San Jose SaberCats vs. Spokane Shock Game Preview

Thursday June 4, 2015

(SAN JOSE, Calif.)- The San Jose SaberCats (10-0, 3-0) head into week 11 unbeaten and will host Pacific Division foe, the Spokane Shock (3-6, 0-2) at the SAP Center on Friday, June 5th with kickoff at 7:30PM PDT.

San Jose is coming off a 61-42 victory over the Portland Thunder, improving to 3-0 in the Pacific Division;
while Spokane lost a heartbreaking game against the Arizona Rattlers, 59-47 after tying the game with less than two minutes remaining.

In the previous meeting between these two teams three weeks ago, the SaberCats were led by quarterback Nathan Stanley, who threw for eight touchdowns and added another on the ground in an 83-28 lopsided win in Spokane. After returning to the starting lineup from an injury, quarterback Erik Meyer has thrown 16 touchdowns over the past two games and ranks fourth in the Arena Football League with 49 touchdowns on the season. With the 2013 AFL Most Valuable Player settling into a grove under center, the SaberCats’ offense ranks first in the AFL, scoring an average of 61.2 points per game. The game against the Shock will be the first time Meyer squares off against his former team, where he spent the first five years of his AFL career.

The leading man for San Jose receivers this season has been wide receiver Reggie Gray. Over the past two outings, Gray has totaled a combined 338 receiving yards, posting five touchdowns in each game. Gray currently leads the AFL, with 24 receiving touchdowns and has also returned three kickoffs for a touchdown. The SaberCats’ can attribute much of their offensive output to the playmaking ability of “Big Play” Reggie Gray. Gray and the rest of the SaberCats’ receivers will have an opportunity to put up another great performance against Spokane’s defense.

Not to be overlooked, the San Jose defense also leads the AFL, surrendering just 37.9 points per game. Leading the Arena Football League with nine interceptions and 72 tackles in 2015, defensive back Ken Fontenette had his best game of the season against Spokane in week eight. Fontenette intercepted Shock quarterback Warren Smith on three occasions, returning one for a 16-yard interception.

Coming off of his best performance of the season for the Shock last week against the Rattlers, wide receiver Samuel Charles was Smith’s favorite target, grabbing 14 receptions for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Anthony Amos and Nick Truesdell also has been a spark for the Shock offense. Amos has 10 touchdowns in eight games and last week against the Rattlers, he totaled 10 receptions for 92 yards. Truesdell (6’7 240), is an extreme mismatch for most teams, specifically in the red zone. Last week, he had had six receptions for 78 yards with four of those going for touchdowns. The SaberCats’ league leading secondary will have another litmus test against the Shock receivers.

Against San Jose’s ferocious defensive attack, Smith was erratic in his only game against the SaberCats, throwing three interceptions, being sacked four times and was unable to convert on a fourth-down (0-4). However, Smith, the 2014 Professional Indoor Football League MVP, has thrown for 13 touchdowns in the past two games. Last week against the Arizona Rattlers, Smith threw for 319 yards, rushed for 42 more and had seven total touchdowns, while the Shock were outscored 12-0 in the final minute, after tying Arizona at 47-47. With such a close call last week, expect Spokane to come out strong, as they battle down the stretch for a potential playoff berth.

This season, San Jose has won every game by an average margin of 23.3 points per game. After the blowout 83-28 victory over Spokane less than a month ago, the SaberCats cannot rely on their past success, as anything can happen in the indoor war on any given Friday.

The game can be found on ESPN3 or heard on KDOW 1220AM radio.

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 Twitter and Instagram for all the latest news on the team.