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Rampage to Visit Kats in First-Round Playoff Matchup on espn2

Ready to Rumble: The Grand Rapids Rampage will begin their quest for the Arenabowl XIV championship this Saturday, July 29, as they travel to Nashville's Gaylord Entertainment Center for a first-round playoff matchup with the Kats. The 11th-seeded Rampage finished the regular season with a 6-8 mark and are making their second consecutive appearance in the Arena Football League playoffs. Last year, the Rampage suffered a 55-45 road loss in the opening round to the Albany Firebirds, the eventual league champions. Grand Rapids completed its third season with a third-place finish in the Central Division of the American Conference. The Kats earned the postseason's sixth seed courtesy of a 9-5 record, which placed them second in the Southern Division of the National Conference. Nashville is headed to the playoffs for the fourth time in as many seasons but has yet to claim a victory, after falling 34-30 at Arizona last season. The Kats have not hosted a playoff game since 1997, when they lost 52-49 to Tampa Bay. Nashville, which lost three of its last five games after winning seven of its first nine, was idle last weekend and dropped a 35-31 home decision to the Storm on July 14. Grand Rapids also stumbles into postseason play, having lost five of the last six and seven of the last nine following a 4-1 start. The Rampage closed out the regular season with a 59-17 defeat at Oklahoma last Thursday. Saturday's game will be televised nationally on espn2, beginning at 8:00 p.m. 1340 WBBL AM's pre-game show with Joe Parson and Tom Sullivan will air at 7:40 p.m.
Lights, Camera, Action: Saturday's game marks the Rampage's third appearance on national television this season, after being featured twice on TNN's Game of the Week. Grand Rapids claimed a thrilling 52-47 win at Milwaukee on April 20, before being routed by the Wranglers in last week's season finale. The Rampage boast two prior appearances on either ESPN or espn2, as they dropped a 62-55 home decision to the Florida Bobcats on July 20, 1998 (espn2), and fell 52-51 to Milwaukee at Van Andel Arena on July 17, 1999 (ESPN).

Central Issues: The Iowa Barnstormers (9-5) won the Central Division crown for the second consecutive season and the fourth time in the last five years, claiming the third playoff seed and a first-round bye. The Milwaukee Mustangs (7-7) finished second with the ninth overall seed, while the last-place Houston ThunderBears (3-11) failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Record Rundown: Grand Rapids completed the regular season 6-8 overall, 3-4 at home, 3-4 on the road, 3-3 within the Central Division, 3-5 in intra-divisional play, 4-6 within the American Conference and 2-2 against the National Conference.

No Place Like Home: The Rampage finished the season with a 3-4 mark at Van Andel Arena, bringing their all-time home record to 9-12. Grand Rapids welcomed 58,971 fans for its seven home dates, for an average of 8,424. Unfortunately, the only playoff game that the Rampage could possibly host would be the Arenabowl, and then only if their opponent was 12th-seeded Buffalo.

2000 AFL Playoff Seedings: 1. X-San Jose SaberCats, 12-2; 2. X-Orlando Predators, 11-3; 3. X-Iowa Barnstormers, 9-5; 4. X-Albany Firebirds, 9-5; 5. Arizona Rattlers, 12-2; 6. Nashville Kats, 9-5; 7. New England Sea Wolves, 8-6; 8. Tampa Bay Storm, 8-6; 9. Milwaukee Mustangs, 7-7; 10. Oklahoma Wranglers, 7-7; 11. Grand Rapids Rampage, 6-8; 12. Buffalo Destroyers, 5-9 (X- Clinched division title and first-round bye).

Other First-Round Matchups: Thu., July 27, Buffalo (12) at Arizona (5), 9:00 p.m. on TNN; Fri., July 28, Oklahoma (10) at New England (7), 9:00 p.m. on TNN; Sat., July 29, Milwaukee (9) at Tampa Bay (8), 4:00 p.m. on ESPN.

Sting Taken Out of Rampage Attack: Last Thursday's loss at Oklahoma marked the Rampage's first-ever game played without the services of OS Thomas Bailey, who was kept out of the lineup to rest for the playoffs. Coupled with the absence of injured All-Ironman WR/LB Michael Baker, that game was the first in franchise history played without either of the "Killer B's." Last season, they became the first duo in AFL history to catch 100 passes apiece, and they had been on pace to accomplish the feat once again until Baker's season-ending shoulder blade injury in week 13 at Iowa. Still, they finished the season as the only teammates in the league to rank in the AFL's top 10 in receptions. Bailey placed sixth with 105 catches, and Baker finished tenth with 84 receptions.

Injury Update: In addition to the Killer Bs, the Rampage faced Oklahoma last week without All-Arena quarterback Craig Kusick (broken thumb), top lineman Joe Lewandowski (knee) and the league's all-time leading rusher, Les Barley (broken hand). Backup QB Jason Martin was also hobbled by a knee injury that stiffened during the game, preventing him from relieving Max Knake. It is expected that Lewandowski and Barley will be activated from injured reserve this week. Kusick will have his thumb re-examined Tuesday, and a determination on his status will be made by Thursday. Martin is probable for this weekend's playoff opener, but should QB health problems persist, the Rampage have signed John Fitzgerald, who was with the team in training camp before spending the majority of the season on Tampa Bay's de-active roster.

Record Breakers: The Rampage's 2000 season was marked by tremendous season-long efforts by several individual players, most notably FB/LB Chris Ryan and kicker Brian Gowins. Gowins led the league with 25 field goals and finished second with a 0.568 field goal percentage, shattering the previous records set by Remy Hamilton (19 and 0.373) in 1998. His 25 field goals were the second-most ever for an AFL rookie and stand as the third-highest single-season total in the history of the league. Ryan, meanwhile, established new franchise standards with 119 yards on the ground and nine rushing touchdowns, beating the previous records of six TDs (held by Craig Kusick and Sparky McEwen) and 117 yards (Marcellus Mostella).

Good to be Back: The Rampage will begin the 2000 postseason in the same building which hosted their first preseason game, as they'll visit Nashville's Gaylord Entertainment Center on Saturday. The Kats defeated Grand Rapids by a 51-22 count on Saturday, April 1, in the preseason opener for both teams.

Infrequent Foes: Grand Rapids and Nashville have played only once before when it counted, in a 48-47 Kats win at Van Andel Arena on July 1, 1999. Craig Kusick completed 29-of-44 passes for 314 yards and six touchdowns, while Nashville's Andy Kelly was 23-of-35 for 237 yards and four TDs. Thomas Bailey (14 catches for 137 yards and one TD) and Michael Baker (11 receptions for 141 yards and four TDs) each had monster nights, while Nashville's Cory Fleming caught eight passes for 97 yards and four scores. A three-yard TD reception by Fleming early in the fourth quarter gave Nashville a 48-41 lead, and a few minutes later a Rampage TD brought the home team within one with 10:41 left. However, Remy Hamilton missed the ensuing extra point, along with a pair of field goals in the final 74 seconds.

Tale of the Tape: The following is a rundown of where the Rampage and Kats finished statistically among the AFL's 17 teams during the 2000 regular season:

Category Rampage Rank # Kats Rank #

Field Goal Returns 1st 22.4 ypr 6th 17.5 ypr

Field Goals 1st 25 T5th 16

Field Goal Percentage 2nd 0.568 6th 0.516

Rushing Defense 4th 14.3 ypg 6th 17.1 ypg

Opponent First Downs 5th 209 T13th 239

First Downs 7th 231 14th 205

Kickoff Returns 9th 18.1 ypr 2nd 21.0 ypr

Pass Defense 9th 253.3 ypg 7th 243.6 ypg

Rushing Offense 9th 18.6 ypg 1st 38.6 ypg

Sacks Against 9th 18 T2nd 6

Total Defense 9th 267.6 ypg 8th 260.8 ypg

Turnover Margin 11th -6 3rd +11

Scoring Defense 12th 51.5 ppg 3rd 42.4 ppg

Pass Defense Rating 13th 113.2 3rd 95.0

Pass Offense 13th 236.4 ypg 14th 230.1 ypg

PAT Percentage 13th 0.868 T9th 0.896

Penalty Yardage 13th 676 11th 644

Sacks T13th 11 T4th 20

Pass Rating 14th 92.8 8th 108.8

Scoring Offense 15th 44.9 ppg 9th 47.5 ppg

Total Offense 15th 255.0 ypg 11th 268.8 ypg

Rhinos vs. Kats: The following were the statistical leaders for Grand Rapids and Nashville during the regular season:

Category Grand Rapids Leader Nashville Leader

Rushing Attempts Chris Ryan (36) Jason Bratton (45)

Rushing Yards Ryan (119) Rupert Grant (161)

Rushing TDs Ryan (9) Grant (9)

QB Rating Craig Kusick (101.33) Andy Kelly (109.57)

Completion Percentage Kusick (62.6) Kelly (66.0)

Passing Yards Kusick (2,681) Kelly (3,107)

Passing TDs Kusick (41) Kelly (55)

Receptions Thomas Bailey (105) Cory Fleming (73)

Receiving Yards Bailey (1,202) Fleming (938)

Receiving TDs Bailey (18) Fleming (20)

Field Goal Returns Bailey (22.3) Ron Carpenter (22.0)

Kickoff Returns Michael Baker (19.3) Tyronne Jones (22.9)

Points Brian Gowins (134) Fleming (126)

All-Purpose Yards Bailey (1,854) Jones (1,264)

Interceptions Hassan Shamsid-Deen (4) Robert Davis (5)

Passes Defended Shamsid-Deen (21) Kirk Pointer (22)

Tackles Darius Hadley (58) Davis/Darryl Hammond (71)

Sacks Les Barley (3) Aaron Hamilton (6)

QB Hurries Corey Mayfield (4) Anthony Hicks (3)

Fumbles Forced Baker/Hadley/Marcellus Mostella (2) Carpenter (3)

Fumbles Recovered Hadley/Mostella/Keith Neal (2) Hammond (5)

Last Week: The suffered through a 59-17 loss at Oklahoma last Thursday before 9,175 at The Myriad and a national television audience on TNN. Oklahoma scored the only points of the first quarter on a 13-yard pass from Ron Lopez to Brian Goolsby with 1:49 remaining, as the Rampage sustained their third scoreless first quarter in their last four games. The Wranglers made it 14-0 on a one-yard plunge by Kusanti Abdul-Salaam at 9:35 of the second, before a 20-yard field goal from Brian Gowins at 6:45 put GR on the board. The teams traded touchdowns the rest of the half, with Carlos Johnson pulling in a five-yard toss from Lopez at 3:42 and the Rampage's Reggie Ray hauling a 23-yard strike from Max Knake with 55 ticks left on the clock. Oklahoma would explode for 28 consecutive points in the third, part of a string of 38 unanswered points tallied by the Wranglers. Lopez hit Ron Perry (17 yards at 13:20) and Johnson (14 yards at 6:57) to give the home team a commanding 35-10 advantage. The Rampage's wheels soon fell completely off, as Knake threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns. Western Michigan alum Mark Ricks took one back 19 yards at 5:57, and Abdul-Salaam grabbed a tipped pass and took it the distance at 4:05, giving Oklahoma a 49-10 lead after three quarters. The Wranglers added to their lead in the fourth, getting a 25-yard field goal from Daron Alcorn at 7:51 and a 25-yard strike from Jeff Loots to Abdul-Salaam at 3:00 to make it 59-10. A five-yard TD reception by GR's Keith Neal with 24 seconds left provided the final margin. Knake finished the game 10-for-32 for 107 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, while Lopez stole the show, completing 15-of-24 for 202 yards and four TDs. Cleveland Pratt led the Rampage aerial attack with five receptions for 29 yards, while Johnson paced the Wranglers with seven catches for 70 yards and two TDs. Pratt also enjoyed a fine evening returning kicks, taking back eight kickoffs for 185 yards and almost breaking one for a score in the second quarter.

Ouch: In the loss to the Wranglers, the Rampage managed all-time lows in points (17), passing yardage (99), completions (10) and total offense (112), and their 42-point margin of defeat was their worst for a road game, falling just two points shy of the team's largest defeat ever. The 28 points scored by Oklahoma in the third quarter were the most ever surrendered by the Rampage to start the second half, and Grand Rapids tied a franchise low with just two touchdowns.

Silver Lining: The 23-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter by rookie wideout Reggie Ray was his first professional catch. Ray, who graduated from the College of Wooster just a few months ago, saw his first action due to the absences of Thomas Bailey and Michael Baker.

Like a Box of Chocolates: It was a season of contradictions for the Rampage. They tied franchise records for most consecutive home wins (3) as well as most consecutive home losses (4). They handed 7-0 Orlando its first loss of the year on the road and authored a win over division champion Iowa, yet lost back-to-back games to clubs that didn't make the playoffs (Houston and New Jersey). Grand Rapids' offense scored a season-high 62 points in week 14 versus Houston, seven days after producing 19 points at Iowa and five days before their record-low output (17) at Oklahoma. It also produced the franchise's all-time best and worst yardage performances (374 yards on June 24 vs. Tampa Bay, 112 yards last week at Oklahoma), passing efforts (362 yards vs. Tampa Bay, 99 against Oklahoma) and completion numbers (32 on May 6 vs. Milwaukee, 10 against the Wranglers). Defensively, the Rampage surrendered a record 721 points along with new team marks for points in a half (47 against the Storm) and points in a road game (68 on June 17 at San Jose). However, the defense also established records for fewest points allowed on the road (34 on June 9 at Orlando) and in the second half (10 on May 20 at Florida).

Dents in the Armor: During the Rampage's 4-1 start, the defense allowed more than 47 points on just one occasion (a 57-54 overtime loss to Milwaukee) and held the opposition to fewer than 40 points three times. However, during the team's final 2-7 stretch, GR allowed fewer than 52 points just once, in a 46-34 win at Orlando on June 9.

Shining Star: In his last five games, offensive specialist Thomas Bailey has caught 34 passes for 496 yards and six touchdowns. Against Tampa Bay on June 24, Bailey torched the Storm for 167 yards on just eight receptions, tying Michael Baker's performance on July 24, 1998 at Milwaukee for the second-best single-game yardage total for a Rampage receiver. Bailey holds the franchise record thanks to a 211-yard effort at Portland on June 19, 1999. He enjoyed another 100-yard effort on June 29 versus San Jose, and fell three yards shy of the century mark against Iowa on July 8.

Demo-Nstrating Excellence: Rampage WR/DB Demo Odems has performed remarkably in his nine games, totaling 33 receptions for 433 yards and eight touchdowns, each of which ranks third on the club. His 13.1-yard reception average was tops among GR wideouts this season and stands as the second-highest figure in franchise history. Odems' 44-yard TD catch against Tampa Bay ranks as the team's second-longest this season, while on defense, he has two interceptions and a fumble recovery to his credit.

Breaking Out: WR/LB Keith Neal and Cleveland Pratt have been solid in filling the void created by Michael Baker's injury. On July 15 versus Houston, Neal led all Rampage receivers and established career highs by catching nine passes for 90 yards and one touchdown, while finishing fourth among GR defenders with five tackles. Against Oklahoma, he added two passes for 25 yards and one score, plus one tackle. Pratt, meanwhile, caught three balls for 42 yards and a score against the ThunderBears, before leading the team with five receptions for 29 yards last week. He also returned eight kickoffs for 185 yards against the Wranglers, nearly scoring on a 46-yard effort.

Rampage League Leaders: Many Rampage players ranked among the league's top 10 and placed among the Rampage's all-time top five for their 2000 performances:

Player Statistic AFL 2000 Rank Rampage All-Time Rank

Thomas Bailey 22.3 yards per field goal return 1st 3rd

105 receptions 6th 2nd

1,854 all-purpose yards 6th 3rd

1,202 receiving yards 8th 2nd

18 receiving touchdowns ---- 2nd

20 TDs ---- 3rd

124 points (overall) ---- 4th

Michael Baker 1,799 all-purpose yards 8th 4th

84 receptions 10th 4th

19.3 yards per kickoff return ---- 4th

909 receiving yards ---- 4th

Les Barley Three sacks ---- T3rd

3.27 yards per rush n/a 3rd

Brian Gowins 25 field goals 1st 1st

0.568 field goal percentage 2nd 1st

44 field goal attempts 2nd 2nd

134 points (kicking) 5th 1st

134 points (overall) ---- 2nd

0.868 PAT percentage ---- 2nd

Darius Hadley 58 tackles ---- 2nd

Two interceptions ---- T5th

Max Knake Eight TD passes ---- 5th

41 completions ---- 5th

81 attempts ---- 5th

Craig Kusick 243.7 passing yards per game 8th 2nd

2,681 yards passing ---- 2nd

41 TD passes ---- 2nd

101.33 rating ---- 2nd

246 completions 8th 2nd

393 attempts 9th 2nd

0.626 completion percentage n/a 2nd

6.82 yards per attempt n/a 2nd

Tristan Moss Three interceptions ---- T3rd

49 tackles ---- 4th

Marcellus Mostella Four rushing TDs ---- T5th

25 rushing attempts ---- 5th

2.48 yards per rush n/a 5th

Demo Odems 13.1 yards per reception n/a 2nd

Two interceptions ---- T5th

Chris Ryan Nine rushing TDs T7th 1st

119 rushing yards ---- 1st

3.31 yards per rush n/a 2nd

36 rushing attempts ---- 3rd

Hassan Shamsid-Deen Four interceptions ---- 2nd

Record Setters: The Rampage set or tied a number of franchise season records during the regular season:

Category # Old Record

Most Points Allowed 721 710 (1998)

Fewest Rushing Touchdowns 22 23 (1999, 1998)

Most Return/Recovery TDs 6 6 (1998)

Most TDs Allowed 100 99 (1998)

Most Field Goals 25 19 (1998)

Fewest FG Attempts Against 24 31 (1998)

Fewest PATs 59 61 (1998)

Fewest Safeties Against 0 1 (1999, 1998)

Fewest Yards Allowed 3,746 3,766 (1999)

Fewest First Downs Allowed 209 217 (1998)

Most Passing Attempts 524 493 (1999)

Fewest Passing Yards Allowed 3,546 3,584 (1999)

Fewest Passing Attempts Against 441 454 (1998)

Fewest Completions Allowed 262 272 (1998)

Fewest Rushing Yards 260 264 (1999)

Fewest Rushing Attempts 120 122 (1999)

Lowest Rushing Average 2.2 2.2 (1999)

Fewest Rushing Attempts Against 98 110 (1999)

Fewest Sacks 11 15 (1998)

Most Sacks Allowed 19 12 (1999)

Most Fumbles 23 20 (1998)

Most Fumbles Lost 18 10 (1998)

Most Opponent Fumbles Recovered 13 12 (1999, 1998)

Most Penalties Incurred 148 108 (1998)

Most Penalty Yardage Incurred 676 523 (1999)

Most Penalties Incurred by Opponent 144 118 (1999)

Most Penalty Yardage Incurred by Opponent 652 589 (1998)

Greatest Average Time of Possession 34:59 33:31 (1998)