San Jose SaberCats game notes
May 1, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release
THE QUICK FACTS
Game: San Jose SaberCats (5-3) at Arizona Rattlers (2-7)
Date: Saturday, May 5, 2007
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. (PDT)
Site: U.S. Airways Center (16,321)
Officials: Referee: Dave Lambros; Umpire: Al Granado; Head Linesman: Tim Podraza; Line Judge: Brian Matthew; Back Judge: Joe Duncan
Television: FSN Bay Area will air the game live and in HD with Bob Fitzgerald and Keena Turner calling the action. The channel is available on Comcast Cable channel 40.
Radio: San Jose's flagship station KNBR-1050 and KNBR 680 will carry the game live with Grant Napear and Steve Papin bringing the excitement. The two will host a 30-minute pre-game show starting at 6:30 p.m.
Opening Line: SaberCats -6 (over/under 125)
Internet: A live webcast is available at www.KNBR.com
Series Record: SaberCats lead all-time series tied 15-14
Series Streak: SaberCats Won 3
Last Meeting: SaberCats 62, Arizona 48 (Divisional Playoff game, May 27, 2006 at HP Pavilion)
Coaches: San Jose, Darren Arbet (9th season; 88-40 regular season, 98-45 overall)
Arizona, Gene Nudo (2nd season; 10-15 regular season, 11-16 overall)
OVERVIEW: The SaberCats climbed into first place in the Western Division and concluded the first half of the season with a 69-48 win over Utah on Apr. 28. They continue with their stretch of games against division opponents when they travel to Phoenix to duel the Rattlers on Saturday, May 5. San Jose and Arizona will meet for the 30th time, the second-longest running rivalry in AFL history, with the SaberCats holding a slight 15-14 edge in the series. The game will air live on FSN Bay Area (Comcast Cable channel 40) at 7:00 p.m. and is also available in Hi Def on FSNHD (Comcast Digital channel 720). The team's flagship radio station KNBR 1050 and KNBR 680 will supply coverage...San Jose used a stellar defensive effort and received a team game record 3.0 sacks from DE Ron Jones in its 69-48 win over Utah. The SaberCats forced and recovered four Blaze fumbles, intercepted a pass, tallied four sacks and seven pass breakups in holding the league's top scoring offense to its lowest point total of the year. QB Mark Grieb threw for 250 yards to surpass the 30,000 career plateau, just the 6th QB in AFL history to reach that milestone...After winning their last two home games by a combined 45 points, the SaberCats hit the road where they have lost three straight games and are just 1-3 on the year...San Jose is 5-7 in games at U.S. Airways Center, but won the last meeting, 58-50, on Feb. 12, 2006.
THE SCHEDULES
2007 SAN JOSE SABERCATS (5-3)
Date Opponent Result Score (Rec)
Mar. 4 @Los Angeles Won 66-58 (1-0)
Mar. 9 @Chicago Lost 45-48 (1-1)
Mar. 24 @Georgia Lost 62-64 (1-2)
Mar. 31 TAMPA BAY Won 69-49 (2-2)
Apr. 6 COLORADO Won 72-44 (3-2)
Apr. 13 @New Orleans Lost 54-67 (3-3)
Apr. 21 LOS ANGELES Won 73-49 (4-3)
Apr. 28 UTAH Won 69-48 (5-3)
Date Opponent Time (PT) Radio/TV
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/FSN
Jun. 9 @Utah 6:00 pm 1050/FSN
Jun. 16 ARIZONA 7:30 pm 1050/FSN
Jun. 25 @Las Vegas 1:00 pm 1050/FSN
2007 ARIZONA RATTLERS (2-7)
Date Opponent Result Score (Rec)
Mar. 3 GEORGIA Lost 65-69 (0-1)
Mar. 10 UTAH Lost 71-75 (0-2)
Mar. 16 @Colorado Lost 54-56 (0-3)
Mar. 23 LAS VEGAS Won 68-41 (1-3)
Mar. 30 @Kansas City Lost (ot) 61-62 (1-4)
Apr. 6 @Los Angeles Lost 45-64 (1-5)
Apr. 14 NASHVILLE Lost 36-62 (1-6)
Apr. 20 @Utah Won 83-69 (2-6)
Apr. 28 @New York Lost 45-67 (2-7)
Date Opponent Time (PT) TV
May 5 SAN JOSE 7:00 pm FSN
May 12 AUSTIN 7:00 pm FSN
May 18 @Tampa Bay 4:30 pm BRI
May 26 CHICAGO 7:00 pm FSN, CSN
Jun. 3 @Las Vegas 3:00 pm
Jun. 11 LOS ANGELES 7:00 pm ESPN2
Jun. 16 @San Jose 7:30 pm FSN
THE SERIES: San Jose won all three games last season to take its first-ever lead in the series at 15-14. San Jose's win in Phoenix last season, 58-50 on Feb. 12, snapped its 2-game regular season losing streak in Arizona. In between the SaberCats beat the Rattlers, 69-62, in ArenaBowl XVIII on June 27, 2004...The Rattlers have won seven of the 11 regular season meetings in Arizona and are 13-11 in the 24 regular season games. San Jose is 4-1 in playoff games...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 series games by 21 or more points...This will be the 30th series game, the second longest running rivalry in the AFL to only Tampa Bay/Orlando, who have played 41 times (including playoffs).
SERIES NOTABLES: The SaberCats and Rattlers have combined for 11 of 12 Western Division titles since the AFL went to a four-division format in 1995. San Jose won its 6th division championship in 2006 while also winning the title in 1995 and four straight from 2000-03. 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 in 2005...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 30th series game making it the second-longest running rivalry in the AFL to only the Tampa Bay/Orlando 'War on I-4' series. Those teams have played 41 times (including playoffs)...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 (29) and has the most wins (15) 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...Mark Grieb tied the SaberCats single-game record by tossing 9 TD passes against Arizona on Apr. 2. He originally set the record on July 6, 2001 in a game against the Rattlers. Grieb also owns the team's playoff game record by twice throwing 8 TD passes, both times against Arizona, the last coming in ArenaBowl XVIII on June 27, 2004...Arizona's Sherdrick Bonner has thrown for 6,231 yards and 126 TDs in 25 career games against San Jose...San Jose's Ben Nelson made his AFL debut as a WR/LB at Arizona on Feb. 12, 2006, then had the second-highest receiving yardage total in team history (203) against the Rattlers on Apr. 2, 2006...Former SaberCats Kevin McKenzie, Terrance Joseph, Jeff Ruffin and Albrey Battle are currently on the Rattlers' active roster, while Atnaf Harris is on the practice squad...San Jose swept the season series last year for the 3rd time and won three games in a season against the Rattlers for the second time...Arizona ended the SaberCats' winning streak at 12 and handed them their only loss of the 2002 season with a 59-52 win at home on July 12. In that game, Rattlers' lineman Stacey Evans threw Mark Grieb to the turf breaking his collarbone and ending his year. San Jose went on to win ArenaBowl XVI defeating the Rattlers, 52-14, behind San Jose backup QB John Dutton...FBs Brian Johnson and Phil Glover each scored a pair of rushing TDs in San Jose's 58-50 win in Arizona on Feb. 12, 2006 handing the Rattlers their first-ever 0-3 start...Julius Gant and Alan Harper made their AFL debuts for San Jose at Arizona on Feb. 12, 2006...The last time both teams went scoreless during a quarter of a San Jose game was on Apr. 3, 2005 when the Rattlers and SaberCats both tossed up goose eggs in the opening stanze of a 48-27 San Jose win in HP Pavilion.
LAST SERIES MEETING: SABERCATS 62, Arizona 48 - Divisional Playoff - Saturday, May 27, 2006 - HP Pavilion - Mark Grieb threw eight touchdown passes, including six to Ben Nelson, and the San Jose SaberCats outdueled the Arizona Rattlers, 62-48, in an Arena Football League American Conference semifinal playoff game. Nelson, the 2006 AFL Rookie of the Year, set San Jose playoff records with 12 receptions, 202 yards and six touchdowns. His scoring total also ties an AFL playoff game record while his yardage total ranks as the third-best. After Arizona took a 20-7 lead on a 37-yard interception return for a score by Jeremiah Pope, Nelson scored the next three touchdowns on catches of 21, 11 and 30 yards. Barry Wagner ended San Jose's 28-0 run with a 15-yard scoring pass giving the SaberCats a 35-20 lead with less than a minute left in the first half. Sherdrick Bonner, who threw for 338 yards and six scores on 23-of-42 passing, teamed with Randy Gatewood on a 6-yard scoring pass to close the gap to 35-27 at halftime. Nelson closed out the third quarter scoring on a 38-yard toss from Grieb and caught a 5-yard strike just five seconds into the fourth giving San Jose its largest lead of the game at 62-41. Gatewood caught his third touchdown pass of the game with 10:11 left to close out the scoring. Grieb completed 24-of-34 for 320 yards and also ran for a score. San Jose's defense, which had been averaging nearly five stops a game in its season-ending seven-game winning streak, totaled five stops against the Rattlers and defeated their division rivals for the third time this season.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Rattlers............................ 20 7 14 7 - 48
SaberCats........................ 14 21 20 7 - 62
SCORING SUMMARY
ARZ Groce 39 pass from Bonner (Kral kick)
SAN Wagner 3 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
ARZ Groce 44 pass from Bonner (Kral kick)
ARZ Pope 37 interception return (Kral kick failed)
SAN Nelson 21 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
SAN Nelson 11 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
SAN Nelson 30 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
SAN Wagner 15 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
ARZ Gatewood 6 pass from Bonner (Kral kick)
SAN Neson 29 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
ARZ DeMatteo 28 pass from Bonner (Kral kick)
SAN Grieb 5 run (Schmitz kick failed)
ARZ Gatewood 7 pass from Bonner (Kral kick)
SAN Nelson 38 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
SAN Nelson 5 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
ARZ Gatewood 13 pass from Bonner (Kral kick)
TEAM STATISTICS ARZ SAN
First Downs 20 22
Total Net Yards 330 330
Rush Atts-Net Yards 3-2 10-10
Net Yards Passing 328 320
Comp-Att-Int 23-41-1 24-34-1
KO Returns-Yards 8-96 7-106
MFG Returns-Yards 0-0 0-0
INT for-Yards 1-37 1-22
Penalties-Yards 11-59 9-56
Fumbles-Lost 2-1 2-1
Sacks By-Yards 0-0 1-10
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Passing: AZ - Bonner 23-41-1-338. SJ - Grieb 24-34-1-320.
Rushing: AZ - Dozier 2-1; Bonner 1-1. SJ - Grieb 1-5; Glover 4-5; Roe 1-2; Wagner 1-(-1); Johnson 3-(-1).
Receiving: AZ - Groce 7-159; Gatewood 7-68; DeMatteo 5-76: Pope 3-26; Thomas 1-9. SJ - Nelson 12-202; Roe 7-74; Wagner 4-36; Schexnayder 1-8.
Kick Returns: AZ - Lawson 6-96; DeMatteo 2-0. SJ - Wagner 7-106.
ALL-TIME SERIES SCORES
Date Score
May 27, 2006 @San Jose 62, Arizona 48 (Playoff)
April 2, 2006 @San Jose 61, Arizona 49
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)
THE COACHES
San Jose - Darren Arbet, 9th season
88-40 (.688) reg. season; 98-45 (.685) overall
14-7 (.667) career vs. Arizona
3-0 (1.000) career vs. Gene Nudo
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 has 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 (80), 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.
Arizona - Gene Nudo, 2nd season
10-15 (.400) reg. season; 11-16 (.407) overall
0-3 (.000) career vs. San Jose
0-3 (.000) career vs. Darren Arbet
Gene Nudo is celebrating his 13th season with the Arizona Rattlers and second as the team's head coach. In his first year at the helm, Nudo led the Rattlers to their 13th playoff appearance and the American Conference Semifinal after a Wild Card Round playoff victory over Utah. Nudo, who joined the Rattlers as an assistant head coach in 1995 after serving as the Arena Football League's vice president of Football Operations, became the team's vice president of Administration the following season. He also served as the team's vice president of Operations for eight seasons before becoming general manager in 2004. While overseeing day-to-day football operations, Nudo helped the Rattlers earn five consecutive commissioner awards for the AFL's "Best Organization" (1996-2000), while earning an unprecedented three "Executive of the Year" awards (1997, 1999, 2000). Formerly a member of the AFL Board of Directors Executive Committee, Nudo has also served as the chairman of the AFL's Rules and Competition Committee and as a member of the league's Labor Relations Committee. Nudo is currently the chairman of the rules and competition subcommittee. He was instrumental in helping the AFL and its players enter into an interim collective bargaining agreement in 2000. Nudo began his coaching career in 1981 as head coach of the River Grove Cowboys of Chicago's Metropolitan Football League where he won five championships in six seasons, including the 1984 AFA Semi-Professional National Championship in Mobile, Ala. He would later lead Chicago's Driscoll Catholic High School to an undefeated 1991 Illinois State High School Championship.
CHASING 100 - San Jose head coach Darren Arbet earned his 98th career victory with the SaberCats' 69-48 win over Utah on Apr. 28, leaving him just two shy of becoming the 5th head coach to amass 100 career wins. Arbet defeated the second-winningest coach in AFL history, Danny White, last week and is 3-1 this season and 30-15 all-time, against coaches ahead of him on the list. Tampa Bay's Tim Marcum earned his 100th career victory in just 124 games while Utah's Danny White got his 100th in 143 games. It took Colorado's Mike Dailey 165 games to get his 100th win and Chicago's Mike Hohensee won his 100th in game 193. Arbet has coached in 143 games to date.
CAREER COACHING RECORDS
Rk. Coach (Year) Team Record
1. Tim Marcum (19th) Tampa Bay 183-83
2. Danny White (15th) Utah 153-79
3. Mike Hohensee (14th) Chicago 113-95
4. Mike Dailey (11th) Colorado 105-67
5. Darren Arbet (9th) San Jose 98-45
2007 TEAM STATISTICAL COMPARISON
Category (Rank) SaberCats Rattlers
Scoring Offense 63.8 (3) 58.7 (5)
Scoring Defense 53.4 (9) 62.8 (17)
Total Offense 326.8 (4) 327.7 (3)
Total Defense 284.1 (5) 326.9 (19)
Pass Offense 314.0 (2) 303.1 (4)
Pass Defense 270.1 (9) 318.4 (19)
Rushing Offense 12.8 (15) 24.6 (t-4)
Rushing Defense 14.0 (4) 8.4 (1)
Pass Rating 123.8 (4) 116.2 (8)
Pass Defense Rating 113.0 (11) 122.7 (15)
Interceptions 8 (t-10) 9 (9)
Kickoff Return Avg. 20.7 (2) 17.1 (t-10)
Field Goal Return Avg. 5.5 (18) 21.8 (3)
Turnover Margin +4 (5) -9 (t-16)
3rd Down Conversions 56.5% (3) 56.0% (t-4)
4th Down Conversions 70.0% (3) 63.6% (7)
Sacks By 10 (t-3) 6 (t-14)
Sacks Against 8 (t-10) 1 (1)
2007 SABERCATS AMONG AFL LEADERS
Player Category No. Rank
Mark Grieb Pass Avg/Game 318.4 2nd
Mark Grieb Completion Pct. 72.6% 2nd
Mark Grieb Passing TDs 53 5th
Mark Grieb Pass Attempts 317 4th
Mark Grieb Pass Yards 2,547 5th
Mark Grieb Pass Completions 230 2nd
Mark Grieb Passer Rating 123.8 4th
Mark Grieb Total Offense 2,567 5th
Mark Grieb Total Offensive TDs 53 5th
A.J. Haglund Kick Scoring 84 1st
A.J. Haglund FG Percentage 63.6% 1st
A.J. Haglund PAT Percentage 92.6% 5th
A.J. Haglund FGs Made 7 7th
A.J. Haglund FG Attempts 11 9th
A.J. Haglund PATs Made 63 2nd
A.J. Haglund PAT Attempts 68 t-2nd
Rodney Wright KOR Average 22.6 4th
Rodney Wright KOR Yards 498 7th
Ben Nelson Receptions 82 t-2nd
Ben Nelson Receiving Yards 1,009 4th
Ben Nelson Receiving Yards/Gm 126.1 4th
Ben Nelson Receiving TDs 20 9th
James Roe Touchdowns 22 10th
James Roe Receptions 65 t-9th
James Roe Receiving TDs 22 8th
Marquis Floyd INT Return TDs 1 t-6th
Marquis Floyd INT Return Yards 46 10th
Ron Jones Sacks 6.0 t-3rd
Ron Jones Tackles for Loss 7.5 t-3rd
Clevan Thomas Passes Defended 14 t-7th
Phil Glover Forced Fumbles 3 t-5th
THE IFS...:
If the SaberCats defeat Arizona it would...
*Give them a 6-3 season record.
*Break a 3-game road losing streak.
*Be their 4th straight win over the Rattlers.
*Give them a 16-14 all-time series lead.
*Be their 8th straight win over a Western Division rival.
*Give them a 45-26 regular season record against Western Division opponents.
*Give them a 19-15 reg. season road record against Western Division opponents.
*Give them a 51-41 regular season road record.
*Give them a 118-65 all-time regular season record.
*Give them 128-73 all-time record.
RECENT RESULTS:
SaberCats Defeat Blaze, 69-48, Move Into 1st Place
SAN JOSE, Calif. (Apr. 28, 2007) - The San Jose SaberCats forced five Utah turnovers and registered four sacks on the evening holding the Blaze to a season-low point total in a 69-48 win Saturday at HP Pavilion. The win kept San Jose (5-3) undefeated at home this season and was its 10th straight regular season victory at HP Pavilion. San Jose's Trestin George took the opening kickoff 56 yards for a touchdown staking the SaberCats to a quick 7-0 lead. George Williams recovered a fumble after a Phil Glover sack and Mark Grieb hit Ben Nelson on the very next play for a 14-0 San Jose lead just 4:03 into the game. Following a pair of Brian Johnson 2-yard scoring runs that gave San Jose a 28-7 lead early in the second quarter, Utah's Joe Germaine hit Tom Pace on a 10-yard score with 13 seconds left in the half to cap a 20-0 run pulling the Blaze within 28-27. Germaine completed 28-of-42 passes for 356 yards and seven touchdowns, but his streak of consecutive attempts without an interception came to an end at 194 when Marquis Floyd snared a pass in the endzone during the first quarter. The SaberCats caught a break when a pair of Utah illegal defense penalties gave them two un-timed downs at the end of the half. They cashed in on the second opportunity when Jason Geathers scampered 33 yards with a Grieb toss for a score to stake San Jose to a 35-27 halftime lead. Grieb, who surpassed the 30,000 plateau in career passing yards, completed 25-of-34 for 250 yards and six touchdowns without an interception. Geathers, who earned game Ironman honors for a second straight week, caught seven passes for 74 yards and a touchdown while adding two solo tackles. Ron Jones had a team record 3.0 sacks and the defensive unit forced five Blaze fumbles recovering four. Phil Glover added a sack, career-high 7.0 total tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery to earn Defensive Player of the Game honors. San Jose remained unbeaten at home this season and improved to 54-8 when scoring 60 or more points in a game.
MILESTONE WATCH
Name Milestone Needs
Darren Arbet 100 career wins 2
Ben Nelson 50 career TD receptions 4
Ben Nelson 200 career receptions 24
Ben Nelson 2,500 career receiving yards 86
Rodney Wright 15 career TD receptions 1
Rodney Wright 1,500 career receiving yards 172
Rodney Wright 50 career KO returns 2
Clevan Thomas 40 career INTs 5
Clevan Thomas 300.0 career total tackles 5.5
Omarr Smith 90 career games played 1
Omarr Smith 30 career INTs 1
Omarr Smith 300.0 tackles SJ career 10.5
Matt Kinsinger 35 career rush TDs 1
Matt Kinsinger SJ career rushing leader 43
Mark Grieb 2,500 career completions 128
Mark Grieb 600 career TD passes 32
Brian Johnson 100 career rush attempts 9
Brian Johnson 20 career receptions 3
Brian Johnson 25 career rush TDs 2
Brian Johnson 6th place career rush attempts 1
Brian Johnson 200 career receiving yards 9
Craig Whelihan 110 career pass TDs 1
Craig Whelihan 6,000 career pass yds 124
James Roe 600 career receptions 2
James Roe 200 career TD receptions 17
Jason Geathers 20 career solo tackles 1
Ron Jones 10.0 career sacks 3.0
George Williams 50 career solo tackles 5
Dan Loney 70 career games played 1
TRENDS:
ON THE ROAD AGAIN - Following two lopsided home wins, the SaberCats are back on the road where they haven't had a whole lot of success this year. San Jose has lost three straight road games and is just 1-3 for the year. However, two of those losses have come by a combined 5 points in consecutive games to a pair of the best teams in the AFL. The SaberCats lost 48-45 at Chicago (7-1) on Mar. 9 and followed that with a 2-point loss, 64-62, at Georgia (8-1) on Mar. 24. The SaberCats currently own a 50-41 (.549) all-time regular season road record.
HOW THE WEST IS WON - The SaberCats will be playing their 3rd game of a current 4-game stretch against Western Division rivals when they travel to Arizona Saturday. San Jose won the first 2 games defeating Los Angeles on Apr. 21 and Utah on Apr. 28 and is 3-0 this season against division foes. During their history the SaberCats have posted a 44-26 (.629) regular season record against Western Division opponents and, including their playoff win over Arizona last season, have won 7 straight games over Western Division competition.
TURNOVERS - Holding on to the ball is key in any form of football, especially in the Arena League when every possession is a scoring opportunity. The SaberCats forced 5 turnovers and were +3 in margin in their win over Utah on Apr. 28. In their five wins this season the SaberCats are +10 in turnover margin and are -6 in their three losses. In their four road games the SaberCats are -8 in turnover margin while holding a +12 edge at home.
HOLDIN' ON - The SaberCats held a 48-34 lead after three quarters in their win over Utah on Apr. 28 and won for the 5th time without a loss this season when leading into the final stanza. San Jose has been particularly adept at holding on to late leads upping their all-time record to 94-12 (.887) when leading after three quarters of play.
WHAT ARE THE ODDS? - The SaberCats have been the most prosperous team in the AFL in 2007 as far as Vegas is concerned. The team has a 6-2 record against the spread (ATS) this season and the SaberCats have seen 6 of their 8 games go over the over/under (O/U) point total. At HP Pavilion they are especially good, covering the line in all four games and winning by an average of 22.5 points per contest. The two losses ATS came on the road and in both games the SaberCats were tabbed as favorites. San Jose was a 2-point favorite at Chicago and found themselves in a trap game as hefty 10.5-point favorites at New Orleans. The Chicago game total of 93 went well under the O/U and the highest posted total of the year (O/U 127) in a matchup that featured high-scoring Utah and San Jose, fell short by 10 points. The SaberCats have only been underdogs in one game this season (at Georgia) and they covered the 3-point spread, losing 62-64.
HITTING PAYDIRT - Since going scoreless in a quarter for the first, and only, time this season during the third quarter at New Orleans on Apr. 13, the SaberCats have been relentless offensively. San Jose has scored three or more TDs in six of nine quarters of play since then and at least two TDs in eight of the nine while reaching double-digits in points in each of the nine frames.
GET THE POINT - The SaberCats reached the 60-point mark in a game for the 62nd time in their history and 6th time this season in their 69-48 win over Utah on Apr. 28. The win moved San Jose's all-time record to 54-8 (.871) when topping the 60-point mark and brought them within two of matching the club record for most 60+ point games in a season, which was set during the 2000 campaign and equaled in 2003.
NOTES:
JOIN THE CLUB - SaberCats QB Mark Grieb became the 6th member of the AFL's 30,000 career passing yard club in the team's win over Utah on Apr. 28. Grieb hit the mark with a 12-yard toss to Ben Nelson midway through the second quarter. He finished the game with 250 yards on 25-of-34 passing upping his career total to 30,172. A leading candidate for April Offensive Player of the Month honors, Grieb threw for 1,376 yards in four April games (344 ypg) completing 116-of-156 attempts (74.4%) with 27 TDs and 4 interceptions.
MOST PASS YARDS, AFL, CAREER
Rank Player Pass Yds
1. Andy Kelly, New Orleans 42,032
2. Clint Dolezel, Dallas 39,618
3. Sherdrick Bonner, Arizona 39,574
4. Aaron Garcia, New York 36,380
5. John Kaleo, Tampa Bay 35,244
6. Mark Grieb, San Jose 30,172
7. Todd Hammel, none 27,247
8. John Dutton, Colorado 21,663
9. Jay Gruden, none 21,578
10. Tony Graziani, Philadelphia 20,979
WE MEET AGAIN - The SaberCats and Rattlers will be facing each other for the 30th time when they meet on Saturday. As division rivals the two have squared off twice each season while meeting again in the postseason five times. San Jose's 62-48 win in the last meeting between the clubs, a divisional playoff game May 27, 2006, gave the SaberCats their first-ever lead in the series at 15-14. A 59-58 San Jose win on Mar. 23, 2003, knotted the series at 10 wins apiece before Arizona rattled off 3 straight W's. San Jose's current 3-game winning streak matches its second longest in the series. The SaberCats won 5 straight from June 1, 2000 to Apr. 20, 2002.
RUNNING MAN - Brian Johnson continues to move up the team's career rushing leaders chart. The bruising FB became the 11th player in team history with 200 career rush yards and moved ahead of Leonard Nelson (207) into 10th place on the all-time list by increasing his total to 211 with 19 yards on 5 carries in San Jose's 69-48 win over Utah on Apr. 28. Johnson moved into a 6th place tie with Joey Dozier on the career attempts chart with 91 and he equaled a career-high with 3 rush TDs. Despite missing the first four games of the season recovering from off-season knee surgery, Johnson leads the team with 63 yards on 27 carries and is tied for 10th in the AFL with 7 rush TDs.
MOST RUSH YARDS, TEAM, CAREER
Rank Player Rsh Yards
1. Derrick Chachere (1995-97, 99-00) 442
2. Matt Kinsinger (2002-05, 07) 400
Tom Petithomme (1995-96, 99) 400
4. Mike Jones (1998-02) 328
5. Steve Papin (1997-01) 326
6. Joey Dozier (2000-01, 05) 317
7. Keala Keanaaina (2003-04) 315
8. Barry Wagner (2000-06) 260
9. Bob McMillen (2001-02) 224
10. Brian Johnson (2003-04, 06-07) 211
SACK ATTACK - Fresh off an injury that sidelined him two games, defensive lineman Ron Jones had the best game of his career Apr. 28 against the Utah Blaze. He recorded 3.0 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 4.0 tackles for loss, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup. His sack and TFL totals are both SaberCats single-game records and his 2 forced fumbles tied a franchise mark held by six other players. With 6.0 sacks on the season, Jones now owns the 3rd highest single-season mark in team history and has also climbed the ladder among the AFL sack leaders in 2007, moving into a tie for second place, just ½ a sack off of the lead. During his brief 7-game AFL career Jones has a total of 7.0 sacks. For his monstrous effort, the former Southern Mississippi standout was tabbed the AFL's ADT Defensive Player of the Week, becoming the first SaberCat to win a league award this season and the 8th San Jose player to capture the league's Defensive Player of the Week honor.
MOST SACKS, TEAM, SEASON
Rank Player Year Sacks
1. Sam Hernandez 2000 12.0
2. Al Noga 1997 7.5
3. Ron Jones 2007 6.0
4. Sam Hernandez 2003 5.0
Sam Hernandez 1999 5.0
Sam Hernandez 1998 5.0
CROOKED NUMBERS - It's always nice to see numbers on the right hand side of the defensive stat sheet and the SaberCats had plenty of them following their game against Utah on Apr. 28. The defense combined for 5 tackles for loss, 4 forced and recovered fumbles, an INT, 7 PBUs, 4 sacks a blocked kick and 3 QB hurries. Ron Jones was responsible for 3 sacks, 4 TFLs, 2 FFs, a FR and a PBU earning him weekly Defensive Player of the Week honors from the AFL; Phil Glover added a sack, TFL, FF and FR; Omarr Smith had 2 PBUs and a FF; Clevan Thomas chipped in with 2 PBUs and a FR; Marquis Floyd had an INT and PBU. They all helped limit the Blaze to a season-low point total.
BROKEN RECORD - This note seems to be as continuous as a repeating song on a broken record, and Ben Nelson hopes to keep playing the tune. The 2006 ROY continues to pile up 100-yard receiving games, notching his 8th straight with 117 yards on 11 catches against Utah on Apr. 28. He keeps extending his team record of consecutive 100-yard games and became the first player in San Jose history to have 8 100-yard games in a season. Nelson also played in his 20th career game as a SaberCat and has posted at least 100 receiving yards in 15 of them. Nelson ranks 4th in the AFL with 1,009 receiving yards and is on pace to obliterate the team record of 1,464, set by James Hundon in 2002. At his current clip of over 126 yards per game, Nelson could break the team record with 4 games left in the season and is on pace for the first 2,000 yard season in team history.
MOST RECEIVING YARDS, TEAM, SEASON
Rank Player Year Yards
1. James Hundon 2002 1,464
2. James Roe 2005 1,440
James Roe 2003 1,440
4. Rashied Davis 2005 1,420
5. Ben Nelson 2006 1,405
MR. ROE-BOTO - James Roe, dubbed 'The Difference' by team broadcaster Keena Turner, eclipsed the 7,500 career receiving yard mark with 59 against Utah on Apr. 28. His total of 7,503 stretches his lead for the most receiving yards by a SaberCat to 2,855 yards over the second place incumbent James Hundon (4,648). Roe currently leads the team in TD receptions with 22 and is second on the team in receptions (65) and receiving yards (687). Roe also moved into a tie with current Rattler Albrey Battle for 3rd place on the team's games played list with 91 and will tie Barry Wagner for 2nd place when he suits up against Arizona on Saturday. In his 10-game regular season career against the Rattlers, Roe has 70 receptions for 891 yards and 20 TDs with five of his 29 career 100-yard games coming against the Snakes.
MOST RECEIVING YARDS, TEAM, CAREER
Rank Player Rcv Yards
1. James Roe (2000-07) 7,503
2. James Hundon (2001-04) 4,648
3. Steve Papin (1997-01) 4,282
4. Barry Wagner (2000-06) 3,873
5. Shalon Baker (1998-05) 3,575
GAMES PLAYED, TEAM, CAREER
Rank Player Gms Played
1. Mark Grieb (1999-07) 119
2. Barry Wagner (2000-06) 92
3. James Roe (2000-07) 91
Albrey Battle (2000-06) 91
5. Sam Hernandez (1998-04) 90
GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE - Trestin George enjoys celebrating after a big play with his infamous gorilla dance. He performed the routine in front of the SaberCats fans at HP Pavilion on Apr. 28 after an electrifying 56-yard opening kickoff return for a touchdown - the first of his AFL career. It was the first time San Jose took the opening kick back for a TD since Rashied Davis did it on May 21, 2005 against Georgia. During the game George returned 5 kickoffs for 178 yards, a team season-high and the 18th highest total in team history. The former San Jose State Spartan also became the 10th player in SaberCats history to return a kickoff for a touchdown. In three games, George is averaging over 28 yards per return with 14 attempts for 397 yards and a TD.
WATS-ON, WATS-OFF - In his first game back since suffering a broken wrist on Mar. 24 at Georgia, Steve Watson made an immediate impact for the SaberCats on defense. Starting at the JLB position against Utah on Apr. 28, Watson racked up 7 total tackles to bring his yearly total to 16 in four games played. He also blocked the first kick of his AFL career when Steve Videtich lined up for an extra point attempt at the end of the 2nd quarter. It was the first blocked kick for San Jose in 2007, and marked the first time the SaberCats registered a blocked PAT since Mar. 12, 2006, when Phil Glover penetrated the Los Angeles O-line for a rejection.
BREAKIN' UP IS HARD TO DO - Not really when it comes to Clevan Thomas and Omarr Smith, two of the top DBs in AFL history. Each reached a milestone in the pass breakup category in the team's 69-48 win over Utah on Apr. 28. Thomas surpassed the 80 mark and extended his team career lead to 81 with a pair against the Blaze. Smith also had a pair to notch his 60th career PBU. All but 18 of Smith's career break ups have come in a SaberCats uniform and his San Jose total of 42 ranks him 5th on the team's all-time list, just 3 behind Tommy Jones for 4th place and 4 behind Barry Wagner for 3rd place. With 11 PBUs on the season, Thomas, the league's two-time Defensive Player of the Year, is half way to his season career-high of 22, which was established in 2003.
PASS BREAKUPS, TEAM, CAREER
Rank Player PBUs
1. Clevan Thomas (2002-07) 81
2. Pat McGuirk (1995-98) 64
3. Barry Wagner (2000-06) 46
4. Tommy Jones (1998-01) 45
5. Omarr Smith (2000-02, 04-07) 42
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 16 times with strikingly similar results. Grieb has the edge in most every category, including wins with 10. One of Grieb's biggest wins came in ArenaBowl XVIII when he tossed a title game record 8 TD passes. Bonner also had a decent outing throwing for an ArenaBowl record 367 yards in San Jose's 69-62 win. Each player has five 300-yard passing games in their head-to-head meetings with both topping the 300-yard mark in each of the last two contests. Bonner, who is in his 15th AFL season, and Grieb, who is playing in his 10th, have combined over the years to throw for 69,746 yards, and 1,369 TDs.
GRIEB vs BONNER HEAD-TO-HEAD
W-L Cmp-Att-Yds Cmp % TD/INTs Rating
10-6 346-542-4,340 63.8 91/5 124.38
BONNER vs GRIEB HEAD-TO-HEAD
W-L Cmp-Att-Yds Cmp % TD/INTs Rating
6-10 303-517-4,080 58.6 89/7 117.75
VETERAN PRESENCE - Veteran AFL lineman Chuck Reed, who was activated from refused to report on Apr. 20, started his 2nd straight game on the offensive line for San Jose in its game against Utah on Apr. 28. It was the 130th game played for the 12-year veteran and the 50th in his 6-year San Jose career. Reed began his AFL career in 1996 with the Anaheim Piranhas and was a teammate of Mark Grieb during the 1997 campaign. At over 36 ½ years, Reed is the elder statesman on the San Jose roster.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS - Offensive lineman Troy Reddick became the 9th player to make his AFL debut with the SaberCats this season. Reddick joins Trestin George, A.J. Haglund, Cleannord Saintil, Patrick Afif, Jeff Littlejohn, Steve Watson, Garrett McIntyre and Todd Williams as first-year players to play in a game. The youth movement doesn't stop there, however. Second-year players Jason Geathers, Marquis Floyd, Ron Jones, Ben Nelson, Julius Gant and Alan Harper have all made significant contributions to the team's 5-3 performance.
HALF WAY HOME - Not that it's noteworthy, but comparing past seasons is always fun and takes up space. Since the AFL went to a 16-game regular season format in 2003, the SaberCats have been below .500 after eight games only once and that was last season when the team put a 7-game winning streak together in the second half to finish the year at 10-6. In 2005 the SaberCats also had a 5-3 record at the half way point and ended the year at 9-7. They still made the playoffs but failed to win a postseason game for the first time since 1998.
MID-SEASON COMPARISON
Year 8-game Final Result
2003 6-2 12-4 L, Semifinal
2004 7-1 11-5 W, ArenaBowl
2005 5-3 9-7 L, 1st round
2006 3-5 10-6 L, Semifinal
2007 5-3 ??? ???
AGAINST UTAH:
DE Ron Jones tallied team records with 3.0 sacks and 4.0 tackles for loss while matching a club record with 2 forced fumbles...Ben Nelson set the team's season record for 100-yard receiving games with 8 while playing in his 20th game...Clevan Thomas collected his 80th career PBU and Omarr Smith broke up his 60th career pass...Brian Johnson passed the 200-yard mark in career rush yards and tied his career-high with 3 rush TDs in his 40th career game...James Roe eclipsed the 7,500 career receiving yard mark and now has 7,503...Marquis Floyd snared his 5th career INT...Chuck Reed played in his 130th career game and 50th with San Jose...Trestin George returned the opening kickoff for a TD, the first time the opening kick has been returned for a score by a SaberCat since May 21, 2005 (Rashied Davis). His 178 KOR yards is the 18th highest total in team history...Steve Watson had San Jose's first blocked PAT this season and first since Mar. 12, 2006. He also added a career-high 7.0 tackles in his first game since Mar. 24 at Georgia...San Jose has forced 9 turnovers in the last two games...Mark Grieb topped the 30,000 level in career pass yards and has not thrown an interception in his last 87 pass attempts...OL Troy Reddick played in his 1st career AFL game.
ARIZONA PLAYERS TO WATCH:
QB SHERDRICK BONNER - The most tenured quarterback in the Arena Football League, Bonner hasn't showed many signs of slowing down in his 15th season. He ranks fourth in the league in passing yards per game (292.2) and passing TDs (55), and is third in passing yards (2,630) and pass attempts (318). With 6 TD passes on Apr. 28 against New York, Bonner joined Andy Kelly and Clint Dolezel as the three professional football league QBs to throw for 800 career TD passes. In 25 career games against San Jose, Bonner has thrown for 6,039 yards and 119 TDs while completing 468-of-786 passes. He has thrown for 300 or more yards in 7 contests and has only been picked off by the SaberCats 14 times. Bonner's 117.5 QB rating through 9 games is seventh-best in the league and he has a 114.1 career QB rating versus San Jose. The last regular season game against Arizona was Apr. 2, 2006, and Bonner threw for 347 yards on 21-of-41 passing with 6 TDs and 1 rushing TD.
WR RANDY GATEWOOD - The 2006 and 2003 Ironman of the Year, Gatewood will go down as one of the elite two-way players in the history of the Arena Football League. Placed on injured reserve with a foot injury through the first half of 2007, the UNLV alum has comeback as the top offensive target for Arizona and has caught 35 balls for 416 yards and 10 touchdowns. In a long history versus the SaberCats, Gatewood has played in 24 career games while posting 34 TDs on 86 receptions. His finest performance against San Jose came in the 2003 semifinal playoff game on June 8 where Gatewood totaled 5 TD receptions on 227 yards receiving and 12 catches. He also added an 11-yard interception return to secure a 66-49 victory for the Rattlers - he has 8 career INTs against San Jose.
FB BO KELLY - The core of the Rattlers running attack, Kelly has 12 years of AFL experience and has played all but one with Arizona. He holds all of Arizona's franchise rushing records and ranks in the top 10 in most rushing categories in 2007. In eight games, Kelly is fourth in rushing yards (162), second in rushing attempts (58) and rushing TDs (10), and 9th in rushing yards per carry (2.8). In his career versus the SaberCats, Kelly has racked up 96 rushing yards on 41 attempts with 7 touchdowns. He has also caught 7 passes for 76 yards and 3 TDs.
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) WR Chris Jackson, Georgia
v TBY (3/31) QB Mark Grieb, San Jose
v COL (4/6) QB Mark Grieb, San Jose
@NWO (4/13) QB Steve Bellisari, New Orleans
v LAA (4/21) QB Mark Grieb, San Jose
v UTH (4/28) WR Ben Nelson, San Jose
@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) DB Willie Gary, Georgia
v TBY (3/31) DB Marquis Floyd, San Jose
v COL (4/6) DB Clevan Thomas, San Jose
@NWO (4/13) DL Henry Taylor, New Orleans
v LAA (4/21) DB Omarr Smith, San Jose
v UTH (4/28) LB Phil Glover, San Jose
@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) FB/LB Matt Heubner, Georgia
v TBY (3/31) K A.J. Haglund, San Jose
v COL (4/6) WR Rodney Wright, San Jose
@NWO (4/13) WR/LB Tremaine Neal, New Orleans
v LAA (4/21) WR/LB Jason Geathers, San Jose
v UTH (4/28) WR/LB Jason Geathers, San Jose
@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 4-1 34-15
50-59 points 0-1 37-14 1-0 27-24
60-69 points 3-1 30-7 0-2 4-15
70-79 points 2-0 17-1 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 0-2 15-22
Leading after the 1st 5-0 73-19
Trailing after the 1st 0-2 24-32
Tied after the 1st 0-1 20-14
Leading at Half 5-0 87-17
Trailing at Half 0-2 26-42
Tied at Half 0-1 4-6
Leading after the 3rd 5-0 94-12
Trailing after the 3rd 0-3 19-49
Tied after the 3rd 0-0 4-4
Scoring First 4-1 69-32
Opp. Score First 1-2 48-33
More Total Offense 3-2 82-36
Less Total Offense 2-1 35-29
More Pass Yards 3-2 72-37
Less Pass Yards 2-1 45-27
Equal Pass Yards 0-0 0-1
More Rushing Yards 4-0 99-28
Less Rushing Yards 1-3 17-34
Equal Rushing Yards 0-0 1-3
Thursday games 0-0 4-1
Friday games 1-2 33-20
Saturday games 3-1 60-25
Sunday games 1-0 18-17
Monday games 0-0 2-2
vs. Western Division 3-0 44-26
vs. Central Division 1-1 29-17
vs. Southern Division 1-2 25-12
vs. Eastern Division 0-0 19-10
Winning coin toss 1-1
Losing coin toss 4-2
Outscoring Opponent 5-0 117-0
Being Outscored 0-3 0-65
Records are for regular season games.
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