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San Jose SaberCats game notes

February 21, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release


THE QUICK FACTS:
Game: San Jose SaberCats (1-3) at Chicago Rush (2-2).
Date: Sunday, February 26, 2006.
Kickoff: 10:00 a.m. (PT).
Site: Allstate Arena (16,000).
Officials: Referee: Bill McCabe; Umpire: Jeff Carr; Head Linesman: Kelly Saalfeld; Line Judge: Bob McKelwee; Back Judge: Jimmy Buchanan.
Television: The game will be regionally televised on NBC beginning at 10:00 a.m. (PT). Bill Webber calls the play-by-play with former AFL head coach Ray Bentley supplying the commentary and Mike Adamle on the sidelines.
Radio: San Jose's flagship station KNBR-1050 will broadcast the game live with Bob Fitzgerald handling play-by-play duties and former SaberCats standout Steve Papin supplying the color commentary. The station will air a 30-minute pre-game show starting at 9:30 a.m.
Internet: Log on to www.KNBR.com to hear a live webcast of Sunday's game.
Series Record: SaberCats lead 4-1.
Last Meeting: Chicago 55, SaberCats 39 on April 10, 2005 in Chicago.
Series Streaks: Chicago Won 1.
Coaches: San Jose, Darren Arbet (8th season; 74-34 regular season, 83-38 overall). Chicago, Mike Hohensee (13th season; 90-78 regular season, 97-87 overall).

OVERVIEW: The SaberCats suffered their first ever loss to the Grand Rapids Rampage, falling 66-52 on Feb. 19 dropping their record to 1-3 on the year. San Jose, however, remains tied for the top spot in the Western Division as all five teams have identical 1-3 marks after four weeks of play. San Jose continues its record five-game road trip with a visit to Chicago in a regionally televised NBC game on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 10:00 a.m. (PT). San Jose has won four of the five series meetings with Chicago, but the Rush won last year's tilt, 55-39, at Allstate Arena on April 10...San Jose got off to a quick start against Grand Rapids as WR/DB Marquis Floyd intercepted a pass and returned it 51-yards for a score on the Rampage's first possession for a quick lead. It was the second-longest interception return in SaberCats history. Floyd also had a 44-yard scoring reception to earn Ironman honors. Mark Grieb thew for 319 yards and 5 TDs but special teams proved costly as San Jose allowed a kickoff return TD and a net recovery score...San Jose and Chicago have played every season since 2002 with the teams playing a pair of games in 2004, including a semifinal playoff game won by the SaberCats sending them to ArenaBowl XVIII...Chicago head coach Mike Hohensee posted his first career win against San Jose in last year's Rush victory.
THE SCHEDULES:

2006 SAN JOSE SABERCATS (1-3)
Date Opponent Result Score
Jan. 28 UTAH Lost 35-48
Feb. 6 @Las Vegas Lost 48-51
Feb. 12 @Arizona Won 58-50
Feb. 19 @Grand Rapids Lost 52-66
Date Opponent Time (PT) Radio/TV
Feb. 26 @Chicago 10:00 am 1050/NBC
Mar. 4 @Utah 6:00 pm 1050-680/20
Mar. 12 LOS ANGELES 3:00 pm 1050/NBC
Mar. 17 GEORGIA 7:30 pm 1050/FSN
Mar. 25 @Nashville 5:00 pm 1050/NBC11
Apr. 2 ARIZONA 3:00 pm 1050/NBC
Apr. 7 @Tampa Bay 4:30 pm 1050/20
Apr. 14 LAS VEGAS 7:30 pm 1050/FSN
Apr. 22 AUSTIN 7:30 pm 1050
Apr. 29 @Los Angeles 7:30 pm 1050/20
May 6 COLORADO 7:30 pm 1050
May 13 COLUMBUS 7:30 pm 1050

2006 CHICAGO RUSH (2-2)
Date Opponent Result Score
Jan. 29 @Colorado Lost 56-65
Feb. 3 NEW YORK Lost 47-51
Feb. 12 NASHVILLE Won (OT) 56-55
Feb. 18 @Los Angeles Won 65-46
Date Opponent Time (PT) Radio/TV
Feb. 26 SAN JOSE 10:00 am NBC
Mar. 5 DALLAS 9:00 am NBC
Mar. 10 COLORADO 5:30 pm
Mar. 17 @Nashville 5:00 pm FSN
Mar. 26 GRAND RAPIDS 12:00 pm FSN
Apr. 2 @Orlando 9:00 am NBC
Apr. 9 @Philadelphia 10:00 am NBC
Apr. 15 @Arizona 7:00 pm
Apr. 23 LAS VEGAS 1:00 pm
Apr. 29 @Georgia 4:00 pm
May 6 UTAH 5:00 pm FSN
May 13 @Grand Rapids 4:30 pm

THE SERIES: The SaberCats lead the series 4-1 and hold a 3-1 series edge in regular season games...The Rush won the last meeting between the teams, 55-39, on April 10, 2005 in Chicago...The series is tied at 1-1 in games played at Allstate Arena. San Jose won the first game in Chicago, 71-49, on March 9, 2003...The teams have played each other every year since 2002 with two games coming in 2004, one a semifinal playoff game on June 12 won by the SaberCats.

WHAT'S AHEAD: San Jose concludes its franchise record road trip at Utah on Saturday, Mar. 6 in a rematch with the expansion Blaze. The game will be televised live in the Bay Area on TV20 and can also be heard on San Jose's flagship radio station KNBR 1050.
SERIES NOTABLES: Chicago beat San Jose for the first time, 55-39, on April 10, 2005 also giving head coach Mike Hohensee his first win over the SaberCats in nine tries...The SaberCats have at least one INT in all five series games, including three in each of the first two contests, and have totaled nine against the Rush. Clevan Thomas has 3 INTs while Omarr Smith has 2 picks...San Jose defeated Chicago 49-35 in the semifinals of the playoffs in 2004 to put them in the ArenaBowl for the second time in three years...Aaron Bailey set the SaberCats record for most rushing TDs in a game with four in San Jose's 71-49 win at Chicago on Mar. 9, 2003...San Jose allowed a record 32 third quarter points against Chicago and the teams combined for a SaberCats' record 52 third quarter points on June 15, 2002...San Jose set a team record for combined kick return yards with 252 (200 KOR, 52 MFG) and 3 return TDs against Chicago on June 15, 2002. Clevan Thomas was responsible for all three return scores (2 KOR, 1 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 June 15, 2002...Seven different players have suited up for both teams, including current Rush players Bob McMillen (San Jose 2001-02) and Dan Frantz (San Jose 2004-05) and San Jose's Charles Pauley (Chicago 2004). Former players are Andy Chilcote, Jai Hill, Curtice Mcfarlane and Hamin Milligan...San Jose's point total in its 55-39 loss on Apr. 10, 2005 was its second-lowest of the season and just the fifth time since 2000 that the SaberCats scored fewer than 40 points in a game...

LAST SERIES MEETING: Chicago 55, SABERCATS 39 - Sunday, April 10 - Allstate Arena - 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 a 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...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.

Score By Quarters
SaberCats............................... 13 13 7 6 - 39
Rush....................................... 7 20 14 14 - 55

SCORING SUMMARY
SAN Davis 15 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick failed)
CHI McDaniel 6 pass from Philyaw (Gispert kick)
SAN Davis 14 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
CHI McMillen 1 run (Gispert kick)
SAN Davis 13 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick failed)
CHI McDaniel 24 pass from Philyaw (Gispert kick failed)
SAN Wright 30 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
CHI Douglas 8 pass from Philyaw (Gispert kick)
CHI McDaniel 1 pass from Philyaw (Gispert kick)
SAN Baker 43 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
CHI Philyaw 1 run (Gispert kick)
CHI Douglas 11 pass from Philyaw (Gispert kick)
SAN Wright 24 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick failed)
CHI Moyer 10 pass from Philyaw (Gispert kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Passing: CHI - Philyaw 27-35-1-264. SJ - Grieb 22-35-1-368.
Rushing: CHI - McMillen 7-8; Philyaw 2-2; Cook 1-2; Molden 1-0. SJ - Kinsinger 1-(-1); Buck 1-(-3).
Receiving: CHI - Douglas 9-74; McDaniel 8-106; Pauley 5-36; Molden 4-38; Moyer 1-10. SJ - Wright 7-112; Roe 6-75; Davis - 81; Baker 4-100.

ALL-TIME SERIES SCORES
Date Score
Apr. 10, 2005 @Chicago 55, San Jose 39
June 12, 2004 @San Jose 49, Chicago 35 (playoff)
Apr. 16, 2004 @San Jose 51, Chicago 43
Mar. 9, 2003 San Jose 71, @Chicago 49
June 15, 2002 @San Jose 74, Chicago 68

2006 TEAM STATISTICAL COMPARISON
Category (AFL Rank) SaberCats Rush
Scoring Offense 48.2 (T-12) 56.0 (2)
Scoring Defense 53.8 (12) 54.2 (13)
Total Offense 295.8 (8) 276.8 (13)
Total Defense 252.5 (4) 307.0 (15)
Pass Offense 284.0 (6) 241.0 (14)
Pass Defense 232.0 (5) 295.0 (15)
Rushing Offense 11.8 (11) 35.8 (2)
Rushing Defense 19.5 (9) 12.0 (T-4)
Pass Rating 106.3 (9) 124.6 (3)
Pass Defense Rating 111.3 (14) 110.2 (13)
Interceptions 4 (T-9) 3 (T-12)
Kickoff Return Avg. 15.8 (T-12) 16.3 (10)
Field Goal Return Avg. 13.0 (12) 50.0 (2)
Turnover Margin -1 (T-10) +3 (T-4)
3rd Down Conversions 35.7% (15) 56.2 (3)
4th Down Conversions 40.0 (13) 87.5% (1)
Sacks For 4 (T-7) 8 (3)
Sacks Against 6 (T-14) 5 (13)

2006 SABERCATS AMONG LEAGUE LEADERS
Player Category No. Rank
Mark Grieb Total Offense 291.8 5th
Mark Grieb Pass TDs 16 9th
Mark Grieb Pass Completions 97 7th
Mark Grieb Passing Yards 1,165 5th
Mark Grieb Pass Avg/Game 291.2 5th
Mark Grieb Completion Pct. 63.4 9th
Mark Grieb Pass Attempts 153 5th
Calvin Schexnayder Touchdowns 8 T-8th
Calvin Schexnayder Receiving Yards 402 9th
Phil Glover Rushing TDs 4 T-2nd
Clevan Thomas Interceptions 2 T-7th
Marquis Floyd INT Return TDs 1 T-2nd
Marquis Floyd Forced Fumbles 2 T-3rd

THE IFS...:
If the SaberCats defeat Chicago it would...
*Give them a 2-3 season record.
*Give them a 5-1 series advantage.
*Give them a 2-2 record on their current 5-game road trip.
*Keep them tied for first place in the Western Division.
*Break a 3-game losing streak to Central Division foes.
*Give them a 29-16 all-time record against Central Division opponents.
*Give them a 15-10 all-time road record against Central Division opponents.
*Give them a 104-59 all-time regular season record.
*Give them a 47-36 all-time reg. season road record.

THE COACHES:
San Jose - Darren Arbet, 8th season
74-34 (.685) reg. season; 83-38 (.686) overall
4-1 (.800) career vs. Chicago
Now in his eighth season at the helm of the SaberCats, two-time Coach of the Year Darren Arbet enters the 2006 season ranked 6th in the AFL with 83 career victories and needs just three more wins to tie Perry Moss for 5th place. Last season Arbet led the SaberCats to their 6th consecutive winning season and playoff appearance. Since the start of the 2000 season his teams have compiled a 68-26 (.723) 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). Last season Arbet became the second fastest head coach to reach 80 career wins, doing it in 111 games. Only Tampa Bay's Tim Marcum, who reached the 80-win mark in 96 games, got to that milestone quicker.

Chicago - Mike Hohensee, 13th season
90-78 (.536) reg. season; 97-87 (.527) overall
1-8 (.111) 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, 2005 and he currently owns a 97-87 (.527) all-time record. Now in his 13th 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 90-78 (.536) and is 46-34 (.575) in his sixth season with the Rush. Overall with Chicago, Hohensee has a mark of 50-39 (.566). He has led the Rush to five consecutive playoff berths, a pair of Central Division titles and three semifinal playoff berths.
LOTSA WINS - The two head coaches in this game have combined for 180 career AFL victories in 21 seasons. San Jose's Darren Arbet, now in his 8th season, reached the 80-career win mark last season and currently ranks 6th all-time with 83 wins. Chicago's Mike Hohensee has 97 career wins in his 13th year as a head coach and is close to becoming the third head coach in AFL history to win 100 games. Combined the two coaches have four more wins than the AFL's leader, Tampa Bay's Tim Marcum, who has 176.

CAREER COACHING VICTORIES
Rk. Coach Wins
1. Tim Marcum 176
2. Danny White 142
3. Mike Hohensee 97
4. Mike Dailey 91
5. Perry Moss 86
6. Darren Arbet 83

ROSTER MOVES: The SaberCats activated their career receiving leading James Roe prior to their game at Grand Rapids and placed rookie WR/LB Ben Nelson on injured reserve with an ankle injury. For the second straight game the team came out fairly healthy, except for the bumps and bruises associated with playing a professional football game.

RECENT ROSTER MOVES
Date Action
Jan. 23 Placed DS Rufus Brown, OL/DL Julius Gant, OS Jason Geathers, OS Atnaf Harris and QB Chris Lewis on IR.
Jan 26 Signed OL/DL Frank Beede. Placed OL/DL Alan Harper on IR
Jan 28 Placed WR/DB Barry Wagner on IR.
Feb 1 Signed Niccolo Cancellieri to international PS.
Feb 3 Signed WR/LB Kevin McKenzie, WR/LB Calvin Schexnayder and OL/DL Wes Stephens. Placed WR/LB James Roe and WR/DB Rodney Wright on IR.
Feb 8 Released OL/DL Frank Beede.
Feb 10 Activated OL/DL Julius Gant, OL/DL Dan Loney, OL/DL Alan Harper and WR/LB Ben Nelson from IR. Placed OL/DL Jeff Ruffin, OL/DL George Williams and WR/LB Kevin McKenzie on IR.
Feb 11 Activated DS Omarr Smith from IR. Placed FB/LB JaJuan Huddleston on IR.
Feb 18 Activated WR/LB James Roe from IR. Placed WR/LB Ben Nelson on IR.

INJURY REPORT: At press time the SaberCats had 13 players on injured reserve. League rules stipulate that players on IR must be inactive for two weeks. The players listed below with an asterisk by their name are eligible to be activated to the 24-man roster for this weeks game.

INJURY REPORT
Player Injury Status
Albrey Battle* R ankle tendonitis IR
Atnaf Harris* L foot stress IR
Chris Lewis* Back strain IR
Rufus Brown* L wrist sprain IR
Jason Geathers* R Hip flexor IR
Fitu Tu'ua* L 3rd finger IR
Barry Wagner* L Hamstring IR
Rodney Wright* Turf toe IR
Kevin McKenzie* Groin strain IR
Jeff Ruffin* Upper back IR
George Williams* Ankle IR
JaJuan Huddleston* Finger IR
Ben Nelson R ankle sprain IR

MILESTONES
Player Milestone Needs
Mark Grieb 24,000 career pass yards 52
450 career pass TDs 2
100 GP in SJ career 1
Barry Wagner AFL career all-purpose yardage leader 165
50 career INTs 3
Clevan Thomas 30 career INTs 3
career lead in PDs 2
Calvin Schexnayder 8th place in AFL career receptions 6
5th place in AFL career receiving yards 226
Joe Jacobs 40 career sacks 3.0
Karl Bates 10 career sacks 1.0
Terrance Joseph 10 career INTs 1
Omarr Smith 25 career INTs 1
Rodney Wright 60 career receptions 1
Nikia Adderson 10 career sacks 3.0

RECENT RESULTS: Grand Rapids 66, SABERCATS 52 - Rampage quarterback Chad Salisbury threw five touchdown passes and ran for another and the Grand Rapids Rampage posted their first ever win over the San Jose SaberCats with a 66-52 win in on Feb. 19. Salisbury completed 17 of 29 attempts for 224 yards in the game and had a 1-yard scoring run midway through the fourth quarter to give Grand Rapids a 50-39 lead. San Jose's Mark Grieb threw for 319 yards and five touchdowns completing 25 of 38 attempts. Three of Grieb's scoring passes were to Calvin Schexnayder, including a 10-yard strike with 19 seconds left in the first half to give the SaberCats a 26-22 lead. However, on the ensuing kickoff, Timon Marshall went 58-yards for a score giving the lead back to the Rampage at the break. Phil Glover scored on a 1-yard run on the SaberCats' opening second half possession to put San Jose back on top 32-29, but Marshall's 40-yard scoring catch and Salisbury's 1-yard plunge spanning the final two quarters put Grand Rapids on top for good. San Jose rookie Marquis Floyd hauled in his first career touchdown pass, a 44-yard dart from Grieb to close the gap to 50-46, but Marshall scored again on a 29-yard catch and on the following kickoff, former SaberCat Kenny Solomon sealed the win. Peter Martinez bounced his kick off the bottom iron of the rebound nets, the ball ricocheted to the 4-yard line where Solomon scooped it up and walked into the endzone for the third net recovery score in three weeks for the Rampage. Floyd, who was named Ironman of the Game, scored his first career touchdown when he intercepted a Salisbury pass one yard deep in his own endzone and went the distance to give the SaberCats a 6-0 lead just three minutes into the game. NOTES: The SaberCats won the opening coin toss for the fourth straight game...Rookie Marquis Floyd returned an interception 51-yards for a TD, the second longest return in team history...Marshall's kickoff return was the longest play in Grand Rapids history...San Jose has allowed two net recovery scores in four games this year...WR/LB James Roe returned to the lineup and had 8 catches for 113 yards but dropped a pass that would have been a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

TRENDS:
SLOW STARTS - With a 1-3 record following their 66-52 loss at Grand Rapids on Feb. 19, the SaberCats have matched the worst start to a season after four games in franchise history. San Jose began the 1998 season with one win in its first four games and ended the campaign with a 7-7 mark and qualified for the postseason. Last season the SaberCats also started with a 1-3 mark before winning five straight games and ending the year with a 9-7 record also qualifying for postseason action. In their previous 11 years the SaberCats have never been 1-4 after five games.

THE END IS NEAR - Sunday's game is the fourth in the team's record five-game road trip. San Jose's loss at Grand Rapids on Feb. 19 dropped its record to 1-2 on the trip forcing the SaberCats to win their next two games to claim a winning record on the trip. The longest road trip in team history before this was three games, which the team did on four different occasions. San Jose's loss to the Rampage dropped its all-time regular season road record to 46-36 (.561).

FIRSTS - San Jose's loss at Grand Rapids on Feb. 19 was its first to the Rampage in eight series games. When the SaberCats visited Chicago last season, the Rush posted its first ever win over the SaberCats in five attempts with a 55-39 win on April 10, 2005.

HEADS OR TAILS - San Jose has won the opening coin flip in all four games this season, but that obviously doesn't translate into wins as the team is just 1-3 on the year.

DÉJÀ VU - The SaberCats have had a similar start in each of their three losses. After winning the coin toss and kicking off to start the game, the defense forced a turnover and San Jose scored a TD. Against Utah on Jan. 28, OL/DL Joe Jacobs sacked QB Joe Germaine forcing a fumble that was recovered by Nikia Adderson. San Jose scored on the very next play. At Las Vegas on Feb. 6, DS Clevan Thomas intercepted Craig Whelihan's first pass attempt and San Jose scored on their first possession. At Grand Rapids on Feb. 19, Marquis Floyd intercepted Chad Salisbury and scampered 51 yards for a TD.

CENTRALLY LOCATED - Sunday's game will be the second straight for San Jose against a Central Division team on the road. After playing in Grand Rapids last week, where the temperature dipped to -15 with a wind chill, the SaberCats travel back to the Midwest playing in Chicago for just the third time. San Jose is 28-16 (.636) all-time against Central Division foes and 14-10 (.583) on the road.

GOING DOWN - The SaberCats have seen their point total decrease in every game they have played against the Rush. San Jose's total of 39 in a loss last season was 10 points fewer than the previous game and 35 points fewer than what they scored in a 74-68 win in the first ever meeting between the teams on June 15, 2002. San Jose's point total in order has been 74, 71, 51, 49 and 39.

PROVING COSTLY - After not turning the ball over in a 58-50 win at Arizona on Feb. 12, the SaberCats surrendered the ball five times in a loss at Grand Rapids on Feb. 19. In their three losses the SaberCats have been intercepted three times, lost two fumbles, had three opponent net recoveries and turned it over six times on downs.

NOTES:
THE WILD, WILD, WEST - It was expected to be a competitive division, and it is with all five teams sporting identical records after four weeks. But the 1-3 record of every team in the division is not quite what some expected. Arizona was the only team in the division to post a victory last week, vaulting the Rattlers into a tie with everyone else. That tie will be broken this week as Los Angeles hosts Utah, and there are no ties in the AFL. A change in the 2006 playoff format has the four division winners receiving a bye in the first round of the postseason and hosting a game in the second round. Games within the division take on more importance this year with head-to-head competition factoring as the main tie-breaker. Since the AFL went to a four-division format in 1995, no team with a sub-.500 record has won a division title and just two teams, Orlando in 2002 and New York in 2003, have claimed division titles with a break-even record.

2006 WESTERN DIVISION STANDINGS
Team W L Pct Div Conf
San Jose 1 3 .250 1-2 1-3
Las Vegas 1 3 .250 1-0 1-1
Los Angeles 1 3 .250 1-0 1-2
Utah 1 3 .250 1-1 1-1
Arizona 1 3 .250 1-2 1-2

BAD BOUNCES - Former SaberCat Kenny Solomon came back to haunt his old team in Grand Rapids' 66-52 win on Feb. 19. Solomon recovered his own team's kickoff after it ricocheted off the iron and scored a TD late in the fourth quarter giving the Rampage an 18-point lead. It was the second time this season the SaberCats have allowed a net recovery TD by the opposition on a kickoff, nearly equaling the number of net recovery scores allowed in San Jose's previous 11 seasons. Prior to this season, the SaberCats had allowed just three net recovery TDs on kickoffs. Utah's Thal Woods scored on a net recovery in the season opener and the Blaze also recovered another kickoff that was converted into a field goal. Tampa Bay's Lawrence Samuels was the last opponent to score on a net recovery before 2006, recovering a kickoff on April 4, 2004.

A MARQUIS PLAYER - Rookie Marquis Floyd, the 2005 af2 Ironman of the Year, has started all four games at WR/DB for the SaberCats and had a breakout game at Grand Rapids on Feb. 19. Floyd intercepted a Chad Salisbury pass on the Rampage's first possession one-yard deep in his own endzone and scampered the distance for his first career AFL touchdown. The 51-yard return was the 2nd longest in team history, behind only Pat McGuirk's 52-yard return for a TD at Iowa on June 24, 1995. Floyd wasn't done, however. He hauled in a 44-yard pass from Mark Grieb in the fourth quarter for his first TD catch and totaled 80 yards on four receptions along with a forced fumble to earn Ironman of the game honors.

KICK RETURN CAROUSEL - With projected kick return man Rodney Wright lost to an injury on opening night, the SaberCats have used four different players to handle the duties in his absence. Fred Coleman, Calvin Schexnayder and Clevan Thomas all returned kicks at Grand Rapids and Kevin McKenzie was used when the team played at Las Vegas on Feb. 6. Coleman leads the team with 118 yards on 7 KORs this season and the SaberCats have totaled just 301 yards on 19 attempts (15.8 avg). Last year Wright averaged 21.6 yards per return with 476 on 22 KORs.

RUNNING MAN - FB/LB Brian Johnson, who began his AFL career as a lineman, is San Jose's leading rusher with 23 yards on 12 carries. Johnson has scored a pair of TDs this season and has scored seven times in his brief career with two scores coming against the Rush. In 2003, Johnson scored his 1st career TD returning and onside kick attempt six yards at Chicago on Mar. 9. He scored his 1st career rushing TD in 2004 in a 51-43 San Jose win over Chicago on April 16.

SHAKES, RATTLE AND ROLL - OS Calvin Schexnayder is showing flashes of brilliance that made him the 1998 AFL Offensive Player of the Year. Shakes had a team-high tying 8 catches for 88 yards and 3 TDs and added a fourth score on a 1-yard run at Grand Rapids Feb. 19. Despite missing the first game of the year, the 36-year-old leads the club in receptions (28), receiving yards (402) and TD catches (7). Earlier this year Schexnayder became the 10th player in AFL history to catch 600 passes and moved ahead of Darryl Hammond and Hunkie Cooper in career receiving yards. Shakes needs 6 receptions to move into 8th place and trails George LaFrance by 225 yards for 5th all-time in receiving yards. One of the league's all-time great offensive players, Shakes set an AFL record that still stands with 1,982 receiving yards in 1998.

AFL CAREER RECEPTIONS LEADERS
Rk Player Receptions
1. Barry Wagner 962
2. Eddie Brown 951
3. Cory Fleming 815
4. Darryl Hammond 797
5. Hunkie Cooper 776
6. Greg Hopkins 774
7. Gary Compton 743
8. George LaFrance 629
9. Alvin Ashley 628
10. Calvin Schexnayder 624

AFL CAREER RECEIVING YARDS LEADERS
Rk Player Rcv Yards
1. Barry Wagner 13,090
2. Eddie Brown 12,730
3. Gary Compton 10,247
4. Greg Hopkins 9,635
5. George LaFrance 9,004
6. Calvin Schexnayder 8,779
7. Hunkie Cooper 8,600
8. Darryl Hammond 8,521

RECORD CHASER - Former SaberCat and current Rush FB/LB Bob McMillen has rushed for 1,378 yards in his career and needs five yards to surpass Les Barley (1,382) as the league's career leader. Now in his 12th AFL season, McMillen played for San Jose in 2001 and 2002 amassing 224 yards of his career total in the Green and Gold. He ranks 9th all-time in SaberCats history and was a key component in helping San Jose claim its first ArenaBowl title in 2002.

ROE RETURNS - After sustaining a frightening injury in the season opener on Jan. 28, WR/LB James Roe returned to the SaberCats lineup at Grand Rapids on Feb. 19 posting a game-high 113 receiving yards and a TD on 8 catches. It was his 21st career 100-plus receiving yard game, leaving him one shy of tying James Hundon for the team's all-time lead. A three-time All-Ironman team selection, Roe has 34 receptions for 420 yards and 5 TDs with 6.5 tackles and an INT in all five series games against Chicago. Roe was injured on San Jose's first offensive possession against Utah when, after catching a TD pass, he slammed head first into a metal railing that separates the stands from the playing field in the back corner of the endzone at HP Pavilion. He was taken off the field on a stretcher and later diagnosed with a concussion.

ON THE MARK - QB Mark Grieb has started all five games against Chicago posting four wins, including a semifinal playoff victory in 2004 to lead San Jose to ArenaBowl XVIII. In the five series games Grieb has completed 109-of-163 attempts (66.8%) for 1,467 yards and 26 TDs with just 2 INTs. In last year's meeting, Grieb threw for 368 yards, the fifth-highest single-game total in franchise history, in a 55-39 loss to the Rush on April 10. Grieb threw for 314 yards last week at Grand Rapids, his second 300-yard passing game this season and 23rd of his career. He has 1,165 yards on the season, good for 5th in the AFL.

PAPER OR PLASTIC - San Jose's Joe Jacobs and Chicago's John Moyer are both close to reaching a career milestone. Only four players in AFL history have recorded 40 or more QB sacks and Jacobs is just 3.0 away from becoming the fifth. With 1.5 sacks on the year, Jacobs has vaulted into 6th place on the league's career chart and is 2½ sacks ahead of Moyer. Jacobs has tallied just one sack in his career against Chicago, that coming last season on April 10. Moyer has 3.0 career sacks against San Jose, two as a member of the Rush and one in 2001 as a member of the Florida Bobcats.

AFL CAREER SACKS LEADERS
Rk Player, '06 Team Sacks
1. Sam Hernandez, none 59.0
2. Sylvester Bembery, none 43.0
3. James Baron, Nashville 41.5
4. Tom Briggs, Austin 41.0
5. Robert Stewart, none 39.5
6. Joe Jacobs, San Jose 37.0
7. Andre Bowden, none 36.0
8. John Moyer, Chicago 34.5

ON THE OFFENSIVE - In the two games since Terry Malley returned to play calling duties, the SaberCats have scored 110 points (55.0 ppg) and have amassed 629 yards of total offense (314.5 ypg). During the first two games of the season San Jose scored 83 points (41.5) and totaled 554 yards of offense (277.0 ypg). Including two games this year, Malley has been on the sidelines calling plays in 98 regular season contests. In those games the SaberCats have scored 50 or more points 77 times.

RECORD HOLDER - Entering his 15th season in a league that's just 20 years old, Barry Wagner is the AFL's career leader in scoring (2,466), touchdowns scored (406), rushing TDs (125), receptions (962) and receiving yards (13,090). Wagner is also on the verge of becoming the AFL's all-time leader in all-purpose yards. He became just the 3rd player in league history to eclipse the 20,000 yard mark and needs just 165 yards to supplant Hunkie Cooper for the all-time lead. Wags has yet to play in a game this season due to a hamstring injury, but is eligible to be activated from IR.

CAREER ALL-PURPOSE YARDAGE LEADERS
Rk Player A-P Yards
1. Hunkie Cooper 20,587
2. George LaFrance 20,480
3. Barry Wagner 20,423

IN THE GRAND RAPIDS GAME:
Calvin Schexnayder scored the 4th rushing TD of his career and first since 2002...Mark Grieb had his 23rd career 300-yard passing game...Charles Pauley surpassed the 600-yard mark in career receiving yards (602) with 15 on 2 catches...Clevan Thomas had the 1st MFG return by a SaberCats this season and the 21st of his career.

RUSH PLAYERS TO WATCH:
FB/LB BOB MCMILLEN - The former SaberCats FB/LB has seen plenty of action against his old team. The 12-year veteran has had successful career and is on the verge of becoming the AFL's career rushing leader. In addition to winning two ArenaBowl titles (1997-Arizona, 2002-San Jose), he is the first player in AFL history to rush for 100 or more yards in seven-consecutive seasons. As a member of the Arizona Rattlers for the first six years of his career, McMillen played against San Jose nine times running for 81 yards and 4 TDs on 33 carries. In four games with Chicago, McMillen has 12 yards on 11 attempts for totals of 93 yards and 5 TDs on 44 rushes.

QB MATT D'ORAZIO - Signed as a free agent in the offseason, the former Buffalo/Columbus Destroyer has taken over as the Rush starting QB. D'Orazio has completed 87-of-122 attempts for 977 yards on the year with 16 TDs and only 2 picks. Last week he led the Rush to a win at Los Angeles by completing 20-of-26 passes for 251 yards and 3 TDs. D'Orazio also leads the Rush in rushing with 71 yards and 5 TDs on 31 carries. He played 13 games, making 9 starts, with the Destroyers in 2005 and threw 40 TD passes with only 6 INTs and tied for 7th in the league with 178 rushing yards. D'Orazio has never faced San Jose in his career.

WR/LB ETU MOLDEN - The talented three-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 in 2004, Molden was also a finalist for the AFL Rookie of the Year award. In Chicago's two losses against San Jose in 2004, Molden did his part by hauling in 13 catches for 166 yards and scoring 6 TDs. Last season Molden was Chicago's main offensive weapon and led the team in all receiving categories as well as being voted to the AFL All-Ironman team. Against the SaberCats last season, Molden had 4 receptions for 38 yards and 5 KORs for 59 yards and an INT on April 10.

WEEKLY PLAYERS OF THE GAME:

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Opp. (Date) Player
v UTAH (1/28) QB Joe Germaine, UTAH
@LVG (2/6) OS Marcus Nash, LVG
@ARZ (2/12) OS Calvin Schexnayder, SJS
@GRR (2/19) WR/DB Timon Marshall, GRR
@CHI (2/26)
@UTAH (3/4)
v LAA (3/12)
v GEO (3/17)
@NAS (3/25)
v ARZ (4/2)
@TBY (4/7)
v LVG (4/14)
v AUS (4/22)
@LAA (4/29)
v COL (5/6)
v CLB (5/13)

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Opp. (Date) Player
v UTAH (1/28) DS Kelvin Hunter, UTAH
@LVG (2/6) DL Wilky Bazile, LVG
@ARZ (2/12) DS Clevan Thomas, SJS
@GRR (2/19) DS Johnnie Harris, GRR
@CHI (2/26)
@UTAH (3/4)
v LAA (3/12)
v GEO (3/17)
@NAS (3/25)
v ARZ (4/2)
@TBY (4/7)
v LVG (4/14)
v AUS (4/22)
@LAA (4/29)
v COL (5/6)
v CLB (5/13)

IRONMAN PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Opp. (Date) Player
v UTAH (1/28) WR/DB Orshawante Bryant, UTAH
@LVG (2/6) WR/DB Coco Blalock, LVG
@ARZ (2/12) WR/DB Charles Pauley, SJS
@GRR (2/19) WR/DB Marquis Floyd, SJS
@CHI (2/26)
@UTAH (3/4)
v LAA (3/12)
v GEO (3/17)
@NAS (3/25)
v ARZ (4/2)
@TBY (4/7)
v LVG (4/14)
v AUS (4/22)
@LAA (4/29)
v COL (5/6)
v CLB (5/13)

THE SABERCATS RECORD WHEN...:

Scoring Allowing
0 - 9 points 0-0 0-0
10-19 points 0-0 0-0
20-29 points 0-0 0-0
30-39 points 0-1 0-0
40-49 points 0-1 0-1
50-59 points 1-1 1-1
60-69 points 0-0 0-1
70-79 points 0-0 0-0
80+ points 0-0 0-0

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

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

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

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

Scoring First 0-3
Opp. Score First 1-0

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

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

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

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

On NBC 0-0
On TV20 1-2
On NBC11 0-0
On FSN 0-1

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

Winning coin toss 1-3
Losing coin toss 0-0

Outscoring Opponent 1-0
Being Outscored 0-3

2006 STANDINGS

AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Western Division
Team W L Pct PF PA
San Jose 1 3 .250 193 215
Arizona 1 3 .250 160 189
Las Vegas 1 3 .250 186 231
Los Angeles 1 3 .250 160 209
Utah 1 3 .250 220 220
Central Division
Team W L Pct PF PA
Colorado 3 1 .750 227 228
Nashville 3 1 .750 223 147
Chicago 2 2 .500 224 217
Grand Rapids 2 2 .500 205 197

NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Eastern Division
Team W L Pct PF PA
Dallas 3 1 .750 215 191
Philadelphia 3 1 .750 207 173
New York 2 2 .500 222 260
Columbus 1 3 .250 142 180
Southern Division
Team W L Pct PF PA
Austin 4 0 1.000 210 162
Orlando 3 1 .750 193 186
Georgia 2 2 .500 221 187
Tampa Bay 2 2 .500 210 222
Kansas City 1 3 .250 163 167

WEEK FOUR RESULTS

Friday, Feb. 17
Austin 56, DALLAS 49
Georgia 54, LAS VEGAS 34
Saturday, Feb. 18
NASHVILLE 58, Colorado 36
ARIZONA 45, Utah 38
Chicago 65, LOS ANGELES 46
Sunday, Feb. 19
PHILADELPHIA 75, New York 59
GRAND RAPIDS 66, San Jose 52
KANSAS CITY 45, Columbus 24
Orlando 67, TAMPA BAY 64 (OT)

WEEK FIVE SCHEDULE

Friday, February 24
Arizona at Columbus, 4:00 pm
Kansas City at Georgia, 4:30 pm
Saturday, February 25
Austin at Tampa Bay, 4:30 pm
Grand Rapids at Nashville, 5:00 pm
Las Vegas at Dallas, 6:00 pm
Utah at Los Angeles, 7:30 pm
Sunday, February 26
Colorado at Philadelphia, 10:00 am
San Jose at Chicago, 10:00 am
Orlando at New York, 10:00 am

WEEK SIX SCHEDULE

Friday, March 3
Columbus at New York, 4:30 pm
Saturday, March 4
Austin at Georgia, 9:00 am
San Jose at Utah, 6:00 pm
Nashville at Arizona, 6:00 pm
Sunday, March 5
Dallas at Chicago, 9:00 am
Los Angeles at Orlando, 9:00 am
Grand Rapids at Colorado, 12:00 pm
Tampa Bay at Kansas City, 1:00 pm
Philadelphia at Las Vegas, 3:00 pm

WEEK SEVEN SCHEDULE

Friday, March 10
Georgia at Columbus, 4:00 pm
Colorado at Chicago, 5:30 pm
Nashville at Utah, 6:00 pm
Orlando at Arizona, 6:00 pm
Grand Rapids at Las Vegas, 7:30 pm
Sunday, March 12
Dallas at Tampa Bay, 9:00 am
Los Angeles at San Jose, 3:00 pm
New York at Austin, 12:00 pm
Monday, March 13
Philadelphia at Kansas City, 5:00 pm

WEEK EIGHT SCHEDULE

Thursday, March 16
Utah at Grand Rapids, 4:00 pm
Friday, March 17
Chicago at Nashville, 5:00 pm
Arizona at Las Vegas, 7:30 pm
Georgia at San Jose, 7:30 pm
Saturday, March 18
Philadelphia at Columbus, 4:00 pm
New York at Tampa Bay, 4:30 pm
Kansas City at Austin, 5:00 pm
Sunday, March 19
Dallas at Orlando, 9:00 am
Colorado at Los Angeles, 3:00 pm

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