San Jose SaberCats vs Las Vegas Outlaws Preview

Friday May 8, 2015

 (San Jose,Calif.)- The San Jose SaberCats (6-0) return home to take on the Las Vegas Outlaws (3-2) on Saturday, May 9th at 7:30PM PDT.

This will be the first time the expansion Outlaws play at the SAP Center and a rematch of the season opener, in which San Jose defeated Las Vegas, 59-41.

The SaberCats remained unbeaten and at the top of the National Conference after defeating rival Arizona Rattlers, 56-34 last week. In a gritty battle, San Jose proved its toughness and ability to finish games strong, outscoring Arizona 22-7 in the second half.

Leading the SaberCats offense is wide receiver Reggie Gray. This season, he has 10 receiving touchdowns and also carries into the matchup a streak of three straight games with a kickoff return for a touchdown. Gray's impact as a kick returner has helped propel the SaberCats, now averaging 56.2 points per game this season.

Alongside Gray, wide receiver D.J. Stephens has been a difference maker for the San Jose offense over the past month. The 2012 Arena Football League Rookie of the Year has averaged 98.2 receiving yards per game and has hauled in seven touchdowns in four games with the Sabercats. In order to remain undefeated, San Jose will need to rely on its playmakers to continue to put up flashy numbers.

The SaberCats defense continues to lead the league in almost every statistical category. With five defensive players recorded at least two sacks, including four from both Jason Stewart and Rodney Fritz, the tenacity of this unit has provided constant pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

Meanwhile, the SaberCats secondary has been able to be just as effective as the defensive front. Defensive backs Eric Crocker and Ken Fontenette have each recorded two interceptions, while David Hyland leads the way with three. Fontenette is also leading the league with 41.5 tackles. Regardless of where a team has tried to move against the formidable SaberCats defense, the balance of the unit makes it one of the greatest this league has seen in recent years.

The Outlaws are coming off a 49-16 victory over the Los Angeles KISS, in the "Rockstar Rivalry" to remain in second place in the West Division. Quarterback J.J. Raterink has been extremely efficient passing the ball to an array of receivers. After throwing an interception against the SaberCats in the season opener, Raterink has only thrown one in the last four games. Jomo Wilson, the leading receiver for the Outlaws has nine touchdowns on the season and is starting to become his quarterback’s favorite target.

Defensively, the Outlaws held the KISS to a total of 16 points, scoreless in the second half and totaled five sacks. Las Vegas is led by a pair of former SaberCats in defensive back Tanner Varner and defensive lineman Terrance Carter. Varner, earned First Team All-Arena honors in 2014 as a member of the Orlando Predators and has continued to be a force in the secondary as the Outlaws leader in tackles. Carter has been a disruptive force on the defensive line this season and is already more than halfway to his sack total of last season with 4.5 in just five games.

This matchup will undoubtedly be a test of both teams ability to score the ball against talented defensive units. For that a physical and hard-fought game is expected at the SAP Center on Saturday night.

-Dan Dibley and Steve Papin will have the call on ESPN3 http://es.pn/1Q89phX

ABOUT THE SAN JOSE SABERCATS
The ArenaBowl XVI, XVIII and XXI champion San Jose SaberCats finished their 19th season in the AFL with a Pacific Division Title after making their return in 2011. Fans and sponsors can go to sanjosesabercats.com or call 408-673-3400 to sign up to receive the latest news and updates about the SaberCats, as well as to purchase 2015 season tickets. Make sure to follow the SaberCats on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest news on the team.