San Jose SaberCats Game Notes

Published on March 18, 2003 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release


THE QUICK FACTS:
Game: Arizona Rattlers (4-3) at SaberCats (5-2).
Date: Sunday, March 23, 2003.
Kickoff: 3:00 p.m. (PST).
Site: HP Pavilion at San Jose (14,041).
Officials: Referee: Bill Athan; Umpire: Rick Nelson; Head Linesman: Tim Podroza; Line Judge: Thomas Symonette; Back Judge: Rob Vernatchi; Supervisor: Jim Lapetina.
Television: Sunday's game will be the featured West Coast matchup on NBC with Eli Gold calling the play-by-play and Charles Davis supplying the commentary. The game can be seen live in the Bay Area on NBC11.
Radio: San Jose's flagship station The Ticket (KTCT) 1050-AM will broadcast the game live with Rich Waltz handling play-by-play duties and Keena Turner supplying the color commentary.
SaberCats Sideline Report: Hosted by Bob Fitzgerald, SSR is shown every Sunday at 11:52 p.m. on NBC11. The information packed 8-minute segment will get you up close and personal with the World Champions.
Internet: Log on to www.ticket1050.com to hear a live webcast of the game.
Series Record: Arizona leads 10-9.
Last Meeting: San Jose 49, Arizona 28 (February 2, 2003 in Arizona).
Series Streaks: San Jose Won 2.
Coaches: San Jose, Darren Arbet (5th season; 46-17 regular season, 51-19 overall). Arizona, Danny White (12th season; 104-47 regular season, 119-55 overall).

OVERVIEW: The SaberCats won their fourth consecutive game and 16th straight at home with a 58-41 win over Buffalo on Mar. 14. Up next for the World Champions are the Arizona Rattlers in a re-match of the 2002 ArenaBowl on Sunday, March 23 in a nationally televised NBC game. Start time is slated for 3:00 p.m. (PT). WR/LB James Roe led the SaberCats' attack against Buffalo catching a team single-game record tying five TD passes and adding his third INT of the year. Clevan Thomas added his league-leading ninth INT of the year and established a team record with a pick in seven straight games. Thomas also tied a mark with a pair of kickoff return TDs. During their current four-game run, the SaberCats have outscored the opposition 281 to 167 and lead the AFL with an average of 64.4 points per game. This game marks the fifth meeting in 11 months between the SaberCats and Rattlers. The teams played three times during the 2002 campaign, including ArenaBowl XVI, and opened the 2003 season in Phoenix on Feb. 2. Arizona leads the all-time series 10-9 but San Jose has won seven of the last eight meetings between the division rivals.

THE SERIES: Arizona leads the all-time series 10-9 but San Jose has won seven of the last eight meetings and the last four games played in San Jose, including a 52-14 win in ArenaBowl XVI on August 18, 2002...The SaberCats defeated Arizona, 49-28, in the first meeting of the year between the teams in the 2003 season opener on Feb. 2 in Phoenix...The SaberCats have won six of the 11 series games played in San Jose...The teams will be meeting for the 20th time and the series is the second-longest running in the league. Only Orlando and Tampa Bay have a longer running division/conference rivalry (started in 1991) with the team's playing 32 series games (including playoffs).

SERIES NOTABLES: The SaberCats and Rattlers have each won four Western Division titles in the 8 years since the AFL went to a four-division format in 1995. San Jose won its third straight division championship last season and also won the title in 1995. Arizona won four straight division titles from 1996 to 1999...The Rattlers have dealt the SaberCats their worst two defeats in franchise history: 75-37 (38 pts) on June 5, 1999 in Arizona and 59-22 (37 pts) on June 9, 1997 in San Jose...San Jose's 38-point win on August 18, 2002 in ArenaBowl XVI (52-14) was Arizona's worst defeat since a 71-21 loss at Orlando on July 17, 1992...San Jose has played the most games (19) and has the most wins (9) against Arizona than any other opponent...San Jose's point total in a 73-63 win in Arizona on July 6, 2001 was the most allowed by the Rattlers in their history...San Jose played its first-ever regular season game against Arizona on May 12, 1995 losing to the Rattlers, 43-37, in overtime...Eleven of the 19 series games have been decided by 11 or fewer points, while the other eight games have seen the winning team victorious by an average of 26.9 points per game.

LAST SERIES MEETING: San Jose 49, Arizona 28 (Sunday, February 2, 2003 • America West Arena) – 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.

THE IFS...:

If the SaberCats defeat Arizona it would...
*Be San Jose's 17th straight home win.
*Even the all-time series at 10-10.
*Give San Jose a 28-17 record vs Western Division foes.
*Give San Jose a 76-42 all-time regular season record.
*Be San Jose's 40th regular season home win.

THE COACHES:

San Jose – Darren Arbet, 5th season 46-17 (.730) reg. season; 51-19 (.729) overall 8-3 (.727) career vs. Arizona

Arbet became the 8th head coach in AFL history to win 50 games and the second fastest to reach the milestone with San Jose's win at Chicago on Mar. 9. Arbet reached 50 in his 69th game while Tim Marcum got win No. 50 in 63 games. 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 46-17 (.730) 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 45-11 (.804) 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.

Arizona – Danny White, 12th season 104-47 (.689) reg. season; 119-55 (.684) overall 10-9 (.526) career vs. San Jose

White is the only head coach in team history. In 2001, he became the 2nd head coach in AFL history to reach 100 career wins when Arizona beat Houston 77-67 on June 30. He also won his 100th regular season game when the Rattlers beat New Jersey in the 2002 season finale. White's career win total is second only to Tampa Bay's Tim Marcum, who has 143 career victories. He was named the league's Coach of the Year in 1993 and has led the Rattlers to two AFL Championships (‘94 and '97). RECENT RESULTS: 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. 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. 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. The team's traded TDs the rest of the way with San Jose FB Keala Keanaaina scoring on a 7-yard run late to supply the final margin. 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.

ROSTER MOVES: San Jose's roster remained the same as the previous week as no major changes were made at press time. A number of players are eligible to be activated from injured reserve including OL/DL Chuck Reed who is back with the team.

RECENT ROSTER MOVES

Date Action
3/7 Placed OS James Hundon, OL/DL Brian Lytle and OL/DL Dan Loney on IR.
3/7 Activated OS Aaron Bailey, OL/DL Frank Beede and OL/DL Cedric Pittman off IR.
2/28 Placed WR/LB Jerry Reese on IR.
2/27 Signed WR/LB Jerry Reese.

INJURY REPORT: WR/DB Anthony Cobbs sustained a mild concussion vs Buffalo on Mar. 14, but should be ready to play come Sunday.

MILESTONES:

*K Daron Alcorn needs 4 FGs for 100 career.
*OS Aaron Bailey needs 2 TD catches for 40 career.
*FB Matt Kinsinger needs 14 rush yards for 100 season and 41 for 200 career.
*WR/DB Barry Wagner needs 8 rush TDs for 100 career and 25.0 tackles for 600 career.
*DS Clevan Thomas needs 2 INTs to tie team season record and 3 to tie league season record.
*QB Mark Grieb needs 425 pass yards to move ahead of Ron Lopez into 14th place all-time.

TALE OF THE TAPE: The SaberCats lead the league in scoring at 64.4 ppg thanks in part to the league's top rated rushing unit. San Jose averages 34.7 ypg on the ground and has scored a league-best 22 rush TDs...During their current 4-game win streak, the SaberCats have not allowed an opponent to reach the 50-point mark and currently rank 5th in scoring defense at 45.6 ppg...San Jose leads the league with 17 INTs and a pass defense rating of 88.8, while Arizona ranks second in both categories with 14 and 98.6.

TRENDS:

HOME COOKING – With their 58-41 win over Buffalo on Mar. 14, the SaberCats have now won 16 straight, 19 of their last 20 and 25 of their last 27 games played in HP Pavilion. Since the start of the 2000 season the SaberCats own a 26-3 (.897) record at home and under Head Coach Darren Arbet, the SaberCats are 30-6 (.833) in games played in San Jose. During their current 16-game home win streak, the SaberCats have beaten Arizona three times.

JUST WIN – In his career as a member of the SaberCats, Mark Grieb owns a 34-6 regular season record as the team's starting quarterback and is 5-2 in regular season starts against Arizona.

HEATED RIVALS – In the eight years since the AFL went to a four-division format, the SaberCats and Rattlers are the only teams to win a Western Division title. San Jose has won the title the last three seasons and won it for the first time in its inaugural season of 1995. The Rattlers posted four straight division titles from 1996-99. The series itself has been a tale of two teams. In the first 11 games between Arizona and San Jose, the Rattlers posted a 9-2 mark. San Jose has had the better of the series lately winning seven of the last eight series games.

SCORING – Since the start of the 2002 season, San Jose has scored 50 or more points in 22 of 24 games. The two times the SaberCats failed to reach the half-century mark they put up 49 points. Arizona stopped San Jose's streak of consecutive 50-plus point games at 17 by holding the SaberCats to 49 in the 2003 season opener. San Jose won the game, however, 49-28.

HALF AND HALF – The SaberCats have held a halftime lead in every game this season by outscoring the opposition 223 to 133 in the first half.

PICKIN' IT – Dating back to last season and including playoffs, the SaberCats have had at least on interception in their last 13 games for a total of 26 picks. With nearly half the team total is last year's Rookie and Defensive Player of the Year Clevan Thomas with 12. The SaberCats increased their 2003 league leading interception total to 17 with a pair of picks off Buffalo's Jeff Loots on Mar. 14, and are on pace for 38 on the year. The AFL record for INTs in a season is 29 set by Orlando in 1992.

THREE ANYONE – Friday's game marks the second of three straight contests at HP Pavilion for the SaberCats, who have never played three straight regular season home games in the same season. Last year San Jose won three straight home playoff games, including a 52-14 win over Arizona in ArenaBowl XVI.

SIMPLY RED ZONE – The SaberCats are a perfect 27-for-27 on scoring chances inside the red zone this season, scoring 24 touchdowns and three field goals once getting inside the opponents 10-yard line. San Jose scored three TDs for a 3-for-3 red zone performance in its 58-41 win against Buffalo on Mar. 14.

BIG GEORGE – The return of OL/DL George Williams to the SaberCats means one thing – wins. Williams played in 12 regular season games and all three playoff contests last season and the team went unbeaten. Williams was activated off IR on Feb. 21 and the SaberCats are 4-0 since his return. San Jose now owns a 19-0 record with Williams in the lineup.

PAYDIRT – The SaberCats have had at least one rushing TD in all seven games and lead the league with 22 on the year. San Jose tied a league and team record with 6 rush TDs against Colorado on Feb. 22 and six players have scored at least twice on the ground led by Keala Keanaaina's six. The SaberCats are on pace for 50 rush TDs, which would shatter St. Louis' 1996 league record of 41, and make them league leaders for a fifth consecutive season.

TURNOVERS – San Jose turned the ball over three times and notched two takeaways against Buffalo on Mar. 14 marking the first time this season the SaberCats were a minus in turnover margin in a game. Despite their effort against the Destroyers, the SaberCats are still a plus-11 (16 to 5) in TO margin during their 4-game winning streak and lead the league with a plus-14 margin overall.

NOTES:

CLEVAN THE MAN – DS Clevan Thomas set a team and league record by grabbing an interception in his 7th straight game. Thomas snared his league-leading 9th pick of the year vs Buffalo on Mar. 14 and broke Tommy Jones' 1998 team record of an INT in six straight games. Two other players, Orlando's Tony Scott (92) and Cincinnati's Falanda Newton (93) had an INT in six consecutive games. Thomas needs two INTs to match Jones' 1998 team record of 11 in a season and three to tie the league season record of 12. Only 13 players in the history of the league have had more INTs in a season than Thomas with Dameon Porter and Tracey Perkins leading the way with 12. Thomas ranks third on the SaberCats career INT list with 14 and trails only Jones (17) and Pat McGuirk (24) for the all-time lead.

PAPER OR PLASTIC – OL/DL Sam Hernandez, the league's career leader in quarterback sacks, added a pair in San Jose's win over Buffalo on Mar. 14 to raise his total to 52.0. It was the 13th multiple sack game in Sam's career and he also passed the 30-sack mark as a member of the SaberCats increasing his San Jose total to 31.5. During his illustrious career, Hernandez has been credited with at least one full sack against 20 teams but has never recorded a sack against Arizona in a regular season game. Hernandez did record a sack of Rattlers QB Sherdrick Bonner in last year's ArenaBowl.

BACK-TO-BACK – San Jose's Clevan Thomas and Buffalo's Jarrail Jackson returned back-to-back kickoffs for scores in San Jose's 58-41 win on Mar. 14, marking the second time in SaberCats history that has happened. Thomas returned the opening kickoff of the second half 55-yards for a score and Jackson responded with a 55-yard return of his own on the ensuing kickoff. Arizona and San Jose combined to return back-to-back kicks for TDs on Aug. 6, 1995. The Rattlers' Hunkie Cooper and Titus Dixon did the honors in a 41-40 Arizona win.

HAPPY RETURNS – Clevan Thomas matched his own team record of two kickoff return scores when he scampered 54 and 55 yards against Buffalo on Mar. 14. They were the first KO return scores of the year for Thomas who led the league with six last year. Thomas had 2 KOR scores vs Chicago on June 15, 2002 and Steve Papin had a pair vs Iowa on July 11, 1998. With nine combined kick return TDs in his career (8 KOR, 1 MFG), Thomas tied Titus Dixon for the 2nd most in team history, behind Papin who had 18 in his SaberCats' career.

ON TARGET – During San Jose's current 4-game win streak, QB Mark Grieb has completed 72 percent (77-of-107) of his passes for 951 yards and 17 TDs. In the first three games of the season Grieb completed just 53.8 percent (43-of-80) of his passes for 601 yards. In eight career games as a SaberCat against Arizona, Grieb has thrown for 1,810 yards with 41 TDs and ZERO interceptions. That's right, NO interceptions. In the 2003 season opener on Feb. 2, Grieb had the second fewest pass completions in any start in his San Jose career, but still threw for 151 yards and four TDs in a 49-28 win.

WHAT A RUSH – Paced by FBs Keala Keanaaina and Matt Kinsinger the SaberCats have the league's best rushing offense at 34.7 yards per game. San Jose tops the circuit in rush attempts (68), rush yards (243) and rush TDs (22). Keanaaina ranks 3rd in the league with 101 yards while Kinsinger places 5th with 86. They are the only teammates ranked in the top five.

ROE, ROE, ROE – Not moving gently down the stream is WR/LB James Roe, who has emerged as the ‘go to guy' since OS James Hundon was put on IR. In two games with Hundon out of the lineup, Roe has caught 15 passes, exactly one-half of the teams receiving total, for 166 yards and six TDs. Roe tied a team single-game record and set a career-high with 5 TD grabs against Buffalo on Mar. 14. In seven career games against the Rattlers, Roe has totaled 34 receptions for 479 yards with 10 TDs.

PASS DEFENSE – San Jose leads the league in pass defense rating (88.8) and interceptions (17) and has allowed opposing QBs to complete a league-low 53.9 percent of their passes. In the last four games, opposing starting QBs have completed just 47.3 percent of their passes for 563 yards and the SaberCats have more INTs (9) than TD passes allowed (8). Arizona ranks second to San Jose in both categories with a pass defense rating of 98.6 and 14 interceptions.

WEEKLY BESTS – Rookie OL/DL Cedric Pittman played in his first AFL game and recorded one of three San Jose sacks for the game...FB/LB Matt Kinsinger rushed for a career-best 34 yards with a career-long 15 yard run...Clevan Thomas amassed 247 combined kick return yards, the 3rd-highest total in team history and his 70 yards on MFG returns is the 4th-most...WR/DB Anthony Cobbs tallied a career-high 3 PBUs...OL/DL Darrin Kenney started his 40th straight game at center (including playoffs) since joining the team in 2001.

(all milestones occurred vs Buffalo on Mar. 14, 2003)

OPPOSING PLAYERS TO WATCH:

ARIZONA QB SHERDRICK BONNER – In 16 career games against San Jose, Arizona QB Sherdrick Bonner has thrown for 3,429 yards and has completed 58.6 percent (277-of-473) of his passes with 62 TDs. He has thrown six TD passes in a game six times and twice has thrown for over 300 yards. However, in his last eight games against San Jose, seven of which the SaberCats won, Bonner has struggled completing just 50.6 percent of his passes (117-of-231) for 1,515 yards (189.4 ypg) and 28 TDs. In those eight games he's been sacked nine times and intercepted six times. In the previous eight games against San Jose he was sacked just once and picked off five times.

ARIZONA WR/DB HUNKIE COOPER – The two-time AFL Ironman of the Year (99, 00) has feasted on San Jose. In 18 career games against the SaberCats, Cooper has returned 5 kickoffs for TDs and 2 interceptions for scores. He's also caught 10 TD passes and rushed for five other scores. In fact, Cooper is the only San Jose opponent to return a kickoff and an interception for a TD in the same game. Hunkie turned the trick on April 21, 2001 when he scampered 56 yards for a TD on a kickoff and returned an INT 31 yards for a score. Despite his efforts, the SaberCats pulled out a 48-37 win.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 18, 2003


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