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San Jose SaberCats game notes

May 26, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release


THE QUICK FACTS:
Game: Arizona Rattlers (10-5) at SaberCats (11-4).
Date: Sunday, May 30, 2004.
Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. (PDT).
Site: HP Pavilion at San Jose (14,041).
Officials: David Lambros (Referee); Al Granado (Umpire); Mike McCabe (Head Linesman); Arthur Lucky (Line Judge); David Cutaia (Back Judge).
Television: There is no local television.
Radio: The game will be broadcast live on San Jose's flagship radio station KNBR 1050 with Bob Fitzgerald (play-by-play) and Keena Turner (analyst). A two hour extended pre-game show will air at 10:30 a.m. with Tim Liotta and George Atkinson hosting.
SaberCats Sideline Report: SSR returns and can be seen on NBC11 every Sunday at 11:50 p.m. with host Bob Fitzgerald and a special guest.
Internet: Log on to www.KNBR.com to hear a live webcast of the game.
Series Record: Arizona leads the series 12-10.
Last Meeting: Arizona 58, San Jose 41 (May 9, 2004 in Phoenix).
Series Streaks: Arizona Won 2.
Coaches: San Jose, Darren Arbet (6th season; 64-23 regular season, 70-26 overall). Arizona, Danny White (13th season; 120-55 regular season, 138-64 overall).

OVERVIEW: The SaberCats snapped their 2-game losing streak and set up a showdown with Arizona for the No. 1 playoff seed and the Western Division title with their 48-36 win over the expansion Philadelphia Soul on May 22. Mark Grieb's fourth TD pass of the game, a 26-yard strike to Fred Coleman with 11:02 left in the fourth quarter, gave the SaberCats a 41-36 lead and Brian Johnson scored his second rushing touchdown of the game four minutes later to supply San Jose with its margin of victory. Grieb threw four TD passes in the game to move past Fred McNair and Mike Perez into 8th place on the AFL's all-time TD pass chart. He now has 343 career TD passes. San Jose can claim its fifth straight Western Division title and the No. 1 seed for the upcoming playoffs with a win over the Rattlers on Sunday, May 30. The SaberCats have earned the No. 1 seed in each of the last two seasons and in three of the last four. This marks the 23rd meeting between these storied franchises with the Rattlers holding a 12-10 all-time series advantage. Arizona defeated the SaberCats, 58-41, in Phoenix on May 9 and has won each of the last two meetings by 17 points. The SaberCats have won 10 straight regular season home games and are 33-3 at HP Pavilion during the regular season since the 2000 campaign.

THE SCHEDULES:
2004 San Jose SaberCats (11-4)
Game Opponent Result Score
Feb. 5 @Detroit Won 58-43
Feb. 22 @Los Angeles Won 61-55
Feb. 28 GRAND RAPIDS Won 62-31
Mar. 7 @New York Lost 50-64
Mar. 14 COLORADO Won 55-35
Mar. 20 LAS VEGAS Won 79-62
Mar. 26 LOS ANGELES Won 55-52
Apr. 4 @Tampa Bay Won 62-55
Apr. 10 @Dallas Lost 54-58
Apr. 16 CHICAGO Won 51-43
Apr. 25 @Georgia Won 63-34
May 1 NEW ORLEANS Won 68-34
May 9 @Arizona Lost 41-58
May 16 @Las Vegas Lost 35-44
May 22 PHILADELPHIA Won 48-36
Game Opponent Time Radio/TV
May 30 ARIZONA 1:00 pm 1050/NBC

2004 Arizona Rattlers (10-5)
Game Opponent Result Score
Feb. 8 LOS ANGELES Lost 32-51
Feb. 13 DETROIT Lost 31-48
Feb. 21 @Carolina Won 45-38
Feb. 29 NEW YORK Won 53-41
Mar. 5 COLUMBUS Won 65-42
Mar. 14 @Las Vegas Lost (ot) 64-65
Mar. 18 NEW ORLEANS Lost 45-49
Mar. 27 @Colorado Lost 46-54
Apr. 4 @Grand Rapids Won 51-41
Apr. 10 LAS VEGAS Won 80-63
Apr. 18 DALLAS Won 71-48
Apr. 25 @Indiana Won 46-43
May 1 @Los Angeles Won 43-38
May 9 SAN JOSE Won 58-41
May 15 @Detroit Won 57-33
Game Opponent Time (PT) TV
May 30 @San Jose 1:00 pm NBC

THE SERIES: Arizona leads the all-time series 12-10 and holds an 11-8 edge in regular season games...The Rattlers have won each of the last two series games by 17 points, winning the last meeting, 58-41, at Arizona on May 9, 2004, and posting a 66-49 quarterfinal playoff win in San Jose on June 8, 2003...San Jose holds a 7-6 series lead in games at HP Pavilion and the teams have split the 10 regular season games in San Jose...The SaberCats have won the last three regular season games at home and are 4-1 in the last five...This will be the 23rd meeting between the teams and the series is the second-longest running in the league to only Orlando/Tampa Bay, who have played 35 series games (includes playoffs).


SERIES NOTABLES: The SaberCats and Rattlers are the only teams to win Western Division titles in the nine years since the AFL went to a four-division format in 1995. San Jose won its fourth straight division title in 2003 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 (22) and has the most wins (10) against Arizona than any other opponent...San Jose played its first-ever regular season game against Arizona on May 12, 1995 losing to the Rattlers, 43-37, in overtime...Twelve of the 21 series games have been decided by 11 or fewer points while the other nine games have seen the winning team victorious by an average of 25.8 points per game...San Jose's point total in its 73-63 win at Arizona on July 6, 2001 is the most allowed by the Rattlers in a home game in team history...Arizona and San Jose combined to return back-to-back kickoffs for TDs, the only time in SaberCats history that has happened, on Aug. 6, 1995. Arizona's Hunkie Cooper and Titus Dixon did the honors in a 41-40 Rattlers win.

LAST SERIES MEETING: ARIZONA 58, SaberCats 41 – Arizona quarterback Sherdrick Bonner threw seven touchdown passes and the Rattlers (9-5) used a 35-0 run over the second and third quarters to post a 58-41 win over the San Jose SaberCats (10-3) on May 9. Bonner's 1-yard scoring run and 9-yard scoring pass to Orshawante Bryant in the last 1:43 of the first half helped Arizona overcome a 21-10 deficit and supplied them with a 24-21 advantage at the break. Tom Pace caught a pair of scoring passes and Ironman of the Game Hunkie Cooper added another as the Rattlers outscored San Jose 21-0 in the third quarter to build a 45-21 lead heading into the final stanza. The scoreless third marked just the second time all season the SaberCats failed to score a point in a quarter. Matt Kinsinger scored on a 1-yard run on San Jose's first possession of the game and following a 22-yard Nelson Garner field goal, Grieb connected with Fred Coleman on a 23-yard strike to stake the SaberCats to a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter. Coleman scored on a 1-yard run with 4:50 left in the first half giving San Jose a 21-10 lead but the SaberCats would go scoreless over the next 19:31. Grieb, under heavy pressure from the Arizona defensive line most of the game, completed 22-of-35 for 256 yards with three touchdowns, but was sacked twice. Coleman had a game- and career-high 9 catches for 107 yards and a pair of scores. The SaberCats failed to reach the 50-point mark for the first time all season and had its lowest scoring output since a 35-point effort on May 26, 2001 against the Orlando Predators.

SCORE BY QUARTERS
SaberCats................................ 7 14 0 20 – 41
Rattlers.................................... 3 21 21 13 – 58

SCORING SUMMARY
SAN Kinsinger 1 run (Frantz kick)
ARZ FG Garner 22
SAN Coleman 23 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
ARZ Taplin 5 pass from Bonner (Garner kick)
SAN Coleman 1 run (Frantz kick)
ARZ Bonner 1 run (Garner kick)
ARZ Bryant 9 pass from Bonner (Garner kick)
ARZ Pace 13 pass from Bonner (Garner kick)
ARZ Cooper 13 pass from Bonner (Garner kick)
ARZ Pace 12 pass from Bonner (Garner kick)
SAN Coleman 9 pass from Grieb (rush failed)
ARZ Davis 24 pass from Bonner (kick failed)
SAN Wagner 6 pass from Grieb (Keanaaina rush)
ARZ Davis 16 pass from Bonner (Garner kick)
SAN Keanaaina 3 run (pass failed)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
PASSING: SAN - Grieb 22-35-0-256; Rolovich 3-3-0-39. ARZ - Bonner 20-31-0-238.
RUSHING: SAN – Coleman 2-3; Keanaaina 1-3; Kinsinger 3-0. ARZ – Bonner 4-3; Kelly 5-3; Cooper 1-1.
RECEIVING: SAN – Coleman 9-107; Hundon 6-73; Wagner 4-48; Baker 4-47; Davis 2-20. ARZ - Bryant 7-51; Pace 6-71; Cooper 2-57; Davis 2-40; Taplin 2-12; Tucker 1-7.
KICK RETURNS: SAN – Davis 4-73. ARZ – Cooper 1-21; Pace 1-19; Parker 1-2.

ALL-TIME SERIES SCORES
Date Score
May 9, 2004 @Arizona 58, San Jose 41
June 8, 2003 Arizona 66, @San Jose 49 (po)
March 23, 2003 @San Jose 59, Arizona 58
Feb. 2, 2003 San Jose 49, @Arizona 28
Aug. 18, 2002 @San Jose 52, Arizona 14 (ABXVI)
July 12, 2002 @Arizona 59, San Jose 52
April 20, 2002 @San Jose 52, Arizona 51
Aug. 4, 2001 @San Jose 68, Arizona 49 (po)
July 6, 2001 San Jose 73, @Arizona 63
April 21, 2001 @San Jose 48, Arizona 37
June 1, 2000 San Jose 55, @Arizona 34
April 29, 2000 Arizona 51, @San Jose 42
June 12, 1999 @Arizona 75, San Jose 37
May 15, 1999 @San Jose 54, Arizona 50
June 6, 1998 @Arizona 48, San Jose 26
May 9, 1998 Arizona 62, @San Jose 43
June 9, 1997 Arizona 59, @San Jose 22
May 24, 1997 @Arizona 59, San Jose 50
Aug. 2, 1996 @San Jose 30, Arizona 29
May 4, 1996 @Arizona 61, San Jose 59
Aug. 6, 1995 Arizona 41, @San Jose 40
May 12, 1995 Arizona 43, @San Jose 37 (ot)

THE COACHES:
San Jose – Darren Arbet, 6th season
64-23 (.736) reg. season; 70-26 (.729) overall
9-5 (.643) career vs. Arizona
One of the most successful coaches in the Arena Football League, two-time Coach of the Year Darren Arbet is in his sixth season at the helm of the SaberCats and 10th overall with the organization. Arbet became the 8th coach in league history to reach the 70-win mark with San Jose's victory over Philadelphia on May 22, and he earned AFL Coach of the Year honors in 2000 and 2002. Arbet has guided the SaberCats to five straight double-digit win seasons – matching the longest streak in league history – and his teams have compiled a 58-15 (.795) regular season record since the start of the 2000 campaign. Under his direction the SaberCats have set league records for most regular season wins (13 – 2002), most wins in a season (16- 2002), most consecutive wins in a regular season (12 – 2002), most wins to end a season (11 – 2000) and the longest regular season win streak (15 – 2000-01).

Arizona – Danny White, 13th season
120-55 reg. season (.686); 138-64 overall (.683)
12-10 (.545) 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 he also won his 100th regular season game in the 2002 season finale. White's 138 career wins are second only to Tampa Bay's Tim Marcum, who has 158 career victories, and his 18 playoff wins are second to Marcum's 23. White has led the Rattlers to 12 consecutive postseason appearances and two AFL championships (1994 and 1997) while capturing Coach of the Year honors in 1993.

THE IFS...:
If the SaberCats defeat Arizona it would...
*Be the 100th win in franchise history.
*Give them the No. 1 playoff seed.
*Be their 11th straight regular season home win.
*Break their 2-game losing streak to Arizona.
*Be their 11th win in 23 series meetings.
*Give them an 8-0 home record for the year.
*Give them a 100-54 all-time record.
*Give them a 94-48 all-time regular season record.
*Give them a 52-19 all-time regular season home record.

RECENT RESULTS: SABERCATS 48, Philadelphia 36 – Quarterback Mark Grieb threw four touchdown passes to lead the San Jose SaberCats (11-4) to a 48-36 win over the Philadelphia Soul (5-10) to secure a top-4 seed in the Arena Football League playoffs. The SaberCats, who broke a two-game losing streak, will finish the regular season in HP Pavilion next Sunday (May 30) against the Arizona Rattlers (10-5). Fred Coleman's 26-yard reception from Grieb put San Jose ahead for good, 41-36, with 11:02 left in the game. San Jose finally built a lead after Shalon Baker's interception with 8:13 left in the game. A tipped pass by linebacker Tupo Tuupo from Philadelphia rookie quarterback Tim Levcik saw Baker return it 14 yards to the Soul 10. Johnson, filling in at fullback, then carried the ball twice, the second time scoring from two yards out with 6:51 remaining. Dan Frantz kicked the extra point and the SaberCats led 48-36. Rookie Charles Pauley intercepted Levcik in the end zone with 55 seconds left to insure the win for San Jose. Grieb, the game's offensive player of the game, was 22 of 29 for 289 yards and sustained an outstanding pass rush from the Soul which sacked the all-AFL quarterback four times. Lineman Dwayne Missouri collected two of those sacks to gain the game's defensive standout. Baker, in his seventh SaberCat season, was recently activated for the game from the practice squad and caught six passes for 71 yards, scoring once on a 7-yard pass from Grieb to start the second quarter. With his interception that turned the game around, he was named the contest's ironman. It was Coleman who Grieb targeted all night and he found the former NFL standout nine times for 130 yards and three touchdowns. With Philly leading 36-34 to open the fourth period on a Ken Hinsley 22-yard field goal, Coleman ran a crossing pattern at the 15 and caught a pass from Grieb. The play covered 26 yards and it put the SaberCats ahead 41-36 at the 11:02 mark of the 4th quarter. Coleman's totals were season high's in yards and TDs. San Jose played without most of its notable players including receivers James Hundon and James Roe. Also sidelined were the team's top fullback-linebackers Matt Kinsinger and Keala Keanaaina along with all-Star lineman Sam Hernandez. Levcik, in his first AFL start, was 13 of 30 for 161 yards and one touchdown. Offensive specialist Tyronne Jones had a team-record 54-yard missed field goal return for a score and three catches for 60 yards and the only receiving score. Terrill Shaw, who the Soul acquired this week after he was released by the Las Vegas Gladiators, ironically played against the SaberCats for the second consecutive week. In Las Vegas' win last week against San Jose at home, Shaw caught four passes for 17 yards but did not score. He four grabs for the Soul for 31 yards.

ROSTER MOVES: The SaberCats placed two of their top three FB/LBs on injured reserve with cervical strains. Matt Kinsinger and Keala Keanaaina, who rank 2nd and 3rd respectively on the club in rushing yards, will miss the regular season finale. FB/LB Tupo Tuupo and OL/DL Sebastian Barrie were activated to fill the roster spots.

RECENT ROSTER MOVES
Date Action
May 7 Signed WR/LB Shalon Baker. Activated OL/DL George Williams from IR. Re-signed DS Art Smith. Signed WR/DB Ryan Fernandez to PS.
May 8 Placed WR/LB James Roe on IR.
May 15 Activated WR/LB Calvin Schexnayder from IR. Placed OS James Hundon on IR.
May 21 Activated OL/DL Sebastian Barrie and FB/LB Tupo Tuupo from IR. Placed FB/LBs Matt Kinsinger and Keala Keanaaina on IR.

INJURY REPORT
Player Injury Status
Calvin Schexnayder Ankle sprain Probable
Kevin Jordan Chondromalacia Probable

MILESTONES:
*The SaberCats need 1 win for 100 overall in franchise history.
*WR/DB Barry Wagner needs 1 TD catch for 260 career and 50 in San Jose career; 1 rush TD for 50 in San Jose career; 5 total TDs for 400 career; 3 INTs for 50 career and 2 INTs for 20 in San Jose career.
*OL/DL Chuck Reed needs 2.5 sacks for 25 career.
*DS Omarr Smith needs 2 interceptions for 25 career and 1 PBU for 50 career.
*WR/LB Shalon Baker needs 4 TD catches for 60 career and 17 receiving yards for 3,200 career.
*QB Mark Grieb needs 2 TD passes, 3 completions and 129 pass yards for new team single-season records.
*OL/DL George Williams needs 4 solo tackles for 30 career.
*DS Rashied Davis needs 1 PBU for 10 this season.
*WR/LB James Roe needs 116 receiving yards for 1,000 this season.
*OS James Hundon needs 3 TD catches for 100 career and 1 reception for 300 career.

2004 LEAGUE TEAM RANKINGS
Category SaberCats Rattlers
Scoring Offense (Rank) 56.1 (2nd) 52.4 (5th)
Scoring Defense 46.9 (7th) 46.3 (3rd)
Total Offense 276.1 (4th) 269.1 (8th)
Total Defense 273.5 (17th) 257.9 (6th)
Pass Offense 254.5 (5th) 253.4 (6th)
Pass Defense 261.0 (18th) 238.9 (9th)
Rushing Offense 21.6 (9th) 15.7 (13th)
Rushing Defense 12.5 (2nd) 19.1 (7th)
Pass Rating 131.8 (1st) 116.6 (6th)
Pass Defense Rating 98.3 (3rd) 112.9 (12th)
Interceptions 21 (1st) 11 (11th)
Turnover Margin +8 (T-5th) +7 (7th)
Kickoff Return Avg. 21.2 (2nd) 17.3 (13th)
Field Goal Return Avg. 23.0 (4th) 16.7 (14th)
Sacks By 13 (T-9th) 15 (T-5th)
Sacks Against 21 (T-16th) 5 (4th)

2004 LEAGUE INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
Player Category No. Rank
Mark Grieb Total Offense 3,835 5th
Mark Grieb Completion Pct. 72.9 1st
Mark Grieb Pass TDs 71 6th
Mark Grieb Passer Rating 133.5 1st
Mark Grieb Passing Yards 3,837 5th
Mark Grieb Pass Yards/Game 255.8 5th
Mark Grieb Pass Yards/Att. 9.1 1st
James Roe Scoring 174 9th
James Roe TD Receptions 27 8th
James Hundon Rcv. Yards/Catch 14.8 T-7th
James Hundon Receiving Yards 1,170 8th
Rashied Davis All-Purpose Yards 1,809 8th
Rashied Davis KOR Average 24.1 1st
Rashied Davis KOR Touchdowns 4 T-3rd
Barry Wagner Rushing TDs 11 T-6th
Dan Frantz Kick Scoring 120 8th
Dan Frantz PAT Attempts 117 1st
Dan Frantz PAT Makes 102 1st
Omarr Smith Interceptions 9 T-1st
Omarr Smith INT Return TDs 1 T-3rd
Omarr Smith Passes Defended 23 4th
Sam Hernandez Sacks 4.0 T-8th
Joe Jacobs Sacks 4.0 T-8th

TRENDS:
HOME SWEET HOME – The SaberCats are 7-0 at home this season and have won 10 straight regular season home games dating back to last season. San Jose, in fact, has been most dominant at home winning 24 of its last 25 and 32 of its last 34 regular season games played in HP Pavilion. Since the start of the 2000 season the SaberCats own a 33-3 (.917) record in regular season games and are 39-5 (.886) overall in that span. San Jose last lost a regular season home game on April 11, 2003 to the Detroit Fury, 45-42. The team's all-time record in regular season home games stands at 51-19 (.729).

PASS ATTACK – Opposing starting QBs have thrown 30-or-more passes in all but one game this season, including the last 11, and have thrown 40-or-more times in six games. Philadelphia's Tim Levcik, making his 1st career start, tossed 30 passes against San Jose on May 22. The only starting QB to attempt fewer than 30 passes was New York's Aaron Garcia, who launched 21 passes on Mar. 7. In contrast, Mark Grieb has thrown 30-or-more passes in a game just five times.

JUST WIN – San Jose's win over Philadelphia on May 22 gave Mark Grieb a career record of 52-12 (.813) in 64 regular season starts as the SaberCats' QB. Grieb owns a 31-2 (.939) record in 33 regular season starts at home and is 13-2 (.867) in the month of May. He is 6-3 in nine regular season starts against Arizona and is 5-3 in head-to-head battles with Arizona's Sherdrick Bonner.

IN THE SACK – The SaberCats allowed a season-high four sacks to the Soul on May 22, the second-highest single-game total allowed in team history and over the last three games they have allowed seven sacks. San Jose has now given up 21 sacks on the year establishing a new season record breaking the old mark of 20, which was set during the 1996 and 1997 seasons.

PICKIN' IT – The SaberCats picked off a pair of Tim Levcik passes in their win over Philadelphia on May 22 and have five in the last two games. Shalon Baker and Charles Pauley were the culprits for San Jose giving the club a league-high 21 interceptions on the year. San Jose has tallied an INT in 12 of 15 games this season and have had multiple INTs in a game six times.

WHAT'S THE POINT – San Jose failed to reach the 50-point mark for the third straight game and has not gone four straight without cracking the half century mark since early in the 1998 season. The SaberCats began the 1998 campaign without scoring 50-or-more points in the first six games of the year.

THE DEFENSE NEVER RESTS – The SaberCats have given up just 246 points in the last six games, an average of 41.5 points per game, and has allowed a team to score over 50 points only once in that span. The Orlando Predators currently lead the league in scoring defense with an average of 42.7 ppg. The only team to reach the 50-point mark in the last six games was Arizona in a 58-41 win on May 9.

PLAYOFF BOUND – With a win on Sunday the SaberCats will secure the No. 1 seed for the upcoming playoffs for the 3rd straight season and 4th time overall. San Jose would tie the Detroit Drive (1989, 90, 91, 93) with the second-most seasons with the league's best overall record. The Tampa Bay/Pittsburgh franchise has finished with the best overall win/loss mark a league record seven times. San Jose can also match Detroit's (89-91) league record for the most consecutive seasons with the best overall record.

NOTES:
HOME ALONE – The SaberCats can set a league record for most home victories in a season with a win over Arizona. San Jose is a perfect 7-0 at HP Pavilion this season and is one of five teams in AFL history to record seven home wins in a campaign. In fact, the SaberCats have recorded seven home wins in a season three times, going 7-0 in 2002 and 7-1 last year. Since the AFL went to a 14-game schedule in 1996, only four teams have gone unbeaten on their home turf. Iowa and Arizona did not lose a home game in 1996, Iowa again went undefeated in 1999 and the SaberCats turned the trick in 2002. In the 18-year history of the Arena Football League, only 10 teams have registered undefeated home records in a single season.

HOW THE WEST WAS WON – Since the AFL went to a four-division format in 1995 only two teams, San Jose and Arizona, have claimed the Western Division title. The winner of Sunday's SaberCats/Rattlers game will decide who holds the crown in 2004. San Jose owns five titles winning in each of the last four years and in 1995, while Arizona won four consecutive division championships from 1996-1999. In the past 10 season there have been 10 other teams that competed in the Western Division and all came up empty with division titles.

DOUBLE TROUBLE – San Jose's win over New Orleans on May 1 was the clubs 10th of the year matching a league record for consecutive seasons with double-digit regular season victories. The SaberCats have now won 10-or-more games in five straight seasons, matching the record held by the Arizona Ratters from 1996 to 2000, and have a 58-15 (.795) record since the start of the 2000 season. San Jose won 12 games in 2000, 10 in 2001, 13 in 2002 and 12 last season.

THAT 70s SHOW – Darren Arbet finally reached the 70-win mark in his third attempt with San Jose's 48-36 victory over Philadelphia on May 22. Arbet became the 8th head coach in AFL history with 70 career victories and holds the highest winning percentage of all the coaches in the 70-win club.

Rnk Coach, Team Record Pct.
1. Tim Marcum, Tampa Bay 166-62 .728
2. Danny White, Arizona 138-64 .683
3. Perry Moss (retired) 86-35 .711
4. Mike Hohensee, Chicago 84-75 .528
5. Mike Trigg, Philadelphia 78-83 .484
6. John Gregory (retired) 73-56 .566
7. Mike Dailey, Colorado 73-51 .589
8. Darren Arbet, San Jose 70-26 .729

JUST WIN – The SaberCats need one victory to become the fourth franchise in AFL history with 100 wins. The Tampa Bay/Pittsburgh franchise leads the way with 167 wins followed by Orlando (141), Arizona (138) and Albany/Indiana (117). Below is a breakdown of the winningest franchises in AFL history.

Team Record Pct. Wins/Year
Tampa Bay/Pittsburgh 167-81 .673 9.3
Orlando 141-73 .659 10.1
Arizona 138-64 .683 10.6
Indiana/Albany 117-87 .575 8.4
San Jose 99-54 .647 9.9

THE JAMES GANG – Both members of San Jose's James Gang are eligible to return to the lineup after spending time on injured reserve. Hundon missed the last two games with a bruised kidney while Roe was rehabbing a groin strain. When the two were out of the lineup at Las Vegas on May 16, it marked the first time since the 2000 regular season finale that San Jose played without one or both of the Jameses in the lineup, a span of 57 regular season games. The James Gang has combined for 154 receptions, 2,054 yards and 46 touchdowns on the year. Hundon has a few career milestones in the cross-hairs as the season closes. He needs one catch to become the 3rd player in franchise history with 300 receptions and 3 TD catches to match Roe as the only players to hit triple-digits in that category.

CAREER LEADERS IN RECEPTIONS
Rank Player Recpts
1. Steve Papin 326
2. James Roe 304
3. James Hundon 299
4. Barry Wagner 282
5. Jerry Reese 243

CAREER LEADERS IN TD RECEPTIONS
Rank Player Rcv TDs
1. James Roe 100
2. James Hundon 97
3. Jerry Reese 76
4. Steve Papin 65
5. Shalon Baker 56

CAREER LEADERS IN RECEIVING YARDS
Rank Player Rcv Yards
1. James Hundon 4,565
2. Steve Papin 4,282
3. James Roe 4,066
4. Jerry Reese 3,485
5. Barry Wagner 3,295

CLIMBING THE CHARTS – Mark Grieb leapfrogged Fred McNair and Mike Perez to move into 8th place on the league's all-time TD pass list. Grieb tossed four scoring strikes in San Jose's win over Philadelphia to increase his total to 343. Grieb has 70 scoring passes on the year, the second-highest single-season total in team history, and he needs 3 to break his own 2003 record. Grieb can also break his 2003 team season record for completions with four and passing yards with 130.

AFL CAREER TD PASS LEADERS
Rank Player TD Passes
1. Aaron Garcia, New York 630
2. Andy Kelly, Detroit 615
3. Sherdrick Bonner Arizona 607
4. Clint Dolezel, Las Vegas 568
5. John Kaleo, Austin 423
6. Todd Hammel, Philadelphia 419
7. Jay Gruden 392
8. Mark Grieb, San Jose 343
9. Mike Perez 341
10. Fred McNair 340
11. Rickey Foggie, Carolina 326
12. Mike Pawlawski 303

ON THE MARK!! – After two sub-par performances, QB Mark Grieb returned to his old self in San Jose's 48-36 victory over Philadelphia on May 22. Grieb completed 75.9 percent of his passes (22-of-29) against the Soul after completing just 64.5 percent (40-of-62) in the two previous games. Grieb had accumulated a passer rating of 81.9 in losses at Arizona (May 9) and at Las Vegas (May 16) but rebounded with a 146.4 effort against the Soul. Grieb continues to lead the league in pass completion percentage at 72.9 and passer rating at 133.5. He is on the verge of setting new AFL records in both categories. The league record for completion percentage in a season is 69.7 by Jim Kubiak of Dallas in 2003 and the passer rating record is 131.7 by Indiana's Raymond Philyaw in 2001.

GET YOUR KICKS – K Dan Frantz is having a solid rookie campaign for San Jose. Frantz leads the AFL with 102 made PATs and 117 PAT attempts while placing 8th with 120 kick points. Frantz needs 10 PAT attempts and 8 made PATs in the final regular season game to break Daron Alcorn's 2003 records. Frantz has twice attempted 10 PATs in a game and has successfully converted 8-or-more PATs in a game four times.

ARIZONA PLAYERS TO WATCH:
QB SHERDRICK BONNER – In 19 career games against San Jose, the 2003 first-team All-AFL quarterback has thrown for 4,207 yards and has completed 59.6 percent (335-of-562) of his passes with 85 TDs and 11 interceptions. He has thrown six or more TD passes in a game nine times and has thrown for over 300 yards three times. Bonner completed 20-of-31 for 238 yards and 7 TDs in Arizona's 58-41 win on May 9, 2004. This season Bonner has completed 325-of-502 for 3,620 yards, but has an uncharacteristic 8 INTs. He hasn't thrown an interception against the SaberCats since the teams met in ArenaBowl XVI (Aug. 18, 2002), a span of four complete games and 117 pass attempts.

WR/LB HUNKIE COOPER – The two-time AFL Ironman of the Year (99, 00) has feasted on San Jose. In 21 career games against the SaberCats, Cooper has returned 5 kickoffs for TDs and 2 interceptions for scores. He's also caught 13 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. In Arizona's 58-41 win over the SaberCats on May 9, 2004, Cooper caught 2 passes for 57 yards and a TD, totaled 6.0 tackles and 3 PBU to earn game Ironman honors.

OS SIAHA BURLEY – Burley leads the Rattlers in receptions (95), receiving yards (1,095) and TD catches (22) while returning 2 kickoffs for scores. With Orlando in 2001, Burley caught a SaberCats opponent record six TDs, the only TD receptions for the former Central Florida star in four career games against San Jose. Burley is also the last player to return a kickoff for a TD against San Jose when he scampered 57 yards for Los Angeles in the 2003 regular season finale.


AFL STANDINGS THROUGH WEEK 16

TOP EIGHT MAKE PLAYOFFS
Rk Team W L T Pct PF PA
1. San Jose 11 4 0 .733 842 704
Chicago 11 4 0 .733 800 671
3. New Orleans 10 5 0 .667 685 700
Arizona 10 5 0 .667 786 695
Colorado 10 5 0 .667 737 697
6. Orlando 9 6 0 .600 725 640
Los Angeles 9 6 0 .600 854 759
8. Austin 8 7 0 .533 743 755
New York 8 7 0 .533 780 716
Tampa Bay 8 7 0 .533 756 742

Rk Team W L T Pct PF PA
11. Indiana 8 8 0 .500 801 743
12. Las Vegas 7 8 0 .467 804 740
13. Carolina 6 9 0 .400 702 798
Columbus 6 9 0 .400 740 798
Dallas 6 9 0 .400 725 796
Georgia 6 9 0 .400 640 739
17. Philadelphia 5 10 0 .333 683 727
18. Detroit 4 11 0 .267 697 800
19. Grand Rpids 1 14 0 .067 527 807

Week 17 Schedule

Saturday, May 29
Detroit at Grand Rapids, 4:30 pm

Sunday, May 30
Arizona at San Jose, 1:00 pm
Columbus at Las Vegas, 1:00 pm
Orlando at Los Angeles, 1:00 pm
Chicago at Colorado, 1:00 pm
Philadelphia at New York, 1:00 pm
Austin at New Orleans, 1:00 pm
Carolina at Georgia, 1:00 pm
Tampa Bay at Dallas, 1:00 pm


WEEKLY PLAYERS OF THE GAME:

BABY RUTH OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Opponent (Date) Player
@Detroit (Feb. 5) QB Mark Grieb, San Jose
@Los Angeles (Feb. 22) OS Joe Douglass, Los Angeles
GRND RAPIDS (Feb. 28) QB Mark Grieb, San Jose
@New York (Mar. 7) QB Aaron Garcia, New York
COLORADO (Mar. 14) QB Mark Grieb, San Jose
LAS VEGAS (Mar. 20) OS Marcus Nash, Las Vegas
LOS ANGELES (Mar. 26) QB Mark Grieb, San Jose
@Tampa Bay (Apr. 4) WR James Roe, San Jose
@Dallas (Apr. 10) WR Bobby Sippio, Dallas
CHICAGO (Apr. 16) QB Mark Grieb, San Jose
@Georgia (Apr. 25) QB Mark Grieb, San Jose
NEW ORLEANS (May 1) QB Mark Grieb, San Jose
@Arizona (May 9) QB Sherdrick Bonner, Arizona
@Las Vegas (May 16) OS Marcus Nash, Las Vegas
PHILADELPHIA (May 22) QB Mark Grieb, San Jose
ARIZONA (May 30)

ADT DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Opponent (Date) Player
@Detroit (Feb. 5) DS Omarr Smith, San Jose
@Los Angeles (Feb. 22) DL Sam Hernandez, San Jose
GRND RAPIDS (Feb. 28) DS Clevan Thomas, San Jose
@New York (Mar. 7) DS Terrance Joseph, New York
COLORADO (Mar. 14) DL Joe Jacobs, San Jose
LAS VEGAS (Mar. 20) DS Omarr Smith, San Jose
LOS ANGELES (Mar. 26) DL Silas DeMary, Los Angeles
@Tampa Bay (Apr. 4) DS Omarr Smith, San Jose
@Dallas (Apr. 10) FB Duke Pettijohn, Dallas
CHICAGO (Apr. 16) DS Omarr Smith, San Jose
@Georgia (Apr. 25) DL Joe Jacobs, San Jose
NEW ORLEANS (May 1) DS Omarr Smith, San Jose
@Arizona (May 9) DS Ricky Parker, Arizona
@Las Vegas (May 16) DB Barry Wagner, San Jose
PHILADELPHIA (May 22) DL Dwayne Missouri, Philadelphia
ARIZONA (May 30)

ARMY IRONMAN OF THE GAME:
Opponent (Date) Player
@Detroit (Feb. 5) FB/LB Cameron Chance, Detroit
@Los Angeles (Feb. 22) WR/DB/KR Rashied Davis, San Jose
GRND RAPIDS (Feb. 28) WR/DB Barry Wagner, San Jose
@New York (Mar. 7) WR/DB Lincoln Dupree, New York
COLORADO (Mar. 14) WR/DB/KR Rashied Davis, San Jose
LAS VEGAS (Mar. 20) WR/DB/KR Rashied Davis, San Jose
LOS ANGELES (Mar. 26) WR/LB James Roe, San Jose
@Tampa Bay (Apr. 4) WR/DB T.T. Toliver, Tampa Bay
@Dallas (Apr. 10) FB/LB Kevin Aldridge, Dallas
CHICAGO (Apr. 16) OL/DL Dan Loney, San Jose
@Georgia (Apr. 25) WR/DB/KR Rashied Davis, San Jose
NEW ORLEANS (May 1) WR/LB Fred Coleman, San Jose
@Arizona (May 9) WR/LB Hunkie Cooper, Arizona
@Las Vegas (May 16) WR/DB Coco Blalock, Las Vegas
PHILADELPHIA (May 22) WR/LB Shalon Baker, San Jose
ARIZONA (May 30)


THE SABERCATS RECORD WHEN...:

Scoring Allowing
0 - 9 points 0-0 0-0
10-19 points 0-0 0-0
20-29 points 0-0 0-0
30-39 points 0-1 5-0
40-49 points 1-1 2-1
50-59 points 4-2 3-2
60-69 points 5-0 1-1
70-79 points 1-0 0-0
80+ points 0-0 0-0

Games decided
by 7 or fewer points 3-1
by 3 or fewer points 1-0

Leading after the 1st 4-2
Trailing after the 1st 6-2
Tied after the 1st 1-0

Leading at Half 7-3
Trailing at Half 3-1
Tied at Half 1-0

Leading after the 3rd 9-2
Trailing after the 3rd 2-1
Tied after the 3rd 0-1

Scoring First 4-3
Opp. Score First 7-1

More Total Offense 5-3
Less Total Offense 6-1

More Pass Yards 5-3
Less Pass Yards 6-1

More Rushing Yards 8-2
Less Rushing Yards 3-1

Thursday games 1-0
Friday games 2-0
Saturday games 4-1
Sunday games 4-3

On NBC 3-2
On WB20 1-0
On NBC11 0-2

vs. West 3-2
vs. Central 4-0
vs. South 3-0
vs. East 1-2

Outscoring Opponent 11-0
Being Outscored 0-4

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