San Jose SaberCats Meet Dallas Desperados
March 18, 2008 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release
THE QUICK FACTS: Game: Dallas Desperados (3-0) at SaberCats (2-1). Date: Saturday, March 22, 2008. Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. (PT). Site: HP Pavilion at San Jose (14,041). Officials: Referee: Dennis Lipski; Umpire: Rick Nelson; Head Linesman: Brent Durbin; Line Judge: Darrel Leftwich; Back Judge: Reggie Smith. Television: FSN Bay Area will show the game as part of the AFL's regional television package tape-delayed on Sunday, March 23 at 9:30 a.m. (PT). Rich Cellini (play-by-play), Mike Pawlawski (color) and Chris Townsend (sideline) bring all the action. Radio: San Jose's flagship station KNBR-1050 will broadcast the game live with Bob Fitzgerald and Keena Turner. Dan Dibley and Ray Woodson will host a 2-hour pre-game show live from HP Pavilion starting at 5:00 p.m. Opening Line: N/A Internet: A live webcast is available at www.KNBR.com. Series Record: SaberCats lead 3-2 (All regular season games). Last Meeting: SaberCats 83, Dallas 71 (Regular season game; April 15, 2005 in HP Pavilion). Series Streak: SaberCats Won 1. Coaches: San Jose, Darren Arbet (10th season; 98-41 regular season, 111-46 overall). Dallas, Will McClay (5th season season; 45-21-1 regular season, 47-24-1 overall). MEDIA CONTACTS: San Jose, Phil Simon (wk: 408.573.5587; cell: 408.234.4677; email: psimon@sanjosesabercats.com). Dallas, Joe Trahan (wk: 214.647.4552; cell: 985.778.9896; email: jtrahan@dallascowboys.net).
OVERVIEW: The SaberCats posted their 15th straight regular season home win and defeated the Arizona Rattlers for the 6th consecutive time with a 63-43 decision on Mar. 15 before 13,625 fans in their home opener. San Jose will now face the two-time defending Eastern Division champion Dallas Desperados on Saturday, Mar. 22. San Jose's flagship radio station KNBR 1050 will begin coverage from HP Pavilion at 5:00 p.m. with an extended 2-hour pre-game show with hosts Dan Dibley and Ray Woodson. FSN Bay Area will show the game tape-delayed at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, Mar. 23...The SaberCats and Desperados will be meeting for the first time since the 2005 season when they combined for the third-highest scoring game in San Jose history, an 83-71 SaberCats victory on Apr. 15...Dallas will be without the services of QB Clint Dolezel, who sustained a shoulder injury during the first game of the year and was placed on IR. Chris Sanders gets the nod in his place...The Desperados broke San Jose's 2002 league record of 13 wins in a season last year by winning 15 games, however they were upset by Columbus in the Divisional Playoff round...San Jose's current regular season home win streak is the second-longest in AFL history to only the Orlando Predators 19-game stretch from 1992 thru 1995.
THE SERIES Two of the AFL powerhouse franchises will be meeting for the 6th time overall and the first time since the 2005 season...San Jose owns a 3-2 series lead and has won both games played in San Jose, including the last meeting between the teams, 83-71, on Apr. 15, 2005...The SaberCats have scored 160 points (80 ppg) in their 2 HP Pavilion wins over Dallas.
SERIES NOTABLES The teams met twice during the 2002 season when Dallas was a member of the Western Division...The Desperados allowed a team record point total in their 83-71 loss in San Jose on Apr. 15, 2005. It was also San Jose's 3rd-highest total and the third-most combined points in SaberCats history...The SaberCats amassed a team record 32 first downs in their 67-64 loss at Dallas on Apr. 6, 2003...San Jose's 257 combined kick return yards against Dallas on Apr. 15, 2005 established a team record and two players (Rodney Wright 227, Rashied Davis 201) accumulated over 200 all-purpose yards in a game for just the 2nd time in franchise history...San Jose's Mark Grieb has started all five previous series contests throwing for 1,431 yards and 30 TDs, but he has tossed at least one INT in each game. His 400th career TD pass came against Dallas on Apr. 15, 2005. Entering Saturday's game Grieb has 629 career TD passes...Chris Sanders will be the 5th QB to start for Dallas in the series joining Andy Kelly (twice in â02), Jim Kubiak ('03), Glen Gauntt ('04) and Clint Stoerner ('05)...James Roe has twice caught 4 TD passes in his 3 career games against Dallas and has totaled 22 receptions for 281 yards in those games...Dallas OL Troy Reddick started the final 7 regular season games and all 3 playoff games for San Jose last year...The SaberCats have scored 48 TDs in their 5 games against Dallas with all but one being an offensive score. San Jose has scored 17 rushing TDs and Mark Grieb has thrown 30 TD passes. The only other score was a 57-yard KO return by Clevan Thomas in the first game between the clubs on May 25, 2002.
LAST SERIES MEETING SABERCATS EDGE DALLAS 83-71 Grieb Tosses 400th Career TD Pass SAN JOSE, Calif. (Apr. 15, 2005) - Mark Grieb tossed a season-high eight TD passes, including the 400th of his AFL career, and the SaberCats (7-4) posted their second highest point total in team history with an 83-71 win over Dallas (6-4-1). Grieb threw a pair of scoring passes in each quarter and finished the game 20-of-25 for 267 yards with an interception. His 7-yard strike to Rodney Wright to open the scoring just over two-and-a-half minutes in was the 400th of his career.
The Desperados took their only lead of the game at the start of the second quarter when Clint Stoerner connected with Jason Shelley on an 11-yard pass play and kicker Carlos Martinez added the PAT for a 21-20 lead. Grieb teamed with James Roe on a 32-yard pass play just 1:05 later to help San Jose take a lead it would not relinquish. Roe and Rashied Davis each had seven receptions and scored a combined seven times on the night. Barry Wagner, playing his first game in nearly two months, scored a pair of rushing TDs in the fourth quarter, including a 2-yard plunge with 50 seconds left in the fourth to supply the final margin of victory.
After a rough first half, Dallas QB Clint Stoerner completed 12-of-17 second half pass attempts for 208 yards and four TDs to keep the Desperados within striking distance. He ended the night 22-of-38 for 326 yards. Will Pettis led Dallas with a game-high 10 catches for 120 yards and a TD. San Jose's point total tied for the second-highest in team history and the combined total of 154 was the third highest in a game in franchise history. San Jose reached the 80-point mark for the sixth time in club history. Rookie WR/DB Rodney Wright earned game Ironman honors after a career-high 227 all-purpose yards and 9.5 tackles. Lineman Joe Jacobs had career sack No. 12.5 as a SaberCat to move into sole possession of 2nd place on the team's all-time list.
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