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San Jose SaberCats game notes

March 28, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release


THE QUICK FACTS:
Game: Arizona Rattlers (5-4) at San Jose SaberCats (3-6).
Date: Sunday, April 2, 2006.
Kickoff: 3:00 p.m. (PT).
Site: HP Pavilion at San Jose (14,041).
Officials: Referee: Perry Havener; Umpire: Tom Laverty; Head Linesman: Rusty Baynes; Line Judge: David Meslow; Back Judge: Barry Anderson.
Television: The game will be regionally televised by NBC (locally NBC11) live at 3:00 p.m. Ted Robinson handles play-by-play duties with John Jackson adding commentary and Raj Mathai roaming the sidelines.
Radio: San Jose's flagship station KNBR-1050 will broadcast the game live with Bob Fitzgerald calling the play-by-play and former San Francisco 49er Keena Turner adding the commentary. Due to a scheduling conflict with Golden State Warriors basketball there will be no extended pregame show this week.
Internet: Log on to www.KNBR.com to hear a live webcast of Sunday afternoon's game.
Series Record: Arizona leads 14-13.
Last Meeting: SaberCats 58, Arizona 50 (Feb. 12, 2006 in U.S. Airways Arena).
Series Streaks: SaberCats Won 1.
Coaches: San Jose, Darren Arbet (8th season; 76-37 regular season, 85-41 overall). Arizona, Gene Nudo (1st season; 5-4 regular season and overall).

OVERVIEW: San Jose began the second half to the season with a disappointing 51-48 loss at Nashville on March 25 and now battle Western Division leading Arizona on Sunday, Apr. 2 in a regionally televised NBC game at 3:00 p.m. (PT). The game can also be heard live on San Jose's flagship radio station KNBR-1050. OS Ben Nelson continued his stellar play with 9 catches for 138 yards and 3 TDs and Brian Johnson rushed for a career-high 3 TDs but San Jose couldn't overcome an 18-point fourth quarter deficit in its loss at Nashville and fell two games behind the Rattlers in the division standings and three games under the .500-mark for the third time this season and fifth time in franchise history...The SaberCats and Rattlers will play for the 28th time on Sunday with Arizona holding a 14-13 series lead. With a win over the Rattlers on Sunday, the SaberCats can climb back into the thick of the division race, post their third regular season sweep of Arizona and even the all-time series at 14-14...San Jose won the earlier meeting this season, 58-50, on Feb. 12 in Phoenix...The San Jose/Arizona rivalry is the second longest running in AFL history behind only the Orlando/Tampa Bay ‘War on I-4' series, which is at 38 games.

THE SCHEDULES:

2006 SAN JOSE SABERCATS (3-6)
Date Opponent Result Score (Rec)
Jan. 28 UTAH Lost 35-48 (0-1)
Feb. 6 @Las Vegas Lost 48-51 (0-2)
Feb. 12 @Arizona Won 58-50 (1-2)
Feb. 19 @Grand Rapids Lost 52-66 (1-3)
Feb. 26 @Chicago Lost (ot) 48-54 (1-4)
Mar. 4 @Utah Won 65-50 (2-4)
Mar. 12 LOS ANGELES Lost 61-75 (2-5)
Mar. 17 GEORGIA Won (ot) 56-55 (3-5)
Mar. 25 @Nashville Lost 48-51 (3-6)
Date Opponent Time (PT) Radio/TV
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 ARIZONA RATTLERS (5-4)
Date Opponent Result Score (Rec)
Jan. 29 @Los Angeles Lost 31-40 (0-1)
Feb. 3 AUSTIN Lost 34-53 (0-2)
Feb. 12 SAN JOSE Lost 50-58 (0-3)
Feb. 18 UTAH Won 45-38 (1-3)
Feb. 24 @Columbus Lost 26-42 (1-4)
Mar. 4 NASHVILLE Won 51-49 (2-4)
Mar. 10 ORLANDO Won 60-57 (3-4)
Mar. 17 @Las Vegas Won 47-33 (4-4)
Mar. 24 LOS ANGELES Won 58-45 (5-4)
Date Opponent Time (PT) TV
Apr. 2 @San Jose 3:00 pm NBC
Apr. 7 @Utah 6:00 pm FSN
Apr. 15 CHICAGO 7:00 pm
Apr. 23 @Grand Rapids 11:00 am
Apr. 29 @Dallas 5:00 pm
May 6 LAS VEGAS 7:00 pm
May 12 @Colorado 6:00 pm CSS, INHD

THE SERIES: Arizona leads the all-time series 14-13 and holds a 13-10 advantage in regular season games...The teams have split 12 regular season games played in San Jose and the SaberCats own an 8-7 edge in overall games at HP Pavilion...The SaberCats have won three of the four postseason contests, including ArenaBowl wins in 2002 and 2004...San Jose won the last meeting between the teams, 58-50, earlier this year on Feb. 12 in Phoenix...Ten of the series games have been decided by 7 points or less and 16 games have been won by 11 or fewer points...Each team has won three games in the series by 21 or more points...This will be the 28th series game, the second longest running rivalry in the AFL to only Tampa Bay/Orlando, who have played 38 times (including playoffs).
WHAT'S AHEAD: The SaberCats take their last extensive road trip of the 2006 season when they travel to Tampa Bay for a tilt with the Storm on Friday, April 7. After that game San Jose will play four of its remaining five games at HP Pavilion hosting Las Vegas (Apr. 14), Austin (Apr. 22), Colorado (May 6) and Columbus (May 13). San Jose's final trip of the year is to Los Angeles on Apr. 29.

SABERCATS SIDELINE REPORT: Bob Fitzgerald returns as host of the SaberCats Sideline Report, 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 and Rattlers have each won five Western Division titles in the 11 seasons since the AFL went to a four-division format in 1995. San Jose won its fourth straight division title in 2003 as well as the division title in 1995. Arizona won four straight from 1996-1999 and sealed another title in 2004. Los Angeles became the only other team to win the West capturing the crown last season...The SaberCats played their first ever regular season game against Arizona on May 12, 1995 losing in overtime to the Rattlers, 43-37...San Jose has played the most games (27) and has the most wins (13) against Arizona than any other opponent...San Jose's 52-14 win on August 18, 2002 in ArenaBowl XVI was Arizona's worst defeat since a 71-21 loss at Orlando on July 17, 1992...The Rattlers have dealt the SaberCats their worst two defeats in franchise history: 75-37 (38 pts) on June 5, 1999 in Arizona and 59-22 (37 pts) on June 9, 1997 in San Jose...Arizona and San Jose have returned back-to-back kickoffs for a TD in a game twice, the only time in SaberCats history that has happened. On Aug. 6, 1995, Arizona's Hunkie Cooper and San Jose's Titus Dixon went the distance then on May 14, 2005, San Jose's Rashied Davis and Arizona's Tom Pace turned the trick. Arizona won both games...Albrey Battle's 30-yard reception against Arizona on April 3, 2005 was the longest of his career and the 2nd longest by a San Jose TE...Mark Grieb threw a SaberCats single-game record 9 TDs against Arizona on July 6, 2001 and established a team playoff record with 8 TD passes against the Rattlers on Aug. 4, 2001 and matched on June 27, 2004 in ArenaBowl XVIII...Arizona's 59-52 win at home on July 12, 2002 was the only loss the SaberCats suffered that year. In that game Rattlers lineman Stacey Evans threw Mark Grieb to the turf breaking his collarbone. San Jose went on to win ArenaBowl XVI defeating the Rattlers, 52-14, behind San Jose backup QB John Dutton. In their first meeting this season Brian Johnson and Phil Glover each scored a pair of rushing touchdowns helping the SaberCats to their first win of the season and handing the Rattlers their first-ever 0-3 start...Rookies Ben Nelson, Julius Gant and Alan Harper all made their AFL debuts for San Jose in that game as well.

LAST SERIES MEETING: SABERCATS 58, Arizona 50 - Sunday, February 12, 2006 - U.S. Airways Center - San Jose fullbacks Phil Glover and Brian Johnson each scored a pair of rushing touchdowns and the SaberCats scored five times on the ground in posting their first win of the 2006 season, 58-50, over the Arizona Rattlers. The Rattlers fell to 0-3 for the first time in franchise history while the SaberCats gained a share of first place in the Western Division. Johnson scored on two short runs, Fred Coleman added a 3-yard scoring run and quarterback Mark Grieb connected with Calvin Schexnayder from 4-yards out and hit Charles Pauley on a 45-yard scoring play to stake the SaberCats to a 34-28 halftime lead. Grieb threw for 283 yards and three scores on 18-of-31 passing and didn't turn the ball over. Schexnayder was the favorite target for a second straight week catching nine passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns. Arizona quarterback Sherdrick Bonner returned to the lineup after missing last week's game and completed 24-of-36 attempts for 339 yards and five scores with an interception. San Jose's defense stepped up again forcing a pair of turnovers, a missed field and stopping the Rattlers twice on downs. Glover scored both his touchdowns on consecutive possessions at the start of the second half, his second giving San Jose a 48-28 lead midway through the third quarter. Schexnayder hauled in a 24-yard scoring pass from Grieb at the start of the fourth to give the SaberCats their biggest lead at 58-35. Arizona closed out the scoring with a 1-yard Bo Kelly run and a 7-yard Bonner to Cosmo DeMatteo pass with 20 seconds left in the game. NOTES: Rookies Ben Nelson, Julius Gant and Alan Harper made their AFL debuts for San Jose...San Jose posted its 13th win all-time against Arizona in 27 meetings...Glover and Johnson tied their career-high with 2 rush TDs...DS Omarr Smith returned to the lineup almost one year after sustaining a knee injury (Feb. 13, 2005 at New Orleans)...Smith was activated from injured reserve the day before the game taking the place of Terrance Joseph, who sustained an injury Friday...K Brian Schmitz made all seven of this one-point PAT tries, extending his streak to 18 on the year.

Score By Quarters
SaberCats................................ 13 21 17 7 - 58
Rattlers.... .............................. 7 21 7 15 - 50

SCORING SUMMARY
ARZ Kelly 1 run (Kral kick)
SAN Schexnayder 4 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
SAN Johnson 1 run (drop kick failed)
ARZ Gatewood 29 pass from Bonner (Kral kick)
SAN Coleman 3 run (Schmitz kick)
ARZ DeMatteo 31 pass from Bonner (Kral kick)
SAN Johnson 2 run (Schmitz kick)
SAN Pauley 45 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
ARZ Groce 8 pass from Bonner (Kral kick)
SAN Glover 7 run (Schmitz kick)
SAN Glover 2 run (Schmitz kick)
ARZ Pope 12 pass from Bonner (Kral kick)
SAN FG Schmitz 33
SAN Schexnayder 24 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
ARZ Kelly 1 run (Kral kick)
ARZ DeMatteo 7 pass from Bonner (Gatewood pass)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Passing - SJ: Grieb 18-31-0-283. AZ: Bonner 24-36-1-339.
Rushing - SJ: Johnson 8-17; Glover 4-15; Coleman 1-3; Grieb 2-0. AZ: Kelly 3-4; Groce 1-3; Warren 2-3; DeMatteo 1-(-4).
Receiving - SJ: Schexnayder 9-147; Pauley 3-78; Coleman 3-28; Floyd 2-18; Johnson 1-12. AZ: DeMatteo 9-114; Groce 6-73; Gatewood 5-95; Pope 2-34; Thomas 2-23.
Kick Returns - SJ: Coleman 3-49. AZ: Lawson 3-59; Groce 1-21.

ALL-TIME SERIES SCORES
Date Score
Feb. 12, 2006 San Jose 58, @Arizona 50
May 14, 2005 @Arizona 54, San Jose 44
April 3, 2005 @San Jose 48, Arizona 27
June 27, 2004 San Jose 69, @Arizona 62 (ABXVIII)
May 30, 2004 Arizona 50, @San Jose 43
May 9, 2004 @Arizona 58, San Jose 41
June 8, 2003 Arizona 66, @San Jose 49 (Playoff)
March 23, 2003 @San Jose 59, Arizona 58
Feb. 2, 2003 San Jose 49, @Arizona 28
Aug. 18, 2002 @San Jose 52, Arizona 14 (ABXVI)
July 12, 2002 @Arizona 59, San Jose 52
April 20, 2002 @San Jose 52, Arizona 51
Aug. 4, 2001 @San Jose 68, Arizona 49 (Playoff)
July 6, 2001 San Jose 73, @Arizona 63
April 21, 2001 @San Jose 48, Arizona 37
June 1, 2000 San Jose 55, @Arizona 34
April 29, 2000 Arizona 51, @San Jose 42
June 12, 1999 @Arizona 75, San Jose 37
May 15, 1999 @San Jose 54, Arizona 50
June 6, 1998 @Arizona 48, San Jose 26
May 9, 1998 Arizona 62, @San Jose 43
June 9, 1997 Arizona 59, @San Jose 22
May 24, 1997 @Arizona 59, San Jose 50
Aug. 2, 1996 @San Jose 30, Arizona 29
May 4, 1996 @Arizona 61, San Jose 59
Aug. 6, 1995 Arizona 41, @San Jose 40
May 12, 1995 Arizona 43, @San Jose 37 (OT)

2006 TEAM STATISTICAL COMPARISON
Category (AFL Rank) SaberCats Rattlers
Scoring Offense 52.3 (6) 44.7 (17)
Scoring Defense 55.6 (16) 46.1 (4)
Total Offense 308.6 (4) 271.0 (14)
Total Defense 292.4 (11) 257.2 (4)
Pass Offense 296.7 (4) 261.0 (10)
Pass Defense 275.3 (11) 233.9 (2)
Rushing Offense 11.9 (16) 10.0 (18)
Rushing Defense 17.1 (6) 23.3 (13)
Pass Rating 113.9 (6) 91.0 (16)
Pass Defense Rating 118.4 (16) 88.8 (1)
Interceptions 8 (T-12) 9 (T-9)
Kickoff Return Avg. 16.5 (T-12) 20.3 (1)
Field Goal Return Avg. 12.7 (11) 10.4 (13)
Turnover Margin Even (10) -2 (13)
3rd Down Conversions 44.3% (13) 33.3% (18)
4th Down Conversions 41.2% (13) 35.3% (16)
Sacks For 11 (6) 9 (T-9)
Sacks Against 11 (T-12) 4 (T-4)

2006 SABERCATS AMONG LEAGUE LEADERS
Player Category No. Rank
Mark Grieb Total Offense 303.7 3rd
Mark Grieb Pass TDs 45 5th
Mark Grieb Pass Completions 223 2nd
Mark Grieb Passing Yards 2,730 2nd
Mark Grieb Pass Avg/Game 303.3 3rd
Mark Grieb Passer Rating 113.2 7th
Mark Grieb Pass Attempts 341 3rd
Mark Grieb Completion Pct. 65.4 8th
Clevan Thomas Fumbles Recovered 2 T-6th
Clevan Thomas Fumbles Forced 3 T-4th
Clevan Thomas Interceptions 4 T-9th
Joe Jacobs Sacks 3.0 T-12th
Joe Jacobs Tackles for Loss 4.5 T-7th
Brian Schmitz PAT Kicks Made 50 10th
Brian Schmitz PAT Kick Attempts 57 8th
Phil Glover Rushing TDs 8 T-2nd

THE IFS...:
If the SaberCats defeat Arizona it would...
*Give them a 4-6 season record.
*Even the all-time series at 14-14.
*Give them their 3rd regular season sweep of Arizona.
*Even their home record at 2-2.
*Give them a 43-27 all-time record against Western Division opponents.
*Give them a 26-12 all-time home record against Western Division opponents.
*Give them a 106-62 all-time regular season record.
*Give them a 59-24 all-time reg. season home record.
*Give them a 115-69 all time record.

THE COACHES:
San Jose - Darren Arbet, 8th season
76-37 (.673) reg. season; 85-41 (.675) overall
12-7 (.632) career vs. Arizona
1-0 (1.000) career vs. Gene Nudo
Now in his eighth season at the helm of the SaberCats, two-time Coach of the Year Darren Arbet currently ranks 6th in the AFL with 85 career victories and needs just one more win 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 70-29 (.707) 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.

Arizona - Gene Nudo, 1st season
5-4 (.556) reg. season and overall
0-1 (.000) career vs. San Jose
0-1 (.000) career vs. Darren Arbet
The third head coach in franchise history and third in as many seasons, Gene Nudo is now in his 12th season associated with the Rattlers organization and first as the team's Head Coach. Nudo joined Arizona's coaching staff in 1995 taking the role of assistant head coach before becoming a member of the team's front office in 1996. In his 12 seasons at the team level, Nudo's franchises have competed in five ArenaBowls, winning one with Arizona in 1997. A true pioneer in the AFL, Nudo coached the first-ever Arena Football game in Rockford, Illinois in 1986.

ROSTER MOVES: In an effort to improve their pass protection, the SaberCats signed veteran OL/DL Frank Beede back to the roster on Mar. 23. In his 5th AFL season Beede was the team's starting center on the 2004 ArenaBowl title team. The club also activated WR/LB Kevin McKenzie from IR and placed WR/DB Marquis Floyd (groin) and WR/LB Jason Geathers (hamstring) on IR.

RECENT ROSTER MOVES
Date Action
Mar. 3 Activated WR/LB Ben Nelson from IR. Placed WR/LB Calvin Schexnayder on IR
Mar. 8 Waived OL/DL Jeff Ruffin.
Mar. 10 Signed OL/DL Van Brown. Re-signed OL/DL Alan Harper and put OL/DL Chuck Reed on IR.
Mar. 11 Activated WR/DB Barry Wagner from IR. Placed WR/LB Kevin McKenzie on IR.
Mar. 16 Activated OL/DL Albrey Battle and WR/LB Jason Geathers from IR. Placed OL/DL Joe Jacobs and OL/DL George Williams on IR.
Mar. 23 Signed OL/DL Frank Beede. Activated WR/LB Kevin McKenzie from IR. Placed WR/DB Marquis Floyd and WR/LB Jason Geathers on IR.

INJURY REPORT: At press time the SaberCats had 14 players on injured reserve. League rules stipulate that players on IR must be inactive for two weeks. Last week the SaberCats put WR/DB Marquis Floyd (groin) and WR/LB Jason Geathers (hamstring) on IR. The players listed below with an asterisk by their name are eligible to be activated to the 24-man roster for this week's game.

INJURY REPORT
Player Injury Status
Atnaf Harris* L foot stress IR
Chris Lewis* Back strain IR
Rufus Brown* L wrist sprain IR
Fitu Tu'ua* L 3rd finger IR
Rodney Wright* Turf toe IR
JaJuan Huddleston* Finger IR
Fred Coleman* Ankle sprain IR
Alan Harper* Flu symptoms IR
Calvin Schexnayder* R Ankle Sprain IR
Chuck Reed* R Knee Arthritis IR
George Williams* L knee IR
Joe Jacobs* Lower back IR
Marquis Floyd Groin IR
Jason Geathers Hamstring IR

MILESTONES
Player Milestone Needs
Mark Grieb 26,000 career pass yards 487
Mark Grieb 25,000 SJ career pass yards 490
Mark Grieb 2,000 career completions 31
Mark Grieb 500 career pass TDs 23
James Roe 500 career receptions 29
James Roe 150 career TD catches 5
Brian Schmitz 60 career FGs made 1
Barry Wagner 50 career INTs 2
Clevan Thomas 30 career INTs 1
Phil Glover 200 career rush yards 1
Phil Glover 20 career rush TDs 4
Karl Bates 10 career sacks 0.5
Terrance Joseph 10 career INTs 1
Omarr Smith 25 career INTs 1
Kevin McKenzie 3,000 career receiving yds 276

RECENT RESULTS: Nashville 51, SABERCATS 48 - Saturday, March 25, 2006 - Gaylord Entertainment Center - Quarterback Leon Murray tossed three scoring passes and Nashville's defense turned three San Jose turnovers into 21 points leading the Kats (6-3) to a 51-48 win over the San Jose SaberCats (3-6). Veteran Cory Fleming scored three times for Nashville and totaled 85 receiving yards to become the fourth player in league history to reach 10,000 in his career. San Jose took its only lead of the game early in the second quarter when Mark Grieb connected with Ben Nelson on an 8-yard scoring play for a 13-7 lead. Nelson led all receivers with 9 catches for 138 yards and three touchdowns. Trailing 21-19 at halftime, San Jose's first offensive possession ended in a safety for the Kats when Joe Minucci sacked Grieb in the endzone. T.T. Toliver threw a 3-yard scoring pass to Fleming on the ensuing possession giving Nashville a 30-19 lead. Following a Brian Johnson 1-yard scoring run, the Kats scored on a 21-yard Murray to Toliver hook up and a Dan Alexander 4-yard run to take its largest lead of the game at 44-26 with 8:25 left. Grieb, who completed 26-of-39 passes for 298 yards and four scores, connected with James Roe from 25-yards and following a Nashville fumble that went out of the endzone for a touchback, Johnson scored his third rush touchdown of the game closing the gap to 44-41 with just over two minutes remaining. Following Fleming's 12-yard kickoff return for a score, Grieb hit Nelson on an 8-yard strike for the final points of the game. San Jose's last onside kick attempt failed and the Kats ran out the clock to keep San Jose winless in four games at the Gaylord Entertainment Center.

Score By Quarters
SaberCats................................ 7 12 7 22 - 48
Kats........................................ 7 14 9 21 - 51

SCORING SUMMARY
NAS Fleming 19 pass from Murray (Witczak kick)
SAN Johnson 2 run (Schmitz kick)
SAN Nelson 17 pass from Grieb (kick failed)
NAS Toliver 8 pass from Murray (Witczak kick)
NAS Alexander 1 run (Witczak kick)
SAN Nelson 7 pass from Grieb (rush failed)
NAS Team Safety
NAS Fleming 3 pass from Toliver (Witczak kick)
SAN Johnson 1 run (Schmitz kick)
NAS Toliver 21 pass from Murray (Witczak kick)
NAS Alexander 4 run (Witczak kick)
SAN Roe 25 pass from Grieb (Johnson rush)
SAN Johnson 3 run (Schmitz kick)
NAS Fleming 14 kickoff return (Witczak kick)
SAN Nelson 8 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Passing - SJ: Grieb 26-39-1-298. NA: Murray 16-29-2-199; Toliver 1-1-0-3.
Rushing - SJ: Johnson 7-17; McKenzie 2-5; Grieb 1-0; Wagner 1-(-1). NA: Carter 4-11; Hilery 3-7; Alexander 5-5.
Receiving - SJ: Nelson 9-138; Wagner 6-40; Roe 5-53; Pauley 3-24; McKenzie 2-42; Gant 1-1. NA: Fleming 7-85; Toliver 3-51; Bonner 3-27; Nix 2-22; Hillery 2-17.
Kick Returns - SJ: McKenzie 7-117; Wagner 1-14. NA: Hillery 4-59; Fleming 4-22; Toliver 1-12.

TRENDS:
HOME COOKIN - The SaberCats are hoping the friendly confines of HP Pavilion are just that over the final two months of the season. Sunday's game is just the fourth home contest of the season for San Jose and despite winning once in the previous three, the SaberCats still own an impressive home field record under head coach Darren Arbet. Since Arbet took over as head coach in 1999, San Jose is 44-11 (.800) in regular season games and 52-13 (.800) in all games played in HP Pavilion. In their 12-year history the SaberCats have posted a 58-24 (.707) record in regular season home games.

SWEEP - With a win on Sunday, the SaberCats will post their third-ever regular season sweep of their division rival Rattlers. San Jose won both regular season games from Arizona in 2001 and 2003 and claimed the Western Division crown both times. San Jose has 13 regular season sweeps of division opponents in its history. The SaberCats were 58-50 victors in the first meeting on Feb. 12 in Arizona.

BACK TO EVEN - The SaberCats and Rattlers will meet for the 28th time on Sunday, extending the second longest running rivalry in AFL history. Only the Orlando/Tampa Bay ‘War on I-4' series has more games with 38. A San Jose win would also even the series at 14-14, marking just the 3rd time the series has been tied. The two were even at 0-0 and knotted at 10-10.

BACK TO BACK - With their loss at Nashville on Mar. 25, the SaberCats have yet to post consecutive wins this season and, dating back to last year, have gone a span of 13 regular season games without back-to-back victories. Over those 13 games the SaberCats have gone just 4-9.

TURN IT AROUND - The Rattlers have done a complete 180 degree turn since the last time the team's met. When San Jose defeated Arizona, 58-50, on Feb. 12, the loss gave the Rattlers their first 0-3 start in franchise history. Since then Arizona has gone 5-1, including wins in their last four games, and lead the Western Division by one game over Las Vegas and two games over San Jose, Utah and Los Angeles.

PENALTY PARADE - The SaberCats were penalized a season-high tying 11 times in their loss at Nashville on Mar. 25, the 4th game this season the club has been flagged 10 or more times. San Jose is 4th in the AFL with 75 penalties behind only Grand Rapids (84), Philadelphia (78) and Kansas City (76).

GETTING OFFENSIVE - The SaberCats amassed 316 yards of total offense in their game at Nashville on Mar. 25 and have totaled 300 or more yards in four straight games and in seven of the nine this season. The team record for most 300-plus yard games in a season is nine, set in 2001 and matched in 2005. San Jose set a team record with six straight games of 300 or more yards of total offense during the 2001 campaign. The SaberCats rank 4th in the AFL with 309.0 yards of offense per game.

TURN THE PAGE - Come Sunday the calendar will say April and the SaberCats will say goodbye to the first two-plus months of the season which saw them go just 3-6. Over their history, the SaberCats have played well in the spring posting a 15-9 (.625) all-time record in games played during the month of April.

THREE UNDER - San Jose's loss at Nashville on Mar. 25 dropped the team 3-games under .500 (3-6) for the third time this season and the fifth time in franchise history. The team sported a 1-4 and 2-5 record earlier this season while going 5-8 at one point during the 1996 season and 0-3 to start the 1998 campaign. The team has never been four games under .500 in its history.

NOTES:
ONE MORE - SaberCats' head coach Darren Arbet is one victory away from tying former Chicago Bruisers, Detroit Drive and Orlando Predators head coach Perry Moss for 5th place on the AFL's career wins list. Arbet won his 85th game on Mar. 17 when his SaberCats posted a 56-55 overtime win over the Georgia Force. Arbet has posted 12 career wins against Arizona, the most of any team in the AFL, including the 2002 and 2004 ArenaBowl victories. San Jose won the first meeting between the clubs this season, 58-50, on Feb. 12 in Arizona.

CAREER COACHING RECORDS
Rk. Coach Team Record
1. Tim Marcum Tampa Bay 179-72
2. Danny White Utah 144-71
3. Mike Hohensee Chicago 99-90
4. Mike Dailey Colorado 94-61
5. Perry Moss None 86-35
6. Darren Arbet San Jose 85-41

THE WACKY WEST - It was expected to be a competitive division, and it has been all season long. Riding a 4-game winning streak, the Rattlers have catapulted from the bottom of the standings to the top and hold a 1-game lead over Las Vegas and a 2-game bulge over the rest of the division. Sunday's game is critical to San Jose, with a win the SaberCats climb back to within a game of the lead and claim the head-to-head tie breaker with the Rattlers. Las Vegas hosts Los Angeles on Sunday while Utah travels outside the division and conference to play at Tampa Bay on April 1. If San Jose, Los Angeles and Utah all win four teams would be 1-game behind Arizona (5-5) in the standings with a 4-6 record. 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
Arizona 5 4 -- .556 3-2 4-2
Las Vegas 4 5 1.0 .444 2-1 3-2
San Jose 3 6 2.0 .333 2-3 2-6
Utah 3 6 2.0 .333 2-3 3-4
Los Angeles 3 6 2.0 .333 2-2 3-4

SPREADING THE WEALTH - WR/DB Barry Wagner totaled 6 catches in San Jose's game at Nashville on Mar. 25, giving him 12 on the year and making him the 8th player on the 2006 roster to accumulate 10 or more receptions. Wagner joins James Roe (51), Ben Nelson (40), Charles Pauley (36), Calvin Schexnayder (30), Fred Coleman (18), Marquis Floyd (16) and Kevin McKenzie (12) as players to reach the double-digit reception mark. The eight players are the most in team history to reach the 10-plus catch mark in a season. The previous high was seven, set during the 1995, 1997, 1998, 2004 and 2005 seasons. San Jose has used so many receivers in part due to injuries. Charles Pauley is the only one of the eight to play in every game this season.
SACK MAN - Rookie lineman Van Brown, who was signed to the team's active roster on Mar. 10 and made his AFL debut against Georgia on Mar. 17, became the 2nd player in San Jose history to record at least one full sack in each of his first two games. Brown leveled Nashville QB Leon Murray for a 5-yard loss in the third quarter and posted 4.0 total tackles at Nashville on Mar. 25 in his 2nd career game. Brown joins Cedric Pittman, who totaled 2.5 sacks in his first two games, as the only players in team history to record sacks in their first two career games. Against Georgia on Mar. 17, Brown became the 6th player and 3rd rookie in team history to register a sack in his first game as a SaberCat.

THE FIRST TIME - QB Mark Grieb had his first career start as a member of the SaberCats against the Rattlers on May 15, 1999 and directed the team to a 54-50 win. In that game Grieb tossed a pair of scoring passes, including the game-winner to Shalon Baker with 18 seconds left in the game to give San Jose just its second win over their rivals. During his San Jose career, Grieb has started 16 games against Arizona and owns a 10-6 record. He has thrown for 4,072 yards and 80 touchdowns with just four INTs completing 437-of-546 passes. Grieb set a team single-game record with 9 TD passes at Arizona on July 6, 2001 and twice threw for a club playoff record 8 TD passes against the Rattlers.

HEAD TO HEAD - In their careers with their respective teams, QBs Mark Grieb and Sherdrick Bonner, two of the most prolific passers in the game, have started against each other a total of 14 times with strikingly similar results. Grieb has the edge in most every category, including wins. One of Grieb's biggest wins came in ArenaBowl XVIII when he tossed a title game record 8 TD passes. Bonner had a decent outing also throwing for an ArenaBowl record 367 yards in San Jose's 69-62 win. Bonner had the edge statistically in the first meeting between the teams throwing for 339 yards and 5 TDs. Grieb had 283 yards and 3 TDs and also came away with a victory. Both have three 300-yard passing games in their head-to-head meetings.

GRIEB vs BONNER HEAD-TO-HEAD
W-L Cmp-Att-Yds Cmp % TD/INTs Rating
8-6 296-471-3,659 62.8% 74/4 122.56

BONNER vs GRIEB HEAD-TO-HEAD
W-L Cmp-Att-Yds Cmp % TD/INTs Rating
6-8 259-435-3,395 59.5% 77/6 118.06

FULL NELSON - Rookie Ben Nelson continues to impress as the team's starting OS. In his fourth start Nelson hauled in 9 catches for 138 yards, his 3rd straight game with 100-plus receiving yards, and a career-best 3 TDs at Nashville on Mar. 25. During his four starting assignments, Nelson has totaled 40 catches for 542 yards and 8 TDs. If you average those numbers over a 16-game schedule, Nelson would have 160 catches, 2,168 yards and 32 TDs. Nelson's three straight 100-yard receiving games rank as the third longest streak in team history, behind only James Hundon's record 5-game stretch in 2003 and James Roe's 4-game streak earlier this year. Nelson fell one catch shy of establishing a team record with three consecutive double-digit reception games. He matched the team record of two, set by Roe, who has done it four times, and Hundon.

ALL ROUND EFFORT - FB/LB Brian Johnson had the best outing of his AFL career in San Jose's loss at Nashville on Mar. 25. The converted lineman ran for a career-best 3 TDs, equaling a team record for the second-most in a game, and tied his career-high with 17 yards on 7 carries. Johnson was active on defense as well posting a career-best 6 solo tackles, including a TFL. With 25 carries for 41 yards and 5 TDs on the year, Johnson has eclipsed his 2004 season totals of 16-33-4. He spent the 2005 season in NFL Europe after being allocated to Berlin by the 49ers.

CLIMB THE CHART - Barry Wagner is already the AFL's career leader in receptions, receiving yards, touchdowns, rushing TDs and all-purpose yards, and is among the SaberCats career leaders in a number of categories. Wagner totaled 6 catches at Nashville on Mar. 25 to bring his career total to 974 and his San Jose total to 323, leaving him three behind Steve Papin for 2nd place on the team's all-time list. James Roe, San Jose's career leader in receptions and receiving yards, added to his totals with 5 catches for 53 yards. Wagner has played in 87 regular season games during his SaberCats career while Roe has participated in 76 games.

TEAM CAREER RECEPTIONS
Rank Player Receptions
1. James Roe 471
2. Steve Papin 326
3. Barry Wagner 323
4. James Hundon 307
5. Shalon Baker 263

TEAM CAREER RECEIVING YARDS
Rank Player Receiving Yds
1. James Roe 6,137
2. James Hundon 4,648
3. Steve Papin 4,282
4. Barry Wagner 3,696
5. Shalon Baker 3,575

INTERCEPTORS - Between them Clevan Thomas and Barry Wagner have 77 interceptions in their careers. Each collected a pick at Nashville on Mar. 25. Thomas snared his 4th of the year and 29th career while Wagner nabbed his 1st of the season, 48th career and 19th as a SaberCat. It was also the first INT for Wagner since May 16, 2004 when he collected a pair at Las Vegas, a span of 15 games for him. Wagner is 2 INTs short of becoming the 3rd player in league history with 50 career picks and tying Durwood Roquemore for 2nd place all-time. Thomas, San Jose's career INTs leader, is tied for 9th in the AFL with his four and has three career picks against the Rattlers. Thomas has intercepted Arizona QB Sherdrick Bonner twice, including his first interception in his first career AFL game. Thomas snared a Bonner offering in his endzone late in the game to help preserve a 52-51 San Jose win on April 20, 2002.
TEAM CAREER INTERCEPTIONS
Rank Player INTs
1. Clevan Thomas, 02-present 29
2. Pat McGuirk, 95-98 24
3. Barry Wagner, 00-present 19
4. Tommy Jones, 98-01 17
5. Omarr Smith, 00-02, 04-present 16

IN THE NASHVILLE GAME:
The SaberCats won the opening coin toss for the 8th time in nine games.
Brian Johnson had a career-high 3 rush TDs and a career-high tying 17 yards on 7 carries and totaled a career-best 6 solo tackles.
OL/DL Julius Gant had his 1st career reception.
OS Ben Nelson had his 3rd straight 100-yard receiving game (138).
WR/DB Barry Wagner collected his 48th career INT and DS Clevan Thomas snared his 29th career INT.
OL/DL Van Brown registered a sack in his 2nd straight game, just the 2nd player in team history with a sack in each of his first 2 career games.
San Jose is 0-4 against the Kats in Nashville.
The SaberCats matched their season-high with 11 penalties.

ARIZONA PLAYERS TO WATCH:
QB SHERDRICK BONNER - One of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the AFL, Sherdrick Bonner has started all but four of the 27 series games against San Jose and owns a 13-10 record in those starts. In his career against the SaberCats, Bonner has thrown for 5,354 yards and 107 touchdowns completing 424-of-704 passes. He has five 300-yard passing games against San Jose and has tossed six or more TD passes in a game 11 times. Bonner has been intercepted by San Jose just 13 times and has thrown more than one pick in a game just once, that coming on Aug. 4, 2001 in a playoff game loss. Now in his 14th AFL season, Bonner became the 4th QB in AFL history to throw for 700 TDs when he tossed seven in Arizona's 58-45 win over Los Angeles last week.

WR/DB RANDY GATEWOOD - The 2003 Ironman of the Year is one of the league's best two-way players and is Arizona's career TD receptions leader. Now in his 11th AFL season, Gatewood has played 22 career games against San Jose and has 29 TD grabs among his 77 receptions. Still a threat on the defensive side as well, Gatewood has 8 interceptions in his career against San Jose, including a pair in Arizona's 54-44 win on May 14, 2005. Gatewood has been a part of some epic battles between the SaberCats and Rattlers, including his highlight reel performance in Arizona's 66-49 win in the semifinals of the 2003 playoffs. For the game, Gatewood grabbed 5 TDs and amassed 227 yards on 12 catches and added an 11-yard interception return. In the first meeting this year he totaled 95 yards on 5 receptions with a TD.

OS DARRELL JONES - Entering his first season in the AFL, the top receiver and return man at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has been a pleasant surprise for the Rattlers. Jones has amassed 502 all-purpose yards, 3rd best on the team, despite playing in only five games. The diminutive Jones burst on the scene Mar. 10 in Arizona's 60-57 win over Orlando. He had kickoff return TDs of 54 and 56 yards and totaled 200 KOR yards on 5 attempts. Starting at OS for the first time, Jones had 8 catches for 176 yards and 3 TDs at Las Vegas on Mar. 17. For the season he is averaging 20.6 yards per catch and 26.4 yards per KO return. Jones is questionable for Sunday's game due to an ankle sprain sustained last week against Los Angeles.

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
v LAA (3/12) WR/LB James Roe, SJS
v GEO (3/17) WR/LB Derek Lee, GEO
@NAS (3/25) WR/LB Cory Fleming, NAS
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) DS Jeremy Unertl, CHI
@UTAH (3/4) DS Clevan Thomas, SJS
V LAA (3/12) DS Antuan Simmons, LAA
V GEO (3/17) DS Nate Coggins, GEO
@NAS (3/25) DS Monty Montgomery, NAS
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) WR/LB James Roe, SJS
@UTAH (3/4) WR/LB James Roe, SJS
v LAA (3/12) WR/DB Kevin Ingram, LAA
v GEO (3/17) FB/LB Phil Glover, SJS
@NAS (3/25) WR/LB Cory Fleming, NAS
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 0-3 0-1
50-59 points 2-1 3-3
60-69 points 1-1 0-1
70-79 points 0-0 0-1
80+ points 0-0 0-0

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

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

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

Leading after the 3rd 2-2
Trailing after the 3rd 1-4
Tied after the 3rd 0-0

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

More Total Offense 1-5
Less Total Offense 2-1

More Pass Yards 1-5
Less Pass Yards 2-1

More Rushing Yards 2-0
Less Rushing Yards 1-5

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

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

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

Winning coin toss 2-6
Losing coin toss 1-0

Outscoring Opponent 3-0
Being Outscored 0-6

2006 AFL STANDINGS

AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Western Division
Team W L Pct PF PA
Arizona 5 4 .556 402 415
Las Vegas 4 5 .444 449 470
San Jose 3 6 .333 471 500
Utah 3 6 .333 497 493
Los Angeles 3 6 .333 440 512
Central Division
Team W L Pct PF PA
Colorado 6 3 .667 468 487
Nashville 6 3 .667 452 387
Chicago 4 5 .444 460 465
Grand Rapids 3 6 .333 434 476

NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Eastern Division
Team W L Pct PF PA
Dallas 7 2 .778 531 433
New York 5 4 .556 488 524
Philadelphia 5 4 .556 423 416
Columbus 5 4 .556 417 369
Southern Division
Team W L Pct PF PA
Austin 6 3 .667 468 415
Tampa Bay 5 4 .556 483 498
Georgia 5 4 .556 508 416
Orlando 5 4 .556 453 459
Kansas City 1 8 .111 350 459

WEEK NINE RESULTS
Friday, March 24
NEW YORK 54, Kansas City 48
Las Vegas 49, UTAH 47
ARIZONA 58, Los Angeles 45
Saturday, March 25
NASHVILLE 51, San Jose 49
Orlando 47, AUSTIN 37
Philadelphia 55, DALLAS 51
Columbus 65, COLORADO 21
Sunday, March 26
GEORGIA 61, Tampa Bay 51
CHICAGO 51, Grand Rapids 44
Home team in all CAPS

WEEK TEN SCHEDULE
Friday, March 31
Austin at Philadelphia, 4:00 p.m. (PT)
Saturday, April 1
Grand Rapids at New York, 4:00 p.m. (PT)
Utah at Tampa Bay, 4:30 p.m. (PT)
Columbus at Dallas, 5:00 p.m. (PT)
Georgia at Kansas City, 5:00 p.m. (PT)
Nashville at Colorado, 6:00 p.m. (PT)
Sunday, April 2
Chicago at Orlando, 9:00 a.m. (PT)
Arizona at San Jose, 3:00 p.m. (PT)
Los Angeles at Las Vegas, 3:00 p.m. (PT)

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