San Jose SaberCats game notes

Published on April 12, 2005 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release


THE QUICK FACTS:
Game: Dallas Desperados (6-3-1) at SaberCats (6-4).
Date: Friday, April 15, 2005.
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. (PDT).
Site: HP Pavilion at San Jose (14,041).
Officials: Jerome Boger (Referee); Rick Nelson (Umpire); Kavin McGrath (Head Linesman); Darrel Leftwich (Line Judge); Rich Wilborn (Back Judge).
Television: FOX Sports Net will televise the game with Randy Hahn (play-by-play), Mike Pawlawski (color) and F.P. Santangelo (sideline) calling the action. FSN Bay Area will air the game tape delayed on Saturday, April 16 at 10:30 am.
Radio: San Jose's flagship radio station KNBR-1050 will air the game live in the Bay Area with Barry Tompkins (play-by-play) and Keena Turner (color) calling the action. An extended pre-game show with hosts Tim Liotta and George Atkinson will air at 5:00 p.m.
Internet: Log on to www.KNBR.com to hear a live webcast of Sunday's game.
Series Record: Series Tied 2-2.
Last Meeting: Dallas 58, SaberCats 54 on April 10, 2004 in Dallas.
Series Streaks: Dallas Won 2.
Coaches: San Jose, Darren Arbet (7th season; 70-28 regular season, 79-31 overall). Dallas, Will McClay, (2nd season; 12-13-1 regular season and overall).

OVERVIEW: The SaberCats saw their five-game winning streak come to an end with a 55-39 loss at Chicago on Apr. 10 and now host the Eastern Division leading Dallas Desperados on Friday, April 15. FSN Bay Area will air the game on tape delay on Saturday, April 16 at 10:30 a.m...Chicago QB Raymond Philyaw completed his first 17 passes and tossed six scoring strikes as the Rush defeated San Jose for the first time in five tries and dropped the SaberCats into a first place tie in the Western Division with the Los Angeles Avengers. Mark Grieb threw for 368 yards, the 5th highest single game total in team history, and moved within 1 TD pass of 400 for his career by tossing six on 22-of-35 passing. The SaberCats committed three second half turnovers and scored just 13 points over the final two quarters as they posted their second lowest point total of the year...San Jose and Dallas have split their four series meetings with the Desperados winning the last two games on last-minute TDs. Jason Shelley scored with 25 seconds left in Dallas' 58-54 win on Apr. 10, 2004 and Will Pettis scored with 23 second remaining for a 67-64 win on Apr. 6, 2003...San Jose won the only game played at HP Pavilion, 77-54, on May 25, 2002.

THE SCHEDULES:

2005 San Jose SaberCats (6-4)
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
Apr. 10 @Chicago Lost 39-55
Date Opponent Time (PT) Radio/TV
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 Dallas Desperados (6-3-1)
Game Opponent Result Score
Jan. 30 CHICAGO Won (ot) 66-65
Feb. 6 @New York Lost 45-55
Feb. 13 COLUMBUS Won 35-31
Feb. 17 ORLANDO Won 42-28
Feb. 27 @Philadelphia Won 72-43
Mar. 5 NEW ORLEANS Lost 51-53
Mar. 13 @Austin Won 52-28
Mar. 18 @Los Angeles Won 72-50
Mar. 25 COLORADO Lost 58-66
Apr. 8 NASHVILLE Tie (ot) 41-41
Game Opponent Time (PT) TV
Apr. 15 @San Jose 7:30 pm FSN
Apr. 22 @Columbus 4:00 pm
Apr. 29 NEW YORK 5:30 pm
May 7 @Las Vegas 7:00 pm
May 14 @Georgia 4:00 pm
May 22 PHILADELPHIA 12:00 pm

THE SERIES: The all-time series is tied at 2-2 with the Desperados winning the last two contests by scoring touchdowns in the last half-minute of play...Jason Shelley scored with 25 seconds left in Dallas' 58-54 win on Apr. 10, 2004 and Will Pettis scored with 23 seconds remaining for a 67-64 win on Apr. 6, 2003...San Jose and Dallas were Western Division foes in 2002 and the SaberCats won both meetings, 77-54 on May 25, 2002, in the only series game in San Jose, and 58-41 on June 29 in Dallas...San Jose's two series wins have come by an average of 20 points while both Dallas wins have been by a combined seven points.

WHAT'S AHEAD: The SaberCats go from one division leader to another when they travel to Colorado to face the Central Division leading Crush on Friday, April 22. The game, featuring two of the top teams in the American Conference, will be televised locally on WB20 and can be heard on the SaberCats flagship radio station KNBR-1050 am.

SERIES NOTABLES: San Jose and Dallas have faced off against each other four times in their history, with the teams splitting the series at two apiece...The SaberCats blew out Dallas in the first two contests by an average of 20 points, outscoring them 135-95, while Dallas has taken the last two, winning by an average of only 3.5 points...Dallas has had a different starting QB in three of the four games against San Jose and with QB Clint Stoerner expected to take the snaps on Friday, that total will increase...Dallas has scored first in each of the four series games and has put the final points on the board in the last three...San Jose has led at the half in all four games, but have won only two...Dialleo Burks set a Dallas team-record with 32 points and five touchdowns on Apr. 6, 2003...Daron Alcorn set a Dallas opponents record for most PATs made (11) and attempted (11) on May 25, 2002...With a 17-of-24, 303-yard, 8-TD performance against San Jose, QB Jim Kubiak set a Dallas record for highest passer rating in a game at 152.8...James Hundon set a Dallas opponents record with 179 receiving yards and tied the opponents' record with 13 receptions on Apr. 10, 2004...Clevan Thomas tied a Dallas opponents record with a 57-yard kickoff return TD on May 25, 2002...Friday's contest will mark only the second time—and first since 2002—that Dallas has visited San Jose...San Jose has rushed for 13 TDs in four games against the Desperados...San Jose had a team record 32 first downs at Dallas on Apr. 6, 2003, it was the highest total in the AFL that season...The SaberCats are a perfect 18-of-18 in red zone scoring opportunities against Dallas (all TDs)...San Jose and Dallas have combined for 17 scores in the final minute of each half.

LAST SERIES MEETING: Dallas 58, SABERCATS 54 • Saturday, April 10, 2004 • American Airlines Center – A six-yard scoring run by Jason Shelley with 25 seconds left in the game lifted the Dallas Desperados (6-3) to a 58-54 win over San Jose (7-2) snapping the SaberCats four-game win streak. For the third straight week the SaberCats fell behind early, digging themselves a 14-point deficit after failing to get a first down on their first offensive possession. Dallas QB Glen Gauntt tossed a 13-yard TD pass to Bobby Sippio for the game's first score and San Jose's Rashied Davis fumbled the ball away on the ensuing kickoff leading to a 1-yard Gauntt TD run. San Jose outscored Dallas 27 to 10 over the remainder of the first half to take a 27-24 halftime lead. Mark Grieb tossed three TD passes to James Hundon, and Kevin Buck scored on a career-long 13-yard run. The SaberCats appeared to gain control of the game at the start of the second half when Omarr Smith intercepted a Gauntt offering leading to a Matt Kinsinger score and a 10-point San Jose lead early in the third. Following a 39-yard Sippio scoring reception, Davis fumbled on another kickoff return and Dallas scored on a 13-yard Shelley reception on the next play to stake the Desperados to a 37-34 lead. The teams traded touchdowns the rest of the way with San Jose taking its final lead of the game on a 5-yard scoring pass from Grieb to Hundon. Hundon finished the game 13 receptions for 179 yards and four TDs while Grieb completed 26-of-36 for 319 yards. San Jose attempted an onside kick following their go-ahead score, but Dallas recovered leading to the eventual game-winning touchdown. Gauntt, playing with an injured knee, completed 19-of-32 for 217 yards and six TDs. Sippio led all Dallas receivers with seven catches for 100 yards and four scores.

SCORE BY QUARTERS
SaberCats.......................................... 6 21 13 14 -- 54
Desperados....................................... 17 7 13 21 -- 58

SCORING SUMMARY
DAL Sippio 13 pass from Gauntt (Wells kick)
DAL Gauntt 1 run (Wells kick)
SAN Hundon 23 pass from Grieb (kick failed)
DAL FG Wells 45
SAN Buck 13 run (Frantz kick)
DAL Sippio 17 pass from Gauntt (Wells kick)
SAN Hundon 27 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
SAN Hundon 22 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
SAN Kinsinger 1 run (Frantz kick)
DAL Sippio 39 pass from Gauntt (kick failed)
DAL Shelley 13 pass from Gauntt (Wells kick)
SAN Wagner 1 run (kick failed)
DAL Shelley 7 pass from Gauntt (Wells kick)
SAN Buck 5 run (Frantz kick)
DAL Sippio 5 pass from Gauntt (Wells kick)
SAN Hundon 5 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
DAL Shelley 6 run (Wells kick)

INDIVIDUAL STASTICS
Passing: SAN – Grieb 26-36-1-319. DAL – Gauntt 19-32-1-217.
Rushing: SAN – Buck 2-18; Keanaaina 3-9; Kinsinger 2-6; Wagner 1-1. DAL – Shelley 3-7; Pettijohn 3-3; Gauntt 2-1; Aldridge 1-1.
Receiving: SAN – Hundon 13-179; Davis 6-55; Roe 4-62; Coleman 3-23. DAL – Sippio 7-100; Shelley 6-60; Pettis 5-45; Aldridge 1-12.
Kick Returns: SAN – Davis 7-139; Coleman 2-35. DAL – Pettis 5-93; Tucker 2-29.

ALL-TIME SERIES SCORES
Date Score
April 10, 2004 @Dallas 58, San Jose 54
April 6, 2003 @Dallas 67, San Jose 64
June 29, 2002 San Jose 58, @Dallas 41
May 25, 2002 @San Jose 77, Dallas 54

THE IFS...:
If the SaberCats defeat Dallas it would...
*Be San Jose's 100th regular season win.
*Be Darren Arbet's 80th career coaching victory.
*Break their 2-game losing streak to the Desperados.
*Give San Jose a 3-2 series lead.
*Be their 5th straight win at home.
*Give San Jose a 56-20 all-time regular season home record.
*Give San Jose a 109-59 all-time record.
*Give San Jose an 18-10 all-time record against Eastern Division teams.
*Give San Jose an 11-3 all-time home record against Eastern Division teams.

THE COACHES:
San Jose – Darren Arbet, 7th season
70-28 (.714) reg. season; 79-31 (.718) overall
2-2 (.500) career vs. Dallas
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 64-20 (.762) 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). With his next victory, Arbet will become the 8th head coach in AFL history to accumulate 80 career coaching victories.

CAREER COACHING VICTORIES
Rk. Coach Wins
1. Tim Marcum, Tampa Bay 172
2. Danny White 141
3. Mike Hohensee, Chicago 91
4. Perry Moss 86
5. Mike Dailey, Colorado 83
6. Michael Trigg 80
7. Darren Arbet, San Jose 79

Dallas – Will McClay, 2nd season
12-13-1 (.481) reg. season and overall
1-0 (1.000) career vs. San Jose
Will McClay begins his second year as the Desperados Head Coach. He was promoted to lead the team three days before kicking off the 2004 AFL season following the resignation of Joe Avezzano. He will also serve as the team's defensive coordinator, a position he has held since the teams inaugural season in 2002. In the AFL offseason, McClay works in the Dallas Cowboys Player Personnel Department. Prior to moving to Dallas, he was the Assistant Director of Pro Scouting with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2001) and Player Personnel Director of the XFL's Orlando Rage (2001). He was the Grand Rapids Rampage Defensive Coordinator/Director of Player Personell (1998-99) after serving in the same capacity for the Anaheim Piranhas (1997). He served as the Defensive Coordinator for the Florida Bobcats (1996) and the Milwaukee Mustangs (1995) after beginning his coaching career with the Detroit Drive (1993). He was a WR/DB with Detroit from 1989-92, helping them win three ArenaBowl championships.

RECENT RESULTS: Chicago 55, SABERCATS 39 – Raymond Philyaw threw six touchdown passes leading the Chicago Rush to a 55-39 win over the San Jose SaberCats, snapping San Jose's five-game winning streak. Philyaw completed his first 17 attempts and finished the game 27-of-35 for 264 yards. His 8-yard scoring pass to Henry Douglas with 13 seconds left in the first half gave the Rush a 27-26 lead and Chicago would never trail after that. San Jose grabbed an early lead when Mark Grieb connected with Rashied Davis on a 15-yard touchdown pass just under three minutes into the game. Kicker Dan Frantz missed the first of three PATs on the day leaving the SaberCats up 6-0. Grieb connected two more times with Davis and once with Rodney Wright as the SaberCats scored on their first four possessions. They scored just two times in the second half and were held to their second lowest point total of the season. Grieb threw six touchdown passes in the game, leaving him one shy of 400 for his career, and completed 22-of-35 for 368 yards. James Roe caught six passes for 75 yards before leaving the game midway through the second quarter with a hamstring injury. San Jose scored with 34 seconds left in the game on 24-yard Grieb to Wright pass play and had a chance to make it a one possession game, but Frantz missed the PAT and Chicago recovered the ensuing on-side kick. Philyaw then tossed a 10-yard middle screen to lineman John Moyer to close out the scoring. Wright was San Jose's leading receiver with seven catches for a game-high 112 yards and two scores. Jeremy McDaniel led the Rush with eight receptions for 106 yards and three touchdowns. The win was the first for the Rush over San Jose and also gave head coach Mike Hohensee his first career victory over the SaberCats in his ninth try. NOTES: C Dan Loney was inactive with a staph infection in his elbow missing his first game of the year and first since the 2003 season...Barry Wagner and Sebastian Barrie were the other inactives...WR/LB Shalon Baker moved past Jerry Reese into fifth place on the club's all-time receiving yards list and reached the 3,500 yard mark for his career...OL/DL Joe Jacobs had career sack No. 11.5 as a SaberCat moving him into a tie with Mike Ulufale for 2nd on the team's career chart...Mark Grieb completed 8 of his first 9 attempts and Raymond Philyaw completed his first 17 as the two QBs combined to complete 25 of their first 26 passes.

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.
Apr. 7 Signed WR/DB DeVon Banks to the practice squad.
Apr. 9 Activated OL/DL Sebastian Barrie from IR. Placed WR/DB Ryan Fernandez on IR.



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

MILESTONES:
*Calvin Schexnayder needs 4 receptions for 600 career.
*Mark Grieb needs 1 TD pass for 400 career.
*Shalon Baker needs 1 TD reception for 60 career.
*Clevan Thomas needs 1 INT to tie Pat McGuirk for team's career lead.
*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 125 KO return yards for 2,000 career, 2 KO return TDs to tie Clevan Thomas for 2nd all-time (10)...Needs 84 receiving yards for 1,500 in his career...Also needs 294 all-purpose yards to tie his career-high...Needs two rushing TDs for 10 in his career.
*Matt Kinsinger needs 23 rush yards for 400 career and 1 rushing TD for 30 in his San Jose career.
*Dan Frantz needs 9 points to tie for 2nd place on team's career list...Needs 1 point for 200 in his AFL career.
*Joe Jacobs needs 0.5 sack to surpass 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 Desperados
Scoring Offense (Rank) 57.8 (2) 53.4 (4)
Scoring Defense 49.6 (10) 46.0 (3)
Total Offense 319.3 (1) 268.3 (T-13)
Total Defense 280.6 (T-5) 249.8 (2)
Pass Offense 205.4 (1) 230.5 (17)
Pass Defense 266.0 (10) 225.8 (1)
Rushing Offense 13.9 (12) 37.8 (2)
Rushing Defense 14.6 (3) 23.4 (T-10)
Touchdowns 84 (10) 72 (T-10)
Pass Rating 118.6 (2) 111.3 (8)
Pass Defense Rating 107.6 (9) 96.0 (2)
Interceptions 12 (5) 8 (11)
Kickoff Return Avg. 21.1 (3) 16.2 (7)
Field Goal Return Avg. 3.0 (17) 15.5 (14)
Turnover Margin +2 (7) +6 (4)
3rd Down Conversions 43.5 (14) 47.0 (7)
4th Down Conversions 66.7 (T-1) 66.7 (T-1)
Sacks By 7 (14) 9 (11)
Sacks Against 9 (T-8) 9 (T-8)

2005 SABERCATS AMONG LEAGUE LEADERS
Player Category No. Rank
Mark Grieb Total Offense 3,081 1
Mark Grieb Completion Pct. 67.7 4
Mark Grieb Pass TDs 51 7
Mark Grieb Passer Rating 121.4 1
Mark Grieb Passing Yards 3,068 1
Mark Grieb Pass Completions 239 3
Mark Grieb Pass Yards/Game 306.8 1
James Roe Receptions 73 8
James Roe Receiving Yards 958 5
James Roe Rec. Yards/Game 95.8 6
James Roe TD Receptions 20 9
James Roe Touchdowns 21 10
Matt Kinsinger Rush TDs 8 T-4
Rashied Davis All-purpose Yards 1,501 7
Rashied Davis KO Return Avg. 25.3 3
Rashied Davis Kickoff Returns 29 7
Rashied Davis KO Return Yards 735 4
Rashied Davis KO Return TDs 4 1
Dan Frantz Kick Scoring 72 10
Dan Frantz PAT Attempts 81 1
Dan Frantz PATs Made 66 1
Joe Jacobs Forced Fumbles 3 T-3

TRENDS:
HOME SWEET HOME – The SaberCats are unbeaten at home in 2005 going 4-0 and have won 14 of their last 15 and 28 of their last 30 regular season home games. Since the start of the 2000 season the SaberCats are 37-4 (.902) in regular season home games and 45-6 (.882) overall at HP Pavilion. San Jose's all-time record at home, including playoffs, stands at 63-23 (.733). No team has gone unbeaten at home since the 16-game regular season was adopted prior to the 2003 campaign.

CLOSE CALLS – The Desperados have won each of the last two series games by scoring a TD with less than 30 seconds left in the game. Jason Shelley scored on a 6-yard run with 25 seconds left for a 58-54 win at Dallas on Apr. 10, 2004. Just over one year earlier on Apr. 6, Will Pettis scored on a 1-yard run with 23 ticks left on the clock for a 67-64 Dallas victory.

PROTECT YOUR TURF – The SaberCats have won their four home games this season by an average of 26.5 points, outscoring the opposition 238-132. San Jose has been particularly good in the second half allowing just 34 points in its four home contests while scoring 93 and has given up just six fourth quarter points.

THE ROAD DIFFERENCE – San Jose has allowed an average of 33.0 ppg (132 pts) in its four home games and has not allowed an opponent to score more than 48 points in any game. In six road contests the SaberCats have allowed an average of 60.7 ppg (364 pts) while allowing fewer than 55 points in a game just once.

AT THE HALF – The SaberCats trailed 27-26 at halftime in their loss at Chicago on Apr. 10 dropping their record this season to 0-4 when behind or tied at the intermission. On the flip side, San Jose is 6-0 when leading at the break.

THE 300 CLUB – The SaberCats have now lost four straight regular season games, including three this season, in which QB Mark Grieb throws for 300 or more yards. Grieb totaled 368 yards, the 5th highest game total in team history, in San Jose's 55-39 loss at Chicago. Overall San Jose is 13-6 when Grieb throws for 300 or more yards in a game.

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. The SaberCats did not have a fourth down conversion attempt at Chicago on Apr. 10 and are currently tied for the top spot with Dallas. San Jose's last four fourth down plays have resulted in TDs.

JUST WIN – QB Mark Grieb owns a 58-17 (.773) record as San Jose's starting QB and, more impressively, his record as the team's starter in home games is 35-3 (.921). In games played during the month of April Grieb is 9-6 overall with a 5-2 record at HP Pavilion.

WINNING WAYS – Despite their 55-39 loss at Chicago on Apr. 10, the SaberCats are 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 64-20 .762
Orlando Predators 55-30 .647
Arizona Rattlers 55-30 .647
Tampa Bay Storm 51-33 .607

NOTES:
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 (137), Orlando (129) and Arizona (124) 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.

GROUNDED – Known for their ability to run the ball effectively, especially in the red zone, the SaberCats struggled mightily against Chicago, a team in the bottom half of the league in rush defense. Against the Rush, the SaberCats had a franchise low 2 carries for -4 yards. San Jose's previous low of 3 rushing attempts was achieved three times previously in their history, the latest being a 52-59 loss to Arizona on July 12, 2002. The SaberCats minus-four rushing yards tied a team record in futility on the ground as well. San Jose also had minus-four yards in a 34-58 loss to Tampa Bay on Aug. 2, 1997. Still, despite their efforts against Chicago, the SaberCats remain at the top of the AFL in rushing TDs with 28.

STARTING LINE – George Williams has started on both sides of the line in six consecutive games for the SaberCats. In those six games, San Jose owns a 5-1 record. Because of San Jose's lack of depth at the position, Williams started the season at FB/LB before moving back to his familiar spot on the line in Week two. The talented lineman leads San Jose trench-men in receiving with 2 catches for 33 yards.

NEARING 400 – QB Mark Grieb tossed 6 TD passes at Chicago in the team's loss on Apr. 10 leaving him one shy of joining the AFL's exclusive 400 career touchdown pass list. His next TD strike will make him the 8th player in league history with 400 for a career and the TD pass after that will move him ahead of current Orlando head coach Jay Gruden into 7th place on the league's all-time list. Grieb increased his season total to 51 and needs 25 TD passes over the final six games to break his own 2004 season record of 75.

AFL CAREER PASSING TOUCHDOWNS
Rk. Player Team Pass TDs
1. Aaron Garcia New York 688
2. Andy Kelly New Orleans 680
3. Sherdrick Bonner Arizona 632
4. Clint Dolezel Las Vegas 617
5. John Kaleo Los Angeles 470
6. Todd Hammel Chicago 420
7. Jay Gruden -- 400
8. Mark Grieb San Jose 399

PASSING FANCY – Grieb completed 22-of-35 passes, including the 1,600th completion of his career, for 368 yards in San Jose's 55-39 loss at Chicago on Apr. 10. His yardage total ranks as the 5th highest single-game mark in team history and it's Grieb's second highest total of the season. He finished the game with a passer rating of 125.6, the 6th straight game with a passer rating over 122.0. Grieb currently leads the league in passing average per game with 306.8 and passer rating with 121.4. He also ranks fourth in the league in completion percentage at 67.7. Grieb needs to average 173.8 yards over his last six games to surpass his career-high of 4,111 yards. Grieb would need to average 282.3 yards for the rest of the season to break Jim Kubiak's all-time AFL record of 4,762 passing yards set in 2003. Grieb now owns the top 3 single game passing yard totals in team history and four of the top five.

TEAM SINGLE GAME PASSING YARDS
Rk. Player, Opponent Yards
1. Mark Grieb, vs Nashville (6/16/01) 430
2. Mark Grieb, vs Florids (6/30/01) 418
3. Mark Grieb, at Los Angeles (2/20/05) 399
4. Tony Kimbrough, at Arizona (5/4/96) 393
5. Mark Grieb, at Chicago (4/10/05) 368

STRONG EFFORT – Lineman Joe Jacobs continued his strong play of late with a sack and three tackles against Chicago. With the sack, Jacobs, who has 11.5 career sacks with the SaberCats, moved past Al Noga (11.0) and tied Mike Ulufale (11.5) for second place on San Jose's career list. With 34.5 career sacks, Jacobs needs 1.5 to tie Andre Bowden (36.0) for 6th place on the AFL's all-time list. Jacobs earned Defensive Player of the Game honors against Arizona on Apr. 3 after recording a sack, INT, FF, PBU, 2 solo tackles and a TFL in San Jose's 48-27. It marked 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 others to register a sack and an INT in the same game.

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

LONELY WITHOUT LONEY – With an elbow infection keeping him out of the Sunday's contest against Chicago, San Jose's starting center Dan Loney missed a game for the first time since May 17, 2003. Considered one of San Jose's best run-blocking linemen, San Jose struggled on the ground without Loney in the lineup. San Jose rushed the ball only two times—a franchise low—and lost 4 yards, tying the lowest rushing total in team history. Loney is listed as probable for Friday's match against Dallas.

STEPPING UP – Filling in for James Roe, who left the game in the second quarter with a hamstring injury and never returned, Shalon Baker had his best game in years. Playing the rest of the 2nd quarter and the entire 2nd half, Baker hit the century mark in receiving yards, on only four catches, for the first time since June 16, 2001. It was the 10th career 100-yard receiving game for Baker, giving him sole possession of 4th place in SaberCats history. A large portion of the yards came on a 43-yard TD reception in the 3rd quarter, in which he broke a tackle and turned on the jets down the sideline. Baker (3,512) surpassed the 3,500 career receiving yards mark and moved past Jerry Reese (3,485) for 5th place on San Jose's all-time list. Roe also reached a milestone before leaving the contest with an injury. He became the 1st player in team history to amass 5,000 career receiving yards totaling 75 yards on 6 catches before leaving the game midway through the 2nd quarter.

TEAM CAREER RECEIVING YARDS
Rank Player Rcv Yards
1. James Roe 5,024
2. James Hundon 4,648
3. Steve Papin 4,282
4. Barry Wagner 3,541
5. Shalon Baker 3,512

PICKIN' IT – The SaberCats have tallied at least one INT in six of their last seven games and have totaled 10 during that stretch. For the season, San Jose has 12 INTs and is tied for 5th in the league in that category. On Apr. 10, Clevan Thomas nabbed his team-leading 4th INT—the 23rd of his career—in the end zone against Raymond Philyaw in the fourth quarter, preventing a touchdown and keeping San Jose in the game. The pick moved Thomas within one INT of San Jose's all-time career leader Pat McGuirk. Thomas has four INTs in his last six games. San Jose has had four interceptions in four contests against Dallas.

TEAM CAREER INTERCEPTION LEADERS
Rank Player INTs
1. Pat McGuirk (95-98) 24
2. Clevan Thomas 23
3. Barry Wagner 18
4. Tommy Jones (98-01) 17
5. Omarr Smith 16

MR. WRIGHT – Rookie Rodney Wright made his 2nd career start and 1st as a WR/DB at Chicago on Apr. 10 and put up Ironman-type numbers. Wright posted career-highs of 7 catches, 112 yards and 2 TDs on offense while adding 7.0 tackles and 2 PBUs on defense. Wright also added 20 yards on a pair of KO returns for a game-high 132 all-purpose yards. Wright moved up on the depth chart after the club put Ryan Fernandez on IR to have arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. At Chicago, Wright was forced to play the entire second half of the game when backup WR/DB Erin Damond sat with a strained groin. Wright started the season opener at offensive specialist at Tampa Bay on Jan. 30 then missed the next four contests. He is currently the team's 3rd leading receiver with 26 receptions for 296 yards.

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 DALLAS – Mark Grieb has been behind center in each of the four games against the Desperados posting a 2-2 record and has completed almost 70% of his passes (97-of-140) for 1,164 yards and 22 touchdowns. Three of Grieb's 20 career 300-plus passing yard games have come against the Desperados. He has also thrown at least one INT in each of the four contests and six of his 47 career INTs (12.7%) have come against the Desperados.

MILESTONES REACHED AGAINST CHICAGO:
*With 100 yards receiving, Shalon Baker (3,512) surpassed 3,500 career moved past Jerry Reese (3,485) for 5th place all-time in San Jose's history. This was also the first time Baker had 100 yards receiving since June 16, 2001.
*Dan Frantz (204) reached the 200 mark in career attempts.
*Rodney Wright set career-highs with receptions (7), receiving yards (112), touchdowns (2), all-purpose yards (132), total tackles (7.0) and PBUs (2).
*Jeff Ruffin recorded his first career tackle.
*San Jose set a team record for fewest rushing attempts with two and tied the record for fewest rushing yards with -4.
*Mark Grieb (368 yards) had the 5th highest single-game total in team history to reach the 20,000 mark (20,052) for his San Jose career...He also surpassed 1,600 completions (1,611) in his AFL career.
*Joe Jacobs tallied sack No. 11.5 as a SaberCat, moving past Al Noga (11.0) and tying Mike Ulufale (11.5) for second all-time.
*James Roe (5,024) surpassed 5,000 yards in his AFL career.


DALLAS PLAYERS TO WATCH:
QB CLINT STOERNER – The Desperados seem to have found one of the best young QBs in the league in Clint Stoerner. With Stoerner in command, the Desperados have gone from a third-place, 6-10 record last season, to a 6-3-1 record this season vying for a playoff spot in the competitive National conference. Thus far Stoerner has completed 192-of-309 passes for 2,367 yards with 47 TDs and nine INTs; impressive numbers for an AFL rookie. Stoerner ranks in the top 10 in TD passes, passing yards and passer rating in the league. He is on pace to break the AFL rookie record for passing TDs and is within reach of the rookie record for attempts, completions, yards and completion percentage. This will mark the first time the rookie gunslinger has faced San Jose.

DS HAMIN MILLIGAN – The 3rd year AFL player is second on the Desperados in tackles with 42 and has intercepted 2 passes on the season. Milligan made his AFL debut with the SaberCats in 2003 and totaled 6.0 tackles and three PBUs in two games. He spent the latter part of 2003 and 2004 with the Arizona Rattlers and played against San Jose once, recording a team-high 5.0 tackles and helping the Rattlers knock off the defending champs in the 2003 semifinals with a 66-49 victory. In 2004, Milligan enjoyed his best professional season, recording 32.0 tackles and 2 INTs in only six games. This year, Milligan has built upon his 2004 success to become an integral part of the Desperados defense. In Dallas' last game against Nashville, Milligan had a team-high 7.0 tackles and a fumble recovery.

FB/LB JA'MAR TOOMBS – This explosive fullback and 2003 All-Rookie team member has had an outstanding season. Toombs is currently 3rd in the league in rushing touchdowns, yards and attempts, helping Dallas rank in the top 5 of every major rushing category. This season, he has rumbled for 159 yards on 40 carries for an excellent 4.0 average yards per carry and 9 TDs. Toombs is also an able pass rusher, recording 2.0 sacks and 2 QB hurries. Toombs has yet to face San Jose in his career, as he has been inactive in the past two games against them.

WR/DB WILL PETTIS: Pettis has faced San Jose twice before, going 2-0 against the defending champs. In 2003, Pettis capped an impressive all-around performance by running in a 1-yard touchdown with 18 seconds remaining to give Dallas a 67-64 win over San Jose. Named Ironman of the Game, Pettis finished the match with three touchdowns and an interception. This season, Pettis has grabbed 61 catches for 612 yards and 10 TDs. He is also the team's kick return specialist, averaging 18.7 yards per return with a 56-yard touchdown and is tied for the team lead in interceptions with four. Pettis ranks in the top five in the AFL in all-purpose yards and is 2nd in the league in kickoff return yards. One of Dallas' best, Pettis holds the Desperados record for most touchdowns in a career and is second on their all-time receiving yards list.


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) QB Raymond Philyaw, Chicago
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) WR/DB Etu Molden, Chicago
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) FB/LB Bob McMillen, Chicago
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 0-2 2-0
40-49 points 1-0 1-0
50-59 points 2-0 0-1
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 4-2
Trailing after the 1st 1-0
Tied after the 1st 1-2

Leading at Half 6-0
Trailing at Half 0-3
Tied at Half 0-1

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

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

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

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

More Rushing Yards 5-1
Less Rushing Yards 1-3

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

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

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

Winning coin toss 2-1
Losing coin toss 4-3

Outscoring Opponent 6-0
Being Outscored 0-4

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 12, 2005


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