB Alonzo Nix were all in camp with the Titans at some point. Head coach Pat Sperduto also served on the Titans' staff the four seasons between his stints with the Kats.

AMONG THE GREATEST - The Kats had two players on the recently-announced AFL's 20 Greatest Players of All-Time list. Lineman James Baron, who is widely considered the most dominant lineman to ever play the game, was ranked sixth. That is higher than any other non-quarterback or receiver. WR/LB Cory Fleming was tied for 14th on the list. Darryl Hammond, who was on the voting committee, also received votes. Nashville and Arizona were the only two teams to have two active players on the list.

MR. 10,000 -WR/LB Cory Fleming reached one of the AFL's most coveted milestones - 10,000 career receiving yards - in the week nine win over San Jose. Fleming passed the mark with a seven-yard reception in the first half of the San Jose win. He became just the fourth player in league history to have reached that point before (Barry Wagner, Eddie Brown and Gary Compton are the others). One of the all-time AFL greats, he caust five balls for 98 yards and one TD in last week's contest at Los Angeles. He returns to the Kats in 2006 after spending the last three years with the Orlando Predators. He has posted 39 games with 100 or more receiving yards and 23 games with 10 or more catches in his nine-year career. He now has 845 career receptions, ranking him third all-time in that category, and 10,209 receiving yards, ranking him fourth. Fleming has earned first unit All-AFL honors four times, including 1997, 1998, 2004 and 2005, and he was named AFL Ironman of the Year, signifying the Arena Football League's best two-way player in 2004. He was tabbed AFL Rookie of the Year in 1997. He ranks third on the all-time list for career touchdowns (242), and Fleming has averaged 89 receptions, 1,073 receiving yards and 25 receiving touchdowns in his previous nine seasons in the AFL, despite missing all but five games in 2001 and the final four games of the 2000 season with injuries. Last season, he was named to the first-team All-Arena squad, catching 96 passes for 1,089 yards and 33 touchdowns for the Orlando Predators, and helping to lead the team to the AFL semifinals.

BARON OF DEFENSE - OL/DL James Baron is widely known as one of the AFL's all-time greatest linemen. He has 42.5 career sacks, placing him third on the AFL's all-time list. He had a sack in the win at Las Vegas three weeks ago, and he will move into second with one more full sack. So far this season, he has three sacks and a tackle for loss, as well as three fumble recoveries. Last year, Baron sat out the first two games of the season with an ankle injury, ending his streak of 131 consecutive games played. He returned, and has now played in 160 of the 162 weeks he has been in arena football. Baron was recently named No. 6 on the list of the league's 20 greatest players, and 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). His 26.5 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 three seasons with Chicago between stints in Nashville, 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 (29.5), and he also holds team records for sacks in one season (7.0).

SCOUTING TAMPA BAY
The Storm's 2005 campaign has been eerily similar to the Kats' with a roller-coaster of a season that has seen them struggle in the last several weeks. They have won only one of their last five, and have squandered any chance at a playoff berth. Tampa Bay still has a high-powered offense that is capable of putting up big numbers; they are first in the league in receiving yards per game (299.0) and third in total offense per game (310.6).

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

WR/LB LAWRENCE SAMUELS - An outstanding two-way player and has been the Storm's main offensive producer. The thirteen year veteran leads the team in receiving yards (1260), is averaging 84.0 yards per game and has 20 TD catches this year. He also has four picks on the year, and is third on the team with 38.0 total tackles.

QB SHANE STAFFORD - Stafford has been the catalyst behind Tampa Bay's supercharged offense. Last year he broke nearly every passing record in the Storm's 15 year history. This year he has a 63.1 completion percentage and is throwing an average of 304.3 yards-per-game. He is also the team's leading rusher with 57 yards on 30 attempts with nine touchdowns.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 10, 2006


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