NEW ORLEANS — In a sport known for its offense, defense was the difference in the ArenaBowl.

The San Jose SaberCats beat the Columbus Destroyers 55-33 in Sunday's ArenaBowl, taking their third Arena League title in six years.

Former Slippery Rock University football player Matt Kinsinger is the starting fullback for the SaberCats.

It was a low score for two teams that put up big victories on the way to the championship game. San Jose averaged 63.2 points a game. Columbus averaged 50.1 during the season and 63 points a game in the post season.

San Jose (16-3), was held to its lowest scoring total of the playoffs, but the SaberCats' defense offset that by holding Columbus (10-10) 30 points below its postseason average.

The game, which sold out weeks in advance with 17,056 tickets purchased, was the first ArenaBowl sellout at a neutral site for the Arena Football League's championship game, with the tickets snapped up almost nine weeks before the game.

The 2005 game drew 10,822 and the 2006 ArenaBowl had a crowd of 13,476. Actual attendance Sunday was 15,147.

It was the first team championship game in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina hit Aug. 29, 2005.