Sports stats



San Jose SaberCats game notes

April 5, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release


THE QUICK FACTS:
Game: SaberCats (6-3) at Chicago Rush (5-4).
Date: Sunday, April 10, 2005.
Kickoff: 10:00 a.m. (PDT).
Site: Allstate Arena (16,000).
Officials: Terry Brown (Referee); Rick Lowe (Umpire); Rusty Baynes (Head Linesman); Gary Cavaletto (Line Judge); Scott Helverson (Back Judge).
Television: NBC Sports will televise the game live at 10 a.m. (PT) and fans in the Bay Area can watch on KNTV (NBC11). Allen Bestwick (play-by-play), Ray Bentley (color) and Mark Schanowski (sideline) call the action.
Radio: San Jose's flagship radio station KNBR-1050 will air the game live in the Bay Area with Joe Castellano (play-by-play) and George Atkinson (color) calling the action.
Internet: Log on to www.KNBR.com to hear a live webcast of Sunday's game.
Series Record: SaberCats lead 4-0.
Last Meeting: SaberCats 49, Chicago 35 on June 12, 2004 in a semifinal playoff game in San Jose.
Series Streaks: SaberCats Won 4.
Coaches: San Jose, Darren Arbet (7th season; 70-27 regular season, 79-30 overall). Chicago, Mike Hohensee (12th season; 84-73 regular season, 90-81 overall).

OVERVIEW: The SaberCats won their fifth straight game and moved into sole possession of first place in the Western Division with their 48-27 win over the Arizona Rattlers on April 3. San Jose takes to the road to battle the Chicago Rush in a regionally televised NBC game on Sunday, April 10 at 10 a.m. (PT). The SaberCats have never lost to the Rush winning all four series games, including a semifinal playoff tilt last season that vaulted the SaberCats into ArenaBowl XVIII...Rookie FB Steve Warren scored three rushing TDs and QB Mark Grieb threw for four as the SaberCats throttled the Rattlers. One game after allowing 75 points and over 400 yards of offense, San Jose's defense limited Arizona to just over 200 total yards and a season-low point total in winning its fourth straight regular season home game. With Los Angeles losing at Orlando, the SaberCats sit alone in first place for the first time this season...Lineman Joe Jacobs was a force on defense as he became the 4th San Jose player to record an interception and a full sack in the same game. For his efforts Jacobs earned Defensive Player of the Game honors...The SaberCats defeated Chicago twice last season with both games being played in San Jose. The teams have played once in Chicago with the SaberCats posting a 71-49 win on Mar. 9, 2003

THE SCHEDULES:

2005 San Jose SaberCats (6-3)
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
Apr. 3 ARIZONA Won 48-27
Date Opponent Time (PT) Radio/TV
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 Chicago Rush (5-4)
Game Opponent Result Score
Jan. 30 @Dallas Lost (ot) 65-66
Feb. 6 PHILADELPHIA Won 51-41
Feb. 13 @Colorado Won 51-48
Feb. 19 @Columbus Lost 39-52
Feb. 25 ORLANDO Lost 35-48
Mar. 6 NASHVILLE Won 45-38
Mar. 13 @Grand Rapids Won 48-45
Mar. 20 NEW ORLEANS Lost (ot) 40-46
Apr. 2 @New York Won 44-43
Game Opponent Time (PT) TV
Apr. 10 SAN JOSE 10:00 am NBC
Apr. 17 COLORADO 10:00 am NBC
Apr. 23 @Los Angeles 7:30 pm
May 1 LAS VEGAS 10:00 am NBC
May 7 @Arizona 7:00 pm
May 15 GRAND RAPIDS 10:00 am NBC
May 22 @Nashville 12:00 pm NBC

THE SERIES: San Jose has never lost to Chicago winning all four series meetings, including two games last season...San Jose won, 51-43, on April 16, 2004 in a regular season contest, and posted a 49-35 win on June 12 in a semifinal playoff game...The SaberCats won the only meeting between the clubs in Chicago, 71-49, on March 9, 2003.

WHAT'S AHEAD: It's a short week for the SaberCats as they return to San Jose following Sunday's game and prepare for a tilt with the Dallas Desperados on Friday, April 15.

SERIES NOTABLES: San Jose defeated Chicago 49-35 in the semifinals of the playoffs last season to put them in the ArenaBowl for the second time in three years...The game was knotted at 35 in the fourth quarter—the fifth tie of the game—before San Jose scored two TDs in the final five minutes to pull away...The SaberCats tied a team postseason high with 24 first downs against the Rush in last season's playoff game and set a team postseason record with 97 penalty yards...Mark Grieb has been the Offensive Player of the Game for the last two contests against Chicago...He is 4-0 against the Rush with a 130.3 passer rating, completing 87-of-128 passes for 1,099 yards with 20 TDs and only 1 INT...In last year's playoff matchup, Grieb tied a SaberCats postseason record with 27 pass completions and was one pass attempt short of matching San Jose's postseason high...San Jose has at least one INT in each of the four series game and has totaled eight...WR/DB Rashied Davis had 6 catches and his 1st career TD reception at Chicago on Mar. 9, 2003, he also had his first career INT return for a TD in that game...During the same game, Aaron Bailey set the SaberCats record for most rushing TDs in a game with 4 in San Jose's 71-49 blowout win at Chicago...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...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...Clevan Thomas was responsible for all three return scores (two KO return, one MFG return), including a 53-yard score on the opening kickoff...Antonio Chatman set a SaberCats opponent's record with 354 all-purpose yards against San Jose on Jun. 15, 2002...San Jose has fumbled and lost the ball six times in four games against the Rush, including four times on Jun. 15, 2002...The SaberCats have scored 70-or-more points in a game 21 times in franchise history and have done it in two of the three games with Chicago.

LAST SERIES MEETING: SABERCATS 49, Chicago 35 • Saturday, June 12, 2004 • HP Pavilion – QB Mark Grieb's eight-yard pass to James Hundon and his seven-yard run capped a 14-point swing in the final five minutes sparking San Jose to a 49-35 win over the Chicago Rush in an Arena Football League semifinal game. The win propelled the SaberCats into the league's championship game, ArenaBowl XVIII, against the Arizona Rattlers. Grieb's fourth touchdown pass in the game to Hundon, and his fifth overall, broke a 35-all tie with 4:47 left in the final period. Rookie defensive specialist Charles Pauley's interception of a Chad Salisbury pass with 3:40 remaining setup the final score. Salisbury had replaced starter Raymond Philyaw, who was hurt in the second quarter and did not return to the game. Etu Molden tipped the ball and Pauley grabbed it at the Chicago 21 and returned it to the seven. Grieb, named the offensive player of the game, went back to pass on 3rd and goal, saw a lane and ran, diving from the one into the end zone. Dan Frantz' extra point kick gave the SaberCats a 49-35 lead with 1:50 left. On the ensuing kickoff, Barry Wagner forced Molden to fumble and Rashied Davis recovered for San Jose with 1:17 remaining. The SaberCats then ran out the clock for the win. Grieb was 27 of 40 passing for 273 yards and not one interception, although he was pressured all afternoon from the Chicago line. Hundon caught four touchdown passes and had 10 catches for 95 yards. Barry Wagner had the other touchdown in a game that was tied five times. Philyaw was 1-of-2 with a first-quarter score on a 19-yard pass to Jeremy McDaniel. He elected to run the ball on a second down play and had picked up 16 yards when Wagner turned him outside and when he cut back twisted his right knee. In relief, Salisbury was 9 of 16 and had a pair of TDs. He connected with McDaniel for 3 yards and Molden for 33. San Jose's first lead of the game came early in the fourth quarter when Grieb connected with Hundon for eight yards for a 35-28 margin.

SCORE BY QUARTERS
Rush................................................... 7 14 7 7 -- 35
SaberCats.......................................... 0 21 7 21 -- 49

SCORING SUMMARY
CHI McDaniel 19 pass from Philyaw (Gispert kick)
SAN Wagner 1 run (Frantz kick)
CHI Molden 2 run (Gispert kick)
SAN Hundon 14 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
CHI McDaniel 3 pass from Salisbury (Gispert kick)
SAN Hundon 9 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
SAN Wagner 19 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
CHI Molden 6 run (Gispert kick)
SAN Hundon 8 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
CHI Molden 33 pass from Salisbury (Gispert kick)
SAN Hundon 8 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
SAN Grieb 7 run (Frantz kick)

INDIVIDUAL STASTICS
Passing: CHI – Salisbury 9-16-1-122; Philyaw 1-2-0-19. SAN – Grieb 27-40-0-273.
Rushing: CHI – Philyaw 1-16; McGourty 1-11; Molden 2-8; Alfonzo 1-8; McMillen 1-1; McDaniel 1-(-2). SAN – Grieb 1-7; Johnson 3-7; Wagner 3-3; Keanaaina 1-0.
Receiving: CHI – McDaniel 4-43; Molden 3-50; McGourty 2-40; Alfonzo 1-8. SAN – Hundon 10-95; Roe 9-98; Wagner 5-40; Johnson 2-34; Coleman 1-6.
Kick Returns: CHI – Molden 4-56; McDaniel 3-55. SAN – Coleman 3-44; Wagner 2-15.

ALL-TIME SERIES SCORES
Date Score
June 12, 2004 @San Jose 49, Chicago 35 (playoff)
April 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...
*Be San Jose's 100th regular season win.
*Be Darren Arbet's 80th career coaching victory.
*Give them a 6-game winning streak.
*Move their season record to 7-3.
*Be their 3rd straight road win.
*Give them a 5-0 series edge over the Rush
*Give San Jose a 28-12 all-time record against Central Division opponents.
*Give San Jose a 14-7 all-time road record against Central Division opponents.
*Give San Jose a 109-58 all-time record.
*Give San Jose a 45-32 all-time regular season road record.

THE COACHES:
San Jose – Darren Arbet, 7th season
70-27 (.722) reg. season; 79-30 (.725) overall
4-0 (1.000) career vs. Chicago
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 .725 (79-30) 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 64-19 (.771) 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).

Chicago – Mike Hohensee, 12th season
84-73 (.535) reg. season; 90-81 (.526) overall
0-8 (.000) career vs. San Jose
Chicago head coach Mike Hohensee became just the third coach in AFL history to accumulate 90 career wins when the Rush defeated New York on April 2 and he currently owns a 90-81 (.526) all-time record. Now in his 12th 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 career regular season record of 84-73 (.535) and is 40-29 (.580) in his fifth season with the Rush. Overall with Chicago, Hohensee has a mark of 43-33 (.566). He has led the Rush to four consecutive playoff berths and a pair of Central Division titles.

LOTSA WINS – The two head coaches in this game have combined for 169 career AFL victories. Chicago's Mike Hohensee captured his 90th career victory in last week's win at New York and sits in 3rd place on the league's career wins list. San Jose's Darren Arbet won his 70th regular season game last week and can get his 80th career with a win on Sunday. Combined, Arbet and Hohensee have two fewer wins than the AFL's all-time leader, Tampa Bay's Tim Marcum, who has 171.

CAREER COACHING VICTORIES
Rk. Coach Wins
1. Tim Marcum 171
2. Danny White 141
3. Mike Hohensee 90
4. Perry Moss 86
5. Mike Dailey 82
6. Michael Trigg 80
7. Darren Arbet 79

RECENT RESULTS: SABERCATS 48, Arizona 27 – Mark Grieb threw for four touchdowns and Steve Warren ran for three more as the San Jose SaberCats won their fifth straight game to move into sole possession of first place in the Western Division with a 48-27 win over Arizona. Grieb had another standout game completing 26-of-34 passes for 289 yards without an interception. He staked San Jose to a 7-0 lead with a 29-yard strike to Rodney Wright two-and-a-half minutes into the second quarter and San Jose would never trail in the game. Warren ran for a game-high 16 yards on seven carries and his three scores surpassed his season total of two entering the game. His 1-yard run late in the fourth quarter supplied the final margin of victory for San Jose. A week after allowing 75 points and over 400 yards of offense at Las Vegas, the SaberCats defense had a stellar performance holding Arizona to 210 total yards and allowing just three offensive touchdowns. The Rattlers scored for the first time with 2:28 left in the first half. Arizona quarterback Joe Germaine was sacked twice and tossed an interception while completing just 17 of 34 for 210 yards and three scores. Lineman Joe Jacobs, named the Defensive Player of the Game, tallied his third career interception, which led to a SaberCats touchdown, and posted his second sack of the season to lead the defensive effort. Kevin Buck, playing for the first time in nearly a year, posted the other sack. The game was a rematch of ArenaBowls XVI and XVIII, both San Jose wins, and also marked the return of former SaberCats coach Todd Shell to San Jose.

RECENT ROSTER MOVES
Date Action
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.
Apr. 2 Activated FB/LB Kevin Buck and WR/DB Erin Damond from IR. Placed OL/DL Tony Plantin and OL/DL Chuck Reed on IR.

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

MILESTONES:
*Calvin Schexnayder needs 4 receptions for 600 career.
*Mark Grieb needs 7 TD passes for 400 career.
*Shalon Baker needs 2 TD receptions for 60 career, 88 receiving yards for 3,500 career and 73 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 163 KO return yards for 2,000 career and 2 KO return TDs to tie Clevan Thomas for 2nd all-time (10).
*Matt Kinsinger needs 22 rush yards for 400 career.
*Clevan Thomas needs 2 INTs to tie Pat McGuirk for team's career lead.
*Dan Frantz needs 2 PAT attempts for 200 career and 12 points to tie for 2nd place on team's career list.
*Joe Jacobs needs 1 sack to surpass Al Noga and tie Mike Ulufale for 2nd all-time in San Jose's record books.
*Darren Arbet needs 1 win for 80 in his head-coaching career.

2005 LEAGUE TEAM RANKINGS
Category SaberCats Rush
Scoring Offense (Rank) 59.9 (1) 46.4 (14)
Scoring Defense 49.0 (9) 47.4 (6)
Total Offense 314.6 (1) 297.4 (5)
Total Defense 281.6 (9) 291.8 (10)
Pass Offense 298.8 (1) 270.3 (6)
Pass Defense 266.7 (11) 265.3 (10)
Rushing Offense 15.8 (11) 27.1 (5)
Rushing Defense 14.9 (2) 26.4 (14)
Touchdowns 78 (1) 57 (14)
Pass Rating 117.5 (2) 115.2 (5)
Pass Defense Rating 105.5 (8) 109.9 (13)
Interceptions 11 (5) 6 (15)
Kickoff Return Avg. 22.1 (1) 16.3 (12)
Field Goal Return Avg. 3.0 (17) 12.0 (4)
Turnover Margin +4 (5) -4 (13)
3rd Down Conversions 42.2 (12) 52.0 (4)
4th Down Conversions 66.7 (T-1) 41.7 (11)
Sacks By 6 (T-12) 6 (T-12)
Sacks Against 8 (9) 4 (T-3)

2005 SABERCATS AMONG LEAGUE LEADERS
Player Category No. Rank
Mark Grieb Total Offense 2,712 2
Mark Grieb Completion Pct. 68.2 3
Mark Grieb Pass TDs 45 7
Mark Grieb Passer Rating 120.5 2
Mark Grieb Passing Yards 2,700 2
Mark Grieb Pass Completions 217 3
Mark Grieb Pass Yards/Game 300.0 2
James Roe Receptions 67 9
James Roe Receiving Yards 883 6
James Roe Rec. Yards/Game 98.1 5
James Roe TD Receptions 20 T-7
James Roe Touchdowns 21 T-8
James Roe Scoring 126 T-8
Matt Kinsinger Rush TDs 8 3
Rashied Davis All-purpose Yards 1,382 6
Rashied Davis KO Return Avg. 26.8 2
Rashied Davis Kickoff Returns 26 8
Rashied Davis KO Return Yards 697 4
Rashied Davis KO Return TDs 4 1
Dan Frantz Kick Scoring 69 T-9
Dan Frantz PAT Attempts 75 1
Dan Frantz PATs Made 63 1
Joe Jacobs Forced Fumbles 3 T-2

TRENDS:
ON THE ROAD AGAIN – After a convincing win over arch-rival Arizona on Apr. 3, the SaberCats take to the road to face the Rush. San Jose broke its 6-game regular season road losing streak with a 58-37 win at Orlando on Mar. 6 and with consecutive road wins looks to even its 2005 road record at 3-3. San Jose has not had a losing road record since going 2-5 during the 1999 season and owns a 44-32 (.579) all-time regular season road record.

THAT 70s SHOW – The SaberCats have scored 70 or more points in a game 21 times in franchise history and have done it twice against Chicago and three times against Mike Hohensee coached teams. San Jose set a team record for points in an 85-76 win over Hohensee's New England Sea*Wolves on June 9, 2000 and have scored 74 and 71 points in games against the Rush.

SCORELESS QUARTER – For the first time this season the SaberCats were blanked in a quarter after failing to put points on the board during the opening frame of the team's 48-27 win over Arizona on Apr. 3. The last time San Jose was shutout in a quarter was on June 12, 2004 in a semifinal playoff game against Chicago. The SaberCats were held scoreless in the first quarter of that game. Arizona failed to score in the first quarter as well, marking the first time in the AFL this season that a game was scoreless after one quarter.

FOURTH AND – After going 3-for-3 on fourth down conversions against Arizona on Apr. 3, the SaberCats have now converted six straight times on fourth down plays and are tied for the league lead with a 66.7 (10-of-15) fourth down success rate. San Jose's last four fourth down plays have also resulted in TDs.

AT THE HALF – The SaberCats are 6-0 this season when leading at halftime and 0-3 when trailing or tied at the intermission.

WHAT A RUSH – San Jose totaled 3 rushing scores against Arizona on Apr. 3, one game after tying a league and team record with 6 at Las Vegas on Mar. 28. The SaberCats have scored 3 or more times on the ground five times this year and are 5-0 in those games. San Jose leads the AFL with 28 rush TDs on the year and is on pace to equal Chicago's 2004 league record of 49.

APRIL SHOWERS – With their 48-27 win over Arizona on Apr. 3, the SaberCats improved their all-time record for the month to 12-7. San Jose has an all-time record of 6-4 on the road during the month of April.

JUST WIN – Mark Grieb improved his record as San Jose's starting QB to 58-16 (.784) with a 48-27 win over Arizona on Apr. 3 and he is 9-5 as the starter in games during the month of April. As the SaberCats starter in road games his record stands at 23-13 (.639) and he is 3-1 head-to-head against Rush QB Raymond Philyaw.

WINNING WAYS – San Jose is the only team in the AFL to win 60 regular season games since the start of the 2000 season. The SaberCats secured their 64th victory with a 48-27 win over Arizona on Apr. 3. Orlando, Arizona and Tampa Bay are the only other teams to reach the 50-win mark in the same span.
BEST RECORDS SINCE 2000
Team Record Pct.
San Jose SaberCats 64-19 .771
Orlando Predators 55-29 .655
Arizona Rattlers 54-30 .643
Tampa Bay Storm 50-33 .602

NOTES:
BACK ON THE FIELD – It's been a long time coming for FB/LB Kevin Buck. Sidelined with a severe knee injury midway through the 2004 season, Buck stepped back onto the field for the first time in almost a year. After an extensive rehabbing regimen, Buck was activated on Apr. 2 to fill the void left by injured FB/LB Chuck Reed. A true FB/LB, Buck registered his 1st career sack in the 3rd quarter of the game against Arizona and added a pass breakup. Though he did not record any offensive stats, Buck had a regular rotation throughout the game. Buck went down with a torn ACL against Chicago on Apr. 16, 2004. Not only did the Apr. 3 contest against the Rattlers signal the return of Buck, it also marked the AFL debut of WR/DB Erin Damond and OL/DL Jeff Ruffin. Damond started at DS in place of the injured Tremain Mack and posted 4.0 tackles and a PBU, while Ruffin started on the defensive line and had a QB hurry. For the season, seven rookies have made their AFL debut with the SaberCats.

COUNTDOWN – With one more regular season win the SaberCats will become the fourth franchise in AFL history to post 100 victories in regular season play. San Jose won its 99th regular season game with a 48-27 victory over Arizona on Apr. 3 and only Tampa Bay (136), Orlando (129) 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.

ON THE MARK – QB Mark Grieb had another surgical-like performance in San Jose's 48-27 win over Arizona on Apr. 3, the SaberCats fifth consecutive victory. Grieb completed an efficient 26-of-34 passes (76.5%) with 4 TDs and no interceptions for a passer rating of 130.6. It was Grieb's 5th straight game with a passer rating over 122.0 and the 5th game this season he has completed at least 70.0% of his passes. In San Jose's five-game win streak Grieb has completed 108-of-153 passes (70.6%) for 1,376 yards and 22 TDs for a passer rating of 128.9. Grieb is currently 2nd in the league in passing average per game with 300.0 and passer rating with 120.5. He also ranks 3rd in the AFL in completion percentage at 68.2. His 4 TD tosses against the Rattlers increase his season total to 45 and his career total to 393, 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 683
2. Andy Kelly New Orleans 680
3. Sherdrick Bonner Arizona 632
4. Clint Dolezel Las Vegas 612
5. John Kaleo Los Angeles 465
6. Todd Hammel Chicago 420
7. Jay Gruden -- 400
8. Mark Grieb San Jose 393

ROE-LIFIC – After two games in which he had only 7 catches for 100 yards and 2 TDs, WR/LB James Roe returned to form. Against the Rattlers, Roe caught 10 passes for a game-high 115 yards and 3 TDs. It was Roe's 3rd 10-plus receiving yard game of the season and 13th of his career, which is tops in the SaberCats record book. His 115 receiving yards put Roe (5,080) over the 5,000 all-purpose yard mark and also gave him 4 100-plus receiving yard games in 9 contests this season, and 19 for his career, leaving Roe three short of tying Steve Papin for the team's career lead. With 3 TDs against Arizona, Roe (774 points) surpassed Papin (760) to become the most prolific scorer in SaberCats history. In addition, Roe (129 TDs) broke the deadlock with Papin (126) and moved into sole possession of first place in TDs scored. For the season, San Jose's stalwart WR/LB leads all San Jose receivers with 67 catches for 883 yards and 20 touchdowns.

SJ CAREER TDs SCORED LEADERS
Rk. Player TDs Scored
1. James Roe 129
2. Steve Papin 126
3. Barry Wagner 110
4. James Hundon 99
5. Jerry Reese 79

STRONG EFFORT – Lineman Joe Jacobs earned Defensive Player of the Game honors after recording a sack, interception, forced fumble, pass breakup, 2 solo tackles and a TFL in San Jose's 48-27 win over Arizona on Apr. 3. For the 4th time in franchise history a player had a sack and an INT in the same game and the last player to do it was Jacobs on June 22, 2002 in a win over New York. Joey Dozier and Mike Ulufale were the other SaberCats to register a sack and an INT in the same game. Jacobs increased his career sack total as a SaberCat to 10.5 making him just the 4th player in team history with double-digit sack totals.

TEAM CAREER SACK LEADERS
Rk. Player Sacks
1. Sam Hernandez 37.5
2. Mike Ulufale 11.5
3. Al Noga 11.0
4. Joe Jacobs 10.5

WARREN – Rookie FB Steve Warren became the 6th player in SaberCats history to score 3 rushing TDs in a game when he scored on runs of 2, 11 and 1 in San Jose's 48-27 win over Arizona on Apr. 3. A converted lineman, Warren was moved to FB/LB prior to the start of the year due to injuries and lack of depth at the position. Warren had scored just twice on the ground entering the contest and joined Barry Wagner (3), James Williams, Bob McMillen, Steve Papin (4) and Rashied Davis as the only SaberCats to rush for three scores in a game. Aaron Bailey set the team record of 4 rush TDs in a game at Chicago on Mar. 9, 2003.

DEFENSE WINS TITLES – One game after allowing the third-highest point total in team history and over 400 yards of offense, the San Jose defense clamped down in its 48-27 win over Arizona on Apr. 3. The Rattlers managed just 210 total yards and scored three offensive touchdowns while being held to its lowest point total of the year. The SaberCats have allowed an average of just 40.8 points per game in their six wins, including 75 to Las Vegas on Mar. 28, while they have given up 196 points (65.3 ppg) in their three losses.

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 5 consecutive wins, the SaberCats have rushed for 18 TDs while passing for only 22. Against Arizona on Apr. 3, Steve Warren accounted for all three rushing scores boosting San Jose's league-leading total to 28, despite being tied for 9th in the AFL with just 68 rush attempts. Nine different players have scored a rushing TD this year, one short of the club record of 10 set in 2004.

THE COACH HO FACTOR – San Jose has never lost to a Mike Hohensee coached team going 8-0 all-time. The SaberCats are 4-0 against Chicago and have beaten Albany, Anaheim (twice) and New England with Hohensee at the helm. Of the teams Hohensee has coached more than two games against, San Jose is the only squad he has not defeated.

Gm Date Score
1. Albany at San Jose (5/10/96) 69-40
2. Anaheim at San Jose (5/10/97) 47-27
3. Anaheim vs San Jose (7/5/97) 49-35
4. New England at San Jose (6/9/00) 85-76
5. Chicago at San Jose (6/15/02) 74-68
6. Chicago vs San Jose (3/9/03) 71-49
7. Chicago at San Jose (4/16/04) 51-43
8. Chicago at San Jose (6/12/04) 49-35

PICKIN' IT – The SaberCats have tallied at least one INT in five of their last six games and have totaled 9 during that stretch. Joe Jacobs netted his 3rd career INT on an attempted screen pass in San Jose's win over Arizona on Apr. 3 and San Jose currently ranks 6th in the AFL with 11 INTs on the year. The SaberCats have at least one pick in the four games against the Rush and have totaled 8 off five different Chicago passers. Clevan Thomas has two of the INTs against the Rush and needs two more to match Pat McGuirk's all-time team lead of 24.

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

THE RETURN GAME – Clevan Thomas returned two kickoffs and a missed field goal for a TD against the Rush on June 15, 2002, becoming the only player in franchise history to have a KO and MFG return score in the same game. The SaberCats have totaled three KO return scores and the MFG return in four games against the Rush. Rashied Davis leads the AFL in 2005 with four KO return TDs and needs just one more to tie Thomas for 2nd place on the club's career list.

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

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

VERSUS CHICAGO – QB Mark Grieb has started all four games against the Rush and has completed 87-of-128 attempts for 1,099 yards with 20 TDs and just one INT. Grieb has thrown 80 straight passes against Chicago since his only pick, which came at Chicago on Mar. 9, 2003...In typical Ironman fashion WR/LB James Roe has played in all four series games totaling 28 receptions for 345 yards and 5 TDs of offense while recording 6 solo tackles (8.0 total) with an INT and a TFL on defense...K Dan Frantz has converted 13-of-14 PATs and made a 21-yard field goal in two games against the Rush.

MILESTONES REACHED AGAINST ARIZONA
*With three touchdowns against Arizona, James Roe (774 points) surpassed Steve Papin (760) to become the most prolific scorer in SaberCats history. In addition, Roe (129 TDs) broke the deadlock with Papin (126) and moved into sole possession of first in TD scored...His 115 receiving yards put Roe (5,080) over the 5,000 all-purpose yard mark.
*Mark Grieb (1,051) exceeded 1,500 completions in his San Jose career with his accurate 26-of-34 performance.
*Rookie Steve Warren had the first three-touchdown game of his career, upping his career total to five. He also set career-highs in rushing attempts (7) and rushing yards (16).
*Rookies Jeff Ruffin and Erin Damond played in their first career AFL-games.
*Albrey Battle's 30-yard reception was the longest of his career. His previous high was 14 yards.
*Rodney Wright's 29-yard TD reception was the longest reception of his career. His previous high was 24 yards.
*Kevin Buck recorded his first career sack for three yards in the 3rd quarter.
*Joe Jacobs (7) tied Leonard Nelson for 3rd place on San Jose's all-time forced fumbles list.

CHICAGO PLAYERS TO WATCH:
FB/LB BOB MCMILLEN – The former SaberCats FB/LB has seen plenty of action against his old team. From 1995-2000, McMillen was a member of the Arizona Rattlers during their days of dominance over the SaberCats. In 10 games against San Jose, McMillen owned an 8-2 record. He rushed 33 times for 81 yards with two TDs and added 20 tackles on defense. After leaving the Rattlers in 2000, McMillen joined the SaberCats and provided them with two seasons of valuable service. McMillen had 64 rushes for 224 yards and totaled 16 TDs his two seasons and helped San Jose win their first ArenaBowl in 2002. Following his service in San Jose, McMillen transplanted to Chicago but failed to enjoy the same success against the SaberCats he saw with Arizona. In three games—all losses—against San Jose, McMillen rushed for just 3 yards without a TD and made only two tackles. Last season, McMillen finished 2nd in the AFL with a career-high 285 rushing yards and led the circuit with a career-best 22 rushing TDs in helping Chicago set a new AFL record with 49 rushing TDs. Currently, the 11-year AFL veteran is Chicago's leading rusher and ranks sixth in the league in rushing yards. The crafty veteran has had a long and successful career, ranking in the AFL's top five in rushing attempts, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, in addition to winning two ArenaBowl titles (1997-Arizona, 2002-San Jose). He needs 123 rushing yards to become the AFL's all-time leading rusher.

WR/LB ETU MOLDEN – The talented second-year player made an immediate impact upon his entrance into the AFL. In his rookie campaign, Molden caught 101 passes for 1,280 yards and 37 TDs. He also added 6 rushing TDs and a kickoff return score. The Rush's leader in all receiving categories last season, Molden was also a finalist for the AFL Rookie of the Year award. In Chicago's two losses against San Jose, Molden did his part by hauling in 13 catches for 166 yards and scoring 6 TDs. Thus far in the 2005 season, Molden is Chicago's main offensive weapon and leads the team in all receiving categories. Also a threat on defense, Molden has 17.5 tackles and two interceptions.

QB RAYMOND PHILYAW – Dangerous both through the air and on the ground, Philyaw has been slowed by injuries this season, missing two games. In his six-year career, Philyaw has been under center for Albany (2000), Indiana (2001-2003) and Chicago (2004-present). Though he is only 1-3 against San Jose, Philyaw has put up some excellent numbers. In four complete games against the SaberCats, Philyaw has completed 84-of-132 passes (63.4%) for 1,058 yards with 23 TD passes and a 121.8 passer rating. While with the Indiana Firebirds, Philyaw had two monster games against San Jose. In his only victory over San Jose in 2001, Philyaw completed 31-of-40 passes (77.5%) for 393 yards and 7 TDs. Two years later, in a 71-73 shootout loss to the SaberCats, Philyaw had another 300+ yard game, throwing for 345 yards on 25-of-37 (67.5%) passing with 8 TDs and a rushing TD. Despite being bothered with injuries, Philyaw still has completed 67 percent of his passes and owns a 108.8 passer rating.


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) QB Mark Grieb, San Jose
@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) OL/DL Joe Jacobs, San Jose
@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) WR/LB James Roe, San Jose
@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 2-0
30-39 points 0-1 2-0
40-49 points 1-0 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 1-2

Leading at Half 6-0
Trailing at Half 0-2
Tied at Half 0-1

Leading after the 3rd 6-0
Trailing after the 3rd 0-2
Tied after the 3rd 0-1

Scoring First 5-1
Opp. Score First 1-2

More Total Offense 4-3
Less Total Offense 2-0

More Pass Yards 4-3
Less Pass Yards 2-0

More Rushing Yards 5-1
Less Rushing Yards 1-2

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

On NBC 1-3
On WB20 1-0
On NBC11 0-0
On FSN 4-0

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

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

Outscoring Opponent 6-0
Being Outscored 0-3

• Discuss this story on the Arena Football League (1987-2008) message board...

Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 5, 2005


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent San Jose SaberCats Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central