Georgia Force finish regular season 10-6 with 68-62 loss to San Jose
Sunday June 22, 2008
SAN JOSE, CA – The 2008 Southern Division Champion, Georgia Force, fell to the San Jose SaberCats 68-62 in their regular season finale. Georgia’s offensive attack was led by WR Carl Morris and QB Chris Greisen. Morris hauled in 10 catches for 182 yards with four touchdowns and Greisen completed 23 of 33 passes for 390 yards with eight touchdowns, but their efforts were not enough as the Force finished the regular season 10-6. Georgia’s season finished in close to the same fashion in 2005, when the team lost at San Jose 54-48 to finish off the regular season, but ended up advancing to ArenaBowl XIX by winning their first National Conference Championship. Georgia will begin to travel the road to ArenaBowl XXII when they host a Divisional Round Playoff Game on Monday, July 7 at 8 p.m. in The Arena at Gwinnett Center.
Georgia and San Jose battled to a 14-14 tie as the first quarter came to a close. The Force opened the contest with a five-play scoring drive that was capped off with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Greisen to rookie WR Tiger Jones. The SaberCats responded with a 15-yard pass from Grieb to WR Cleannord Saintil to take a 7-6 advantage early in the first quarter. Following a one-yard touchdown run by FB/LB Matt Huebner, K Carlos Martinez tossed a pass to Huebner in the back of the endzone for the two-point conversion. Saintil and Grieb combined for the San Jose’s final score of the quarter on a four-yard pass.
In the second quarter the two teams combined for five turnovers and entered half time tied a 35. Greisen added three touchdown passes in the quarter with one going to Jones and the other two found Morris. Sandwich between the three touchdown passes were two interceptions, with the second one being returned 35 yards for a score by DB Clevan Thomas. The Force defense forced two fumbles in the quarter, but only managed to score on one of them. Greisen’s 46-yard strike to Morris ended the scoring in the quarter and helped the Force regain some of the momentum heading into the second half.
Georgia held a 56-55 lead over San Jose as the third quarter came to a close. Each team scored three touchdowns in the quarter, but a missed PAT by SaberCats K A.J. Haglund had San Jose trailing. Greisen and Morris connected on two occasions in the quarter, bringing the duo’s total to four in the game. Greisen’s other touchdown pass of the quarter was to WR Charles Pauley from xx yards out.
The Force was outscored in the final quarter of action 13-6 as the SaberCats held on for the 68-62 win. A late interception by Greisen proved to be the difference as Thomas tallied his second of the game for San Jose.
