1976 USFL/WFL All-Pro Team

Cliff Thomas, RB, Pittsburgh

Record-setting quarterback Mario Valencia of the Detroit Wheels was named offensive MVP, Portland sack machine Norman Paulk defensive MVP and Tampa Bay's Mcarovil won the tightest voting race ever for coach of the year as the USFL/WFL released its 1976 All-Pro team Wednesday.

Pittsburgh running back Cliff Thomas became the first three-time All-Pro selection in league history. Birmingham's offensive linemen Ben Arnold and Earl Murtagh, both 1974 selections, were both picked by the league's coaches after having missed out in 1975.

Other repeat selections from past years were Boston OL Charles Bukowski, San Antonio LB Jonathan Neal, Washington LB Travis Curcio and Denver DB Donald Lopez.

Mcarovil, Tampa Bay

Valencia and Paulk were both runaway MVP picks. Birmingham WR Lee Rice was named offensive Rookie of the Year. New York Stars WR Allen Howard finished just behind Rice in that balloting, but made the All-Pro team as a kick returner. Georgia Force DT Brandon Kidney and Houston Gamblers SS Cory Vargas tied for defensive Rookie of the Year. Vargas also made the All-Pro team on defense.

Mcarovil, who led Tampa Bay to a 15-1 regular season, was one of nine coaches who received at least one vote. Cleveland's jabillups85 and mwd65 of the Los Angeles Express both finished one vote behind.

Let's post the summary first, then get to the breakdown of others receiving votes.

1976 USFL/WFL All-Pro Team
(*-1974 selection; **-1975 selection; ***-1974 and '75 selection)
Offense: Mario Valencia, QB, Detroit; Cliff Thomas, RB, Pittsburgh***; Adam Velasco, RB, Cleveland; Dusty Heckman, WR, Oklahoma; Cory Robinzine, WR, Arizona; Robert Diaz, TE, Pittsburgh; Charles Bukowski, OL, Boston*; Ben Arnold, OL, Birmingham*; Frank Boyles, OL, Baltimore; Earl Murtagh, OL, Birmingham*;  Adam Bolding, OL, Portland.

Special Teams: Lester Reed, K, Oakland; Dan Carr, P, Cleveland; Allen Howard, KR, NY Stars.

Defense: Norman Paulk, DL, Portland**; Juan Frigo, DL, Detroit; Elton Engler, DL, Chicago; Anthony Kent, DL, Shreveport; Jonathan Neal, LB, San Antonio**; James Kelley, LB, Southern California; Martin Wildermuth, LB, Tampa Bay; Travis Curcio, LB, Washington*; David Peralta, DB, Detroit; Cory Vargas, DB, Houston; Marcus Town, DB, Shreveport; Donald Lopez, DB, Denver*.

Offensive MVP: Mario Valencia, QB, Detroit
Defensive MVP: Norman Paulk, LDE, Portland
Coach of the Year: Mcarovil, Tampa Bay
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Lee Rice, WR, Birmingham
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Brandon Kidney, DT, Georgia and Cory Vargas, SS, Houston

Others Receiving Votes

(In order of votes received)
QB: Tyrone Harvell, Tampa Bay. Dale Brown, Oklahoma
RB: Kenneth Boyd, New Orleans; Herschel Walker, New Jersey; Karl Moore, Honolulu
WR: Santiago Smith, Los Angeles; Marshall Gibson, San Antonio; Michael Popa, Tampa Bay
TE: Scott Maddux, Shreveport; Gerald Montoya, Oklahoma; William Malone, Georgia.
OL: James Smith, San Jose; Michael Warren, San Jose; Thomas Nedd, Birmingham; Richard Mosley, San Jose; Raymond Andres, San Antonio; Samuel Hines, Orlando; Lee Ward, Oklahoma
KR: Christopher Curtis, Oakland; Adam Velasco, Cleveland
DL: Kevin Staten, Charlotte; Frank Wakefield, San Jose; Paul Funchess, Pittsburgh; Albert Cruz, Oklahoma; Laverne Ashlock, Philadelphia
LB: Martin Wolf, New York; Daniel Fenner, Boston; William Bennett, Jacksonville; Ivan Alexander, Birmingham; Jesse Amos, Georgia; John Cintron, Shreveport
DB: Bradley Mondragon, Detroit; Christopher Chen, Michigan; Jeffrey Keeley, Houston; Earl Bueno, Baltimore; Albert Welsh, Arizona; Larry Ackman, New Orleans; Leon Crisman, San Antonio; Carlos Turner, Los Angeles; Edward Alston, Oakland
Offensive MVP: Cory Robinzine, Arizona; Tyrone Harvell, Tampa Bay; Dusty Heckman, Oklahoma
Defensive MVP: Jonathan Neal, San Antonio; Christopher Chen, Michigan; James Kelley, Southern California
Coach of the Year: jabillups85, Cleveland; mwd65, Los Angeles; wolveraider, Oakland; pernbronze, Portland; smirt211, Arizona; tribewriter, New York; setherick, Orlando; greyghost1225, New Orleans
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Allen Howard, New York
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Oliver Serrano, Cleveland

All-Pro History

1975 USFL/WFL All-Pro Team

(*-Repeat selection)

Offense: Les Lacy, QB, Oakland; Cliff Thomas, RB, Pittsburgh*; John Murray, RB, Pittsburgh; Donnie Baker, WR, San Antonio*; Randy Christmas, WR, Baltimore; Ivory Villaneuva, TE, Portland; Kenneth Addison, OL, Portland; Thomas Nedd, OL, Birmingham; Kevin Peck, OL, Cleveland; James Smith, OL, San Jose; Dale Jarrett, OL, Chicago.

Special Teams: Anthony Schaefer, K, Arizona; Jeff Castle, P, New York; Glenn Williamson, KR, Georgia.

Defense: Nathan Branch, DL, Memphis; Oscar Rodriguez, DL, Shreveport; Norman Paulk, DL, Portland; Frank Wakefield, DL, San Jose; Richard Hartnett, LB, Oakland; Jonathan Neal, LB, San Antonio; Bernard Washington, LB, Florida; Carlos Johnson, LB, Tampa Bay; Edward Alston, DB, Oakland*; Mike Williams, DB, New Jersey; James Jones, DB, Memphis.

Offensive MVP: Les Lacy, QB, Oakland
Defensive MVP: Oscar Rodriguez, RDE, Shreveport
Coach of the Year: Wolverraider, Oakland

1974 USFL/WFL All-Pro Team

Offense: Daniel McKee, QB, Chicago; Bruce Fine, RB, Chicago; Cliff Thomas, RB, Pittsburgh; Thomas Canale, WR, New Orleans; Donnie Baker, WR, San Antonio; Kenneth Boyd, TE, New Orleans; Ben Arnold, OL, Birmingham; Earl Murtagh, OL, Birmingham; Donald Lopez, OL, Boston; Sidney Woosley, OL, Pittsburgh; Charles Bukowski, OL, Boston.

Special Teams: Dean Long, P, Oklahoma; Timothy Riley, K, Boston; Thomas Dayton, KR, Southern California.

Defense: John Lawrence, DL, New Orleans; Ryan Moore, DL, Georgia; Chris McDuffie, DL, Orlando; Kenneth Back, DL, Portland; John Cintron, LB, Shreveport; Jesse Amos, LB, Georgia; Jim LeClair, LB, New Jersey; Travis Curcio, LB, Washington; Allen Herrera, DB, Oklahoma; Leon Crisman, DB, San Antonio; Edward Alston, DB, Oakland; Donald Lopez, DB, Denver.

Offensive MVP: Agustin Cook, QB, Denver, and Daniel McKee, QB, Chicago
Defensive MVP: John Cintron, MLB, Shreveport

Playoff Roundup: World Bowl III Preview

Thomas Canale, WR, New Orleans VooDoo (8)

World Bowl III will feature a potential worst-to-first conclusion of the 1976 season.

The New Orleans VooDoo, who finished dead last in the South Division in 1975, earned a spot opposite Detroit in the World Bowl by stunning Tampa Bay, 13-6, in the National Conference Championship Game. The Bandits had the league's best record during the regular season (15-1). New Orleans, 7-9 last season, finished 1976 with eight consecutive wins, then beat Pittsburgh in its playoff opener

Detroit earned its first World Bowl berth with a 27-7 romp past the Los Angeles Express.

The Bandits totally abandoned their running game against the VooDoo, Ralph Allen, who had run for 802 yards and averaged 4.7 yards per carry, only ran six times. Tampa Bay came out throwing and the New Orleans secondary was up to the task, intercepting Tyrone Harvell twice and coming out on top every time in third down situations (0-for-11), which is really hard to do in MFN.

The game's only TD came in the second quarter, when New Orleans QB Ty Fleming hit WR Thomas Canale for a 59-yard score. That came five plays after a Tampa Bay TD had been nullified by a holding penalty. The Bandits reached the VooDoo 38 and 32 on their final two drives, but were unable to finish the job.

Detroit Wheels 27, Los Angeles Express 7

Detroit broke open a close game with 17 unansweOred points in the third quarter. QB Mario Valencia threw TD passes of 87 and 15 yards to Rigoberto Gonzales and Robert Costello. Valencia passed for 387 yards and Wheels rookie RB Enrique Pacheco contributed 108 yards on the ground. The Detroit defense limited LAX to 4 yards rushing on 16 attempts.

World Bowl III

The Wheels made it to the World Bowl after having lost to Portland in the 1974 Wild Card game and Oakland in the 1975 American Conference Championship Game. New Orleans also qualified for the playoffs in 1974, beating Jacksonville in the first round before falling to the Florida Blazers. Detroit won the only previous meeting of the teams, 17-10, during the 1974 season.

MFN has made Detroit a 2-point favorite. The Wheels have done it with Valencia--and with defense. They were far and away the USFL/WFL leader in fewest points allowed (10.6 per game).

The Wheels allowed only 229.7 passing yards per game during the regular season, second in the USFL/WFL.The VooDoo don't pass the ball all that much anyway (255 ypg, 28th). New Orleans was fifth in rushing yards (125.4), but Detroit was seventh in rushing defense (64.9).

In the first two World Bowl games, the Blazers beat the Chicago Blitz, 42-17, and Oakland stomped Pittsburgh, 48-7.

Playoff Roundup: Divisional Round

Mario Valencia, QB, Detroit

The USFL/WFL will have a new champion for the third time in three seasons.

Detroit QB Mario Valencia found WR John Risinger three times for TDs as the Wheels rolled past Oakland, last year's World Bowl winners, 36-10, in a divisional round game.

The win propels Detroit into the American Conference finals, where the Wheels will take on Los Angeles. The Express gunned down San Antonio, 31-14, in the other American Conference semifinal. The Invaders had beaten the Wheels, 9-6, in the 1975 American Conference finals.

The Wheels and Invaders were actually tied, 7-7, before Detroit ran off 29 unanswered points. Oakland turned the ball over four times.

Valencia completed 23 of 33 passes for 401 yards. RDE Juan Frigo was the big-play guy for the Wheels defense, sacking Lacy five times, forcing three fumbles and recovering one.

In the other divisional round games:

Express 31, Gunslingers 14

The Los Angeles defense held San Antonio's heralded passing attack in check as they moved on to the finals. Gunslingers QB Tony Smith was 24-for-54 with one TD and two interceptions (52.39 QBR). After trailing, 7-3, early on, LAX outscored San Antonio, 28-7, the rest of the way. Los Angeles QB Gene Nowlin was 15-for-20 passing for 299 yards. CB Paul Moore was credited with seven tackles and intercepted a pass. The Gunslingers are 0-3 all-time in postseason play.

Bandits 46, Stars 3

Tampa Bay showed why it was 15-1 in the regular season, limiting New York to 117 total yards and forcing five turnovers. The game was never close, as the Bandits led, 31-0, at intermission.Tampa Bay RB Ralph Allen had a nice all-around game, rushing for 75 yards and catching three passes for 80 yards.

VooDoo 16, Maulers 10

New Orleans, which finished dead last in the South Division a year ago, is now a win away from the World Bowl. Rookie SS Troy Thomas intercepted a pass by Pittsburgh backup QB Brandon Rocha at the VooDoo 19-yard line with 1:25 remaining to seal the victory. Rookie RDE Juan Bennett had 5 tackles, 7 hurries, and 2 sacks for New Orleans. FS Rick Edwards led the VooDoo with 12 tackles.

Conference Finals Preview

Los Angeles at Detroit: MFN has the Wheels as an 11-point favorite. Detroit leads the regular-season series between the teams, 2-0, including a 20-7 win during Week 7 this season. Los Angeles QB Gene Nowlin had one of his worst games as a pro that day, completing 14 of 37 passes with 2 interceptions and being sacked seven times (30.57 QBR). The Express also turned the ball over four times in that matchup.
New Orleans at Tampa Bay: MFN gives a 4-point edge to the Bandits. Tampa Bay has won the only regular-season meeting between the teams, 17-10, in 1974. New Orleans was 28th in the league in passing yards per game (255) during the regular season, but fifth in rushing yards (125.4). However, the Tampa Bay defense was second in the league against the run (54.7).

Playoff Roundup: Wild Card Round

All four of the USFL/WFL's wild card games came down to the final minutes, setting up some interesting matchups for the divisional round.

Invaders 26, Storm 23

The Oakland Invaders and Portland Storm met for the third time this season. The final tally for those matchups was 1-1-1 after the Invaders pulled out a 26-23 playoff victory. Quarterbacks William Hill and Les Lacy both passed for two TDs, but Oakland's Lester Reed kicked his fourth field goal of the day with 4:08 remaining, from 47 yards away, for the margin of victory. Portland had the ball on the Oakland 49 with 2:43 to play, but decided to punt. A pair of defensive overusage penalties on the Storm allowed the Invaders to hang onto the ball. When Portland got the ball back, it was on their own 8-yard line, and the Storm eventually turned it over on downs. Portland WR Michael Black caught 10 passes for 210 yards.

Express 32, Thunderbolts 30

Lewis Duron, RDE, LAX (73)

In the first-ever playoff game for both franchises, Los Angeles held off a furious comeback by Cleveland to advance. The Express led, 32-10, with 10:44 to play, before 'Bolts QB Brandon Robertson fired three TD passes, the last with 5:14 to go. Chester Dougherty replaced Robertson behind center for the rest of the game, but was picked off by LDE Michael Salzman and turned the ball over on downs on Cleveland's final possession. Los Angeles QB Gene Nowlin passed for 397 yards and a pair of TDs. Express RDE Louis Duron was credited with 17 hurries.

Maulers 14, Renegades 13

There was no scoring, but plenty of action, during the final 20 minutes of this game. The Renegades punted with 2:57 to play and never saw the ball again. Pittsburgh extended an olive branch when QB Michael White threw an interception with 1:46 remaining, but the pickoff was negated by an offsides penalty. The Maulers ran for a first down on the next play, then ran out the clock. Orlando WR Robert Zapata caught 10 passes for 199 yards and CB John Borkowski intercepted a pair of passes. White and Brandon Rocha each threw a TD pass for the Maulers.

Stars 29, Force 14

Martin Wolf, WLB, NY Stars (45)

New York won its first-ever playoff game, pulling away from Georgia in the final minutes. The Stars were clinging to a 19-14 lead when an interception by RDE Richard Kirkwood gave the ball to New York at midfield. Seven plays later, RB Mark Post scored the clinching TD from 3 yards away. New York WLB Martin Wolf and DT Ryan Moore both recorded two sacks, and Moore had nine hurries.

Divisional Round Preview

• The Detroit Wheels will host defending World Bowl champion Oakland in a semifinal game. The teams are 1-1 against each other in the regular season, but the Invaders won, 9-6, in last season's American Conference Championship Game. The Wheels will be without CB Bradley Mondragon, an All-Pro candidate with a bum ankle. Oakland's star RB/KR, Christopher Curtis, is questionable with an ankle injury.
• The Los Angeles Express face the San Antonio Gunslingers in another American Conference semifinal. The only previous meeting of these teams came in the 1975 regular-season opener, San Antonio winning, 37-16. LAX backup QB William Trombley is out with a concussion, while all hands are on deck for the Gunslingers.
• The Tampa Bay Bandits, who had the league's best regular-season record (15-1) are a 14-point favorite over the New York Stars in a National Conference semifinal. The Bandits won, 17-3, in this year's regular-season opener and won, 13-9, during the 1974 regular season. New York center Luis Carswell is out with a foot injury and starting SS Adrian Hill (foot) is questionable.
• The Pittsburgh Maulers travel to the Big Easy to face the South Division champions VooDoo in the other National Conference semi. The regular-season series is 1-1, New Orleans winning, 17-14 in overtime, in Week 3 this season. The Maulers will be missing four injured starters--center Andre Adkins, RG Herman Winn, SLB George Grant and WLB Brian Lowe. New Orleans will be minus TE William Ramsey and RG Dale Gregory.

Week 16 Roundup: The Wild, Wild West

William Hill, QB, Portland Storm (14)

The USFL/WFL's West Division saw three teams play 16 weeks to get down to the final seconds of the season's final game.

When Portland and Oakland fought to a 20-20 tie, it left both teams at 11-4-1. That opened the door for the Arizona Wranglers to win the division, But, when Georgia's Paul Roberts kicked a 25-yard field goal on the last play of the game, the Force had a 23-21 victory and Arizona was 11-5 and watching the postseason on TV at home.

The Wranglers certainly took a giant leap from 3-13. But, losses in the final three games by 6, 6, and 2 points doomed Arizona.

Portland, meanwhile, was able to celebrate a division championship. The Storm had beaten Oakland, 28-13, in Week 3. That head-to-head victory gave Portland the win and home-field advantage for its first-round playoff game ... against Oakland.

The Storm looked like they would be kicking themselves after William Hill's pass was intercepted by Edward Alston at the Invaders' 7-yard line with 36 seconds to play. But Portland forced Oakland's high-powered offense to punt three times in overtime. Hill was intercepted by Alston again, but the Invaders couldn't capitalize. Portland had earlier erased a 17-7 halftime deficit on TE James Walker's over-the-shoulder catch for an 11-yard TD that tied the score early in the fourth quarter.

This is the second division championship, and third playoff berth, in three years for Portland. Oakland will be attempting to defend the World Bowl title it won last year.

No other playoff berths were decided in Week 16, but there were some games and performances of note.

• Detroit QB Mario Valencia set a USFL/WFL record with his 55th TD pass of the season as the Wheels (14-2) beat the Cleveland Thunderbolts (13-3), 28-17, to win the Midwest Division. Valencia's 10-yard TD pass to WR Rigoberto Gonzales early in the fourth quarter set the record and also gave the Wheels a 21-17 lead. Detroit then drove 80 yards for the clinching score, a 2-yard run by Enrique Pacheco with 3:38 remaining.
• The New Jersey Generals scored with 1:19 to play and were set to tie when Ralph Lopez's PAT kick went wide right, preserving Tampa Bay's 23-22 win.
• Rookie WR Lee Rice of Birmingham caught eight passes for 144 yards, but Denver's Dustin Nichols threw four TD passes as the Gold picked up their third win by corralling the Stallions, 30-11. In its three seasons, Birmingham has gone 4-12, 13-3, 5-11. Weird.

American Conference Playoff Preview

The Portland Storm and Oakland Invaders will go best-of-three again. In 1975, the teams split during the regular season before Oakland won, 36-13, in the playoffs on its way to a World Bowl victory. This time, Portland will enjoy home-field advantage.

The other American Conference wild-card game sees Cleveland traveling to Los Angeles to face the Pacific Division champions. The Express won, 32-18, in Week 9. This will be the first postseason game for both franchises, meaning 24 of the USFL/WFL's 32 franchises have taken part in at least one playoff game during the league's first three seasons.

The Detroit Wheels and San Antonio Gunslingers received first-round byes and will await the winners of Thursday's wild-card games.

National Conference Playoff Preview

The New York Stars went from 1-15 in 1975 to 10-6 and an East Division championship this season, but their first playoff appearance is likely to be a short one, as the Georgia Force comes to the Big Apple. Georgia beat the Stars, 65-9, during the 1975 regular season. The Force fell to Pittsburgh in last season's National Conference Championship Game.

The Maulers host the Orlando Renegades, who are also making their first playoff appearance. Pittsburgh beat Orlando, 33-13, the last time these teams met, in 1975. Orlando was 10-1 in it last 11 games this season after setherick took over as head coach.

Tampa Bay (15-1) and the New Orleans VooDoo (13-3) earned first-round byes and will await the winner of Thursday's wild-card game.

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Allen Howard, WR, NY Stars (28)

Booger926 has followed his Rookie Defensive Player of the Year candidates from last blog post with one for the offensive players. See below.
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There is no greater honor than being selected by the AI Writers of Simerica as being the best of your class, except being selected as the best by your peers. This year, I am proud to introduce the 1976 Rookie Offensive Player of the Year Candidates as decided by AIWS

https://usflwfl.myfootballnow.com/player-awards

1) WR Lee Rice – Birmingham Stallions

The 19th overall pick in the 1976 draft, this speedy Washington Huskie/Birmingham Stallion played “Catch-Me-If-You-Can” with opposing secondaries. Being former MVP QB Augustin Cook’s favorite target, Rice became the fifth-highest targeted receiver in the league with 190. While being third overall in receptions with 109, he was able to get 1,897 yards thru the air even though he only caught 57.3 percent of the passes thrown his way. He was able to get 100+ yards in nine of the 13 games in which he has played. While his 12 receiving TDs could be considered “Meh” in the current pass-happy style of the game, one still has to take into account his 17.4 avg. On another note, on a wild ride in a DeLorean with a flux capacitater, I cannot affirm nor deny that this may or may not be the father of the greatest ever WR, Jerry Rice.

2) WR Allen Howard – New York Stars

Taken in the third round in the 1976 draft, this former stud from the University of Alabama rolled over defensive secondaries. Targeted 125 times, he was able to catch 48 percent of the passes thrown his way. With his 60 receptions, he was able to cover 1,259 yards thru the air in his 14 games, scoring 13 times. But his pass-catching skills are not the only weapon for the playoff-bound New York Stars. As their kickoff/punt returner, Howard raced by would-be special team tacklers for another 1,072 yards. His 38.0 yards per kick return average is third in the league and he leads the league in returns for TD’s with two. He is also sixth in the league in total yards with 2,331 and 15 TDs.

3) WR Edward Conner – Tampa Bay Bandits

All of Edward’s life, he has been told he isn’t good enough. He isn’t even the No. 1 WR on his playoff-bound Bandits. But being told over and over that he could not do it only made him want to prove everyone wrong. The former pizza delivery boy didn’t go to college, instead got the Tampa coach’s attention by delivering his order before he could hang up the phone. When Tampa made the announcement they were taking Conner with the 14th pick in the first round, everyone scratched their head and asked, “Who?” Now defensive coordinators are asking, “Who’s going to cover this guy?” Conner caught 58 percent of the 116 passes thrown his way while dropping only five. His 17.2 yard per catch average on 60 receptions help get him in the 1,000 club with 1,150 yards and nine scoring opportunities. Now, is that good enough for you?

4) RB Enrique “Suave” Pacheco – Detroit Wheels

The 29th overall pick in the 1976 draft, the former Tennessee Volunteer offered to be the workhorse for the 13-2 playoff bound Detroit Wheels. Playing in 11 games, he carried the pigskin 225 times for 866 yards and crossed the goal line five times. And coming out of the backfield to catch 22 wheel passes, he also added 312 yards and three receiving TDs through the air to his impressive first-year resume. The only thing that kept Pacheco from getting more yards was his body, being injured three times and fumbling the ball seven times.

Defensive Rookie of the Year and Other Notes

 We begin today's blog post with the defensive rookie of the year candidates, presented by Booger926. We thank Booger for his contribution. If anyone else wants to contribute blog content, it is always welcome.
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Martin McMeans, RDE, Memphis Showboats

There is no greater honor than being selected by the AI Writers of Simerica as the best of your class, except being selected as the best by your peers. This year, I am proud to introduce the 1976 Rookie Defensive Players of the Year Candidates as decided by AIWS

https://usflwfl.myfootballnow.com/player-awards

1) RDE Martin McMeans – Memphis Showboats

The ninth overall pick in the 1976 draft from Iowa State and standing at 6-foot-2, this 276-poound Mean Machine put fear in opposing quarterbacks in his 14 games as the designated starting RDE for the Showboats. During that time, he led his team in hurries with 55, the 14th-highest number of all defensive players league-wide, while being second on his team in sacks with 12 and 35 tackles. His ferocious play style helped him force three fumbles, in which he recovered two. And he quickly blocked offensive coordinators' plans of “Take Advantage of his Aggressive Nature” by knocking down 2 and intercepting 1 of the four screen passes thrown his way. His only setback was his two penalties for delay of game where homicide investigators had to draw chalk lines around those he tackled.

2) DT Brandon Kidney – Georgia Force

Being a sixth-round pick in the 1976 draft from the Illinois Fight Illini, one would expect that Kidney would be put in a reserve role, which he is being listed as the #4 DT on the playoff-bound Georgia Force, but another definition of reserve is stockpile. When he does play, he makes the most of his chances. He started 14 games where he is ninth in the league with 17 sacks and 57 hurries. He forced opposing RBs to fumble the ball five times out of sheer panic when they thought they had a hole and Kidney suddenly appeared to close it. He recovered two fumbles while they stood paralyzed in terror. And standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing in at 310 pounds, Kidney doesn’t have a jersey number, but instead his own zip code and there is nobody getting into his area code

3) SS Cory Vargas – Houston Gamblers

The sixth overall pick in the 1976 draft from Texas A&M, this fighting Aggie has already “WHOOPED!” the offensive passing game. Designated as a strong safety, but playing as the Gamblers' right cornerback, he has played in 88 percent of the team’s defensive plays in his first 12 games. Leading the Gamblers in tackles with 73 and interceptions with five, fifth-best in the league, he now realizes that “defense” is the side without the ball. Opposing quarterbacks, thinking that Vargas is “just a newbie,” like to test him by throwing to their No. 1 WR, which Vargas covers. Just this year, QBs have tossed the ball Vargas' way 119 times, though he allowed just 36 percent to be caught. He has knocked down 14 passes and, as mentioned, is in the top five league-wide in INTs.

4) CB Oliver Serrano – Cleveland Thunderbolts
Being the equivalent of a defensive weapon of mass destruction, Serrano plays all over for the playoff-bound Thunderbolts. Listed as No. 3 in a rotating secondary as well as filling in as a LB when needed, he has made others take notice. With blinding speed, incredible tackling ability, and unbelievable man-to-man coverage skills, he is the prototype of an advanced ALL-STAR. If one could build a defensive player from the ground up, one would definitely look at Serrano for inspiration. In 14 games, five in which he was a starter, he has 54 tackles, six sacks coming off the corner, and has hurried the QB 29 times. While thrown at 50 times for the season, he has knocked down six while intercepting two passes and allowed 19 to be caught.

Coach of the Year?

It occurred to me (this is the commish speaking now, not Booger, but thank you, Booger, for your time) that, when the All-Pro ballot comes out following Tuesday's season finale, there are going to be a lot of candidates for Coach of the Year. Consider:

• mwd65, Los Angeles Express: Took a 6-10 team and won the Pacific Division.
• Pembronze, Portland Storm: On the verge of a playoff berth despite playing the toughest schedule in the league.
• Smirt211, Arizona Wranglers: Went from 3-13 to the verge of a playoff berth.
• jabillups65, Cleveland Thunderbolts: Took over an 8-8 team and has them at 13-2 and tied with Detroit atop the Midwest Division.
• Mcarovil, Tampa Bay Bandits: Built the Bandits from 6-10 (partial season) to 8-8 to 14-1, the league's best record.
• setherick, Orlando Renegades: Team is 9-1 since he took over and headed to the playoffs.
• greyghost1225, New Orleans VooDoo: Took over team that finished last in the South Division in 1975 and has them in first place headed into the final week.

Firing an Owner?

The only owners I have removed during the USFL/WFL's three seasons have been those who totally ignored their team. Another user-owned league, Paydirt, has a system for removing owners/GMs for under-performance. Their guidelines are below. I have not previously considered doing this. But, in the quest for competitive balance, it may be something we want to consider.

Hiring and Firing of GM's
A) If they have a winless season.
B) If they have 3 consecutive seasons with less than 5 wins
C) If they have 4 consecutive seasons with less than 7 wins
D) If they have 5 consecutive seasons under .500
E) If they have 6 consecutive seasons not making the playoffs
F) If a GM takes over a playoff team and miss the playoffs for 3 consecutive seasons.
G) 3 league conduct violations.
H) No GM can be fired in their first 3 seasons with exception of rule 4.
I) If no one is on the waiting list each GM will retain their tenure with exception of rule G.
J) Once a GM is fired from their team they may not be hired by that same team for 3 seasons. They may be hired by another team at any time, determined by the waiting list.

Week 14 Playoff Race Rundown

Philip Anderson, QB, Georgia Force

The USFL/WFL's postseason begins a week from today, following Week 15 on Saturday and Week 16 on Tuesday. Eight teams have a legitimate shot at the six American Conference spots, while just one spot needs to be doled out in the National Conference.

JDB says MFN follows the NFL's tiebreaking procedures very closely. If you want to read that list over, you can do so here.

American Conference

The West Division is still anyone's to win, and a three-way tie is not out of the question. Arizona currently sits at 11-3, while Portland and Oakland are 10-4. Arizona finishes with games at Portland (10-4) and vs. the Georgia Force (11-3). Oakland finishes at Chicago (7-7) and vs. Portland (10-4). The Storm has a tough row to hoe, as they have all season, concluding vs. Arizona (11-3) and at Oakland (10-4).

Portland is sitting pretty in the tiebreaker scenarios, with a 4-0 division record and 9-1 conference record. Oakland and Arizona have both lost twice in the division.

San Antonio (10-4) leads Oklahoma (9-5) by a game in the Southwest Division. The Gunslingers will be favored in both of their final games, at Houston and vs. Memphis.

The Los Angeles Express (9-5) needs only a win or a Hawaii loss to clinch the Pacific Division. LAX is likely to get that win against Florida (5-9) or Southern California (3-11).

The Cleveland Thunderbolts (12-2) and Detroit Wheels (12-2) are going down to the wire in the Midwest Division, but both have clinched postseason berths. Those teams meet Saturday, the final day of the season.

National Conference

Five of the six spots are all but finalized, with only the East Division champion to be determined.

Tampa Bay (13-1) and Pittsburgh (11-3) long ago clinched their divisions. Orlando (9-5) will be favored in its final two games and has all but wrapped up a wild card spot, as have New Orleans (11-3) and Georgia (11-3).

In the East, the New York Stars (8-6) hold a one-game edge over New Jersey (7-7) and Boston (7-7). The Generals have a rough road to the finish, with games against Orlando (9-5) and Tampa Bay (13-1). Boston and New York square off Thursday. On Saturday, Boston is at Chicago (7-7) and New York hosts Philadelphia (0-14).

Week 14 Notebook

• Hawaii RDE Robert Babineau had 18 hurries in a 20-3 win over the San Jose SaberCats. Babineau's teammate, RDE Stanley Thompson, set the USFL/WFL single-game record with 21 hurries in a 1975 loss to New Orleans.
• Portland LDE Norman Paulk had 5 tackles, 9 hurries, 2 sacks, a forced fumble and an interception during a 27-10 win over the Los Angeles Express.
• Georgia Force QB Philip Anderson threw 8 TD passes, one shy of the league record, during a 77-28 romp over the Birmingham Stallions. One of the TDs was for 95 yards on a hot read to Timothy Jackson.
• Dale Brown's 48-yard hot read TD pass to Antonio Christy in overtime gave the Oklahoma Outlaws a 32-26 win over the Arizona Wranglers.
• Thomas Hummel's 27-yard field goal on the last play of the game lifted the Tampa Bay Bandits to a 23-20 victory over the Baltimore Stars. That field goal was set up by CB Corey Garcia's interception at the 38 with 1:12 to play.
• The Michigan Panthers picked up their first win of the season, edging the Houston Gamblers, 10-6. Nathan Farmer's 74-yard TD reception in the second quarter accounted for the game's only TD.

Week 13 Roundup

Dustin Nichols, QB, Denver Gold

Two teams combined for 100 points in a crazy game that highlighted Week 13.

Oklahoma Outlaws WR Dusty Heckman caught eight passes for 355 yards (44.4 yards per catch) and four TDs (54, 86, 69, 66 yards) and returned a kickoff 107 yards for a TD during a wild 53-47 win over the Denver Gold.

The teams accumulated more than 1,300 yards total offense. Oklahoma's victory kept the Outlaws in the playoff hunt at 8-5.

Denver QB Dustin Nichols threw for 635 yards and five TDs, ranking No. 4 all-time in single-game passing yardage. David Judkins of the Orlando Renegades threw for 682 yards against the San Jose SaberCats earlier this season.

In other Week 13 games:

• The New Orleans VooDoo snapped Orlando's seven-game win streak by beating the Renegades, 18-12. New Orleans QB Ty Fleming was 19-for-23 passing and two TDs, including this one, where TE Henry Barrows carried a couple defenders on his back for most of 66 yards. WLB Ramon Boldt clinched the win with this interception.
• Baltimore Stars MLB Gregory Hubbard and CB Mark Murphy both had 11 tackles during a 22-3 loss to the Georgia Force, which snapped a three-game losing streak. Hubbard also recorded two sacks and Murphy intercepted a pass.
• Backup QB William Trombly made a start for the Los Angeles Express and made it a good one, completing 19 of 25 passes for 396 yards and six TDs during a 48-10 win over the Southern California Sun. Trombly led the Florida Blazers to a 1974 World Bowl victory before signing a free-agent contract with LAX.
• Cleveland QB Chester Dougherty was 17-for-22 passing for 431 yards and four TDs during a 50-10 win over the Michigan Panthers. Dougherty has a 108.08 QBR with the 'Bolts, nearly doubling his QBR with Houston (57.83) before being traded to Cleveland.
• The New Jersey Generals took a 40-6 halftime lead, then held on for a 40-29 win over the Boston Breakers. The Generals took over second place in the East Division behind five TD passes from Doug Fluty, including one on the first play from scrimmage.
• The Birmingham Stallions trailed the Charlotte Hornets, 30-20, in the fourth quarter before rallying to win, 37-30, on Agustin Cook's 26-yard TD pass to WR Matthew Morgan with 11 seconds to go.
• Maynard McLaughin's 50-yard field goal on the last play of the game gave the Jacksonville Bulls a 15-13 win over the Florida Blazers.
• The Detroit Wheels completed a season sweep of Midwest Division nemesis Chicago by beating the Blitz, 23-16 as Enrique Pacheco rushed for 111 yards and Mario Valencia threw for 271 yards and three TDs.
• The Arizona Wranglers rallied in the fourth quarter to edge the Oakland Invaders, 31-24, in a key West Division game. Arizona WLB Willie Garcia clinched the victory with a pickoff with 7 seconds to go.

Week 14 Preview

The Oklahoma Outlaws (8-5) find themselves in a must-win situation when they host the Arizona Wranglers (11-2). The New Jersey Generals (7-6), another must-win team, travel to Detroit to face the Wheels (11-2). A pair of 9-4 teams meet when the Los Angeles Express hosts the Portland Storm. Division leaders meet when the New Orleans VooDoo (10-3) hosts the New York Stars (8-5).

Welcome to the USFL/WFL

Please welcome PrivateSnowflake to the USFL/WFL as he takes over the Memphis Showboats. He is the fifth Memphis coach in three seasons. Most of this league's franchises have had stable leadership, but Memphis has been an exception, which is a head-scratcher. This is a franchise with a lot of potential.

Week 12 Roundup

Neal Boone, WR, Gamblers

Just when you thought things couldn't get any crazier.

The Houston Gamblers scored 14 unanswered points in the final 9 minutes to stun Oklahoma, 38-24, and knocked the Outlaws out of a first-place tie in the Southwest Division. Houston came into the game at 2-9; Oklahoma was 7-4. Houston was 1-14 all-time vs. division foes.

Rookie QB Walton Vasquez found WR Neal Boone in the back of the end zone from 10 yards away for the go-ahead TD, Boone's only catch of the day. The Gamblers forced three turnovers while not committing any. Two of those turnovers came in the final 4:16, leading to a pair of Daniel McCormick field goals.

Oklahoma's defeat gave San Antonio a one-game division lead. Gunslingers coach ToroTex reportedly sent a bouquet of yellow Texas roses to Houston coach Booger926.

In other Week 12 games:

• The Cleveland Thunderbolts pulled into a first-place tie with Detroit atop the Midwest Division by beating the Wheels, 27-19. Cleveland was clinging to a 20-19 lead when QB Chester Dougherty found WR Brent Reichman for a 17-yard score early in the fourth quarter. The teams meet again in Week 16.
• The Chicago Blitz, preseason favorites to win the World Bowl, are 7-5 and dangling perilously close to playoff elimination following a 31-13 loss at San Antonio. The Gunslingers scored all of their points in the second and third quarters, QB Tony Smith throwing two TD passes each to Steven Hooper and Kurt Taylor. All-Pro WR Donnie Baker suffered a concussion that will keep him out of this week's game against the Honolulu Hawaiians.
• The Orlando Renegades have won seven in a row under new coach setherick, having trounced the San Jose SaberCats, 63-34, while rolling up 810 yards total offense. Orlando QB David Judkins tied the USFL/WFL record for highest QBR (158.33) by completing 28 of 35 passes for 682 yards and seven TDs.
• The Tampa Bay Bandits (11-1) clinched a postseason berth by scoring 23 unanswered points in the final 20 minutes and beating the Birmingham Stallions, 50-35. Bandits WR Michael Popa caught 10 passes for 125 yards, RDE Stanley Dale recorded three sacks, and RB Ralph Allen had 98 yards rushing and 185 yards receiving.
• The Portland Storm stayed alive in the playoff race with a 24-13 win over the Arizona Wranglers, who have lost two of three after a 9-0 start. Norman Paulk's safety with 4:46 to play was the icing on the cake for Portland (8-4).
• Philadelphia nearly had its first win, but the Bell gave up the go-ahead TD with 2:09 to play, then inexplicibly punted with 1:41 to go in a 15-9 loss to the Florida Blazers.
• James Hooper's 40-yard field goal with 1:22 to play lifted the Shreveport Steamer to a 36-34 win over the Georgia Force. Shreveport has won 4 of 5 after a 1-6 start; Georgia has lost three in a row to fall into a first-place tie with the New Orleans VooDoo atop the South Division.
• The Memphis Showboats have won 3 of 4 under new head coach jmvda, including a 27-19 decision over the Baltimore Stars, the go-ahead TD coming on Joseph Cantwell's 60-yard heave to Gerard Hall.

Week 13 Preview

The Oakland Invaders (9-3) will try to force a tie atop the West Division when they travel to Arizona to face the Wranglers (10-2). The Los Angeles Express (8-4) can clinch the Pacific Division title with a win at the Southern California Sun (2-10). The Boston Breakers (6-6) are at the New Jersey Generals (6-6) in a key East Division game. The Pittsburgh Maulers (9-3), who have already wrapped up the Atlantic Division crown, host the red-hot Shreveport Steamer (5-7).

Record Book

• Detroit Wheels QB Mario Valencia stayed on track to become the league's all-time single-season passing leader with 382 yards during his team's loss to Cleveland.
• Birmingham Stallions LG Earl Murtagh has been on the field for 4,261 career snaps, more than any player in league history. In fact, second place isn't even close. Portland Storm LG Kenneth Addison is at 4,056.
• Boston Breakers K Timothy Riley has 25 career field goals from 50-plus yards. No other kicker has more tha 14.

Week 11 Roundup

Tony Smith, QB, Gunslingers

The San Antonio Gunslingers pulled back into a first-place tie with Oklahoma atop the Southwest Division by beating the Outlaws, 41-10, to highlight the Week 11 results.

Leon Crisman made nine tackles and had one of four interceptions by the Gunslingers, who led from start to finish while avenging a Week 3 loss to Oklahoma.

The Outlaws must still play Detroit (10-1) and Arizona (10-1) down the stretch, while San Antonio doesn't play a team with a winning record after this week's matchup with the Chicago Blitz.

In other Week 11 Games:

• Tampa Bay WR Michael Popa caught 14 passes for 356 yards and five TDs as the Bandits destroyed the Los Angeles Express, 61-24, in a battle of division leaders. Popa tied the league record for receptions in a game held jointly by Thomas Canale, New Orleans, 1974 and Brian Wesley, San Jose (now Portland), 1974. He fell two TDs short of Canale's 1974 single-game record and 28 yards shy of Canale's single-game record of 384.
• The Oakland Invaders pulled themselves right back into the playoff picture with a 35-31 win over the Georgia Force. Oakland trailed, 24-13, with fewer than 8 minutes to play but won the game on a 101-yard kickoff return by Christopher Curtis with 1:25 remaining.
• The New Orleans VooDoo (8-3) pulled within one game of the Georgia Force (9-2) in the South Division by edging the Birmingham Stallions, 23-19. New Orleans QB Ty Fleming threw a pair of TD passes in the first quarter, and the defense made that early lead stand up.
• The Southern California Sun have won back-to-back games for only the second time in franchise history, following up on last week's shocker over Chicago by edging the Michigan Panthers, 26-23. SoCal K James Hodge provided the margin of victory with a 32-yard field goal with 3:39 to go and SLB Jeffrey Crossman's interception with 13 seconds remaining sealed the outcome.
• The Philadelphia Bell nearly had their first victory of the season. Philadelphia led Boston, 23-10, entering the fourth quarter, but Roger Boyer threw a pair of TD passes in the final 4 minutes, including the game-winner on a defensive overuse penalty, to give the Breakers a 32-25 win.
• The Cleveland Thunderbolts snapped New Jersey's five-game winning streak, CB Steven Flanagan's pickoff of a Doug Fluty pass sealing a 20-17 win for the 'Bolts.
• Baltimore Stars QB Victor Gorman, playing on a bum ankle, still managed to throw for 580 yards and  8 TDs, one shy of the league record, during a 61-9 win over the Houston Gamblers.
• The Shreveport Steamer have won three of four after a 1-6 start, including a 10-6 victory at Portland in Week 11. Shreveport SS Mark Suazo clinched the win by picking off William Hill with 1:37 to go.

Week 12 Preview

First place in the tough Midwest Division is on the line when the Detroit Wheels (10-1) host the Cleveland Thunderbolts (9-2). The teams will meet again on the last week of the regular season.  Every game is critical now for the Portland Storm (7-4), who travel to face the Arizona Wranglers (10-1). The same can be said for the Chicago Blitz (7-4), who are at San Antonio (7-4). The New York Stars (6-5) and Boston Breakers (6-5) will attempt to break their tie atop the East Division.

Record Book

Detroit Wheels QB Mario Valencia has thrown for 4,196 yards with five games to play. Valencia's season total already ranks in the top 30 in league history. Valencia would need to average 380 yards per game to pass the league record of 6,096, held by Portland's William Hill (1975). Valencia's 42 TDs are only 12 away from tying the league record of 54 shared by Hill, Oakland's Les Lacy, and San Antonio's Tony Smith.

Week 10 Roundup

Thomas Canale (8), WR, New Orleans VooDoo

And then there were none.

It appears lightning struck in three places at the same time Tuesday as all three of the USFL/WFL's previously undefeated teams suffered defeat in Week 10.

The Tampa Bay Bandits fell to the Orlando Renegades, 30-22. Tampa Bay drove from its 1-yard line to the Orlando 39 before punting, then the game ended with Tampa Bay on the Orlando 14-yard line. Renegades DT Bryan Johnson was credited with 10 tackles as Orlando won its fifth in a row under new coach setherick.

Oakland QB Les Lacy one week after watching a loss to the Memphis Showboats from the bench, completed 12 of 16 passes for 256 yards and three TDs (156.25 QBR) as the Invaders knocked off the previously unbeaten Arizona Wranglers, 29-14. Christopher Curtis rushed for 121 yards and the Oakland defense sacked Arizona QB Jerry Montalvo eight times.

The New Orleans VooDoo scored 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to hand the Georgia Force its first loss, 16-10. New Orleans QB Ty Fleming wriggled free from a defender, then fired a short pass to WR Thomas Canale, whose burst of speed completed the game-winning, 63-yard TD with 4:15 to play.

In other Week 10 games:

• Although three undefeated teams lost, the biggest upset of the day may have been the previously winless Southern California Sun knocking off the preseason World Bowl favorite Chicago Blitz, 48-47. SoCal WR John Sanders and Thomas Dayton combined for 10 catches, 296 yards, and four TDs. Sun K James Hodge booted a 37-yard field goal with 1:53 remaining for the winning points, then SS Johnny Beard intercepted a Daniel McKee pass.
• New Jersey, Boston, and New York are in a three-way logjam for the East Division lead at 5-5, but there is no doubt who is riding the momentum. The Generals beat the Philadelphia Bell, 38-7, for their fifth consecutive victory after an 0-5 start. New Jersey LDE Freddie Gilbert returned a Philadelphia fumble 56 yards for the Generals' final TD.
• The Oklahoma Outlaws won their fifth in a row and maintained their Southwest Division lead, taking apart the Memphis Showboats, 56-27. Oklahoma QB Dale Brown completed 23 of 34 passes for 529 yards and six TDs (150.12 QBR).

Week 11 Preview

The San Antonio Gunslingers (6-4) host the Oklahoma Outlaws (7-3) in a huge Southwest Division showdown. In a battle of division leaders, the Los Angeles Express (7-3) will be at Tampa Bay to face the Bandits (9-1).

Record Book

• Philadelphia DT Laverne Ashlock recorded 16 tackles Tuesday during a 38-7 loss to the New Jersey Generals. Ashlock's big day was the third-highest single-game total in league history, surpassed only by Michigan Panthers SS Christopher Chen (20, 1975) and Houston Gamblers FS Brent Sylvain, now with Honolulu (17, 1975).
• The highest single-game QBR in USFL history is 158.33, done many times. The only QB to do so while throwing 30 or more passes in a game was Michigan's Brandon Robertson (now with Cleveland) during a 1974 game vs. Houston.
• Nine players have intercepted three passes in a game, but Arizona SLB David Bronson (now with Charlotte) somehow picked off three while only being thrown at twice during a 1975 game against the Hornets.

Week 9 Roundup

Juan Bacote, CB, Memphis

This is normally the place where we would introduce a new coach to the league. But the new coach of the Memphis Showboats, jmvda, has already introduced himself to the league in a big way.

Memphis CB Juan Bacote intercepted a pass at the 3-yard line with 4 minutes to play, then intercepted another at the 15 with 1:42 to go as the Showboats stunned the defending World Bowl champion Oakland Invaders, 12-9. Memphis, which also recovered four Oakland fumbles, entered the game with a 3-5 record and was giving up an average of 32 points per game. Invaders QB Jacob Ellis, who started in place of league MVP Les Lacy, was sacked nine times.

Oakland fell to 6-3, one of five American Conference teams with that record. If the Invaders miss the playoffs, it won't set precedent. The Florida Blazers, 1974 World Bowl winners, missed out on the 1975 playoffs.

In other Week 9 games:

• The Oklahoma Outlaws almost blew a 28-9 lead, but fended off the Baltimore Stars, 28-26, to vault past San Antonio into the Southwest Division lead.Oklahoma WR Dusty Heckman caught nine passes for 244 yards and three TDs and RDE Albert Cruz recorded four sacks and 12 hurries. Victor Gorman continues to be the only QB on the Baltimore roster despite playing on a 34-percent healthy ankle. He was 24-for-54 passing with three TDs and three INTs.
• The Gunslingers fell a game behind Oklahoma by losing, 24-10, to the Pittsburgh Maulers. Pittsburgh WR Vito Moffat caught a pair of TDs. San Antonio was coming off a victory over Oakland.
• John Langdon's 32-yard field goal as time expired gave the New Orleans VooDoo a 16-13 South Division win over the Shreveport Steamer. New Orleans QB Ty Fleming completed passes for 21 and 22 yards on the final drive. Shreveport, which finished 12-4 and made the playoffs last season, is 2-7 overall and has lost five of its last six.
• The New Jersey Generals limited the New York Stars to 60 yards passing in a 6-3 Generals victory. New Jersey has won four in a row after an 0-5 start.
• The Florida Blazers broke a 14-14 tie with a safety and field goal in the final 2:57 to beat the Washington Federals, 19-14. Florida has won three of its last five.
• The Detroit Wheels defense shut down the Chicago Blitz offense during a 17-3 victory in a big Midwest Division game. Detroit moved into sole possession of first place in the division. Chicago, which was averaging 23 points per game, managed just 161 passing yards.
• The Los Angeles Express knocked Cleveland out of a share of first place in the Midwest by beating the Thunderbolts, 32-18. LAX scored the last 13 points, including Gene Nowlin's 64-yard TD pass to Santiago Smith with 1:52 to play.

Week 10 Preview

The Georgia Force (9-0), holding a three-game lead in the South Division, travels to New Orleans to face the second-place VooDoo (6-3). The Orlando Renegades (5-4), riding a four-game win streak under new head coach setherick, host the unbeaten Tampa Bay Bandits (9-0). The Oakland Invaders (6-3) will try to re-establish themselves as the league's big dog when they host the undefeated Arizona Wranglers (9-0).

Record Book

• Los Angeles Express QB Gene Nowlin, who has been one of the league's most accurate passers since its inception, was picked off a record eight times during a 1975 loss to the Georgia Force.
• Two players have scored four rushing TDs in a single game, Pittsburgh's John Murray and Philadelphia's Jose Medina.
• Former LAX kicker Winston Hampton holds the league record with seven field goals in one game. Hampton was released by Portland in the 1976 preseason after signing a free agent contract with the Storm.

Week 8 Roundup

Norman Paulk, LDE, Portland Storm (55)

The 1976 USFL/WFL season has reached its halfway point, and that couldn't be a more welcome sight for the Portland Storm.

Storm kicker Donald Dosch booted a 54-yard field goal just inside the left upright with 1:51 to play, giving Portland a 17-15 win over the Birmingham Stallions. LDE Norman Paulk had 13 hurries and recorded two sacks, giving him 29 in 1-plus seasons since being drafted in the first round out of Florida State.

Portland finished the first half of the season at 5-3 and remains in the playoff hunt despite a suicidal schedule. Seven of the Storm's eight opponents are .500 or better and those foes are a combined 42-22 (.656). Things do get incrementally easier in the second half, as Portland's opposition for those games is only a combined 36-28 (.563).

In other Week 8 Games:

• Los Angeles QB Gene Nowlin heaved a 91-yard TD pass to WR Jimmy Landon with 2:22 remaining as the Express hung on to first place in the Pacific Division with a 37-30 win over the San Jose SaberCats. San Jose was penalized for defensive overuse on the decisive play.
• The Orlando Renegades have won three in a row under new head coach setherick, including Thursday's 16-7 defeat of the New York Stars. Orlando QB David Judkins was 41-for-59 passing, including a 34-yard TD to WR Robert Zapata. The loss snapped New York's franchise-record four-game win streak.
• Jeffrey Graham's 5-yard TD run with 1:43 to play lifted San Antonio to a 15-10 win over Oakland. Gunslingers CB Leon Crisman sealed the victory with his third pickoff of the day and 22nd of his career, most of any player. If the playoffs began today, the defending World Bowl champion Invaders (6-2) would be on the outside looking in.
• The Charlotte Hornets have won back-to-back games for the first time in their history, following up on last week's victory over Washington with a 7-3 decision over the Baltimore Stars. Baltimore QB Victor Gorman, who has taken every snap for the Stars over the last two-plus seasons, sustained an 8-week ankle injury. Baltimore has never had a backup QB on its roster.
• Samuel Hoye's 37-yard field goal on the final play from scrimmage gave the Honolulu Hawaiians a 12-10 victory over the Jacksonville Bulls. Honolulu remains a game behind LAX in the Pacific Division standings.
• Detroit QB Mario Valencia passed for 587 yards and eight TDs, one shy of the league record, during a 76-0 shutout of the Southern California Sun. 
• Washington kicker Matthew Eno's 34-yard field goal with 1:04 to play lifted the Federals to a 24-21 win over the Philadelphia Bell, who have lost 17 of their last 18.

Week 9 Preview

The Chicago Blitz (6-2) is at Detroit (7-1) as the Wheels try to remain tied for first place in the Midwest Division with the Cleveland Thunderbolts (7-1), who have a tough game at the Los Angeles Express (5-3). The suddenly revived New Jersey Generals (3-5) will try to extend their win streak to four games with a victory over the New York Stars (5-3).

Record Book

• Pittsburgh's John Murray has 36 career TD runs, most in the USFL/WFL's short history and 11 ahead of second place -- which happens to be Maulers teammate Cliff Thomas.
• Birmingham's Bruno Fredericks has the only punt return TD in league history, at Baltimore in Week 13 of the 1974 season while Fredericks was still with the New York Stars.
• The two leading punters in league history, Dean Long (48.1 average) and Wesley Bradley (48.0) are both unemployed. Long was released by the Oklahoma Outlaws before the 1975 season and Bradley was released by the New Jersey Generals before the 1976 season after being signed away from the Baltimore Stars during free agency. The current career leader among active punters in Tampa Bay's David Manion (47.5).

Week 7 Roundup

Roy Wiley, CB, Denver Gold (27)

The 1976 USFL/WFL schedule will reach the halfway point (and the trade deadline) Thursday with three winless teams and three undefeated teams (there's competitive balance for you). While we might have anticipated four undefeated teams, the Denver Gold had other ideas.

Denver, in its first season under new head coach AlexanDragon, stunned previously undefeated Cleveland, coming from 11 points back to beat the Thunderbolts, 29-24, on the road. WR Duane Cunningham scored the go-ahead TD from a yard out early in the fourth quarter, five plays after CB Bradley Leon's interception at the Cleveland 39. The 'Bolts had a chance late, but turned the ball over on downs with 50 seconds to play.

Denver CB Roy Wiley intercepted a pair of passes and knocked down four. Cleveland QB Chester Dougherty, obtained in a trade with Houston, did not impress his new fans. Dougherty's QBR was 60.05 after throwing three INTs on 16-for-34 passing.

The Gold came into the game with a 1-5 record, while Cleveland was 6-0. The 'Bolts are now tied with the Detroit Wheels (6-1) atop the Midwest Division, with the Chicago Blitz (5-2) one game back.

In other Week 7 games:

• The New Orleans VooDoo stormed back from a 20-7 fourth-quarter deficit to edge the Portland Storm, 23-20, on John Langdon's 48-yard field goal as time expired. New Orleans QB Ty Fleming completed three passes as the VooDoo moved from their 33 to the Portland 30 after getting the ball back with 45 seconds to go.
• The San Antonio Gunslingers took back possession of the I-10 Construction Zone trophy when DT Fred Sanchez hauled down Houston RB Robert Richards for a 3-yard loss on a 2-point conversion attempt with 1:28 to play, clinching a 30-28 win over the Gamblers.
• Detroit RDE Juan Frigo sacked the QB four times and was credited with 12 hurries during a 20-3 win over the Los Angeles Express. LAX, which allowed nine sacks, continues to lead the Pacific Division.
• Pittsburgh CB Bradley Martinez intercepted a pair of passes in a 24-13 victory over the Baltimore Stars, in their second game under new head coach Dave1233456. The Maulers are cruising along with a three-game lead in the Atlantic Division.
• Florida QB Steve Voll was 19-for-24 passing, including four TDs, in a 30-27 win over the Boston Breakers. Voll's 78-yard heave to WR Felipe Kraus with 2:28 remaining gave the win to the Blazers.
• Oklahoma RB Patrick Hiebert had a nice all-around day, rushing for 90 yards and catching three passes for 94 more during a 37-17 win over the Memphis Showboats. Hiebert's 77-yard TD from QB Dale Brown late in the third quarter broke open what had been a tight game (20-17) as the Outlaws remain tied for first in the Southwest Division.
• The Charolette Hornets beat Washington, 26-16, their second victory over the Federals this season. Charlotte MLB Fernando Stone was credited with eight tackles and intercepted a pass.

Week 8 Preview

The Oakland Invaders (6-1) are at San Antonio (4-3) in a battle of 1975 playoff teams. The New Orleans VooDoo (5-2) will try to slice into the South Division lead of the Georgia Force (7-0). The San Jose SaberCats (3-4) will try to pull into a first-place tie in the Pacific Division with a win against the Los Angeles Express (4-3). The Oklahoma Outlaws (4-3) will try to retain their spot atop the Southwest Division with a victory at home against the Pittsburgh Maulers (5-2).