SaberCats hope history repeats
Andy Lopusnak
Saturday April 12, 2008
Last season, the San Jose SaberCats lost their sixth game of the season at New Orleans falling to 3-3 on the season, but then went on to win 13 straight en route to winning ArenaBowl XXI. This season, San Jose again lost in the Crescent City to the VooDoo to drop to 3-3. Unlike last season when the SaberCats played a 3-3 Los Angeles team in game seven, San Jose will face an undefeated Philadelphia (6-0) squad that boasts the league’s top scoring offense unit (65.7 points per game) and top kickoff return unit (20.0 yards per return), as well as best unit that league’s the league in sacks (12).
The SaberCats have had the toughest schedule through the first six games this season, going 3-3 while losing to three of the top four teams in ArenaFan.com’s Power Poll: #2 Dallas, #3 Chicago and # 4 New Orleans. The number-one team in the poll is San Jose’s opponent tonight, Philadelphia. The SaberCats’ three wins this season have been against three sub-.500 teams that rank in the lower half of the ArenaFan.com poll – the #10 Rampage, #13 Rattlers and #16 Brigade.
In team history, the SaberCats are 9-3 in the seventh game of the season, winning in all three ArenaBowl title seasons as well as five of the past seven seasons. Last season, San Jose used a 73-49 win over Los Angeles in the seven game of 2007 to kick start the team’s 13-game winning streak en route to winning ArenaBowl XXI. Philadelphia, by the way, is just 1-3 all-time in game seven.
AMERICAN PRIDE
Entering Week Seven, the American Conference was 3-17 against the National Conference in inter-conference matchups, including the SaberCats’ two losses against National Conference foes Dallas and New Orleans. As a direct result, the American Conference has just two of its eight teams with winning records (Chicago and San Jose), while the National Conference has six of its nine teams over .500. Last night, the Colorado Crush broke a string of eight-straight American Conference losses by beating the Cleveland Gladiators 69-66. At this rate, the SaberCats could be 8-8 and still cruise to a Western Division title which comes with a first-round bye in the playoffs and at the very least a number-two seeding. With six of the eight American Conference teams making the playoffs (and with Kansas City and Utah still winless) look for a team with a really bad record making it to the second season this year with a 6-10 or worse record.
SERIES HISTORY
This will mark the third game in the series with the SaberCats winning the previous two, both played in San Jose (as will this one). The SaberCats have won the two previous matchups by a combined score of 100-62 and have not allowed more than 36 points in either game – the Soul is number-one scoring team in the league averaging 65.7 points per game this season. When the two met for the first time, in 2004, it was San Jose head coach Darren Arbet’s 70th overall win. With a win against the Soul tonight, he will earn his 100th regular season victory. All four head coaches to win their 100th regular season game did it at home. If Arbet’s SaberCats do win, it will be in his 143rd regular season game, which will tie for the second quickest to reach triple digits with current Utah Blaze head coach Danny White who won his 100th in his 143rd regular season game.
YEAR
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FINAL SCORE
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2005
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SAN JOSE 52, Philadelphia 26
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2004
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SAN JOSE 48, Philadelphia 36
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BOLD ALL CAPS = home team
SOUL PLAYERS TO WATCH
Tony Graziani, quarterback
Graziani will return to the field for the first time since spraining his MCL in his left knee during the Soul’s 63-42 win over the New York Dragons. On the year, his numbers are not as impressive as D’Orazio’s, who has started against three teams with losing records while Graziani started against two teams with winning records. Graziani has completed 64.2% of his passes for 732 yards with 20 TDs and two interceptions.
Chris Jackson, wide receiver
Jackson leads the AFL in scoring, touchdowns scored and receiving touchdowns. He’s been most dangerous inside the opponents’ 20-yard line where Jackson has caught 18 of his 24 touchdowns. Jackson needs 24 points to become the third player in league history to post 2,000 career regular season points.
Matt D’Orazio, quarterback
D’Orazio started the three games without Graziani and completed 71% of his passes for 934 yards with 20 touchdowns and no interceptions in those games. He leads the AFL in passer rating with an outstanding 133.8. Even if Graziani is playing well, expect to see D’Orazio in some red-zone situations. He has three rushing touchdowns and is second on the team in rushing yards (21). D’Orazio is no stranger to playing San Jose in big games like this one. The past two seasons when he was the starting QB with Chicago, D’Orazio was the MVP of ArenaBowl XX after beating San Jose in the 2006 playoffs, then was injured in the American Conference title game last season against the SaberCats after tossing three picks.
Gabe Nyenhuis and Bryan Save, linemen
This duo has combined for 9.5 sacks and are ranked one and two in the league in sacks (Nyenhuis, 5.0; Save, 4.5). Unless the SaberCats’ offensive line plays better than last week, look for these two beasts to give Grieb fits.
Mike Brown, defensive back/kickoff returner
Brown has been named the Ironman of the Game for all six of the Soul’s games this season and has been a monster on kickoffs and defense. He’s averaging 21.0 yards per kickoff return and has taken two to the house. On defense, he has three interceptions and two fumble recoveries to go along with 25.0 stops and five pass breakups. Brown also returned a fumble for a touchdown.
SAN JOSE’S KEYS TO VICTORY
It’s going to seem like a broken record and a bit cliché, but these are a couple of things the SaberCats have had the most trouble each week and have been major issues in all three losses.
PROTECT GRIEB TO GIVE HIM MORE TIME TO MAKE BETTER THROWS
Though Mark Grieb didn’t get sacked in last week’s loss in New Orleans, he was heavily pressured and forced into many bad throws resulting in three interceptions. Last season, he threw 13 interceptions. In just six games this season, he’s already tossed ten.
WIN ON THIRD DOWN AND FOURTH DOWN
The Soul is the best team in the league on third down, something that the SaberCats were last season on their way to winning the ArenaBowl. This season, San Jose is converting just 38% of its third downs, which is third worst in the league. Also, the SaberCats topped the league in fourth downs last season and is dead last in the league this season. Philadelphia is also leading the league in this category in 2008.
WIN THE TURNOVER BATTLE AND TAKE AN EARLY LEAD
San Jose has lost all three games this season that it has had a negative turnover differential and was not led at the end of the first half, halftime and third quarter.
Andy Lopusnak is an 11-year AFL front office veteran, spending time with the Tampa Bay Storm, San Diego Riptide and Grand Rapids Rampage. He works as a statistician for NFL and college sports for CBS Sports and is a freelance photographer. Lopusnak received two Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of South Florida and has been a fan of ArenaBall since its inception.