San Jose SaberCats game notes
May 8, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release
THE QUICK FACTS
Game: Las Vegas Gladiators (1-9) at SaberCats (6-3)
Date: Saturday, May 12, 2007
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. (PDT)
Site: HP Pavilion at San Jose (14,041)
Officials: Referee: Tom McCabe; Umpire: Paul Frerking; Head Linesman: Rod Pearson; Line Judge: Bob McElwee; Back Judge: Tony Lombardo
Television: There is no local television for Saturday night's game.
Radio: San Jose's flagship station KNBR-1050 will carry the game live with Bob Fitzgerald and Keena Turner calling the action. The two will also host a 30-minute pre-game show starting at 7:00 p.m. Ray Woodson and Dan Dibley co-host a 2-hour extended pre-game show live from HP Pavilion starting at 5:00 p.m.
Opening Line: SaberCats -22 ½ (over/under 115)
Internet: A live webcast is available at www.KNBR.com
Series Record: SaberCats lead all-time series tied 5-2
Series Streak: SaberCats Won 1
Last Meeting: SaberCats 69, Las Vegas 59 (April 14, 2006 in HP Pavilion)
Coaches: San Jose, Darren Arbet (9th season; 89-40 regular season, 99-45 overall)
Las Vegas, Danton Barto (1st season; 1-9 regular season and overall)
OVERVIEW: The SaberCats notched their third straight win and broke a 3-game road losing streak by defeating the Arizona Rattlers 56-49 on May 5. San Jose ends its stretch of four straight games against Western Division competition by hosting the Las Vegas Gladiators on May 12 in the first meeting between the teams this season. The SaberCats look to remain unbeaten at home this season where they are 4-0 outscoring their opponents by a combined 93 points. San Jose's flagship radio station KNBR 1050 will carry the game live at 7:30 p.m. San Jose scored a touchdown on each of its first eight possessions at Arizona and defeated the Rattlers for the fourth consecutive time. James Roe had a historic night catching eight passes to become the 17th player in AFL history with 600 career receptions (606) and QB Mark Grieb accounted for all eight scores throwing for seven and running for another. Defensively, Clevan Thomas snared his 36th career interception, moving into a tie for 9th place all-time, and the SaberCats limited the Rattlers to just 235 yards of total offense. Having won five of their last six games, the SaberCats will look to remain unbeaten this season against division foes...The Gladiators enter Saturday's game riding a franchise record 8-game losing streak and they are winless in three all-time visits to San Jose.
THE SCHEDULES
2007 SAN JOSE SABERCATS (6-3)
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)
May 5 @Arizona Won 56-49 (6-3)
Date Opponent Time (PT) Radio/TV
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 LAS VEGAS GLADIATORS (1-9)
Date Opponent Result Score (Rec)
Mar. 4 @Austin Lost 36-57 (0-1)
Mar. 8 @Grand Rapids Won 79-69 (1-1)
Mar. 18 NEW ORLEANS Lost 31-59 (1-2)
Mar. 23 @Arizona Lost 41-68 (1-3)
Apr. 1 UTAH Lost 47-57 (1-4)
Apr. 8 KANSAS CITY Lost 31-65 (1-5)
Apr. 15 @Georgia Lost 68-69 (1-6)
Apr. 20 @Colorado Lost 53-63 (1-7)
Apr. 29 ORLANDO Lost 34-69 (1-8)
May 6 LOS ANGELES Lost 37-59 (1-9)
Date Opponent Time (PT) TV
May 12 @San Jose 7:30 pm
May 18 @Utah 6:00 pm
Jun. 3 ARIZONA 3:00 pm
Jun. 10 NASHVILLE 3:00 pm
Jun. 17 @Los Angeles 3:30 pm
Jun. 25 SAN JOSE 1:00 pm FSN
THE SERIES: San Jose leads the all-time series 5-2 and is undefeated in three games played in San Jose outscoring the Gladiators 214 to 152...The SaberCats have scored 367 points, an average of 73.4 points per game, in their five wins and just 83 points, an average of 41.5 points per game, in their two losses...Three of San Jose's 25 70-plus point games and two of the team's nine highest scoring games have come against Las Vegas...San Jose QB Mark Grieb has started all seven series games against Las Vegas throwing for 1,911 yards and 31 TDs.
SERIES NOTABLES: The SaberCats have scored at least 66 points in each of their five series wins and scored just 83 points combined in their two losses...In their five wins the SaberCats have scored 20 or more points in a quarter 10 times (20 qtrs.)...San Jose has scored first in each of the last six series games...The combined point total (156) in San Jose's 81-75 win at Las Vegas on Mar. 28, 2005 represents the sixth-highest scoring game in AFL history and the second-highest in San Jose history. The teams also combined for a SaberCats record 60 fourth quarter points...Las Vegas has twice amassed over 400 yards of total offense in the series, including a SaberCats opponent record 456 on Mar. 20, 2004, and has outgained San Jose in five of the seven meetings...San Jose has intercepted at least 1 pass in each series game and has 2 or more in six of the seven games for a total of 15...DB Clevan Thomas has 5 of his 36 career INTs and Omarr Smith has 3 of his 29 career INTs against Las Vegas...QB Mark Grieb has started all seven series games against Las Vegas while the Gladiators' Brian Jones will be the fourth QB to start for Las Vegas against San Jose in the last four series games...Current SaberCats' backup QB Craig Whelihan is one of the four, having started against the SaberCats on Feb. 6, 2006 and leading Las Vegas to its last series win, 51-48, by throwing for four TDs and rushing for two.
LAST SERIES MEETING: SABERCATS 69, Las Vegas 59 - Friday, April 14, 2006 - HP Pavilion - Mark Grieb threw for 388 yards and eight touchdowns and the San Jose SaberCats won their third straight game to even their record at 6-6 on the year with a 69-59 win over the Las Vegas Gladiators (5-7) in an Arena Football League game Friday night. Grieb threw four touchdown passes in the first half to three different receivers and had thrown for 181 yards by the intermission. For the game Grieb completed 28-of-41 passes and reached the 300-yard passing mark for a team record sixth time with the sixth-highest single-game total in team history. Las Vegas rookie QB Jason Fife accounted for six touchdowns by rushing for three and throwing for three more. Fife ran for a pair of scores in the second quarter and threw a 7-yard scoring pass to OS Marcus Nash helping the Gladiators to a 31-28 halftime lead. Fife ran for a game-high 28 yards on eight carries and completed 19-of-34 passes for 205 yards. With the SaberCats clinging to a three point lead early in the fourth quarter, lineman Joe Jacobs sacked Fife and forced a fumble in the Las Vegas endzone that was recovered by Rex Richards for the lineman's first career touchdown increasing San Jose's lead to 55-45 with 12:07 left in the game. Gladiators' Aleric Clark returned the ensuing kickoff 56-yards for a touchdown to reduce the lead back to three points. Grieb threw scoring passes to James Roe and Ben Nelson sandwiched around a 1-yard Joe Douglass touchdown run to close out the scoring. Roe led all receivers with 11 catches for 147 yards and 3 scores while Nelson had a game-high 160 yards and 4 touchdowns on 9 catches.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Gladiators........................ 7 24 14 14 - 59
SaberCats........................ 14 14 13 28 - 69
SCORING SUMMARY
SAN Roe 5 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
LVG Lord 13 pass from Fife (Houle kick)
SAN Nelson 22 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
LVG Fife 1 run (Houle kick)
SAN Pauley 31 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
LVG Fife 3 run (Houle kick)
SAN Nelson 13 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
LVG Nash 7 pass from Fife (Houle kick)
LVG FG Houle 18
SAN Nelson 26 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick failed)
LVG Douglass 43 pass from Fife (Houle kick)
SAN Floyd 2 run (Schmitz kick)
LVG Fife 3 run (Houle kick)
SAN Roe 24 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
SAN Richards 0 fumble recovery (Schmitz kick)
LVG Clark 56 kickoff return (Houle kick)
SAN Roe 13 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
LVG Douglass 1 run (Houle kick)
SAN Nelson 26 pass from Grieb (Schmitz kick)
TEAM STATISTICS LVG SAN
First Downs 21 22
Total Net Yards 246 405
Rush Atts-Net Yards 13-43 7-17
Net Yards Passing 203 388
Comp-Att-Int 19-34-1 28-41-0
KO Returns-Yards 7-191 6-76
MFG Returns-Yards 0-0 0-0
INT for-Yards 0-0 1-11
Penalties-Yards 3-21 8-52
Fumbles-Lost 2-2 0-0
Sacks By-Yards 0-0 1-2
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Passing: LV - Fife 19-34-1-205. SJ - Grieb 28-41-0-388.
Rushing: LV - Fife 6-26; Filer 3-14; Kinsinger 3-2; Douglass 1-1. SJ - Johnson 3-8; Glover 2-6; Floyd 2-3.
Receiving: LV - Lord 9-100; Douglass 4-54; Nash 4-31; Kinsinger 2-20. SJ - Roe 11-147; Nelson 9-160; Pauley 4-44; Floyd 3-24; Johnson 1-13.
Kick Returns: LV - Clark 7-191. SJ - Pauley 6-76.
ALL-TIME SERIES SCORES
Date Score
April 14, 2006 @San Jose 69, Las Vegas 59
Feb. 6, 2006 @Las Vegas 51, San Jose 48
Mar. 28, 2005 San Jose 81, @Las Vegas 75
Feb. 5, 2005 @San Jose 66, Las Vegas 31
May 16, 2004 @Las Vegas 44, San Jose 35
Mar. 20, 2004 @San Jose 79, Las Vegas 62
Mar. 2, 2003 San Jose 72, @Las Vegas 37
THE COACHES
San Jose - Darren Arbet, 9th season
89-40 (.690) reg. season; 99-45 (.688) overall
5-2 (.714) career vs. Las Vegas
0-0 career vs. Danton Barto
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.
Las Vegas - Danton Barto, 1st season
1-9 (.100) reg. season and overall
0-0 career vs. San Jose
0-0 career vs. Darren Arbet
Barto was named Head Coach of the Las Vegas Gladiators on June 18, 2006 after spending the previous five seasons as the Head Coach of the af2's Memphis Xplorers. He compiled a 49-35 regular season record and a 4-2 postseason mark at that level and was the winningest af2 coach over the last three seasons. He was named the af2 Coach of the Year in 2005 as he led the Xplorers to their best season in franchise history; a 13-3 regular season mark, a Midwest Division title and the 2005 ArenaCup Championship. In 2004, Memphis won ten games and earned their first trip to the playoffs, before falling to the eventual champion Florida Firecats on a last second field goal miss. Barto was promoted from defensive coordinator to the head coach position prior to the 2002 season and won his first three games in what turned out to be a 5-11 season. Coach Barto is still considered a University of Memphis legend; he played for the Tigers from 1990-1993. He currently is the only player to be named to the All-American team three different years. He is still ranked number one in career tackles for the University of Memphis with 473. Coach Barto also enjoyed a 5-year professional career in the CFL and AFL leagues. In the CFL, he played for the Shreveport Pirates, Memphis Mad Dogs, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Ottawa Rough Riders. In the AFL, he played for the Connecticut Coyotes in 1996.
2007 TEAM STATISTICAL COMPARISON
Category (Rank) SaberCats Gladiators
Scoring Offense 62.9 (3) 45.7 (19)
Scoring Defense 52.9 (8) 63.5 (18)
Total Offense 323.3 (3) 297.6 (10)
Total Defense 279.7 (3) 313.1 (15)
Pass Offense 311.7 (2) 286.4 (7)
Pass Defense 267.3 (8) 284.3 (14)
Rushing Offense 11.7 (16) 11.2 (17)
Rushing Defense 12.3 (2) 28.8 (19)
Pass Rating 125.2 (4) 102.6 (16)
Pass Defense Rating 112.5 (11) 131.4 (19)
Interceptions 9 (t-9) 4 (t-17)
Kickoff Return Avg. 19.5 (5) 15.4 (17)
Field Goal Return Avg. 10.5 (t-12) 8.0 (16)
Turnover Margin +5 (t-5) -12 (18)
3rd Down Conversions 55.6% (3) 41.1% (18)
4th Down Conversions 71.4% (2) 41.7% (15)
Sacks By 11 (t-6) 5 (t-17)
Sacks Against 10 (t-10) 27 (19)
2007 SABERCATS AMONG AFL LEADERS
Player Category No. Rank
Mark Grieb Pass Avg/Game 317.0 2nd
Mark Grieb Completion Pct. 72.4% 2nd
Mark Grieb Passing TDs 60 5th
Mark Grieb Pass Attempts 352 4th
Mark Grieb Pass Yards 2,853 4th
Mark Grieb Pass Completions 255 2nd
Mark Grieb Passer Rating 125.2 4th
Mark Grieb Total Offense 2,874 4th
Mark Grieb Total Offensive TDs 61 5th
A.J. Haglund Kick Scoring 92 1st
A.J. Haglund FG Percentage 63.6% 1st
A.J. Haglund PAT Percentage 93.4% 4th
A.J. Haglund FGs Made 7 t-7th
A.J. Haglund FG Attempts 11 t-9th
A.J. Haglund PATs Made 71 2nd
A.J. Haglund PAT Attempts 76 2nd
Rodney Wright KOR Average 22.6 4th
Rodney Wright KOR TDs 1 t-7th
Ben Nelson Receptions 89 4th
Ben Nelson Receiving Yards 1,112 4th
Ben Nelson Receiving Yards/Gm 123.6 4th
Ben Nelson Receiving TDs 23 9th
James Roe Scoring (Pts) 156 8th
James Roe Scoring (TDs) 26 8th
James Roe Receiving TDs 26 6th
Marquis Floyd INT Return TDs 1 t-7th
Ron Jones Recovered Fumbles 2 t-6th
Ron Jones Sacks 6.0 t-4th
Ron Jones Tackles for Loss 7.5 t-5th
Clevan Thomas Interceptions 4 t-8th
Clevan Thomas Passes Defended 15 t-8th
Phil Glover Forced Fumbles 3 t-7th
Phil Glover Recovered Fumbles 2 t-6th
Phil Glover Tackles for Loss 5.0 t-10th
Trestin George KOR TDs 1 t-7th
THE IFS...:
If the SaberCats defeat Las Vegas it would...
*Be Darren Arbet's 100th career victory
*Give them a 7-3 season record
*Be their 4th straight win
*Be their 10th straight regular season home win
*Be their 9th straight win over a Western Division rival
*Be their 2nd straight win over Las Vegas
*Keep them undefeated at home against Las Vegas
*Give them a 46-26 regular season record against Western Division opponents
*Give them a 27-11 reg. season home record against Western Division opponents
*Give them a 68-24 regular season home record
*Give them a 119-65 all-time regular season record
*Give them 129-73 all-time record.
RECENT RESULTS:
SaberCats Maintain Division Lead; Defeat Rattlers 56-49
PHOENIX, Ariz. (May 5, 2007) - Mark Grieb threw seven touchdown passes and ran for another lifting the San Jose SaberCats (6-3) to their third straight win with a 56-49 decision over the Arizona Rattlers in an Arena Football League game Saturday night. Grieb, who completed 25-of-35 for 306 yards, connected with James Roe on a 13 yard scoring play on the game's first possession and, following a Clevan Thomas interception, teamed with Ben Nelson on a 12 yard touchdown pass giving San Jose a 14-0 first quarter lead. San Jose maintained its two touchdown lead throughout the contest and never trailed in winning its fourth straight over the Rattlers. Arizona (2-8) was led by veteran quarterback Sherdrick Bonner, who overcame a shaky start to finish 22-of-37 passing for 252 yards and six touchdowns, three to back-up receiver and former SaberCat Atnaf Harris. He also tossed an interception and was sacked for just the second time this season. Roe had a game-high 128 receiving yards and four touchdowns on eight catches while Nelson scored three times on seven receptions with 103 yards. Jason Geathers had a career-high 10 receptions. Defensive end Ron Jones tallied his 6th sack of the season and just the second of Bonner this season. He now has three sacks in the last two games and he helped San Jose limit Arizona to just 245 yards of offense. The SaberCats scored a touchdown on each of their first eight possessions and totaled 301 yards of offense to snap a 3-game road losing streak.
MILESTONE WATCH
Name Milestone Needs
Darren Arbet 100 career wins 1
Ben Nelson 50 career TD receptions 1
Ben Nelson 200 career receptions 17
Ben Nelson 3rd place career 100-yd games 2
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 4
Clevan Thomas 300.0 career total tackles 2.0
Omarr Smith 30 career INTs 1
Omarr Smith 300.0 tackles SJ career 5.0
Matt Kinsinger 35 career rush TDs 1
Matt Kinsinger SJ career rushing leader 43
Mark Grieb 2,500 career completions 103
Mark Grieb 600 career TD passes 25
Brian Johnson 100 career rush attempts 5
Brian Johnson 20 career receptions 3
Brian Johnson 25 career rush TDs 2
Brian Johnson 5th place career rush attempts 10
Brian Johnson 9th place career rush yards 13
Brian Johnson 200 career receiving yards 9
Craig Whelihan 110 career pass TDs 1
Craig Whelihan 6,000 career pass yds 124
Jason Geathers 300 career receiving yds 5
James Roe 200 career TD receptions 13
Phil Glover 100.0 career total tackles 13.0
Ron Jones 10.0 career sacks 3.0
George Williams 50 career solo tackles 3
Trestin George 500 kickoff return yards 59
TRENDS:
HOME SWEET HOME - The SaberCats own a 4-0 record this season in games played at HP Pavilion and dating back to last season they have won 10 straight regular season home games. San Jose upped its record to 67-24 (.736) in regular season home games and 76-28 (.731) overall in games at HP with a 69-48 win over Utah on Apr. 28. Under head coach Darren Arbet the SaberCats improved to 53-11 (.828) in regular season home games. San Jose's last regular season home loss was a 75-61 defeat to Los Angeles on Mar. 12, 2006.
HOW THE WEST IS WON - The SaberCats conclude their stretch of four straight games against Western Division opponents with Saturday's game against Las Vegas. San Jose won the first three games and is a perfect 4-0 against divisional foes this season. Including their playoff win over Arizona last season the SaberCats have won 8 straight games over teams from the Western Division and have a 45-26 (.634) regular season record against them. At home San Jose is 26-11 (.703) against teams from its division.
JUST WIN BABY! - San Jose's success on its home turf can be attributed to the success QB Mark Grieb has enjoyed. During his career as the SaberCats' starting QB the team is 47-7 (.870) at HP Pavilion. Grieb has played a total of 56 regular season games as a SaberCat on the HP turf throwing for 14,887 yards on 1,167-of-1,693 (68.9%) passing with 290 TDs and just 31 INTs. His career passer rating at home stands at 128.1.
FIRST DOWN SABERCATS - This season, the SaberCats are converting both 3rd down and 4th down at the highest pace in the past three seasons. On 3rd down plays, Mark Grieb has been able to answer on 56% of them (30 of 54) and on 4th down situations, San Jose is a remarkable 10 of 14 (71%). How does this compare with the past two seasons? In 2006, the SaberCats finished the year connecting on 49% of their 3rd down plays (53-108) and was 12 of 29 for 41% on 4th down conversions. In 2005, 3rd downs were transformed into 1st downs or touchdowns at a 44% clip (31 of 71) and 4th down calls went for the sticks 54% of the time (14 of 26). Surprisingly, last week, Grieb called two 'long-distance' plays on 4th down and each went for touchdowns.
WHAT'S THE POINT - If you think conversions are crucial catch the offensive fireworks the SaberCats have been able to generate on various winning runs during the seasons. For example, the SaberCats have won five of their last six games scoring a total of 393 points. That's 65.5 points per contest in each of the six, compared 62.9 for all games. Last year, when San Jose finished the season on a seven-game win streak, the team averaged 61.0 points in that run. In 2005, when the SaberCats, in an 8-game stretch won 7 times, they averaged 65.1 points on a total of 521. As you can see, points are everything in the AFL.
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 won the turnover battle in Arizona (+1) and not surprisingly came away with a 56-49 win on May 5. In their six wins this season the SaberCats are +11 in turnover margin and are -6 in their three losses. At home the SaberCats are +12 while they are -7 on the road.
DOIN' THE D - They say defense wins championships, even in the high-scoring AFL. If that's the case the SaberCats are rolling. For the 3rd straight game, and the 6th time this season, San Jose held its opponent to fewer than 50 points in a 56-49 win at Arizona on May 5, holding the Rattlers 9.7 points below their season average of 58.7. Against Utah on Apr. 28, the SaberCats kept the Blaze 19.8 points below their league-best average of 67.8 entering the game. San Jose limited the Avengers to 49 points, 2.3 below their season average, in a 73-49 win on Apr. 21.
CLOSE THE DEAL - For the 6th time this year the SaberCats held a lead heading into the fourth quarter when they were up 42-35 over Arizona on May 5, and for the 6th time they posted a victory. San Jose held on for a 56-49 win over the Rattlers and won for the 12th straight time when leading after three quarters of play. San Jose last blew a lead after three quarters back on Feb. 26, 2006 in a 54-48 overtime loss at Chicago. The SaberCats have an all-time record of 95-12 (.888) when holding a lead into the final frame.
NICE VIEW - If you're not the lead dog the view is always the same. Well, the SaberCats have had a pretty nice view during their current 3-game winning streak. During their current run the SaberCats have never trailed and were tied just twice, that coming in the same game against Los Angeles on Apr. 21. In each of the last two games San Jose has jumped out to a 14-0 lead and never looked back.
YOU SCORE YOU WIN - Such has been the motto for San Jose in the series with Las Vegas. In their five wins the SaberCats have scored 367 points for an average of over 73 points a game while scoring just 83 points in two losses, an average 41.5 ppg. San Jose has scored 66 or more points in all five wins and has topped the 70-point mark three times.
ACCOUNTABILITY - Mark Grieb was responsible for all 8 TDs by throwing for 7 and rushing for another in San Jose's 56-49 win at Arizona on May 5. Covering the last two games Grieb has been accountable for each of the last 12 San Jose TDs. The last time Grieb was not involved in a San Jose TD was early in the 3rd quarter against Utah on Apr. 28 when Brian Johnson scored on a 3-yard run. Grieb completed the 69-48 win over the Blaze by throwing 4 TD passes over the third and fourth quarters.
NOTES:
LOGGING MILEAGE - A couple of SaberCat veterans reached milestones in career games played on May 5 at Arizona. DB Omarr Smith suited up in his 90th career AFL game and lineman Dan Loney put on the green and gold for his 70th career game as a SaberCat and his 25th consecutive game as the starting center. Both Smith and Loney were integral components of the '02 and '04 championship teams, and Smith has played all but 16 (Tampa Bay, 2003) of his AFL games as a SaberCat. Smith ranks in the top 20 on the league's career INT chart and was a first-team All-AFL selection in 2004. Loney has been the bridge between Mark Grieb and the ball for the past five years and he was voted as the team's Lineman of the Year in 2006.
99 AFL WINS ON THE WALL - San Jose head coach Darren Arbet collected his 99th career win with his team's 56-49 victory over the Rattlers on May 5, leaving him one shy of becoming the 5th head coach in AFL history with 100 wins. Arbet could join the Century Club this Saturday against the Las Vegas Gladiators. Arbet has coached in 144 games to date and will be the 3rd fastest coach to reach the 100-win mark after Tim Marcum did it in 124 games and Danny White captured his 100th in 143 contests. It took Colorado's Mike Daily 165 games to earn his 100th win and Chicago's Mike Hohensee did it in 193 games. Arbet owns a 5-2 record against the Las Vegas Gladiators.
CAREER COACHING RECORDS
Rk. Coach (Year) Team Record
1. Tim Marcum (19th) Tampa Bay 184-83
2. Danny White (15th) Utah 153-80
3. Mike Hohensee (14th) Chicago 114-95
4. Mike Dailey (11th) Colorado 105-68
5. Darren Arbet (9th) San Jose 99-45
BEN-IFICIAL - Ben Nelson has been the primary beneficiary of Mark Grieb's 2,853 passing yards through nine games in 2007. He has caught more than 100 yards in nine straight games this season, including his latest performance of 7 catches for 102 yards and 3 TDs against Arizona on May 5. Nelson also eclipsed the 2,500-yard mark for his career (2,517) and passed Titus Dixon to claim 7th place on the SaberCats all-time receiving yards chart. Nelson ranks 4th in the league with 1,112 receiving yards and continues on his pace to shatter James Hundon's 2002 team record of 1,464. His yardage total this season already ranks 13th on the SaberCats' single season list and his reception total at this point (89) ties Steve Papin for 8th place. Nelson's 89 catches ranks 3rd in the AFL and at his current clip of over 9 catches per game, he would destroy the San Jose team record of 116 set by James Roe in 2005 by nearly 40 receptions.
MOST RECEIVING YARDS, TEAM, CAREER
Rank Player Rcv Yards
1. James Roe (2000-07) 7,631
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
6. Jerry Reese (1995-96, 99-04) 3,485
7. Ben Nelson (2006-07) 2,517
8. Titus Dixon (1995-97) 2,423
GEATHERING CATCHES - Jason Geathers has fit into the SaberCats' offensive system nicely since taking over for the injured Rodney Wright, who was placed on IR with a leg injury. At Arizona on May 5, Geathers set career-highs with 10 catches and 86 yards and has established new career-bests in both categories in each of his three starts since being inserted into the lineup. He took over the starting role on offense against Los Angeles on Apr. 21 and has amassed 222 yards and 2 TDs on 23 receptions. Defensively, Geathers was the starting JLB for 5 of the SaberCats' first 6 games and has recorded 19 tackles (3.5 TFL), a PBU and a fumble recovery on the year.
MOVIN' ON UP - With his 4th INT of the year, coming at Arizona on May 5, Clevan Thomas moved into a three-way tie for 9th place on the AFL all-time interceptions list with 36. Current Rattler Randy Gatewood and Carlos James also have 36 career INTs. Only 12 INTs separate Thomas from the 3rd place incumbent, Barry Wagner, who picked off 48 passes in his career. Thomas's 4 INTs in 2007 leads the team and puts him in a tie for 8th place on the league leaders list - also with 4 INTs is the AFL's career leader, Kansas City's Kenny McEntyre, who has 68 INTs in his 10 AFL seasons.
MOST INTERCEPTIONS, AFL, CAREER
Rank Player INTs
1. Kenny McEntyre, Kansas City 68
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 38
8. Tracey Perkins, None 37
9. Clevan Thomas, San Jose 36
Randy Gatewood, Arizona 36
Carlos James, None 36
ROE-LIFIC - James Roe, the team's all-time leader in receptions, yards and touchdowns, reached yet another milestone in his illustrious career by becoming the 17th player in AFL history with 600 career catches during San Jose's win at Arizona on May 5. Roe hauled in 8 passes, upping his total to 606, for 128 yards and 4 TDs in the 56-49 win over the Rattlers. Roe is the only SaberCat to register more than 600 receptions and is 266 catches ahead of 2nd place Barry Wagner. Roe is currently 2nd on the team in receptions (73) and receiving yards (815), but leads the squad with 26 TDs - which ranks 5th among AFL leaders. 'The Difference' also played in his 92nd career game as a member of San Jose's arena franchise, tying Barry Wagner for 2nd place on the team's games played list - Mark Grieb holds the record with 120 games and counting. On April 14 against Las Vegas in 2006, Roe posted the 9th highest receiving total of his career with 147 yards.
MOST PASS RECEPTIONS, AFL, CAREER
Rank Player, Team Recpts
1. Barry Wagner, None 991
2. Eddie Brown, None 950
3. Lawrence Samuels, Tampa Bay 847
4. Cory Fleming, None 846
5. Greg Hopkins, None 842
6. Damian Harrell, Colorado 838
7. Darryl Hammond, None 804
8. Chris Jackson, Georgia 798
9. Mike Horacek, New York 787
10. Hunkie Cooper, None 776
11. Gary Compton, None 750
12. Randy Gatewood, Arizona 687
13. Siaha Burley, Utah 658
14. George LaFrance, None 629
15. Alvin Ashley, None 628
16. Calvin Schexnayder, None 626
17. James Roe, San Jose 606
GETTING GRIEBY - Mark Grieb had his 35th career 300-yard passing game when he amassed 306 in a 56-49 win at Arizona on May 5, marking the 5th time he's reached the plateau this season, matching his 2005 record for the 2nd most in a single-season. Grieb also holds the top spot with eight 300-yard games last season. Grieb currently ranks 4th in the AFL with 2,853 passing yards on the year and is 2nd in the league averaging 317.0 yards per contest. Grieb's QB rating also continues to elevate as he has cut down on his INT rate by not throwing a pick in his last 122 attempts. Not normally one to take off with the ball, Grieb scrambled for his first rushing TD of the season at Arizona as well. He has not had a TD on the ground since Mar. 28, 2005, when he ran for a 6-yard score against the Las Vegas Gladiators.
RUNNING MAN - Brian Johnson carried the ball four times at Arizona on May 5 propelling him past Joey Dozier (91) into 6th place on the team's career rush attempts chart with 95. Johnson is just 10 attempts shy of taking the 5th spot from Mike Jones, who played with San Jose from 1998-2002. Johnson is also poised to pass the AFL career rushing leader Bob McMillen for the 9th most career rushing yards by a SaberCat. McMillen sits on the list with 224 yards and Johnson needs 13 yards to surpass him. Despite missing the first four games of the season, Johnson leads the team in rushing with 64 yards and 7 TDs on 31 carries.
MOST RUSH ATTEMPTS, TEAM, CAREER
Rank Player, Team Attempts
1. Derrick Chachere (1995-97, 99-00) 154
2. Steve Papin (1997-01) 145
3. Barry Wagner (2000-06) 136
4. Matt Kinsinger (2002-05, 07) 134
5. Mike Jones (1998-02) 104
6. Brian Johnson (2003-04, 06-07) 95
BLOCK PARTY - Steve Watson might be confused with Ben Wallace with the number of blocks he's put up in the last two weeks. Watson blocked an Arizona FG attempt at the end of the 1st half on May 5, and registered the first block of his career on Apr. 28 against Utah when he rejected a Steve Videtich PAT attempt. He became just the 3rd player in team history with a blocked FG and PAT in the same season - the last player to do it was Phil Glover in 2006. Watson has played big minutes in his rookie AFL season, starting 3 games at the JLB position for San Jose, accounting for 21.5 total tackles. He missed 4 games on IR after sustaining a broken wrist at Georgia on Mar. 24 and will play the remainder of the season with a soft cast.
PAPER OR PLASTIC - After further review it was determined that Ron Jones should have been credited with 2.0 sacks against Utah on Apr. 28, instead of the team record 3.0 he was originally given. A hiccup in the statistical process took a sack away from Jones after the Elias Sports Bureau, the official stats partner of the AFL, ruled that Blaze QB Joe Germaine 'gave himself up' on a pass play where he fumbled the football. Although Jones was given a tackle and tackle for loss on the play; the sack was not awarded. Jones made up for the stat gaffe by claiming his 6th sack of the year in San Jose's win at Arizona on May 5. The Jones sack of Rattlers' QB Sherdrick Bonner was just the 2nd of the year allowed by the Arizona line. Jones' sack total for the year ranks tied for the 4th best in the AFL and is the third-highest single-season total in SaberCats history. Jones will go against a Las Vegas offensive line on Saturday that has allowed a league-worst 27 sacks on the season.
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 03, 99, 98 5.0
AGAINST ARIZONA: Head coach Darren Arbet won his 99th career game...Clevan Thomas' 1st quarter INT was the 36th of his career moving him into a tie for 9th place all-time...James Roe had his 600th career reception (606)...Mark Grieb had his 35th career 300-yard passing game and has not thrown an INT in his last 122 pass attempts...Ben Nelson topped the 2,500 career receiving yard mark and had his 9th straight 100-yard game...Brian Johnson moved ahead of Joey Dozier (91) into 6th place on the team's career rush attempts list with 95...Omarr Smith played in his 90th career AFL game...Dan Loney started for the 25th straight time at center and played in his 70th career game...Jason Geathers had his 1st 10+ reception game...Steve Watson blocked an Arizona FG attempt at the end of the 1st half and became just the 3rd player in team history with a blocked FG and PAT in the same season...San Jose defeated the Rattlers for the 4th straight time and now own a 16-14 all-time edge in the series...Former SaberCat Atnaf Harris caught a career-high 3 TD passes while Art Smith, Kevin McKenzie, Albrey Battle and Jeff Ruffin, all former San Jose players, suited up for Arizona.
LAS VEGAS PLAYERS TO WATCH:
QB BRIAN JONES - After the failed Shaun King experiment in Las Vegas, the Gladiators tabbed AFL rookie Brian Jones as the starting quarterback in 2007. Since taking over as the signal-caller in Week 7, the former Toledo standout has provided solid production to a depleted offensive team. In 5 career AFL games at QB, Jones has completed 118-of-175 pass attempts for 1,380 yards and 22 TDs. Jones enjoyed the best game of his young career when he made his first start against a stout Georgia Force defense on Apr. 15. He threw for 366 yards, 8 TDs and no INTs (143.69 rating) in a 68-69 losing effort where the Gladiators were posted as 21-point underdogs. Jones leads the team in rushing TDs with six, but has been sacked a league leading 17 times - an average of 3.4 sacks per game. This will be the first time the San Jose SaberCats have faced Jones.
WR THABITI DAVIS - A member of the All-Rookie team in 2003, Davis is in his 5th AFL season and has emerged as the Gladiators' top offensive threat this season. He began his indoor career with the Orlando Predators and has spent time with New Orleans, Detroit and Columbus. In two games against San Jose, Davis has recorded 10 catches for 86 yards and 2 TDs; he has also notched 3 tackles on defense. Playing in all 10 games for Las Vegas in 2007, the former Wake Forest Demon Deacon leads the team with 76 receptions, 814 yards receiving and 12 TDs. Against the Avengers on May 6, Davis racked up 137 yards with 2 TDs on 13 catches.
DB EARTHWIND MORELAND - Named after the 70's band Earth, Wind & Fire, Moreland was a member of the 2004 NFL Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. He spent five years in the NFL between four teams before making the switch to Arena Football in 2006. Moreland began his AFL career with the Georgia Force in 2006 but played in only three games his rookie season. In 10 games with the Gladiators in 2007, Moreland is the number one defensive playmaker - leading the team with 44.5 tackles, 3 INTs, 9 PBUs and a couple of forced fumbles. His finest game of his career came in Las Vegas's only win of the season against Grand Rapids on Mar. 8 when Moreland accounted for 9 tackles and 2 fourth quarter INTs to help secure the victory.
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) QB Mark Grieb, San Jose
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) DB Clevan Thomas, San Jose
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) FB/LB Phil Glover, San Jose
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 5-1 35-15
50-59 points 1-1 38-14 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 1-0 37-32
by 3 or fewer points 0-2 15-22
Leading after the 1st 6-0 74-19
Trailing after the 1st 0-2 24-32
Tied after the 1st 0-1 20-14
Leading at Half 6-0 88-17
Trailing at Half 0-2 26-42
Tied at Half 0-1 4-6
Leading after the 3rd 6-0 95-12
Trailing after the 3rd 0-3 19-49
Tied after the 3rd 0-0 4-4
Scoring First 5-1 70-32
Opp. Score First 1-2 48-33
More Total Offense 4-2 83-36
Less Total Offense 2-1 35-29
More Pass Yards 4-2 73-37
Less Pass Yards 2-1 45-27
Equal Pass Yards 0-0 0-1
More Rushing Yards 5-0 100-28
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 4-1 61-25
Sunday games 1-0 18-17
Monday games 0-0 2-2
vs. Western Division 4-0 45-26
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 5-2
Outscoring Opponent 6-0 118-0
Being Outscored 0-3 0-65
Records are for regular season games.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 8, 2007
- San Jose SaberCats game notes - San Jose SaberCats
- Introducing Soul Rewards - Philadelphia Soul
- Columbus Destroyers Weekly - Columbus Destroyers
- Bobby Sippio Named Offensive Player Of The Week - Chicago Rush
- Williams makes plays on both sides, earns AFL Ironman of the Week - Kansas City Brigade
- Jason Stewart honored as AFL "Defensive Player of the Week" - Los Angeles Avengers
- New York Dragons game notes - New York Dragons
- Gladiators to Visit Easter Seals Adaptive Program - Las Vegas Gladiators
- Chicago's Sippio, Los Angeles' Stewart, And Kansas City's Williams Earn Week 10 Honors - AFL I
- Samuels reaches milestones - Tampa Bay Storm
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
