Predators, Kats battle in ArenaBowl XIV

by AFL Press Release
Published on August 14, 2000 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)

AFL Press Release

ORLANDO (August 14, 2000) – The Arena Football League's World Championship, ArenaBowl XIV, will be televised live Sunday, August 20 at 1:00 PM ET on ABC Sports. The Orlando Predators (13-3), who have earned a trip to the title game for a third consecutive season, will host the Nashville Kats (12-5) at the TD Waterhouse Centre. This is the fourth straight season ABC will televise the game.

ESPN's Voice of Arena Football, Mike Gleason will handle play-by-play alongside new ABC Sports college football analyst Ed Cunningham, who had previously handled TNN Arena Football color commentary during the 2000 season. Former NFL running back and current ESPN correspondent Merril Hoge will provide additional color commentary from the sidelines.

The Predators, under the direction of head coach Jay Gruden, the younger brother of Oakland Raiders head coach Jon, became only the second team in league history to reach three straight championship games after defeating the Arizona Rattlers Sunday, 56-44, in Orlando. Only the Detroit Drive (1988-93) has appeared in more consecutive ArenaBowls (six). Orlando, 7-1 in the playoffs during Gruden's three seasons, will host their first ArenaBowl since losing to Arizona, 36-31, in ArenaBowl VIII in 1994. With a win Sunday over Nashville, Gruden, who led Orlando to the title in 1998 in his first season, will tie the Rattlers' Danny White for second place with two coaching titles (Tampa Bay's Tim Marcum has won a league-record six). During his six year AFL playing career with the Tampa Bay Storm, the Hall of Fame QB led the Storm to four titles.

Orlando, No. 2 seed in the post season, heads into the game under the on-field direction of QB Connell Maynor, who owns a 16-4 career mark as a starting QB, including playoffs. Maynor leads the league in post season rushing with 74 yards, 35 yards more than the next closest rusher, Tampa Bay's Andre Bowden (39 yards). The Predators own the No. 1 playoff scoring defense (34.0 ppg), are No. 2 in rushing offense (37.5 ypg) and turnover margin (+3) and No. 3 in total defense (222.5 ypg). Defensively, DS Kenny McEntyre leads Orlando, who has 26 pilfers in 37 career games, including playoffs.

Nashville, No. 6 seed in the playoffs, have continued their road dominance this season as they sport an 8-1 record away from the Gaylord Entertainment Center, including post season wins at Iowa and San Jose, No. 3 and No.1 seeds, respectively, the past two weeks. The Kats have advanced to the ArenaBowl for the first time in their four-year history, after three straight first round losses.

The Kats join the Predators as the only playoff teams to surrender less than 40 points per game (37.3 ppg). Nashville also leads the league in turnover margin (+7), while placing No. 3 in rushing offense (29.7 ypg) and No. 4 in total defense (230.3 ypg). Nashville is led by WR/DB Tyronne Jones, who leads the post season in points with 66, 24 more than Arizona's Maurice Bryant, who's second with 42. Jones is also first in receiving yards (406) and all-purpose yards (670), while No. 2 with 21 receptions, to go along with 11 receiving TDs. The Kats offense, which is averaging 57.0 ppg during the playoffs, is led by former Tennessee Volunteer QB Andy Kelly, who has thrown for a post season-high 20 TD passes to go along with 832 yards (No. 3).

The Predators and Kats have met once before during the playoffs, a 58-43 Orlando win in the first round of the 1998 playoffs. The two teams also split two regular season meetings this season, with both teams winning on the road, including Nashville's 45-41 win in Orlando in Week 13.

Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from August 14, 2000

• Predators, Kats battle in ArenaBowl XIV - OSC Original by AFL Press Release

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