2015 San Jose SaberCats season

Arena Football League team season January 2025 San Jose SaberCats 2015 17–1 1st NC Pacific John FryWilliam Randy FryDavid FryKathryn J. KolderDarren Arbet Darren Arbet Darren Arbet SAP Center at San Jose Won Conference Semifinal (Thunder) 55–28Won NC Championship (Rattlers) 70–67Won ArenaBowl XXVIII (Jacksonville) 68–47 SaberCats seasons true The 2015 San Jose SaberCats season was the team's 19th in San Jose, California. The team was coached by Darren Arbet and played their home games at the SAP Center at San Jose. They finished first in the Pacific Division with a 17–1 regular season record and went on to defeat the Jacksonville Sharks 68–47 in ArenaBowl XXVIII. Season summary The SaberCats, following a tough loss to the Arizona Rattlers in the 2014 National Conference Championship Game, made a number of key moves in the 2014–15 offseason. The most notable of these moves saw the SaberCats sign quarterback Erik Meyer, the 2013 AFL MVP, to replace outgoing quarterback Russ Michna. The team revamped its secondary with the signings of superstar cornerback Virgil Gray and promising young defensive back Eric Crocker; the team also traded with the Portland Thunder for defensive lineman Donte Paige-Moss, who ultimately filled in for outgoing free agent Joe Sykes. These players joined a strong defensive core of David Hyland, Ken Fontenette, Francis Maka, Luis Vasquez, and 2014 Defensive Player of the Year Jason Stewart. In addition to signing Meyer, the SaberCats made a handful of key additions on offense. They greatly bolstered their receiving corps by signing 2014 All-Arena receiver Darius Reynolds and 2013 Receiver of the Year Adron Tennell (both of which were to fill the void left by the loss of Dominique Curry); these signings added to a group that included superstar wideout Reggie Gray and veteran Ben Nelson. The SaberCats also traded for experienced center Jeff Maddux and signed 2014 All-Arena offensive lineman Colin Madison; these players joined star linemen George Bussey and Rich Ranglin. The team also retained All-Arena fullback Odie Armstrong and 2014 Kicker of the Year Nich Pertuit. The SaberCats began their season in Las Vegas, Nevada, where they cruised to a 59–41 victory. The SaberCats then won each of their next ten games, mostly in lopsided fashion; over that span, only one team (the Tampa Bay Storm) lost by single digits. The SaberCats played fantastic defense despite the Week 3 loss of Virgil Gray to injury; he was replaced by Hall of Fame cornerback (and SaberCats legend) Clevan Thomas. On June 7, following a Portland Thunder loss, the 11–0 SaberCats clinched their second consecutive (and tenth overall) division championship. This ensured that they would reach the postseason for the fourth consecutive season. The SaberCats' remarkable run ended one week later against the Los Angeles Kiss, who were 1–9 at the time. After forcing overtime on the final play of the fourth quarter, the SaberCats turned the ball over on downs; a subsequent Los Angeles score sealed a 48–42 loss. The SaberCats regrouped, winning their final six regular season games; their 17–1 record tied the 2014 Cleveland Gladiators for the best regular season finish in AFL history. The SaberCats triumphed despite losing George Bussey and Adron Tennell to injury; they replaced the players with center Antonio Narcisse and All-Arena wideout Maurice Purify, respectively. Numerous players received awards at the end of the season; most notable was Reggie Gray's selection as Wide Receiver of the Year. Gray finished the campaign with a franchise-record 44 receiving touchdowns. In the first round of the playoffs, the SaberCats faced the Portland Thunder (who they crushed in a 55–28 rout). They then defeated their rivals, the three-time defending champion Arizona Rattlers, by the score of 70–67 in the Conference Championship game; the game was ultimately decided by a controversial call made with eight seconds left in the fourth quarter. The SaberCats proceeded to ArenaBowl XXVIII, where they faced off against the American Conference Champion Jacksonville Sharks; after a back-and-forth first half, the heavily favored SaberCats pulled away with 34 unanswered points in the third and fourth quarters (including two defensive touchdowns by David Hyland). The SaberCats won the game by the score of 68–47; in doing so, they became the only team in AFL history to win 20 games in a season.http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=origcol&writer=113&article=3971 ArenaBowl XXVIII Records and Factoids arenafan.com August 29, 2015 August 30, 2015 Markowitz, Adam dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150830180629/http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=origcol&writer=113&article=3971 August 30, 2015 They joined the 2002 SaberCats as the only one-loss teams in league history. The 2015 San Jose SaberCats posted, in many regards, the most dominant regular season in AFL history. They boasted the league's #1 offense and #1 defense; their point differential of +399 was the largest in league history. Similarly, the SaberCats averaged 22.17 more points per game than their opponents; this is the largest Margin of Victory (MOV) in AFL history. According to Arenafan.com, after accounting for league averages, the 2015 SaberCats' defense was the most dominant of all time. Standings SaberCats Schedule Regular season The 2015 regular season schedule was released on December 19, 2014.http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/afl/sports/a-footbl/auto_pdf/2014-15/schedule/schedule.pdf 2015 AFL Schedule Arena Football League ww.grfx.cstv.com December 22, 2014 December 22, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141222181605/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/afl/sports/a-footbl/auto_pdf/2014-15/schedule/schedule.pdf dead Week Day Date Kickoff Opponent Results Location Attendance Report Score Record 1 Monday March 30 7:30 p.m. PDT at Las Vegas Outlaws W 59–41 1–0 Thomas & Mack Center 6,569 http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=pressrel&article=12367 SaberCats Corral Outlaws 59-41 in Season Opener March 31, 2015 San Jose SaberCats Arenafan.com April 1, 2015 2 Saturday April 4 7:30 p.m. PDT Los Angeles KISS W 54–28 2–0 SAP Center at San Jose 10,175 http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=origcol&writer=155&article=3806 SaberCats Receiving Corps Plays a Key Role in 2-0 Start Aseltine Griffin April 5, 2015 ArenaFan Arenafan.com April 19, 2015 3 Friday April 10 4:30 p.m. PDT at Tampa Bay Storm W 36–27 3–0 Amalie Arena 8,588 http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=pressrel&article=12413 SaberCats Defeat Storm 36-27 April 10, 2015 San Jose SaberCats Arenafan.com April 11, 2015 4 Friday April 17 5:00 p.m. PDT at Jacksonville Sharks W 68–48 4–0 Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena 7,596 http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=pressrel&article=12430 SaberCats fend off the Sharks with a 68–48 victory April 17, 2015 San Jose SaberCats Arenafan.com April 18, 2015 5 Saturday April 25 7:30 p.m. PDT Portland Thunder W 64–45 5–0 SAP Center at San Jose 7,125 http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=pressrel&article=12452 San Jose SaberCats defeat Portland Thunder 64-45 April 26, 2015 San Jose SaberCats Arenafan.com April 26, 2015 6 Saturday May 2 6:00 p.m. PDT at Arizona Rattlers W 56–34 6–0 Talking Stick Resort Arena 8,249 http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=pressrel&article=12480 San Jose SaberCats defeat Arizona Rattlers, 56-34 May 3, 2015 San Jose SaberCats Arenafan.com May 5, 2015 7 Saturday May 9 7:30 p.m. PDT Las Vegas Outlaws W 61–28 7–0 SAP Center at San Jose 8,600 8 Saturday May 16 7:00 p.m. PDT at Spokane Shock W 83–28 8–0 Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena 7,519 http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=pressrel&article=12529 San Jose SaberCats defeat Spokane Shock, 83-28 May 16, 2015 San Jose SaberCats Arenafan.com May 17, 2015 9 Saturday May 23 7:30 p.m. PDT Cleveland Gladiators W 70–58 9–0 SAP Center at San Jose 7,474 http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=pressrel&article=12564 San Jose SaberCats comeback, defeat Cleveland Gladiators, 70-58 May 24, 2015 San Jose SaberCats Arenafan.com May 26, 2015 10 Saturday May 30 3:00 p.m. PDT at Portland Thunder W 61–42 10–0 Moda Center 8,815 http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=pressrel&article=12584 San Jose SaberCats hold off Portland Thunder, 61-42 May 30, 2015 San Jose SaberCats Arenafan.com May 30, 2015 11 Friday June 5 7:30 p.m. PDT Spokane Shock W 55–26 11–0 SAP Center at San Jose 7,662 http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=pressrel&article=12612 San Jose SaberCats remain unbeaten with 55-26 win over Spokane Shock June 6, 2015 San Jose SaberCats Arenafan.com June 7, 2015 12 Saturday June 13 7:30 p.m. PDT Los Angeles KISS L 42–48 (OT) 11–1 SAP Center at San Jose 9,132 http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=pressrel&article=12644 San Jose SaberCats Fall in Overtime, 48-42 to LA KISS June 14, 2015 San Jose SaberCats Arenafan.com June 22, 2015 13 Sunday June 21 2:00 p.m. PDT at Las Vegas Outlaws W 63–21 12–1 Thomas & Mack Center 2,166 http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=pressrel&article=12664 San Jose SaberCats Ride Big Second Half to Beat Las Vegas Outlaws, 63-31 June 21, 2015 San Jose SaberCats Arenafan.com June 22, 2015 14 Friday June 26 7:00 p.m. PDT at Spokane Shock W 62–27 13–1 Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena 7,618 http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=pressrel&article=12682 San Jose SaberCats score 42 straight, defeat Spokane Shock, 62-27 June 27, 2015 San Jose SaberCats Arenafan.com June 28, 2015 15 Bye 16 Friday July 10 7:30 p.m. PDT New Orleans VooDoo W 56–35 14–1 SAP Center at San Jose 9,321 http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=pressrel&article=12714 San Jose SaberCats cruise past New Orleans VooDoo, 56-35 July 11, 2015 San Jose SaberCats Arenafan.com July 12, 2015 17 Saturday July 18 7:30 p.m. PDT Portland Thunder W 55–49 (OT) 15–1 SAP Center at San Jose 9,211 http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=pressrel&article=12747 San Jose SaberCats Hold On in OT, 55-49 Over Portland Thunder July 19, 2015 San Jose SaberCats Arenafan.com July 22, 2015 18 Bye 19 Friday July 31 7:30 p.m. PDT Arizona Rattlers W 56–29 16–1 SAP Center at San Jose 10,633 http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=pressrel&article=12777 San Jose SaberCats roar back to defeat Arizona Rattlers, 56-29 August 1, 2015 San Jose SaberCats Arenafan.com August 2, 2015 20 Saturday August 8 7:00 p.m. PDT at Los Angeles KISS W 60–38 17–1 Honda Center 9,854 http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=pressrel&article=12806 San Jose SaberCats hold off LA KISS for 60-38 victory to end regular season August 9, 2015 San Jose SaberCats Arenafan.com August 9, 2015 Playoffs Round Day Date Kickoff Opponent Results Location Attendance Report NC Semifinals Friday August 14 7:30 p.m. PDT Portland Thunder W 55–28 SAP Center at San Jose 10,060 http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=pressrel&article=12823 San Jose SaberCats advance with a 55-28 win over the Portland Thunder August 15, 2015 San Jose SaberCats Arenafan.com August 15, 2015 NC Championship Saturday August 22 5:00 p.m. PDT Arizona Rattlers W 70–67 Stockton Arena ArenaBowl XXVIII Saturday August 29 7:00 p.m. EDT Jacksonville Sharks W 68–47 Stockton Arena 9,115 Roster 2015 San Jose SaberCats roster Quarterbacks 9 Erik Meyer 10 Nathan Stanley Fullbacks 32 Odie Armstrong Wide receivers 1 Reggie Gray 80 Ben Nelson 12 Maurice Purify 7 Darius Reynolds 11 D. J. Stephens Offensive linemen 75 Cornelius Dixon 54 Kimani Jones 66 Jeff Maddux 69 Antonio Narcisse 64 Rich Ranglin Defensive linemen 90 Damien Borel 40 Rodney Fritz 13 Donte Paige-Moss 99 Jason StewartLinebackers 98 Francis Maka Defensive backs 5 Ken Fontenette 3 David Hyland 22 Fred Obi 24 Kenny Okoro 8 Clevan Thomas Kickers 18 Nich Pertuit Injured reserve 92 Gustave Benthin DL 19 Diondre Borel WR 6 Eric Crocker DB 4 Virgil Gray DB -- Chris McAllister DL -- Viondy Merisma OL 17 Adron Tennell WR 96 Dimetrio Tyson DL 36 Luis Vasquez DL 21 Mike Willie WR Refuse to report Currently vacant League suspension -- Aaron Bellazin DL -- Jasen Carlson OL 76 Ray Feinga OL -- Sean McDonald DL -- Kris Redding DL Other league exempt -- Brian Folkerts FB -- Justin Green DB -- Michael Preston WR 56 Randy Richards OL -- Brett Smith QB 15 Fred Williams WR Inactive reserve 15 Brandon Collins WR 70 Colin Madison OL Recallable reassignment Currently vacant Rookies in italicsRoster updated August 21, 2015 24 Active, 23 Inactive Staff San Jose SaberCats staff Front office Owner/General Manager – Darren Arbet Head coach Head coach – Darren Arbet Assistant head coach – Omarr Smith Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Terry Malley Offensive line – Jeff Jarnigan Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Cedric Walker Defensive line – Jeff Jarnigan Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Jeff Jarnigan References 30em San Jose SaberCats Category:San Jose SaberCats seasons San Jose SaberCats Category:ArenaBowl champion seasons