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Philadelphia Soul game notes

February 16, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Philadelphia Soul News Release


QUICK FACTS:

Philadelphia (2-1) vs. New Orleans (2-1)
Site: New Orleans Arena (18,500 capacity)
Officials: Referee: Bill McCabe; Umpire: Doug Wilson; Head Linesman: Royce Cooley; Line Judge: Dirk Bell; Back Judge: Jimmy Buchanan

TV: NBC Sports
Play-by-Play: Tom Hammond
Color: Pat Haden
Sideline: Lewis Johnson
RADIO: WNTP 990-AM (Phila.) and 106.7
FM WDOX (Atlantic City)
Sirius Satellite Radio - 127
Play-by-Play: Ari Wolfe
Color: Bill Osborn

THE MATCHUP:

The Soul take to the road for the third time in the season's first four weeks. Fresh off a 59-48 win over the Nashville Kats in their home opener, the Soul make their first ever trip to New Orleans. Philadelphia has relied heavily on the early chemistry between QB Tony Graziani and OS Steve Smith, as the duo has hooked up for seven TDs in the first three games. Philadelphia and New Orleans met in the franchises' first game on 2/8/04, with the VooDoo winning 42-34. New Orleans finished an impressive 11-5 in the team's inaugural season, qualifying for the playoffs before falling in round one to Colorado.

PHILADELPHIA SOUL SCHEDULE AND RESULTS

Date Opponent Time (ET) Result/Streak
1/30 @ Austin 12:00 p.m. W, 66-35/ W1
2/6 @ Chicago 1:00 p.m. L, 51-41/ L1
2/13 Nashville 3:00 p.m. W, 59-48/W1
2/20 @ New Orleans 12:00 p.m.
2/27 Dallas 3:00 p.m.
3/6 New York 12:00 p.m.
3/11 @ San Jose 10:30 p.m.
3/20 Tampa Bay 12:00 p.m.
3/27 Grand Rapids 3:00 p.m.
4/3 @ Columbus 12:00 p.m.
4/10 @ Colorado 1:00 p.m.
4/17 Las Vegas 1:00 p.m.
4/24 @ New York 1:00 p.m.
5/1 Orlando 1:00 p.m.
BYE
5/15 Columbus 1:00 p.m.
5/22 @ Dallas 3:00 p.m.

NEW ORLEANS VOODOO SCHEDULE AND RESULTS

Date Opponent Time (ET) Result/Streak
1/28 @ Georgia 7:00 p.m. L, 46-44/L1
2/4 @ Nashville 8:30 p.m. W, 59-34/ W1
2/13 San Jose 12:00 p.m. W, 62-61/W1
2/20 Philadelphia 12:00 p.m.
2/25 Tampa Bay 8:00 p.m.
3/5 @ Dallas 8:30 p.m.
3/13 Orlando 3:00 p.m.
3/20 @ Chicago 12:00 p.m.
3/26 Georgia 7:00 p.m.
4/1 @ Austin 8:30 p.m.
4/10 BYE ---
4/16 Columbus 8:00 p.m.
4/23 @ Grand Rapids 7:30 p.m.
4/30 @ Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m.
5/8 Colorado 12:00 p.m.
5/14 Austin 8:00 p.m.
5/20 @ Orlando 7:30 p.m.

If the Soul defeat the VooDoo it would...

· Mark the Soul's first ever win over N.O.
· Be the Soul's second road win of the season – a franchise record.
· Make the Soul 2-0 in the National Conference
· Mark the Soul's second ever two-game win streak and put them two games over .500 for the first time.

The Coaches Corner

Michael Trigg: After guiding the expansion Philadelphia Soul to a 5-11 Inaugural Season mark, Trigg (77-77 reg. season, 3-7 post-season) is in his 17th year of Arena Football. Prior to joining the Soul, Trigg spent six seasons as head coach in Grand Rapids, guiding the Rampage to the playoffs in five of his six years. His team won ArenaBowl XV in 2001 as Trigg was named AFL Coach of the Year. A veteran of expansion endeavors, Trigg spent 1994 as head coach of the expansion Fort Worth Calvary and 1995-97 as head coach of the Milwaukee Mustangs. He turned a 0-12 team into a two-time playoff participant and set the then-AFL record for single-season turnaround as he guided the Mustangs from 4-8 in 1995 to 10-4 in 1996.

Mike Neu: The first coach of the New Orleans VooDoo, Mike Neu is a six-year Arena Football League coaching veteran. Last year Neu molded a 24-man roster comprised of a mix of AFL veterans and rookies, allowing the VooDoo to get off to a 7-1 start, one of the fastest starts for a first-year AFL entry. Neu led the VooDoo to an 11-5 record in their inaugural season. The VooDoo's Southern Division title marked only the fourth time in Arena Football League history that an expansion franchise has won their division in their first year of play. Following the season, Neu was named the Arena Football League Coach of the Year. He came to New Orleans after guiding the Carolina Cobras to a 7-7 season (improving from a 3-13 record the year before. Prior to coming to Carolina, Neu served as head coach for the Augusta Stallions and led them to an American Conference title with a 14-4 record.

Philly Phlavor

Two players on the Soul's active roster are Philadelphia natives: Sean Scott and Keita Crespina. Scott, last year's Soul MVP, grew up in Overbrook and attended Millersville University in Lancaster. Crespina, who grew up in North Philly and continues to reside there, graduated from Temple University and was voted the Owls' MVP in 1992.

Soul WR/DB Rob Milanese is a rookie and a graduate of Penn, where he holds the school record in receiving yards.

Tale of the Tape

Philadelphia Category (Rank) New Orleans
55.3 (3rd)44.6 (4th) Scoring OffenseScoring Defense 55.0 (4th)47.0(9th)
294.0 (7th)271.7 (9th) Offense (Yards/Game)Defense (Yards/Game) 318.7(2nd)269.3(8th)
7-9 - 77.8% (6th)11/16 - 64% (6th) Red Zone OffenseRed Zone Defense 10/12 – 76.9% (7th)10/14-71.4% (9th)
280.7 (5th)230.0 (5th) Pass OffensePass Defense 314.7 (1st) 248.3 (9th)
13.3 (11th)41.7 (15th) Rushing Offense (Yards/Game)Rushing Defense (Yards/Game) 4. 0(17th) 21.0(10th)
53 (14th) First Downs 71(2nd)
15.3 (4th) Average Starting Position (after kickoffs) 8.8 (17th)
+1 (T-6th)2.4 Turnover MarginField Goals +2 (T-4th)2.4
1 (T-16th)1 (T-1st) Sacks BySacks Against 4 (T-4th)3 (T-7th)
9/17- 52.9% (7th) 2/4- 50% (13th) Third Down ConversionFourth Down Conversion 11/17- 64.7% (2nd)2/3-66.7% (T-3rd)
22-49.0 Penalties (# - Avg. Yards/Game) 21-32.3
25:52 Time of Possession (Avg.) 32:13

2005 Standings

Philadelphia Soul – 2-1 (T-1st in Eastern Division)

New Orleans VooDoo – 2-1 (T-2nd in Central Division)

2005 Record When...

Wachovia Center 1-0
On the Road 1-1
Score First 2-0
Opp. Score First 0-1
Leading at Half 2-0
Trailing at Half 0-1
Friday 0-0
Saturday 0-0
Sunday 2-1
On NBC 2-1
Hammond/Haden 0-1
Papa/Bentley 1-0
Weber/Pawlawski 1-0
Vs. Eastern 0-0
Vs. Central 1-1
Vs. Western 0-0
Vs. Southern 1-0
January 1-0
February 1-1
March 0-0
April 0-0
May 0-0

The Soul's new Money Man

· In October, Tony Graziani signed the wealthiest contract in AFL history. As the most coveted free agent on the market, Graziani's addition sent waves through the National Conference.
· Graziani is tied for the league lead in touchdowns with 20 and has a QB Rating of 114.1
· For the 2004 season, Graziani completed 333 of 510 passes for 4,265 yards with only five INTs.
· As 2004 All Arena First Team QB, he threw a career-best of 99 touchdowns and added four rushing scores.
· Graziani is one of just four players in League history to account for more than 100 touchdowns in a single season.
· His 99 TDs were third-most by a QB in League history.

Day of Rest?

The Soul play a league-high 15 of their 16 games on Sundays this season. Philadelphia will also be featured 14 times on NBC, also most among all AFL teams.

Battle of the Best?

Sunday's game is highlighted by two of the best QBs in the AFL in Tony Graziani and Andy Kelly. Graziani's 99 TDs a year ago were tops in the League and his 20 TDs so far this season place him tied with Kelly. Kelly's 128.5 QB rating and 20:1 TD-Int ratio are also the League's best.

Scott's the Heart of the Soul

· Philadelphia-born WR/LB Sean Scott played a game-high 108 plays in Sunday's win over Nashville, as he continues to re-define the term Ironman.
· On Sunday he earned US Army Ironman of the Game honors for the third consecutive week.
· For his performance in Chicago two weeks ago, Scott was named the AFL's US Army Ironman of the Week for the second consecutive week.
· With the award, Scott became the first AFLer to win back-to-back US Army Ironman of the Week honors since Chicago's Dameon Porter in Weeks 7 and 8 of 2001.
· His career-best five TDs tied a franchise high and moved him into a tie for first in TDs league-wide with seven. He also added four tackles in the game.
· His eight TDs are currently second-best in the AFL and his 13.0 tackles are third on the team.
· Scott was named Team MVP by his peers for the Soul's Inaugural Season and appears to have picked up where he left off.
· His 56 catches were third on the team despite playing just 12 games and his 16 TDs tied for second.

Smith wins Offensive Player of Week

Soul OS Steve Smith was elected Offensive Player of the Week by the AFL Writers Association after his performance on Sunday. He scored three touchdowns including a 49-yard KO return, caught eight passes for 131 yards and finished with 236 all-purpose yards on his busy afternoon. He is now tied with WR/LB Sean Scott for the team lead in TDs with eight.

Graziani Vs. the VooDoo

Tony Graziani has never faced the New Orleans VooDoo. The VooDoo finished 11-5 last year in their Inaugural Season. They qualified for the playoffs before losing in the first round to the Colorado Crush.

108 Plays = 3rd Straight Ironman

For the third consecutive game, Soul WR/LB Sean Scott won US Army Ironman of the Game. He scored his team-leading eighth touchdown during a game in which he played an amazing 108 plays on offense, defense and special teams. The next busiest player – Kats WR/DB Jarrick Hillery – played just 84.

Road Warriors?

A season ago, the Soul managed just one road win (3/13/04). So a win Sunday in New Orleans would give Philadelphia a franchise-record two road wins through just the first four weeks of the season. The Soul downed the Wranglers in Austin back in Week 1, before falling to the Rush in Chicago in Week 2.

Approaching Milestones

· Soul OS Steve Smith is 20 yards shy of 3,000 career receiving yards
· Soul QB Tony Graziani is just 11 TD passes away from his 300th career TD pass.
· Soul WR/LB Sean Scott is 90 receiving yards from 1,000 on his career.

Good Things Come in Small Packages

· At just 5-foot-9, Steve Smith is not one of the biggest offensive specialists in the League, but he is one of the most explosive.
· Smith's 236 all-purpose yards a week ago are the Soul's most this season and his 549 total yards this season place him fourth in the AFL.
· His kickoff return for a TD as time expired in the first half of Sunday's game was his first TD return this season after leading the League with five last year.
· Smith's five TDs in Week 1 set a career and franchise record.

QB Stats 2004 vs. 2005

The Soul's top offseason priority was an upgrade at the QB position and the team's efforts appear to have paid off.

Through Week 3

2004:
Nick Browder – 61 of 98 (62 %); 13 TDs; 1 INT; 137 points; 1 wins.

2005:
Tony Graziani – 31 of 96 (64%); 20 TDs; 4 INT; 166 points; 2 wins.

1,000 Completions Club

Soul QB Tony Graziani collected his 1,000th career completion in the third quarter of Sunday's game on a pass to Steve Smith. In just his fifth year, the Oregon alum has already thrown for more than 13,000 yards and is closing in on his 300th career TD pass.

Players to Watch

Philadelphia

#7 – QB Tony Graziani
Armed with a wealth of talented receivers, led by Sean Scott, Steve Smith and Terrill Shaw, Graziani is off to a torrid start in his first season with the Soul. #7 has thrown for 20 TDs (T-1st in the AFL) through two weeks, amassing an impressive QB ratting of 114.5.

#84 – OS Steve Smith
Smith continues to show fans why the Soul brought him to Philadelphia, as his electrifying play keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. His performance versus Nashville earned him the Offensive Player of the Game, as he caught eight passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns. He added another TD on a 49-yard kick return and recorded 236 total yards.

#9 – DS Arkee Thompson
Thompson, in his second year in the AFL, is beginning to make a name for himself as one of the top defensive specialists in the league. Leading the team in tackles (20) and interceptions (2), he has been a key contributor to the defensive play of the team.

#88 – WR/LB Sean Scott
Scott won the US Army Ironman of the Week for the third straight week for his impressive play versus Nashville. Scott hauled in a touchdown pass and added 2.5 tackles and a pass breakup in last week's victory.

New Orleans

# 8 – QB Andy Kelly
In his 12th season as an AFL quarterback, Kelly continues to add to his legacy and career totals by consistently putting up big numbers. After three games, Kelly is the frontrunner for quarterbacks in the League, connecting on 95 passes for 973 yards, 20 touchdowns and one interception. He also has a league leading 128.5 passer rating.

# 7 – OS Aaron Bailey
After establishing himself as a premier offensive weapon last season, Bailey has proven his offensive output was no fluke. Already this season he is in the top five in each receiving category, recording 25 receptions for 351 yards and six touchdowns.

# 5- OL/DL B.J. Cohen
A top two-way player, Cohen is mostly known for his strong defensive play. However he is one of the leagues all-time top tight ends as well. So far this season, Cohen is tied for second in sacks with three, and also has one interception and one pass break up.

# 24 – DS Calvin Coleman
In his second year in the AFL, Coleman is poised to build off of the success he had last season. Through the first three games of the season, Coleman has recorded two interceptions and 8.5 total tackles.

He's "Eligible"

Soul WR/LB Sean Scott was featured in the November 2004 issue of Main Line Today as one of the Philadelphia area's "20 Most Eligible Singles."

NFL Experience

Several Soul players boast NFL experience:
Donovan Arp - Wash, Car, Tenn
Cyron Brown - Den
Marvin Brown - KC, Bal, Cle
Keita Crespina - Phi, Ari
Winfield Garnett - Minn, NO, Sea
Tony Graziani - Atl, Cle
Marlion Jackson - NYJ, Den
Marcus Knight - TB, Oak
Tim Levcik - Mia, Pit
Arnold Miller - Cle
Dwayne Missouri – Bal
Wes Ours – Ind, Tenn, Pit
Dwayne Sabb - S.D., Buf, NE
Derek Schorejs - Cin, Cle, NYJ, Jax
Sean Scott - Phi
Terrill Shaw - KC
Charles Stackhouse - NYG, Min

Penn Grad's Got Soul

Soul rookie Rob Milanese recorded his second and third career TD catches this past Sunday. Milanese played at the University of Pennsylvania from '99-'02.
· His three TD catches and 184 receiving yards are both third on the Soul.
· The 5-foot-9 wideout finished his career as Penn's all-time leader in receiving yards and third in catches.
· He became the first-ever Penn receiver to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in a single season.

Protecting the Investment

QB Tony Graziani finally went down for the first time as a member of the Soul. Kats OL/DL Henry Taylor sacked him on Sunday. Despite this, the Soul currently rank in a tie for first in the AFL in sacks allowed with one.

New Orleans poses a challenge for the Soul's front line as the VooDoo are tied for fourth in the League with four sacks. OL/DL B.J. Cohen is one of the top rushers in the AFL and already has three sacks. The Soul have recorded one sack in '05.

Results in the Red Zone

The Soul offense has been very productive in the Red Zone this season, scoring points on seven of their nine trips inside the 10 yard line. Their rate of 77.8 percent is sixth best in the League. The Soul defense is ranked sixth in opponents' red zone scoring.

S3

The Soul are deep at the receiver position. Sean Scott, Terrill Shaw and Steve Smith make up a lethal triumvirate of S's available to Graziani. Scott was the Soul's 2004 Team MVP, Shaw was ArenaBowl XV MVP and Smith led the AFL in kickoff returns for TDs a season ago.

Finding Paydirt on the Ground

The Soul finally scored their first rushing touchdown of 2005 on Sunday when FB/LB Marvin Brown recorded his first career touchdown during the first quarter. Brown left the game later on with a knee injury.

Turnovers are Telling

· The Soul are 6-4 when the team ties or wins the game's turnover battle and 1-8 when they don't.

2005 Award Winners

Offensive Player of the Game:
Week 1: Steve Smith (PHI)
Week 2: Raymond Philyaw (CHI)
Week 3: Steve Smith (PHI)

US Army Ironman of the Game:
Week 1: Sean Scott (PHI)
Week 2: Sean Scott/John Moyer (PHI/CHI)
Week 3: Sean Scott (PHI)

Defensive Player of the Game:
Week 1: Arkee Thompson (PHI)
Week 2: Russell Shaw (CHI)
Week 3: Arkee Thompson (PHI)

"The New Rocky"

Tony Graziani – a.k.a. "The New Rocky" is currently featured on a vertical billboard on I-95 South near the Stadium Complex. Flanked by an American flag, the larger-than-life QB takes in the sites of his new city.



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


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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