SAN JOSE – Despite being limited to a season-low 35 points, the San Jose SaberCats won a fifth consecutive Arena Football League game Saturday night, edging the Utah Blaze 35-34 before a crowd of 8,438 fans at HP Pavilion.
“Our defense has been playing well,” a relieved coach Darren Arbet said after the SaberCats stopped the final two Blaze drives. “Five wins in a row – they are on fire now.”
Utah, now 4-5 in the cellar of the West Division, gained possession of the ball with 27 seconds to play at San Jose’s 24. Quarterback Tommy Grady threw four consecutive incompletions, the last toss being knocked down by defensive back Ken Fontenette.
San Jose’s Russ Michna delivered his fifth consecutive win with a 22-of-38 night for 246 yards and four touchdowns. While Michna was intercepted twice, one of two interceptions thrown by Grady may have been the deciding play of the game.
Utah, trailing 21-20 at halftime, went 44 yards to the San Jose four in two plays to begin the third quarter. Grady’s soft out-pattern toss toward the right pylon was picked off by San Jose’s Clevan Thomas. The 50-yard run untouched to the endzone extended the SaberCat advantage to 28-20.
“He’s unbelievable,” said Arbet of Thomas. “He’s a leader of this team, better than ever.”
San Jose, 7-2 in second place in the West Division, plays in Spokane against the Shock next weekend before playing at home on June 8 against the Pittsburgh Power.
Each team recorded three touchdown passes in the first half. On the final TD with 44 seconds in the second quarter, Utah’s Kyle Brotzman missed a point-after kick wide right.
NOTES: Ron McBride, who coached the offensive line at Gvailan College from 1969-71, is the offensive line coach for the Blaze…Jason Willis caught two touchdowns for San Jose. Aaron Leslie made three touchdown grabs for Utah…Mario Urrutia of Utah finished with 126 receiving yards to lead all players.
