SaberCats Set League Wins Record With Win Over Carolina
July 22, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release
RALEIGH, N.C. (July 21, 2002) -- San Jose quarterback John Dutton threw five touchdown passes and the SaberCats set an Arena Football League record for wins in a season with a 58-41 victory over the Carolina Cobras on Sunday at the Entertainment and Sports Arena.
San Jose's 13 wins this season is the most-ever in the AFL. Six teams had won 12 games in a season, including the 2000 SaberCats squad.
Dutton completed 17 of 25 passes for 214 yards in his first start since taking over as the team's starting quarterback following the loss of Mark Grieb to a fractured collarbone. Barry Wagner caught three of Dutton's five TD passes, including two straight to open the second half that gave San Jose a 37-26 cushion.
San Jose outscored Carolina 34 to 15 in the second half.
Dutton led the SaberCats to a touchdown on their first possession of the game following a Carolina score. James Hundon played the ball off the rebound nets to complete the 24-yard scoring play. Daron Alcorn's point-after gave San Jose a 7-6 lead.
SaberCats' Rookie of the Year candidate Clevan Thomas returned a kickoff 57-yards for his league-leading sixth kickoff return touchdown of the year that gave San Jose a 14-9 lead after the opening quarter.
Cobras QB John Fitzgerald, who completed 19 of 40 attempts for 275 yards, extended his string of consecutive attempts without being intercepted to 105 before Shalon Baker picked off a pass early in the fourth quarter. Bob McMillen scored on a 2-yard run on the ensuing San Jose possession for a 51-34 SaberCats lead.
Despite the loss the Cobras still qualify for the playoffs and will play at Grand Rapids next week. San Jose, the top seeded team in the postseason, earned a first-round bye and will open the playoffs with a quarterfinal game at the Compaq Center on Saturday, August 3. The game, against a yet-to-be-determined opponent, will take place at Noon and will be televised by ESPN.
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