San Jose beats Buffalo 58-41 for 16th straight at home
March 15, 2003 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release
SAN JOSE, Calif. (March 14, 2003) -- Receiver James Roe caught a team record tying five touchdown passes and the SaberCats won their 16th consecutive home game with a 58-41 win over the Buffalo Destroyers on Friday night at HP Pavilion.
Roe caught his first scoring pass, a 24-yard strike from Mark Grieb, at 8:38 of the first period to stake San Jose to a 13-7 lead. The SaberCats never trailed the rest of the game in winning their fourth straight on the year and improving to 5-2 on the year.
Roe added scoring grabs of 8, 15, 4 and 3 yards and totaled nine catches for 81 yards on the evening. The 6-3 receiver/linebacker added an interception late in the game to secure game Ironman honors. Grieb threw all his scoring passes to Roe and ended the game 21-of-28 for 187 yards.
Buffalo's Gunnard Twyner got his team on the board on the very first offensive play of the game when he caught a 45-yard pass from Jeff Loots for an early 7-0 Destroyers lead. Twyner led all receivers with 117 yards on seven catches and a pair of scores. Loots completed 19-of-32 passes for 240 yards with three TDs, but he was intercepted twice.
The SaberCats responded with a 54-yard kickoff return TD by game MVP Clevan Thomas. Daron Alcorn missed the first of five PATs to keep San Jose behind at 7-6.
Thomas returned the opening kick of the second half 55-yards to increase San Jose's lead to 39-14, but Buffalo's Jarrail Jackson replied by taking the ensuing kickoff 55 yards to keep the Destroyers close.
On San Jose's next possession, Destroyers' DS JoJo Polk intercepted a Grieb offering and scampered 20 yards to get Buffalo within 11 at 39-28.
Thomas also added his league-leading ninth interception of the season and has had at least one in all seven games. Roe added his third interception of the year and lineman Sam Hernandez posted a pair of sacks as San Jose's defense allowed just 220 yards of offense.
The SaberCats continue their homestand with a rematch of last season's ArenaBowl on Sunday, March 23 when they host division rival the Arizona Rattlers.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 15, 2003
- Rampage Gain Two, Lose Two - Grand Rapids Rampage
- Defending Champs Too Much For Destroyers - Buffalo Destroyers
- San Jose beats Buffalo 58-41 for 16th straight at home - San Jose SaberCats
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