12-26-2023, 01:35 AM
(This post was last modified: 12-29-2023, 11:08 AM by lemonoppy. Edited 1 time in total.)
This is a continuation of a series I started a few days ago where we look at San Jose's season on a game-by-game basis.
Here is a link to Part 1
Week 6
Austin Copperheads 37 (4-2)
San Jose SaberCats 34 (2-4)
SaberCats fans, avert your eyes. Week 6 was a crucial ASFC matchup between the Copperheads and the SaberCats which saw a brutal last second defeat for America's Team. In the first quarter, it was a straight up field goal fest between the two squads. On their first drive, San Jose drove deep inside the Austin red zone before being stopped short of the goalline. They had to settle for a 26 yard field goal from Booter McGavin, which gave San Jose a 3-0 lead. Austin answered with a field goal drive of their own, down to the San Jose 26 yard line. From there, Charlie Brown did the rest with a perfect 43 yard field goal to tie the game at 3-3. The Copperheads defense stood strong on the next drive, forcing a punt from San Jose before Austin's offense got back to work. Stop me if you've heard this one, but Austin drove inside San Jose territory before attempting a field goal. Charlie Brown made his second field goal of the afternoon, this time from 36 yards. San Jose's offense finally woke up in a major way in the second quarter when they capped a long drive with a Maple Dogwood touchdown run from six yards out to give them a 10-6 lead. After a quick three and out from Austin, the SaberCats got right back to scoring with another touchdown drive, this time thanks to a one yard run from Lord Farquaads. That score gave San Jose a 17-6 lead, but Austin wasn't just going to let this one get away. The Copperheads answered with a methodical drive that led all the way to the one yard line and set up a crucial 4th and goal. Deciding to take the points, Austin trotted Charlie Brown out for a successful 17 yard field goal which shaved the score down to 17-9 in favor of San Jose. With just minutes left before halftime, San Jose's offense was unable to run out the clock and Austin took full advantage. After a punt, the Copperheads raced down the field where Jay Cue III threw a seven yard touchdown pass to Jeff Newman, which gave us a 17-16 score at the half. The third quarter didn't see much offense, but San Jose made the most of their limited overall opportunities. From their own 34 yard line, Josh Patteron hurled a 66 yard touchdown pass to Orange Julius with extended the SaberCats lead to 24-16. Both teams traded blows the rest of the third quarter, but no one was able to add to the scoreboard before the final period. Things continued to trend towards San Jose thanks to a long field goal from Booter McGavin to give the SaberCats a 27-16 lead before an immediate answer from Austin. Jay Cue III connected with Zaphod Bebblebrox for a 58 yard score when the Copperheads needed it most. Not to be outdone, San Jose answered with a score of their own with an Otto the Orange touchdown catch to give the SaberCats a 34-24 lead with less than four minutes left. Unfortunately for San Jose, heartbreak was on the menu as Austin scored on two touchdowns in the final 2:30 to take home the victory, both in the way of passes from Jay Cue III. Total disbelief and stunned silence echoed throughout San Jose after this one. The Player of the Game was Austin QB Jay Cue III: 28/45, 399 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT.
Week 7
San Jose SaberCats 16 (3-4)
Arizona Outlaws 13 (3-4)
San Jose entered Week 7 needing a win in the worst way after the heartbreak of their most recent loss at the hands of the Austin Copperheads. And after giving up 37 points the week before, the SaberCats' defense came to play in this crucial game against the Outlaws. The first 14 minutes of the first quarter were a war of attrition, finally broken by Arizona's alliterative field goal kicker Jayme Jayne Jay-Jaymison. Quad-J connected from 26 yards to give the Outlaws a 3-0 lead with 1:08 left in the first quarter. It didn't take San Jose long to respond, however, as Josh Patterson found Keanu Calhoun for a 62 yard touchdown pass just 40 seconds later. That gave the SaberCats a 7-3 lead to round out the first quarter in this back and forth affair. Each defense settled down following that quick 10 points and definitely turned up the intensity a notch, as there were only three points scored combined in the second quarter. San Jose accounted for those following a nice drive inside Arizona territory which stalled out just outside the redzone. Kicker Booter McGavin connected from 43 yards to extend the San Jose lead to 10-3 in this tough matchup between two playoff hopefuls. The remaining 11 minutes of the second quarter were a combination of good defense and bad offense, culminating in zero points and just a handful of first downs before the clock struck triple zero for halftime. With a 10-3 lead entering the third quarter, SaberCats fans were cautiously optimistic about wiping away last week's loss, but knew this game was far from over. To start the third quarter, Arizona's offense strung together a handful of first downs and made it inside San Jose territory with relative ease. From there, the SaberCats defense strengthened and forced a long field goal from Jayme Jayne Jay-Jaymison from 50 yards, which was perfect. That cut the lead to 10-6 for San Jose, who were anxious to respond on offense. Unfortunately, their offense decided to take the rest of the third quarter off and barely managed any sort of consistent attack. The good news, however, was that San Jose's defense stepped up in a major way and stymied the Outlaws offense. The same 10-6 is what this game had entering the fourth quarter, but it didn't remain that way for long. On their first drive of the final quarter, Brian Vincent-Vega jumped an out route thrown by Josh Patterson and took an interception back to the house. The pick six gave Arizona their first lead since the first quarter and had San Jose fans singing a familiar song of heartbreak. Fortunately for the SaberCats, their offense managed a strong next drive, getting all the way inside the Arizona 10 yard line with an eye on taking the lead with a touchdown. The Outlaws' defense held, however, and forced San Jose to settle for a short game-tying field goal. With just nine minutes left and the game tied, an air of nerves and worry crowded the stadium. San Jose's defense once again answered the bell and kept Arizona off the scoreboard long enough for their own offense to get the ball back with just a few minutes remaining. San Jose's offense got barely into field goal range before stalling out, where they called on Booter McGavin for a 62 yard field goal to take the lead with 1:44 left in the game. The snap was good, the hold was perfect, and McGavin absolutely crushed the kick which would've been good from 65, right down the middle. San Jose was able to hang on for dear life for the rest of the game and come away with the massive 16-13 win over Arizona. The Player of the Game was San Jose K Booter McGavin, who was 3/3 on field goals including the 62 yard game-winner.
Week 8
San Jose SaberCats 33 (4-4)
Yellowknife Wraiths 27 (1-7)
Hoping to build some momentum following two wins in their previous three games, San Jose knew this would be a battle. Yellowknife was poised to play spoiler and they nearly earned that moniker in this game that came down to the absolute wire. In the first quarter, Yellowknife started well with some timely offense and shutdown defense. On their first drive, they pushed all the way inside the San Jose 15 yard line before sputtering a tad, which forced a short field goal from Zenzeroni Xystarch II from 20 yards to give them a 3-0 lead. Xystarch wouldn't be done in the first quarter, however. After trading punts with the SaberCats, the Wraiths again drove inside San Jose territory where they again stalled out before they could reach the endzone. Xystarch was called on again for a 45 yard field goal and it snuck inside the left upright for the second field goal of the game for Yellowknife. The Wraiths nursed their 6-0 lead for the rest of the first quarter and well into the second quarter as well. Hoping to get into the locker room at halftime with a 6-0 lead, the Wraiths were let down by some incredible catches from the SaberCats, which set San Jose up near the endzone with just a few minutes left before the half. On second and goal, Josh Patterson found Keanu Calhoun for a five yard touchdown, which gave the SaberCats their first lead of the game, 7-6. Not to be outdone, the Wraiths had another score in the tank thanks to an impeccable drive led by QB Maximus Boudreaux. After leading the team down the field, Boudreaux connected with Jimmy Ryder from five yards out for the answering touchdown. This gave Yellowknife a 13-7 lead with just 1:12 left before halftime. San Jose was not satisfied to simply head to the locker room down 13-7, so they leaned on Josh Patterson to navigate down the field and put some points on the board to try and end the half on a high note. After some timely completions, the SaberCats made it to the redzone and settled for a short field goal from Booter McGavin to cut the Wraith's lead to 13-10 at the break. That 13-10 lead didn't last long, however. Kadarius Claypool II of Yellowknife took the opening kickoff of the third quarter 104 yards to the endzone, starting the second half off with an absolute bang. Yellowknife now had a 20-10 lead with San Jose desperately needing an answer of some kind. That answer came in the way of the aforementioned Booter McGavin who made a 30 yard field goal following a consistent drive from San Jose. That cut the lead back to 20-13, but this time it was the SaberCats who were able to double up with an explosive play. Mere minutes after the McGavin field goal, Yellowknife pinned the SaberCats inside their own five yard line hoping to flip the field and get good position. Josh Patterson had other ideas, however. Patterson connected with Otto the Orange for a 96 yard pitch and catch to the endzone, which knotted the game up at 20 to round out the third quarter. Yellowknife didn't lay down and mope, though, as they answered with a touchdown of their own barely a minute into the fourth quarter. That's when QB Maximus Boudreaux tossed a five yard touchdown pass to Jimmy Ryder, giving the lead back to Yellowknife 27-20 in the final 15. From then on, however, it was all San Jose. Booter McGavin got the comeback started with a short 23 yard field goal, which was followed by a monstrous 55 yard touchdown pass from Josh Patterson to Kenny Szymborski to give the SaberCats the lead, 30-27. For good measure, Booter McGavin tacked on another field goal after some good defense, which ended the game 33-27 in favor of San Jose. The Player of the Game was San Jose QB Josh Patterson - 20/29, 393 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT.
Week 9
San Jose SaberCats 21 (5-4)
New Orleans Secondline 16 (3-6)
After consecutive victories, San Jose had their eye on a winning record when they kicked off this game against New Orleans. If the SaberCats could string together three straight wins and four of their last five, the playoffs would be directly in their line of sight. Like many games this season, this was a tale of two halves, giving roller coaster energy to the SaberCats' faithful. In the first quarter, there was absolutely zip going on in this game. Nada. Nothing. No offense, sloppy defense, and everything that would have over bettors in absolute shambles. Whether it was dropped passes, missed assignments, or poor playcalling, neither side was able to get anything toing. The second quarter was an entirely difference story, however. Early in the second, the San Jose defense forced a three-and-out and were poised to get their offense in sync. The good news for the SaberCats was they didn't need to even run their offense on the field to score. Keanu Calhoun fielded the New Orleans punt on his own 16 yardline and absolutely turned on the jets. Calhoun made three defenders miss and sprinted 84 yards to the endzone for a 6-0 first half lead. Booter McGavin missed the PAT, so the lead would have to stay at six for now. After some back and forth punts, New Orleans was backed up in the shadow of their own goalline when the San Jose defense blew up the Secondline offensive line and forced a safety. QB Octavion Speedlings tried to fight and claw his way past the endzone, but could not escape the host of SaberCats who dragged him down behind his own goalline. This safety gave San Jose an 8-0 lead as the SaberCats had all the momentum in the first half of this one. To start the third quarter, it was more off the same from San Jose, who extended their lead thanks to another explosive play. QB Josh Patterson threw a 96 yard touchdown pass to Otto the Orange, which gave the SaberCats a 15-0 lead with this game on the way to blowout status if New Orleans couldn't stop the bleeding. And it should be mentioned that this was the second consecutive game where Patterson and The Orange connected on a 96 yard touchdown pass. After that big play, the SaberCats' defense forced yet another punt and their own offense went back to work. This time, relying on the rushing attack, the SaberCats drove down the field with ease before sputtering in the redzone. Booter McGavin made a 31 yard field goal which extended their lead to 18-0 and put the Secondline on the heels. San Jose was probably one stop away from running New Orleans out of the building, but the Secondline answered with authority. QB Octavion Speedings led the Secondline on an explosive drive down the field before tossing a four yard touchdown to Hank Mardukas. This ended the shutout and was the final score of the third quarter, making the game 18-7 in favor of San Jose. To start the fourth quarter, Booter McGavin was yet again called on for a short field goal after a San Jose drive stalled in the redzone. McGavin's 21 yard field goal pushed the SaberCats' lead to 21-7, but the Secondline were not finished. Three drives later, New Orleans was able to string together some first downs before kicker Alfonso Dos Santos trotted on the field to attempt a 39 yarder, which he made with room to spare. That cut the lead to 21-10 with the SaberCats focused on running the clock out and collecting their third straight win. New Orleans had one last gasp, however, as Octavion Speedings again found Mardukas in the endzone, this time from one yard out, which made the score 21-16 with just 24 seconds left. The two point conversion came up just short and New Orleans tried, but was unable to recover the onside kick, leading to one kneel by San Jose to end the game - 21-16 in favor of San Jose. The Player of the Game was San Jose WR Otto The Orange with 6 catches for 117 yards and a touchdown.
Week 10
Arizona Outlaws 23 (5-5)
San Jose SaberCats 16 (5-5)
In a rematch from Week 7, Arizona looked for revenge against the San Jose SaberCats. Their previous matchup was a low scoring affair and saw San Jose victorious at 16-13, but Arizona came into this game with renewed vigor and their eyes dead set on making the postseason. The first quarter was yet another snoozer, with neither team getting a foothold in this game. Turnovers and sacks abound, as the two offenses simply could not get out of their own way to get the pistons firing. It took until the second quarter to break the shutout, where the Outlaws finally got on the board thanks to a 38 yard field goal from Jayme Jayne Jay-Jaymison. That capped a nice drive from Arizona where they relied on both the run and pass to maneuver themselves down the field and deep into San Jose territory to give Arizona the early edge. San Jose was able to match Arizona almost to a T with a nice drive of their own. Josh Patterson and company connected a few first downs in a row to drive deep into Arizona's territory before getting stopped on third down. Kicker Booter McGavin got the call and nailed a 34 yard field goal to tie the score at 3-3 with just 2:48 left before the halftime break. San Jose was able to get the ball back in short order at the field goal, but their aggression cost them big time. With less than one minute before halftime, San Jose threw a pick six to give Arizona a 10-3 lead with just 32 seconds left. It was Paul Dosza from the Outlaws who made the play off an errant pass from Patterson and took it 42 yards to the house for the touchdown. Patterson was able to shake off that turnover, however, as he was able to lead a field goal drive in just 25 seconds where McGavin nailed a 55 yarder to give us a 10-6 score at halftime with the Outlaws out in front. After halftime, Arizona continued to stomp on the gas and began to put this game out of reach. On their first drive of the third quarter, Donovan Winters III sliced and diced the San Jose secondary and eventually found Benji Aguilera for a 23 yard touchdown to give the Outlaws a 17-6 lead. San Jose needed a touchdown to answer and while they did score, it was only a field goal off the foot of Booter McGavin. This kick was from just 24 yards out, causing some consternation among San Jose fans about whether or not the SaberCats should've gone for it on fourth down to try and find the endzone. That did cut the lead to one-score, 17-9, but time was quickly running out. The final four minutes of the third quarter passed without any fanfare, which Arizona was happy to see. The fanfare came back with a fury early in the fourth quarter, however, as the Outlaws again found the scoreboard thanks to Jayme Jayne Jay-Jaymison's 49 yard field goal. That gave the Outlaws an 11 point lead which turned out to be too much for the SaberCats to come back from. Quadruple J tacked on another field goal, this time from just 17 yards out, with 5:46 in the game which gave Arizona a 14 point lead with time running out. San Jose was able to find the endzone with just 1:24 left in the game when Josh Patterson connected with Otto the Orange from one yard out, which cut the lead to 23-16. San Jose attempted a last gasp onside kick, but Arizona recovered it with ease which ended both the game and San Jose's winning streak. The Player of the Game was Arizona RB Danny Nedelko who had 29 touches for 172 total yards in the victory.
Stay tuned for Part 3!
(3,326 words)
Here is a link to Part 1
Week 6
Austin Copperheads 37 (4-2)
San Jose SaberCats 34 (2-4)
SaberCats fans, avert your eyes. Week 6 was a crucial ASFC matchup between the Copperheads and the SaberCats which saw a brutal last second defeat for America's Team. In the first quarter, it was a straight up field goal fest between the two squads. On their first drive, San Jose drove deep inside the Austin red zone before being stopped short of the goalline. They had to settle for a 26 yard field goal from Booter McGavin, which gave San Jose a 3-0 lead. Austin answered with a field goal drive of their own, down to the San Jose 26 yard line. From there, Charlie Brown did the rest with a perfect 43 yard field goal to tie the game at 3-3. The Copperheads defense stood strong on the next drive, forcing a punt from San Jose before Austin's offense got back to work. Stop me if you've heard this one, but Austin drove inside San Jose territory before attempting a field goal. Charlie Brown made his second field goal of the afternoon, this time from 36 yards. San Jose's offense finally woke up in a major way in the second quarter when they capped a long drive with a Maple Dogwood touchdown run from six yards out to give them a 10-6 lead. After a quick three and out from Austin, the SaberCats got right back to scoring with another touchdown drive, this time thanks to a one yard run from Lord Farquaads. That score gave San Jose a 17-6 lead, but Austin wasn't just going to let this one get away. The Copperheads answered with a methodical drive that led all the way to the one yard line and set up a crucial 4th and goal. Deciding to take the points, Austin trotted Charlie Brown out for a successful 17 yard field goal which shaved the score down to 17-9 in favor of San Jose. With just minutes left before halftime, San Jose's offense was unable to run out the clock and Austin took full advantage. After a punt, the Copperheads raced down the field where Jay Cue III threw a seven yard touchdown pass to Jeff Newman, which gave us a 17-16 score at the half. The third quarter didn't see much offense, but San Jose made the most of their limited overall opportunities. From their own 34 yard line, Josh Patteron hurled a 66 yard touchdown pass to Orange Julius with extended the SaberCats lead to 24-16. Both teams traded blows the rest of the third quarter, but no one was able to add to the scoreboard before the final period. Things continued to trend towards San Jose thanks to a long field goal from Booter McGavin to give the SaberCats a 27-16 lead before an immediate answer from Austin. Jay Cue III connected with Zaphod Bebblebrox for a 58 yard score when the Copperheads needed it most. Not to be outdone, San Jose answered with a score of their own with an Otto the Orange touchdown catch to give the SaberCats a 34-24 lead with less than four minutes left. Unfortunately for San Jose, heartbreak was on the menu as Austin scored on two touchdowns in the final 2:30 to take home the victory, both in the way of passes from Jay Cue III. Total disbelief and stunned silence echoed throughout San Jose after this one. The Player of the Game was Austin QB Jay Cue III: 28/45, 399 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT.
Week 7
San Jose SaberCats 16 (3-4)
Arizona Outlaws 13 (3-4)
San Jose entered Week 7 needing a win in the worst way after the heartbreak of their most recent loss at the hands of the Austin Copperheads. And after giving up 37 points the week before, the SaberCats' defense came to play in this crucial game against the Outlaws. The first 14 minutes of the first quarter were a war of attrition, finally broken by Arizona's alliterative field goal kicker Jayme Jayne Jay-Jaymison. Quad-J connected from 26 yards to give the Outlaws a 3-0 lead with 1:08 left in the first quarter. It didn't take San Jose long to respond, however, as Josh Patterson found Keanu Calhoun for a 62 yard touchdown pass just 40 seconds later. That gave the SaberCats a 7-3 lead to round out the first quarter in this back and forth affair. Each defense settled down following that quick 10 points and definitely turned up the intensity a notch, as there were only three points scored combined in the second quarter. San Jose accounted for those following a nice drive inside Arizona territory which stalled out just outside the redzone. Kicker Booter McGavin connected from 43 yards to extend the San Jose lead to 10-3 in this tough matchup between two playoff hopefuls. The remaining 11 minutes of the second quarter were a combination of good defense and bad offense, culminating in zero points and just a handful of first downs before the clock struck triple zero for halftime. With a 10-3 lead entering the third quarter, SaberCats fans were cautiously optimistic about wiping away last week's loss, but knew this game was far from over. To start the third quarter, Arizona's offense strung together a handful of first downs and made it inside San Jose territory with relative ease. From there, the SaberCats defense strengthened and forced a long field goal from Jayme Jayne Jay-Jaymison from 50 yards, which was perfect. That cut the lead to 10-6 for San Jose, who were anxious to respond on offense. Unfortunately, their offense decided to take the rest of the third quarter off and barely managed any sort of consistent attack. The good news, however, was that San Jose's defense stepped up in a major way and stymied the Outlaws offense. The same 10-6 is what this game had entering the fourth quarter, but it didn't remain that way for long. On their first drive of the final quarter, Brian Vincent-Vega jumped an out route thrown by Josh Patterson and took an interception back to the house. The pick six gave Arizona their first lead since the first quarter and had San Jose fans singing a familiar song of heartbreak. Fortunately for the SaberCats, their offense managed a strong next drive, getting all the way inside the Arizona 10 yard line with an eye on taking the lead with a touchdown. The Outlaws' defense held, however, and forced San Jose to settle for a short game-tying field goal. With just nine minutes left and the game tied, an air of nerves and worry crowded the stadium. San Jose's defense once again answered the bell and kept Arizona off the scoreboard long enough for their own offense to get the ball back with just a few minutes remaining. San Jose's offense got barely into field goal range before stalling out, where they called on Booter McGavin for a 62 yard field goal to take the lead with 1:44 left in the game. The snap was good, the hold was perfect, and McGavin absolutely crushed the kick which would've been good from 65, right down the middle. San Jose was able to hang on for dear life for the rest of the game and come away with the massive 16-13 win over Arizona. The Player of the Game was San Jose K Booter McGavin, who was 3/3 on field goals including the 62 yard game-winner.
Week 8
San Jose SaberCats 33 (4-4)
Yellowknife Wraiths 27 (1-7)
Hoping to build some momentum following two wins in their previous three games, San Jose knew this would be a battle. Yellowknife was poised to play spoiler and they nearly earned that moniker in this game that came down to the absolute wire. In the first quarter, Yellowknife started well with some timely offense and shutdown defense. On their first drive, they pushed all the way inside the San Jose 15 yard line before sputtering a tad, which forced a short field goal from Zenzeroni Xystarch II from 20 yards to give them a 3-0 lead. Xystarch wouldn't be done in the first quarter, however. After trading punts with the SaberCats, the Wraiths again drove inside San Jose territory where they again stalled out before they could reach the endzone. Xystarch was called on again for a 45 yard field goal and it snuck inside the left upright for the second field goal of the game for Yellowknife. The Wraiths nursed their 6-0 lead for the rest of the first quarter and well into the second quarter as well. Hoping to get into the locker room at halftime with a 6-0 lead, the Wraiths were let down by some incredible catches from the SaberCats, which set San Jose up near the endzone with just a few minutes left before the half. On second and goal, Josh Patterson found Keanu Calhoun for a five yard touchdown, which gave the SaberCats their first lead of the game, 7-6. Not to be outdone, the Wraiths had another score in the tank thanks to an impeccable drive led by QB Maximus Boudreaux. After leading the team down the field, Boudreaux connected with Jimmy Ryder from five yards out for the answering touchdown. This gave Yellowknife a 13-7 lead with just 1:12 left before halftime. San Jose was not satisfied to simply head to the locker room down 13-7, so they leaned on Josh Patterson to navigate down the field and put some points on the board to try and end the half on a high note. After some timely completions, the SaberCats made it to the redzone and settled for a short field goal from Booter McGavin to cut the Wraith's lead to 13-10 at the break. That 13-10 lead didn't last long, however. Kadarius Claypool II of Yellowknife took the opening kickoff of the third quarter 104 yards to the endzone, starting the second half off with an absolute bang. Yellowknife now had a 20-10 lead with San Jose desperately needing an answer of some kind. That answer came in the way of the aforementioned Booter McGavin who made a 30 yard field goal following a consistent drive from San Jose. That cut the lead back to 20-13, but this time it was the SaberCats who were able to double up with an explosive play. Mere minutes after the McGavin field goal, Yellowknife pinned the SaberCats inside their own five yard line hoping to flip the field and get good position. Josh Patterson had other ideas, however. Patterson connected with Otto the Orange for a 96 yard pitch and catch to the endzone, which knotted the game up at 20 to round out the third quarter. Yellowknife didn't lay down and mope, though, as they answered with a touchdown of their own barely a minute into the fourth quarter. That's when QB Maximus Boudreaux tossed a five yard touchdown pass to Jimmy Ryder, giving the lead back to Yellowknife 27-20 in the final 15. From then on, however, it was all San Jose. Booter McGavin got the comeback started with a short 23 yard field goal, which was followed by a monstrous 55 yard touchdown pass from Josh Patterson to Kenny Szymborski to give the SaberCats the lead, 30-27. For good measure, Booter McGavin tacked on another field goal after some good defense, which ended the game 33-27 in favor of San Jose. The Player of the Game was San Jose QB Josh Patterson - 20/29, 393 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT.
Week 9
San Jose SaberCats 21 (5-4)
New Orleans Secondline 16 (3-6)
After consecutive victories, San Jose had their eye on a winning record when they kicked off this game against New Orleans. If the SaberCats could string together three straight wins and four of their last five, the playoffs would be directly in their line of sight. Like many games this season, this was a tale of two halves, giving roller coaster energy to the SaberCats' faithful. In the first quarter, there was absolutely zip going on in this game. Nada. Nothing. No offense, sloppy defense, and everything that would have over bettors in absolute shambles. Whether it was dropped passes, missed assignments, or poor playcalling, neither side was able to get anything toing. The second quarter was an entirely difference story, however. Early in the second, the San Jose defense forced a three-and-out and were poised to get their offense in sync. The good news for the SaberCats was they didn't need to even run their offense on the field to score. Keanu Calhoun fielded the New Orleans punt on his own 16 yardline and absolutely turned on the jets. Calhoun made three defenders miss and sprinted 84 yards to the endzone for a 6-0 first half lead. Booter McGavin missed the PAT, so the lead would have to stay at six for now. After some back and forth punts, New Orleans was backed up in the shadow of their own goalline when the San Jose defense blew up the Secondline offensive line and forced a safety. QB Octavion Speedlings tried to fight and claw his way past the endzone, but could not escape the host of SaberCats who dragged him down behind his own goalline. This safety gave San Jose an 8-0 lead as the SaberCats had all the momentum in the first half of this one. To start the third quarter, it was more off the same from San Jose, who extended their lead thanks to another explosive play. QB Josh Patterson threw a 96 yard touchdown pass to Otto the Orange, which gave the SaberCats a 15-0 lead with this game on the way to blowout status if New Orleans couldn't stop the bleeding. And it should be mentioned that this was the second consecutive game where Patterson and The Orange connected on a 96 yard touchdown pass. After that big play, the SaberCats' defense forced yet another punt and their own offense went back to work. This time, relying on the rushing attack, the SaberCats drove down the field with ease before sputtering in the redzone. Booter McGavin made a 31 yard field goal which extended their lead to 18-0 and put the Secondline on the heels. San Jose was probably one stop away from running New Orleans out of the building, but the Secondline answered with authority. QB Octavion Speedings led the Secondline on an explosive drive down the field before tossing a four yard touchdown to Hank Mardukas. This ended the shutout and was the final score of the third quarter, making the game 18-7 in favor of San Jose. To start the fourth quarter, Booter McGavin was yet again called on for a short field goal after a San Jose drive stalled in the redzone. McGavin's 21 yard field goal pushed the SaberCats' lead to 21-7, but the Secondline were not finished. Three drives later, New Orleans was able to string together some first downs before kicker Alfonso Dos Santos trotted on the field to attempt a 39 yarder, which he made with room to spare. That cut the lead to 21-10 with the SaberCats focused on running the clock out and collecting their third straight win. New Orleans had one last gasp, however, as Octavion Speedings again found Mardukas in the endzone, this time from one yard out, which made the score 21-16 with just 24 seconds left. The two point conversion came up just short and New Orleans tried, but was unable to recover the onside kick, leading to one kneel by San Jose to end the game - 21-16 in favor of San Jose. The Player of the Game was San Jose WR Otto The Orange with 6 catches for 117 yards and a touchdown.
Week 10
Arizona Outlaws 23 (5-5)
San Jose SaberCats 16 (5-5)
In a rematch from Week 7, Arizona looked for revenge against the San Jose SaberCats. Their previous matchup was a low scoring affair and saw San Jose victorious at 16-13, but Arizona came into this game with renewed vigor and their eyes dead set on making the postseason. The first quarter was yet another snoozer, with neither team getting a foothold in this game. Turnovers and sacks abound, as the two offenses simply could not get out of their own way to get the pistons firing. It took until the second quarter to break the shutout, where the Outlaws finally got on the board thanks to a 38 yard field goal from Jayme Jayne Jay-Jaymison. That capped a nice drive from Arizona where they relied on both the run and pass to maneuver themselves down the field and deep into San Jose territory to give Arizona the early edge. San Jose was able to match Arizona almost to a T with a nice drive of their own. Josh Patterson and company connected a few first downs in a row to drive deep into Arizona's territory before getting stopped on third down. Kicker Booter McGavin got the call and nailed a 34 yard field goal to tie the score at 3-3 with just 2:48 left before the halftime break. San Jose was able to get the ball back in short order at the field goal, but their aggression cost them big time. With less than one minute before halftime, San Jose threw a pick six to give Arizona a 10-3 lead with just 32 seconds left. It was Paul Dosza from the Outlaws who made the play off an errant pass from Patterson and took it 42 yards to the house for the touchdown. Patterson was able to shake off that turnover, however, as he was able to lead a field goal drive in just 25 seconds where McGavin nailed a 55 yarder to give us a 10-6 score at halftime with the Outlaws out in front. After halftime, Arizona continued to stomp on the gas and began to put this game out of reach. On their first drive of the third quarter, Donovan Winters III sliced and diced the San Jose secondary and eventually found Benji Aguilera for a 23 yard touchdown to give the Outlaws a 17-6 lead. San Jose needed a touchdown to answer and while they did score, it was only a field goal off the foot of Booter McGavin. This kick was from just 24 yards out, causing some consternation among San Jose fans about whether or not the SaberCats should've gone for it on fourth down to try and find the endzone. That did cut the lead to one-score, 17-9, but time was quickly running out. The final four minutes of the third quarter passed without any fanfare, which Arizona was happy to see. The fanfare came back with a fury early in the fourth quarter, however, as the Outlaws again found the scoreboard thanks to Jayme Jayne Jay-Jaymison's 49 yard field goal. That gave the Outlaws an 11 point lead which turned out to be too much for the SaberCats to come back from. Quadruple J tacked on another field goal, this time from just 17 yards out, with 5:46 in the game which gave Arizona a 14 point lead with time running out. San Jose was able to find the endzone with just 1:24 left in the game when Josh Patterson connected with Otto the Orange from one yard out, which cut the lead to 23-16. San Jose attempted a last gasp onside kick, but Arizona recovered it with ease which ended both the game and San Jose's winning streak. The Player of the Game was Arizona RB Danny Nedelko who had 29 touches for 172 total yards in the victory.
Stay tuned for Part 3!
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