San Jose SaberCats game notes
March 20, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release
THE QUICK FACTS
Game: SaberCats (1-1) at Georgia Force (3-0).
Date: Saturday, March 24, 2007.
Kickoff: 4:00 p.m. (PDT).
Site: Phillips Arena (18,200).
Officials: Referee: Bill Athan; Umpire: Matt Jordan; Head Linesman: Tim Podraza; Line Judge: Tom Symonette; Back Judge: Greg Wilson
Television: The game will be carried live and in HD on NBC11 with Grant Napear (play by play) and Steve Papin (color). A tape-delayed broadcast will air at 1:00 am on Sunday, Mar. 25 on NBC11 immediately following Saturday Night Live.
Radio: San Jose's flagship station KNBR-1050 will broadcast the game live with Joe Castellano (play by play) and former SaberCat Pat McGuirk (color). The two will host a 30-minute pre-game show starting at 3:30 p.m. live from Phillips Arena.
Internet: A live webcast is available at www.KNBR.com.
Series Record: SaberCats lead 5-1.
Series Streak: SaberCats Won 4.
Last Meeting: SaberCats 56, Georgia 55 (in Overtime, March 17, 2006 in HP Pavilion).
Coaches: San Jose, Darren Arbet (9th season; 84-38 regular season, 94-43 overall).
Georgia, Doug Plank (3rd season; 22-13 regular season, 25-15 overall).
MEDIA CONTACTS:
San Jose, Phil Simon (wk: 408.573.5587; cell: 408.234.4677; email: psimon@sanjosesabercats.com).
Georgia, Brian Cearns, (wk: 770.965.4318; cell: 404.694.2805; email: bcearns@georgiaforce.com).
OVERVIEW: The SaberCats return to action following their bye week and conclude their 3-game season-opening road trip with a game against the unbeaten Georgia Force on Saturday, Mar. 24. Kickoff is set for 4:00 p.m. (PT). NBC11 will show the game live and in HD in the Bay Area and San Jose's flagship radio station KNBR 1050 will broadcast the game live. San Jose saw its 8-game regular season win streak come to an end at Chicago on Mar. 9 with a 48-45 loss. QB Mark Grieb set team game records with 37 completions and 54 attempts but three turnovers and an unsuccessful fourth down attempt proved costly in the defeat. San Jose's defense had a strong outing holding the Rush to just 127 yards of total offense, the second-lowest opponent total in SaberCats history...San Jose has experienced success against the Force going 5-1 all-time against them, including wins in each of the last four series games...Georgia is enjoying an unbeaten start to a season for the first time in franchise history and is one of only two teams (Dallas) in the AFL to have a 3-0 record...San Jose was Georgia's opponent in the first ever Arena Football game at Phillips Arena when the club's met in a preseason game on Apr. 12, 2002. The SaberCats won that encounter 68-35.
THE SCHEDULES
2007 SAN JOSE SABERCATS (1-1)
Date Opponent Result Score
Mar. 4 @Los Angeles Won 66-58
Mar. 9 @Chicago Lost 45-48
Date Opponent Time (PT) Radio/TV
Mar. 24 @Georgia 4:00 pm 1050/NBC11
Mar. 31 TAMPA BAY 7:30 pm 1050
Apr. 6 COLORADO 7:30 pm 1050
Apr. 13 @New Orleans 5:00 pm 1050/FSN+
Apr. 21 LOS ANGELES 7:30 pm 1050-680
Apr. 28 UTAH 7:30 pm 1050
May 5 @Arizona 7:00 pm 1050-680/FSN
May 12 LAS VEGAS 7:30 pm 1050
May 19 GRAND RAPIDS 7:30 pm 1050
May 25 @Nashville 5:00 pm 1050/FSN+
Jun. 1 ORLANDO 7:30 pm 1050
Jun. 9 @Utah 6:00 pm 1050/FSN
Jun. 16 ARIZONA 7:30 pm 1050
Jun. 25 @Las Vegas 1:00 pm 1050/FSN
2007 GEORGIA FORCE (3-0)
Date Opponent Result Score
Mar. 3 @Arizona Won 69-66
Mar. 11 AUSTIN Won 60-51
Mar. 17 @Tampa Bay Won 61-47
Date Opponent Time (PT) TV
Mar. 24 SAN JOSE 4:00 pm
Mar. 30 @Columbus 4:00 pm
Apr. 9 @Philadelphia 4:30 pm ESPN2
Apr. 15 LAS VEGAS 12:30 pm
Apr. 21 DALLAS 4:00 pm
Apr. 27 @New Orleans 4:00 pm
May 4 ORLANDO 4:30 pm
May 19 @Los Angeles 7:30 pm
May 26 TAMPA BAY 4:00 pm
Jun. 2 COLUMBUS 4:00 pm
Jun. 9 @Austin 5:30 pm
Jun. 15 @Orlando 4:30 pm
Jun. 24 NEW ORLEANS 12:30 pm
THE SERIES: San Jose leads the all-time series 5-1 and has won four straight from the Force. San Jose's current 4-game win streak began with a playoff win in San Jose on May 31, 2003...The teams have split the two games played in Georgia with both taking place at the Gwinnett Arena. Saturday's game will be the first regular season game between the teams in Phillips Arena...Georgia's lone win, 51-49, came on Feb. 16, 2003 in the first-ever game played in Gwinnett...Four of the series games have been decided by 6 points or less, with San Jose going 3-1 in those games...The teams have played every year since 2002, Georgia's first in the AFL after their move from Nashville.
SERIES NOTABLES: San Jose's 6th and most recent overtime contest was in its last meeting against Georgia on Mar. 17, 2006 in HP Pavilion. The SaberCats prevailed in that one, 56-55, to improve their record to 4-2 all-time in OT games...Georgia had a franchise low 154 net yards against the SaberCats on May 4, 2002 but still managed to score 53 points...QB Mark Grieb holds the Force opponent record for most passing touchdowns in a game when he threw 8 at Georgia on Apr. 25, 2004. The TD passes went to five different receivers, only the fourth time in SaberCats history five or more receivers caught a TD pass in the same game...In just his 3rd game as a starter, WR Ben Nelson had 13 receptions for 165 yards and a pair of TDs in San Jose's OT win over Georgia on Mar. 17, 2006... Mark Grieb had the first three-INT game of his career on Feb. 16, 2003 at Georgia...The SaberCats averaged over 58 points per game in the six series meetings and have scored 10-or-more points in 18 of the 24 quarters, not including the OT period, played against Georgia...San Jose has scored 28 times in 33 red zone opportunities against the Force...The SaberCats handed the Force its worst home defeat in franchise history with a 29-point win on Apr. 25, 2003...The teams combined for 670 yards of offense in their last meeting on Mar. 17, 2006.
LAST SERIES MEETING: SABERCATS 56, Georgia 55 (OT) - Friday, March 17, 2006 - HP Pavilion - Mark Grieb threw four TD passes and the San Jose SaberCats (3-5) stopped Georgia's 2-point conversion attempt in overtime to post a 56-55 over the Force. Grieb, who completed 30-of-46 attempts for 337 yards on the night, tossed a 17-yard scoring pass to James Roe with 23 seconds left in the fourth quarter to pull the SaberCats within 49-47. The two hooked up on the two-point conversion to tie the game at 49-49. Georgia had one last opportunity to win the game in regulation but kicker Nelson Garner missed a 35-yard field goal attempt as time expired. San Jose scored on its first overtime possession when game Ironman Phil Glover ran in from 2-yards out, his third rushing touchdown of the game, and Brian Schmitz's PAT gave San Jose a 56-49 lead. Following Offensive Player of the Game Derek Lee's fifth touchdown reception, a 36-yard strike from Matt Nagy, the Force elected to go for the 2-point conversion and the win. Nagy's pass sailed over the head of Lee, bounced off the rebound net and fell harmlessly on the HP Pavilion turf as the SaberCats celebrated their victory snapping a 2-game home losing streak. Trailing 28-17 at halftime, the SaberCats scored the first 16 points of the second half. Rookie Ben Nelson, who had 13 receptions for 165 yards, scored on a 7-yard pass from Grieb to give San Jose a 33-28 lead midway through the third quarter. Nagy completed 22-of-36 for 324 yards with seven touchdowns. His favorite target was Lee, who had 11 catches for 192 yards. Georgia dropped to 4-4 on the year with all four losses coming by a combined five points. San Jose played its sixth overtime game in franchise history and second this year, improving its all-time record to 4-2.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Force................................. 14 14 7 14 6 - 55
SaberCats.......................... 7 10 16 16 7 - 56
SCORING SUMMARY
SAN Glover 1 run (Schmitz kick)
GEO Lee 24 pass from Nagy (Garner kick)
GEO Jackson 25 pass from Nagy (Garner kick)
SAN FG Schmitz 28
GEO Lee 9 pass from Nagy (Garner kick)
SAN Nelson 30 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
GEO Thomas 8 run (Garner kick)
SAN Wagner 5 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
SAN Brown safety
SAN Nelson 7 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
GEO Jackson 2 pass from Nagy (Garner kick)
GEO Lee 48 pass from Nagy (Garner kick)
SAN Glover 3 run (Case rush)
GEO Lee 23 pass from Nagy (Garner kick)
SAN Roe 17 pass from Grieb (Roe pass)
SAN Glover 2 run (Schmitz kick)
GEO Lee 36 pass from Nagy (Nagy pass failed)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Passing: GA - Nagy 22-36-0-324. SJ - Grieb 30-46-1-337.
Rushing: GA: Thomas 3-8. SJ: Glover 7-16; Grieb 2-1; Wagner 2-0; Johnson 2 (-3).
Receiving: GA - Lee 11-192; Jackson 7-97; Elliott 3-27; McClure 1-8. SJ - Nelson 13-165; Roe 6-62; Wagner 6-56; Geathers 3-39; Pauley 2-15.
Kick Returns: GA - Jackson 5-97; Elliott 2-31. SJ - Wagner 7-87.
ALL-TIME SERIES SCORES
Date Score
Mar. 17, 2006 @San Jose 56, Georgia 55 (ot)
May 21, 2005 @San Jose 54, Georgia 48
Apr. 25, 2004 San Jose 63, @Georgia 34
May 31, 2003 @San Jose 69, Georgia 48 (playoff)
Feb. 16, 2003 @Georgia 51, San Jose 49
May 4, 2002 @San Jose 59, Georgia 53
THE COACHES
San Jose - Darren Arbet, 9th season
84-38 (.689) reg. season; 94-43 (.686) overall
5-1 (.833) career vs. Georgia
2-0 (1.000) career vs. Doug Plank
Two-time Arena Football League Coach of the Year and ArenaBowl champion Darren Arbet enters his ninth season as head coach of the San Jose SaberCats and his second as the club's general manager. Last season Arbet guided the SaberCats to their seventh straight winning season and playoff appearance by going 10-6, the sixth time in his eight seasons the team has posted a double-digit regular season win total. The team also captured its fifth Western Division title under Arbet (sixth overall) and advanced to the semifinal round of the playoffs for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. Arbet enters the 2007 campaign with 93 career wins, the fifth-most in AFL history, and his .689 overall winning percentage is the third-highest among coaches who have been involved in at least 25 games. Arbet has also compiled the third-best postseason winning percentage (.667) and is one of just six head coaches in league history to amass 10 playoff victories. Under the direction of Arbet San Jose has enjoyed unmatched success vaulting the franchise to elite status in the AFL. Since the start of the 2000 season, Arbet's second as head coach, the SaberCats have claimed two ArenaBowl championships (2002, 2004), compiled the most regular season wins (77), the second-most playoff wins (10) and have averaged nearly 12 victories a season. In addition, the club has set league records for regular season wins in a season (13 in 2002), overall wins in a season (16 in 2002), consecutive regular season wins in a season (12 in 2002), regular season wins to end a season (11 in 2000) and the longest regular season win streak (15 in 2000-01). Arbet's ties to the AFL date back to the late 1980s when he played two seasons as a fullback/linebacker with the Los Angeles Cobras (1988) and Maryland Commandos (1989) before a wrist injury that required three surgeries ended his career. During his playing days, Arbet lined up against former Philadelphia head coach Michael Trigg, who was a quarterback with the Detroit Drive, and Georgia Force offensive coordinator Steve Thonn, who played WR/DB with the Chicago Bruisers.
Georgia - Doug Plank, 3rd season
22-13 (.629) reg. season; 25-15 (.625) overall
0-2 (.000) career vs. San Jose
0-2 (.000) career vs. Darren Arbet
Doug Plank enters his third season as head coach of the
Georgia Force. In his first two seasons he has led the Force to a 25-15 overall record and a trip to ArenaBowl XIX in 2005 while making consecutive playoff appearances for the first time in franchise history. In 2005, Plank was voted AFL Coach of the Year after leading the Force to a league-best 11-5 regular season record and a 13-6 overall record. Last year his opportunistic defense returned seven interceptions for touchdowns, tying an AFL record. In his first season as a head coach, Plank led the Force to the best record in franchise history and secured the Force's first Southern Division Championship and the number one seed in the playoffs. The Force went on to win the inaugural National Conference Championship game by defeating the Orlando Predators. The victory secured Georgia's place in ArenaBowl XIX. Plank has coached in four of the last five ArenaBowls. He helped lead the Arizona Rattlers to three title games as their defensive coordinator. While playing for legendary coach Woody Hayes, Plank played in three consecutive Rose Bowls (1973-75) for The Ohio State University. His physical style of play and knowledge of the game paved the way for Plank to continue his playing career with the Chicago Bears. Plank brings with him a wealth of football experience that includes an impressive career in the NFL. He was selected by the Chicago Bears in the 12th round of the 1975 NFL draft and started at safety for eight seasons. The "46 Defense" created by Buddy Ryan was named for Plank's jersey number and aggressive style of play. Plank was also the first Bears rookie to ever lead the team in tackles.
CHASING 100 - San Jose head coach Darren Arbet moved within six of his 100th career win following the SaberCats 66-58 win at Los Angeles on Mar. 4. The AFL's all-time leader, Tampa Bay's Tim Marcum, visits HP Pavilion for the SaberCats home opener on Mar. 31. Marcum has 181 career wins and reached 100 in just 124 games. Utah's Danny White got his 100th victory in 143 games, while Colorado's Mike Dailey reached 100 in 165 games. Chicago's Mike Hohensee won his 100th in game 193. Arbet has coached in 137 games to date.
CAREER COACHING RECORDS
Rk. Coach (Year) Team Record
1. Tim Marcum (19th) Tampa Bay 181-80
2. Danny White (15th) Utah 150-76
3. Mike Hohensee (14th) Chicago 108-95
4. Mike Dailey (11th) Colorado 101-65
5. Darren Arbet (9th) San Jose 94-43
2007 TEAM STATISTICAL COMPARISON
Category (Rank) SaberCats Force
Scoring Offense 55.5 (7) 63.3 (t-3)
Scoring Defense 53.0 (10) 54.3 (12)
Total Offense 311.0 (4) 296.3 (8)
Total Defense 222.5 (1) 352.3 (18)
Pass Offense 298.5 (4) 287.0 (5)
Pass Defense 209.0 (1) 325.0 (18)
Rushing Offense 12.5 (12) 9.3 (15)
Rushing Defense 13.5 (5) 27.3 (16)
Pass Rating 101.1 (12) 132.8 (2)
Pass Defense Rating 110.8 (8) 113.0 (11)
Interceptions 1 (t-14) 1 (t-14)
Kickoff Return Avg. 19.5 (6) 16.7 (12)
Field Goal Return Avg. 1.0 (11) --
Turnover Margin -4 (18) 0 (t-9)
3rd Down Conversions 62.5% (4) 20.0% (19)
4th Down Conversions 66.7% (t-8) 50.0% (t-13)
Sacks By 3 (t-5) 6 (t-1)
Sacks Against 1 (t-2) 0 (1)
2007 SABERCATS AMONG AFL LEADERS
Player Category No. Rank
Mark Grieb Pass Avg/Game 301.5 4th
Mark Grieb Completion Pct. 68.1 7th
Mark Grieb Passing TDs 12 t-9th
A.J. Haglund Kick Scoring 21 t-9th
A.J. Haglund PAT Kick Pct. 100.0 t-1st
A.J. Haglund FG Kick Pct. 66.7 t-2nd
Ben Nelson Receptions 25 t-6th
Rodney Wright KOR Avg. 22.0 7th
Ron Jones Sacks 2.0 t-4th
Clevan Thomas Interceptions 1 t-10th
THE IFS...:
If the SaberCats defeat Georgia it would...
*Give them a 2-1 season record.
*Be their 5th straight win over the Force.
*Give them their first 2-1 start to a season since 1999.
*Give them a 6-1 lead in the all-time series.
*Be their 51st regular season road win.
*Give them a 51-39 all-time regular season road record.
*Give them a 29-14 all-time record against Southern Division opponents.
*Give them a 12-8 all-time road record against Southern Division opponents.
*Give them a 114-63 all-time regular season record.
*Give them 124-71 all-time record.
RECENT RESULTS
SaberCats Fall To Rush, 48-45 - Rosemont, Ill (Mar. 9, 2007) - Chicago quarterback Matt D'Orazio threw five touchdown passes and the defending ArenaBowl champion Rush held on to defeat the San Jose SaberCats, 48-45, before a sellout crowd at Allstate Arena. D'Orazio completed 14 of 27 passes for 117 yards with three of his scoring passes going to Bobby Sippio, including the game's opening score following a San Jose turnover. Recently acquired Andy McCullough caught seven passes for 45 yards and a pair of scores. San Jose quarterback Mark Grieb completed a team record 37 passes for 346 yards and six touchdowns, but the veteran signal caller was intercepted twice by Chicago's Jeremy Unertl. San Jose also lost a fumble and turned the ball over on downs. Rodney Wright hauled in a 43 yard strike from Grieb late in the first quarter to give San Jose a brief 14-10 lead. But Jonathan Ordway took the ensuing kickoff 57 yards for a score to give the lead back to Chicago for good, 17-10. Trailing by 17 points in the fourth quarter, San Jose used a pair of scoring catches by James Roe to pull within three at 41-38, but San Jose failed to recover one of its two onside kicks in the final five minutes and dropped a fourth straight game to the Rush. Wright had a game and career-high 13 catches for 119 yards, Roe caught 11 passes for 99 yards and Ben Nelson added 11 receptions for 121 yards. George Williams figured in on the scoring as well with a team record two scoring grabs from his tight end position on short yardage plays in the red zone. The SaberCats managed 349 yards of offense compared to Chicago's 127. NOTES: Rodney Wright, Ben Nelson and James Roe became the first trio of receivers to grab double-digit receptions in the same game...Chicago's Jeremy Unertl intercepted two Mark Greib passes for the second time in as many regular season games...Former SaberCat Dan Frantz hit a Rush team record 56-yard field goal in the 1st quarter...DE Ron Jones became the 3rd SaberCat to record a full sack in each of his first two games with the team...DB Clevan Thomas snared his 33rd career INT moving into a 12th place tie with Darryl Hammond for most in AFL history...A.J. Haglund has converted all 15 of his PATs on the year.
MILESTONE WATCH
Name Milestone Needs
Darren Arbet 100 career wins 6
James Roe 550 career recpts 2
James Roe 7,000 career rcv yds 61
Ben Nelson 120 career recpts 1
Ben Nelson 2,000 career rcv yds 294
Rodney Wright 100 career recpts 19
Rodney Wright 1,000 career rcv yds 128
Clevan Thomas 35 career INTs 2
Omarr Smith 30 career INTs 3
Matt Kinsinger 460 career rush yds 8
TRENDS:
BENCHMARK - The 50-point plateau has been a benchmark for San Jose's success over the team's history. When scoring 50 or more points in a regular season game the SaberCats own an 87-20 (.813) record. When scoring fewer than 50 points in a game the team is just 26-43 (.377). San Jose scored 66 in its season opening win at Los Angeles on Mar. 4 and managed just 45 in its loss at Chicago on Mar. 9. San Jose has scored over 50 points in each of its five wins over Georgia while scoring 49 points in its only loss.
DÃJÃ VU - Once before in their history have the SaberCats started a season with three straight road games. That came in 2003 when San Jose opened the campaign with a 1-1 record and ended the season-opening road trip with a game at Georgia. The SaberCats are 1-1 this season with the final game of their trip coming Saturday at Georgia. In 2003 the Force defeated San Jose, 51-49, dropping the SaberCats to 1-2. San Jose then went on a 6-game win streak and ended the 2003 season with a 12-4 record.
AFTER THE BYE - Over their history the SaberCats have proven that an off week does them good. San Jose has played seven times following a bye week and is 6-1 all-time in those games, including five straight wins when playing after a bye. San Jose's only setback following an off week came back in 1996 in a 48-43 loss at Milwaukee on July 19.
RESULTS FOLLOWING BYE WEEK
Date Opponent Score
Mar. 6, 2005 at Orlando W, 57-38
Feb. 22, 2004 at Los Angeles W, 61-55
June 16, 2001 vs Nashville W, 58-57 ot
July 22, 2000 vs Buffalo W, 83-54
July 9, 1999 vs Buffalo W, 52-46
July 19, 1996 at Milwaukee L, 43-48
July 7, 1995 at Charlotte W, 66-35
THREE GAMERS - The SaberCats have had four road trips of exactly three games in their history and their record in the third game of those trips is 3-1. San Jose's last three-game trip occurred during the 2005 season and concluded with a 57-38 win at Orlando on Mar. 6. San Jose's only loss in the final game of a 3-game trip took place in Georgia on Feb. 16, 2003, a 51-49 Force win.
SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE - The Force has scored 60 or more points in each of their three games while the SaberCats have yet to allow an opponent to score 60 points.
ALL GOOD THINGS - San Jose's loss at Chicago on Mar. 9 snapped the team's 8-game regular season winning streak. Dating back to last season and including playoffs the SaberCats have gone 9-2 in their last 11 games with both losses coming to Chicago.
3RD AND ... - Not a phrase heard too often around the Georgia Force this season. In three games the Force has run 105 offensive plays and has been faced with a 3rd down situation only five times, that's right five times. Georgia has converted just one time in a 3rd down situation for an AFL-low 20 percent success rate, but when you're faced with a third down every 21 plays that's acceptable.
A SACK A GAME - DE Ron Jones has registered one full sack in each of his three career AFL games. Jones tallied a sack in Los Angeles on May 6, 2006 in his only game with the Nashville Kats. He was credited with a sack in this season's opener at Los Angeles when he forced QB Sonny Cumbie to take an intentional grounding penalty and snared Chicago QB Matt D'Orazio for his 2nd sack of the year on Mar. 9.
TURN THE TIDE - QB Mark Grieb has thrown 2 INTs in each of the SaberCats first two games and will look to avoid doing something he's done only once in his career. Grieb has thrown multiple INTs in a game 15 times in his 113 game San Jose career, but has done it in consecutive games just once, a streak that actually reached 3 games back in 2005. Grieb had just one multi-INT game last season and had two in 2004.
NOTES:
HISTORY LESSON - The SaberCats have been a big part of the brief history of the Georgia Force. When the Force relocated from Nashville following the 2001 season, the SaberCats were Georgia's first opponent in an AFL game played in Phillips Arena. The teams met in a preseason contest on Apr. 12, 2002 with San Jose posting a 68-35 win. The Force moved to a new arena in Gwinnett County the following season and hosted San Jose in the first-ever event at the venue. Georgia won that regular season game 51-49 on Feb. 16, 2003.
STINGY - The SaberCats had an impressive defensive outing in their last game holding the Chicago Rush to just 127 yards of offense. The output tied for the second-lowest allowed by the SaberCats in their history and was the fewest since the Philadelphia Soul mustered only 180 yards on May 22, 2004. It was also just the 6th time an opponent has recorded fewer than 150 yards in a game. The effort vaulted the SaberCats to the top of the league's chart in total defense (222.5 ypg) and pass defense (209 ypg).
FEWEST NET YARDS ALLOWED, TEAM, GAME
No. Opponent Date
74 vs Memphis May 26, 1995
127 at Chicago Mar. 9, 2007
127 at Los Angeles Jun. 8, 2002
130 vs Houston Apr. 15, 2000
132 vs Oklahoma May 15, 2001
PAPER OR PLASTIC - DE Ron Jones became just the 3rd player in SaberCats history to register a full sack in each of his first two games with the team. Jones was credited with a sack in Los Angeles on Mar. 4 when he forced an intentional grounding penalty on Avengers QB Sonny Cumbie. At Chicago on Mar. 9, Jones joined Cedric Pittman and Van Brown as the only players to record a sack in their first two games. No player in team history has a sack in each of his first three games with the club. In fact, Jones has not played an AFL game without recording a sack. During the 2006 campaign he played in one game with the Nashville Kats and again nailed Cumbie for a sack at Los Angeles on May 6. Jones is tied for 4th in the AFL in sacks, just 1.0 behind Georgia's Mike Sutton, Orlando's Greg White and New Orleans' Henry Taylor.
HOW'S THE ARM? - Mark Grieb has thrown a lot of passes in his career, but none more in a single game than his 54 at Chicago on Mar. 9. Grieb set team records for attempts and completions against the Rush by going 37-for-54 for 346 yards and 6 TDs in the loss. Grieb ended the game one completion short of tying the AFL record for most in a game and he reached the 300-yard mark for the 31st time in his career. Grieb held the old team mark for completions in a game with 31, which he did twice, and topped Tony Kimbrough's old record of 50 attempts, accomplished at Arizona on May 4, 1996.
MOST PASS COMPLETIONS, AFL, GAME
No. Opponent Date
38 Tommy Maddox, New Jerey at Orlando 6/30/00
38 Shane Stafford, Tampa Bay at Columbus 5/6/06
37 Mark Grieb, San Jose at Chicago 3/9/07
37 Sherdrick Bonner, Arizona at Los Angeles 4/13/03
PRECISION ACCURACY - Rookie kicker A.J. Haglund has been perfect from the 10-yard line, converting all 15 of his PATs on the year. At one point in his af2 career (OKC Yard Dawgz), Haglund punched 69 consecutive PATs through the uprights. The longest streak of successful PATs in team history was strung together by Carlos Huerta, who hit 56 in a row in 1999. Huerta missed only 2 PATs that season going 88-of-90. Haglund has also been true on 2-of-3 FG attempts with a 26-yard conversion against the Avengers and a 25-yarder at Chicago. He is currently tied for 9th in the league in kick scoring with 21 points.
BIG MAN WITH SOFT HANDS - An unusual suspect was on the receiving end of two TD passes from Mark Grieb at Chicago on Mar. 9. Defensive lineman George Williams displayed his "hands skills" during the game by hauling in his 2nd and 3rd career TD receptions. His first TD came as a rookie against Indiana on July, 5, 2002, and he has now accumulated 9 receptions for 93 yards and 3 TDs in his career. Williams also put to rest the notion that big men can't jump. He put his 24-inch vertical to use while leaping behind a couple of Rush players to snag the second Grieb pass in the back of the endzone.
MOVIN ON UP - SaberCats DB Clevan Thomas snared his 33rd career interception in San Jose's loss at Chicago on Mar. 9, moving him into a 12th place tie on the AFL's career chart with former Nashville Kat Darryl Hammond. Thomas made an alert play taking the ball off the back wall in the SaberCats' endzone before it hit the turf. After a lengthy discussion between the officials, it was ruled an INT and the SaberCats converted the turnover into a TD to close the gap on the Rush. Already the team's career leader, Thomas has his eyes set on 11th place, needing 2 INTs to tie former SaberCat Chris Barber on the AFL's chart.
MOST INTERCEPTIONS, AFL, CAREER
Rank Name, 2007 Team INTs
1. Kenny McEntyre, Kansas City 66
2. Durwood Roquemore, none 50
3. Barry Wagner, none 48
4. Mark Ricks, none 44
5. Corey Johnson, none 41
6. Kevin Gaines, Grand Rapids 40
7. Damon Mason, Austin 37
Tracey Perkins, none 37
9. Randy Gatewood, Arizona 36
Carlos James, none 36
11. Chris Barber, none 35
12. Clevan Thomas, San Jose 33
Darryl Hammond, none 33
BIG BEN - 2006 Rookie of the Year Ben Nelson has shown no signs of a sophomore jinx at the outset of his second AFL season. Nelson hauled in 11 balls for 121 yards at Chicago on Mar. 9 after starting the year with a team record-tying 14 grabs at Los Angeles on Mar. 4. Nelson matched team records for consecutive games with double-digit receptions and most catches in consecutive games. Fellow WR James Roe established the record with 25 catches in back-to-back games last season and has caught 10 or more passes in consecutive games five times in his career. The SaberCats have never had a receiver with 10 or more catches in 3 straight games. Nelson is currently tied for 6th in the league with 25 receptions and he has played one less game than the five players in front of him.
WHAT'S AHEAD: The SaberCats will be the last team in the AFL to play a home game when they entertain the five-time ArenaBowl champion Tampa Bay Storm in their home opener on Saturday, Mar. 31 at HP Pavilion. San Jose will follow their home opener with a game against the defending Central Division champion Colorado Crush and former SaberCat QB John Dutton on Friday, Apr. 6. Both games will be aired live on the team's flagship radio station KNBR 1050.
GEORGIA PLAYERS TO WATCH
QB CHRIS GREISEN - Prior to this season, the three-year AFL quarterback had been relegated to holding duties as a backup in two seasons with the Dallas Desperados. Coming into 2007, Greisen had only completed 11-of-16 passes for 142 yards and three TDs in his AFL career. With the departure of QB Matt Nagy to the Columbus Destroyers in the offseason, the Force looked to Greisen to step in and spread the offense to their talented receiving core. He has been nothing less than spectacular so far, leading Georgia to a 3-0 record while completing 70-of-88 pass attempts for 861 yards and 23 TDs. Greisen's pass completion rate (79.5%) and touchdown total (23) rank first in the league, and his passer rating (132.8) only trails Dallas' Clint Dolezel (134.3). Greisen has only played in one game against San Jose (4/15/05), and recorded one assisted tackle on a missed FG return. The SaberCats defeated the Desperados 83-71 at HP Pavilion, and Greisen helped convert 2-of-4 field goals and 9 PATs as a holder.
WR DEREK LEE - The 2006 All-Arena first team and AFL All-Ironman Team member has destroyed the SaberCats secondary in two career games. In the last regular season game of 2005 (5/21), Lee hauled in 10 catches for 114 yards and 4 TDs as a rookie. The second meeting between Lee and the SaberCats wasn't any better as the former Tennessee Tech wideout racked up 195 yards (Force single game record) on 11 catches with five TDs. The totals aren't pretty from a San Jose standpoint - 21 receptions, 309 yards and 9 touchdowns in two games. Lee has 19 grabs for 216 yards and six TDs in three games this season, consistently snatching endzone passes with two TDs in each game.
WR CHRIS JACKSON - The eight-year veteran has logged 11 career games against the SaberCats and has scored at least one TD in each. Jackson was the 2000 Rookie of the Year and 2003 Offensive Player of the Year, spending time with the Rampage, Avengers and Force in his AFL career. In his last meeting against the SaberCats on March 17, 2006, the former Washington State Cougar caught 7 balls for 97 yards and two TDs. Jackson was a member of Los Angeles when he returned the opening kickoff of a game against the SaberCats (6/8/02), the only opponent in San Jose history to do so. His career totals against the SaberCats are 64 receptions, 806 receiving yards and 19 total TDs. Through three games in 2007, Jackson has reeled in 24 passes, 309 yards and eight TDs.
DL JERMAINE SMITH - The 2006 first-team All-Arena lineman enters his fifth career game against the San Jose SaberCats. In his last outing against San Jose (3/17/06), Smith registered 2 PBUs and a quarterback hurry in a Force loss. He has totaled 5 solo tackles, 2 PBUs and 1 QH in four career games against San Jose. Emerging from the University of Georgia, Smith has spent five of six seasons with the Force (2004-Orlando) and was named to the AFL All-Rookie Team in 2002. His finest season came in 2006, where Smith posted 16.5 tackles, six sacks, eight passes defended, two forced fumbles and three blocked kicks.
WEEKLY PLAYERS OF THE GAME:
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Opp. (Date) Player
@LAA (3/4) WR Lenzie Jackson, Los Angeles
@CHI (3/9) WR Bobby Sippio, CHI; Rodney Wright SJS
@GEO (3/24)
v TBY (3/31)
v COL (4/6)
@NWO (4/13)
v LAA (4/21)
v UTH (4/28)
@ARZ (5/5)
v LVG (5/12)
v GRR (5/19)
@NAS (5/25)
v ORL (6/1)
@UTH (6/9)
v ARZ (6/16)
@LVG (6/25)
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Opp. (Date) Player
@LAA (3/4) DB Omarr Smith, San Jose
@CHI (3/9) DB Jeremy Unertl, Chicago
@GEO (3/24)
v TBY (3/31)
v COL (4/6)
@NWO (4/13)
v LAA (4/21)
v UTH (4/28)
@ARZ (5/5)
v LVG (5/12)
v GRR (5/19)
@NAS (5/25)
v ORL (6/1)
@UTH (6/9)
v ARZ (6/16)
@LVG (6/25)
IRONMAN PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Opp. (Date) Player
@LAA (3/4) WR Ben Nelson, San Jose
@CHI (3/9) None selected
@GEO (3/24)
v TBY (3/31)
v COL (4/6)
@NWO (4/13)
v LAA (4/21)
v UTH (4/28)
@ARZ (5/5)
v LVG (5/12)
v GRR (5/19)
@NAS (5/25)
v ORL (6/1)
@UTH (6/9)
v ARZ (6/16)
@LVG (6/25)
THE SABERCATS RECORD WHEN...:
Scoring Allowing
'07 All-Time '07 All-Time
0 - 9 points 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
10-19 points 0-0 0-1 0-0 3-0
20-29 points 0-0 0-7 0-0 17-1
30-39 points 0-0 8-16 0-0 27-5
40-49 points 0-1 18-19 0-1 30-15
50-59 points 0-0 37-13 1-0 27-24
60-69 points 1-0 28-6 0-0 4-13
70-79 points 0-0 15-1 0-0 5-5
80+ points 0-0 7-0 0-0 0-0
2007 All-time
Games decided
by 7 or fewer points 0-0 36-32
by 3 or fewer points 0-1 15-21
Leading after the 1st 1-0 69-19
Trailing after the 1st 0-1 24-31
Tied after the 1st 0-0 20-13
Leading at Half 1-0 83-17
Trailing at Half 0-1 26-41
Tied at Half 0-0 4-5
Leading after the 3rd 1-0 90-12
Trailing after the 3rd 0-1 19-47
Tied after the 3rd 0-0 4-4
Scoring First 1-0 66-31
Opp. Score First 0-1 47-32
More Total Offense 0-1 79-35
Less Total Offense 1-0 34-28
More Pass Yards 0-1 69-36
Less Pass Yards 1-0 44-26
Equal Pass Yards 0-0 0-1
More Rushing Yards 1-0 96-28
Less Rushing Yards 0-1 16-32
Equal Rushing Yards 0-0 1-3
Thursday games 0-0 4-1
Friday games 0-1 32-19
Saturday games 0-0 57-24
Sunday games 1-0 18-17
Monday games 0-0 2-2
vs. Western Division 1-0 42-26
vs. Central Division 0-1 28-17
vs. Southern Division 0-0 24-10
vs. Eastern Division 0-0 19-10
Winning coin toss 0-0
Losing coin toss 1-1
Outscoring Opponent 1-0 113-0
Being Outscored 0-1 0-63
Records are for regular season games.
2007 AFL STANDINGS
AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Western Division
Team W L Pct PF PA
Utah 2 1 .667 193 201
San Jose 1 1 .500 111 106
Los Angeles 1 1 .500 102 103
Las Vegas 1 2 .333 146 185
Arizona 0 3 .000 190 200
Central Division
Team W L Pct PF PA
Chicago 2 1 .667 150 139
Colorado 2 1 .667 142 138
Grand Rapids 1 2 .333 153 190
Kansas City 1 2 .333 148 151
Nashville 1 2 .333 155 176
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Eastern Division
Team W L Pct PF PA
Dallas 3 0 1.000 185 101
Philadelphia 2 0 1.000 132 70
Columbus 1 1 .500 103 108
New York 0 2 .000 47 121
Southern Division
Team W L Pct PF PA
Georgia 3 0 1.000 190 163
Orlando 2 1 .667 134 101
New Orleans 2 1 .667 172 139
Austin 1 2 .333 138 141
Tampa Bay 0 3 .000 114 172
WEEK THREE RESULTS
Thursday, March 15
Philadelphia 69, at Grand Rapids 40
Friday, March 16
at Orlando 45, Austin 30
Dallas 66, at Kansas City 54
at Colorado 56, Arizona 54
Saturday, March 17
Georgia 61, at Tampa Bay 47
Sunday, March 18
at Chicago 61, New York 40
at Nashville 69, Utah 55
New Orleans 59, at Las Vegas 31
WEEK FOUR SCHEDULE
Thursday, March 22
Colorado at Philadelphia, 4:00 pm
Friday, March 23
New York at Tampa Bay, 4:30 pm
Las Vegas at Arizona, 6:00 pm
Grand Rapids at Utah, 6:00 pm
Saturday, March 24
San Jose at Georgia, 4:00 pm
Chicago at Columbus, 4:00 pm
Los Angeles at New Orleans, 5:00 pm
Nashville at Austin, 5:30 pm
Monday, March 26
Dallas at Orlando, 4:00 pm
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