1992 National Conference Divisional Round

 Blazers 25 VooDoo 13

Florida got the ball first but didn't run an offensive play as Robert Romero returned the opening kickoff 107 yards for a score and a blazing fast 7-0 lead. New Orleans answered with a FG on their first possession and the quarter would end with that 7-3 Florida lead. The 2nd qtr saw a FG for each team to give us a halftime score of 10-6 Florida. 

The second half was a FG fest for Florida as they got 3 points on their first 5 possessions of the half to take a 25-6 lead with just over 2 minutes left. New Orleans finally got a TD of their own, a Bruno Wilson 2 yard TD pass to Tom Jacobs, but it was too little, too late even if the onside kick was successful, which it was not. 

Nicholas Dorey was the stat king of the game, catching 4 passes for 141 yards and Bruno Wilson passed for 271, but he was far from efficient. He only completed 17/39 with a TD and an INT, and all of those incompletions stalled drives. Florida quietly amassed 284 offensive yards, less than the VooDoo's 327, thanks to Sidney Maggard completing 26/31 with no turnovers. The Blazers also didn't have an offensive TD, but that TD on the opening kickoff gave Florida the early momentum, which they never relinquished. Gerald Harmon booted 6 FGs in all while Robert Romero chipped in 43 yards rushing and caught 7 passes for 22 yards to go along with his kickoff return TD. Florida was the only team to have more than one KR TD this season as Romero did it once in the regular season, as did Ronald Kirby. 

Stars 50 Generals 13

This game was over 2 minutes in, as the Generals played giveaway one week after playing takeaway. New Jersey forced 5 Washington turnovers last week to get to this point, but today New Jersey gifted Baltimore 6 turnovers, including 2 in the game's first 2 minutes. The Generals got the ball first and Sam Beckett fumbled on the first play, setting up Baltimore at the Generals 35 yard line. Three plays later, Jon Snow found John Warkentin for a 3 yard TD and a quick 7-0 lead. When New Jersey got the ball back, Paul Marcum promptly threw an INT, giving the Stars the ball at New Jersey's 40. 2 plays later, Snow found Warkentin for another TD, this one 33 yards. New Jersey would go 3 and out on their next possession, then Baltimore added a FG for a 17-0 lead. New Jersey finally got some offense, going 75 yards in 15 plays, finding paydirt on the first play of the 2nd qtr with a Paul Marcum TD pass to Michael Wood. 

That made the score 17-7 Baltimore but that would be as close as the Generals would get today. The balance of the 2nd qtr was 2 FGs for Baltimore and 1 for New Jersey, for a halftime score of 23-10 Stars.

New Jersey LB Jeffrey Dahmer intercepted Jon Snow on Baltimore's first second half possession but Paul Marcum fumbled it away, killing any possible momentum gain. Fred Boyce would kick a FG for a 26-10 lead then Knob Creek ran in a score on a short run for a 33-10 lead and the rout was on. Paul Marcum then threw an INT which led to a Jon Snow TD pass to Mark Numbers, increasing the lead to 40-10. 

The 4th qtr was similar to the first 3 and Baltimore advances to play Florida for the right to play in World Bowl XIX. Jon Snow finished with 342 yards passing and 4 TDs with John Warkentin hauling in 8 passes for 120 and 2 scores. Knob Creek had a rushing TD (82 yards total today) and a receiving TD (8-58) for 140 combined yards. For New Jersey, QB Paul Marcum threw 2 interceptions and lost 2 fumbles, as did Sam Beckett.

1992 Divisional Round American Conference

 The road to World Bowl XIX is down to 4 teams after the Divisional Round and once again we only had a single one score game. The odds are good we'll have a first time USFL Champion as only Cjfred has won one (ok, 3) before. Let's check out the action.

Gold 18 Storm 16

Both teams have top 5 offenses, so of course this was a defensive struggle type game. Neither team topped 300 yards of offense, only 1 touchdown was scored and they combined for 5 turnovers. Portland got the ball first and they went 75 yards in 13 plays, including a 4th down conversion, to take an early 7-0 lead. That almost didn't happen though, as the play before the TD, Timothy Roquemore fumbled after a red zone reception, but he recovered and  and the very next play, Melvin Driggers found Richard Robinson for the 10 yard TD pass. That drive took 7 minutes off the clock and 5 plays later, Denver punted, allowing the Storm to begin another 13 play drive. This one ended with an Alan Grossi FG and a 10-0 Portland lead early in the 2nd qtr. 

Denver started it's second possession of the game at 12:41 of the 2nd qtr and lasted all of 2 plays before Andrew Brewer tossed an interception. That led to another Grossi FG and a 13-0 lead for the Storm. Denver finally got a little bit of offensive momentum and Robert Deacon booted a pair of FGs before halftime for a score of 13-6 at the break.

In the second half, it was Portland who struggled to sustain drives while Denver was getting points. Denver had an empty drive to start the 3rd while Portland went 3 and out, leading to a Deacon FG. Jose Moses fumbled on Portland's next possession, leading to another FG by Deacon and the Portland lead was now just 13-12. 

Portland put a drive together late 3rd/early 4th, but of course it ended in a Grossi FG to extend Portland's lead to 16-12. Denver responded with another FG of their own and it was a one point game again, 16-15. Following an exchange of punts, butterfingers crept in for both teams. First, Melvin Driggers threw an interception but Denver's Max Ellis fumbled it back a few plays later. We were under 4 minutes to go at this point, and the Storm were hoping to run some clock, but Donald Langlois did his Max Ellis impression and fumbled it back after a pass reception. Denver took over at the Portland 33, and although they did not get a first down, Robert Deacon nailed a 46 yard FG to give Denver their first lead of the game, 18-16, with less than 2 minutes to play. Portland's last drive stalled near midfield and Denver pulls out a late win, advancing to the Conference Final.

Gamblers 34 Panthers 20

This game featured more offense than the first game above, as both teams were over 300 yards and scored in every quarter, and we had a combined 99 pass attempts, 63 by Michigan. Houston got the ball first but punted. The Gamblers would get the ball right back however, as William Mauriello threw the first of his 3 INTs today on Michigan's first offensive play. Six plays later, Tony Dean found Lloyd Ellis for a 7 yard TD pass to give Houston a 7-0 lead. Michigan tied it at 7 when Milton Schwab busted a 42 yard TD run up the gut of the Gamblers defense, leaving tire tracks on rookie SS Christian Soriano. Houston would answer that score later in the quarter when Tony Dean threw a 6 yard TD pass to Donald Turner, and the Gamblers led 14-7.

Houston would score just a FG in the 2nd quarter to take a 17-7 lead before Michigan closed the gap inside the 2 minute warning. James Hillis caught a 48 yard TD pass from William Mauriello to cut the lead to 17-14, which was the score at halftime.

Michigan got the ball to start the second half but Mauriello threw his 2nd INT, which eventually led to another Houston FG to extend the lead to 20-14. Later in the 3rd, Houston's Donald Turner lost a fumble that turned into 3 points for Michigan. The Panthers took over at the Houston 11, and they actually scored a TD, but a holding penalty on Milton Schwab wiped that off the board. The Panthers settled for a short FG and trailed 20-17. Tony Dean then threw an INT on the next possession but the defense held, so the Gamblers took that 20-17 lead into the final quarter.

The game unraveled for the Panthers during a 1 minute stretch of game action as Tony Dean's 3rd TD pass, 54 yards to Anthony Fulks, put Houston up 27-17. Michigan went 4 and out, turning it over on downs, then Tony Dean immediately threw a 29 yard TD pass to Hugh Chance, pushing the lead to 34-17. There were still 9 minutes to play but Michigan wouldn't cross midfield until the final 2 minutes, and a FG with 0:44 left gave us our final score of 34-20.

William Mauriello was 29/63, 258 yards with 1 TD and 3 INTs and James Hillis caught 8 for 107 yards and a TD. Tony Dean completed 26/36 for 306 yards, 4 TDs and 1 INT. Donald Turner caught 12 passes for 97 yards and a TD, adding 30 rushing yards for a combined 127.

Wildcard Weekend

 The road to World Bowl XIX began today with wildcard weekend and we're down to our final 8 teams. Detroit, San Jose, Pittsburgh, and Washington were eliminated, and while they are disappointed, every team but 1 ends their season with either no playoffs or a loss, so they have nothing to be ashamed of. Congratulations on making the playoffs and best of luck in free agency and the draft. 

Gamblers 30 Wheels 3

Detroit scored first to take a 3-0 lead but it was all Houston after that. Tony Dean led Houston to a TD on their opening drive, then Detroit QB Gabriel Flanagan threw a pair of interceptions, which the Gamblers turned into 10 more points. That gave Houston a 17-3 lead after 15 minutes and they cruised to victory. Tony Dean threw 3 TD passes, 2 to Jett Black, and Donald Turner had a combined 190 offensive yards. The Gamblers defense intercepted 3 passes in all and sacked Flanagan twice, holding the Wheels to less than 25 minutes of possession. 

Highlights: Tony Dean's 1st TD to Jett Black

Gabriel Flanagan's 1st INT

Tony Dean to Jett Black again

Gabriel Flanagan INT #2

Tony Dean TD #3 to Hugh Chance

Storm 27 SaberCats 16

San Jose scored first for a 3-0 lead but Melvin Driggers found Jeffrey Frost for a TD en route to a 10-3 halftime lead. San Jose would tie the game at 10 in the 3rd quarter when Richard Alcantara intercepted Melvin Driggers, returning it 16 yards for a score. Portland and Driggers bounced back quickly, as Driggers found Frost again for a 74 yard TD pass. The XP was no good, so the lead was 16-10 Storm. In the 4th qtr, Portland added a FG, a Driggers to Richard Robinson TD pass and a 2 point run to take a 27-10 lead. SaberCats QB Jake Plummer and WR Mark Hsu had rough games, as Plummer was 19/34, 137 yards with a TD and INT, while Mark Hsu was held to 41 yards on 4 catches. Portland also sacked Plummer 4 times. Driggers finished with 286 yards and 3 TDs, with an INT while Frost caught 6 for 128 yards and 2 TDs. 

VooDoo 30 Maulers 20

Turnovers were the theme in the National Conference wildcard games, as Pittsburgh lost the ball 4 times (2 INT, 2 fumbles) and New Orleans just once. The VooDoo took a 3-0 lead on their opening possession and took a 6-0 lead early in the 2nd, thanks to great field position after recovering a Pittsburgh fumble. The Maulers would take a 7-6 lead midway through the 2nd when Robert Erickson ran it in from 1 yard out. Inside the 2 minute warning, Maulers QB Will Allison threw a 19 yard TD pass to Robert Wheeler but the lead was only 13-6 thanks to a missed XP. New Orleans would execute the hurry up offense, thanks to a 55 yard pass from Wilson to Nicholas Dorey to set up a short TD pass to Mario Burton, tying the game at 13.

Pittsburgh got the ball to start the second half and Will Allison threw an interception, but the VooDoo were forced to punt. On the next New Orleans drive, Nicholas Dorey beat the CB off the line of scrimmage and raced 55 yards to the end zone, breaking the tie. The VooDoo would add a FG to take a 23-13 lead into the 4th. Pittsburgh was driving for a score when Will Allison threw a red zone INT to preserve the 10 point New Orleans lead. With just under 3 minutes to play, New Orleans got a 13 yard TD  run from Thomas Thomas, essentially putting the game away with a 30-13 lead. Pittsburgh answered quickly with a 59 yard Allison TD pass to William Obrien but the onside kick failed and the VooDoo ran most of the remaining clock to advance to the Divisional Round. 

Will Allison finished the day 36/54, 335 yards, 2 TD and 2 INT and William Obrien had a combined 107 yards with a TD to lead Pittsburgh. Bruno Wilson completed 19/27, 274 yards and 2 TDs with Nicholas Dorey catching 5 passes for 197 yards and a TD to lead New Orleans.

Generals 24 Federals 17

Washington out gained New Jersey 524-206, had 25 1st downs to just 3 for the Generals and had a time of possession edge of 35 minutes to 25. The Federals shot themselves in the foot however, scoring just 3 points on a pair of red zone possessions and losing the turnover battle 5-1. New Jersey got on the scoreboard first thanks to a James Wright 69 yard TD run. The Generals backup QB turned #1 RB was on his way to a 1,000 yard rushing season when a knee injury sidelined him, and this TD run was his second touch since. The teams would also trade FGs, giving the Generals a 10-3 lead after a quarter.

Washington tied it in the 2nd with a Scott Bieber 30 yard TD pass to Ronald Matthews. Washington had a chance to take a halftime lead but usually reliable John Bazile pulled the kick wide left, leaving the game tied 10-10 at halftime. Martin Riggs gave the Generals a 17-10 lead when he returned a Scott Bieber INT 21 yards for a TD. In the final minute of the 3rd, Matthew Cuevas got behind the defense and hauled in a Bieber throw and took it to the end zone. That 48 yard score tied the game at 17 going into the 4th. 

Early in the 4th, Bieber threw his 3rd INT of the game, this one to Jay Leno. The Generals did nothing with the ball and punted it back, before the defense came up big again. Dan Conner sacked Bieber, stripping the ball and recovering the fumble to set up New Jersey at the Washington 16 yard line. Three plays later, Paul Marcum found Todd Christensen for the 10 yard TD, giving New Jersey a 24-17 lead. Washington would have 2 more chances to tie the game and send it to OT, but the first drive ended on downs, while the last drive ended on the Generals 16 yard line when the clock hit 0:00.

For the Federals, Scott Bieber completed 38/58, 399 yards with 2 TD and 3 INTs. Robert Trammell caught 13 for 99 yards, adding 43 rushing yards while James Dunn had 104 combined yards. New Jersey didn't accumulate many offensive stats, but James Wright did run for 123 yards and a TD on 20 carries. QB Paul Marcum was 17/25 for just 83 yards with a TD and an INT.

Week 13 Quick Recap

 Just like the Week 12 blog, this will be short and sweet, given how we've played 14 games. On to it...

Week 13 

Gold 17 Express 10...Los Angeles scored first and last but Denver scored more in between as the Gold defeat the Express...both teams spread the ball around so nobody had a stat line worth mentioning...Hawaiians 10 Sun 6...Derek Henry led Honolulu to a TD on their opening drive, and despite 3 INTs, the Hawaiians defense made it stand. Scott Stillings ran for 100 yards and was also the leading receiver for the Hawaiians with 47 yards...VooDoo 34 Wranglers 0...Bruno Wilson threw 2 TD passes and Thomas Thomas ran for 101 yards (1 TD) adding 47 receiving to lead the offense. Arizona was shut out for the second straight week as Danny Nash completed 5/40 passes for 60 yards, 3 INTs and 2 sacks...Storm 17 Invaders 14...Oakland out gained Portland but the Storm defense forced 2 turnovers. Melvin Driggers threw a TD pass to Richard Robinson, who caught 8 for 119 yards in all...Federals 30 Bell 13...RB James Dunn caught 2 of Scott Bieber's 3 TD passes, finishing with 14 receptions and 129 yards, adding 46 yards on 13 rushes. Philadelphia had almost 300 offensive yards but they lost the turnover battle 2-0...Wheels 15 (NY) Stars 7...New York scored the game's only TD but they missed 2 FGs and lost the turnover battle 4-2, allowing Kent Olden to boot 5 FGs, leading Detroit to the win...Showboats 41 Outlaws 13...Memphis got big games from 4 players as they crush Oklahoma. David Allen only threw for 224 yards but he had 4 TD passes vs 0 INTs. Mark Glenn caught 1 of the TD passes as part of his 5-108 day while David Austin caught 9 for 95 and the other 3 Allen TD passes. Glenn also added 56 yards rushing for a 164 yard afternoon. Last but not least is Mark Lambert and his 184 rushing yards and a TD...Blitz 14 Thunderbolts 7...Chicago QB Ronald Brown overcame 3 INTs, throwing a 4th qtr TD pass that put the Blitz up 14-0 and they held on to defeat Cleveland...Panthers 27 Gunslingers 6...Larry Henderson threw for 312 yards and a TD to lead the Michigan offense, while the defense shut down the San Antonio rushing attack. The Panthers also intercepted 3 passes, 1 returned for a TD as Michigan handled the Gunslingers...Renegades 17 Blazers 13...Emory Howard overcame 2 INTs to throw for 296 yards and 2 TDs to lead Orlando to a divisional win over suddenly struggling Florida. This was the 2nd straight loss for Florida and the second straight win for new Orlando owner/GM Offensive Taco. Jose Rush caught 7 for 115 yards today...Gamblers 26 SaberCats 3...No last minute victory this week for Houston as the Gamblers defense intercepted 3 passes and sacked Jake Plummer twice, holding San Jose out of the end zone all game. Offensively, the day belonged to Tony Dean and Donald Turner. Dean threw for 373 yards and 2 TDs, both to Turner, who caught 8 for 174 yards. Turner also had 21 carries for 70 yards...Stallions 23 Bulls 20...Jacksonville built a 20-10 halftime lead thanks to Christopher Kimbrough (334 yards and 2 TDs) and Charles Ayers (3 catches, 124 yards, 1 TD). The Bulls got away with 2 first half turnovers, but 2 more in the second half was too much, as Ric Flair led Birmingham back in the 4th qtr. Flair threw for 301 yards and a TD as the Stallions score 13 points in the 4th qtr for a come from behind win...Bandits 18 Steamer 17...Shreveport had a 17-6 lead early in the 4th after Shane Falco's 2nd TD pass of the game but Thomas Lawson brought Tampa Bay back. Lawson threw 3 INTs today, but he also had a pair of 4th qtr TDs (both 2 point tries failed) as the Bandits steal a win and stay in the wildcard race. James brown had 110 receiving yards for Shreveport while Tampa Bay's Thomas Whitley caught 5 for 139 yards and a TD while teammate Garry Fowler caught 4 for 106 and a TD...Force 23 Hornets 13...Georgia's defense held Charlotte to 199 total yards while QB Milton People overcame a pair of INTs to lead the Force to victory. People finished with 309 yards and 2 TDs to John Huynh, who caught 7 in all for 129 yards...Maulers 30 Generals 9...Robert Erickson ran for 93 yards and 2 TDs while the Pittsburgh defense forced 5 New Jersey turnovers as they kept the Generals out of the end zone for the second consecutive game. Both teams spread the ball around as 9 different generals caught a pass while the Maulers had 10 receivers in their box score...Stars 24 Breakers 6...Baltimore ran all over Boston today as William Halford ran for 146 yards and Knob Creek ran for 130 with a TD to lead Baltimore to victory and a playoff berth. 

Week 12 Quick Recap

 Work has still been busy, leaving me with little energy to keep up with the blog. We currently have Hall of Fame Voting going on, so please vote if you have yet to. 

Week 12

Wheels 23 Breakers 16...Detroit scored 2 quick TDs for a 14-0 lead, then held on for the win...Hawaiians 31 Wranglers 0...Derek Henry threw 4 TD passes, 2 to Michael Argueta as Honolulu shuts out Arizona...VooDoo 27 Force 17...Milton People threw 2 TD passes to Matthew Taylor but New Orleans got 3 rushing TDs, 2 by Stanley Kerr as New Orleans gets an important division victory...Stallions 20 Steamer 15...Birmingham was 0/12 on 3rd down, 0/2 on 4th but they got an INT return for a TD and a Ric Flair TD pass to defeat Shreveport...Bandits 30 Sun 16...Both QBs topped 350 yards and threw 4 INTs, but Southern California's Wilmer Kimble threw just 1 TD pass, while Thomas Lawson threw 3 for Tampa Bay, leading them to the win...Renegades 20 Bulls 10...The Admiral left abruptly, without warning, but old friend Offensive Taco stepped in and got a victory in his return, thanks to Emory Howard's 412 passing yards and 2 TDs (3 INTs too), while Daniel Williams caught 7 for 196 yards...Federals 27 Generals 9...Scott Bieber tossed 3 TDs and the Washington defense kept New Jersey out of the end zone as the Federals win and clinch a playoff spot...Hornets 19 (NY) Stars 15...Robert Ament threw 2 TD passes and the Charlotte defense forced 2 turnovers and 2 sacks, one in the end zone for a safety as the Hornets break their 10 game losing streak...Stars 20 Blazers 12...The Florida defense held Jon Snow to 13/32 passing but Snow tossed 2 TDs and the Baltimore defense forced 2 turnovers and sacked Sidney Maggard twice as the Stars defeat the Blazers...SaberCats 42 Express 6...Jake Plummer threw 3 TD passes and 321 yards, 235 going to Mark Hsu (1 TD) and the San Jose defense intercepted 4 passes in defeating Los Angeles...Storm 20 Panthers 3...Melvin Driggers threw 2 TD passes and the Portland defense bent (382 yards allowed) but didn't break, holding Michigan to 3 points despite 4 Panthers red zone trips...Gold 37 Invaders 13...Andrew Brewer threw for 375 yards and 2 TD passes, 1 to Richard Huff (9-151) and Brian Thornton had 189 combined yards (74 rushing, 115 receiving) to lead Denver to victory...Gamblers 26 Thunderbolts 23...Cleveland gave Houston all they wanted, but Tony Dean eventually won the battle of the Tony's with Tony Romo, as Romo threw 3 INTs, 1 returned for a TD while Lucio Grant booted a 39 yard FG at the final gun to give Houston the victory...Showboats 27 Gunslingers 25...San Antonio scored a TD to pull within 2, with just over a minute to play but the conversion failed and Memphis hangs on for the win. David Allen threw for 336 yards and 3 TDs, 2 to David Austin...Blitz 26 Outlaws 3...Dale Davis ran for 92 yards and a score while QB Ronald Brown threw for 254 and a TD, leading Chicago to their 4th straight win...Bell 12 Maulers 6...Neither team reached the end zone but Robert Hernandez completed 16/19 for 236 yards, enabling Philadelphia to win the FG battle 4-2

Week 11: Blowout Week Part 3

 Once again our average margin of victory was 20 points with only three one score games. No team has clinched a playoff spot yet, though several are close to doing so and we have 6 teams eliminated. We still have 5 weeks of action left, which team(s) will get hot and make a deep playoff run?

Blazers 38 Bulls 0

Florida's defense allowed Jacksonville just 58 total yards, including 5 yards on 20 rushes and they forced 2 turnovers. Offensively, the Blazers ran for 128 yards, led by Ronald Kirby's 60 yards, and he added 82 more and a TD on 3 catches. Sidney Maggard is having an MVP caliber season, and today he completed 31/37, 330 yards, 4 TD and 0 INT with William Merkel (10-110) catching 2 of the TDs. Florida is now 10-1, fighting with Washington for home field advantage. 

Federals 42 Hornets 3

Charlotte took the opening kickoff and drove for a FG, but it went haywire from there once Scott Bieber got on the field. Bieber threw for 6 TDs for the second consecutive week as Washington obliterated the Hornets. Bieber threw for 312 yards in all, and the Federals had 107 rushing yards, yet no skill position player had 100 combined yards. The closest was James Dunn, who ran for 44 yards and caught 55 yards worth of passes, including 2 of Bieber's scoring tosses. Ronald Matthews only caught 2 passes today, but he made them count as both went for scores covering 81 total yards. Washington converted 10/17 3rd downs and all 3 of their red zone trips resulted in TDs.

Gold 41 Showboats 25

Not much defense was played in Memphis today as the teams combined for 960 yards, 1 turnover and zero sacks, while converting 9/21 third downs and 6 of 8 scoring TDs in the red zone. The Showboats did their best to hang with the Gold, trailing 21-19 at the half, but Denver pulled away in the 3rd qtr before salting the game away in the 4th. For Memphis, David Allen threw for 335 yards and 2 TDs, both to David Austin, who caught 8 for 197 yards. Denver's Andrew Brewer was 26/32, 449 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT and he was throwing to a pair of WR who each topped 160 yards. Richard Funkhouser caught a TD pass among his 7 for 165 yards while Richard Huff matched that TD and caught 6 for 162 yards. Denver is 9-2, and if they can survive the challenge of Portland, will be fighting with Michigan for home field advantage.

Panthers 34 Wheels 13

Michigan improves to 9-2 thanks to their defense forcing 3 interceptions and their new bombs away offensive approach. Detroit was able to gain 279 yards but Gabriel Flanagan was intercepted 3 times by the Panthers in the second half after the Wheels had cut the lead to 7 points. William Mauriello completed 35/55 for 411 yards and 4 TDs, 3 of those to James Hillis who went off for 201 yards on 8 receptions. 

Storm 48 Force 0

203 was the magic number for the Storm as that was the amount of total yardage for Georgia and the total rushing yards by Portland. The Storm used a RBBC (RB by committee) as 5 rushers contributed between 25-59 yards each. Melvin Driggers threw 5 TD passes  and 398 yards, producing a pair of 100 yard receivers. Richard Robinson caught 8 for 140 yards and a TD while Jeffrey Frost caught 8 for 100 and a TD, while also contributing 47 rushing yards. Timothy Roquemore ran for a team high 59 yards, adding 5 receptions for 63 yards and a TD for 122 combined yards. Portland had 601 total yards and scored points in every quarter as they improve to 8-3, putting pressure on Denver to keep winning.

Stars 48 Steamer 10

Baltimore did most everything right today, other than lose 3 fumbles, as they crush Shreveport by 38 points. Scott Bieber isn't the only one to throw 6 TDs this week as Jon Snow matched that, completing 29/38 for 496 yards. John Warkentin caught 5 of those TDs as part of his 11 catch, 316 yard game. The 316 yards is a league high this season, besting Mark Hsu by 10 yards and the 5 TDs ties the league season high, set by teammate Jeffrey Zimmer. William Halford chipped in 127 rushing yards as the Stars racked up 652 yards total.

Bandits 21 SaberCats 10

The media talked all week about Thomas Whitley and Mark Hsu, the All Pro WRs facing off, nevermind they aren't on the field at the same time. Whitley and Hsu both caught a TD pass but neither topped 80 yards and Whitley was the Bandits 3rd leading receiver today. Thomas Lawson got Tampa Bay off to a great start, leading TD drives the first 2 times the Bandits had the ball, the first one to Richard Miller, who caught 4 for 100 yards today. San Jose was able to run the ball better than Tampa Bay, and the SaberCats did not turn the ball over but the Tampa defense allowed just 211 passing yards, 173 when you take off the yardage from 4 sacks. Lawson threw 3 TDs in all, but also 2 INTs, so that early 14 point cushion proved huge. 

Gunslingers 13 Gamblers 9

As I watched San Antonio get off to a fast start this season, I thought to myself, this is nice but it won't matter until they beat Houston. The Gamblers and Memphis Showboats have owned the Southwest the last decade, so the Gunslingers need to beat them if they want to return to the playoffs for the first time since 1976. The Gunslingers offense played ok today, led by Charlie Shanks 104 rushing yards and a TD, and they played turnover free football. Defensively, San Antonio bent but didn't break, keeping Houston out of the end zone all day despite 444 offensive yards. The Gamblers turned the ball over twice and could generate just 3 FGs in 4 red zone trips. Tony Dean almost led Houston to a game winning TD on their final drive, but the Gamblers turned it over on downs just 8 yards from the end zone.

Blitz 25 Thunderbolts 13

Cleveland entered the game 7-3, the #6 seed in the American Conference, and a win over the 5-5 Blitz would have given the Thunderbolts a 2 game lead on the field. Cleveland has been winning thanks to their 6th ranked defense, but today Chicago hung 402 yards on them. Cleveland did stiffen in the red zone, allowing 1 TD/3 FG in 5 Blitz red zone trips. Chicago converted 8/18 3rd down conversions while Cleveland was 0/11, and the Thunderbolts had just 209 total yards, yet they led Chicago 13-12 after 3 quarters of football. In the 4th, Chicago got a Jay Kinder TD run (2 point failed), then on Cleveland's next to last drive, Darryl Stein returned a Tony Romo interception 11 yards for a TD and a 25-13 lead that stood as the final score.

VooDoo 16 Stallions 10

It was the Stanley Kerr show in Birmingham today, as he missed a double triple by 3 yards. New Orleans got out to a 13-3 halftime lead on a pair of FGs and a 45 yard Bruno Wilson TD pass to Kerr, then held on in the second half for an important division win. Kerr rushed for 97 yards and caught 4 passes for 133 yards and the aforementioned TD while Bruno Wilson threw for 295 yards. 

Maulers 24 Renegades 6

Orlando became ownerless while I was writing this blog, and I'm not sure why. Given the Renegades performance in this game, I'd bet the decision had already been made. Pittsburgh racked up 429 yards of offense, while holding Orlando to 190. Will Allison completed 26/35 for 307 yards and 3 TDs, 2 in the first half. Robert Erickson caught 1 of the scores among his 6 catches for 125 yards amd the Maulers RBBC gained 122 yards. The win improves Pittsburgh to 7-4, good for the current #6 seed in the National Conference. 

Hawaiians 20 Invaders 10

The tone for this game was set on the first play from scrimmage, when Derek Henry was intercepted by Oakland's Wayne Timm, who returned it 27 yards for a score to give the Invaders an instant 7-0 lead. The tone for the game was not Oakland dominance, but interceptions. Henry and Andrew Moreno both threw 3 INTs, and Oakland scored just 3 more points the rest of the game. The difference in this game was the rushing attack, as both teams ran 21 times with Oakland gaining 48 yards, Honolulu 116. Scott Stillings ran for 93 while Robert Schuler had 23 and a TD while Derek Henry found Brian Vizcarra for a TD as Honolulu defeats Oakland 20-10.

Generals 24 (NY) Stars 13

New Jersey got 2 TDs from QB Paul Marcum to Roger Rabbit and Dr. Sam Beckett ran for 101 and a TD as the Generals defeat New York. Rabbit ended with 134 receiving yards on 5 catches, as the last man standing among the Generals WR group. New Jersey had to sign ex General WR Michael Wood as the injury bug moved from the RBs to the receivers. New York moved the ball well as Willie Bust threw for 255 yards and William Hall had a double eighty game with 83 rushing yards and 86 receiving. New Jersey sacked Bust twice and Marcus Geist once while the Generals OL kept Marcum's jersey clean. 

Outlaws 34 Wranglers 10

Arizona hung with Oklahoma in the first half, but the offense never got going in the second half, as the Outlaws pulled away for a decisive victory. QB John Crisp was 25/33, 332 yards, 2 TD and 1 INT, spreading the ball around to 8 different receivers. Oklahoma had 422 yards of offense, converted 8/14 third downs and had the ball nearly 40 minutes as they leave the Wranglers searching for their first W.

Express 26 Sun 10

Southern California hung around in the first half as the game was tied at 10 at halftime, but the second half belonged to Los Angeles as the Express pull away for a 26-10 victory. The Express out gained the Sun 412-285 and Tristan Arnold fired 2 TD passes to Fredrick Whidden. Arnold threw for 273 yards, 108 to Whidden, while Gary Sappington and Daniel Franks combined to rush for 139 yards. Gene Ingram had himself a day for Southern California with 7 catches, 193 yards and a TD and 27 yards rushing. The rest of the Sun offense wasn't as good, as Wilmer Kimble completed less than 50% of his passes and was sacked 3 times.

Bell 16 Breakers 9

This wasn't your typical, low scoring Boston/Philadelphia game as both offenses moved the ball well inside the 20's and ran for at least 4 ypc. Once they got to the red zone, it was hit or miss as they combined for 2 TDs and 3 FGs in 5 trips inside the 20. Both QBs were accurate, albeit dink and dunk style, as Edward Swafford was 26/36 for 250 yards and an INT while Robert Hernandez was 20/25 for 149 yards. The difference in the game was turnovers, as Philadelphia took care of the ball, playing turnover free while the Breakers lost 2 fumbles in addition to the Swafford INT, which came on Boston's last drive as they approached the red zone. 

Week 10: Blowout Week Part 2

 Week 10 continued the blowout trend as the 16 games averaged out to a 20 point winning margin and we had only 3 one score games. Some of the divisions are seeing some separation, although there is still much playoff drama left to unfold this season. We have 4 WR over 1,000 yards with double digit TDs already, but Mark Hsu has a nearly 300 yard lead on Thomas Whitley for tops in the league. 

Blazers 47 VooDoo 17

Florida blazed New Orleans today right from the start, as Ronald Kirby took the opening kickoff 109 yards to give the Blazers an immediate 7-0 lead. Kevin Forester ran in a 5 yard TD for a quick 14-0 lead before Bruno Wilson cut the lead in half with a 64 yard TD pass to Eric Duncan. Sidney Maggard then threw a pair of TD passes before the 1st qtr ended, as Florida had a 28-7 lead after 15 minutes. Bruno Wilson would cut the lead in half again in the 2nd qtr with his 2nd TD pass of the game but that's as close as New Orleans would get the rest of the game. Florida went on a 10 point run before the VooDoo booted a FG for a halftime score of 38-17 Florida. 

The Blazers kicked 3 second half FGs for the final score of 47-17 and Florida dominated the stats. The Blazers more than doubled the VooDoo's yardage (514-247), held New Orleans to 1/12 on 3rd down while converting 10/17 on offense, which led to a time of possession disparity (44:17-15:26, idk why it doesn't equal 60). Individually, Sidney Maggard threw for 341 yards and 2 TDs while Kevin Forester had a combined 119 yards and Ronald Kirby had 136 offensive yards and a receiving TD to go with his kickoff return score. 

Federals 49 Outlaws 3

RB Robert Trammell is usually the star of the game for 9-1 Washington, and he had a solid game today with a rushing TD and 102 combined yards. This game was all about Scott Bieber, Matthew Cuevas, and Andrew Favela, though as Bieber threw for 439 yards and 6 TDs on just 19 completions. Favela caught 3 of those TD passes, his only 3 of the game, for 120 yards and Cuevas caught the other 3. Cuevas caught 5 in all for 252 yards, 3rd highest total in the league this year.

SaberCats 51 Hawaiians 10

Both teams had 3 turnovers, but San Jose gained 615 yards in between turnovers to just 265 for Honolulu. Graham Peterson ran for 68 yards and caught 3 passes for 83 and a TD, but most of the damage was done by Jake Plummer and his favorite target, Mark Hsu. Plummer threw for 482 yards and 4 TDs, 2 to Mark Hsu who caught 6 for 225 yards in all. San Jose scored 24 points in the 1st qtr alone, which set the tone for the rest of this game.

Gold 48 Stallions 13

Denver had 533 yards to Birmingham's 256 and the Gold converted 11/12 3rd down conversions. Andrew Brewer completed 28/32, 343 yards and 3 TDs and Jake Peralta ran for 118 yards and a score as Denver crushed Birmingham today. Craig Maddox also ran for 43 yards when Peralta needed a breather and he caught 5 passes for 86 yards and a TD, and his 129 combined yards almost surpassed Peralta (116-16). Brewer spread the ball around in the passing game as leading receiver Richard Funkhouser had 91 yards.

Panthers 24 Showboats 3

Michigan threw half as many passes this week as last, and they were more efficient as a result. William Mauriello still threw 2 INTs, but he completed 36/45, 319 yards and 3 TDs to lead the Panthers to victory. The Michigan defense limited Memphis to 181 total yards, forced and recovered 2 fumbles, intercepted 2 passes and sacked David Allen 3 times as the Panthers improve to 8-2 on the season.

Gamblers 29 Wheels 13

Tony Dean completed 84% of his passes (21/25) for 282 yards and a pair of TD passes to Jett Black, and Lucio Grant booted 5 FGs to lead Houston past Detroit today. Black caught 4 for 174 yards while Ryan Dearing and Francisco Russell combined to rush for 136 yards. Detroit hung around in the first half, trailing 13-7 at the break but their lack of running game left them unable to sustain drives as Houston had a 9 minute advantage in time of possession. Houston might have scored more points but they were 0/2 in the red zone (2 FGs) and just 3/14 on 3rd down conversions, although the Gamblers defense held the Wheels to 1/11 on 3rd down, forced a pair of turnovers and sacked Gabriel Flanagan twice.

Stars 28 Generals 18

Through 3 quarters, Baltimore led New Jersey 12-7 thanks to 4 Fred Boyce FGs before the teams combined for 27 points in the 4th. Baltimore would open the 4th qtr scoring with a FG but Jon Snow would throw an INT to set up the Generals in scoring range. Paul Marcum found Sam Beckett for a short TD pass and James Wright ran in the conversion to tie the game at 15. On Baltimore's next offensive play, Snow found John Warkentin for a 75 yard TD to put Baltimore in the lead for good. New Jersey would add a FG after another Snow INT, but it was too little too late.

New Jersey could not stop the Snow to Warkentin connection as the pair hooked up for 4 receptions, 194 yards and a TD and Snow finished with 399 yards and 2 TDs. William Halford ran for 81 yards with 87 more receiving. 

Steamer 10 Invaders 9

Shreveport and Oakland combined for a whopping 334 offensive yards and the only TD came on a 1st qtr Orville Barker TD run. Oakland got 3 FGs, the last with 6:37 to play that gave the Invaders a 9-7 lead. The Steamer were able to drive into FG range and William Neal's 53 yard FG as time expired gave Shreveport the 10-9 victory, and coupled with the New Orleans loss means the Steamer are in sole possession of 1st place in the South. 

Storm 23 Sun 6

Portland used a balanced attack to defeat Southern California today as the Storm had 6 different ball carriers (not counting 2 Driggers kneeldowns) combine for 179 rushing yards while Melvin Driggers threw for 213 yards and a TD. 9 different Storm players caught a pass, with Timothy Roquemore leading the way with 116 combined yards. Portland's defense held the Sun to 174 total yards and less than 23 minutes of possession.

Thunderbolts 27 Breakers 3

Cleveland's defense intercepted 5 Norris Thomas passes and Tony Romo took advantage of the short fields to throw 3 TD passes, leading the Thunderbolts to victory over Boston. Bobby Colley caught 2 of Romo's TD passes on 3 receptions for 59 yards and he added 77 rushing yards, while Howard Buxton ran for 75. The win puts Cleveland into a wildcard spot if the season ended today.

Maulers 19 (NY) Stars 6

New York scored first and last, both FGs but Pittsburgh scored 19 in between to defeat the Stars 19-6. Maulers QB Will Allison completed 29/33 passes for 309 yards and William Obrien had 65 rushing yards and 2 TDs to lead the Pittsburgh offense. Defensively, the Maulers held New York to 204 total yards with an INT and 2 sacks. 

Renegades 20 Bandits 13

Orlando led Tampa Bay at the half 10-6 but the Bandits took the lead 13-10 when Thomas Lawson threw a TD pass to Garry Flower on their first second half drive. Orlando would tie it with a FG on their opening drive of the second half, then the scoring stopped until the final minute. The Renegades started their final drive from their own 20 with just under 5 minutes to play and rookie QB Emory Howard led Orlando on a 13 play, 80 yard drive that ended with a Howard 5 yard TD pass to Donald Young. This was Orlando's 3rd straight win and if they can stay hot, they may find themselves in the wildcard race.

Blitz 46 Bell 13

The last time a RB from Chicago had 4 TDs in a single game was the Chicago High School Title Game where a young lad named Al Bundy scored 4 for Polk High. Dale Davis of the Blitz matched that today, and he hopes to never have to sell women's shoes and marry a lazy redhead named Peg. Davis got the scoring underway with his first TD, then the Chicago defense sacked Adam Scales in the end zone for a safety and a short lived 8-0 lead, as the XP was no good. On the free kick, Chicago's other RB, Jay Kinder, returned it 92 yards for a TD to extend the lead to 15-0. Chicago maintained at least a 15 point lead the rest of the game as Davis ended up with 125 rushing yards and 39 receiving. QB Ronald Brown completed 26/33, 290 yards and a TD as the Blitz amassed 466 offensive yards and were a perfect 5 for 5 in the red zone.

Gunslingers 16 Hornets 10

San Antonio nearly doubled the yards of Charlotte, 263-136 and the only TD the Gunslingers allowed was a 105 yard kickoff return by William Beaubien. That followed the only offensive TD of the game, a 22 yard pass from Robert Fanelli to Peter White. The rest of the game was a kicking/fumble contest. Charlotte "won" the fumbling part, losing 3 of their 4 fumbles while San Antonio just fumbled once. The Gunslingers got 3 FGs from ACDC frontman Brian Johnson to just 1 for Lawrence Linville and San Antonio gets the victory.

Express 23 Wranglers 9

Arizona's offense is looking better but they still struggle getting into the end zone and today was no exception. Gregory Skidmore completed 19/30 passes but was sacked 3 times and threw an INT as the Wranglers had to settle for FGs on all 3 red zone trips. For Los Angeles, Tristan Arnold threw 2 TD passes to Milton Pearce, who caught 7 in all for 149 yards. Daniel Franks added 66 rushing yards and 22 receiving while Mario Price booted 3 FGs to help the Express to victory.

Force 20 Bulls 10

The game is over but I think another penalty flag was just thrown. The teams combined for 18 enforced penalties, 11 by Jacksonville that cost them 84 yards of field position. In between the flag fest, Ricardo Thomas ran for 2 TDs to lead Georgia to victory over Jacksonville. Thomas ran for 53 yards and caught 6 passes for 37 more yards as Georgia built a 20-3 lead. Jacksonville got a TD early in the 4th to pull within 10, but the rest of the quarter produced very little ball movement by either team and the 20-10 score stood.

 

Week 9: Blowout Week

 We didn't have very many close games this week, just 4 within a score and the average margin of victory was 19 points. Let's find out which teams flexed their muscles Week 9 and which ones got stuffed in their lockers.

Invaders 16 Storm 14

The West Division is a legitimate 3 team race after Oakland pulled off the upset today. Defending Champion Portland only had 3 good offensive drives and one resulted in no points following a missed chip shot FG, and Melvin Driggers tossed a pair of early INTs that Oakland turned into a couple of FGs. A third Invaders FG made the halftime score 14-9 Portland, but Oakland took the first drive of the second half down the field and Andrew Moreno found his old pal Nelson Martinez for the TD and a 16-14 lead. The rest of the game was all punts except for the final drive, which ended when the clock hit 0:00. Oakland RB Oliver Thomas had 103 combined yards and was the only player who had stats worth mentioning.

Showboats 13 Express 12

Los Angeles out gained Memphis 322-248 but the Express turned the ball over on their last 2 possessions as Memphis breaks their 3 game win streak. There isn't much to talk about in this game, as they combined for 16 punts and 3 FG attempts. No RB had more than 50 yards, only one receiver had more than 56 yards (71) and nobody had multiple TDs. 

Renegades 13 Hawaiians 10

One thing these one score games have in common is a lack of big stat games, of course the low scores also have a lot to do with that, and this game was no different than the 2 I've already reviewed. Orlando QB Emory Howard threw a 25 yard TD pass to David King inside the 2 minute warning to give the Renegades a come from behind victory over Honolulu. Scott Stillings had a combined 101 yards for the Hawaiians while Cam Dalton had 99 combined yards for Orlando.

Thunderbolts 17 Outlaws 10

Cleveland got a 2nd qtr Tony Romo TD pass to Mark Howe to take a 7-0 lead. Oklahoma tied it in the 3rd on a John Crisp TD pass of 21 yards to Edward McGeehan. Late in the 3rd Cleveland took the lead for good on a Howard Buxton 4 yard TD run and the teams exchanged FGs in the 4th. Yet another low scoring, one score game with no stats worth mentioning.

Blazers 26 Steamer 0

Sidney Maggard and Ray Parker hooked up for a pair of 1st qtr TDs as the Blazers bounce back from their first loss of the season. Maggard finished the day 24/36, 329 yards and those 2 TDs to Parker, who caught 5 for 219 overall. Florida's defense held Shreveport to 136 total yards, sacking Shane Falco twice and intercepting him once.

Federals 24 VooDoo 0

Scott Bieber threw for 203 yards and a TD while Robert Trammell had a combined 142 yards on 33 touches to lead Washington to victory. The Federals defense limited New Orleans to 195 yards and a miserable 1/13 on 3rd down. Trammell ran 19 times for 81 yards, with 61 receiving yards on 14 catches. Trammell has 77 receptions on the year, 4 behind Tampa Bay RB Paul Meade for the league lead, and the 14 catches is a single game high this season.  

Gamblers 32 Panthers 23

Through 3 quarters it looked like Houston would win by a 20 point margin or more as they led 26-3, thanks to Tony Dean's 391 yards passing. Dean threw just 1 TD on the day, to a blast from the past, Gabriel Ahrens. Ryan Dearing also ran in a score and former Generals kicker Lucio Grant made 4 FGs. Falling behind so quickly forced Michigan to completely abandon their running game, as William Mauriello threw an all time high 90 passes today. The previous record was 88 by San Antonio's Walter Jackson at Memphis in 1986. Auriello also broke Jackson's record for completions in a game, besting his 57 with 58 today. Those 58 went for 470 yards and 3 TDs, but also 3 INTs. 

Lucio Grant booted his 5th FG to start the 4th qtr scoring, then Michigan scored 2 TDs to pull within 29-17. The Panthers were able to recover the onside kick and scored another TD. The 2 point conversion failed though, making the score 29-23 Houston. The Gamblers recovered this onside kick but went 3 and out. Auriello threw his 2nd INT deep in Michigan territory, allowing Grant a 6th FG and a 32-23 lead. Michigan's last drive ended with Auriello's 3rd INT and Houston hangs on for the win.

Gold 45 Force 9

Denver QB Andrew Brewer threw for 382 yards and 2 TDs as the Gold defeat Georgia. Richard Funkhouser didn't catch any TDs but he did catch 9 passes for 118 yards, while James Peralta added 5 receptions for 91 scoreless yards. Peralta was no stranger to the end zone however, as he ran in 3 scores to make Al Bundy nervous, and his 61 rushing yards gave him 152 on the day. Denver had 27 first downs, went 11/15 on 3rd down and were a perfect 5 for 5 in the red zone.

SaberCats 38 Sun 3

Jake Plummer tossed a pair of TD passes while 4 different ball carriers combined for 210 rushing yards as San Jose defeated Southern California. The SaberCats defense intercepted Wilmer Kimble 4 times and sacked him twice, as the Sun were held to 163 total yards.

Generals 34 Breakers 13

New Generals QB Paul Marcum threw 3 TD passes, 2 to Roger Rabbit as New Jersey beats Boston to take a 3 game lead in the East. Backup QB turned starting RB (due to injuries) James Wright ran 34 times for 222 yards and a TD, as he continues to make the most out of finally getting regular playing time. The 222 yards are a season high in the USFL, topping Orville Barker's 217, and his 690 yards on the season puts him 4th on the leading rusher list. 

Stars 48 Bell 13

Baltimore put up exactly 600 yards on Philadelphia today as they ring the Bell 48-13. Jon Snow threw for 497 yards and 6 TDs, 4 to John Warkentin, who caught 8 for 234 yards in all. Philadelphia had 326 offensive yards of their own but the defense let them down today.

Maulers 27 Gunslingers 6

Will Allison threw 2 TD passes and the Pittsburgh defense held San Antonio to 154 total yards as the Maulers beat the Gunslingers. Pittsburgh more than doubled that yardage (332) and exactly doubled San Antonio's 3rd down percentage, converting 8/16 to 4/16 for the Gunslingers. 

Blitz 27 Wheels 3

The running game was the difference in this game as Detroit didn't have one while Chicago's Dale Davis ran for 142 yards on 30 carries. The Wheels converted just 2/11 3rd downs as a result, and the offense turned the ball over 4 times, 3 on INTs. Chicago controlled the clock (39:06 time of possession) and the scoreboard, scoring the game's first 27 points before Detroit got 3.

Bandits 33 (NY) Stars 6

Tampa Bay only had 73 rushing yards on 23 carries, but that was a great game judging by recent Bandits box scores. Paul Meade ran 17 times for 46 yards and a TD, adding 104 receiving yards on 11 catches. The Bandits defense intercepted Marcus Geist 5 times, sacked him 3 times and recovered a lost fumble and William Cordova capped off the Tampa Bay scoring with a Pick 6.

Bulls 28 Hornets 10

Charlotte and Jacksonville played a tight first half, with the Bulls taking a 13-10 lead into halftime. The second half belonged to Jacksonville as the Bulls defense shut down the Hornets offense. Jacksonville was 7/18 on 3rd down conversions while Charlotte was 0/14. The Bulls offense was led by Christopher Kimbrough's 262 passing yards and 2 TD passes.

Stallions 16 Wranglers 3

Arizona had 208 total yards of offense while Birmingham ran for 210 yards to get a victory in the desert. The Stallions defense allowed just 2/13 3rd down conversions and 1 red zone trip, as Birmingham had a nearly 10 minute possession advantage. Francis Schultz ran for 104 yards and a TDand Walter Lemay added 94 yards on the ground. It wasn't all great for the Stallions as 5 red zone trips produced just 13 points, but a win is a win. 

 

 

Week 8: Nobody's Perfect

 Week 8 saw 10 one score games and the Florida Blazers finally lost a football game, so no team will have a perfect record this season. We seem to have a bit more parity in the standings and there are several teams capable of winning it all, but we'll need more seasons to tell if this is a fluke or a trend, now that rosters are a bit more normalized. Either way, I am glad to no longer have to deal with rosters half full of WR/CB.

Generals 27 Blazers 24

Florida out gained New Jersey by nearly 200 yards and the Generals couldn't cover Ray Parker today, as he had 8 catches, 227 yards and 3 TDs. Blazers QB Sidney Maggard completed 28/37 for 400 yards, the 3 TDs to Parker and 2 INTs, one of which allowed the Generals to get a 4 yard TD "drive". After Florida tied the game at 14, Generals KR Cody Schiavo tied a record that can never be broken unless we change to Canada rules, as he returned the kickoff 110 yards for a score.New Generals QB Paul Marcum completed less than 50% of his passes but he threw 2 TDs vs 0 INTs, with both TDs going to Todd Christensen.

New Jersey led 24-14 entering the 4th but Florida tied it at 24 with just under 5 minutes to play. Following an exchange of punts, the Generals had the ball on their own 17 with 0:36 left to play. Marcum found Roger Rabbit for a 43 yard gain and Al Borland nailed a 58 yard FG at the gun to prevent OT and send Florida to their first loss of 1992. 

SaberCats 17 Gold 13

San Jose scored the first 3 times they had the ball and their defense bent but didn't break once Denver got to the red zone as the SaberCats hand the Gold their second consecutive loss after a 6-0 start. Jake Plummer completed 20/23 for 210 yards and 2 TDs and of course Mark Hsu led the receiving corps with 5 catches, 126 yards and a TD. Denver got the offense going in the 4th qtr, and trailing 17-13, the Gold were driving for the go ahead TD when Andrew Brewer was intercepted by Champ Bailey deep in San Jose territory. Three plays later the clock ran out, leaving both teams 6-2.

VooDoo 42 Bandits 39

What a wild game down on Bourbon St as Tampa Bay and New Orleans combine for 81 points, 1,017 yards, 7 TDs (all passing), 5 INTs, 112 passes, 12 FG attemps, 10 made and 1 TD during 5 red zone trips. Tampa Bay got the scoring started with a pair of Thomas Lawson TD passes to Thomas Whitley, and a FG to take a 17-0 1st qtr lead. Lawson and Whitley would hook up twice more in the 2nd qtr as the Bandits took a 31-13 lead into halftime. In the 2nd half, the VooDoo kept chipping away until they finally tied the game with 3 minutes to play and got the game winning FG at the gun to steal a W from the Bandits.

Thomas Lawson had 4 TDs and 473 passing yards for Tampa Bay, with most going to Thomas Whitley (5-228-4) and Paul Meade (9-117). For New Orleans, it was the Wilson and Kerr show as Wilson threw for 424 yards and 3 TDs while Stanley Kerr ran 12 times for 78 yards, catching 11 for 158 and a TD. 

Panthers 21 Blitz 13

Michigan spotted Chicago 10 points but William Mauriello threw 3 first half TD passes to take a 21-10 halftime lead. Mauriello was reinserted into a starting role this week and he delivered, completing 29/38, 391 yards and 3 TDs, 2 to James Hillis, who caught 9 for 230 yards. The second half didn't go well offensively for the Panthers, as they missed a FG and lost 2 fumbles but the defense allowed just 3 points and very few yards as they hang on for the win.

Showboats 20 Maulers 17

Pittsburgh scored TDs on their first possession of each half but only added a FG in between. Their 3rd qtr TD gave the Maulers a 17-6 lead that Memphis chipped away at, getting to within 17-12 mid 4th qtr. Memphis was able to move the ball, but never could get into the end zone during the first 56 minutes of game action, settling for 4 long Javier Gill FGs. The Showboats finally cracked the end zone on a 73 yard David Allen pass to Omar Jenkins with 3:56 left and after Mark Lambert ran in the 2 point conversion, Memphis had the lead 20-17. Pittsburgh had 1 drive left and they turned it over on downs, leaving both teams 4-4.

Express 19 Invaders 13

Los Angeles has now won 3 in a row after an 0-5 start as the Express got 4 Mario Price FGs and a TD run by Gary Sappington to defeat Oakland 19-13. The stat king of this game was Oakland RB Oliver Thomas, who had a combined 138 yards, and 10 different Invaders caught a pass, but 29 completions by Andrew Moreno netted just 168 yards. Los Angeles got 215 passing yards from Tristan Arnold and 83 rushing yards from Daniel Franks to lead the Express.

Wheels 20 Gunslingers 17 (OT)

This was a battle of once struggling franchises on the cusp of turning things around, but only one team could win. 20 points is the key number for both squads as San Antonio is 0-4 when allowing 20 points or more, 4-0 when less than 20. For Detroit, 20 is an offensive key, as they are 5-0 when scoring 20 but 0-3 when they don't. The Wheels out gained the Gunslingers 328-139 but settled for 5 Kent Olden FGs offensively and a lost fumble allowed San Antonio a 7 yard TD "drive". The XP was no good, and the Wheels defense added a safety for their 17 points, and Detroit led 17-9 late in the 4th. That's when San Antonio QB Robert Fanelli found Charlie Shanks for a 4 yard TD to pull within 17-15. Fanelli hit John Orozco for the tying 2 point conversion and we were headed for extra football. 

In the OT period, each team punted twice, then Fanelli made a mistake, tossing an INT deep in their own territory. Detroit got a 6th FG from Olden and the Wheels escape with a win to improve to 5-3.

Bulls 23 Hawaiians 19

Honolulu had a balanced attack, as their 373 total yards were split between 197 rushing and 176 passing, but they also committed the game's only 2 turnovers and allowed Jacksonville 403 yards as they lose their 3rd game in a row. The strangest stat from this game was 5 total fumbles by both teams, all recovered by the fumbling team. Jacksonville QB Christopher Kimbrough passed for 378 yards and 2 TDs, including an 80 yard catch and run to William Morrison midway through the 4th qtr for what turned out to be the game winning TD. Honolulu RB Scott Stillings ran for 141 yards and a TD in the losing effort. 

Thunderbolts 20 Sun 17

Southern California scored first and last, but Cleveland won the in between time 20-3 for a 20-17 win over the Sun. The Thunderbolts saw the good and bad sides of QB Tony Romo, as he threw for 2 TDs but also 3 INTs., but Cleveland was able to overcome those thanks to their ball control rushing attack. Bobby Colley ran for 86 yards, adding a receiving TD and 27 yards and James Bull led the receivers with 5 catches, 60 yards and a TD. Southern California got a combined 102 yards and a TD from Gene Ingram but fall to 2-6 on the season.

Steamer 23 Force 16

Georgia struggled on offense today as their only TD came on a 99 yard kickoff return by Ruben Brannon. QB Milton People completed 25 passes for just 154 yards and the offense turned the ball over twice as the Force lost to the Steamer. Georgia's defense played well except for a 3 drive stretch late 2nd/early 3rd qtrs which produced 17 points for Shreveport. Red zone failure was a theme in this game as Georgia was 0/2 with 2 FGs and Shreveport was 1/5 with 3 FGs so both teams left points on the field. 

Storm 45 Wranglers 9

It was the Driggers-Robinson show today as Melvin Driggers threw for 407 yards and 5 TDs, with Robinson accounting for 230 yards and 3 TDs on 5 receptions as the Storm wallop the Wranglers. Arizona started Zachary Kinkead at QB again, he is the best of the 3 imo, but I'm not sure even Hall of Famer Mario Valencia would have helped today as Portland's offense only stopped itself with 2 INTs. The Wranglers offense wasn't great, but it wasn't as bad as we've seen either, as they converted 6/20 3rd downs and ran 29 times at nearly 3 ypc. 

Gamblers 49 Outlaws 7

It was all Houston as Tony Dean threw for 432 yards and 4 TDs to lead the Gamblers to victory. Lloyd Ellis ran for 63 yards and 2 TDs, chipping in 138 receiving yards on 6 catches to give him 201 combined yards. Dean threw a pair of TD passes to Jett Black (3-161-2) and Peter Henderson (7-71-2) as Houston led 28-0 at the half, then scored TDs on 3 straight drives before taking their foot off the gas.

Federals 26 Hornets 3

Washington's offense wasn't great today, scoring just 1 TD in 4 red zone trips (2 FGs) but the Federals defense allowed just 184 yards and forced 5 turnovers, 4 of them interceptions. Scott Bieber threw for 275 yards and a TD with Robert Trammell catching 10 passes for 116 yards to lead Washington into FG range often, as John Bazile kicked 4 FG in all. Charlotte QB Robert Ament had a miserable day with his 4 INTs but he also got no help from the running game, as the Hornets ran for just 25 yards on 20 carries. Neither team was very good on 3rd down, combining to go 4/28.

Stars 24 (NY) Stars 6

Baltimore and New York had a Battle of the Stars, and while New York scored first and last, Baltimore scored everything in between and won the game to keep pace with Washington. Jon Snow threw for 298 yards and 3 TDs with 0 INTs, with 2 of the TDs going to John Warkentin. Warkentin caught 3 in all for 106 yards but the star of the game was William Halford. He caught 5 passes for 152 yards and a TD, adding 44 yards rushing to nearly get 200 combined.

Bell 22 Breakers 0

Boston had trouble moving the ball, gaining just 108 yards and possessing the ball for only 20 minutes. Philadelphia couldn't move the ball through the air, but the Bell were able to run for 263 yards, led by Jamie Epperson's 139. Jay Carlisle added 94 and the game's only TD while K Robert Albertson was 5/5 on FGs as Philadelphia shut out Boston.

Renegades 32 Stallions 0

Orlando rookie QB Emory Howard had a perfect passer rating today, completing 24/26, 335 yards and 4 TDs to lead Orlando to the shut out victory over Birmingham. Ben Dehaven rushed for 84 yards and Cam Dalton 21, but Dalton did his damage receiving, catching 6 for 157 yards and 3 TDs. David King had 128 yards on 7 catches and the Renegades defense held the Stallions to just 128 total yards.

Week 7: 7-0 Florida Still Blazing

 This season sure is flying by, seems like we just started the season, yet here we are nearly half way done. Shreveport hosted undefeated Denver and they sent the Gold home steamed, handing them their first loss of the season. Denver saw their lead on Portland and Oakland trimmed to 1 game. That leaves Florida as the USFL's last undefeated team, although they had their hands full with division rival Tampa Bay. Had the Bandits won, they would have trailed the Blazers by 1 game in the standings, but the loss leaves Tampa Bay 3 games behind. Let's see what happened in Week number 7.

Blazers 20 Bandits 17

Tampa Bay really needed to win this game if they had any hopes of winning the division and the Bandits defense started and finished great, shutting out the Blazers in the 1st and 4th qtrs. The quarters in between were another story, as Sidney Maggard tossed a pair of TD passes, finishing with 304 yards in the air, as Florida took a 20-10 lead into the final 15 minutes. Early in the 4th, Thomas Lawson threw his 2nd TD pass, cutting the lead to 20-17. That TD went to RB Paul Meade, who once again struggled in the running game but contributed 10 receptions for 165 yards in the passing game. Tampa's last 2 drives produced nothing however, and Florida escapes with a win.

Steamer 35 Gold 25

Denver racked up 440 offensive yards, but they also suffered 4 turnovers and the Gold defense allowed 485 yards themselves. Neither team was efficient in the red zone, getting a pair of TDs in 4 trips each, but while that was it for Denver, Shreveport also had 2 red zone FGs and the Steamer's lone turnover was a lost fumble. The Steamer ran the ball 50 times in all, with Orville Barker leading the way with a 75 yard TD run on the first play from scrimmage en route to a 30 carry, 217 yard, 2 TD game. For Denver, QB Andrew Brewer threw for 339 yards and 2 TDs but he also threw 2 INTs and completed just 15 of 37 passes. Richard Huff caught 9 for 165 and a TD while Brian Thornton caught 3 for 151 and a TD. 

Shreveport got out to leads of 19-0 and 26-3 before Denver pulled within 26-17 in the 4th qtr. The Steamer then added 3 FGs, and led 35-17 with less than a minute to play before the Gold got a TD and 2 to lose by 10.

Panthers 26 Generals 10

Michigan is a quiet 6-1 after defeating the East leading Generals in New Jersey. The Panthers aren't flashy, but they now have the stingiest defense in the league, giving up 55 points in 7 games (Florida is 2nd with 56 PA) and they forced 4 turnovers today. New Generals starting QB Paul Marcum had a rough game, getting sacked twice and tossing 3 interceptions. The running game offered no support either, leading to a miserable 2/13 3rd down conversion rate. Michigan did get 350 yards of offense, but it was far from rosy on that side of the ball. The Panthers turned it over 3 times themselves and scored just 1 TD (and 3 FGs) in 5 red zone trips. It was enough to get the victory today though.

Federals 34 Maulers 7

Washington shredded the Pittsburgh defense for 456 yards and the Maulers offense was held to just 204 yards as the Federals dominated this game. Scott Bieber threw for 331 yards and 3 TDs as Washington built a 24-0 lead and never looked back. Those TDs went to 3 different receivers, none named Robert Trammell, but Trammell did have a double 90 game, with 91 rushing and 94 receiving. Washington is now 6-1 on the season with a 1.5 game lead in the division.

Stars 24 Gamblers 24 (OT)

The reason for Washington having a 1.5 game lead is this tie game today. 60 minutes wasn't enough to decide a winner, so they played 10 more minutes and still couldn't decide a winner so everyone just went home. Despite no winner, this game was a pretty good, competitive battle between a pair of perennial powerhouse teams. Both Tony Dean and Jon Snow started off shake as in the 1st qtr, Dean was intercepted twice, Snow once. They both turned it around though, as Dean finished with 2 TDs and 364 yards while Snow had 3 TDs and 385 yards and 18 different receivers caught passes. Houston's Lloyd Ellis ran 7 times for 84 yards, adding 106 on 9 catches while William Halford had 141 combined yards for Baltimore. Stars K Fred Boyce was wide right on a 43 yard FG attempt inside the final minute that could have prevented extra football.

Storm 24 Hawaiians 10

Portland QB Melvin Driggers needed just 14 completions (19 attempts) to throw 3 TD passes and 323 yards to lead the champs to their 3rd straight victory. Honolulu nearly matched Portland yard for yard, but they turned it over on downs twice on failed 4th and shorts as they fell behind 17-7 at halftime. Early in the 4th Driggers hooked up with Richard Robinson for their 2nd TD, giving the Storm a commanding 24-7 lead they would not relinquish. 

Force 21 VooDoo 13

Georgia QB Milton People completed less than 50% of his passes (15/32) but still tossed 3 TD passes to lead Georgia over South leading New Orleans. Two of those TDs went to Matthew Taylor and all of the Force scoring came in the first half. Bruno Wilson had trouble moving the VooDoo offense today as 50 passes netted just 177 yards, but they got a short TD drive following one of People's INTs to pull within 8 points heading into the 4th. The last 4 drives for New Orleans ended with a punt, turnover on downs and a pair of interceptions, allowing the Force to hold on for victory.

Invaders 19 Stallions 13

This game featured 10 punts, 6 field goals and 2 touchdowns and not much good offense. Oakland got 4 of the 6 FGs and the Invaders defense intercepted Ric Flair 3 times, twice after Flair got Birmingham within 16-13 in the 4th qtr with a TD pass. Andrew Moreno and the Invaders offense took care of the ball, and converted 8/18 3rd downs as they improve to 5-2 on the year.

SaberCats 34 Bulls 20

Jacksonville started out on fire, getting 20 points in the 1st qtr to lead 20-7. San Jose turned the ball over twice in that 1st qtr to help the Bulls fast start, but the Bulls decided to return the favor 5 times the rest of the game, helping the SaberCats secure a come from behind win. Jake Plummer had 358 passing yards, 3 TDs and 2 INTs,, with Mark Hsu not grabbing any of those scores. Hsu still had 108 receiving yards but was outshined by Dave McEntee, who caught 2 passes, both for scores covering 112 yards. 

Blitz 37 Wheels 17

Detroit's offense has improved a lot over recent seasons but the turnover bugaboo bit them today. Both teams moved the ball well with sustained drives in the first half that ended 17-17, but a missed FG in the 3rd qtr signaled the end of the Wheels offense for the day as they turned it over 3 times and punted every other drive. The Blitz didn't move the ball all that well either in the 2nd half, but those turnovers allowed Chicago to win the 2nd half 20-0 and come away with their 3rd straight win after an 0-4 start. Chicago QB Ronald Brown led the Blitz with 213 yards and 2 TDs on 22/28 passing.

Thunderbolts 20 Showboats 13

Cleveland has given up the 3rd fewest points in the league, and despite giving up 340 offensive yards, the Thunderbolts defense forced a pair of turnovers and allowed just 1 TD on 3 red zone trips (also 2 FGs). Memphis WR Mark Glenn and Cleveland WR James Bull both caught 8 passes with Glenn amassing 144 yards and Bull 126 and a TD. 

Gunslingers 13 Outlaws 6

Charlie Shanks ran for 106 yards for San Antonio but there were no offensive TDs in this game. Yards were tough to come by as well, as the teams combined for 421 yards and the score was tied 6-6 late in the 4th qtr. That's when Oklahoma QB John Crisp threw a Pick 6 to Louie Perry for the game winning score. 

Sun 56 Wranglers 17

Southern California QB Wilmer Kimble threw 4 TD passes and 324 yards, with WR Joseph Baker caught 8 for 116 yards and 2 TDs as the Sun wrangle Arizona. The Sun ran for 210 yards as a team with Stanley Gordon accounting for 127 and a TD. Southern California scored in all 3 phases today, getting a sack in the end zone for a safety and returning the free kick for a score in addition to their 5 offensive TDs and 4 FGs. On a side note, the Wranglers QB Roulette Wheel landed on Zachary Kinkead today.

Express 16 Renegades 13

Orlando came into this game 1-5, with 4 of those losses by one score or less, and Los Angeles was looking for their 2nd straight win after an 0-5 start. The Express got an 85 yard Tristan Arnold TD pass to Fredrick Whidden in the final minute of the 2nd qtr to tie the game at 13. Los Angeles would add a FG in an uneventful 2nd half, handing Orlando yet another close defeat.

Breakers 26 Hornets 10

I can't remember the last time I wrote about Boston gaining 400 yards or more, but the Breakers exploded for 424 today, 164 of that on the ground. Boston converted 8/19 3rd downs and got 110 rushing yards and a TD from James Nash as they sting Charlotte today. The much maligned Breakers run defense held strong today, allowing 2 yards a carry and the pass defense recorded a pair of sacks and a pair of INTs.

(NY) Stars 7 Bell 0

For more than 3 quarters, this game resembled a soccer match between players wearing strange pads and helmets as neither team could dent the scoreboard. New York got a 2 yard TD run by Tomas Abbott and the defense made that stand up for the win. Philadelphia had their best drive last as they attempted to tie the game, but the drive stalled at the New York 25.

Week 6: Gold and Blazers allow as many points as they have losses...zero

 We aren't even through 40% of the season yet, but the Denver Gold and Florida Blazers look like they are on a collision course to meet in World Bowl XIX. They both kept their undefeated records intact by shutting out their opponents and Denver scored a USFL season high 75 points today. Florida has given up 39 total points in 6 games, putting them on pace to allow 104 points, which would break the record of 110 set by the 1990 Portland Storm. The Michigan Panthers are just off the record setting pace, allowing 45 points so far. Despite all the domination, nobody has more than a 2 game division lead and we look like we'll have some exciting divisional/wildcard races as we get closer to Week 16.

Gold 75 Wranglers 0

This week's Wrangler QB Roulette Wheel landed on Danny Nash and he got the scoring started for Denver with a Pick 6 midway through the 1st qtr. A few minutes later, Raymond Caviness scored on a short TD run, then added a TD reception later in the 1st. In between Caviness touchdowns, Andrew Brewer had a 62 yard TD to Richard Funkhouser and the Gold led 27-0 after 15 minutes.

The rest of the game went pretty much like that as Denver scored 14 in the 2nd qtr, 21 in the 3rd and 13 in the 4th. Nash threw 5 INTs in all, and even had a second Pick 6. Andrew Brewer finished with 497 yards and 4 TD passes, all to different receivers. Jake Peralta had a 90-90 game, with 93 rushing yards and 90 receiving, but was held out of the end zone. Brian Thornton only had 75 total yards, 16 rushing, but he popped 3 short TD runs as Denver cruised to victory.

Blazers 27 Stallions 0

Florida has had some huge offensive games this season but today wasn't one of those, as they only had 260 total yards. What they lacked in yardage, they got in points as Sidney Maggard tossed 3 TD passes and Gerald Hinton nailed 2 long FGs, 53 and 54 yards. Games like today are why New Jersey parted ways with Ric Flair, as he was inaccurate, turnover prone, and couldn't get the ball downfield when he did find the right colored jersey. Flair finished 23/55, 91 yards and 3 INTs. 

Storm 30 Gamblers 27

Portland and Houston are in the thick of 3 team division races, so this was an important early season game to help shape the post season. This played out like a basketball game, with both teams making long scoring runs. The Storm ran first, jumping out 10-0 before the Gamblers came back to tie it at 10. This game would be back and forth throughout, and they combined for 101 passes thrown, although short on efficiency with just 55 combined completions and 3 INTs. Houston's Tony Dean was 33/59, 412 yards, 3 TD and 1 INT while Melvin Driggers completed 22/42, 256 yards with 1 TD, 2 INT. Portland also had their running game going as Jose Moses ran for 126 and Timothy Roquemore 85. Houston didn't run much but they did have a pair of 115 yard receivers, Ryan Dearing (10 receptions) and Jett Black (5 receptions, 2 TDs). 

On the first play of what would become a wild 4th quarter, Portland's Alan Grossi booted a short FG to give Portland a 27-10 lead. A few minutes later, Melvin Driggers threw his 2nd INT, setting up Houston with a FG opportunity, cutting the Storm lead to 27-13. Dean then found Black for a TD to make it 27-20 with almost 9 minutes to play. Portland would have to punt, pinning the Gamblers at their own 7, but Tony Dean led Houston on an 11 play TD drive, finding Jett Black again to tie the game at 27. There was just 1:18 on the clock and Houston forced a three and out, and starting at their own 18 following the punt. 

Tony Dean completed a pass to Peter Henderson when a blast from the past made a game changing play. Mark McKeon, he of the 71 sacks and ensuing controversy in 1989, stripped Henderson of the ball and recovered it to set Portland up in FG range. Driggers almost got a game winning TD but Richard Robinson was ruled short of the goal line. That left enough time for Grossi to boot the short game winner.

Federals 24 Stars 17

The first half was an offensive showcase and it looked like we'd have a shootout. Jon Snow got Baltimore on the scoreboard first with a 32 yard TD pass to John Warkentin. Scott Bieber caught fire after that, leading Washington to 3 consecutive scoring drives for a 21-7 lead. All 3 TDs were courtesy of Bieber's arm, 2 of the 3 going to Ronald Matthews, who had 156 yards on 5 catches today. Jon Snow would toss his 2nd TD pass later in the 2nd qtr and our halftime score was 21-14 Washington. The second half was rather uneventful until the end of the game. With 4:19 left, the Stars defense intercepted Bieber but Jon Snow immediately threw one of his own, allowing the Federals to drain the clock under 2 minutes. Baltimore's last drive ended on downs just outside the red zone and the Federals win, taking sole possession of the Atlantic division lead.

SaberCats 18 Hawaiians 17

Honolulu could have had an early 2 game lead over San Jose with a victory and the Hawaiians held a 14-3 lead early in the 4th following a Scott Stillings 12 yard TD run. San Jose would get a Jake Plummer TD pass and a 2 point conversion to pull within 3 points and another TD pass to Mark Hsu for an 18-14 lead. Hsu was bottled up most of the day, with 3 catches and 23 yards before his 22 yard TD reception with 1:50 left. Honolulu faced a 4th and 10 at the San Jose 27 and opted to kick a FG, then try an onside kick, which was successful. They had plenty of time to get into FG range but Derek Henry threw an interception to seal the win for San Jose.

Panthers 18 Breakers 10

Michigan got 116 rushing yards from Walter Simmons and 6 field goals from Robert Moulton as the Panthers run their record to 5-1. Michigan is using a 2 QB system we haven't seen in quite some time, although neither one was particularly effective against the tough Boston pass defense. Michigan out gained Boston 373-176 and they held the ball for over 40 minutes.

VooDoo 21 Steamer 9

New Orleans and Shreveport had similar stats and game plans, spreading the ball around to several different runners and receivers. Neither QB topped 200 yards, but Bruno Wilson was able to find Nicholas Dorey for a TD pass, and the VooDoo added a pair of rushing scores while the New Orleans defense kept the Steamer out of the end zone all game. 

Generals 20 Wheels 15

Arizona and Michigan are not alone in searching for a franchise QB as New Jersey started their 3rd different QB of the season tonight, 2nd year pro Paul Marcum. Detroit was able to run the ball, complimenting their passing attack but the Wheels had to settle for too many FGs, yet they held a 9-7 lead in the middle of the 3rd qtr. New Jersey's TD was a 48 yard Marcum TD pass to Duncan Meyer. Meyer caught 5 passes in all for 145 yards but suffered an ankle injury and will miss multiple games. New Jersey would get another Marcum TD pass and an Al Borland FG to take a 17-9 lead early in the 4th. Gabriel Flanagan then fired a 37 yard TD pass to Matthew Houston but the 2 point try failed, and Detroit still trailed 17-15. The Generals would add another Borland FG that turned out to be huge, as it forced the Wheels to score a TD to win instead of a FG. Detroit was marching for that game winning TD but they ran out of time 11 yards short, making both teams 4-2 this year.

Bandits 23 Bulls 17

There were some big stat games today for both teams. Jacksonville QB Christopher Kimbrough completed 30/44, 302 yards and 2 TDs, Tyron Bailey had 116 combined yards (16-95 on the ground, 10 for 21 receiving) and William Morrison had 182 yards and 2 TDs on 5 catches. Tampa Bay QB Thomas Lawson completed 28/47, 323 yards, 2 TD and 1 INT. One TD went to RB Paul Meade, who had a rough day on the ground (10-26) but caught 12 passes for 66 yards. The other TD went to who else, Thomas Whitley. The likely future HOFer caught 5 for 166 yards today and I missed the fact that Whitley broke the record for most career receiving TDs with his first one this season. He has 114 now, but his first one this season was #109, besting Gabriel Ahrens 108.

There were also 6 total turnovers, 3 apiece and the defenses finally took over in the second half. Tampa Bay got a pair of 4th qtr FGs to turn a 17-17 tie into victory.

Showboats 13 Outlaws 6

David Allen found Mark Glenn for a 2 yard TD pass early in the 4th to break a 6-6 tie, giving Memphis the win. The Showboats ran the ball well and were 7/15 on 3rd down, but both teams struggled through the air, combining for 5 INTs. 

Maulers 26 Hornets 7

Pittsburgh nearly doubled the yardage of Charlotte 354-180, and they forced 13 punts. Maulers QB Will Allison tossed 2 TD passes and completed passes to 12 different receivers as Pittsburgh controlled the game throughout. The Maulers were up 26-0 before Charlotte finally dented the scoreboard.

Blitz 13 (NY) Stars 6

Chicago took a 7-0 lead on a 2nd qtr 4 yard TD run by Jay Kinder, then the teams exchanged a pair of FGs each the rest of the way as the Blitz win their 2nd in a row after an 0-4 start. The Blitz could have won more comfortably but they only converted 1/3 red zone possessions into TDs, allowing New York to hang around. Chicago had a ball control running and passing attack as QB Ronald Brown completed 20/25 for just 159 yards and the team ran for 114 yards on 36 carries. 

Thunderbolts 27 Gunslingers 6

Cleveland QB Tony Romo completed 18/21, 188 yards and 2 TDs, with James Bull accounting for 113 of that on 5 catches and a TD. The Thunderbolts defense forced two turnovers and held San Antonio under 200 total yards, and shut them out after halftime to even both team's record at 3-3.

Invaders 17 Force 13

Oakland RB Oliver Thomas opened the scoring with a 2 yard TD run and closed the scoring with a 5 yard TD reception, and in between, he had 71 yards rushing and 61 receiving yards on 10 catches. Andrew Moreno completed 26/33 passes for 270 yards and that TD to Thomas as the stats show Oakland had the better stats. Georgia had the lead late in the 4th however, as the Invaders had to settle for FG attempts 3 times, making just 1, but the Force couldn't hold that lead.

Express 24 Sun 17

Los Angeles QB Tristan Arnold didn't exactly push the ball downfield, but he did complete an efficient 25/31 for 140 yards and a TD to lead the Express to their first win of the season. The Express running game chipped in with 114 yards, enabling them to convert 7/14 3rd down conversions. The defense got in on the scoring too, as Cornell Torres returned an interception 14 yards for a score. Southern California turned the ball over 5 times, with QB Wilmer Kimble responsible for 3 INTs and a lost fumble. Kimble did throw a pair of TD passes, the 2nd coming late in the 4th to get the Sun within 7. Los Angeles recovered the onside kick and ran out the final 1:45.

Bell 23 Renegades 16

The first half was dominated by Orlando but they only had a 16-10 lead to show for it, as they had to settle for FGs on their first 3 drives. The Renegades had over 400 yards of total offense but 312 came in the first half. Orlando had a 16-13 lead in the 4th and were in the Philadelphia red zone, but rookie QB Emory Howard threw an INT to kill the drive. The Bell then got a 50 yard TD pass from Robert Hernandez to Craig Hines just after the 2 minute warning to give Philadelphia a 20-16 lead. Orlando would turn it over on downs, leading to a Philadelphia FG and our final score of 23-16. For Orlando, Howard completed 23/39, 306 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT, with David King catching 5 for 150 yards and that TD. Hernandez completed 24/34, 315 yards and 2 TD passes to Craig Hines, who finished with 156 yards on 7 receptions.

Week 5: Gold and Blazers still Undefeated

 Gold 30 Invaders 8

WR Richard Huff had 159 receiving yards and a TD to lead Denver to their 5th win of the season. The Gold also had 161 combined yards from Jake Peralta. Oakland got out to an early 5-0 lead thanks to a safety and a FG, and they had the halftime lead, 8-7, but Denver exploded for 20 3rd qtr points to take the game.

Blazers 32 Bandits 10

Florida continues to win in an effort not to have their playoff fate decided in Week 16. The Blazers intercepted rookie QB Thomas Lawson 4 times and limited Tampa Bay to less than 17 minutes of possession. Sidney Maggard tossed 3 TD passes for Florida, 2 to Freddy Jones as the Blazers scored 25 unanswered points to turn a 7-7 game into a laugher.

Storm 20 SaberCats 14

The defending champs broke their 2 game losing streak in exciting fashion, needing a late 4th qtr comeback to get back over .500 on the year. Portland kicked 2 first half FGs for a 6-0 lead at the break before Mark Hsu took over the game. Hsu burns almost everyone, and today he burned the champs for 199 yards and 2 TDs on 9 catches, the 2nd score coming with 5:18 left to give San Jose a 14-6 lead. Melvin Driggers got the Storm on the board quickly with a 73 yard catch and run TD to Fred Wink, who had 111 receiving yards on the day. The 2 point try failed, making the score 14-12. Portland would force a punt, then Driggers would throw another TD pass, this one 34 yards to Richard Robinson. Jeffrey Frost caught a Driggers pass for 2 points and San Jose was not able to score.

Maulers 21 Stars 6

Some results are just surprising, like last week's Pittsburgh loss to Oklahoma. Given that, almost nobody gave the Maulers a chance against red hot Baltimore, but the defense shut down the high powered Stars offense. They didn't force any turnovers but they held Baltimore to just 216 yards on the day and the Pittsburgh offense kept racking up first downs, getting 39 and a half minutes of possession. QB Will Allison threw for 2 TDs and found 10 different receivers and they converted 11/17 3rd downs. 

Panthers 17 (NY) Stars 6

Michigan continues to struggle on offense but their defense bounced back today. The Panthers didn't force any turnovers but they sacked Willie Bust twice and held New York to 186 total yards. Michigan got a TD run from Walter Simmons and a TD pass from William Mauriello to John Tingle, with a FG to round out their scoring.

VooDoo 24 Stallions 17

Bruno Wilson tossed a pair of 1st qtr TD passes to give New Orleans an early 14-0 lead. Ric Flair matched that in the 2nd qtr as Birmingham tied the score at 14 before Bruno Wilson's 3rd TD of the half gave the VooDoo a 21-14 lead at halftime. The second half saw just a FG for each side and Birmingham's last 3 drives ended on downs, an INT, and the clock ran out.

Gamblers 41 Hornets 0

Tony Dean threw for 305 yards and fired TD passes to 4 different receivers as Houston shutout Charlotte. Lloyd Ellis nearly had a double triple, rushing for 98 yards, adding 107 yards and a TD on 9 catches. The Gamblers won the yardage 483-74, allowing the Hornets just 21 minutes of possession.

Federals 52 Gunslingers 27

San Antonio had one of their best offensive games in a long time, but unfortunately, Scott Bieber was on fire and he led Washington to TDs on their first 5 drives as they built first half leads of 28-0 and 35-7. Bieber threw for 6 TDs total, amassing 467 yards on 26/30 passing. Matthew Cuevas caught 2 passes for 140 yards, both TD catches and Robert Trammell nearly had a double triple. Trammell caught 9 passes for 168 yards and ran for 91 more to lead the Federals to victory.

Wheels 27 Showboats 10

Gabriel Flanagan completed 31/36 for 321 yards and TD passes to 3 different receivers to lead Detroit to their 4th straight victory. The Wheels held the ball for nearly 38 minutes as their defense limited Memphis to 228 yards. Detroit also intercepted 2 passes, recovered a fumble and the only TD they gave up came in the 4th qtr when they had a 27-3 lead.

Steamer 24 Renegades 23

Orlando was in control for much of the game as Emory Howard tossed a pair of 1st qtr TD passes for an early 14-7 lead. Howard is one of several rookie starting QBs in the league this season, and they all have their ups and downs. Howard served up a Pick 6 to Eugene Gonzalez to allow Shreveport to tie the game at 14 late in the 2nd qtr. Orlando would then kick 3 FGs between now and the 2 minute warning, giving the Renegades a 23-14 lead. The Orlando defense allowed Orville Barker little room to run (23 carries 21 yards) but he had receiving success (7-106-2) and his 2nd TD reception of the game came just inside the 2 minute warning to pull the Steamer within 2 points. Shreveport would recover the onsides kick and march into FG range for a game winning 51 yard FG by William Neal at the gun as the Steamer steal a win from the Renegades.

 Generals 25 Breakers 20

Backup QB turned replacement RB James Wright ran for 142 yards and a TD as New Jersey built a 22-7 lead on Boston. The Breakers made life rough for now former starter Ernest Simmon, sacking him twice to go with a pair of INTs and the Generals settled for 5 Al Borland FGs up to this point of the game. Boston would have a comeback attempt in the 4th qtr, scoring a pair of touchdowns to pull within 22-20, but the onside kick failed which allowed New Jersey to tack on a 6th Borland FG and the Breakers turned it over on downs on their final drive.

Sun 27 Bulls 14

Southern California racked up 435 yards of offense and the Sun defense forced 4 Jacksonville turnovers as they get their first win of the season today. QB Wilmer Kimble threw for 324 yards and 3 TDs as the Sun broke open a 14-14 game by outscoring the Bulls 13-0 in the second half. RB Gene Ingram ran for 64 yards and added 43 receiving yards and a TD, giving him 107 combined yards while TE James Brough caught 8 for 96 and a TD.

Force 16 Wranglers 9

Georgia had 416 offensive yards yet nobody had a combined 100 yard game as the Force spread the ball around. Three different ball carriers had at least 8 touches and 8 different receivers caught a pass from Milton People. Arizona only had 235 offensive yards but they didn't turn the ball over, which is a step in the right direction. The Wranglers also got 117 rushing yards from John Gates but Arizona could not get in the end zone all game. Both teams had 3 FG on the day, but Georgia also had a 75 yard TD pass from People to John Hyunh, which turned out to be the difference in the game.

Hawaiians 16 Outlaws 3

One week after stunning Pittsburgh, it's back to normal in Oklahoma. Honolulu allowed the Outlaws just 147 offensive yards, and Hawaiians RB Scott Stillings nearly topped that with his rushing yards. Stillings had a combined 223 yards, 142 on the ground with a TD as Honolulu improves to 4-1. 

Thunderbolts 6 Bell 0

Neither team's offense got much done today as Cleveland defeats Philadelphia 6-0. 

Blitz 6 Express 3

At least Cleveland and Philadelphia could run the ball a little bit. Chicago ran for 31 yards on 22 carries while Los Angeles had negative 4 yards for their 25 rushing attempts as the Blitz win the FG kicking contest.