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SaberCats Game Notes

February 4, 2003 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release


THE QUICK FACTS:
Game: San Jose SaberCats (1-0) at Los Angeles Avengers (1-0).
Date: Sunday, February 9, 2003.
Kickoff: 12:00 p.m. (PST).
Site: STAPLES Center (16,096).
Officials: Referee: Darrel Leftwich; Umpire: Jeff Carr; Head Linesman: Bill Ward; Line Judge: Thomas Symonette; Back Judge: Tony Lombardo.
Television: Sunday's game will be regionally televised by NBC. The announcing crew of play-by-play man Tom Hicks and color analyst Charles Davis will call the game action.
Radio: San Jose's flagship station The Ticket (KTCT) 1050-AM will broadcast the game live with Bob Fitzgerald handling play-by-play duties and George Atkinson supplying the color commentary. Internet: Log on to www.ticket1050.com to hear a live webcast of the game.
Series Record: San Jose leads 5-1.
Last Meeting: San Jose 52, Los Angeles 33 (June 8, 2002 in Los Angeles).
Series Streaks: San Jose Won 2.
Coaches: San Jose, Darren Arbet (5th season; 42-15 regular season, 47-17 overall). Los Angeles, Ed Hodgkiss (2nd season; 9-6 regular season, 9-7 overall).

OVERVIEW: The World Champion San Jose SaberCats started the 2003 season the same way they ended the 2002 campaign, with a convincing win over division rival Arizona. This week the SaberCats stay within the Western Division for a matchup with the Los Angeles Avengers on Sunday, February 9. The regionally televised NBC game from STAPLES Center is set to kick off at Noon (PT). This is the second of three straight season-opening road games for the SaberCats, who also play five of their first six on the road. Being on the road hasn't hurt San Jose too much over the past four years as the SaberCats have gone 17-5 (.773) in regular season road games since the start of the 2000 season. One of those losses came at Los Angeles on June 2, 2001, a 47-44 Avengers victory. San Jose has won five of the six series meetings with Los Angeles and in three of their five wins; the SaberCats have posted the largest point totals allowed by the Avengers. San Jose twice scored 78 points and tallied 75 in another contest. The Avengers' only series win came in Los Angeles on June 2, 2001 when they notched a 47-44 triumph.

THE SERIES: San Jose leads the all-time series 5-1 and has won two straight...The Avengers' only series win came in STAPLES Center on June 2, 2001, a 47-44 victory...The SaberCats own a 2-1 record in games played in Los Angeles...San Jose allowed just three second half points and outscored the Avengers 31-3 en route to a 52-33 win in the last meeting at STAPLES Center on June 8, 2002.

SERIES NOTABLES: In their brief three-year history, the Avengers have allowed 70 or more points in a game three times, all three to the SaberCats. San Jose posted a 78-25 win in San Jose on May 27, 2000 and again tallied 78 in a 78-44 win in San Jose on May 11, 2002. The SaberCats also scored a 75-72 win in Los Angeles on July 8, 2000...Avengers' OS Chris Jackson became the first San Jose opponent to return the game opening kickoff for a score when he went 51 yards on June 8, 2002...Barry Wagner tied a San Jose single-game record with 3 rushing TDs and added a 4th score on an interception return against Los Angeles on June 8, 2002...The SaberCats matched a league and team record for the second-most rushing TDs in a game with five in each of the two meetings last season. In their six series games with Los Angeles, the SaberCats have rushed for a total of 22 TDs...San Jose's 53-point win (78-25) over Los Angeles on May 27, 2000 tied for the second largest in franchise history...San Jose OL/DL Brian Lytle's 1st career sack came against Los Angeles on April 14, 2001.

LAST SERIES MEETING: San Jose 52, Los Angeles 33 (Saturday, June 8, 2002 • STAPLES Center) – The SaberCats used a near perfect defensive effort in the second half to overcame a 9-point halftime deficit and improve to 8-0 on the season with a 52-33 win over the Avengers. San Jose held Los Angeles to 3 points in the second half and Barry Wagner scored three times as the SaberCats outscored the Avengers 31-3 after the intermission. Wagner's second touchdown of the game and first of the second half came on a 1-yard run with 4:42 left in the third quarter and followed a Bob McMillen 16-yard scoring run to give the SaberCats their first lead of the game at 35-30. Los Angeles kicker Remy Hamilton booted a 42-yard field goal to close the gap to 35-33 before San Jose reeled off 17 unanswered fourth quarter points. Avengers' OS Chris Jackson returned the opening kickoff of the game 51-yards for a score to give Los Angeles a quick 7-0 lead. Following a 3-yard scoring run by Wagner that tied the game, Hamilton nailed a 29-yard field goal and Greg Hopkins caught a 9-yard TD pass from Tony Graziani to give Los Angeles a 17-7 lead after the first quarter. James Williams scored on a 6-yard run and Jerry Reese caught a 9-yard touchdown pass before Hamilton closed out the first half scoring with a 42-yard field goal for a 30-21 Avengers lead at the break. Wagner tied a team record by scoring his third rushing TD of the game early in the fourth and on the ensuing Avengers possession he intercepted a Graziani pass and returned it 19-yards for his fourth TD of the game giving San Jose a 49-33 lead with just over ten minutes left. Daron Alcorn nailed a season-long 50-yard field goal with 3:45 remaining to close out the scoring. Grieb completed 17-of-32 passes for 179 yards with just one TD pass but the SaberCats ran for 69 yards and scored five times on the ground.

ALL-TIME SERIES SCORES

Date Score
June 8, 2002 San Jose 52, @Los Angeles 33
May 11, 2002 @San Jose 78, Los Angeles 44
June 2, 2001 @Los Angeles 47, San Jose 44
April 14, 2001 @San Jose 52, Los Angeles 30
July 8, 2000 San Jose 75, @Los Angeles 72
May 27, 2000 @San Jose 78, Los Angeles 25

THE IFS...:

If the SaberCats defeat Los Angeles it would...
*Give San Jose a 2-0 record for the 3rd straight year.
*Give San Jose a 6-1 series edge over Los Angeles.
*Give San Jose a 27-16 record vs Western Division foes.
*Give San Jose a 72-40 all-time regular season record.
*Be San Jose's 35th all-time regular season road win.
*Give San Jose a 12-9 road record vs Western Division foes.

THE COACHES:

San Jose – Darren Arbet, 5th season 42-15 (.737) reg. season; 47-17 (.734) overall 5-1 (.833) career vs. Los Angeles
Last season Arbet guided the SaberCats to the best regular season record (13-1) ever in league history, the most victories in a season (16) and the franchise's first league title. Arbet has compiled a 42-15 (.737) career mark in regular season games and currently owns the third-best regular season winning percentage in AFL history among coaches with at least 10 victories. Named AFL Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2002, Arbet's teams have gone 41-9 (.820) overall in the past four seasons. Spanning the 2000 and 2001 seasons, Arbet led the SaberCats to a league record 15-game regular season winning streak and twice in the last three years the SaberCats have had 12-game win streaks.

Los Angeles – Ed Hodgkiss, 2nd season 9-6 (.600) reg. season; 9-7 (.563) overall 0-2 (.000) career vs. San Jose
Hodgkiss guided the Avengers to a franchise-best 8-6 mark and the first postseason appearance in team history in his first year as head coach in 2002. He currently owns a 9-6 (.600) regular season record and is 9-7 (.563) overall. Considered an offensive mastermind, Hodgkiss spent three years (1999-01) as the Albany/Indiana Firebirds offensive coordinator. In 1999, the Firebirds led the league with a 58.7 per game scoring average and captured the ArenaBowl title.

RECENT RESULTS: Barry Wagner scored a pair of rushing touchdowns and the San Jose SaberCats used a 21-0 run over the third and fourth quarters to defeat the Arizona Rattlers, 49-28, in a season opening re-match of last year's ArenaBowl. Wagner, the AFL's all-time leader in rushing touchdowns, scored the 90th of his career late in the third quarter to give San Jose a 35-21 lead. He increased San Jose's margin to 42-21 with a 1-yard scamper early in the fourth quarter. San Jose's defense shut down the Rattlers in the second half after Maurice Bryant caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from Chris Hixson on the first play of the third quarter to tie the game at 21-21. Hixson replaced starter Sherdrick Bonner in the second half after Bonner sustained a shoulder injury. SaberCats quarterback Mark Grieb, playing in his first game since being injured on the same field last July, put the SaberCats on top 28-21 with a 37 yard scoring toss to James Roe a little more than two minutes after Arizona tied the score. Grieb, facing first game jitters, completed 10 of 27 for 151 yards with four TD passes and no interceptions. Grieb has yet to throw a pick against Arizona in eight career games as a SaberCat. Rookie FB/LB Keala Keanaaina had the second-longest run from scrimmage in SaberCats history on his first career rush attempt when he went 32 yards. He later scored his first career rushing touchdown to supply the SaberCats with their final margin of victory. The SaberCats have now won two straight and seven of the last eight games against the Rattlers. San Jose's defense held Arizona to 195 yards of offense and Clevan Thomas, last season's Rookie and Defensive Player of the Year, pulled down an interception, the sixth of his career and third against Arizona. San Jose OL/DL Joe Jacobs sustained a ruptured biceps on the game's first offensive play and the SaberCats were forced to play the entire game with six linemen instead of the usual seven. San Jose managed just 200 yards of total offense but held a 21-14 halftime lead on the strength of three Grieb TD passes and a defensive stop on Bonner's sneak attempt from the SaberCats 1-yard line as time expired in the first half.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT: The Avengers posted their second-highest single-game point total in a 75-72 loss to San Jose on June 8, 2000...QB Tony Graziani entered the AFL record book by hooking up with OS Chris Jackson on a 49-yard touchdown pass at Arizona on April 27, 2002. Graziani joins 13 other QBs who have completed a 49-yard pass, including San Jose's Scott Wood, who completed his to Jerry Reese at Milwaukee on May 24, 1999

ROSTER MOVES: The SaberCats are expected to place OL/DL Joe Jacobs on IR with a biceps injury suffered in the season opener at Arizona on Feb. 2. The move had not been officially made at press time.

INJURY REPORT: The SaberCats lost OL/DL Joe Jacobs with a biceps tear in his left arm on the game's first play from scrimmage at Arizona on Feb. 2. WR/DBs Anthony Cobbs (turf toe) and Barry Wagner (knee) sustained minor injuries in the game and are listed as probable for Sunday.

MILESTONES:

*OL/DL Sam Hernandez needs 1 sack for 50 career.
*K Daron Alcorn needs 7 field goals for 100 career and 47 points for team's all-time lead
*OS James Hundon needs 4 receptions for 150 career and 256 receiving yards for 2,500 career.
*FB/LB Matt Kinsinger needs 17 rush yards for 100 career.
*WR/DB Barry Wagner needs 135 receiving yards for 12,000 career and 9 rush TDs for 100 career.
*WR/LB James Roe needs 198 receiving yards for 2,000 career and 6 TD catches for 50 career.

2002 SEASON REVIEW:

The SaberCats posted the best start to season in league history by winning their first 12 games, breaking the old mark of 11 by the 1994 Orlando Predators. San Jose ended the season by establishing another record, 13 victories on the season, going 1 win better than six other teams, including the 2000 San Jose squad. The records didn't come easy as the SaberCats won their first three games by a combined total of 14 points and needed defensive heroics in an offense-oriented game. Rookie Clevan Thomas made a statement in the first game of the year by intercepting a Sherdrick Bonner pass in his own endzone with one minute to play to preserve a 1-point San Jose victory. Week 2 saw another defensive play decide the game. Bob McMillen returned an INT 46-yards for a TD with 34 seconds left in the game to give San Jose a 61-54 win. The defense again rose to the occasion in a Week 3 win over Georgia. The SaberCats shutout the Force in the final quarter and overcame a 10-point third quarter deficit to improve to 3-0. San Jose went on a scoring rampage the next three games posting wins over Los Angeles, 78-44, at Orlando, 77-45, and against Dallas, 77-54, to become the first club in AFL history to score at least 76 points in three straight games. The SaberCats' first extended road trip of the season saw them get wins at Buffalo, 63-35 and at Los Angeles, 52-33, to run their record to 8-0. In perhaps the wildest game of the season, San Jose upended Chicago, 74-68, behind a record-setting performance by Thomas. The rookie amassed single-game records of 252 combined kick return yards and returned three for scores. The return of Steve Papin to San Jose couldn't derail the SaberCats in Week 10 as they posted a 65-41 win over the Dragons despite 257 all-purpose yards from the former San Jose player. San Jose tied the 1994 Orlando Predators league record for consecutive wins to start a season and clinched its third straight Western Division crown with a 58-41 at Dallas on June 29 behind 6 TD passes from Mark Grieb. The SaberCats broke the record the following week and wrapped up the No. 1 seed for the postseason with a 52-41 win over Indiana. Just two wins away from a perfect season the SaberCats saw it end in Arizona with a 59-52 loss to the Rattlers on July 12. Not only did San Jose lose the game, it also lost starting QB Mark Grieb with a broken collarbone when lineman Stacy Evans threw him to the turf late in the third quarter. John Dutton rallied the troops to a tie late in the fourth quarter, but an 11-yard TD run by Chris Horn with :43 left gave Arizona its final advantage. Dutton's fourth down pass in the corner of the endzone with :07 left glanced off the fingertips of a diving James Hundon and the SaberCats suffered their first loss of the season. Dutton, making his first start of the year in the season finale, threw 5 TD passes and the SaberCats won their league record 13th game of the year, 58-41, at Carolina to close out the regular season.

TRENDS:

GAME 2s – This season marks just the second time in team history that San Jose will open with two straight road games. In 1999 the SaberCats split the first two games of the season on the road, winning at Grand Rapids, 54-53, and losing at Florida, 78-56. San Jose's all-time record in game two of a season is 4-4.

JUST WIN – In his career as a member of the SaberCats, QB Mark Grieb owns a 30-4 record as the team's starter.

STREAKING ANEW – The SaberCats had their streak of consecutive regular season games with at least 50 points scored snapped at 20 with their 49-28 win in Arizona on Feb. 2. However, San Jose's current streak of games with at least 40 points scored (includes postseason) is now at 27. The SaberCats last failed to reach the 40-point mark in a 59-35 loss to Orlando on May 26, 2001. The fewest points scored by the SaberCats during their 27-game stretch came in a 47-44 loss at L.A. on June 2, 2001.

ROAD WARRIORS – Over the past four seasons the SaberCats have posted a 17-5 (.773) record in regular season road games. San Jose 6-1 in both 2000 and 2002 and tallied a 4-3 mark in road games during the 2001 campaign. The SaberCats began 2003 with a 49-28 win in Arizona on Feb. 2.

HEATED RIVALS – Given the close proximity of the two cities, this matchup could become one of the better rivalries in the Arena Football League. But for now the SaberCats have had the upper hand. In their five series wins, the SaberCats' margin of victory has been over 26 points per game. That number has been slightly skewed by San Jose's 53-point win (78-25) on May 27, 2000. That win represents the second largest in SaberCats history. The SaberCats have also posted wins of 34, 22 and 19 points.

NOTES:

JUST WIN – Not only did the SaberCats set a new AFL record for regular season wins in 2002 with 13, they also established a league record for most overall wins in a season with 16. Since the start of the 2000 season the SaberCats own a league-best 36-7 regular season record. Arizona is the only other team to win 30 games in the same time frame.

RUNNING WILD – In a game known more for its passing, the SaberCats have done some damage to the Avengers on the ground. In the six series games, San Jose has rushed the ball 59 times for 244 yards and 22 TDs. The SaberCats tied a league and team record for the second-most rush TDs in a game with 5, and they did it in both games last season. Two of San Jose's four highest single-game rush totals have come against Los Angeles. San Jose ran for 78 yards, the second-highest total, on May 27, 2000 and for 69 yards, the fourth-highest total, at Los Angeles on June 8, 2002.

GETTING STARTED – QB Mark Grieb struggled a bit in his first game since sustaining a broken collarbone at Arizona last July. In his return to the scene of the crime, Grieb completed just 10 passes, the second-fewest completions in a starting role in his San Jose career, for 151 yards. Four of Grieb's 10 completions were for scores, however, and he did not throw an interception in his 27 attempts. Dating back to last season, Grieb has not been intercepted in his last 71 pass attempts.

A MAN OF 10,000 YARDS – More on Mark Grieb. The five-year AFL veteran became the 16th player in league history to throw for over 10,000 yards in a career when he totaled 151 at Arizona on Feb. 2. Grieb now has 10,061 in his career and trails Kurt Warner for 15th place on the AFL's career chart by 425 yards.

DEFENSE WIN TITLES – After leading the league with a 95.9 pass defense rating last season, the SaberCats picked up right where they left off against Arizona on Feb. 2. San Jose held Arizona QBs Sherdrick Bonner and Chris Hixson to a combined 14-of-35 passing (40%) for 183 yards and 3 TDs. San Jose's defense DID NOT allow a single passing yard in the first quarter and posted a pass defense rating of 73.9 for the game. Bonner did not return in the second half after sustaining a separated shoulder. He completed just 5-of-15 passes for 72 yards in the game.

RUNNING MAN – Rookie FB Keala Keanaaina had an impressive AFL debut at Arizona on Feb. 2. In his first career rush attempt, Keanaaina went for 32 yards, the second-longest fun from scrimmage in franchise history, and later added his first career rush TD in San Jose's 49-28 win. Keanaaina matched a 32-yard effort by Steve Papin against Los Angeles on May 27, 2000 and fell short of Tom Petithomme's team record 39-yard run at Anaheim on July 4, 1996. KK's first score came on a 1-yard plunge with :22 left to give San Jose its final victory margin.

HE KEEPS RUNNING – When you play 11 years in a 16-year-old league you are bound to have a few records, and Barry Wagner has a few records. The self-proclaimed ‘Michael Jordan of the Arena Football League' enters the season as the AFL's career leader in scoring, touchdowns, rushing TDs, receiving yards and tackles. Wagner added to all those categories when he scored a pair of rushing TDs, caught 2 passes for 11 yards and tallied a game-high 3.5 tackles at Arizona on Feb. 2. Wagner scored his 90th and 91st career rush TDs and increased his San Jose total to 22, which ranks third on San 's career chart behind Steve Papin (43) and Derrick Chachere (34).

SACK MASTER – OL/DL Sam Hernandez, a 10-year AFL veteran who enters his sixth season with San Jose, is the league's all-time leader with 49 career quarterback sacks and is also San Jose's career leader with 28.5. During his illustrious career, Hernandez has sacked Avengers QB's a total of 3.5 times, the fifth-highest sack total against any team in his career. Tampa Bay is the most-sacked team with 6.0 followed by Milwaukee (5.5), Grand Rapids (5.0) and San Jose (4.0).

CLEVAN THE MAN – A huge key to San Jose's success last year was due to the play of Rookie and Defensive Player of the Year Clevan Thomas. The second-year DS from Florida State played every defensive play of every game last season and led the team in tackles (55.0), interceptions (5) and pass breakups (19). One of Thomas' five picks came off Avengers' QB Tony Graziani in San Jose's 52-33 win at STAPLES Center on June 8. Thomas also helped shutdown Los Angeles OS Chris Jackson in that game limiting him to just 24 receiving yards and no TD catches.

EUROPEAN VACATION – OL/DL Cedric Pittman and WR/LB Kevin McKenzie were teammates last year on the Scotland Claymores NFL Europe team. McKenzie had 10 catches for 141 yards while Pittman had a team-high 4.0 sacks for the 5-5 Claymores.

OFFENSIVE NOTEBOOK – The SaberCats have scored 75 or more points in a game 10 times in their history, three times they have done it against Los Angeles...San Jose's 75-72 win at Los Angeles on July 8, 2000 represents the second-highest combined point total (147) in a game in SaberCats history...San Jose set a team record for most first quarter points scored with 29 in its 78-25 win on May 27, 2000...Los Angeles scored a SaberCats opponent record 28 fourth quarter points and 49 second half points in San Jose's 75-72 win on July 8, 2000. The teams also combined for a SaberCats record 86 second half points and 697 net passing yards in that game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

SAN JOSE OL/DL ALBREY BATTLE – A starting lineman for most of his career with San Jose, Battle has recorded 5.0 career QB sacks with 2.0 coming against the Avengers. He posted his first career sack as part of a team game record 6.0 sacks against Los Angeles in San Jose's 78-25 win on May 27, 2000 in San Jose.

SAN JOSE WR/LB JAMES ROE – Did not play against Los Angeles last season, but has seven TD grabs among his 20 career receptions against Los Angeles in four games. Roe hauled in 12 balls, the second-highest single-game total in SaberCats history, for 149 yards and 3 TDs in San Jose's 47-44 loss at LA on June 2, 2001.

SAN JOSE FB/LB MATT KINSINGER – First in San Jose's three-man rotation at the FB/LB position, Kinsinger's first career rushing TD came against Los Angeles as a member of the Houston ThunderBears on April 19, 2001. His first career two rushing TD game was also at the expense of the Avengers. Kinsinger scored twice and ran for 8 yards on three carries in San Jose's 78-44 win on May 11, 2002 in San Jose.

SAN JOSE K DARON ALCORN – The six-year veteran is moving up the SaberCats leader board in kick scoring. Currently with 162 points in his San Jose career, Alcorn trails 2nd-place Billy Stoyanovich by three points and needs 47 points to surpass Carlos Huerta for the team's all-time lead.

LOS ANGELES QB TONY GRAZIANI – Avengers signal-caller set or tied 11 team passing records last season when he threw for 3,568 yards and 67 TDs with just 9 interceptions. He also tossed four or more TD passes in 11 of 14 games. The former NFLer didn't fare that well against the SaberCats though. In two games, Graziani completed just 47.8 percent (33-of-69) of his passes for 327 yards (163.5 ypg) and 5 TDs. Two of the three games Graziani failed to throw at least four TD passes came against San Jose and two of his nine interceptions on the year were to SaberCats.

LOS ANGELES OS CHRIS JACKSON – Put up "Player of the Week" numbers in a season opening win over Las Vegas on Feb. 2 catching 9 balls for 164 yards and 5 TDs. In Jackson's 34-game AFL career he has 72 TD grabs and has at least one TD catch in all but one game. That one game was last year against San Jose when the SaberCats held him to 6 catches for 24 yards in a 52-33 win on June 8 in STAPLES Center. Jackson did, however, score on a 51-yard kickoff return.

CONNECTIONS:

Los Angeles OL/DL Mike Ulufale spent the previous three seasons with San Jose and is second on the SaberCats career sacks list with 11.5...As a member of the Houston ThunderBears, Los Angeles OL/DL Mathias Vavao proposed to his wife in San Jose's HP Pavilion on April 15, 2000 prior to a game with the SaberCats...Los Angeles OL/DL Sean McNamara, Vavao and San Jose's Matt Kinsinger were all teammates on the 2000 ThunderBears team...San Jose OL/DL Chuck Reed and Los Angeles OL/DL Chris Butterfield were teammates in 1998 and 1999 in Portland and in 2000 with Oklahoma...Los Angeles WR/DB Siaha Burley set a San Jose opponent record with six TD catches as a member of the Orlando Predators on May 26, 2001.

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