San Jose SaberCats game notes

March 30, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release


THE QUICK FACTS:
Game: Arizona Rattlers (2-7) at SaberCats (5-3).
Date: Sunday, April 3, 2005.
Kickoff: 6:00 p.m. (PST).
Site: HP Pavilion at San Jose (14,041).
Officials: Referee: David Lambros; Umpire: Al Granado; Head Linesman: Mike McCabe; Line Judge: Gary Caveletto; Back Judge: David Cutaia.
Television: FOX Sports Net will air a tape-delayed broadcast on Monday, Apr. 4 at 7:30 p.m. Randy Hahn (play-by-play), Mike Pawlawski (color) and F.P. Santangelo (sideline) calling the action.
Radio: KNBR-1050 and 680 will air the game live with Bob Fitzgerald and Keena Turner. An extended pre-game show, with Tim Liotta and George Atkinson, will air on 680 following Giants coverage and 1050 will join following the Warriors/SuperSonics game.
Internet: Log on to www.KNBR.com to hear a live webcast of Sunday's game.
Series Record: Rattlers lead 13-11.
Last Meeting: SaberCats 69, Arizona 62 in ArenaBowl XVIII on June 27, 2004 in Arizona.
Series Streaks: SaberCats Won 1.
Coaches: San Jose, Darren Arbet (7th season; 69-27 regular season, 78-30 overall). Arizona, Todd Shell (7th season; 48-43 regular season, 49-47 overall).

OVERVIEW: The SaberCats won their fourth straight game and moved into a tie with Los Angeles atop the Western Division standings with their 81-75 win at Las Vegas on Mar. 28. Another key division game lies ahead when San Jose hosts former head coach Todd Shell and the Arizona Rattlers in a rematch of last year's ArenaBowl at 6:00 p.m. (PT) on Sunday, April 3. FSN Bay Area will air a tape-delayed broadcast on Monday, Apr. 4 at 7:30 p.m.... Rashied Davis tied a team record by scoring 7 TDs and the SaberCats posted the third-highest point total in franchise history in their win over the Gladiators. The teams also combined for the second-highest scoring game in SaberCats history. For the second straight game Davis scored a receiving, rushing and kickoff return TD and amassed over 300 all-purpose yards to earn his second consecutive AFL Offensive Player of the Week award as the SaberCats won their fourth in-a-row...San Jose is 3-0 at home this season, outscoring the opposition 190-105, and has won 16 of its last 18 games played at HP Pavilion with both losses coming at the hands of the Rattlers...The San Jose/Arizona series is the second-longest running in AFL to only Orlando/Tampa Bay, who have met 36 times...Arizona leads the all-time series 13-11.

THE SCHEDULES:

2005 San Jose SaberCats (5-3)
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
Mar. 11 PHILADELPHIA Won 52-26
Mar. 18 GRAND RAPIDS Won 72-48
Mar. 28 @Las Vegas Won 81-75
Date Opponent Time (PT) Radio/TV
Apr. 3 ARIZONA 6:00 pm 1050-680
Apr. 10 @Chicago 10:00 am 1050/NBC
Apr. 15 DALLAS 7:30 pm 1050/FSN
Apr. 22 @Colorado 6:00 pm 1050/WB20
Apr. 29 NASHVILLE 7:30 pm 1050/FSN
May 7 LOS ANGELES 7:30 pm 1050-680/FSN
May 14 @Arizona 7:00 pm 1050/WB
May 21 GEORGIA 7:30 pm 1050/FSN

2005 Arizona Rattlers (2-7)
Game Opponent Result Score
Jan. 28 @Grand Rapids Won 58-38
Feb. 3 ORLANDO Lost 40-51
Feb. 12 @Georgia Lost 47-61
Feb. 19 COLORADO Lost 69-74
Feb. 27 @New York Lost 37-61
Mar. 6 LOS ANGELES Lost 29-33
Mar. 13 @Tampa Bay Lost 56-59
Mar. 19 LAS VEGAS Lost 63-66
Mar. 26 @Nashville Won 48-35
Game Opponent Time (PT) TV
Apr. 3 @San Jose 6:00 pm FSN
Apr. 8 COLUMBUS 7:00 pm FSN
Apr. 22 AUSTIN 7:00 pm FSN
Apr. 30 @Los Angeles 7:30 pm FSN
May 7 CHICAGO 7:00 pm FSN
May 14 SAN JOSE 7:00 pm
May 22 @Las Vegas 12:00 pm

THE SERIES: Arizona leads the all-time series 13-11 and holds a 12-8 advantage in regular season games...The teams have split the 14 games played in San Jose with Arizona holding a 6-5 edge in regular season contests...Ten of the series games have been decided by 7 points or less and 14 games have been won by 11 or fewer points...Each team has won three games in the series by 21 or more points and has a largest winning margin of 38 points...This will be the 25th meeting between the teams and the series is the second-longest running in the league to only Orlando/Tampa Bay, who have played 36 series games (includes playoffs).

SERIES NOTABLES: The SaberCats and Rattlers, each with five, are the only teams to win Western Division titles in the 10 seasons 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 and captured the 2004 crown...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 (24) and has the most wins (11) 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...14 of the 24 series games have been decided by 11 or fewer points while the other 10 games have seen the winning team victorious by an average of 24.9 points per game...Arizona and San Jose returned 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: SABERCATS 69, Arizona 62 • Sunday, June 27, 2004 • America West Arena – Mark Grieb passed for eight TDs, five of those to James Roe, as the SaberCats overcame a see-saw battle with Arizona late in the fourth quarter to defeat the Rattlers 69-62 in ArenaBowl XVIII before a sellout crowd at America West Arena. It was the second AFL championship in three years for the SaberCats. Grieb connected on 27-of-36 attempts without an interception, to be named the AFL title game's Offensive MVP before 17,391, the largest crowd in the history of the Rattlers. With the SaberCats leading 62-56, in a game that was tied eight times, Arizona's Sherdrick Bonner connected with Siaha Burley for 9 yards with 31 seconds left. Head coach Danny White elected to go for a 2-point conversion and the lead, but Bonner's pass was low to Hunkie Cooper with San Jose's Omarr Smith covering, and the SaberCats led 63-62. On the ensuing kickoff, Nelson Garner's on-side kick went right to lineman Chuck Reed who went in untouched from seven yards. Kicker Dan Frantz, who had made 9 consecutive PATs, pushed one wide left, but San Jose maintained a 69-62 margin. With 30 seconds left in the game Bonner had to start from his own 11-yard line. He drove the team to the San Jose 5-yard line and with two seconds remaining had one play left. His pass, intended for Cooper, went through the end zone incomplete as San Jose secured the victory. The loss was the third consecutive ArenaBowl defeat for the Rattlers. Roe tied an ArenaBowl record with five touchdown receptions. He also was named the game's Ironman and had eight total receptions for 119 yards. His 38-yard catch and run for a score with no time left in the first half put San Jose up 35-28 at the half and was his fourth touchdown reception. Bo Kelly's 6-yard run tied the game at 35-35 early in the third quarter and after that the game was tied three more times. James Hundon, the SaberCats courageous OS, sustained a broken nose after an 8-yard reception late in the third after being tackled by Ricky Parker. He amazingly returned to the game with 10:15 left in the fourth quarter and hauled in a 33-yard scoring pass.

SCORE BY QUARTERS
SaberCats.......................................... 14 21 7 27 -- 69
Rattlers................................................ 14 14 14 20 -- 62

SCORING SUMMARY
ARZ Burley 29 pass from Bonner (Garner kick)
SAN Roe 8 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
ARZ Bryant 33 pass from Bonner (Garner kick)
SAN Coleman 22 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
SAN Roe 11 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
ARZ Burley 26 pass from Bonner (Garner kick)
SAN Roe 3 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
ARZ Cooper 4 run (Garner kick)
SAN Roe 38 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
ARZ Kelly 6 run (Garner kick)
SAN Roe 31 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
ARZ Bryant 21 pass from Bonner (Garner kick)
SAN Wagner 1 run (Frantz kick)
ARZ Bryant 7 pass from Bonner (Garner kick)
SAN Hundon 33 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
ARZ Burley 5 pass from Bonner (Garner kick)
SAN Coleman 2 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
ARZ Burley 9 pass from Bonner (pass failed)
SAN Reed 7 kickoff return (kick failed)

INDIVIDUAL STASTICS
Passing: SAN – Grieb 27-36-0-328. ARZ – Bonner 27-42-0-367.
Rushing: SAN – Johnson 2-1; Wagner 1-1. ARZ – Kelly 1-6; Cooper 1-4.
Receiving: SAN – Roe 8-119; Hundon 7-107; Coleman 7-54; Pauley 3-22; Wagner 2-26. ARZ – Burley 11-166; Bryant 7-130; Cooper 4-33; Gatewood 3-25; Pace 2-13.
Kick Returns: SAN – Coleman 3-61; Wagner 2-35; Davis 1-18. ARZ – Burley 7-121.

ALL-TIME SERIES SCORES
Date Score
June 27, 2004 San Jose 69, @Arizona 62 (ABXVIII)
May 30, 2004 Arizona 50, @San Jose 43
May 9, 2004 @Arizona 58, San Jose 41
June 8, 2003 Arizona 66, @San Jose 49 (Playoff)
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 (Playoff)
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 IFS...:
If the SaberCats defeat Arizona it would...
*Give them a 5-game winning streak.
*Move their season record to 6-3.
*Give them a 4-0 home record in 2005.
*Be their 2nd straight win over the Rattlers.
*Be their 12th series win over Arizona.
*Give San Jose a 40-22 all-time record against Western Division opponents.
*Give San Jose a 25-9 all-time home record against Western Division opponents.
*Give San Jose a 108-58 all-time record.
*Give San Jose a 99-52 all-time regular season record.
*Give San Jose a 55-20 all-time regular season home record.

THE COACHES:
San Jose – Darren Arbet, 7th season
69-27 (.719) reg. season; 78-30 (.722) overall
10-6 (.625) career vs. Arizona
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 .722 (78-30) 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 63-19 (.768) 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).

Arizona – Todd Shell, 7th season
48-43 (.527) reg. season; 49-47 (.510) overall
1-0 (1.000) career vs. San Jose
Former SaberCats head coach Todd Shell is in his first season as Head Coach of the Rattlers. The 2003 AFL Coach of the Year has a regular season record of 48-43 (.527) and an overall ledger of 49-47 (.510) in stints with San Jose and New York. Shell has won three division titles in his coaching tenure guiding San Jose to a Western Division crown in its inaugural season of 1995 and back-to-back Eastern Division titles with New York in 2003 and 2004. Shell was Arizona's original Defensive Coordinator, helping lead the team to the 1994 ArenaBowl Title prior to becoming San Jose's first coach.

RECENT RESULTS: SABERCATS 81, Las Vegas 75 – Rashied Davis scored a San Jose record tying 7 TDs and the SaberCats withstood a second half barrage by the Gladiators to claim a share of first place in the Western Division with a wild 81-75 win. For the second straight game Davis scored a receiving, rushing and kickoff return touchdown and surpassed 300 all-purpose yards as the SaberCats posted their third highest point total in franchise history. Las Vegas quarterback Clint Dolezel tied an AFL record with 11 touchdown passes and led the Gladiators back from a 28-point deficit in the second half. He completed 30-of-55 for 395 yards on the game, surpassed the 30,000 mark in career passing yards, and threw the 600th TD of his career, but was intercepted three times. Davis scored his fifth touchdown of the game midway through the third quarter on an 8-yard pass from Mark Grieb to put the SaberCats ahead 55-27. Dolezel then threw four consecutive scoring passes, the last a 9-yard strike to Marcus Nash to knot the game at 55-55. Davis scored his sixth TD of the game on the ensuing kickoff going 53-yards to give San Jose a seven-point lead. With under a minute to play and the game tied at 68-68, San Jose's Shalon Baker scored on a 3-yard run to give the SaberCats a lead they would not relinquish. Davis recovered an on-side kick on the ensuing kickoff, then hauled in a 40-yard bomb from Grieb on the next play for his seventh TD of the game giving San Jose an 81-68 advantage. Davis tied a career-high with 10 receptions and set a new career-best with 163 receiving yards while matching James Roe's 2004 team record of seven touchdowns in a game. The SaberCats appeared to have a comfortable lead following an 18-yard interception return for a score by Defensive Player of the Game Tremain Mack and a 1-yard Davis run to close out the first half putting San Jose up 41-20 at halftime. Following a Clevan Thomas interception on the Gladiators first possession of the second half, Davis scored on another 1-yard run to give San Jose a 48-20 lead. Davis has scored 12 touchdowns in the last two games.

RECENT ROSTER MOVES
Date Action
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.
Mar. 11 Re-signed OL/DL Devin Wyman.
Mar. 15 Signed WR/LB Kenneth Solomon to practice squad.
Mar. 26 Activated OL/DL Rex Richards and OL/DL Jeff Ruffin from IR. Placed OL/DL Sebastian Barrie and WR/LB Yardon Brantley on IR.
Mar. 29 Waived WR/LB George Williams from practice squad.

INJURY REPORT
Player Injury Status
Barry Wagner Foot sprain Probable
Albrey Battle Ankle sprain Probable
Tremain Mack Hamstring strain Probable

MILESTONES:
*Calvin Schexnayder needs 4 receptions for 600 career.
*James Roe needs 1 TD to pass Steve Papin as team's all-time leader and 92 yards for 5,000 career all-purpose.
*Mark Grieb needs 11 TD passes for 400 career and 25 completions for 1,500 in SJ career.
*Shalon Baker needs 2 TD receptions for 60 career, 108 receiving yards for 3,500 career and 93 receiving yards to tie Jerry Reese 5th place all-time.
*Barry Wagner needs 204 all-purpose yards to become AFL's all-time leader, 1 reception to move into 3rd place in SJ career receptions and 1.5 tackles for 300 in SJ career.
*Rashied Davis needs 171 KO return yards for 2,000 career, 2 KO return TDs to tie Clevan Thomas for 2nd all-time (10).
*Matt Kinsinger needs 27 rush yards for 400 career.
*Clevan Thomas needs 2 INTs to tie Pat McGuirk for team's career lead.
*Dan Frantz needs 9 PAT attempts for 200 career and 18 points to tie for 2nd place on team's career list.

2005 LEAGUE TEAM RANKINGS
Category SaberCats Rattlers
Scoring Offense (Rank) 61.4 (1st) 49.7 (11th)
Scoring Defense 51.8 (12th) 53.1 (14th)
Total Offense 316.2 (1st) 286.7 (8th)
Total Defense 290.5 (9th) 251.7 (3rd)
Pass Offense 301.0 (1st) 272.2 (6th)
Pass Defense 275.2 (11th) 239.9 (5th)
Rushing Offense 15.2 (11th) 14.4 (12th)
Rushing Defense 15.2 (5th) 11.8 (1st)
Touchdowns 71 (1st) 64 (T-4th)
Pass Rating 116.0 (5th) 101.0 (15th)
Pass Defense Rating 107.5 (10th) 108.4 (11th)
Interceptions 10 (T-5th) 7 (T-13th)
Kickoff Return Avg. 22.5 (1st) 19.0 (T-5th)
Field Goal Return Avg. 3.0 (16th) 13.8 (8th)
Turnover Margin +4 (6th) -8 (14th)
3rd Down Conversions 42.1 (12th) 53.0 (2nd)
4th Down Conversions 58.3 (2nd) 47.1 (T-7th)
Sacks By 4 (T-13th) 12 (4th)
Sacks Against 7 (T-8th) 11 (T-13th)

2005 SABERCATS AMONG LEAGUE LEADERS
Player Category No. Rank
Mark Grieb Total Offense 2,424 T-2nd
Mark Grieb Completion Pct. 67.3 4th
Mark Grieb Pass TDs 41 7th
Mark Grieb Passer Rating 119.3 2nd
Mark Grieb Passing Yards 2,411 3rd
Mark Grieb Pass Completions 191 3rd
Mark Grieb Pass Yards/Game 301.4 1st
James Roe Receptions 57 T-9th
James Roe Receiving Yards 768 7th
James Roe Rec. Yards/Game 96.0 5th
James Roe TD Receptions 17 10th
Matt Kinsinger Rush TDs 8 3rd
Rashied Davis Scoring 114 T-9th
Rashied Davis All-purpose Yards 1,322 5th
Rashied Davis KO Return Avg. 27.6 2nd
Rashied Davis Kickoff Returns 25 T-7th
Rashied Davis KO Return Yards 689 3rd
Rashied Davis KO Return TDs 4 1st
Dan Frantz Kick Scoring 63 T-7th
Dan Frantz PAT Attempts 68 1st
Dan Frantz PATs Made 57 2nd
Clevan Thomas Interceptions 3 T-7th
Tremain Mack Interceptions 3 T-7th

TRENDS:
HOME SWEET HOME – The SaberCats are unbeaten at home in 2005 going 3-0 and have won 13 of their last 14 and 27 of their last 29 regular season home games. Since the start of the 2000 season the SaberCats are 36-4 (.900) in regular season home games and 44-6 (.880) overall at HP Pavilion. San Jose's all-time record at home, including playoffs, stands at 62-23 (.729).

THREES COMPANY – The SaberCats and Rattlers have played each other three times in each of the last four years and Sunday marks the 25th all-time meeting between the clubs. As division rivals the teams play each other twice during the regular season and have met in the postseason the last four years. The series is the second-longest running the AFL behind only the Orlando/Tampa Bay ‘War On I-4' series.

NO 4TH QUARTER POINTS – The SaberCats have not allowed a fourth quarter point in their three home games this season, outscoring the opposition 35-0. In fact, San Jose has only allowed two second half touchdowns in its three home games posting a 66-14 second half scoring advantage.

NEMESIS – Including playoffs, the SaberCats are 16-2 in their last 18 games played at HP Pavilion with both losses coming at the hands of the Rattlers. Arizona beat San Jose, 66-49, in a semifinal playoff game on June 8, 2003 and defeated the SaberCats, 50-43, in the 2004 regular season finale.

TOUCHDOWN SABERCATS!! – The SaberCats tied a team record for TDs scored in a game with 12 at Las Vegas on Mar. 28 and lead the AFL with 71 on the year. San Jose has reached double figures in a game four times already this season and leads the league with a scoring average of 61.4 points per game.

MARCH MADNESS – San Jose won its seventh straight game during the month of March and improved its all-time record in March games to 12-1 with its 81-75 win in Las Vegas on Mar. 28. The SaberCats are undefeated at home going 8-0 during the third month of the year and are 4-1 on the road. The team's only March loss came last season on Mar. 7 at New York, a 64-50 defeat.

JUST WIN – Mark Grieb improved his record as San Jose's starting QB to 57-16 (.781) with an 81-75 win at Las Vegas on Mar. 28. More impressively his record as the team's starter in home games is 34-3 (.919) while his record during the month of March is 12-1.

DOUBLE TROUBLE – It seems as though the second quarter has come to be San Jose's favorite segment of the game offensively. In 6 of the SaberCats 8 games, the second quarter has been their most potent quarter. For the season, they are averaging nearly 20 points a game compared to 13.6, 11.1 and 16.8 in the first, third and fourth quarters, respectively. However, the second quarter has spelled trouble for the SaberCats defense. SaberCats opponents have scored an average of 21 points in the second quarter as opposed to 9.5 in the first, 9.8 in the third and 11.5 in the fourth.

HOW THE WEST IS WON – With each division winner hosting a playoff game in 2005, division games actually have meaning. San Jose is 2-1 this year against Western Division foes and has an all-time record of 39-22 against Western Division foes. At home the SaberCats are 24-9 against division rivals.

WINNING WAYS – San Jose and Arizona are two of just three teams to have won over 50 regular season games since the start of the 2000 season and the SaberCats are the only team to post over 60 regular season wins. San Jose reached the 60-win mark by upending Orlando, 57-38, on Mar. 6 and are 63-19 in that time. The Rattlers and Orlando Predators have each won 54 games over that span while the Tampa Bay Storm (49) is closing in.

BEST RECORDS SINCE 2000
Team Record Pct.
San Jose SaberCats 63-19 .768
Arizona Rattlers 54-29 .651
Orlando Predators 54-29 .651

NOTES:
SHELL GAME – Former SaberCats head coach Todd Shell makes his first visit to San Jose since leaving his post with the team following the 1998 season. Shell coached the SaberCats for their first four years of existence guiding them to three playoff appearances. He amassed a 29-25 regular season record and was 0-3 in postseason. Shell returned to the sidelines with the New York Dragons four games into the 2003 season before moving to Arizona prior to 2005. He has coached one game against the SaberCats leading the Dragons to a 64-50 win on Mar. 7, 2004.

THE 80's – San Jose reached the 80-point mark in a game for the 5th time in franchise history with their 81-75 win at Las Vegas on Mar. 28, breaking a tie with the Albany Firebirds for most 80-plus point games. It was also the 22nd 80-plus point game in AFL history. Arizona and Grand Rapids, each with two, are the only other teams in league history with multiple 80-plus point games.

RAH-SHIED – Since moving Rashied Davis to OS four games ago, the SaberCats have not lost. In those four games Davis has scored 15 touchdowns: 7 through the air, 5 on the ground and 3 on KO returns and has accounted for almost 40 percent of the SaberCats TDs in that span. In the month of March alone, Davis racked up 927 all-purpose yards and had 30 receptions for 441 yards. Davis was named AFL Offensive Player of the Week for the second consecutive week after tying a team-record with 7 TDs at Las Vegas on Mar. 28, only a week after scoring 5 TDs against Grand Rapids. Against the Gladiators, Davis also tied a career-high with 10 receptions and established a personal best 163 receiving yards. With 302 all-purpose yards at Las Vegas and 341 all-purpose yards (career-high) against Grand Rapids on Mar. 18, Davis became the first player in SaberCats history with back-to-back 300+ all-purpose yard games. Having played only 6 games on offense (he started the first 2 at DS), Davis ranks 5th in the AFL in all-purpose yards with 1,322 and already has the 13th highest single-season total in team history.

MOST ALL-PURPOSE YARDS, GAME
Rk Player Yards
1. Steve Papin at LAA (7/8/00) 380
2. Steve Papin, vs NEW (6/9/00) 356
3. Rashied Davis, vs GRR (3/18/05) 341
4. Titus Dixon, at MIL (7/19/96) 337
5. Rashied Davis, at LAA (2/20/05) 333

RAH-RAH-SHIED – Davis returned his league-leading 4th kickoff for a TD in San Jose's win at Las Vegas on Mar. 28 and for the second time in his career has scored on kickoff returns in back-to-back games. Now with 8 career KOR TDs, Davis moved past Titus Dixon into sole possession of 3rd place on the team's list and trails Clevan Thomas by 2 for 2nd place. It also marked the second time in his career that Davis has returned a kickoff for a TD in consecutive games. No San Jose player has ever gone Coast-to-Coast in three straight games.

TEAM CAREER KO RETURN TOUCHDOWNS
Rk. Player KOR TDs
1. Steve Papin (97-01) 16
2. Clevan Thomas 10
3. Rashied Davis 9
4. Titus Dixon (95-97) 7

GROUND ATTACK – Known more for their passing game, the SaberCats have been using the ground to punish their opponents and keep them off balance as of late. In their run of 4 consecutive wins, the SaberCats have rushed for 15 TDs while passing for only 18. At Las Vegas on Mar. 28, San Jose tied an AFL and team record by rushing for 6 TDs. OS Rashied Davis scored a career-high 3 rush TDs while WR/LB Shalon Baker and FB/LB Matt Kinsinger each added one. Even QB Mark Grieb, who had only 5 career rushing TDs entering the game, got in on the action, running a naked bootleg untouched into the end zone. The SaberCats currently rank 13th in the league in rush attempts with 53, but lead the circuit with 25 rush TDs. Kinsinger, the only true FB/LB on the roster, leads the team and ranks 3rd in the AFL with 8.

HIGH OCTANE – The SaberCats have been involved in three of the six highest scoring games in AFL history. The combined point total in San Jose's 81-75 win at Las Vegas on Mar. 28 ranks as the 6th highest in league history. The SaberCats defeated the New England Sea*Wolves, 85-76, on June 9, 2000 for the 3rd highest scoring game in AFL annals.

HIGHEST SCORING GAMES, REG. SEASON
Rk. Teams, Date Pts
1. New York 99 vs Carolina 68 (7/7/01) 167
2. Arizona 82 at Grand Rapids 81 (4/19/03) 163
3. San Jose 85 vs N. England 76 (6/9/00) 161
4. Indiana 85 vs New York 73 (5/5/01) 158
Arizona 82 at Los Angeles 76 (4/13/03) 158
6. San Jose 81 at Las Vegas 75 (3/28/05) 156


ON THE MARK – QB Mark Grieb had a typical workmanlike performance in San Jose's 81-75 win at Las Vegas on Mar. 28. Grieb tossed a season-low 24 passes, but completed 17 for 245 yards and 4 TDs. He set the tone on San Jose's first two possessions by leading the team to a pair of TDs covering a total of 74 yards on five plays against what was the league's top ranked scoring defense. In San Jose's four-game win streak Grieb has completed 82-of-119 passes (68.9%) for 1,087 yards and 18 TDs. He has had a passer rating of 122.6 or higher in each of the four games and currently ranks 2nd in the league with a 119.2 rating. His 4 TD passes also increase his career total to 389 moving him closer to becoming the 8th QB in AFL history with 400 in a career.

AFL CAREER PASSING TOUCHDOWNS
Rk. Player Team Pass TDs
1. Aaron Garcia New York 679
2. Andy Kelly New Orleans 672
3. Sherdrick Bonner Arizona 632
4. Clint Dolezel Las Vegas 607
5. John Kaleo Los Angeles 463
6. Todd Hammel Chicago 420
7. Jay Gruden -- 400
8. Mark Grieb San Jose 389

PICKIN' IT – The SaberCats tallied 3 INTs in a game for the 21st time in team history during their 81-75 win at Las Vegas on Mar. 18. Rookie Tremain Mack snared 2 INTs in the first half and returned one 18-yards for a TD. It was the first 2-INT game by a SaberCat since Barry Wagner had a pair on May 16, 2004 in, ironically, Las Vegas. Mack pulled up lame on his 2nd INT late in the first half and did not play in the second half. Clevan Thomas also had a pick in the game, the 22nd of his career, to move within two of Pat McGuirk as the team's all-time leader. Mack and Thomas are both tied for 7th in the AFL with 3 interceptions on the year.

TEAM CAREER INTERCEPTION LEADERS
Rank Player INTs
1. Pat McGuirk (95-98) 24
2. Clevan Thomas 22
3. Barry Wagner 18
4. Tommy Jones (98-01) 17
5. Omarr Smith 16

COUNTDOWN – With two 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 98 wins with only Tampa Bay (135), Orlando (128) and Arizona (123) 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.

THE MALLEY FACTOR – After putting up the lowest point total in offensive coordinator Terry Malley's tenure in a season opening 63-33 loss at Tampa Bay on Jan. 30, the SaberCats have responded by scoring 458 points (65.4/game) in the last seven contests. Under Malley the SaberCats have finished either first or second in the AFL in scoring and have put up four of the top six scoring seasons in league history. All of San Jose's AFL record five 80-plus point games have come with Malley as the team's offensive coordinator and the SaberCats currently lead the AFL with an average of 61.4 points per game. San Jose is on pace to score 142 TDs and 982 points which would break its own 2003 AFL records of 137 and 966.

MOST POINTS SCORED, SEASON
Rank Team, Year Points
1. San Jose, 2003 966
2. Grand Rapids, 2003 925
3. Los Angeles, 2004 924
4. Arizona, 2003 917
5. Dallas, 2003 910

GRIEB vs ARIZONA – SaberCats QB Mark Grieb has started all 13 games he has played against the Rattlers as a member of the SaberCats and has completed 264-of-436 attempts for 3,211 yards with 69 TDs and just 2 INTs. His first career start as a SaberCat came against Arizona on May 15, 1999 and resulted in a 54-50 win when Greib tossed a 9-yard scoring pass to Shalon Baker with 18 seconds left in the game. He established a team record by throwing for 9 TDs in San Jose's 73-63 win at Arizona on July 6, 2001 and has thrown 6 or more TD passes in a game against Arizona six times. He currently has a streak of 111 pass attempts against the Rattlers without being intercepted. Grieb played one game against Arizona as a member of the Anaheim Piranhas completing 6-of-12 passes for 59 yards with a TD and an INT in a 58-26 loss on May 16, 1997.

ALL-PURPOSE PLAYER – With Hunkie Cooper recently released by Arizona and George LaFrance long retired, Barry Wagner has his sights set on the league's career all-purpose yardage record. The charge has been put on hold, however, as Wagner has missed the last three games recuperating from a foot injury. His streak of 144 consecutive games played came to an end against Philadelphia on Mar. 11 when he was inactive with his injury. Wagner hopes to return to action soon and continue his quest to become the AFL's all-time leader in all-purpose yards. With 20,348 career all-purpose yards, Wagner trails LaFrance by just 132 for 2nd place and is 202 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 20,348

MILESTONES REACHED AGAINST LAS VEGAS
*Rashied Davis tied a team record with 7 TDs and had the 8th KO return TD of his career passing Titus Dixon for 3rd on team's career list. He also tallied a career-high tying 10 receptions to reach 100 in his career (106).
*San Jose tied a league and team record with 6 rush TDs.
*The SaberCats scored the most points in a road game, the 3rd highest point total in any game and the combined point total of 156 was the 2nd highest scoring game in franchise history.
*Gladiators OS Marcus Nash tied a San Jose opponent record with six TD receptions and QB Clint Dolezel set an opponent record with 55 pass attempts.
*Dan Frantz tied a San Jose record by attempting 12 PATs in a game.
*San Jose and Las Vegas combined to score 60 points in the 4th quarter and 95 points in the second half, both team records.
*Matt Kinsinger scored the 30th rush TD of his career.
*San Jose tied a team record for most TDs in a game (12) and the teams combined to set the San Jose record for most combined TDs in a game (23).
*Tremain Mack and Clevan Thomas combined to tie the record for most INT return yards in a game (69).
*Tremain Mack earned his 4th consecutive Defensive Player of the Game award, tying an AFL record.

ARIZONA PLAYERS TO WATCH:
OS SIAHA BURLEY – The AFL's leading scorer this season with 26 TDs has had an up-and-down history against San Jose. In 6 games with three different teams against the SaberCats (Orlando, Los Angeles, and Arizona), Burley has had three monster games to go along with three sub-par ones. In his three impressive outings against the SaberCats, Burley has 28 catches for 421 yards and 12 TDs, leading his teams to a 2-1 record. In the other three contests (1-2), Burley has just 8 catches for 100 yards and no TD receptions, though he did have a 57-yard KO return TD while with the Avengers. While Arizona has stumbled to a 2-7 record, Burley has been one of the Rattlers few bright spots with 78 receptions for 1,050 yards and his 26 TD. In addition to scoring, Burley also leads the league in reception yards and is second in receptions and all-purpose yards. If Burley continues at his current pace, he will have a chance to break Calvin Schexnayder's records for receptions (136), receiving yards (1,982) and receiving touchdowns (44) set in 1998. The SaberCats secondary will have their hands full trying to contain the always dangerous Burley.

WR/DB RANDY GATEWOOD – The former All-AFL first-team selection and the 2003 AFL Ironman of the Year winner is currently the Rattlers second leading receiver (behind Burley) with 51 catches for 679 yards and 10 TDs. The nine-year veteran of the Rattlers is still a threat on the defensive side as well, with 2 INTs and a fumble recovery for a TD this season. In his career with Arizona, Gatewood has been a part of some epic battles between the SaberCats and the Rattlers, including his highlight reel performance in Arizona's 66-49 semifinal playoff win in 2003. Gatewood grabbed 5 TDs and amassed 227 yards on 12 catches and added an 11-yard interception.

WR/LB TOM PACE – Arizona's third leading receiver in 2004, Pace has assumed the role again this season. Pace has appeared in all nine of Arizona's games this season, and his seven touchdowns are third on the team. In addition, Pace has 27 catches for 357 yards and has recorded 14.0 total tackles, good enough for fourth on the team. In four games against San Jose, Pace has caught 13 passes for 150 yards and four touchdowns.








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) WR/LB James Roe, San Jose
GRAND RAPIDS (Mar 18) OS Rashied Davis, San Jose
@Las Vegas (Mar 28) OS Marcus Nash, Las Vegas
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) DS Tremain Mack, San Jose
GRAND RAPIDS (Mar 18) DS Tremain Mack, San Jose
@Las Vegas (Mar 28) DS Tremain Mack, San Jose
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) FB/LB Matt Kinsinger, San Jose
GRAND RAPIDS (Mar 18) WR/DB Ryan Fernandez, San Jose
@Las Vegas (Mar 28) OS Rashied Davis, San Jose
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)

*Players in Bold won AFL weekly honors








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 1-0
30-39 points 0-1 2-0
40-49 points 0-0 1-0
50-59 points 2-0 0-0
60-69 points 1-2 0-2
70-79 points 1-0 1-1
80+ points 1-0 0-0

Games decided
by 7 or fewer points 1-0
by 3 or fewer points 0-2

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

Leading at Half 5-0
Trailing at Half 0-2
Tied at Half 0-1

Leading after the 3rd 5-0
Trailing after the 3rd 0-2
Tied after the 3rd 0-1

Scoring First 4-1
Opp. Score First 1-2

More Total Offense 3-3
Less Total Offense 2-0

More Pass Yards 3-3
Less Pass Yards 2-0

More Rushing Yards 4-1
Less Rushing Yards 1-2

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

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

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

Winning coin toss 1-1
Losing coin toss 4-2

Outscoring Opponent 5-0
Being Outscored 0-3



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 30, 2005


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