Scouting the Columbus Destroyers

[IE]

The Nashville Kats will open the season tonight at 6 p.m. against the Columbus Destroyers at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Coaches: Kats coach Pat Sperduto is starting his fourth season with the Kats, but he has not been on the sidelines since the ArenaBowl in 2001. Chris Spielman, a former standout linebacker at Ohio State, will be coaching his first AFL game ever.

Interesting facts:The last time these two teams met, the Destroyers were based in Buffalo. The Kats won both of those games back in 2001.

Injury report: Lineman James Baron (ankle), WR/DB Jermaine Lewis (ankle), DS Tony Scott (groin) and lineman Wes Stephens (ankle) are out.
Missing the game for the Destroyers will be lineman Carey Clayton (back), lineman Troy Pelshak (knee) and lineman Bryan Ray (ankle).

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Columbus Destroyers game notes
01/25/05 - Arena Football League (AFL) Columbus Destroyers

Columbus DestroyersQUICK FACTS:
Nashville Kats (0-0) at Columbus Destroyers (0-0)
Date: Friday, January 28, 2005
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. (ET)
Site: Nationwide Arena (17,171)
Officials: Tom McCabe, Referee; Matt Jordan, Umpire; Neil Brunner, Head Linesman; Bob McElwee, Line Judge; Keith Washington, Back Judge
Radio: Columbus? flagship station WAZU-107.1 FM ?The Big Wazoo? will broadcast the game live with Marty Bannister, Greg Frey and Archie.
Series Record: The Destroyers have dropped the only two meetings between the two franchises, bringing a 0-2 mark all-time versus Nashville. The last time the two teams met, Nashville won convincingly, 87-48 on June 22, 2001.
Series Streaks: The Kats have won two consecutive games over the Destroyers; however the two teams have not met since the 2001 season. Nashville moved to Georgia following the 2001 season and is an expansion team in 2004.
Coaches: Columbus, Chris Spielman, 1st Season (0-0 in 2005, 0-0 overall) Nashville, Pat Sperduto, 4th Season (0- 0 in 2005, 32-18 overall).

OVERVI EW: The Destroyers open up the 2005 season looking to win their season opener for the second consecutive season against a Nashville team that has not played since 2001. The Kats played five seasons in the AFL from 1997-2001 before re-emerging in 2005. A year ago, Columbus won their first game of the season in their inaugural game at Indiana on February 7, 2004. This season the Destroyers open at home in Nationwide Arena; a venue where the club averaged nearly 17,000 fans in attendance per game in 2004, which was second in the AFL. The Kats are technically an expansion franchise, having been purchased by Tennessee Titans owner K.S. ?Bud? Adams, Jr. The team will keep the identity and history of the original Kats franchise. Following the 2001 season, the Kats were sold and moved to Atlanta, where they became the Georgia Force. Following Friday?s game, the Destroyers enter their bye week before visiting Dallas on February 13.

COLUMBUS DESTROYERS (0-0)
Date Opponent Time Result Record
1/28 NASHVILLE 7:00 - -
2/13 @Dallas 3:00 - -
2/19 CHICAGO 7:00 - -
2/27 @Grand Rapids 3:00 - -
3/06 @Georgia 12:00 - -
3/12 LAS VEGAS 7:00 - -
3/20 @Colorado 3:00 - -
3/26 NEW YORK 7:00 - -
4/03 PHILADELPHIA 12:00 - -
4/08 @Arizona 10:00 - -
4/16 @New Orleans 8:00 - -
4/22 DALLAS 7:00 - -
4/30 AUSTIN 7:00 - -
5/07 @New York 7:00 - -
5/15 @Philadelphia 1:00 - -
5/22 TAMPA BAY 3:00 - -
* All Eastern Time

NASHVILLE KATS (0-0)
Date Opponent Time Result Record
1/28 @Columbus 7:00 - -
2/04 NEW ORLEANS 8:30 - -
2/13 @Philadelphia 3:00 - -
2/19 @New York 7:00 - -
2/26 LAS VEGAS 8:30 - -
3/06 @Chicago 3:00 - -
3/13 COLORADO 6:30 - -
3/28 ARIZONA 8:30 - -
4/03 @Grand Rapids 3:00 - -
4/08 @Dallas 8:30 - -
4/17 LOS ANGELES 1:00 - -
4/24 TAMPA BAY 1:00 - -
4/29 @San Jose 10:30 - -
5/07 GRAND RAPIDS 8:30 - -
5/13 @Colorado 9:00 - -
5/22 CHICAGO 3:00 - -

A COLUMBUS WIN OVER NASHVILLE WOULD?
? Give the Destroyers their first win of the season.
? Give the Destroyers their second consecutive season-opening victory
? Give the Destroyers their first-ever win over Nashville
? Give Chris Spielman his first-ever win as a head coach

LAST SERIES MEETING
Nashville 87, Destroyers 48 (6/22/01)
The Kats jumped out to a quick 21-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back en route to scoring a franchise-record 87 points in an 87-48 defeat of the Destroyers on June 22, 2001.

ALL-TIME SERIES RESULTS VS NASHVILLE
Date Score
June 22, 2001 NASHVILLE 87, Buffalo 48
June 2, 2000 NASHVILLE 42, Buffalo 29

HEAD COACHI NG DEBUT
Chris Spielman begins his first season as head coach of the Destroyers and first season as a head coach at any level. A Columbus, Ohio legend, Spielman will coach his first game at home on Friday in the same city where he earned a reputation as a hard-nosed linebacker at The Ohio State University (1984-1987) before enjoying a successful professional careeer.

NEW FACES I N 2005
Of the 24 active players currently on the Destroyers roster, only nine are returners from last season. In turn, the club will suit up 11 newcomers on Friday in the season opener. Among the top newcomers this season are quarterback Chad Salisbury, defensive specialist Donvetis Franklin, offensive specialist Damien Groce and lineman Curtis Eason, all who should be vital contributors to the success of the Destroyers in 2005.

PUTTING THE ?D? BACK IN DESTROYERS
In an offensively dominated league, AFL defenses need to have a short memory. That held true for a Destroyers defense that allowed 53.9 points per game (17th in AFL) and gave up an average of 271.6 yards per game (15th in AFL). This season Columbus should be improved in the secondary with the addition of DS Donvetis Franklin. Franklin joins the Destroyers after spending three seasons with the New York Dragons where he finished in the top four in the AFL in total tackles the past three seasons. He led the AFL in defensive stops with 93.5 in 2003. Franklin joins fellow DS JoJo Polk in the defensive backfield this season with the potential to become on the top DS tandems in the league. Polk has led the Destroyers in tackles the past two seasons and set a franchise record for tackles in a single season with 86.5 in 2003.

 

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KATS ENTER MR. ROBINSON?S NEIGHBORHOOD
When you ask Destroyers head coach Chris Spielman what position Sedrick Robinson plays, Spielman will reply, ?He has no position, he?s listed as a football player.? Actually listed as a wide receiver/defensive back, Robinson did it all for the Destroyers in 2004. He had his best season as a pro last season, setting career highs in receptions, receiving yards, kick return yards, kick return touchdowns and all-purpose yards. The AFL's Offensive Player of the Month for May, Robinson was named the Destroyers 2004 team MVP after a stellar season. He finished with 73 catches for 1,063 yards and 19 touchdowns, while also rushing the ball 22 times for 68 yards and six scores. He also completed 3-of-4 pass attempts for 63 yards and two touchdowns. Robinson led Columbus' special team's play, returning 72 kicks (2nd in AFL) for 1,580 yards (2nd in AFL) and five touchdowns (T-1st in AFL), giving him 2,716 all-purpose yards on the season (2nd in AFL). His five returns for a score set a franchise record for a single season and .was eventually named to the AFL?s 2004 U.S. Army All-Ironman team following the season.

DESTROYERS ANNOUNCE TEAM CAPTAINS
The Destroyers named four Team Captains for the 2005 season Monday. As voted on by their teammates, this year?s captains include wide receiver/defensive back Sedrick Robinson, wide receiver/ linebacker Cornelius White, defensive specialist JoJo Polk and lineman Curtis Eason. Robinson, who was last year?s team MVP, returns for his second season with the Destroyers after having a career-year in 2004. He finished with career highs in receptions, receiving yards, kick return yards, kick return touchdowns and all-purpose yards before being named to the AFL?s 2004 U.S. Army All-Ironman team. White is in his third season with the Destroyers, having led the team in receiving for the past two seasons. In 2004, White led Columbus with 78 catches for 1,152 yards and 23 touchdowns, all which were career highs. Polk led the Destroyers in tackles for the second consecutive season in 2004 with 69 total tackles. He also led the team in pass deflections (11), forced fumbles (2), fumble recoveries (2) and shared the team-lead with three interceptions. Eason is the lone newcomer of the group, entering his first season with the Destroyers after spending the past two seasons with the Detroit Fury. In 2004, Eason had a career-year, leading all Fury linemen with 28 total tackles, which was also a personal best.

WHEN COLUMBUS HAS THE BALL?
Look for quarterback Chad Salisbury to get the ball in the hands of his playmakers. Columbus has tremendous depth at the receiver position with a group of athletes capable of taking the ball to the house with virtually every pass reception. Salisbury?s primary targets will likely be returners Sedrick Robinson and Cornelius White, both whom surpassed 1,000 yards receiving last season. However, newcomers Damien Groce, Lenzie Jackson and Bobby Olive are also capable receivers, giving the Destroyers offense a multitude of weapons.

WHEN NASHVILLE HAS THE BALL?
Look for Nashville to rely on quarterback Leon Murray?s arm to outgun the Destroyers Friday night. Murray might not have the receiving corps Columbus possess, however he is one quarterback who is not afraid to air it out. Murray has had success against the Destroyers in the past during his brief AFL career, throwing for a careerhigh eight touchdowns and 334 yards in leading the Georgia Force to a win over the Columbus last season. Murray has thrown for 93 touchdowns and more than 5,300 yards in two years in the league.

NEXT WEEK
Following Friday?s contest with Nashville, the Destroyers reach an early bye week before returning to action on Sunday, February 13 when the club travels to Dallas to face the Desperados.

2004 REVIEW
The Destroyers began their first season in Columbus with a bang, besting the Indiana Firebirds on February 7 at Conseco Fieldhouse to earn the franchise?s first-ever victory. The emotions of the victory in week one carried over into week two when the club welcomed the Carolina Cobras for Columbus? home opener at Nationwide Arena. However, the Destroyers fell on the game?s final play in the first of what would be six consecutive losses. Following the bye week, the Destroyers found a rhythm, stringing consecutive home victories together over the Orlando Predators and New York Dragons. The club gained momentum towards the end of the season, wining three out of their last five games including a 31- point win over the Grand Rapids Rampage, which was the largest margin of victory in franchise history. The Destroyers finished the 2004 season setting multiple single-season franchise records on the offensive side of the ball. Last season?s offensive records include total points scored (791), touchdowns scored (108), touchdown passes (68), total offensive yards (4,038) and total rushing yards (413). The Destroyers would finish their inaugural season with a 6-10 mark, welcoming over 16,000 fans in attendance per home game in the process, which was second to only the Philadelphia Soul throughout the Arena Football League.

2004 FINAL TEAM RANKINGS

OFFENSE CMB RANK
Scoring Offense 49.4 10th
Total Offense 252.4 14th
Pass Offense 226.6 15th
Rush Offense 25.8 6th

DEFENSE CMB RANK
Scoring Defense 53.9 17th
Total Defense 271.6 15th
Pass Defense 241.5 11th
Rush Defense 30.1 18th

SPECIAL TEAMS CMB RANK
Kick Returns 19.0 T-5th
Kick Coverage 17.0 5th
MFG Returns 29.5 1st
Field Goal Percent 48% 8th
PAT Percent 87% 8th

RED ZONE CMB RANK
Red Zone Offense 81.1% 15th
Red Zone Defense 83.3% 9th

TURNOVER CMB RANK
Turnover Margin -6 14th

DESTROYERS 2ND IN AFL ATTENDANCE IN 2004
The Destroyers were met with tremendous fan support, finishing their inaugural season second in the Arena Football League in attendance behind only Philadelphia. The Destroyers welcomed 130,288 fans into Nationwide Arena for eight home games this season with an average of 16,286 fans in attendance per game. Columbus recorded four sellouts in 2004, including sellouts in their first three home games of the season.

AFL ATTENDANCE UP I N 2004
The AFL averaged 12,024 fans per game in 2004, up six percent from 11,397 in 2003. This season marked the third consecutive season that average attendance has risen and marked a 31 percent increase since 2001 (9,155). The Arena Football League set a regular season total attendance record with 1,828,623 fans attending games during the 2004 season. That figure is 25 percent higher than the previous record of 1,458,830 set in 2003.

 

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Kats ready to roll into new season
By Mark McGee, Sports Correspondent
January 28, 2005

They have practiced for weeks. They have scrimmaged. They have watched endless hours of film. But the 24 players dressing tonight for the Nashville Kats in their Arena Football League opener have never played in a real game together.

That?s the main reason why Kats offensive coordinator Tres Sullivan hasn?t slept very well the past few days. When the Kats hit the field at 6 p.m. at Nationwide Arena against the Columbus Destroyers he is concerned about how the team, especially the offense, will react.

Sullivan has been on the sidelines with an AFL expansion team before. Last season he was part of the coaching staff of the New Orleans Voodoo, a team that posted one of the best records in the league.

?We are starting 10 to 12 rookies,? Sullivan said. ?Pat (Sperduto) tells me that is the same amount we started with last season in New Orleans, but I had worked with a lot of those players in Macon in af2 the year before. I knew something about them. I don?t know these guys. I don?t know how most of these guys are going to react when the lights go on.?

The key to the success of any AFL team is the quarterback. Leon Murray put up solid numbers last season with the Georgia Force. Murray knows that his leadership skills may be tested on a higher level.

?My job, along with the coaches, to make sure everybody stays calm and relaxed,? Murray said. ?With the turnover in this league a lot of teams are going through the same thing we are going through. Columbus has revamped their roster from last year. We all are going into it not knowing what to expect.?

Sperduto doesn?t expect a high-scoring game. Columbus coach Chris Spielman is in his first season in the AFL. He was an outstanding linebacker at Ohio State and the NFL, so defense is his area of expertise.

?I think they are very similar to us,? Sperduto said. ?I don?t think they are going to try to go down the field a bunch. I think they will try to run the ball a little bit. We will slow it down because that is how we play.?

If Sperduto has a concern it would be how his team is going to react to the ups and downs of a game. Fortunes can change quickly in indoor version of football.

?What we lack in experience we make up for in desire,? Sperduto said. ?The one negative when you don?t have experience is the ebb and flow of the game. When they get in a hole they might not know how to climb out of it where an experienced player does.?

 

[IE]

playing under 90.0 for a standard 1 unit play.

 

[FUNKY1]

I will be at almost all Columbus home games this year and hope to get a feel for them as the season progresses. I listen to Spielman's talk show every dayand there is no surprise that he wants to see a defensive team (even in the AFL) and few mistakes. I'm leaning with you on the under but it is just a shot in the dark since many of the players will be playing for their respective teams for the 1st time.

Good luck.

1 Unit Columbus -4
1 Unit Under 90

 

[IE]

look forward to your reports FUNKY1

good luck tonight.

 

[FUNKY1]

IE --Congrats on the under. I juiced out.

I forgot how bad that Football (I think that's what it is) is. It's hard to watch a bunch of college bowl games, NFL playoffs and then AFL.
Columbus doesn't have cover guys and Salisbury was picked 3 times at the goal. The defense is not what I expected out of a Spielman team but he can only work with the players that he has.