ArenaBowl XXVIII Records and Factoids

Adam Markowitz
Saturday August 29, 2015

STOCKTON - The San Jose SaberCats have defeated the Jacksonville Sharks 68-47 to capture their fourth championship in franchise history. The crack staff at ArenaFan.com has come up with all of the records and factoids from the game.

-San Jose has now won four ArenaBowls, tied for the third most in AFL history with the Detroit Drive. The SaberCats are only one title behind the Pittsburgh Gladiators/Tampa Bay Storm franchise and the Arizona Rattlers, each of which have five titles.

-San Jose's last championship was in 2007. The eight-year span between championships was the second-longest drought between championships for franchises in league history. Arizona won the ArenaBowl in 1997, then next in 2012.

-The 68 points scored by San Jose was the eighth most in ArenaBowl history. The SaberCats were one touchdown away from breaking the record set by Jacksonville in ArenaBowl XXIV at 73.

-The 28 points scored in the third quarter by the SaberCats was the most in a third quarter in ArenaBowl history. The previous record was 27 set by Arizona in 2012 against Philadelphia.

-The 28-0 third quarter was the best margin by any team in any quarter in ArenaBowl history. The previous record was set last year by Arizona at +23 (30-7) in the second quarter against Cleveland.

-The 34-0 run by San Jose was the second best scoring run in ArenaBowl history. The record is held by these SaberCats as well at 45-0 against Arizona in ArenaBowl XVI.

-San Jose finished the season at 20-1, making them the first team in professional football history to win 20 games. The previous record was held by Cleveland last season at 19 wins.

-San Jose finished the season with a .952 winning percentage including the playoffs, a new AFL record. The previous record was held by the 2002 SaberCats, who finished with a .941 winning percentage (16-1).

-San Jose scored 10 total touchdowns, tying the record set by six other teams for the most touchdowns ever scored in a single ArenaBowl.

-The zero field goals attempted and made tied league records for the fewest in ArenaBowl history.

-San Jose's 244 total yards of offense was second fewest by any team in an ArenaBowl since 2007. Interestingly enough, the only other team with fewer yards was Spokane, which won ArenaBowl XXIII with 242 yards of offense.

-There were zero sacks in this ArenaBowl, the third time in league history it has happened in an ArenaBowl. The previous ArenaBowls XXV and IX.

-Jacksonville's 81 penalty yards was fourth most in ArenaBowl history. The record was set by Spokane in victory in ArenaBowl XXIII.

-Francis Maka's blocked extra point in the second quarter was the tenth blocked kick in ArenaBowl history. The last time there was a blocked kick in an ArenaBowl was in ArenaBowl XX.

The announced attendance of 9,115 was the fewest at an ArenaBowl in league history. The previous lowest attendance was 10,822 at the Thomas & Mack Center in ArenaBowl XIX.

-Anthony Herron and Ari Wolfe became the first two broadcasters in ArenaBowl history to be a part of the broadcast team in six different ArenaBowl. Lewis Johnson had been on the call for five ArenaBowls previously.

-Maurice Purify became the first man in AFL history to win four consecutive ArenaBowls, doing so three times with Arizona and here with San Jose.

-Joe Hills finished the postseason with 13 total receiving touchdowns, the second most in playoff history. Maurice Purify holds the record with 16 receiving TDs in a single postseason in 2012.

-Joe Hills was second man in AFL history to have at least four touchdown receptions in at least three postseason games. Maurice Purify also had four or more touchdowns in each of his playoff games in 2012.

-Darren Arbet becomes the second coach in AFL history to win at least four ArenaBowls. The late Tim Marcum holds the record with seven ArenaBowl titles as a coach.

-Darren Arbet moved into a tie with Perry Moss and Danny White for the second most ArenaBowls coached in AFL history. Tim Marcum holds the record with 11 ArenaBowls coached.

-Joe Hills became the 14th man in ArenaBowl history to score four or more touchdowns. Maurice Purify's seven touchdowns in ArenaBowl XXV is the record.

-Erik Meyer became the third quarterback in ArenaBowl history to rush for at least two touchdowns in a game. Art Schlichter holds the record with four rushing touchdowns in ArenaBowl IV.

-Derrick Ross didn't score a rushing touchdown in a second consecutive game. It was just the second time in his career he went consecutive games without a touchdown run, the first of which came in the last two games of the regular season this year.

-Jacksonville went 152:25 in the postseason without trailing before falling behind in the third quarter of the ArenaBowl. The Sharks were behind the remainder of the game.