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San Jose SaberCats game notes

June 9, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release


THE QUICK FACTS:
Game: Chicago Rush (12-5) at SaberCats (12-5).
Date: Saturday, June 12, 2004.
Kickoff: 12:00 a.m. (PDT).
Site: HP Pavilion at San Jose (14,041).
Officials: Steve Pamon (Referee); Paul King (Umpire); Tim Podraza (Head Linesman); Kent Payne (Line Judge); Billy Beckett (Back Judge); Greg Steed (Alternate).
Television: NBC will broadcast the game live with Bob Papa (play-by-play), Ray Bentley (color) and Marty Snider (sideline).
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). Tim Liotta and George Atkinson will host the pre-game show.
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: San Jose leads 3-0.
Last Meeting: San Jose 51, Chicago 43 (April 16, 2004 in San Jose)
Series Streaks:.San Jose Won 3.
Coaches: San Jose, Darren Arbet (6th season; 71-27 overall; 7-3 postseason). Chicago, Mike Hohensee (11th season; 85-76 overall; 6-7 postseason).


OVERVIEW: The SaberCats built a 31-point lead after three quarters and survived a 27-0 Storm run in the fourth to post a 56-52 quarterfinal playoff win over Tampa Bay on June 5 to advance to the semifinal round for the fifth consecutive season. San Jose will host the third-seeded Chicago Rush on Saturday, June 12, at 12 noon in the first semifinal round playoff game of the weekend. No. 1 seed Arizona hosts No. 5 Colorado on Sunday in the other semifinal tilt. The winners will tangle in ArenaBowl XVIII on Sunday, June 27 at the venue of the highest remaining seeded team. All four semifinalists have 12-5 records. Brian Johnson and Keala Keanaaina each scored on a 1-yard run in the first quarter and Mark Grieb tossed three second quarter scoring passes as the SaberCats built a 35-6 halftime lead. Keanaaina scored again late in the third quarter to tie a SaberCats playoff game record with two rushing scores and San Jose held a 56-25 lead entering the final stanza. Storm QB Shane Stafford tossed three TD passes in the final quarter and David Saunders returned a fumble 35 yards for a score to get Tampa Bay within four points. San Jose has never lost to Chicago winning all three meetings, including a 51-43 decisionearlier this year on April 16 in San Jose.

THE SCHEDULES:
2004 San Jose SaberCats (12-5)
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
May 30 ARIZONA Lost 43-50
Playoffs Opponent Result Score
June 5 TAMPA BAY Won 56-52
June 12 CHICAGO 12:00 pm NBC/1050

2004 Chicago Rush (12-5)
Game Opponent Result Score
Feb. 8 GRAND RAPIDS Won 50-30
Feb. 14 @New York Won 56-54
Feb. 22 COLORADO Won 65-35
Feb. 29 @Indiana Won 49-46
Mar. 7 @Philadelphia Lost 47-53
Mar. 21 ORLANDO Won 58-15
Mar. 28 DETROIT Lost 71-72
Apr. 4 @Las Vegas Won 57-55
Apr. 11 TAMPA BAY Won 51-36
Apr. 16 @San Jose Lost 43-51
Apr. 25 LOS ANGELES Lost 35-71
May 2 @Detroit Won 57-40
May 8 @Grand Rapids Won 63-35
May 16 DALLAS Won 45-41
May 23 INDIANA Won 53-37
May 30 @Colorado Lost 47-56
Playoffs Opponent Result Score
June 6 ORLANDO Won 59-49
June 12 @San Jose 12:00 pm NBC

THE SERIES: San Jose has never lost to Chicago winning all three meetings. The teams played earlier this season with the SaberCats victorious 51-43 in San Jose on Apr. 16...San Jose is 2-0 at HP Pavilion with both games being decided by a combined total of 14 points. The SaberCats defeated Chicago, 74-68, on June 15, 2002...San Jose won the only contest in Chicago, 71-49, on March 9, 2003...This will be the first postseason meeting between the clubs.



SERIES NOTABLES: The SaberCats have at least one INT in each of the three series games and have totaled 7...WR/DB Rashied Davis set a career-high with 6 catches and had his 1st career INT return touchdown at Chicago on Mar. 9, 2003...San Jose allowed a record 32 third quarter points against Chicago and the teams combined for a SaberCats record 52 third quarter points on June 15, 2002...Six of OS James Hundon's 12 career receptions against Chicago have been for TDs...FB/LB Keala Keanaaina had a career-high 2 pass breakups at Chicago on Mar. 9, 2003...San Jose set team records with 252 combined kick return yards (200 KOR, 52 MFG) and 3 return TDs against Chicago on June 15, 2002...The SaberCats have scored 70-or-more points in a game 19 times in franchise history and have done it in two of the three games with Chicago.

LAST SERIES MEETING: SaberCats 51, Chicago 43 • Friday, April 16, 2004 • HP Pavilion – Brian Johnson's first career rushing touchdown and a successful point after by Dan Frantz with :48 left in the fourth quarter gave the SaberCats their first lead of the game and they held on to beat the Chicago Rush, 51-43, in a battle of two of the top two teams in the Arena Football League. The 4-yard plunge by Johnson tied the score at 43-43 and the successful PAT gave San Jose a one point margin. The go ahead score came after an Omarr Smith interception at his own 1-yard line. It was Smith's 20th career interception. Frantz recovered the ensuing onside kick attempt and the SaberCats sealed the win with a 21-yard Barry Wagner touchdown run with :34 remaining. For the fourth straight game the SaberCats faced an early 14-point deficit and for the third time they rallied for the victory. Rush quarterback Raymond Philyaw tossed a pair of scoring passes to Jeremy McDaniel in the first four minutes of the game to stake Chicago to a two touchdown advantage. San Jose rallied behind Mark Grieb. His 8-yard scoring pass to James Roe on the first play of the second quarter cut the SaberCats deficit in half and his 24-yard strike to James Hundon pulled the SaberCats within three at 17-14 midway through the second quarter. Frantz converted on a 21-yard field goal as time expired to make the score 23-17 at the half. Grieb found Roe on a 10-yard scoring play on the first second half possession to knot the score at 23-23. Grieb went 24-of-38 for 292 yards and five touchdowns. Roe had 10 catches for 95 yards and three scores. Philyaw's three second half scoring passes to rookie Etu Molden gave the Rush the lead, but each time the SaberCats countered. The final scoring play was a 24-yarder that gave Chicago a 43-37 advantage after Keith Gispert failed on the PAT. Philyaw finished the game 21-of-35 for 229 yards with six touchdowns. Hundon hauled in seven passes for 195 yards to surpass Steve Papin as San Jose's career leader in receiving yardage. He also had a pair of scoring grabs before leaving the game late with a facial laceration.

Score By Quarters
Rush...................................... 14 9 14 6 – 43
SaberCats............................... 0 17 13 21 – 51

SCORING SUMMARY
Team Scoring Play
CHI McDaniel 14 pass from Philyaw (Gispert kick)
CHI McDaniel 11 pass from Philyaw (Gispert kick)
SAN Roe 8 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
CHI FG Gispert 23
SAN Hundon 24 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
CHI McDaniel 28 pass from Philyaw (kick failed)
SAN FG Frantz 21
SAN Roe 10 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick failed)
CHI Molden 16 pass from Philyaw (Gispert kick)
SAN Roe 14 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
SAN Molden 18 pass from Philyaw (Gispert kick)
SAN Hundon 16 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
CHI Molden 24 pass from Philyaw (kick failed)
SAN Johnson 4 run (Frantz kick)
SAN Wagner 21 run (Frantz kick)

Individual Statistics
Passing: CHI - Philyaw 21-35-1-229. SAN - Grieb 24-38-0-292.
Rushing: CHI - McGourty 2-4; McMillen 2-2. SAN - Wagner 3-40; Johnson 2-5; Buck 1-3; R. Davis 2-0; Kinsinger 1-(-2).
Receiving: CHI - Molden 10-116; McDaniel 6-79; Alfonzo 2-16; Fleshman 2-10; McMillen 1-8. SAN - Roe 10-95; Hundon 7-131; R. Davis 6-57; Coleman 1-9.
Kick Returns: CHI - McDaniel 5-109; Alfonzo 1-1. SAN - R. Davis 4-61; Hundon 2-9; Coleman 1-13.

ALL-TIME SERIES SCORES
Date Score
Apr. 16, 2004 @San Jose 51, Chicago 43
Mar. 9, 2003 San Jose 71, @Chicago 49
June 15, 2002 @San Jose 74, Chicago 68

THE IFS...:
If the SaberCats defeat Chicago it would...
*Advance them to the ArenaBowl for a second time.
*Be their 2nd semifinal win.
*Give them a 2-3 record in semifinal games.
*Give them an 8-6 playoff record.
*Give them an 8-3 home playoff record.
*Give them a 4-0 series advantage.
*Be the 101st victory in franchise history.
*Be their 1st playoff victory over the Rush.

THE COACHES:
San Jose – Darren Arbet, 6th season
71-27 (.724) overall; 7-3 (.700) postseason
3-0 (1.000) career vs. Chicago
One of the most successful coaches in the Arena Football League, two-time Coach of the Year Darren Arbet completes 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 58-16 (.784) 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).


Chicago – Mike Hohensee, 11th season
85-76 (.528) overall; 6-7 (.462) postseason
0-7 (.000) career vs. San Jose
Chicago head coach Mike Hohensee became just the fourth coach in AFL history to accumulate 80 career wins when the Rush defeated Tampa Bay on April 11 and owns an 85-76 (.528) all-time record. Now in his 11th season as a head coach in the AFL, Hohensee was hired as the first coach in Rush history on September 26, 2000. He has a regular season record of 35-25 (.583) in his fourth season with the Rush and is 38-28 (.576) overall. He has led the Rush to four consecutive playoff berths and a pair of Central Division titles.

RECENT RESULTS: SABERCATS 56, Tampa Bay 52 – Quarterback Mark Grieb's heroics gave San Jose a 35-6 half time margin, but his counterpart Shane Stafford with Tampa Bay had six second-half touchdowns that sparked a Storm comeback, but the SaberCats held on for a 56-52 Arena Football League quarterfinal win Saturday. The SaberCats (12-5), the AFL's 2nd seed, will be in the semifinals for the fifth straight year. Tampa Bay (9-8) closed out the season, despite a six-game winning streak at the end to get into the playoffs. Grieb, the game's Most Valuable Player, was 16 of 19 for 148 yards in the first half and had a pair of touchdown passes to James Roe and another to Shalon Baker in the second period to build a 35-6 lead. "I don't think we played the way we are capable of," said Grieb, who was six of 13 in the second half. "But a playoff win is a win, no matter how you look at it." Roe, who had season high's at Tampa earlier in the year, and James Hundon, each had a pair of touchdowns. Roe missed the last four games of the regular season, but he managed seven catches for 81 yards. "I was trying to shake off the rust of being out," said Roe, who teamed with James Hundon for 104 first-half yards."But, I'm just thankful I could be out there today." Freddie Solomon's five-yard catch from Stafford to close the opening third quarter drive and San Jose led, 35-12. The ensuing on-side kick by Ignacio Brache went straight to Omarr Smith at the eight yard line and the all-league defensive specialist ran it in for a touchdown that gave the SaberCats their biggest margin, a 42-12 lead with 10:36 left in the third quarter. The teams exchanged touchdowns with Keala Keanaaina's second rushing score from two yards out closing out the third-quarter scoring to give San Jose a 56-25 lead. "I thought we came out strong and even played a good third quarter," said San Jose head coach Darren Arbet. "We just need to correct the fourth quarter problems." Stafford was 17 of 27 for 237 yards and six touchdowns in the second half. He had touchdown passes to Lawrence Samuels and a pair to Solomon, including a one-yarder with 15 seconds left in the game. Brache's extra point kicked was wide left, which would have closed the gap to three points. "They're line play was excellent in the first half, but we protected better in the second half," said Tampa head coach Tim Marcum.

RECENT ROSTER MOVES
Date Action
May 29 Re-signed DS Wendell Davis, DS Clevan Thomas and WR/DB Barry Wagner. Activated OS James Hundon from the IR.
June 1 Re-signed DS Omarr Smith.
June 2 Signed FB/LB Bryant Lawrence to PS.
INJURY REPORT
Player Injury Status
Fred Coleman Ankle sprain Probable
Brian Johnson Ankle sprain Probable

2004 FINAL LEAGUE TEAM RANKINGS
Category SaberCats Rush
Scoring Offense (Rank) 55.3 (2nd) 52.9 (4th)
Scoring Defense 47.1 (7th) 45.4 (3rd)
Total Offense 275.9 (3rd) 250.2 (16th)
Total Defense 270.3 (14th) 255.0 (4th)
Pass Offense 255.3 (5th) 214.9 (18th)
Pass Defense 257.9 (18th) 226.4 (3rd)
Rushing Offense 20.6 (9th) 35.4 (3rd)
Rushing Defense 12.4 (1st) 28.6 (17th)
Pass Rating 131.9 (1st) 116.0 (6th)
Pass Defense Rating 98.7 (3rd) 104.8 (6th)
Interceptions 22 (1st) 16 (5th)
Turnover Margin +10 (5th) +15 (T-1st)
Kickoff Return Avg. 20.9 (2nd) 18.5 (7th)
Field Goal Return Avg. 23.0 (5th) 25.0 (3rd)
Sacks By 14 (T-11th) 23 (2nd)
Sacks Against 22 (17th) 6 (T-3rd)

2004 FINAL LEAGUE INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
Player Category No. Rank
Mark Grieb Total Offense 4,113 5th
Mark Grieb Completion Pct. 73.0 1st
Mark Grieb Pass TDs 75 7th
Mark Grieb Passer Rating 133.5 1st
Mark Grieb Passing Yards 4,111 5th
Mark Grieb Pass Yards/Game 256.9 5th
Mark Grieb Pass Yards/Att. 9.0 1st
James Roe Scoring 174 10th
James Roe TD Receptions 27 8th
James Hundon Receiving Yards 1,253 9th
Rashied Davis KOR Average 24.1 1st
Rashied Davis KOR Touchdowns 4 T-3rd
Barry Wagner Rushing TDs 12 8th
Dan Frantz Kick Scoring 127 8th
Dan Frantz PAT Attempts 123 1st
Dan Frantz PAT Makes 106 1st
Omarr Smith Interceptions 9 T-1st
Omarr Smith INT Return TDs 1 T-3rd
Omarr Smith Passes Defended 23 T-4th
Omarr Smith Tackles 83.0 6th
Sam Hernandez Sacks 4.0 T-9th
Joe Jacobs Sacks 4.0 T-9th

2004 SEASON REVIEW:
The SaberCats have set the standard for success in the Arena Football League and 2004 was no different. Going 11-5 this season, the team tied for the best overall record in the league and matched an AFL record by posting 10-or-more wins in a season for the fifth consecutive year. San Jose started the year quickly by posting its sixth straight season opening win, beating the Detroit Fury 58-43 in the Motor City. Heroics by Rashied Davis allowed the SaberCats to defeat the Avengers, 61-55, in Los Angeles. Davis tied a team record by returning two kickoffs for scores. For the second straight year the SaberCats were the last team to play a home game, but it was worth the wait. Jumping out to a 21-0 lead, San Jose cruised to a 62-31 win over Grand Rapids to improve to 3-0. San Jose lost more than a game in Week 5. A cross-country trip that saw the team fly into Philadelphia and bus to New York due to weather problems also ended the team's run. The Dragons dealt the SaberCats a 64-50 loss and in the process the team lost DS Clevan Thomas for the year with a knee injury. Calvin Schexnayder and Jerry Reese also sustained injuries that forced them to leave the game. Home cooking was just what the SaberCats needed, and it came in the form of a three-game homestand. San Jose posted wins over Colorado, Las Vegas and Los Angeles to improve to 6-1 on the year. San Jose tied a league record with six rushing TDs and scored the fifth-most points in team history in their 79-62 win over the Gladiators. A thrilling game with the Avengers extended San Jose's regular season home win streak to seven games. James Roe intercepted a Tony Graziani pass and returned it 7-yards for a score to give the SaberCats their first lead of the game. It was the first INT thrown by the L.A. signal-caller this season. A trip to Tampa saw the last two ArenaBowl champs square off in a Sunday matinee. Roe followed his defensive heroics with an offensive outburst as he tied a league record with seven TD receptions, including the game winner with just :07 remaining, to lift San Jose to a 62-55 win. Grieb tied a career-high and team game record with nine scoring tosses. The Dallas Desperados scored a late touchdown to snap San Jose's 4-game win streak in Week 10. Jason Shelley's 6-yard scoring run with 25 seconds left offset a 13-catch, 179 yard effort by James Hundon to give Dallas a 58-54 win. A matchup with Central Division leading Chicago in Week 11 saw San Jose win again at home. Brian Johnson scored his 1st career rushing TD and the SaberCats used a 21-6 fourth quarter run to upend the Rush 51-43 extending their home winning streak to eight. A road trip to Georgia saw the SaberCats jump out to a 49-14 lead and cruise to a 63-34 win over the Force in Week 12 to improve to 9-2 on the season. James Roe became just the second player in franchise history with 300 career receptions when he snared a 16-yard TD pass from Grieb midway through the third quarter. The two teams with the best record in the AFL met in Week 13 when San Jose hosted New Orleans. Both squads entered the contest with identical 10-2 records, but it was San Jose who proved to be the better team on this night. The SaberCats overcame an early 20-7 deficit and outscored the VooDoo 40-7 in the second half to post a 68-34 win. Grieb had a perfect second half going 10-for-10 for 155 yards and three scores and San Jose's defense intercepted four John Fitzgerald passes, tying a team record. A bump in the road came on the road in Weeks 14 and 15. The SaberCats suffered back-to-back losses at Arizona, 58-41, and Las Vegas, 44-35, sending the team home for the final two games with a 10-4 record. The loss at Arizona marked the first time all season the SaberCats failed to score at least 50 points in a game and the point total against the Gladiators was the lowest since the 2001 season. The SaberCats secured a top-4 seed in the playoffs and got back in the win column with a 48-36 win over the expansion Philadelphia Soul in Week 16. The brawl for it all took place on the final weekend of the regular season when the SaberCats hosted rival Arizona with the winner taking the Western Division title and the No. 1 seed for the postseason. The SaberCats jumped out to a 34-14 lead but failed to hold the advantage and dropped their third straight game to the Rattlers. A potential game winning scoring pass was dropped by Barry Wagner with seven seconds remaining and a Dan Frantz 48-yard field goal attempt was blocked and returned for a touchdown as time expired. Individual accolades came to QB Mark Grieb as he set new league standards by completing 73 percent of his passes and amassed a passer rating of 133.5. Grieb completed over 70 percent of his passes in 12 of 16 games. Wagner, in his 13th season, surpassed former Albany/Indiana Firebird Eddie Brown as the AFL's career leader in receiving yards and ended the year with a career total of 12,812.

DRIVE TO ARENABOWL XVIII
The Drive to ArenaBowl XVIII continues with semifinal action on Saturday, June 12 and Sunday, June 13. All games will be televised on NBC

Quarterfinal Playoff Games
Saturday, June 5
(2) SAN JOSE 56, (7) Tampa Bay 52
Sunday, June 6
(1) ARIZONA 59, (8) Los Angeles 42
(3) CHICAGO 59, (6) Orlando 49
(5) Colorado 47, (4) NEW ORLEANS 44

Semifinal Playoff Games
Saturday, June 12
(3) Chicago at (2) San Jose, 12:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 13
(5) Colorado at (1) Arizona, 12:00 p.m.

The semifinal winners will meet in ArenaBowl XVIII on Sunday, June 27 at 1:00 p.m. (PT) at the venue of the highest remaining seed.

PLAYOFF NOTABLES:
POSTSEASON HISTORY – The SaberCats secured a playoff berth for the fifth straight season and the eighth time in the franchise's 10-year history. San Jose posted its first-ever playoff win with a 63-40 quarterfinal decision over the Oklahoma Wranglers in HP Pavilion on Aug. 4, 2000, and has won at least one playoff game in each of the last five seasons. San Jose is 7-6 all-time in postseason play going 7-3 at home and 0-3 on the road.

ARENABOWL BOUND – The two semifinal winners will meet on Sunday, June 27 in ArenaBowl XVIII at the venue of the highest remaining seed. San Jose will host the title game with a win over Chicago and a victory by Colorado over Arizona. San Jose has appeared in one ArenaBowl, hosting and defeating Arizona, 52-14, on August 18, 2002 in ArenaBowl XVI. With a SaberCats victory and a win by Arizona, San Jose would travel to Phoenix for a rematch of the 2002 Championship game.

PLANT THE SEED – For the first time in eight playoff appearances the SaberCats enter the postseason as the No. 2 seed. San Jose was the top seeded team in 2000, 2002 and 2003 and played as the No. 3 seed in 1995 and 2001. The team entered the postseason as the seventh-seeded team in 1997 and was the eighth seed in 1998.

SEMIFINALISTS – The SaberCats reached the semifinal round of the playoffs for the fifth straight season with their 56-52 win over Tampa Bay on June 5. The SaberCats are the only team to reach the final four in each of the last five years. Arizona has been a semifinalist in four of the last five years while Orlando has made it three times. San Jose owns a 1-3 record in semifinal round action beating Orlando, 52-40, in 2002. The SaberCats lost twice to Nashville (2000, 2001) and were defeated by Arizona last season.

Year Seed Result
2004 No. 2 ??
2003 No. 1 Lost in semis
2002 No. 1 Won ArenaBowl
2001 No. 3 Lost in semis
2000 No. 1 Lost in semis
1998 No. 8 Lost in quarters
1997 No. 7 Lost in quarters
1995 No. 3 Lost in quarters

PLAYOFFS OR BUST – WR/DB Barry Wagner has never missed the playoffs in his 13-year career. He made eight postseason appearances with the Orlando Predators and this marks his 5th straight season with the SaberCats. Only once during his career has he not made it past the quarterfinal round. That came in 1996 when Orlando lost to Arizona. Wagner has played in six ArenaBowls, five with Orlando and one with San Jose, winning championships in 1998 and 2002.

PLAYOFF EXPERIENCED – The SaberCats have 19 players who are currently on the active roster or injured reserve that were affiliated with the team during its championship season of 2002, including seven linemen. Chuck Reed, Sam Hernandez, Frank Beede, Joe Jacobs, Albrey Battle and George Williams all played in San Jose's ArenaBowl XVI victory, while Dan Loney was on IR in 2002.

BACK TO BACK TO BACK – DS Omarr Smith has won consecutive titles with two different teams and has a chance to become the first player in league history to win three consecutive championships. Smith was a starting two-way player with San Jose in 2002 before moving to Tampa Bay and claiming another title as a DS last season.

SACK MASTER – Sam Hernandez is San Jose's all-time leader in playoff games played having participated in his 11th on June 5. Hernandez is also the SaberCats leader in postseason sacks with 5.0. He accumulated a team playoff game record 2.0 sacks against Georgia on May 31, 2003 and tied for the team lead with 4.0 during the regular season.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME – Saturday's game will be the 7th straight postseason game at HP Pavilion for the SaberCats. San Jose has not played on the road in the postseason since dropping a 71-47 semifinal game at Nashville on Aug. 11, 2001. San Jose won three home games in 2002, including a 52-14 victory over Arizona in ArenaBowl XVI, and had two games at HP Pavilion last season. San Jose's 56-52 win over Tampa Bay on June 5 gives the franchise a 7-3 all-time home playoff record.

LORDS OF THE RINGS – The SaberCats have four players on their roster that have ArenaBowl championships with other teams in the league. Omarr Smith, Barry Wagner and Joe Jacobs each won a ring with the SaberCats in 2002 as well. Smith captured his second ring last season as a member of the Storm, while Wagner captured a title with in Orlando in 1998 and Jacobs with Albany in 1999. Calvin Schexnayder earned a ring as a member of the Arizona Rattlers' 1997 title team.

TRENDS:
JUST WIN – The SaberCats became the fifth franchise in AFL history to record 100 overall wins with their 56-52 win on June 5. In order to reach that historic milestone, San Jose had to defeat the club with the most wins in league history, Tampa Bay. The Tampa Bay/Pittsburgh franchise leads the way with 168 wins followed by Orlando (142), Arizona (140) and Albany/Indiana (117). Below is a breakdown of the winningest franchises in AFL history.

Team Record Pct. Wins/Year
Tampa Bay/Pittsburgh 168-82 .672 9.3
Orlando 142-74 .657 10.1
Arizona 140-64 .686 10.8
Indiana/Albany 117-87 .575 8.4
San Jose 100-55 .645 10.0

HOME SWEET HOME – The SaberCats tied a league record with seven regular season home wins in 2004 and, including their quarterfinal victory over Tampa Bay on June 5, are 40-6 (.870) overall in HP Pavilion since the start of the 2000 season. San Jose's win over Tampa Bay was its 6th win in its last seven home playoff games. The SaberCats are 7-3 all-time in home playoff games.

WHAT'S THE POINT – The SaberCats broke a stretch of four straight games without reaching the 50-point mark in their 56-52 win over Tampa Bay on June 5. San Jose had gone the final four games of the regular season without cracking the half century mark, the longest stretch of non 50-plus point games since the beginning of the 1998 season. San Jose placed 2nd in the league in scoring average at 55.3 ppg.

PASS ATTACK – Tampa Bay QB Shane Stafford tied a SaberCats postseason opponent record by tossing 43 passes on June 5. Stafford became the 16th starting QB to throw over 30 passes in a game this season and the 7th to throw over 40 times in a game. 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 threw 30-or-more passes in a game just six times.

HEADS OR TAILS – The SaberCats lost the opening coin toss to Tampa Bay on June 5 for the 5th straight game, but evened their season record at 5-5 when losing the toss with a 56-52 win over the Storm. San Jose is a perfect 7-0 on the year when winning the opening coin toss.

NOTES:
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.

QUARTER-BACK – Mark Grieb improved to 4-0 as the SaberCats starting QB in quarterfinal round playoff games by leading San Jose to a 56-52 win over Tampa Bay on June 5. Grieb completed his first eight passes and finished the game 22-of-32 for 223 yards and 4 TDs without an INT. In the four quarterfinal games Grieb was 81-of-114 (71.1%) for 1,047 yards with 21 TDs and just one INT. His passer rating stands at 135.5.

NOW THE SEMIS – Grieb is 0-3 as the SaberCats starting QB in semifinal round games completing 58-of-110 (52.7%) for 705 yards with 17 TDs and 3 INTs. His passer rating in those three games stands at 100.0. Grieb was injured during the 2002 postseason when the SaberCats won the ArenaBowl title behind John Dutton.

ON THE MARK – Grieb completed over 70 percent of his passes in 12 of 16 regular season games and finished the year at 72.98 percent, becoming the first QB in league history (with a minimum of 200 attempts) to have a percentage above 70. Grieb ended the year with a team season record 335 completions in 459 attempts. He also became the first QB in franchise history to throw for over 4,000 yards (4,111) and broke his 2003 team season record for TD passes with 75. Grieb also broke Raymond Philyaw's 2001 league season pass efficiency record by accumulating a 133.5 rating. He had a mark of 120.0 or higher in 11 games and twice had a perfect passer rating of 158.3.

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 second highest winning percentage of all the coaches in the 70-win club.

Rnk Coach, Team Record Pct.
1. Tim Marcum, Tampa Bay 167-63 .726
2. Danny White, Arizona 140-64 .686
3. Perry Moss (retired) 86-35 .711
4. Mike Hohensee, Chicago 85-76 .528
5. Mike Trigg, Philadelphia 78-84 .481
6. Mike Dailey, Colorado 75-51 .595
7. John Gregory (retired) 73-56 .566
8. Darren Arbet, San Jose 71-27 .724

RAH-SHEED – DS Rashied Davis posted his 1st career postseason interception in his first-ever playoff game. Davis snared an errant Shane Stafford offering in his own endzone at the end of the first half of San Jose's quarterfinal playoff win over Tampa Bay on June 5. It was the first INT in a playoff game by a SaberCat since Omarr Smith picked off Sherdrick Bonner in ArenaBowl XVI on August 18, 2002. San Jose failed to intercept a pass in two playoff games last season.

DO THE ‘D' – Defensive Player of the Year candidate Omarr Smith, who was last season's runner-up to current teammate Clevan Thomas for the award, made a case for the honor this season. Smith established a season career-best with a league-high tying 9 interceptions, the fourth highest total in franchise history, and set club records with 83.0 total tackles and 71 solo stops. Smith also led the team with 14 PBUs and tied for 4th in the league with 23 passes defended.

THE JAMES GANG – The SaberCats had both members of the ‘James Gang' in the lineup against Tampa Bay on June 5 for the first time since May 1, a span of four games. Roe and Hundon combined for 14 receptions (7 each) and 145 yards in the 56-52 win over Tampa Bay. Roe also chipped in with a pair of TD catches. Hundon failed to catch a TD pass for the second straight playoff game after grabbing 13 in his first six postseason games. The pair have been on the field together in each of San Jose's last seven playoff games and the team is 5-2. Hundon is San Jose's career playoff leader in receptions (62) and receiving yards (771) and is tied with Barry Wagner for the team lead with 13 TD receptions.

HARDWARE – The SaberCats claimed plenty of hardware offered by the league office in 2004. QB Mark Grieb earned Offensive Player of the Month honors twice (February, April) and was twice named the Baby Ruth Real Deal Offensive Player of the Week (week 6 and 13). James Roe claimed league weekly honors in back-to-back weeks, earning the U.S. Army Ironman award in Week 8 and Co-Offensive POW in Week 9. Omarr Smith was tabbed Defensive Player of the Week following the opening week of play, Rashied Davis earned Ironman honors in Week 3 and Barry Wagner received his league record 38th weekly award with Ironman honors in Week 15. The AFLWA also voted Grieb and Roe as its Player of the Week.

ALL-ARENA TEAM
Omarr Smith, DS (First Team)
Mark Grieb, QB (Second Team)
ALL-IRONMAN TEAM
James Roe, WR/LB
Rashied Davis, WR/DB

CHICAGO PLAYERS TO WATCH:
FB/LB BOB MCMILLEN – The former SaberCat was a vital member of San Jose's 2002 ArenaBowl championship team and also won titles with Arizona in 1994 and 1997. McMillen finished 2nd in the AFL with a career-high 285 rushing yards and led the circuit with a career-best 22 rushing TDs. He helped the Rush set a new AFL record with 49 rush TDs, breaking San Jose's 2003 mark of 47. Defensively McMillen tallied 26.0 tackles, one shy of his career-high set in 2003, and a sack. His interception in last week's quarterfinal playoff game against Orlando was pivotal in Chicago's victory.

WR/LB ETU MOLDEN – A strong candidate for league Rookie of the Year honors, Molden did it all for the Rush in 2004. He led the team with 101 catches for 1,280 yards and 23 TDs and also scored six times rushing the football. He added a pair of scores on kickoff returns to lead the team with 198 points. The former All-American at the University of Montana also posted 25.5 tackles and a pair of INTs from his linebacker position. Against the SaberCats on April 16, Molden hauled in a season-high tying 10 balls for 116 yards and 3 TDs.

QB RAYMOND PHILYAW – Effective if not spectacular best describes the play of Philyaw. The former Albany/Indiana Firebird completed 247-of-389 for 3,053 yards with 52 TDs and just 4 interceptions on the season. Philyaw has started four career games against San Jose and is just 1-3 in those games. He threw for 393 yards and 8 TDs in Indiana's 66-63 win over the SaberCats on July 15, 2001. He has lost his last three starts against San Jose with all games being played in HP Pavilion. Earlier this season on April 16, Philyaw was 21-of-35 for 229 yards and 6 TDs, but his fourth quarter INT led to San Jose's game-winning score in a 51-43 SaberCats' victory

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) QB Mark Grieb, San Jose

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) DL Bryan Henderson, Arizona

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) WR/LB Shalon Baker, San Jose


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 1-2 2-1
50-59 points 5-2 4-3
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 4-2
by 3 or fewer points 1-0

Leading after the 1st 5-3
Trailing after the 1st 6-2
Tied after the 1st 1-0

Leading at Half 8-4
Trailing at Half 3-1
Tied at Half 1-0

Leading after the 3rd 10-3
Trailing after the 3rd 2-1
Tied after the 3rd 0-1

Scoring First 5-4
Opp. Score First 7-1

More Total Offense 5-4
Less Total Offense 7-1

More Pass Yards 5-4
Less Pass Yards 7-1

More Rushing Yards 9-2
Less Rushing Yards 3-2

Thursday games 1-0
Friday games 2-0
Saturday games 5-1
Sunday games 4-4

On NBC 4-2
On WB20 1-0
On NBC11 0-2

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

Outscoring Opponent 12-0
Being Outscored 0-5

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