San Jose SaberCats game notes

March 8, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release


THE QUICK FACTS:
Game: Philadelphia Soul (2-4) at SaberCats (2-3).
Date: Friday, March 11, 2005.
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. (PST).
Site: HP Pavilion at San Jose (14,140).
Officials: Referee: Bill Athan; Umpire: Tim Morris; Head Linesman: Neil Brunner; Line Judge: Dirk Bell; Back Judge: Billy Beckett.
Television: FOX Sports will televise the game on tape delay in the Bay Area on Sunday, March 13 at 2:30 p.m. Randy Hahn (play-by-play), Mike Pawlawski (color) and F.P. Santangelo (sideline) call the action.
Radio: San Jose's flagship station KNBR-1050 will broadcast the game live with Bob Fitzgerald (play-by-play) and Keena Turner (commentary). Tim Liotta and George Atkinson host an extended pre-game show beginning at 5:00 p.m. on KNBR-1050
Internet: Log on to www.KNBR.com to hear a live webcast of Sunday's game.
Series Record: SaberCats lead 1-0.
Last Meeting: SaberCats 48, Soul 36 on May 22, 2004 in San Jose.
Series Streaks: SaberCats Won 1.
Coaches: San Jose, Darren Arbet (7th season; 66-27 regular season, 75-30 overall). Philadelphia, James Fuller (1st season; 0-1 regular season and overall).

OVERVIEW: The SaberCats return to HP Pavilion for a two-game homestand starting on Friday, March 11, when they host Tony Graziani and the Philadelphia Soul at 7:30 p.m. (PT). FOX Sports Net will air a tape delayed broadcast of the game in the Bay Area on Sunday, Mar. 13 at 2:30 p.m....The SaberCats put an end to their three-game road trip and snapped their two-game losing streak with a 57-38 victory over the Orlando Predators on Mar. 6. Barry Wagner reached another milestone for the second straight game as he registered three TDs against his former club to reach the 400 career plateau. He also eclipsed the 13,000 mark in career receiving yards and tied James Hundon for 3rd place on the SaberCats career receptions list with 307...San Jose failed to reach the 60-point mark for the first time in four games but did record the highest point total against Orlando this season...San Jose's defense recorded four turnovers on downs and Clevan Thomas intercepted his 20th career pass as the SaberCats limited the Predators to 212 yards of offense...San Jose will play seven of its next 11 games at HP Pavilion where the club has a 34-4 (.895) record in regular season games since the start of the 2000 season and is 42-6 (.875) overall during that time.

THE SCHEDULES:

2005 San Jose SaberCats (2-3)
Date Opponent Result Score
Jan. 30 @Tampa Bay Lost 33-63
Feb. 5 LAS VEGAS Won 66-31
Feb. 13 @New Orleans Lost 61-62
Feb. 20 @Los Angeles Lost 69-71
Mar. 6 @Orlando Won 57-38
Date Opponent Time (PT) Radio/TV
Mar. 11 PHILADELPHIA 7:30 pm 1050
Mar. 18 GRAND RAPIDS 7:30 pm 1050
Mar. 28 @Las Vegas 7:00 pm 1050
Apr. 3 ARIZONA 6:00 pm 1050-680
Apr. 10 @Chicago 10:00 am 1050/NBC
Apr. 15 DALLAS 7:30 pm 1050
Apr. 22 @Colorado 6:00 pm 1050
Apr. 29 NASHVILLE 7:30 pm 1050
May 7 LOS ANGELES 7:30 pm 1050-680
May 14 @Arizona 7:00 pm 1050
May 21 GEORGIA 7:30 pm 1050

2005 Philadelphia Soul (2-4)
Game Opponent Result Score
Jan. 30 @Austin Won 66-35
Feb. 6 @Chicago Lost 41-51
Feb. 13 NASHVILLE Won 59-48
Feb. 20 @New Orleans Lost 47-61
Feb. 27 DALLAS Lost 43-72
Mar. 6 NEW YORK Lost 54-61
Game Opponent Time (PT) TV
Mar. 11 @San Jose 7:30 pm FSN
Mar. 20 TAMPA BAY 9:00 am NBC
Mar. 27 GRAND RAPIDS 12:00 pm
Apr. 3 @Columbus 9:00 am NBC
Apr. 10 @Colorado 10:00 am NBC
Apr. 17 LAS VEGAS 10:00 am NBC
Apr. 24 @New York 10:00 am NBC
May 1 ORLANDO 10:00 am NBC
May 15 COLUMBUS 10:00 am NBC
May 22 @Dallas 12:00 pm NBC

THE SERIES: San Jose won the only meeting between the clubs breaking a two-game losing streak with a 48-36 win in San Jose on May 22, 2004...The SaberCats scored the game's final 14 points to overcome a 2-point fourth quarter deficit and earned a top four playoff seed with the win.

WHAT'S AHEAD: The SaberCats play their second straight home game when they host Michael Bishop and the Grand Rapids Rampage on Friday, March 18 at 7:30 p.m. Following that game San Jose plays its own version of Monday Night Football traveling to Las Vegas on March 28 for a 7:00 p.m. game.

SERIES NOTABLES: The SaberCats defeated the Soul in San Jose 48-36 on May 22, 2004 in the only meeting between the clubs. San Jose's victory broke a 2-game losing streak and secured a top-4 playoff seed...The Philadelphia pass rush sacked Mark Grieb 4 times, the most Grieb has ever been sacked in a single game and the second highest total allowed in SaberCats history. It is also a Philadelphia team record...The Soul's Tyronne Jones returned a missed field goal 54-yards for a touchdown, the only kick return touchdown allowed by San Jose in 2004...Philadelphia backup QB Tim Levcik made his first AFL start and threw the longest pass play in team history, a 48-yard bomb to Tyronne Jones...San Jose was victorious against the Soul despite playing without their top receivers James Hundon and James Roe, their top FB/LBs Matt Kinsinger and Keala Keanaaina and all-star OL/DL Sam Hernandez...Shalon Baker had his only interception of the year, and 7th career, in the fourth quarter of the contest against Philadelphia...Philadelphia kicker Ken Hinsley set a Soul record for field goals in a game with three (30, 43 and 22 yards)...QB Mark Grieb was an efficient 22-for-29 for 289 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions and finished the game with a 146.4 passer rating.

LAST SERIES MEETING: SABERCATS 48, Philadelphia 36 • Saturday, May 22, 2004 • HP Pavilion – Quarterback Mark Grieb threw four touchdown passes to lead the SaberCats to a 48-36 win over the Soul to secure a top-4 seed in the Arena Football League playoffs. The SaberCats broke a two-game losing streak with the win. 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 after he was released by Las Vegas, ironically played against the SaberCats for the second consecutive week. He had four grabs for the Soul for 31 yards.

SCORE BY QUARTERS
Soul........................................ 10 10 13 3 – 36
SaberCats................................ 7 20 7 14 – 48

SCORING SUMMARY
Team Play
PHI Ryan 1 run (Hinsley kick)
SAN Coleman 9 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
PHI FG Hinsley 30
SAN Baker 7 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
SAN Loney 0 fumble recovery (Frantz kick)
PHI Jones 48 pass from Levcik (Hinsley kick)
SAN Coleman 19 pass from Grieb (kick failed)
PHI FG Hinsley 43
PHI Ryan 6 run (Hinsley kick)
PHI Jones 54 missed field goal return (kick failed)
SAN Johnson 5 run (Frantz kick)
PHI FG Hinsley 22
SAN Coleman 26 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
SAN Johnson 2 run (Frantz kick)

INDIVIDUAL STASTICS
Passing: PHI – Levcik 13-30-2-161. SAN – Grieb 22-29-0-289.
Rushing: PHI – Ryan 4-15; Levcik 1-6; Jackson 4-2. SAN – Johnson 3-15; Wagner 3-6; Grieb 1-5; Reed 1-(-1).
Receiving: PHI – Shaw 4-31; Jones 3-60; Solomon 2-19; Jackosn 2-17; Adams 1-25; Ryan 1-9. SAN – Coleman 9-130; Baker 6-71; Wagner 4-38; Pauley 1-27; Battle 1-12; Schexnayder 1-11.
Kick Returns: PHI – Jones 3-68; Adams 1-8; Shaw 1-(-1). SAN – Coleman 3-63; Wagner 1-14.

ALL-TIME SERIES SCORES
Date Score
May 22, 2004 @San Jose 48, Philadelphia 36

THE IFS...:
If the SaberCats defeat Philadelphia it would...
*Give them a 2-game winning streak.
*Move their season record to .500 (3-3).
*Give them a 2-0 series lead over the Soul.
*Give the Soul a 4-game losing streak.
*Give San Jose a 105-58 all-time record.
*Give San Jose a 96-52 all-time regular season record.
*Give San Jose a 53-20 all-time reg. season home record.

THE COACHES:
San Jose – Darren Arbet, 7th season
66-27 (.710) reg. season; 75-30 (.714) overall
1-0 (1.000) career vs. Philadelphia
Now in his seventh season at the helm of the SaberCats, two-time Coach of the Year Darren Arbet surpassed John Gregory for sole possession of 7th place in career coaching victories when he won No. 74 on Feb. 5, 2005 and his career overall winning percentage of .714 (75-30) ranks as one of the best in AFL history. Last season Arbet led his club to its second league title in three years and the SaberCats tied a league record by winning 10 or more regular season games for the fifth consecutive season. Since the start of the 2000 season his teams have compiled a 60-19 (.759) regular season record and 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).

Philadelphia – James Fuller, 1st season
0-1 (.000) reg. season and overall
0-0 career vs. San Jose
Now in his eighth year of Arena Football, James Fuller takes over as the Soul's interim Head Coach after more than a season as the team's defensive coordinator. His time with the Soul follows a two-year stint as head coach of the Bakersfield Blitz (af2). Fuller spent two seasons with the Oklahoma Wranglers and established himself as one of the top coaches in Arena Football. His team ranked number one in total defense and pass defense in 2000 while he served as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. Previously, Fuller spent two years as an assistant defensive coach for the Portland Forest Dragons of the AFL, where he played in 1998. An 8th round draft pick of the San Diego Chargers and coach Bobby Ross in 1992, he went on to play for the New Orleans Saints under Jim Mora and Philadelphia Eagles under Ray Rhoades. Fuller was an All NFL-Europe free safety for Scotland under Jim Criner before a knee injury ended his career.

RECENT RESULTS: SABERCATS 57, Orlando 38 – Mark Grieb threw five touchdown passes and Barry Wagner scored three times in his return to Orlando helping the San Jose SaberCats (2-3) end a two-game losing streak with a 57-38 win over the Predators (4-2). Behind Grieb, the game's Offensive MVP, the SaberCats posted the highest first half point total this season against Orlando as he tossed four scoring passes, including two to Wagner, to stake San Jose to a 33-26 edge at the break. Wagner, who spent the first eight years of his career as a Predator, added another milestone to his resume. His third TD of the game came on a 2-yard run late in the fourth quarter and was the 400th of his illustrious career. "It was better than apple pie," said Wagner of his milestone. "It was real sweet." Wagner also hauled in 6 passes to tie James Hundon for 2nd place on the SaberCats career receptions list with 307. After allowing more than 60 points in three of their first four games, the SaberCats clamped down and stopped the Predators four times on downs and held them to just 212 yards of total offense. Defensive specialist Clevan Thomas, playing in his third game of the year, snared his 20th career interception in the fourth quarter to thwart an Orlando drive. San Jose's victory also stopped a five-game regular season losing streak that dated back to last season. "The guys played hard," said SaberCats head coach Darren Arbet. "They came into a hostile environment and took it upon themselves to play and get it done. They did a heck of a job." Grieb finished the game 22-of-35 for 272 yards and completed passes to six different receivers. He did not throw an interception. After playing four of their first five games on the road, the SaberCats now will play seven of their last 11 at home. The stretch begins next week when San Jose hosts Philadelphia on Friday, March 11 at the HP Pavilion.

RECENT ROSTER MOVES
Date Action
Jan. 26 Signed WR/LB Shalon Baker, WR/LB Mike Duncan and WR/LB George Williams to the practice squad.
Jan. 28 Re-signed OL/DL Cedric Pittman and OL/DL George Williams. Signed WR/LB Shalon Baker from the practice squad. Placed OS James Hundon on IR.
Feb. 4 Activated OL/DL Frank Beede from Refused to Report. Placed OL/DL Kevin Jordan on IR. Signed OL/DL Tony Plantin to practice squad.
Feb. 11 Signed OL/DL Tony Plantin from the practice squad. Activated DS Clevan Thomas from IR. Placed OL/DL Cedric Pittman on IR. Waived DS Tremain Mack.
Feb. 15 Signed WR/LB Dave Klemic to practice squad.
Feb. 17 Signed DS Tremain Mack. Placed DS Omarr Smith on IR.
Feb. 18 Activated OL/DL Sebastian Barrie, WR/LB Yardon Brantley and WR/DB Erin Damond from IR. Placed WR/LB Shalon Baker, OL/DL Frank Beede, WR/DB Rodney Wright and OL/DL Devin Wyman on IR.
Feb. 19 Activated OL/DL Kevin Jordan from IR.
Mar. 1 Signed DS Wendell Davis to the practice squad. Waived WR/LB Mike Duncan from the practice squad.
Mar. 4 Activated WR/LB Shalon Baker, OL/DL Frank Beede, WR/DB Rodney Wright and OL/DL Devin Wyman from IR. Placed OL/DL Jason Andersen, WR/DB Erin Damond, OL/DL Kevin Jordan and WR/LB Calvin Schexnayder on IR.

INJURY REPORT
Player Injury Status
Barry Wagner Foot sprain Probable
Tremain Mack Wrist sprain Probable

MILESTONES:
*Calvin Schexnayder needs 4 receptions for 600 career.
*Barry Wagner needs 204 all-purpose yards to become AFL's all-time leader and 1 reception to move into 3rd place in SJ career receptions.
*Rashied Davis needs 20 receptions for 100 career and 95 receiving yards for 1,000 career.
*Shalon Baker needs 2 receptions for 250 career and 2 TD receptions for 60 career.
*James Roe needs 5 TDs and 51 receiving yards to become team's all-time leader in both categories.
*Dan Frantz needs 5 points to move into 3rd place all-time and 3 made PATs to move into 2nd place all-time.
*Mark Grieb needs 417 pass yards for 20,000 career

2005 LEAGUE TEAM RANKINGS
Category SaberCats Soul
Scoring Offense (Rank) 57.2 (2nd) 51.7 (8th)
Scoring Defense 53.0 (T-12th) 54.7 (14th)
Total Offense 330.8 (1st) 281.3 (8th)
Total Defense 299.0 (14th) 287.2 (10th)
Pass Offense 319.4 (1st) 265.2 (7th)
Pass Defense 281.8 (14th) 248.3 (9th)
Rushing Offense 11.4 (14th) 16.2 (10th)
Rushing Defense 17.2 (5th) 38.8 (17th)
Touchdowns 42 (T-4th) 44 (3rd)
Pass Rating 111.6 (7th) 109.6 (8th)
Pass Defense Rating 116.3 (14th) 116.7 (15th)
Interceptions 4 (T-12th) 4 (T-12th)
Kickoff Return Avg. 20.7 (3rd) 18.3 (5th)
Field Goal Return Avg. 0.0 (17th) 19.7 (7th)
Turnover Margin -1 (11th) -4 (T-12th)
Sacks By 2 (T-15th) 2 (T-15th)
Sacks Against 6 (T-10th) 2 (T-2nd)

2005 SABERCATS AMONG LEAGUE LEADERS
Player Category No. Rank
Mark Grieb Total Offense 1,596 3rd
Mark Grieb Completion Pct. 65.5 8th
Mark Grieb Pass TDs 28 T-4th
Mark Grieb Passer Rating 114.5 7th
Mark Grieb Passing Yards 1,596 3rd
Mark Grieb Pass Completions 131 2nd
Mark Grieb Pass Yards/Game 319.2 1st
James Roe Scoring 84 T-4th
James Roe Touchdowns 14 T-4th
James Roe Receptions 41 T-7th
James Roe Receiving Yards 532 7th
James Roe TD Receptions 13 T-4th
Matt Kinsinger Rush TDs 5 T-3rd
Rashied Davis KO Return Avg. 24.7 2nd
Rashied Davis KO Return TDs 1 T-5th
Dan Frantz PAT Attempts 39 T-5th
Dan Frantz PATs Made 31 8th

TRENDS:
HOME SWEET HOME – The SaberCats return home to play seven of their remaining 11 games at HP Pavilion where they have won 11 of their last 12 and 25 of their last 27 regular season games. Since the start of the 2000 season the SaberCats are 34-4 (.895) in regular season home games and 42-6 (.875) overall at HP Pavilion. San Jose's only home game in 2005 resulted in a 66-31 victory over Las Vegas on Feb. 5.

SPECIAL TEAMS – Over the last two seasons San Jose's kickoff return coverage has been special. Including playoffs, the SaberCats have not allowed a kickoff return TD in 25 games. San Jose and Philadelphia were the only teams in 2004 to NOT allow a kickoff return score, but the Soul gave up two last week to New York. The last time an opponent scored on a kickoff return was on May 31, 2003 when Georgia's Markeith Cooper scampered 56 yards in a quarterfinal playoff game.

THREE'S COMPANY – Three different SaberCats scored a rushing TD in the team's 57-38 win at Orlando on Mar. 6, the second time this year San Jose has ran for three or more scores in a game. San Jose scored four times on the ground in a 66-31 win over Las Vegas on Feb. 5 and is 37-11 all-time when scoring three or more rushing touchdowns in a game.

ON THE MARK – After completing just 51 percent of his passes (25-of-49) in a season opening loss at Tampa Bay on Jan. 30, Mark Grieb has found his stride. In the last four games Grieb has completed 106-of-151 of his passes for a percentage of 70.2. Grieb established an AFL record last season by completing 73 percent of his passes.

MARCH MADNESS – San Jose's 57-38 win at Orlando on Mar. 6 gave the team a 9-1 all-time record in the month of March. The team's only loss during the third month of the year came last season on Mar. 7 at New York, a 64-50 defeat. The SaberCats are 6-0 in March home games.

HEADS OR TAILS – After going 10 straight games losing the coin toss, the SaberCats have reversed the trend winning the toss in the last two games.

POINTLESS – The SaberCats won their 22nd straight game when holding an opponent to under 40 points with their 57-38 win at Orlando on Mar. 6 and have an all-time record of 44-6 when allowing less than 40 points in a game. The last time San Jose lost a game when allowing fewer than 40 points was on June 5, 1999 when the Portland Forest Dragons posted a 39-38 win in the Rose City.

NO TURNOVERS – The SaberCats were +1 in turnover margin in their 57-38 win at Orlando on Mar. 6 and did not commit a turnover for the second game this year. In their two wins the SaberCats' turnover margin is +4 while they are at -5 in their three losses.

JUST WIN – San Jose's 57-38 win at Orlando on Mar. 6 was QB Mark Grieb's 70th career regular season start as a member of the SaberCats and upped his record as the team's starter to 54-16 (.771). When starting games at HP Pavilion, Grieb is even better with a 32-3 (.914) record in 35 games started.

WINNING WAYS – Since the start of the 2000 season the SaberCats are the only team to post 60 regular season wins. San Jose reached the 60-win mark by upending Orlando, 57-38, on Mar. 6. The Predators (52) and Arizona Rattlers (53) are the only other teams to crack the 50-win mark in the same time.

BEST RECORDS SINCE 2000
Team Record Pct.
San Jose SaberCats 60-19 .759
Arizona Rattlers 53-27 .663
Orlando Predators 52-28 .650

NOTES:
HE KEEPS GOING – Like the Energizer Bunny, Barry Wagner just keeps going. Wagner returned to his old stomping grounds in Orlando, where he played the first eight years of his AFL career, and scored three TDs to increase his already league-leading career total to 400. Wagner also amassed a team-high 77 receiving yards to surpass the 13,000 mark (13,031), again adding to his already league-leading total. His 6 receptions in the contest upped his career total as a SaberCat to 307 moving him into a tie with James Hundon for 3rd place on the team's all-time list.

TEAM CAREER RECEPTION LEADERS
Rank Player Receptions
1. James Roe 345
2. Steve Papin 326
3. James Hundon 307
Barry Wagner 307
5. Shalon Baker 248

MORE WAGS – With Hunkie Cooper recently released by Arizona and George LaFrance long retired, Wagner now has his sights set on the league's career all-purpose yardage record. With 77 receiving yards and 2 rushing at Orlando on Mar. 6, Wagner upped his career total to 20,347, leaving him 133 behind LaFrance for 2nd place and 203 behind Cooper for the AFL's all-time lead.

AFL CAREER ALL-PURPOSE YARDAGE LEADERS
Rank Player All-Purpose Yds
1. Hunkie Cooper 20,550
2. George LaFrance 20,480
3. Barry Wagner 20,347

HEEE'S BACK – Two-time Defensive Player of the Year Clevan Thomas looks like he's returned to the form that won him the award in 2002 and 2003. Thomas and the SaberCats defense shut down Orlando's passing game, limiting the Predators to just 202 yards on 19-of-41 passing in San Jose's 57-38 win on Mar. 6. Thomas also nabbed his 20th career interception and had another apparent pick slip through his hands. Thomas became the 2nd San Jose player ever to record 20 picks in a career and is four behind the club's all-time leader Pat McGuirk, who tallied 24 in his four-year (95-98) career.

TEAM CAREER INTERCEPTION LEADERS
Rank Player INTs
1. Pat McGuirk (95-98) 24
2. Clevan Thomas 20
3. Barry Wagner 18
4. Tommy Jones (98-01) 17
5. Omarr Smith 16

MACK ATTACK – Making his 1st career AFL start, DS Tremain Mack earned the AFL's ADT Defensive Player of the Week award after turning in a solid performance in the SaberCats' 57-38 win at Orlando on Mar. 6. Mack was credited with 6 solo tackles and 3 PBUs as San Jose held Orlando to just 202 passing yards and its lowest point total in a home game since Mar. 23, 2003. Mack is the first San Jose player to win the award since Week 1 of 2004 the first not named Clevan Thomas to win the honor since the 2002 season.

RAH-SHEED – Rashied Davis started at offensive specialist for the first time in his career and became the fourth SaberCat in five games to start at OS when he lined up against Orlando on Mar. 6. Looking for a replacement for James Hundon, who is out indefinitely, the SaberCats have used Rodney Wright, Calvin Schexnayder and James Roe previously at the position. Davis caught 4 passes for 63 yards, including a 31-yard TD, had a 2-yard scoring run on his only carry and totaled 56 yards on 3 kickoff returns for a team-high 121 all-purpose yards. Davis returned a kickoff 58-yards for an apparent touchdown late in the first half before the officials ruled he leaned against the endzone barrier ruling the play a touchback and negating the score. After starting the first two games of the year at defensive specialist, Davis moved to WR/DB the next two games before making the start at OS. He is 2nd on the team in all-purpose yards (516) and scoring (36), while placing 3rd in receiving yards (242) and TD catches (4) and 4th in receptions (18).

RUNNING MAN – Matt Kinsinger, the only true FB/LB on the team's roster, matched his career-high with 6 carries and scored a rush TD in his 4th straight game in San Jose's win at Orlando on Mar. 6. Kinsinger increased his career rush attempts as a SaberCat to 105, moving ahead of Mike Jones (104) into 4th place on the team's all-time list. Kinsinger also caught his 4th pass of the year, matching his total receptions from the previous four years combined. Tom Petithomme (1995) and Mike Maslowski (1998) hold the team season record for catches by a FB/LB with 10.

TEAM CAREER RUSH YARD LEADERS
Rk. Player Rush Yds
1. Derrick Chachere 442
2. Tom Petithomme 400
3. Matt Kinsinger 352
4. Mike Jones 328
5. Steve Papin 326

TEAM CAREER RUSH ATTEMPT LEADERS
Rk. Player Rush Atts
1. Derrick Chachere 154
2. Steve Papin 145
3. Barry Wagner 117
4. Matt Kinsinger 105
5. Mike Jones 104

TEAM CAREER RUSH TD LEADERS
Rk. Player Rush TDs
1. Barry Wagner 51
2. Steve Papin 43
3. Derrick Chachere 34
4. Matt Kinsinger 26
5. Tom Petithomme 16

PASSING FANCY – Despite throwing for a season-low 272 yards in a 57-38 win at Orlando on Mar. 6, Mark Grieb continues to lead the circuit with an average of 319.2 yards a game and is one of just two QBs in the AFL averaging over 300 yards/game. Grieb completed 22-of-35 passes with 5 TDs and no INTs and did his damage against an Orlando team that entered the contest with the league's stingiest defense (39.8 ppg) and the 3rd ranked pass defense (229.2 ypg). Grieb has twice thrown for over 300 yards in a game, including a season-high 399, the 3rd highest game total in team history, at Los Angeles on Feb. 20, and remains on pace to become the first QB in AFL history to eclipse the 5,000 passing yard mark in a season.

COUNTDOWN – With five more regular season wins the SaberCats will become the fourth franchise in AFL history to post 100 victories in regular season play. San Jose currently has 95 wins with only Tampa Bay (134), Orlando (126) and Arizona (122) having more. Tampa Bay and Orlando both came into existence in 1991 while Arizona joined the league in 1992. San Jose didn't join the AFL until 1995.

‘ROE' LIFIC – After two games as the team's starting OS, James Roe moved back to his familiar WR/LB spot and earned game Ironman honors in San Jose's 57-38 win at Orlando on Mar. 6. Roe caught a team-high 7 passes for 72 yards and a TD and added a solo tackle on defense. Roe increased his career receiving yard total to 4,598, leaving him just 51 yards shy of becoming the club's all-time leader. Roe leads the team in all receiving categories and is tied for 4th in the AFL with 13 TD catches, 7th with 532 receiving yards and tied for 7th with 41 receptions.

TEAM CAREER RECEIVING YARDS
Rank Player Recv. Yards
1. James Hundon 4,648
2. James Roe 4,598
3. Steve Papin 4,282
4. Barry Wagner 3,541
5. Jerry Reese 3,485

THE HALF CENTURY MARK – The SaberCats have won 30 consecutive regular season home games when scoring 50-or-more points and are 37-2 all-time when cracking the 50-point mark. San Jose's last regular season home loss when scoring 50 plus points came on July 31, 1999 in a 56-52 defeat to the Milwaukee Mustangs.

PHILADELPHIA PLAYERS TO WATCH:
QB TONY GRAZIANI – The All-Arena quarterback joined Philadelphia in the off-season after signing the largest contract in AFL history worth approximately $500,000 over three years. Prior to joining the Soul, Graziani was a member of division rivals, the Los Angeles Avengers. In six games against San Jose, he completed 114-of-212 passes for 1,433 yards with 28 TDs and 11 INTs. Overall against the SaberCats, Graziani has a 1-5 record with an 86.5 passer rating. In addition, he threw for 106 yards, the lowest total in his career, and two touchdowns, tying a career-low, in a lopsided 52-33 loss to San Jose in 2002. He also set a career mark for most interceptions in a game with four picks against San Jose twice in 2003.

OS TYRONNE JONES – After spending the first three games of the season on injured reserve, Jones returned to action in Week Four. Now in his second year with Philadelphia, Jones has made a habit of torching opposing defenses throughout his career and San Jose is no exception. In seven games against the SaberCats with Georgia (2003) and Nashville (1998-2002), Jones has 43 catches for 569 yards, 17 TDs and amassed 1,193 all-purpose yards. More surprisingly, he has three kick return touchdowns against San Jose, including the only return TD they allowed last season, a 54-yard MFG return on May 22. He also scored on a 52-yard MFG return in a semifinal playoff game while with Nashville on Aug. 11, 2001, putting San Jose's first trip to the league championship game on hold for another year.


WEEKLY PLAYERS OF THE GAME:

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Opponent (Date) Player
@Tampa Bay (Jan 30) QB Shane Stafford, Tampa Bay
LAS VEGAS (Feb 5) OS Calvin Schexnayder, San Jose
@New Orleans (Feb 13) QB Andy Kelly, New Orleans
@Los Angeles (Feb 20) WR/DB Tony Locke, Los Angeles
@Orlando (Mar 6) QB Mark Grieb, San Jose
PHILADELPHIA (Mar 11)
GRAND RAPIDS (Mar 18)
@Las Vegas (Mar 28)
ARIZONA (Apr 3)
@Chicago (Apr 10)
DALLAS (Apr 15)
@Colorado (Apr 22)
NASHVILLE (Apr 29)
LOS ANGELES (May 7)
@Arizona (May 14)
GEORGIA (May 21)


ADT DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Opponent (Date) Player
@Tampa Bay (Jan 30) DS Tramain Jones, Tampa Bay
LAS VEGAS (Feb 5) DS Omarr Smith, San Jose
@New Orleans (Feb 13) OL/DL B.J. Cohen, New Orleans
@Los Angeles (Feb 20) WR/LB Greg Hopkins, Los Angeles
@Orlando (Mar 6) DS Tremain Mack, San Jose
PHILADELPHIA (Mar 11)
GRAND RAPIDS (Mar 18)
@Las Vegas (Mar 28)
ARIZONA (Apr 3)
@Chicago (Apr 10)
DALLAS (Apr 15)
@Colorado (Apr 22)
NASHVILLE (Apr 29)
LOS ANGELES (May 7)
@Arizona (May 14)
GEORGIA (May 21)


ARMY IRONMAN OF THE GAME:
Opponent (Date) Player
@Tampa Bay (Jan 30) WR/LB Lawrence Samuels, TBY
LAS VEGAS (Feb 5) FB/LB Matt Kinsinger, San Jose
@New Orleans (Feb 13) WR/LB Thabiti Davis, New Orleans
@Los Angeles (Feb 20) WR/LB Greg Hopkins, Los Angeles
@Orlando (Mar 6) WR/LB James Roe, San Jose
PHILADELPHIA (Mar 11)
GRAND RAPIDS (Mar 18)
@Las Vegas (Mar 28)
ARIZONA (Apr 3)
@Chicago (Apr 10)
DALLAS (Apr 15)
@Colorado (Apr 22)
NASHVILLE (Apr 29)
LOS ANGELES (May 7)
@Arizona (May 14)
GEORGIA (May 21)

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 2-0
40-49 points 0-0 0-0
50-59 points 1-0 0-0
60-69 points 1-2 0-2
70-79 points 0-0 0-1
80+ points 0-0 0-0

Games decided
by 7 or fewer points 0-0
by 3 or fewer points 0-2

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

Leading at Half 2-0
Trailing at Half 0-2
Tied at Half 0-1

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

Scoring First 2-1
Opp. Score First 0-2

More Total Offense 1-3
Less Total Offense 1-0

More Pass Yards 1-3
Less Pass Yards 1-0

More Rushing Yards 2-1
Less Rushing Yards 0-2

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

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

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

Winning coin toss 1-1
Losing coin toss 1-2

Outscoring Opponent 2-0
Being Outscored 0-3



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 8, 2005


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