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San Jose SaberCats game notes

March 7, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release


THE QUICK FACTS:
Game: Los Angeles Avengers (1-5) at SaberCats (2-4).
Date: Sunday, March 12, 2006.
Kickoff: 3:00 p.m. (PT).
Site: HP Pavilion at San Jose (14,041).
Officials: Referee: Bill Athan; Umpire: Matt Jordan; Head Linesman: Tim Podraza; Line Judge: Tom Symonette; Back Judge: Greg Wilson.
Television: The game will be televised live in the Bay Area at 3:00 pm on NBC11 (KNTV) with Ted Robinson (play-by-play), Charles Davis (color commentary) and Raj Mathai (sideline reporter).
Radio: San Jose's flagship station KNBR-1050 will broadcast the game live with Bob Fitzgerald handling play-by-play duties and former 49er Keena Turner adding commentary. The station will air an extended two hour pregame show live from HP Pavilion starting at 12:30 p.m.
Internet: Log on to www.KNBR.com to hear a live webcast of Sunday's game.
Series Record: SaberCats lead 8-4.
Last Meeting: Los Angeles 54, SaberCats 42 on May 7, 2005 in San Jose.
Series Streaks: Los Angeles Won 2.
Coaches: San Jose, Darren Arbet (8th season; 75-35 regular season, 84-39 overall). Los Angeles, Ed Hodgkiss (5th season; 39-29 regular season, 39-33 overall).

OVERVIEW: The SaberCats completed their franchise record five-game road trip with a 65-50 win over the Utah Blaze on Mar. 4 to climb into a first place tie in the Western Division. San Jose will now play seven of its final 10 games at HP Pavilion starting on Sunday, March 12 with an afternoon contest against division rival Los Angeles. The game will be televised locally on NBC11 beginning at 3:00 p.m. San Jose has not played a home game since dropping the opener to the Blaze on Jan. 28. Mark Grieb threw eight TD passes and the defense registered eight stops, including five forced turnovers, in leading the SaberCats to their win at Utah. James Roe had four TDs and 115 receiving yards on 12 catches to pass James Hundon as the SaberCats all-time leader with 23 100-yard receiving games. San Jose used a 27-0 run spanning the second and third quarters to break a 21-21 tie and withstood a 29 point Blaze fourth quarter to post their 2nd win of the year. San Jose leads the all-time series with Los Angeles 8-4, but the Avengers won both games last season to become the first team other than San Jose or Arizona to claim a Western Division title since 1995. The Avengers have lost five straight games after opening the campaign with a win over Arizona and are in last place in the division, just one game behind the leaders.

THE SCHEDULES:

2006 San Jose SaberCats (2-4)
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
Feb. 26 @Chicago Lost (ot) 48-54
Mar. 4 @Utah Won 65-50
Date Opponent Time (PT) Radio/TV
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 Los Angeles Avengers (1-5)
Date Opponent Result Score
Jan. 29 ARIZONA Won 40-31
Feb. 5 @Philadelphia Lost 33-47
Feb. 12 @Grand Rapids Lost 41-66
Feb. 18 CHICAGO Lost 46-65
Feb. 25 UTAH Lost 66-68
Mar. 5 @Orlando Lost 34-59
Date Opponent Time (PT) TV
Mar. 12 @San Jose 3:00 pm NBC
Mar. 19 COLORADO 3:30 pm OLN
Mar. 24 @Arizona 6:00 pm FSN
Apr. 2 @Las Vegas 3:00 pm FSN
Apr. 9 @Kansas City 10:00 am NBC
Apr. 15 @Utah 6:00 pm
Apr. 22 NEW YORK 7:30 pm FSN
Apr. 29 SAN JOSE 7:30 pm TV20
May 6 NASHVILLE 7:30 pm
May 13 LAS VEGAS 7:30 pm

THE SERIES: The SaberCats lead the all-time series 8-4 and are 5-1 in games played in San Jose...The Avengers swept the season series last year becoming the 6th division opponent to sweep a home-and-home series from the SaberCats...Los Angeles posted its first ever win in San Jose with a 54-42 victory in the last meeting between the teams on May 7, 2005...Seven of the 12 series games have been decided by 6 or fewer points...Four of San Jose's 23 70-plus point games have come against the Avengers...San Jose has outscored Los Angeles 352 to 248 in the six games played in San Jose...The SaberCats recorded their highest point total ever in a loss against Los Angeles on Feb. 9, 2003 (73-72).

WHAT'S AHEAD: San Jose plays its second straight home game hosting last year's ArenaBowl runner-up Georgia on Friday, Mar. 17 at 7:30 p.m. The game is scheduled to televised by FSN and will also be broadcast on the team's flagship radio station KNBR 1050. The first 5,000 fans through the turnstiles receive a SaberCats ‘Feel the Electricity' rally towel sponsored by Sharp.

SABERCATS MAKE TRANSITION: Former SaberCat players Steve Papin and James Hundon are making the transition from successful playing careers to broadcasters while Derrick Chachere and Shalon Baker are back with the team as assistant coaches. Papin, San Jose's career leader in all kick return categories, has been a color analyst on several San Jose radio and television broadcasts this season, while Hundon, one of San Jose's top receivers of all-time, has been heard on a few of the team's radio calls. After three years as an assistant with New York and Arizona, Chachere, the team's career rushing leader, is in his first season as the SaberCats FB/LB coach. Baker, San Jose's career leader in assisted tackles, joined the coaching staff after eight seasons as a player.

SABERCATS SIDELINE REPORT: Bob Fitzgerald returns as host of the SSR, which airs every Sunday during the season on NBC11 at 11:50 p.m. immediately following Sports Sunday. Join Fitz and a special guest every week for this action-packed 8-minute segment.

SERIES NOTABLES: The SaberCats margin of victory in their eight wins against Los Angeles is 18 points...San Jose's point total in its 72-73 loss at Los Angeles on Feb. 2, 2003 is the highest ever in a defeat...The SaberCats point total in their 69-71 loss at Los Angeles on Feb. 20, 2005 is the second highest ever in a defeat...San Jose has scored an average of 60.4 points per game in the 12 games against Los Angeles...San Jose has four of the eight 70-point regular season games allowed by the Avengers: 78 points twice (5/27/00 and 5/11/02), 75 points (7/8/00) and 72 points (2/9/03)...San Jose scored a team record 29 first quarter points vs. L.A. (5/27/00) and allowed a team record 35 fourth quarter points to L.A. (2/9/03)...The SaberCats 53-point win (78-25) over the Avengers on May 27, 2000 is the worst loss in Los Angeles history...San Jose also handed L.A. its fourth-worst loss with a 34-point win (78-44) on May 11, 2002...L.A. WR/DB Kevin Ingram became just the 3rd player to intercept 3 San Jose passes in a game when he did so on May 7, 2005...Avengers WR/LB Greg Hopkins' 3-yard INT return for a TD on Feb. 20, 2005 was his 2nd against San Jose. He and Hunkie Cooper are the only players with 2 INT return scores against the SaberCats...San Jose scored 20 points in the final minute of play in their loss to the Avengers on Feb. 20, 2005.

LAST SERIES MEETING: Los Angeles 54, SaberCats 42 - Saturday, May 7, 2005 - HP Pavilion - John Kaleo threw seven touchdown passes, five to Offensive Player of the Game Tony Locke, as the Los Angeles Avengers won for the first time ever in San Jose, 54-42, over the SaberCats in front of 14,203 fans at HP Pavilion at San Jose. Los Angeles (9-5) now has a one game lead over San Jose (8-6) and sole possession of first place in the Western Division with two games remaining in the season. Since San Jose posted a team-record 89 points against the Colorado Crush on Apr. 22, their offense has seemed to struggle. The Avengers forced four turnovers and stopped San Jose a total of eight times. Los Angeles held the SaberCats scoreless in the second quarter and limited the league's top offense to just seven first half points. Joey Dozier scored on a 7-yard run with 8:48 left in the first quarter to give the SaberCats a 7-0 lead, but Los Angeles scored 28 unanswered points to take a 28-7 lead early in the third. San Jose would score 14 unanswered points in the third quarter to trim Los Angeles' lead to 28-21. The two teams traded scores three times before a missed Remy Hamilton field goal with 35 seconds left gave San Jose a chance to win the game. But on the first play of San Jose's drive, game Ironman Kevin Ingram intercepted his third pass of the game and returned it 7-yards for a score to put the game out of reach and end San Jose's hopes of a fourth quarter comeback. San Jose's offense never seemed to find a rhythm during the game as the Avengers defensive line produced four sacks and pressure that contributed to Grieb's three interceptions. Defensive Player of the Game Michale Spicer finished the night with two sacks and 4.0 tackles. SaberCats OS Rashied Davis scored twice with his second of the game, a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter, giving him 38 on the year tying Steve Papin's 2000 single season record.

Score By Quarters
Avengers................................. 7 14 21 12 - 54
SaberCats................................ 7 0 21 14 - 42

SCORING SUMMARY
SAN Dozier 7 run (Frantz kick)
LAA Locke 4 pass from Kaleo (Hamilton kick)
LAA Hopkins 5 pass from Kaleo (Hamilton kick)
LAA Hopkins 3 pass from Kaleo (Hamilton kick)
LAA Locke 38 pass from Kaleo (Hamilton kick)
SAN Roe 5 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
SAN Dozier 5 run (Frantz kick)
LAA Locke 30 pass from Kaleo (Hamilton kick)
SAN Davis 3 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
LAA Locke 45 pass from Kaleo (Hamilton kick)
SAN Davis 1 run (Frantz kick)
LAA Locke 24 pass from Kaleo (kick failed)
SAN Baker 11 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick)
LAA Ingram 7 interception return (pass failed)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Passing: LA - Kaleo 17-31-0-261. SJ - Grieb 25-43-3-282.
Rushing: LA - Ford 4-17; Jeffries 1-0; Hopkins 1-0. SJ - Kinsinger 3-14; Dozier 2-12; Grieb 2-1; Davis 2-1.
Receiving: LA - Locke 8-174; Hopkins 5-27; ingram 3-47; Galles 1-13. SJ- Roe 8-81; right 7-55; Davis 6-98; Fernandez 2-37; Baker 1-11; Hernandez 1-0.

ALL-TIME SERIES SCORES
Date Score
May 7, 2005 Los Angeles 54, @San Jose 42
Feb. 20, 2005 @Los Angeles 71, San Jose 69
Mar. 26, 2004 @San Jose 55, Los Angeles 52
Feb. 22, 2004 San Jose 61, @Los Angeles 55
May 17, 2003 @San Jose 47, Los Angeles 43
Feb. 9, 2003 @Los Angeles 73, San Jose 72
June 8, 2002 San Jose 52, @Los Angeles 33
May 11, 2002 @San Jose 78, Los Angeles 44
June 2, 2001 @Los Angeles 47, San Jose 44
Apr. 14, 2001 @San Jose 52, Los Angeles 30
July 8, 2000 San Jose 75, @Los Angeles 72
May 27, 2000 @San Jose 78, Los Angeles 25
2006 TEAM STATISTICAL COMPARISON
Category (AFL Rank) SaberCats Avengers
Scoring Offense 51.0 (10) 43.3 (15)
Scoring Defense 53.2 (11) 56.0 (16)
Total Offense 286.8 (9) 295.2 (4)
Total Defense 287.2 (T-11) 244.8 (2)
Pass Offense 276.5 (5) 272.8 (7)
Pass Defense 268.7 (12) 221.7 (1)
Rushing Offense 10.3 (14) 22.3 (7)
Rushing Defense 18.5 (8) 23.2 (11)
Pass Rating 112.2 (8) 91.2 (15)
Pass Defense Rating 115.5 (16) 114.5 (15)
Interceptions 6 (T-10) 4 (T-15)
Kickoff Return Avg. 16.2 (T-13) 14.1 (17)
Field Goal Return Avg. 12.0 (13) 17.2 (7)
Turnover Margin +2 (T-6) -6 (T-16)
3rd Down Conversions 38.9% (14) 47.5% (9)
4th Down Conversions 36.4% (T-13) 57.1% (T-5)
Sacks For 9 (T-3) 4 (T-12)
Sacks Against 8 (14) 12 (T-15)

2006 SABERCATS AMONG LEAGUE LEADERS
Player Category No. Rank
Mark Grieb Total Offense 283.8 5th
Mark Grieb Pass TDs 29 6th
Mark Grieb Pass Completions 139 6th
Mark Grieb Passing Yards 1,702 5th
Mark Grieb Pass Avg/Game 283.7 5th
Mark Grieb Passer Rating 111.0 8th
Mark Grieb Pass Attempts 215 6th
Mark Grieb Completion Pct 64.7 9th
Clevan Thomas Interceptions 3 T-9th
Clevan Thomas Fumbles Recovered 2 T-1st
Clevan Thomas Fumbles Forced 2 T-3rd
Marquis Floyd INT Return TDs 1 T-3rd
Marquis Floyd Fumbles Forced 2 T-3rd
Joe Jacobs Sacks 3.0 T-5th
Joe Jacobs Tackles for Loss 4.5 T-3rd
Brian Schmitz PAT kicks made 34 9th

THE IFS...:
If the SaberCats defeat Los Angeles it would...
*Give them a 3-4 season record.
*Break their 2-game losing steak to the Avengers.
*Be their first home win of the season.
*Keep them in first place in the Western Division.
*Give them a 9-4 series advantage.
*Give them a 43-26 all-time record against Western Division opponents.
*Give them a 26-11 all-time home record against Western Division opponents.
*Give them a 105-60 all-time regular season record.
*Give them a 58-23 all-time reg. season home record.

THE COACHES:
San Jose - Darren Arbet, 8th season
75-35 (.682) reg. season; 84-39 (.683) overall
8-4 (.667) career vs. Los Angeles
5-3 (.625) career vs. Ed Hodgkiss
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 84 career victories and needs just two 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 69-27 (.719) 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.

Los Angeles - Ed Hodgkiss, 5th season
39-29 (.574) reg. season; 39-33 (.542) overall
3-5 (.375) career vs. San Jose
3-5 (.375) career vs. Darren Arbet
Now in his fifth season as head coach of the Avengers, Hodgkiss has compiled a regular season record of 39-29 and advanced to the AFL Playoffs in each of his first four years. In his first two seasons at the helm, he directed the Avengers to a 19-11 record. No head coach in league history has won more games in his first two seasons than Hodgkiss. Last season, the Avengers captured their first Western Division title with a 10-6 record and led the AFL in offensive scoring percentage (74.4). In 2004, the Avengers went 9-7 and led the AFL in scoring at 56.5 points per game. In 2003, the Avengers won a franchise-best 11 games and earned a first-round playoff bye. Hodgkiss, who was the runner-up for the 2003 AFL "Coach of the Year" award, oversaw the league's most efficient offense. Hodgkiss became the head coach of the Avengers on Oct. 5, 2001, and signed a five-year contract extension shortly after a 2002 season. In his first season as a head coach at any level, he instantly established the Avenger offense as one of the most feared in the AFL, scoring an average of 52.2 points per game. Prior to joining the Avengers, he was the Indiana Firebirds' offensive coordinator for three seasons (1999-2001) and was part of an ArenaBowl championship in 1999.

CAREER COACHING RECORDS
Rk. Coach Team Record
1. Tim Marcum Tampa Bay 178-70
2. Danny White Utah 143-69
3. Mike Hohensee Chicago 98-88
4. Mike Dailey Colorado 93-59
5. Perry Moss None 86-35
6. Darren Arbet San Jose 84-39

ROSTER MOVES: The SaberCats activated WR/LB Ben Nelson from IR prior to their game at Utah on Mar. 4 and placed OS Calvin Schexnayder on IR after he sustained a high ankle sprain at Chicago on Feb. 26.

RECENT ROSTER MOVES
Date Action
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.
Feb 21 Re-signed OS Atnaf Harris.
Feb 25 Activated WR/LB Kevin McKenzie and OL/DL George Williams from IR. Placed WR/LB Fred Coleman and OL/DL Alan Harper on IR.
Mar 3 Activated WR/LB Ben Nelson from IR. Placed WR/LB Calvin Schexnayder 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. San Jose activated WR/LB Ben Nelson from IR and placed WR/LB Calvin Schexnayder on IR with a high ankle sprain that was sustained in the first half at Chicago on Feb. 26. The players listed below with an asterisk by their name are eligible to be activated to the 24-man roster for the game against Los Angeles on Mar. 12.

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
Jeff Ruffin* Upper back IR
JaJuan Huddleston* Finger IR
Fred Coleman* Ankle sprain IR
Alan Harper* Flu symptoms IR
Calvin Schexnayder R Ankle Sprain IR

MILESTONES
Player Milestone Needs
Mark Grieb 25,000 career pass yards 515
Mark Grieb 24,000 SJ career pass yards 518
Mark Grieb 1,900 career completions 15
Barry Wagner AFL career all-purpose yardage leader 165
Barry Wagner 50 career INTs 3
Clevan Thomas 30 career INTs 2
Team career lead in PDs 1
Calvin Schexnayder 8th place in AFL career receptions 4
5th place in AFL career receiving yards 193
James Roe 450 career receptions 2
James Roe 6,000 career recv yards 132
James Roe 140 career TD receptions 1
Phil Glover 200 career rush yards 26
Joe Jacobs 40 career sacks 1.5
Karl Bates 10 career sacks 0.5
Terrance Joseph 10 career INTs 1
Omarr Smith 25 career INTs 1
Brian Schmitz 60 career FGs made 2

RECENT RESULTS: SABERCATS 65, Utah 50 - Saturday, March 4, 2006 - Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah - Mark Grieb threw eight touchdown passes and the San Jose SaberCats (2-3) climbed into a first place tie in the Arena Football League's Western Division with a 65-50 win over the Utah Blaze (2-3) on Saturday night before a sellout crowd at the Delta Center. Grieb connected with James Roe on an 11-yard scoring play on San Jose's first possession and the SaberCats never trailed in ending their 2-game losing streak and franchise record five-game road trip. Grieb finished the night 25-of-34 passing for 295 yards. San Jose took advantage of five Blaze turnovers, including three straight at the start of the second half, to avenge a season opening loss to Utah. Following a 17-yard Joe Germaine to Siaha Burley scoring pass early in the second quarter that moved Utah into a 21-21 tie, the SaberCats reeled off 27 unanswered points spanning the remainder of the first half into the second half to take a 48-21 lead after three quarters. Germaine completed 28-of-43 attempts for 367 yards with five touchdowns, but he was intercepted twice, including a 23-yard return for a score by lineman Joe Jacobs in the first quarter that gave San Jose a 21-7 lead. Utah made a fourth quarter comeback scoring 29 points and pulled within eight at 58-50 with less than a minute left in the game. But the SaberCats recovered Utah's onside kick and Grieb connected with Roe for the fourth time to supply the final margin. Roe had a game-high 12 catches in the game and surpassed the 100 mark in receiving yards for the third straight game with 115. Utah was able to climb back into the game by recovering a pair of onside kicks, but the Blaze were unable to overcome their five miscues and dropped to 0-3 in games played at the Delta Center.

Score By Quarters
SaberCats................................ 21 14 13 17 - 65
Blaze....................................... 14 7 0 29 - 50

SCORING SUMMARY
SAN Roe 11 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
UTA Burley 27 pass from Germaine (Videtich kick)
SAN Pauley 34 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
SAN Jacobs 23 interception return (Schmitz kick)
UTA Burley 12 pass from Germaine (Videtich kick)
UTA Burley 17 pass from Germaine (Videtich kick)
SAN Pauley 23 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
SAN Roe 4 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
SAN Pauley 29 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
SAN Nelson 19 pass from Grieb (pass failed)
UTA Germaine 1 run (Videtich kick)
SAN Roe 9 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
UTA Clemens 1 run (Videtich kick)
UTA Pace 14 pass from Germaine (Videtich kick)
SAN FG Schmitz 22
UTA Burley 18 pass from Germaine (Germaine run)
SAN Roe 12 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Passing: SJ - Grieb 25-34-0-295. UT - Germaine 28-44-2-367.
Rushing: SJ - Glover 3-3; McKenzie 1-2; Johnson 2-0; Grieb 1-0. UT - Clemens 4-8; Skaggs 1-1; Germaine 1-1; Robinson 2-1.
Receiving: SJ - Roe 12-115; Nelson 7-77; Pauley 4-97; Floyd 1-4; Glover 1-2. UT - Bryant 9-115; Pace 7-83; Burley 7-81; Skaggs 3-59; Robinson 1-20; Dennard 1-9.

TRENDS:
HOME SWEET HOME - After five straight games on the road and approximately 13,000 round trip miles traveled, the SaberCats finally return to play a home game. San Jose spent the entire month of February on the road and when the SaberCats take the HP Pavilion turf on Sunday, it will be exactly 42 days between home games. San Jose's last game at HP Pavilion came on opening night Jan. 28.

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE - The SaberCats have held a distinct home field advantage since Darren Arbet took over as head coach in 1999. San Jose is 43-10 (.811) in regular season games and 51-12 (.810) in all games played in HP Pavilion under Arbet. In their 12-year history the SaberCats have posted a 57-23 (.713) record in regular season home games.

CRAZY EIGHTS - San Jose's defense turned in a marvelous effort in the team's win at Utah on Mar. 4 with a total of eight stops. The SaberCats recovered 3 fumbles, intercepted 2 passes, had a turnover on downs and watched the Blaze miss 2 field goals.

FINISH STRONGER - The SaberCats have allowed 122 points in the fourth quarter of their games, over 38 percent of their entire season total. Utah scored 29 points in the last quarter on Mar. 4, more than their three quarter total of 21 and Chicago scored 20 fourth quarter points to overcome a 12-point deficit and win in overtime on Feb. 26.

THAT 60's SHOW - San Jose reached the 60-point mark for the 50th time in a regular season game in their 65-50 win at Utah on Mar. 4. The win gave the SaberCats a 44-6 (.880) record in regular season games where they score 60 or more points.

PROVING COSTLY - Turnovers are costly in any game, but especially in Arena Football when every possession is a scoring opportunity. The SaberCats were a plus-4 in turnover margin in their win at Utah on Mar. 4 and are a plus-6 in their two wins with just one turnover. In their four losses, the SaberCats have turned the ball over 11 times and are a minus-4 in turnover margin.

SACKED - The SaberCats registered a pair of QB sacks at Utah on Mar. 4 and have tallied 5 in the last two games for a season total of 9. San Jose managed just 12 sacks all of last season. The team is on pace for 24 sacks this year which would be the 2nd highest season total in team history. The SaberCats amassed a team record 31 in 2000

THE SERIES - The SaberCats have played a home-and-home series with a Western Division opponent 30 times in their history and have been swept just six times. The last division opponent to win both games in a season from San Jose was Los Angeles, which won both games last season for its first sweep of San Jose. The SaberCats have swept the Avengers in every even numbered year (2000, 02, 04) since Los Angeles joined the AFL in 2000 and have swept a series from a division opponent 13 times. The two teams will meet again on April 29 in Los Angeles and one team will have the chance to win the season series.

NOTES:
THE WACKY WEST - It was expected to be a competitive division, and it is with four teams tied for the top spot. But those four teams are 2-games under .500. San Jose's win at Utah on Mar. 4 brought both teams to a 2-4 mark while Las Vegas and Arizona both won. A SaberCats win Sunday over Los Angeles keeps them at the top of the standings and moves them closer to the .500 mark. The three other teams (Arizona, Las Vegas, Utah) all pay outside the division this week. A change in the 2006 playoff format has the four division winners (West, Central, South, East) 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 (2002) and New York (2003), have won division titles with a .500 mark.

2006 WESTERN DIVISION STANDINGS
Team W L GB Pct Div Conf
San Jose 2 4 -- .333 2-2 2-4
Utah 2 4 -- .333 2-2 2-2
Las Vegas 2 4 -- .333 1-0 1-1
Arizona 2 4 -- .333 1-2 2-2
Los Angeles 1 5 1.0 .167 1-1 1-3

TIE BREAKER - With their 15-point win at Utah on Mar. 4, the SaberCats now hold the tie-break advantage over the Blaze should the two teams end up tied at the end of the season. In a two-team tie break scenario, head-to-head record is the first tie breaker with point differential being the second. The Blaze beat San Jose by 13 points (48-35) on Jan. 28. Utah head coach Danny White elected to attempt a 22-yard FG with one-tenth of second left on the game clock last week to secure the advantage for the Blaze, but Steve Videtich's kick went wide right.

PAPER OR PLASTIC - Lineman Joe Jacobs didn't add to his career sack total last week, but he did score the 1st TD of his San Jose career in a win at Utah on Mar. 4. Jacobs snared a Joe Germaine pass that was deflected by Nikia Adderson out of the air and rumbled 23 yards for the score. It was the 3rd interception of the 11-year vets career and 1st returned for a TD. Jacobs also recovered a fumble in the game and posted an assisted tackle while starting for the 6th consecutive game on the defensive line. Jacobs still needs 1.5 sacks to become the fifth player in AFL history to record 40 or more in a career and is just one sack away from tying Robert Stewart for 5th place on the league's career chart. Jacobs has recorded 15.5 of his career total 38.5 sacks as a member of the SaberCats and ranks 2nd all-time behind Sam Hernandez on the team's chart.

AFL CAREER SACKS LEADERS
Rk Player 2006 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 38.5

FULL NELSON - In his first AFL start and second career game, rookie Ben Nelson was the SaberCats offensive specialist and aided the team's cause by catching 7 passes for 77 yards with his 1st career AFL touchdown in San Jose's win at Utah on Mar. 4. Nelson hauled in a 19-yard pass from Mark Grieb in the 3rd quarter and streaked into the endzone after the Utah defender had fallen down on the play giving the SaberCats a 48-21 lead. The former Minnesota Viking played his 1st career AFL game in San Jose's win at Arizona on Feb. 12 and the team is now 2-0 in games Nelson plays in.

RETURN LESS - The SaberCats went without a kickoff return in their game at Utah on Mar. 4 for the first time in team history. The Blaze attempted five onside kicks, recovering two, and Steve Videtich booted three kickoffs through the slack net for touchbacks. San Jose kick return man Kevin McKenzie was not the busiest of players, but he did have an 11-yard MFG return. San Jose's previous low for KORs in a game was one, which happened four different time, the last being in a playoff game at Colorado on May 29, 2005.

ROE-LIFIC - James Roe has returned from an opening night concussion and has emerged as the go-to-guy in San Jose's offense. Roe had a game-high 12 catches for 115 yards and 4 TDs in San Jose's win at Utah on Mar. 4 and in three games since his return to the lineup has 27 receptions for 351 yards and 8 TDs. Roe became San Jose's career leader in 100-yard receiving games with his effort at Utah, surpassing James Hundon for the top spot with 23. It was also Roe's 3rd straight game with 100 or more receiving yards, equaling a career-best. Roe missed nearly three full games after sustaining his injury early in the first quarter of a loss to Utah on Jan. 28. Now in his 7th season with San Jose, Roe needs 2 catches for 450 in his career and is 132 receiving yards shy of 6,000. Nicknamed ‘The Difference' by SaberCats broadcaster Keena Turner, Roe has played in 10 games against the Avengers catching 68 passes for 845 yards and 19 TDs.

TEAM CAREER 100-YARD RECEIVING GAMES
Rank Player 100-yd games
1. James Roe 23
2. James Hundon 22
3. Steve Papin 17
4. Shalon Baker 10
5. Jerry Reese 9

TEAM CAREER RECEPTIONS
Rank Player Receptions
1. James Roe 448
2. Steve Papin 326
3. Barry Wagner 311
4. James Hundon 307
5. Shalon Baker 263

TEAM CAREER RECEIVING YARDS
Rank Player Receiving Yds
1. James Roe 5,868
2. James Hundon 4,648
3. Steve Papin 4,282
4. Barry Wagner 3,600
5. Shalon Baker 3,575

PAULEY WANTS A BREATHER - Forced into extensive action following an early injury to Marquis Floyd, WR/DB Charles Pauley had one of his finest AFL games in San Jose's win at Utah. The former San Jose State standout averaged over 24 yards per catch and tied a career-high with 3 TDs. C.P. had just 4 catches in the game with scoring grabs of 34, 23 and 29 yards, but he amassed a career-high 97 receiving yards. Defensively Pauley had 2 PBUs and a tackle for loss and had an interception nullified by a penalty. Pauley has 28 catches for 387 yards and 8 TDs in six games, surpassing his entire two-year career total entering the season (24-344-2).

ON THE MARK - One week after throwing three second half interceptions in an overtime loss at Chicago on Feb. 26, San Jose QB Mark Grieb had his best game of the 2006 season in a 65-50 win at Utah on Mar. 4. Grieb completed 25-of-34 attempts (73.5%) for 295 yards and 8 TDs without an INT and the SaberCats posted their highest point total of the year. Grieb's TD total is the second-highest in SaberCats single-game history. Grieb has started 10 of the 12 series games against Los Angeles and owns a 7-3 record. He has played in 11 games against the Avengers throwing for 2,845 yards and 55 TDs completing 218-of-332 passes. Grieb completed a club record 31 passes and threw for 399 yards, the third-highest game total in franchise history, in a loss on Feb. 20, 2005. Grieb tossed three INTs in each of the two games against L.A. last season and three of his six 3-INT games have come against the Avengers.

AFL CAREER PASSING YARDS
Rank Player, Team Yards
1. Andy Kelly, Kansas City 38,334
2. Aaron Garcia, New York 36,102
3. Sherdrick Bonner, Arizona 34,288
4. Clint Dolezel, Dallas 34,416
5. John Kaleo, Columbus 31,201
6. Todd Hammel, Colorado 27,012
7. Mark Grieb, San Jose 24,485

CLEVAN THE MAN - Two-time Defensive Player of the Year Clevan Thomas posted his 28th career INT, forced and recovered a fumble and added 4.5 tackles in San Jose's win at Utah on Mar. 4. Thomas' INT gave him 89 career passes defended, moving him ahead of Pat McGuirk as the team's all-time leader with 89. With 3 more pass breakups Thomas will tie McGuirk for the team's career lead with 62. Thomas has 4 career INTs against Los Angeles, his 2nd highest total against any AFL team.

TEAM CAREER PASSES DEFENDED
Rank Player Pass Defs
1. Clevan Thomas 89
2. Pat McGuirk 88
3. Tommy Jones 62
4. Barry Wagner 59
5. Omarr Smith 53

IN THE UTAH GAME:
WR/LB Ben Nelson had his 1st career reception and TD catch in just his 2nd AFL game.
DS Clevan Thomas had his 28th career INT and 89th career pass defended to surpass Pat McGuirk (88) as the club's all-time leader.
WR/DB Charles Pauley collected his 50th career reception and tied his career-high with 3 TD catches.
DS Terrance Joseph tied a team record and set a career-high with 11 solo tackles.
San Jose forced 4 Utah fumbles and recovered 3 of them.
Rookie Julius Gant started on the offensive line for his 1st career AFL start.
James Roe had his 3rd straight 100-yard receiving game with 115 and surpassed James Hundon for the club's career lead with 23.
OL/DL Wes Stephens recorded his 1st QB sack as a SaberCat and the team registered a pair for the game.

AVENGERS PLAYERS TO WATCH:
WR/LB GREG HOPKINS - The former Ironman of the Year and four-time All-Arena team selection has continued to play particularly well against the SaberCats. Last season against San Jose, Hopkins was named Ironman and Defensive Player of the Game on Feb. 20 after picking off two passes, including a three-yard INT return for a TD, and catching 9 for 45 yards in a 71-69 L.A. win. In 11 career games against the SaberCats, Hopkins has 54 receptions for 673 yards and 13 TDs and contributed 4 INTs (two for touchdowns) on defense. Hopkins was named MVP of the game on Feb. 9, 2003 after collecting 133 receiving yards, 3 TDs and the game-winning two-point conversion in L.A.'s narrow 73-72 victory over San Jose. On the season, Hopkins is 2nd on the Avengers with 34 receptions for 402 yards and 9 TDs.

K REMY HAMILTON - Earned 2005 AFL Kicker of the Year honors after setting a new single-season record for field goal percentage converting 29-of-39 attempts (74.4%). Now in his 5th season with the Avengers, Hamilton has put up big numbers against San Jose making 58-of-68 (85.2%) PATs and 19-of-28 (67.8%) FGs, including five of 40+ yards. He had a perfect series against the SaberCats in 2004 making 14-of-14 PATs and 3-of-3 FGs, including one from 47 yards out. Hamilton leads the AFL in kick scoring in 2006 with 62 points making 11-of-14 (78.6%) FGs and 29-of-31 (93.5%) PATs.

WR/DB KEVIN INGRAM - The 2005 Ironman of the Year is one of the top two-way players in the league. Ingram leads the Avengers in receiving with 44 catches for 567 yards and 11 TDs and also has a team-high 2 INTs. Ingram became the 3rd San Jose opponent to intercept 3 passes in a game on May 7, 2005. His third pick of the game was returned for a TD securing Los Angeles' 54-42 win. Ingram has played in seven games against San Jose in his career catching 22 passes for 226 yards and 5 TDs with 4 interceptions on defense. A threat on special teams as well, Ingram is the Avengers' top kick return man.

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) OS C.J. Johnson, CHI
@UTAH (3/4) QB Mark Grieb, SJS

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) DS Jeremy Unertl, CHI
@UTAH (3/4) DS Clevan Thomas, SJS

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) WR/LB James Roe, SJS
@UTAH (3/4) WR/LB James Roe, SJS



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 7, 2006


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