Week 11: Turmoil On and Off the Field

 Week 11 saw turmoil on and off the field, as the playoff race is heating up and we had some owner changes. We'll start with the off the field turmoil. Dluckyguess left Los Angeles, and one time Express owner mwd65 wanted his old franchise back. That would have left New Orleans open, but as luck would have it, slowtospeak was looking to join our league. Portland posted some bulletin board material about their playoffs starting now, but Seth has to be glad we're not in single elimination yet as Memphis hand the Storm a loss. Denver beat Oakland and now the Gold are tied with Portland atop the West at 8-3. Cleveland had a chance to put some distance between themselves and Michigan, but the Panthers were up to the challenge. Detroit beat Honolulu so that means we are back to a 3 way tie in the Midwest as the Wheels, Thunderbolts, and Panthers are all 9-2. South leaders Shreveport have now lost 2 in a row, but Georgia and Birmingham could not take advantage, losing as well. Two teams that didn't face turmoil are the 11-0 Baltimore Stars and the 10-1 Washington Federals, and league officials have to hope their Week 16 matchup ends up being the Sunday Night Game.

Stars 44 Maulers 0

While Baltimore is fighting for home field advantage, Pittsburgh is battling Arizona and Oklahoma for the #1 draft pick. The old saying "any given Sunday" did not apply as Baltimore dominated from start to finish. WR John Warkentin continues to miss action nursing an injury but Glenn Sprinkle stepped up in his absence, catching 9 passes for 259 yards and 3 TDs. QB Jon Snow threw for 404 yards, 5 TDs and 2 INTs while the Stars defense held Pittsburgh to exactly 200 yards.

Federals 31 Stallions 23

Birmingham got a 3 yard TD run by Francis Schultz and a 50 yard Marvin Benford TD pass to Theodore Turner, while the defense held Washington to a scoreless 80 yards as the Stallions took a 17-0 lead into halftime. The Federals got the ball to start the second half and punted again, but their next 4 drives went: TD, TD, TD, TD, as Washington took a 28-17 lead. Scott Bieber threw 2 TD passes to Ronald Matthews, then James Dunn ripped off a 69 yard TD run, then followed that up by catching a 22 yard TD pass from Bieber. Birmingham would get a Carl Jordan 5 yard TD run but the 2 point try failed, making the score 28-23 before Bazile added a FG for the 5th consecutive Washington scoring drive. Birmingham's last 2 possessions ended with an INT and turnover on downs as Washington gets a come from behind victory.

Panthers 21 Thunderbolts 7

Cleveland came into this game 9-1, thanks to a stingy defense and good ball security from Tony Romo, who only had 4 INTs all year. Michigan's defense is pretty stingy too, and they intercepted Romo 3 times and sacking him once for a safety. The Panthers offense scored the first 4 times they had the ball for a 16-0 lead, then they rode their defense to victory. Field position was huge, as Michigan P Napolean McQuaig pinned Cleveland inside their 20 on 5 of 7 punts and the average Thunderbolts drive started on their own 19. Michigan's average drive started at their 41, a whopping 22 yard difference.

Wheels 29 Hawaiians 13

Honolulu got RB Anthony Davis back for this game and he had a combined 145 yards and a receiving TD, which got the Hawaiians within 10-7 at halftime. Each team kicked a FG on their first second half drives before Derek Henry threw 2 passes to the Detroit defense, leading to 10 points as the Wheels increase their lead to 23-10 heading into the 4th. RB James Fischer had a 27 yard TD run in the 4th to put the game out of reach, enabling Detroit to improve to 9-1. Gabriel Flanagan completed 34/42, 363 yards, 2 TD and 1 INT as he is 6th in the league in passing yards.

Showboats 20 Storm 19

Seth and the Storm have got to be frustrated with this loss, as their defense was spot on save for 2 long pass plays that went for TDs, while the Portland offense settled for too many FGs and after one of them, the kick coverage unit allowed a 110 yard kick return to Omar Jenkins. Portland forced Norman Maldonado into 2 INTs on 15/33 passing, but he had a 75 yard pass to Thomas Ballard and the game winning 71 yarder to Eric Duncan inside the 2 minute warning as Memphis scores the upset. Prior to that, the Storm defense intercepted Maldonado inside the 2 minute warning, but the offense went 3 and out, taking just 20 seconds off the clock. Portland was able to try a last second 59 yard FG but the kick fell short.

Gold 15 Invaders 7

Oakland took the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards in 12 plays, with Lemon Jefferson running the last 5 yards for a 7-0 Invaders lead. It was here that they decided to pull a Costanza and leave on a high note, nevermind there was still most of the game to play. The Invaders offense managed just 67 yards for the rest of the game, sacking Martin Greene 4 times, including once for a safety to pull the Gold within 7-2. Andrew Brewer's TD pass to Calvin Hoffman gave Denver the lead they would not relinquish and they rode the legs of Fredrick Whidden and Robert Deacon to victory. Whidden ran 22 times for 145 yards, leading to a pair of Robert Deacon FGs.

Gamblers 54 Outlaws 3

This game was never in doubt as Tony Dean threw 3 of his 6 TDs in the first quarter as Houston took a 20-0 lead and never let off the gas. The Gamblers scored on every first half drive except the last one when they were running out the clock, and the first 6 scores were touchdowns as they held a 44-0 halftime lead. In all, Houston converted a ridiculous 13/17 3rd downs and held the ball over 41 minutes. Tony Dean finished 32/39, 490 yards and 6 TDs, 4 to Daniel Franks who caught 5 in all for 143 yards. Hugh Chance also caught 5, for 106 yards and Lloyd Ellis had a combined 132 yards and caught Dean's other 2 TD passes.

Blazers 20 Bandits 12

Florida and Tampa Bay produced similar box scores, 308 yards for the Blazers, 302 for the Bandits, rushing yards almost dead even, passing yards almost even and pass completions actually were even at 24. Both QBs also threw an INT but Florida's Sidney Maggard only needed 29 attempts for his 24 completions and he tossed 2 TD passes, while Tampa Bay's Antonio Martinez was 24/44 and the Bandits offense had to settle for 4 Edward Walter FGs. That was enough for Florida's 6th straight victory.

Generals 20 Renegades 10

New Jersey didn't start the game well, as Don Ferguson threw an interception on the first drive, leading to an Orlando FG, then the Renegades drove 76 yards for a Jose Rush 9 yard TD run to give the Renegades an early 10-0 lead. The Generals offense slept walked through most of the first half until Ferguson found Duncan Meyer for a 95 yard TD pass and Orlando led 10-7 at the half. New Jersey's defense stiffened after the Renegades initial outburst, and despite struggling for yards, the Generals offense chipped away in the second half, finally putting the game away with 5 minutes left on the 2nd Ferguson to Meyer TD.

Bell 21 (NY) Stars 3

New York out gained Philadelphia 363-338 but 2 missed FGs and 2 lost fumbles prevented the Stars from scoring more than 3 points today. The first lost fumble happened on the first drive and the Bell took advantage of the short field and Joseph Serio's 6 yard TD pass to Craig Hines gave Philadelphia a 7-0 lead. Following a 3 and out for the New York offense, Philadelphia drove 73 yards and Jamie Epperson ran in the first of his 2 TD runs for a 14-0 lead. Epperson finished the game with 141 combined yards, 112 rushing. The red zone made the difference today as both teams made 3 trips inside the 20, with Philadelphia getting all 3 TDs while New York had 3 points.

SaberCats 33 Sun 3

San Jose is undefeated since pronfl51 took over and he actually got a TD from Mark Hsu after 11 games. It's been a rough year for Hsu, who set league records in receiving yards and TDs last season, but a stream of new owners have not been able to duplicate that. The SaberCats defense forced 3 INTs, had 2 sacks, kept Southern California from converting any 3rd downs in 11 tries, and kept them under 100 total yards. QB Jake Plummer was 17/20, 201 yards, 2 TDs and no sacks as he looks to be coming around after getting battered early in the season. San Jose kept the ball over 43 minutes and their RBBC ran 54 times for 151 yards as they now have sole possession of first in the Pacific.

Bulls 15 Force 8

Jacksonville got the ball first and kept it for over half the quarter, going 75 yards in 14 plays with Scott Randall's 2 yard TD run giving the Bulls a 7-0 lead. Georgia out gained Jacksonville 376-260, led by Milton People completing 26/37 for 271 yards and the Force RBBC ran for 114 yards on 27 carries. All of those yards produced just 2 FGs but the Georgia defense got a 4th quarter safety, sacking Derek Joyce in the end zone to take an 8-7 lead. It looked like Georgia was going to escape with the win after pinning the Bulls at their 14 with a punt, and Jacksonville had just 19 seconds to work with. Derek Joyce pulled a rabbit out of his hat, finding Leon Guiterrez for an 86 yard catch and run TD to steal victory from the jaws of defeat.

Gunslingers 19 Wranglers 0

San Antonio didn't have a particularly good game, but they didn't need one considering Arizona started the worst of their 3 rookie QBs. They started Charles Trevino, whose accuracy rating is a pathetic 17/31 and probably has a better future as a plodding RB. The results were predictable as Trevino completed 2/35 with 2 INTs. San Antonio got a Russell Arroyo short TD run and 4 Benjamin Regalado FGs to post a 19-0 win.

Breakers 10 Hornets 3

Boston missed FG tries on their first 2 possessions before Adam Scales led a 13 play, 96 yard TD drive, with his 11 yard TD pass to Robert Nash being the only points the Breakers would need today. Charlotte QB Robert Ament completed 20/29 passes but for just 96 yards and an INT with 3 sacks allowed. After this, the teams combined for 2/3 FGs made, 1 for each team and a whole bunch of punts as Boston holds on for the win.

VooDoo 25 Steamer 9

Neither offense played that well as neither team could run. Shreveport ran for 46 yards on 23 carries while the VooDoo ran for 8 yards on 30 carries. New Orleans did score a TD on their opening drive as Joseph Jones found Richard Whipple for a 12 yard TD, and Jones followed that with a 22 yard TD pass to Brandon Ross after the defense intercepted George Marcil. The rest of the game saw each team make 3 FGs and the VooDoo defense sacked Marcil in the end zone for a safety as mwd65 wins his last game as New Orleans owner.

Blitz 30 Express 16

This box score was pretty even save for 2 differences that played a part in the outcome. For Chicago, RB John Gates ran for 89 yards and a TD, adding 56 receiving yards to lead the Blitz offense. Los Angeles had 93 rushing yards from Raymond Straight, 118 receiving yards and a TD from Sidney Chavis, and QB David Tavarez completed 24/30 for 227 yards to lead the Express. One of the differences was turnovers. Both QBs threw an INT, but Los Angeles also lost 2 fumbles which led to 10 Chicago points. The other difference was the red zone, where Chicago got 3 TDs and a FG in 4 trips while Los Angeles got FGs on all 3 of their trips. Add it all up and Chicago gets the victory. 

 

Week 10: Stars Still Shining

 Baltimore had to come from behind in the second half to defeat Orlando and remain undefeated on the season. The Washington Federals remain hot on their heels at 9-1 as they not only won an important game against East leaders New Jersey, they handed the Generals their first shutout since the middle of the 1977 season. Philadelphia could not take advantage of the Generals loss as they were thumped by our defending champs Portland. Our 3 way tie in the Midwest has been broken as Cleveland beat Detroit to improve to 9-1 and sole possession of first as Michigan also lost. The Honolulu Hawaiians handed the Panthers that loss and they keep pace with San Jose atop the Pacific. Memphis won the rematch with Houston to pull within 1 game of the Gamblers in the Southwest and the Denver Gold beat Boston to remain 1 game behind Portland in the West. The Showboats and Gold are also currently 1 game behind Michigan and Detroit for the 2 wildcard spots. Shreveport saw their South lead trimmed to 2 games as the Steamer lost to New York while Georgia beat New Orleans. Last but not least is the Florida Blazers, who blew an 11 point first half lead before coming back in the second half to win their 5th in a row. Coupled with Tampa Bay's OT loss to Birmingham, the Blazers now have a 4 game lead with 6 to play.

Stars 24 Renegades 14

Baltimore might clean house in the training department this offseason unless they can prevent more injuries. The Stars were missing a few key players on both sides of the ball but they still have a healthy Jon Snow, and he led the Stars to a TD on their first possession with a 4 yard pass to Glenn Sprinkle. Orlando would answer with a Ben Dehaven 3 yard TD run and a 52 yard Trey Lyons TD pass to Eugene Barker as the Renegades took a 14-7 lead into halftime. The Stars defense stiffened in the second half and Jon Snow threw 2 more TD passes as the Stars came from behind to win.

Federals 18 Generals 0

Ex Washington QB Don Ferguson was looking for revenge against his old squad after they defeated New Jersey in last year's playoffs for the right to lose to Portland in World Bowl XX. Perhaps he wanted it too much as he had his worst game as the Generals starter, throwing 3 INTs as New Jersey suffers their first shutout since 1977. New Jersey turned the ball over 4 times in all and usually reliable K Al Borland missed his only FG attempt. Washington held a slim 9-0 lead for most of the second half until Scott Bieber connected with Matthew Cuevas for a 62 yard TD with under 3 minutes to play to seal the win for Washington.

Storm 63 Bell 6

Portland literally demolished any hopes Philadelphia had of tying New Jersey in the East with the lopsided victory today. Melvin Driggers completed 33/39, 446 yards, 7 TD and 1 INT. FB David Smith was the leading receiver, catching 9 for 186 yards and 2 TDs and WR Richard Robinson matched Smith's 9 receptions and 2 TDs, gaining 116 yards. RB Jose Moses also caught 2 TD passes and had 116 combined yards (62 rushing, 54 receiving). For good measure, Portland added a pair of defensive TDs as David Jacquez sacked Joseph Serio, causing a fumble which Robert Harvard scooped up and returned it 3 yards for one score and Raymond McDonald took a Serio INT 26 yards for the other TD.

Thunderbolts 31 Wheels 9

Cleveland won their 8th straight game despite their #1 ranked defense giving up 369 yards of offense. The Thunderbolts bent but did not break, intercepting 3 Gabriel Flanagan passes, recovering a fumble and keeping the Wheels out of the end zone.Tony Romo led the Cleveland offense with 4 TD passes on 21/26 passing for 263 yards. Not only is this Cleveland's 8th straight win, it's also their 8th straight game keeping their opponents under 10 points.

Hawaiians 26 Panthers 20

Michigan traveled to the Hawaiian Islands and they must have got a little too much sun, as their #3 ranked defense allowed 100 yards more than normal, although to be fair, they still held Honolulu below the 410 yards a game they average. That puts the Hawaiians 5th in total offense and they would likely have a better W-L record with better ball security, as they're 31st in turnover ratio. QB Derek Henry threw 3 INTs today but the Hawaiians defense countered that by doing the same to Michigan QB Larry Henderson. Michigan also lost a fumble and were held to 3/15 on 3rd down, but the Panthers managed a halftime lead of 13-9. Honolulu scored 17 unanswered points in the second half before Michigan cut the lead to 6. The Panthers last 2 drives went nowhere and Honolulu gets the win.

Showboats 37 Gamblers 21

It's not often you see a team with 477 offensive yards not reach the red zone or lose by double digits, but you also don't see Tony Dean throw 5 INTs often either. We saw all of that today though, including 428 yards and 3 TD passes from Dean as well, albeit in a losing effort. Memphis got rushing TDs from Erik McNamee and Steve Ransome, while QB Norman Maldonado threw a TD pass to Matthew Royster to lead the offense. Gary Ridgeway made 3 FGs and Curt Chou intercepted 4 passes, taking 1 to the house for six points. 

Gold 24 Breakers 7

One week after a zero rush game, Denver ran it 40 times against Boston for 173 yards, scoring touchdowns the first 3 times they touched the ball. Fredrick Whidden ran for 114 yards and Douglas Crowley caught 9 passes for 109 yards and 2 TDs to pace the offense, while the Gold defense held the Breakers under 200 yards. 

Blazers 27 Bulls 23

Florida QB Sidney Maggard threw 3 first half TD passes as the Blazers got out to a 21-10 lead. Just before halftime, Jacksonville cut it to 21-13, then they scored 10 more in the 3rd for a 23-21 lead. Florida retook the lead toward the end of the 3rd with a FG, then they added an insurance FG following a Jacksonville fumble and hung on for the win. William Merkel caught 10 for 104 yards and a TD while Ronald Kirby caught the other 2.

Stallions 33 Bandits 27 (OT)

Both teams had over 400 yards of offense and were on fire converting 3rd downs as Birmingham scored the last 16 points of the game to send it to overtime and win it. Tampa Bay QB Antonio Martinez threw for 359 yards and 3 TDs , with Richard Miller catching 7 for 139 yards and Darren Cotton caught 7 for 132 yards and 2 TDs as the Bandits had a 27-17 lead after 3 quarters. Marvin Benford threw for 281 yards and 3 TDs as Birmingham scored 10 unanswered points in the 4th quarter to tie the game at 27. Tampa Bay had a chance to win at the end of regulation but Edward Walter was wide right on a 37 yard FG try and we were headed to overtime.

Usually both teams get an offensive possession in OT, but nobody got one today, as Francis Schultz took the kickoff 107 yards for the walk off TD.

SaberCats 16 Blitz 3

Both teams had the running game working and the defenses were forcing turnovers in this ugly game. San Jose QB Jake Plummer managed not to get sacked today, but he still didn't fare very well, completing 14/22 with 3 INTs. Chicago's Ronald Brown also threw 3 and each team fumbled twice, with Chicago losing both and San Jose losing one. San Jose did get a rushing TD from Graham Peterson and their kicker won the FG contest 3-1.

(NY) Stars 23 Steamer 13

New York had a pair of first half FGs for a 6-0 lead before George Marcil briefly gave Shreveport a 7-6 lead with a short TD pass to Thomas Whitley. It didn't take Damien Oleary long to answer with the first of his 2 TD passes of the quarter. That gave the Stars a 20-7 lead after 3 and they held on in the 4th for the win. Oleary finished with 317 yards and 2 TD passes while RB William Hall had 128 combined yards and a receiving TD.

Force 21 VooDoo 9

Milton People threw 3 TD passes, 2 to Willard Brekke as Georgia wins a divisional game against New Orleans. Brekke finished with 4 catches, 140 yards and 2 scores. New Orleans had just 1 less yard than Georgia and they each had 1 turnover and scored 3 times, but while the Force put the ball in the end zone for their 3 scores, the VooDoo settled for 3 FGs. 

Express 27 Sun 26

Los Angeles and Southern California put on quite an aerial display today, combining for 66/89 passing, 812 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INT and 2 sacks with 15 3rd down conversions in 27 tries. Sun QB Gary Wiggins completed 44/63, 373 yards and 2 TDs as Southern California built a 20-3 lead. Los Angeles QB David Tavarez completed 22/26, 439 yards and 3 TDs on the day and his first 2 got the Express within 3 points early in the 4th. The Sun then kicked 2 FGs to 1 for Los Angeles for a 6 point lead with under 2 minutes to play. Tavarez then led Los Angeles 75 yards in 7 plays, connecting with Milton Pearce for the game winning 38 yard TD pass.

Gunslingers 35 Outlaws 26

San Antonio jumped out to a 17-0 1st quarter lead thanks to a Charlie Shanks TD plunge, a Robert Fanelli TD pass to Eugene Bufkin and a FG. Oklahoma got a Gene Collins 2 yard TD run to pull within 17-7 at the half but the Gunslingers scored the only 3 points of the 3rd for a 20-7 lead entering the 4th. Early in the 4th, Richard Hall intercepted Robert Fanelli, returning it 10 yards for a score. Fanelli got it back though, with a 25 yard TD pass to Thomas Davila. Oklahoma didn't take that laying down, as they immediately respond with a 75 yard TD pass from John Crisp to Carl Hunt, but the XP was no good, making the score 28-20 San Antonio. The Outlaws defense forced a three and out but the offense turned it over on downs, setting up a short field for the Gunslingers. San Antonio would score the clinching TD on a Russell Arroyo 10 yard TD run. John Crisp threw another TD pass to make it 35-26, but the 2 point try was no good, as was the onside kick, allowing San Antonio to escape with the win.

Invaders 13 Wranglers 9

Arizona scored first on a 4 yard TD pass by Brian Carmichael to Michael Jones. For some reason, WLB Curtis Prevatte attempted the XP and missed it. Prevatte also missed a FG attempt while real K Jimmy Hoyle made 1/2 for the game. That FG gave the Wranglers a 9-0 lead at the half. Oakland got a 3 yard TD run from Scott Stillings in the 3rd and 2 Lawrence Linville FGs gave the Invaders a late, 13-9 lead. Arizona had the chances to come back from that, but their last 3 possessions ended INT, INT, and downs.

Hornets 10 Maulers 9

Not much offense to talk about as the teams played a scoreless first half. They exchanged FGs in the 3rd and TDs in the 4th. Charlotte struck first as Robert Ament found Edward Conley for a 71 yard TD pass for a 10-3 Hornets lead. Will Allison fired a 7 yard TD pass to David Plante with less than 5 minutes to play but the XP was no good, making the score 10-9 Charlotte. Pittsbugh had plenty of time ti drive for a FG but they never crossed midfield

Week 9: Seeing Stars

 As we start the second half of the season, the Baltimore Stars are the only team with zero losses, and this week they played their namesake from New York. This battle of the Stars was all Baltimore as they run their record to 9-0. Washington won a close game against Los Angeles to remain 1 game behind at 8-1. New Jersey is also 8-1 leading the East, and the Generals play the Federals next week in an important National Conference game. Philadelphia survived Oakland to stay 1 game behind at 7-2. San Jose and Honolulu are tied in the Pacific at 4-5 but no division race is more compelling than the Midwest. There we have 3 teams tied with 8-1 records, and if the playoffs started now, Michigan, Detroit, and Cleveland all make it. Cleveland has yet to play either Michigan or Detroit and the 2 Michigan teams have played once. That made the second Denver/Portland game more important, as the loser would be 2 games behind in the wildcard race. 

Stars 48 (NY) Stars 3

Baltimore keeps rolling along as they held New York to 212 total yards, intercepting 4 passes, recovering a fumble, and holding New York to 13 rushing yards as they remain undefeated. Baltimore only led 10-0 at the half but exploded for 28 points in the 3rd quarter to put the game away. Jon Snow completed 32/46, 295 yards and 5 TDs with John Warkentin leading the receivers with 9 catches, 117 yards and 3 TDs. RB William Halford had 197 combined yards and 2 TDs, rushing for 126 yards and 1 score with 71 receiving yards and a score on 6 receptions. 

Panthers 21 Blitz 16

Both offenses started off hot as Chicago drove for a FG on their opening drive and Michigan drove for a FG attempt, but Jonathan Ruch was wide left on the 37 yard try. Chicago then drove for a TD as Ronald Brown found Ian Gordon for a 13 yard score and a 10-0 Blitz lead. Michigan then went 75 yards in 3 plays, the final 52 being a Larry Henderson TD pass to Harvey Williams. The Panthers defense finally forced a punt before Henderson led Michigan on a 16 play, 83 yard scoring drive culminating in Henderson's 2nd TD pass, 13 yards to Kevin Terry. That gave the Panthers a 14-10 lead which they took into halftime.

The 3rd quarter almost went by without a score, but Larry Henderson's 3rd TD pass gave Michigan a 21-10 lead. Midway through the 4th, Ronald Brown found Ian Gordon again, this time for a 50 yard scoring strike to pull within 21-16. The 2 point try was no good but a few minutes later, WLB George Caraballo intercepted Henderson to give the Blitz the ball near midfield. Chicago RB John Gates had a good statistical game, rushing for 114 yards, but he failed running in the 2 point try and he fumbled on the first play after the INT, giving Michigan the ball right back. Chicago did force a punt and the Blitz had 1 last chance to win if they could go 93 yards. Ronald Brown got Chicago across midfield and found TE Jason Rambo open in the flat, but Rambo was caught between trying to stop the clock or trying to score. He made it all the way down to the Michigan 4 yard line before being forced out of bounds, but it took too much time and there were 0:00 left on the clock as Michigan holds on for the win.

Wheels 27 Stallions 3

Detroit is off to their best start in the fhunt3 era and that continued against Birmingham. Detroit held the Stallions to 176 yards of offense, forcing a lost fumble, an INT and a sack. Gabriel Flanagan threw for 290 yards and 2 TDs to lead a balanced offensive attack for Detroit. Not much to talk about from a stat perspective, but on the season, Detroit has the 9th ranked offense by yards and their defense is 11th, and their remaining schedule is easier than Michigan and Cleveland.

Thunderbolts 26 Hawaiians 7

Honolulu out gained Cleveland and took an early 7-0 lead when Derek Henry connected with Mark Schram for a 10 yard TD pass. The Hawaiians were driving for another score on their next drive when they lost a fumble in the red zone, then Tony Romo led Cleveland 92 yards for their first score, a 2 yard TD pass to Bobby Colley. Henry threw an INT on Honolulu's next drive and Romo made them pay with his 2nd TD pass, a 4 yard toss to Kenneth Fogelman to take a 14-7 lead. Romo finished the game 23/29, 234 yards and 2 TD passes. The second half was 4 Cleveland FGs by Carlos Reed and the Thunderbolts win to keep pace with Michigan and Detroit.

Storm 45 Gold 13

If Denver could pull off the sweep of Portland today, they would have a 1 game lead on Portland with the tiebreaker in hand and the Gold were coming off an impressive win. The Denver coaching staff decided after last week's 24/26 performance that Andrew Brewer should throw every down against the Storm. It backfired though, as the Denver defense had trouble getting off the field against the Storm offense, leaving Denver just under 16 minutes of possession. Portland QB Melvin Driggers completed 43/50, 427 yards and 6 TDs with WR Richard Robinson hauling in 10 for 148 scoreless yards. The rest of the yards were spread among several players as Portland improves to 7-2 and sole possession of 1st in the West.

Federals 24 Express 17

There were 5 lead changes in this game with most of the action occurring in the 2nd/3rd quarters. Los Angeles led 3-0 after a quarter before Scott Bieber threw a 4 yard TD pass to Andrew Favela as Washington took the lead 7-3. Express QB David Tavarez wasted little time getting the lead back, connecting on a 73 yard TD pass to Sidney Chavis. Washington retook the lead 14-10 on James Dunn's 1 yard TD run but in the final 30 seconds of the first half Tavarez struck again with a 28 yard TD pass to Patric Peavey. Washington K John Bazile missed 2 of 3 FG tries today, but in the 3rd quarter, his 25 yard FG tied the game at 17 then Scott Bieber's 2nd TD pass broke the tie later in the 3rd. Los Angeles could not run the ball all day, finishing with negative 5 yards on 14 carries, and the one dimensional offense hurt the Express in the second half. David Tavarez was intercepted on each of the last 2 Express drives as the Federals defense made the late lead stand up for the win to keep pace with Baltimore.

Generals 37 VooDoo 10

Coming into this game, New Jersey QB Don Ferguson had only thrown 2 INT all season, but he threw 3 today. The Generals defense forced New Orleans into 3 turnovers of their own and Ferguson had a good game aside from the turnovers. Ferguson finished 30/42, 434 yards, 4 TD and 3 INT. RBs Sam Beckett and Kurt Cobain had productive games along with WR Duncan Meyer. Beckett finished with 218 combined yards on 73 rushing with 10 catches, 145 yards and a TD while Cobain had 51 rushing and 85 receiving yards and a TD reception. Meyer caught 5 for 124 yards and 2 TDs to lead the New Jersey offense and helping the Generals improve to 8-1.

Bell 14 Invaders 13

Philadelphia scored on 75 yard touchdown drives on their first possession of each half and the Bell defense made those scores stand up as the Bell improve to 7-2. Oakland got the ball first and the Invaders got a FG on the opening drive led by QB Martin Greene, who was taking over for Andrew Moreno because of a coach's decision. Philadelphia answered with a TD on their first drive, a 4 yard run by Robert Cooper. Philadelphia opted for a run heavy attack today, running almost twice as much as they threw. Jamie Epperson ran for 104 yards to lead the Bell RBBC and his 2 yard run in the 3rd gave the Bell a 14-3 lead. Oakland answered with a Lemon Jefferson 6 yard TD run and a FG, but Greene threw an INT on the Invaders last drive and Philadelphia ran out the remaining 2:17 off the clock.

Gamblers 24 Gunslingers 10

Tony Dean and Hugh Chance hooked up for TDs on the Gamblers first 2 possessions and got out to a 17-7 first quarter lead which they took into halftime after a scoreless 2nd. San Antonio got the ball to start the second half and were driving toward the red zone when Robert Fanelli threw an interception. Lloyd Ellis capped off the ensuing Houston drive with a 1 yard TD run and the defense did the rest as the Gamblers improve to 8-1. Dean finished 26/35, 365 yards and 2 TDs, both to Hugh Chance, who caught 5 for 98 yards. RB Donald Turner sat out resting an injury and Lloyd Ellis stepped in and rushed for 70 yards and a TD to go with 9 receptions and 162 yards.

Showboats 10 Wranglers 3

Arizona might be winless now, but the team is playing much better, especially on defense. They have only given up 33 points the last 3 weeks, and while Oakland is also struggling offensively, they held Denver to 16 and Memphis to 10 and those teams average more than 20 ppg. Unfortunately for the Wranglers, their offense only scores 3 points a game and struggles to move the ball. This game was tied at 3 after the first quarter and Norman Maldonado's 2nd qtr 72 yard TD pass to Mark Glenn stood up, as Memphis escapes with a narrow 10-3 win. Arizona RB Elias Williams didn't find much running room but he did gain 122 yards on 4 receptions, and looks like a potential player to build an offense around.

SaberCats 13 Maulers 0

Graham Peterson ran for 82 yards and a TD to lead the San Jose offense. QB Jake Plummer didn't have to do much, but he wasn't intercepted or sacked for the second consecutive game after getting pummeled and picked off like crazy the first 7 weeks. The SaberCats defense held Pittsburgh to 193 yards and forced 3 turnovers as San Jose wins a defensive struggle to improve to 4-5 and getting a share of 1st in the Pacific.

Breakers 33 Bandits 30

I don't get to write much about Boston skill players unless they score or turn the ball over, as the Breakers aren't known for stat producing. Today was a different story however, as the Breakers ran for 151 yards and threw for 397 for a whopping 548 total yards. It wasn't all Boston though, as neither team had more than a 7 point lead until the 4th quarter and the Bandits had 457 offensive yards themselves. Boston was 7/13 on 3rd down while Tampa Bay was 8/18, although they also combined for 5 turnovers, 3 by Boston. Breakers QB Adam Scales was 21/31, 397 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT and WR Anthony Temple led the receivers with 4 catches, 174 yards and 3 TDs. Bandits QB Antonio Martinez completed 22/52, 410 yards, 2 TD and 1 INT.

The 3rd Scales to Temple TD pass came with 5 minutes left in the game to give Boston a 33-23 lead, then Martinez threw his INT. Tampa Bay forced a punt and scored a TD just inside the 2 minute warning but the onside kick failed and Boston ran out the clock for the win.

Blazers 17 Renegades 6

Orlando is just 3-6 on the year but they have scored 1 more point than they've allowed, as 4 of those losses are by one score. Florida has ruled the Southeast the last 2 seasons,and one of the reasons is being able to win even when not playing their best football. Sidney Maggard overcame 2 interceptions by throwing a pair of TD passes as Florida wins a defensive struggle 17-6. Orlando made 2 trips into the red zone but could not score TDs. The Renegades defense held the Blazers to 290 total yards, but allowed them to convert 6/14 3rd downs and the Blazers average starting field position was 15 yards better than Orlando.

Hornets 13 Sun 10

Southern California took an early 7-0 lead on a 19 yard TD pass by Gary Wiggins to Jonathan Sapp after Charlotte punt returner David Delgadillo fumbled the punt return. The Sun added a 3rd quarter FG and led 10-0 after 3 quarters and completely shutting down the Hornets rushing attack. Charlotte ran 34 times for 18 yards today, but QB Robert Ament completed 19/22 for 222 yards and a 77 yard TD pass in the 4th quarter to Randall Liles to start the Hornets come back. A couple minutes later, Javier Gill's 53 yard FG tied the game and his 52 yarder at the gun prevented overtime and gave Charlotte their second win of the season.

Bulls 18 Outlaws 3

Well at least I can stop complaining about no kicker for Oklahoma as they finally signed one. Each team threw 3 INTs and we had a FG contest until Jacksonville QB Derek Joyce connected on a 45 yard TD pass to Steven Riley with 4:14 to play. Up to that point, the Bulls had 4 FGs from Neal Williams while the Outlaws new K Eric Chandler made his only kick. With neither team particularly effective through the air, Jacksonville's superior running game was the difference. Both teams use a RBBC but Jacksonville ran for 134 yards on 25 carries while Oklahoma's 21 carries netted just 18 yards.

Steamer 9 Force 2

A Georgia win would trim the Shreveport lead in the South to 1 game, but the Force offense wasn't up to the challenge. Actually, Georgia did have success on the ground, gaining 114 yards at more than 5 ypc, but Milton People had an awful game. People finished 15/38, 83 yards and 2 INTs as Georgia's only points came when the Force defense sacked George Marcil in the end zone for a safety and a 2-0 lead. On the next Shreveport possession, Marcil led the Steamer 95 yards for a TD, with a 7 yard pass to Martin Haley giving them a 6-2 lead when the XP was no good. Shreveport would add a FG in the final minute of the first half and that 9-2 score stood up the rest of the game as Georgia only had one real scoring chance but James May missed the kick. It wasn't offensively impressive but Shreveport now has a 3 game lead on Georgia and a 4 game lead on the rest of the South.

Week 8: Shoot For The Stars

 We began this week with 3 unbeaten teams and we end it with one, the Baltimore Stars. Baltimore beat Washington in the first of their 2 meetings this season to seize early control of the Atlantic. Michigan faced off against Detroit for the first time and the Wheels were victorious, pulling Detroit (7-1) into a tie with Michigan atop the Midwest. Cleveland is also tied atop the Midwest as their victory over Chicago improves their record to 7-1. Those 3 teams have a lot of football left against each other and should be exciting to watch down the stretch. Let's see what happened today.

Stars 26 Federals 20

Baltimore and Washington were both 7-0 coming in so something had to give. In the first quarter the defense gave nothing until Baltimore had a chance at a 51 yard FG but Fred Boyce was wide right. Washington got the scoring underway early in the 2nd when Robert Trammell punched it in from 8 yards out. Baltimore came back to take a 10-7 halftime lead thanks to a 46 yard Fred Boyce FG and a 12 yard Jon Snow pass to Glenn Sprinkle. 

Washington was forced to punt on the first drive of the second half and that produced some Wiley on Wiley crime. Ernest Wiley fielded the punt and had advanced 4 yards when he was nailed by Michael Wiley, causing a fumble. Michael Wiley scooped up the loose ball and raced into the end zone to give Washington the lead. Three plays later, Herman Hayes ran 49 yards for a TD to give the lead back to Baltimore, 17-14. Washington would tie the game on a John Bazile FG before Jon Snow's 2nd TD pass broke the tie. Snow found Orville Barker for the 2 yard TD, but Boyce missed the XP so the lead was 23-17 for the Stars. Early in the 4th, Jon Snow was intercepted by Robert Crosby, who returned it 28 yards down to the Baltimore 20 yard line. Washington was unable to score a TD so they called on John Bazile to cut the lead in half. There was plenty of time left at this point, even after each team went 3 and out. Baltimore took over with just under 5 minutes to play and they held the ball inside the final minute, adding a Boyce FG to go up 6 with 0:36 left. Washington had one last desperation drive that did not work out and the Stars hold on for the win and an 8-0 record.

Washington finished with just 217 total yards, 109 rushing and 108 passing yards on Bieber's 24 completions. Jon Snow finished with 316 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT with RB William Halford leading the way with 8 catches, 123 yards. His 37 rushing yards gave him 160 for the game and WR John Warkentin has 115 receiving yards for his 6 receptions. 

Wheels 20 Panthers 18

Detroit and Michigan faced each other for the first time in 1994 as both teams are fighting for the division title with Cleveland. Detroit got the ball first and Gabriel Flanagan led them 75 yards down the field, capping off the drive with a 12 yard scoring strike to Matthew Houston. Detroit would add a Kent Olden FG for a 10-0 lead after 1 quarter. Michigan came back in the 2nd quarter with a 36 yard Jonathan Ruch FG and a 27 yard Flanagan TD pass to James Hills to tie the game at 10. The next 2 scores before halftime came courtesy of each defense and ended up being the difference in the game. First, Detroit LDE Emilio Shealey had the trifecta in the end zone, sacking Flanagan, stripping the ball and recovering it for a Wheels TD. Inside the 2 minute warning, a Michigan punt pinned the Wheels at their own 1, and on 1st down, Michigan DT Joe Harris nailed James Fischer in the end zone for a safety and our halftime score was Detroit 17 Michigan 12.

Michigan kicked a FG midway through the 3rd and early in the 4th to take an 18-17 lead before Kent Olden's 44 yard FG midway through the 4th gave Detroit the 20-18 lead. Michigan's next drive ended when a 4th down try just inside Detroit territory failed, but Miguel Lamar intercepted Flanagan on the next play to give Michigan the ball back...except Joshua Wagner was flagged for offsides, allowing Detroit to maintain possession. Michigan's last possession began at their own 5 with just over 2 minutes to play. The Panthers faced a 4th and 13 from their own 2 and opted to punt, and they never saw the ball again as the Wheels win.

Thunderbolts 21 Blitz 0

In 1993, Cleveland placed 3 rookie defensive players on the ROY ballot and that is carrying over to 1994 as the Thunderbolts defense is the toughest to score against in the league. Cleveland held Chicago to 243 total yards and intercepted Ronald Brown twice in keeping the Blitz off the scoreboard. Offensively, Evan Hershey ran for 60 yards, Bobby Colley 58 and Tony Romo threw for 300 yards and 3 TDs. Colley added 61 receiving yards and WR James Bull caught 2 passes all day, but they covered 140 yards and both were TDs.

(NY) Stars 26 Storm 7

In pre game interviews, Portland owner/GM Setherick said the Stars should be prepared for an extraordinary gameplan. Hindsight says the Storm gameplan was anything but extraordinary, whatever it was, New York was ready for it. Portland's defense got lit up for 398 yards, allowing New York 5 red zone trips, but they stiffened once the Stars got there, allowing just 2 TDs and 2 FGs. New York also converted 7/12 3rd down conversions and a combined 120 yards from William Hall. Hall had 65 rushing yards and 55 receiving and catching one of Damien Oleary's 2 TD passes. 

New York led at the half 10-7, then proceeded to shut Portland out in the second half. Portland finished with 301 offensive yards but New York routinely got the Storm offense off the field before they reached the red zone, allowing just 1 trip inside their 20 all day. Oleary finished 22/33, 302 yards, 2 TD and 1 INT.

Gold 52 Sun 18

Portland's loss opens the door for Denver to tie the Storm atop the West if they get past Southern California. Get past them they did, as Andrew Brewer had a fantastic game, completing 24/26 for 499 yards and 6 TD passes. The Gold lost a fumble on their first drive, then scored on each of their next 6 first half possessions for a 38-9 lead at the break. WR Douglas Crowley caught 7 passes for 304 yards and 4 TDs with RB Jerry Murphy catching the other 2. Murphy ran 25 times for 114 yards and caught 6 passes for 89 yards, giving him 203 for the game. 

Gamblers 23 Hawaiians 6

We had Pacific leading Honolulu visit Southwest leading Houston in a game dominated by defense and special teams. The Gamblers took an instant 7-0 lead when Daniel Franks returned the opening kickoff 101 yards. The rest of the first half saw just a pair of Hawaiians FGs and Houston took a 7-6 lead into halftime. Houston got those 6 points back in the 3rd quarter with a pair of Earl Castro FGs before Gamblers RB Donald Turner scored the game's only offensive TD in the 4th. Offensively, it seemed as though Tony Dean and Derek Henry were having a bad game contest, as Dean finished 18/30, 123 yards and 2 INTs while Henry was 25/41, 140 yards and 5 INTs. 

Showboats 26 Gunslingers 10

San Antonio traveled to Memphis for an important Southwest division matchup where the winner has sole possession of 2nd place. Memphis got the ball first and fumbled, setting up the Gunslingers in Showboats territory. San Antonio QB Robert Fanelli then threw the first of his 3 INTs to thwart the scoring chance, then Norman Maldonado drove Memphis 72 yards for a TD for a 7-0 lead. The Showboats would add a FG for a 10-0 halftime lead. Fanelli got San Antonio on the scoreboard early in the 3rd with a 59 yard TD pass to Thomas Davila.Memphis answered that score quickly when Norman Maldonado found Mark Glenn for a 25 yard TD pass then later in the 3rd, Greg Ayala had a 2 yard TD run and Memphis had a 23-7 lead after 3 (the XP was no good after Ayala's TD). Fanelli ended up throwing his other 2 INTs in the 4th as the Gunslingers unsuccessfully attempted a comeback as Memphis hangs on for the win.

Generals 33 Bandits 6

New Jersey went down to Tampa and were rude guests as the Generals defense only allowed the Bandits to have the ball 19:13. When Tampa Bay did have the ball, Antonio Martinez was turning it over as he finished 20/48, 171 yards and 3 INTs. The Bandits also lost 2 fumbles for 5 total turnovers, which did not help time of possession. Offensively, the Generals also lost 2 fumbles but ran for 108 yards as a team, compared to 24 for the Bandits. Don Ferguson completed 40/55, 282 yards and 3 TDs, 0 INT, with TE Redd Foxx catching 2 of the scores. New Jersey was 11/23 on 3rd down but only scored 3 TDs in 6 red zone trips. Thanks to the result of the next game I'll write about, New Jersey has sole possession of first place in the East.

Blazers 13 Bell 10

Philadelphia was tied for first in the East at kickoff against Southeast leaders Florida in the 3rd game between division leaders this week. Florida got the ball first and Sidney Maggard threw an interception. In fact, Maggard would throw interceptions on the first 3 Blazers drives. Philadelphia was only able to capitalize once, with a Charles Weymouth 4 yard TD run giving the Bell a 7-0 lead. Florida would get a FG to trail 7-3 at the half and Maggard's 6 yard TD pass to William Merkel in the 3rd gave Florida a 10-7 lead. Merkel caught 13 passes in all today for 116 yards and that TD. The teams exchanged 4th quarter FGs before the Bell did what the Blazers did in the 1st, throw 3 straight interceptions. Joseph Serio threw 4 INTs in all, and the loss puts Philadelphia in second place in the East at 6-2.

Steamer 22 Stallions 9

Shreveport and Birmingham had a kicking and turnover contest with an offensive TD thrown in for good measure. The game started with a punt, punt, INT, INT, lost fumble then Birmingham got on the board first with a FG. Birmingham's defense played well, allowing 237 total yards with a sack, INT, and 2 fumble recoveries, holding the Steamer to 4/17 on 3rd down. Shreveport's defense was better though, allowing just 165 yards, sacking Marvin Benford once and intercepting him 4 times, holding the Stallions to 2/18 on 3rd down and 0/3 on 4th. Shreveport K Jeffrey Smith made 5 FGs while Birmingham K Gerald Hinton made 3 and George Marcil threw a 22 yard TD pass to David Shafer to help the Steamer improve to 5-3, good for first in the South.

SaberCats 43 Express 3

San Jose QB Jake Plummer had his best game of the season, completing 25/34, 383 yards and 4 TDs, producing a pair of 100 yard WRs not named Mark Hsu. The former All World WR is now relegated to average status as the key to his success was former owner/GM hollyhh2000. With him gone, Hsu just can't find the same success and it's affecting the whole team as their stranglehold on the Pacific seems over. Plummer came into this game with a TD/INT ratio of 3/15 and had been sacked 25 times, so count the battered QB among those who are happy the AI took over for the owner/GM who left abruptly.

VooDoo 17 Maulers 14

New Orleans and Pittsburgh came into this game with just 1 win between them, so it's hard to believe their last game against each other was last year's Wildcard round. Joseph Jones got New Orleans on the scoreboard first with a 2 yard TD pass to Ellis Portugal, and the VooDoo led 7-0 after 1. Will Allison got Pittsburgh on the board in the 2nd with a 45 yard TD pass to David Plante, then found Franklin Cherry for a 65 yard TD pass later in the quarter as the Maulers led 14-7 at the half. The second half was all VooDoo as a FG and a 4 yard Jones TD pass to Thomas Thomas saw New Orleans take a 17-14 lead with 4:50 to play. Pittsburgh had a chance to send the game to overtime but Brett Bowman was wide right on a 42 yard FG attempt allowing New Orleans to escape with their second win of the season.

Breakers 10 Bulls 6

Jacksonville put up 365 yards of offense but Boston scored the only TD of the game which was enough for the Breakers to win. Jacksonville ran for 112 yards but QB Emanuel Fugate was an inefficient 21/46, 262 yards, 2 INTs and a sack. The Bulls also committed 7 penalties to just 2 for Boston. Adam Scales did not have a bunch of yards, but he completed 18/24, 161 yards and a TD pass to Ralph Harris. Jacksonville was trailing late, 10-6, when Fugate had the Bulls driving in Breakers territory but an interception by Dion Williams sealed it for Boston.

Force 13 Hornets 6

Charlotte scored first and last, but both scores were FGs, and Georgia won the in between 13-0 to give the Force the victory. Charlotte QB Robert Ament had just 3 passes hit the ground, completing 22/26 for 163 yards and an INT, but the Hornets running game lacked sting. Milton People also completed 22 passes, albeit with 10 more attempts although People did throw a TD pass to Matthew Taylor. Charlotte was threatening to send the game to overtime as the Hornets made it inside the Force red zone but the clock hit 0:00 before they could crack the end zone.

Renegades 33 Outlaws 10

I don't always check time of possession, but Orlando held the ball in this game even longer than New Jersey did against Tampa Bay. The Renegades held the ball 41:24, leaving 18:36 for Oklahoma. The Outlaws didn't do much when they did have the ball, gaining 155 total yards with 74 of that coming on their lone TD. The Outlaws ran 11 times for 5 yards and suffered 3 INTs. When Orlando had the ball, good things happened. The Renegades ran for 251 yards on 51 carries, with Ben Dehaven gaining 125 yards and 2 TDs. QB Trey Lyons didn't have to do much, but he did finish 16/19, 143 yards and a TD.

Invaders 7 Wranglers 0

This was probably Arizona's best game of the season as the Wranglers held Oakland to 217 total yards, 2/14 on 3rd downs and sacking Andrew Moreno 3 times. Offensively they only had 198 yards, converting 2/16 3rd downs, but more importantly they did not turn the ball over and allowed just 1 sack. Baby steps. Late in the 3rd, Moreno found Nelson Martinez for a 43 yard TD which proved to be the only points of the game as Oakland wins 7-0. Martinez finished with 4 catches, 125 yards and that TD.

Week 7: Michigan, Baltimore and Washington Remain Undefeated

 Week 7 has come and gone and we still have 3 undefeated teams, although Baltimore and Washington play each other in Week 8, so someone will either get their first loss or they both tie. Oklahoma still has no kicker, although after further reflection, I'll leave the owner in place for now so AI doesn't ruin the cap. Since last week's blog was cut short, I'll get right into this week's games.

Panthers 41 Stallions 3

Michigan QB Larry Henderson threw 4 first half TD passes as the Panthers ran up a 31-3 lead at the break before coasting to the victory in the second half. Michigan only had 314 offensive yards, but that's more of a product of good field position from the 5 interceptions the defense came up with. Marvin Benford had a brutal game, completing 15/41 for 80 yards, 5 INTs and 1 sack. WLB Miguel Lamar intercepted 3 of the passes with CB Jess Woodward getting the other 2, and his last one was returned for a TD in the 4th quarter to cap the scoring today.

Stars 36 Sun 9

Baltimore exploded for 3 first quarter TD passes from Jon Snow to John Warkentin to seize control of the game and remain undefeated. Following the initial point explosion, things settled down as just 1 more TD was scored all game as the teams exchanged field goals and turnovers. Snow finished 24/35, 358 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT with John Warkentin catching 4 passes, 3 for TDs and 190 yards. William Halford ran for 118 while the defense held Southern California to 205 offensive yards and forced the Sun into 3 turnovers of their own.

Federals 17 Maulers 3

Pittsburgh is having a miserable season so far, but their defense came into this game determined to give Washington their first loss, and they might have pulled it off with a little help from the offense. The longest drive of the game by either team was just 47 yards and through 3 quarters, Washington was winning the FG contest 3-1, leading 9-3 on the scoreboard. The game's only TD came on the first play of the 4th quarter when Scott Bieber found Ronald Matthews for a 28 yard TD and Bieber completed a 2 point conversion pass to Robert Trammell to put the Federals up by 14 points. As good as Pittsburgh's defense played, Washington's defense was even better, holding the Maulers to 164 yards, sacking Ernest Simmon 3 times and creating 4 turnovers, 3 of those INTs by Simmon. 

Gamblers 29 Showboats 20

Memphis and Houston met for the first time this season, and a Showboats win would leave these teams tied atop the Southwest. Houston got a FG and a Tony Dean TD pass to Anthony Fulks for a 10-0 lead through 15 minutes. Memphis fought back with an Erik McNamee TD run and a Norman Maldonado 45 yard TD pass to Thomas Ballard to take a short lived 14-10 lead. Tony Dean's 2nd TD pass went to Daniel Franks inside the 2 minute warning before Memphis tied it with a FG as the first half expired. 

Houston drove for a TD on their first drive of the second half thanks to Tony Dean's 3rd TD pass of the game, this one 33 yards to Jett Black. The Gamblers would add a FG early in the 4th as Memphis punted their first 4 second half possessions before finally breaking through with a FG to pull within 27-20. That's as close as Memphis would get as their last 3 drives ended with a punt, interception and a safety when Maldonado was sacked in the end zone by Derrick Youngs. This win gives Houston control of their playoff destiny as they now have a 2 game lead on Memphis and San Antonio with a win over each.

Storm 40 Invaders 3

Portland crushes Oakland for the second time this year as the Storm more than tripled the yardage of the Invaders. Melvin Driggers led the Storm to TDs on their first 3 possessions to take a 21-0 lead and the Storm never looked back. Driggers finished the game 35/44, 470 yards with 4 TDs, 2 to RB Jeffrey Frost. Ten different receivers caught passes from Driggers and Frost led the way with 9 catches for 181 yards, adding 53 on the ground and Portland converted 10/16 3rd down conversions. Oakland punted on almost every drive except for a FG, an interception and halftime.

Wheels 27 SaberCats 16

Detroit RB James Fischer had the quarter of a lifetime during the first 15 minutes of this game, scoring 3 total TDs and tying a record that will never be broken unless they lengthen the field someday. Fischer's first TD of the 1st came on a 10 yard run then Detroit found themselves pinned inside their 1 yard line on their second possession when on 1st down, Gabriel Flanagan hit Fischer with a swing pass, and after making the first tackler miss, he was off to the races with what goes in the books as a 100 yard pass completion. This is the 5th time we've had a 100 yard TD reception, first time it happened was 1976. It happened twice in 1977, then not again until 1992. Fischer's 3rd TD of the quarter came on a 9 yard run and the Wheels led 21-0. In all Fischer had 195 combined yards, 76 rushing and 119 receiving. Gabriel Flanagan didn't do much other than that 100 yard TD, but the defense continued Jake Plummer's miserable season, sacking him twice and intercepting him 4 times, and a lost fumble made it 5 turnovers for the San Jose offense. 

Thunderbolts 16 Force 9

Through 3 quarters, each team had kicked 3 FGs for a 9-9 tie entering the final quarter of this offensively challenged game. Cleveland and Georgia combined for 425 yards in a game where every drive except the last 4 ended with a kick. Georgia QB Milton People threw an interception in the 4th quarter, enabling Cleveland to finally score a TD when Bobby Colley ran in a 13 yard score (ok, this drive technically ended with a kick). Georgia then turned it over on downs and Cleveland ran out the clock as the Thunderbolts improve to 6-1, keeping pace with the 6-1 Wheels and 7-0 Panthers. 

Generals 19 (NY) Stars 17

New York was crushed by New Jersey 48-6 just 2 weeks ago and after the first play from scrimmage, it looked like the rout was on again for the Generals. Don Ferguson found Duncan Meyer for a 75 yard TD for an instant 7-0 lead. That would be the only TD of the game for New Jersey even though they had 416 yards of offense, as the Generals were 0/3 scoring TDs in the red zone, settling for Al Borland FGs. New Jersey led 16-3 in the 4th when the Stars mounted a comeback that fell just short. Damien Oleary  found Wayne Ryals for a 31 yard TD pass to cut the lead to 16-10 but New Jersey would get yet another Borland FG to extend the lead to 9. Oleary and Ryals hooked up for another TD with 1 minute to play but the onside kick failed and the Generals hang on for the win.

Bell 12 Breakers 9

There was some offensive futility in this game, although Philadelphia did manage 353 total offensive yards. Boston ran for 3 yards a carry, 91 yards total while the Bell ran for 128 yards at almost 5 yards a pop. Neither passing game was great, combining to finish 38/76, 378 yards and no TDs as all the scoring came via the FG. Neither team threw an interception either but Philadelphia lost 3 fumbles. Each kicker attempted 4 FGs and Philadelphia's Robert Albertson made all 4 of his kicks, including the game winner with 39 seconds left. Boston K Ellis Devoe was wide right on a 28 yard FG at the end of the first half, and that loomed large in this kicking contest. Philadelphia and New Jersey both escape with narrow wins to improve to 6-1, tied for 1st in the East.

Blazers 27 Outlaws 0

Florida QB Sidney Maggard only completed 15/18 for 136 yards, but 3 of those completions went for TDs and the Blazers defense shut down the Oklahoma offense. The Outlaws had a couple of early scoring chances, but WR turned K Craig Icenhour missed a pair of FG tries and the energy seemed to leave Oklahoma after that, gaining only 60 second half yards.

Hawaiians 43 Express 14

Los Angeles hung with Pacific leading Honolulu for 20 minutes, trailing just 13-7, but 14 Honolulu points in the final minute of the first half sealed the fate of the Express. Derek Henry threw the first of his 3 TD passes to Michael Argueta for a 20-7 lead, then Richard Perkins nailed Los Angeles RB Raymond Straight, causing a fumble which he recovered and returned 25 yards for a back breaking TD. The second half didn't go well for the Los Angeles offense as the momentum was with the Hawaiians. Express QB David Tavarez was 30/40, 246 yards and 2 TDs but Derek Henry was better, going 29/36, 377 yards and 3 TDs, all to Michael Argueta (6-147-3). Everyone else in the Pacific lost so Honolulu has a 2 game lead on the field.

Steamer 27 Hornets 24 (OT)

60 minutes was not enough time to decide this game thanks to a 4th qtr comeback by Shreveport. Charlotte QB Robert Ament completed 26/36 for 293 yards and 3 TDs and the Hornets led after 3 quarters 21-10. Shreveport QB George Marcil completed 30/40 for 270 yards and 3 TDs, with 2 of the scores coming in the 4th quarter and his 2 point conversion pass completion tied the game at 24. Shreveport got the ball first in OT and kicked a FG so Charlotte would get a chance to tie or win. Ament drove the Hornets just inside Steamer territory but the desperation 57 yard FG attempt was short, giving Shreveport the win.

Blitz 30 VooDoo 16

Chicago got out to a 23-7 halftime lead, then held on in the second half for the victory to improve to 3-4. The Blitz got 116 rushing yards from John Gates and 4 TD passes from Ronald Brown to lead the way. Brown finished with 359 yards, with 166 going to Ian Gordon along with 2 TDs, as he outdueled VooDoo QB Joseph Jones. Jones finished 36/58, 323 yards but only 1 TD, as he only got 23 yards from the New Orleans rushing attack.

Gunslingers 10 Bulls 9

San Antonio QB Robert Fanelli's 47 yard TD pass to Thomas Davila in the 1st quarter was the only TD of the game and the Gunslingers hang on for the win. Jacksonville out gained San Antonio 275-188 but they could not put the ball in the end zone and the Bulls had 5 penalties while the Gunslingers played flag free football.San Antonio improves to 4-3 on the season, tied with Memphis for second in the Southwest.

Bandits 10 Renegades 3

Antonio Martinez led Tampa Bay 75 yards for a TD on the opening drive and the Bandits defense made sure that stood up for the win. Tampa Bay held Orlando to 182 offensive yards and 3/17 on 3rd down. I'd love to talk more about the game but there isn't much to tell, as the teams combined for 20 punts and no points were scored in the second half. 

Gold 16 Wranglers 0

Denver got an 18 yard TD run from Jerry Murphy in the 2nd quarter and the Gold defense continued the miserable season of the Arizona offense. That TD was all Denver needed as they held Arizona to 144 total yards and sacked Wranglers QBs 8 times. Robert Deacon added 3 FGs as Denver improves to 5-2 on the year. 

Week 6: Gamblers lose; Midwest Division On Fire

 Houston suffered their first loss of the season today, leaving 3 undefeated teams. Two of those remaining will face each other twice as Baltimore and Washington are both in the Atlantic. Michigan is the other undefeated team, and they have a pair of 5-1 teams hot on their heels in Detroit and Cleveland. None of the 3 have played each other yet, so those division games will be a little more meaningful. 

Blazers 20 Gamblers 16

Points were at a premium in this game as the halftime score was just 3-3. The 3rd quarter saw matching TD passes, with Sidney Maggard finding Richard Carstens for a 68 yard TD before Tony Dean connected with Ryan Dearing for a 6 yard score. The 4th quarter saw matching FGs, with Florida getting their's first. Following Houston's FG, Ronald Kirby tied a record that can never be broken unless they extend the field as he returned the kickoff 110 yards for the game winning score. Tony Dean had plenty of time for a go ahead TD but he was intercepted as the Gamblers neared the red zone and Florida ran out the clock.

Panthers 30 Force 14

Michigan held Georgia to 164 total yards and intercepted Milton People twice, but the Panthers offense struggled early. People did throw 2 TD passes to Willard Brekke and the Force led 14-6 early in the 3rd quarter. It was all bad from that point for Georgia as Larry Henderson threw the first of his 2 TD passes to start a 24-0 Panthers run. Henderson threw his second TD pass as the 4th quarter started to take the lead for good, and an ensuing FG, TD, and 2 point conversion sealed the deal. Georgia's first drive covered 96 yards for a TD, so they only had 68 the rest of the day.

Wheels 30 Express 9

Detroit continues their hot start to 1994, doubling the yardage of Los Angeles and keeping the Express out of the end zone to improve to 5-1. QB Gabriel Flanagan threw for 319 yards and 3 TDs and RB James Fischer had a combined 164 yards and a receiving TD to lead the Wheels offense. 

Thunderbolts 24 Steamer 6

Shreveport scored a pair of 1st quarter FGs to take a 6-0 lead that they took to the halftime locker room. Cleveland's defense stiffened after those FGs, biding their time until Tony Romo finally got the offense untracked a bit in the 3rd qtr with a pair of TD passes. Romo finished 13/30, 163 yards, 2 TD and an INT and the offense was led by RB Evan Hershey. His 4th quarter 8 yard TD run put the final nail in the coffin of the Steamer today, and he had 89 rushing yards in all. 

Stars 28 VooDoo 13

There were a combined 850 yards and 43 first downs in this game, thanks to a 3rd down conversion rate of 16/29. It wasn't all bad for the defenses as each team had a sack, while Jon Snow threw 3 INTs and the VooDoo had 1 plus a lost fumble. Despite all the yards, only Baltimore RB William Halford had over 100, gaining 75 on the ground to go with 60 receiving, while New Orleans was led by RB Thomas Thomas with 96 combined yards. Baltimore was able to score TDs while New Orleans floundered in the red zone, getting 1 TD and 2 FG out of 5 red zone trips. Jon Snow balanced his INTs with 4 TD passes, 3 to WR John Warkentin as the Stars remain undefeated.

Federals 19 Hornets 8

For 3 quarters, the Charlotte defense gave Washington fits as the Hornets led 8-6. Charlotte got the scoring started with a safety, tackling RB Robert Trammell in the end zone. The two teams then traded a pair of FGs until the 4th, when Scott Bieber found Ronald Matthews with a pair of TDs to break open the game and keep the Federals undefeated. Matthews was the leading skill player with 4 catches, 107 yards and those 2 TDs.

That's it for the blog this week. I was going to finish this after work but my dumb ass got my car stolen and I wasn't in the mood. I figured I'd just slog through it today, but they found my car about 30 miles away and I have to go get a tow release and get my car back, so I won't have time to finish.

Week 5: Quick Look At Week 5

 Just doing a quick blog for this slate of games since we have more games coming in a matter of hours. Friday afternoon I was signing paperwork, selling my mother's house and Saturday before work I had 2 drafts. Before I get into the games, I have a public service announcement:

EVERY TEAM MUST HAVE A KICKER

This is my last ditch effort to get through to the Oklahoma owner, who apparently does not read the forums or check his PMs. I doubt he reads this either, but I have to try. If this is not corrected by the midweek spin before game 7, AI is taking over.

Gamblers 20 Bulls 7

Jacksonville held Houston to a season low 20 points, forcing 2 turnovers and "limiting" the Gamblers to 360 total yards, but the Bulls offense had troubles of their own. Derek Joyce threw 3 INTs vs 1 TD while Tony Dean threw 2 TDs and 1 INT. Jacksonville trailed just 10-7 in the final minute of the 3rd quarter, but eventually Dean got the Gamblers some breathing room as they improve to 5-0 on the season. Houston converted 10/21 3rd down conversions.

Panthers 26 Steamer 3

Larry Henderson's 1st qtr TD pass was the game's only offensive TD as the Michigan defense stymied Shreveport today. The Steamer scored first for an early 3-0 lead before Henderson's TD made it 7-3. Nobody scored again until SS Jesse Barnett recovered a fumble  and returned it for a TD in the 3rd. Jonathan Ruch added 4 FGs after that and the Panthers defense forced 5 total turnovers, with 4 of those being George Marcil INTs.

Federals 24 Blazers 17

Two National Conference heavyweights battled it out in a tough, defensive game. Florida's Sidney Maggard and Washington's Scott Bieber each threw for 1 TD and 194 yards, but Maggard threw an INT late in the 4th qtr of a 17-17 game, allowing Bieber to drive the Federals 43 yards for the game winning TD, an 18 yard pass to Matthew Cuevas. Washington remains undefeated at 5-0, tied with Baltimore atop the Atlantic. Florida's 2nd straight loss has them at 3-2, tied with Tampa Bay atop the Southeast.

Stars 27 Hornets 3

Charlotte scored first for the early 3-0 lead but it was all Baltimore after that. Jon Snow wasn't great, he threw 2 INTs to go with his 316 yards and 3 TDs, but William Halford (99 yards) and Herman Hayes (73 yards) combined to rush for 172 yards as the Stars improve to 5-0. Baltimore's defense was stingy, allowing just 156 total yards and 6 first downs.

Storm 44 Invaders 3

Oakland had the unfortunate task of taking on the Storm following a loss, and as most predicted, it wasn't pretty for the Invaders. Portland held Oakland to 207 total yards and the Storm offense topped that with just the running game. Jeffrey Frost ran for 132 yards and Timothy Roquemore 80 to account for most of Portland's 237 rushing yards. Melvin Driggers threw for 387 yards and 3 TDs and no receiver had more than 90 yards.

Gold 13 Gunslingers 10

Points were at a premium in San Antonio as Denver keeps pace with Portland by winning a tight game with the Gunslingers. Denver scored on an Andrew Brewer TD pass in the 1st qtr but the XP was no good, leaving the score 6-0. Max Ellis punched it in from 1 yard in the final minute of the first half, and it appeared the Gold would go into the locker room up 13-0. San Antonio RB Charlie Shanks took a dump off pass from Robert Fanelli and took it 62 yards for a TD, cutting the lead to 13-7 and giving the Gunslingers the momentum heading into the half. The second half was mostly punts as Denver hangs on for the win.

Wheels 35 Outlaws 18

Detroit scored 3 consecutive TDs after punting on their initial drive, and the 21-3 halftime lead stood up, as Oklahoma could get no closer than 10 points the rest of the way. Gabriel Flanagan threw 4 TD passes in all, for exactly 300 yards, and Thomas Barrera caught 10 for 103 yards and 2 TDs. The Wheels shut down the Outlaws running game, but they were vulnerable through the air, with WR/K Craig Icenhour almost eclipsing 100 yards while making both of his kicks. I don't care how successful a WR is at kicking (50% FG, 40% XP), it is not acceptable.

Thunderbolts 26 Sun 9

Cleveland's defense eclipsed the Sun today as the Midwest division has 3 teams 4-1 or better. The Thunderbolts defense recorded 2 safeties, 3 turnovers, 5 sacks, and held Southern California to 190 total yards. Offensively, they chewed the clock with their running game, converting 9/18 3rd downs and holding the ball for 37 minutes. Evan Hershey (81 yards) and Bobby Colley (78 yards) combined for 159 rushing yards, making life easy for QB Tony Romo.

Bell 24 Bandits 21 (OT)

What a wild and crazy final 1:16 of the 4th quarter! More on that later but Antonio Martinez threw 2 first half TD passes to Richard Miller as Tampa Bay took a 14-7 lead into halftime. The score remained the same through the 3rd quarter and most of the 4th, but a little earlier, Martinez had the Bandits driving at the cusp of the red zone, looking to go up two scores. DT Leonard Perry pulled the trifecta, sacking Martinez, stripping the ball and recovering it for Philadelphia. Joseph Serio drove the Bell to the tying TD with 1:16 to play, a 7 yard pass to Jose Maranto. Martinez then drove the Bandits 75 yards in 7 plays, capping it with a 1 yard TD pass to Michael Dickenson. That drive only took 35 seconds off the clock, leaving Serio just enough time to drive Philadelphia 75 yards to tie the game with a last second, 55 yard TD pass to Faustino Dixon.

OT was not as exciting, with several punts, a Martinez INT and a last second 56 yard FG by Robert Albertson to win the game for Philadelphia.

Generals 48 (NY) Stars 6

New Jersey QB Don Ferguson threw for 368 yards and 5 TD passes and the Generals defense forced 4 turnovers to improve to 4-1. WR Duncan Meyer might not be able to beat Jerry Seinfeld in a race, but he beat New York DBs to the tune of 8 receptions, 171 yards and 2 TDs today. Speaking of old TV shows, the New Jersey training room looks like a M.A.S.H. unit with all the wounded, I mean injured players.

Showboats 40 SaberCats 3

Memphis bounced back from 2 consecutive losses to throttle San Jose with a stifling defense, while also scoring in a variety of ways. The Showboats allowed 10 rushing yards on 15 carries and made life rough on QB Jake Plummer, sacking him 4 times and intercepting him twice. One of the sacks resulted in a safety when Mike Tyson sacked Plummer in the end zone. Memphis also got the league's 1st punt return TD of the year when Jason Laughlin went 78 yards for a score today. Norman Maldonado threw for 278 yards, 3 TD and 0 INT, RB Erik McNamee ran for 142 yards and a TD while WR Thomas Ballard caught 5 for 110 yards and 2 TDs to lead the Memphis offense.

Hawaiians 30 Blitz 10

Honolulu QB Derek Henry threw for 288 yards, 4 TD and 0 INT as the Hawaiians broke open a close game in the 3rd quarter. RB Anthony Davis had 129 combined yards with 2 TD receptions and WR Michael Argueta caught 5 for 109 and a TD to lead the Hawaiians offense. Honolulu scored TDs on 4 of 5 red zone possessions and kept the ball over 37 and a half minutes.

Stallions 24 VooDoo 17

Birmingham QB Marvin Benford threw 3 TD passes, the last of which went to Justin Gilbert inside the final 2 minutes to break a 17-17 tie and give the Stallions the win. Birmingham only ran 5 more times than New Orleans (29-24) but they doubled their yardage (106-48), leading to converting 10/16 3rd downs. VooDoo K Jordan Fuller must have been cursed today as he made just 1 of 3 FG tries and missed his only XP attempt.

Renegades 21 Breakers 7

Orlando RB Ben Dehaven led the Renegades RBBC with 104 yards on 16 carries, and the entire RB corp gained 222 yards on 45 carries. Boston did score the game's only TD with a George Cade 2 yard TD run, but the Breakers only had 194 total yards and were 1/11 on 3rd downs. Orlando could not crack the end zone despite 359 offensive yards, but K Scott Mueller made all 7 FG attempts to give the Renegades the win.

Force 21 Maulers 3

Georgia SLB Lawrence Kee helped get the scoring underway by sacking Ernest Simmon in the end zone, causing a fumble recovered by DE troy Hill for a 7-0 Force lead. They sacked Simmon 4 times in all, limiting him to 151 yards passing with an INT. Georgia QB Milton People didn't fare much better, throwing 2 INTs and 132 yards, but he wasn't sacked and he threw 2 TD passes, both to Willard Brekke. That was enough for Georgia to win their second straight game.

Express 12 Wranglers 6

Arizona scored first and last in this kicking contest, but Los Angeles scored 4 FGs in between to win the game 12-6 over the Wranglers. Arizona converted 7/16 3rd downs and held the Express to 1/11 but 2 late INTs did not help the cause. Los Angeles QB David Tavarez completed 23/26 for 237 yards with 0 TD and 0 INT. 

Week 4: 4 Undefeated Teams and Finally Some Close Games

 We started this week with 8 undefeated teams, and when the dust settled, we were down to 4. We also had half of this week's games decided by one score or less, about as many as we've had the first 3 weeks combined. Houston is one of the 4 remaining unbeaten teams, and they have a ridiculous point differential so far. The Gamblers have scored a league high 170 points and allowed just 27, good for a +143 differential, almost 36 points a game. One thing the undefeated teams have in common is not allowing a lot of points. Michigan has allowed 24, Baltimore 27 and Washington 23.

Gamblers 31 Wranglers 0

Houston is off to a fantastic start in 1994 and they wasted no time getting off to a fantastic start in this game as Daniel Franks returned the opening kickoff 101 yards for a TD. Tony Dean also threw 2 of his 3 TD passes to Jett Black before the end of the quarter and Arizona was in an early 21-0 hole. The Wranglers had trouble moving the ball all game long, finishing with 85 total yards, although they lost 79 yards allowing 9 sacks. Houston RB Donald Turner had 125 combined yards but all the TDs went to Jett Black, who caught 5 for 94 yards and 3 TDs. 

Panthers 16 Showboats 12

Memphis out gained Michigan 341-201 and both teams committed 3 turnovers, but Michigan scored the game's only TD and Showboats K Gary Ridgeway missed 2 FGs to allow Michigan to remain undefeated. Memphis got the ball first but Ridgeway missed his first FG attempt, then Larry Henderson drove the Panthers 57 yards in 4 plays, getting the TD on a 25 yard pass to Harvey Williams. Memphis then went on a 12-0 run on 4 Ridgeway FGs to take a 12-7 lead into the 4th. The final 15 minutes belonged to Michigan though, as Jonathan Ruch made 3 FGs for the come from behind win.

Stars 40 Hawaiians 3

Baltimore allowed 393 total yards but they forced Honolulu into 4 turnovers and 0/12 on 3rd down, while the Stars offense put up 652 yards of their own, opening up a tight game by winning the second half 30-0. Honolulu QB Derek Henry threw for 311 yards with an INT but no scores and RB Anthony Davis had a combined 180 yards, including 105 receiving but all those yards netted just 3 points. Baltimore led 10-3 at the half thanks to a Jon Snow TD pass to John Warkentin and a Fred Boyce FG. The Stars opened the game up by scoring on their first 2 drives of the second half, both on long Jon Snow TD passes to Glenn Sprinkle covering 87 and 93 yards respectively. Snow would add two more TD passes of 80+ yards in the 4th qtr, including one on the last play of the game. Snow finished 24/34, 592 yards and 5 TDs, and he produced 3 100 yard receivers: Sprinkle (6-192-2), Warkentin (3-170-2) and Jeffrey Zimmer (3-120-1).

Federals 40 VooDoo 3

Washington and Baltimore are tied atop the Atlantic with identical 4-0 records and this week, they even posted an identical score, winning by the same 40-3 margin. Odd. The Federals didn't quite win with big plays like the Stars, but they won big all the same. Washington forced 4 turnovers, 3 interceptions and they held New Orleans to 139 yards. CB Jeffery Welch intercepted 2 of those passes, returning one 14 yards for a TD. QB Scott Bieber threw 3 first half TDs as Washington led 21-0 at halftime. RB Robert Trammell had a combined 146 yards, rushing for 69 yards and a TD while catching 11 for 77 yards. 

Gold 20 Storm 17 (OT)

It took nearly 5 quarters to decide this game, but Denver outlasted Portland to hand the Storm their first loss of the season, tying up the West in the process. It was a tight knit game all the way with Portland scoring first on a 38 yard pass from Melvin Driggers to Jeffrey Frost. Denver answered with a 2 yard Andrew Brewer TD pass to Frederick Barron. Driggers answered back with a 4 yard TD pass to David Smith before Brewer connected with Barron again, this time for a 21 yard TD to tie the game at 14. A short time later, Denver intercepted Driggers, setting up a tiebreaking FG but Portland answered that midway through the 4th. 

Denver got the ball to start OT and they punted, as did Portland on their possession. On 2nd down, Brewer found Brian Thornton for a 71 yard catch and run that got the ball down to the Storm 3 yard line and Robert Deacon nailed the chip shot game winning FG on the next play.

Steamer 7 Wheels 3

Detroit came into the game 3-0, but the Shreveport defense held the Wheels to 232 yards, forced 2 turnovers and had 2 sacks. The Steamer offense only had 214 yards but they did not turn the ball over and they were able to put the ball in the end zone once, which was enough to eke out a 7-3 victory to give Shreveport an early 2 game lead on the rest of the South. George Marcil's 5 yard TD pass to Jeffrey Morris in the 2nd qtr was the scoring play and the defense did the rest, getting an interception on Detroit's last drive to secure the win.

Bandits 23 Blazers 13

Tampa Bay QB Antonio Martinez completed less than 50% of his passes but he threw a TD pass and did not turn the ball over and the Bandits defense did the rest. Tampa Bay held the Blazers to 234 total yards, intercepting a pass, recovering a fumble, and recorded 3 sacks. The Bandits held a slim 16-13 lead as the 2 minute warning approached when the defense came up with the play of the game. Florida had the ball inside their own 5 when Michael Dickenson fumbled and Edward Walter fell on the ball in the end zone for the TD that sealed Florida's first loss of the season.

Generals 39 Bell 23

Philadelphia was 3-0 coming into this game, and if they could beat New Jersey they would have control of the East. New Jersey got the ball first, and were forced to punt. Barry Larkin caused Jay Carlisle to fumble and Nuke LaLoosh recovered, setting up a 7 yard Don Ferguson TD pass to Eric Davis. Carlisle would make up for that by running in a TD from 7 yards to tie the game at 7. The Generals then went on a 17-0 run thanks to a pair of Ferguson TD passes before Philadelphia closed out the first half with a FG as New Jersey took a 24-10 lead into the locker room. Philadelphia tried to fight back but they had 4 turnovers in all while only getting 1 takeaway on defense and the Generals grinder offense and Al Borland's leg (6/6 FGs) took their toll as New Jersey forces a tie with the Bell atop the East.

Thunderbolts 36 Stallions 3

Birmingham scored first, then the Cleveland defense took over, allowing Tony Romo to go to work. The first 2 Thunderbolts TDs were short runs by Bobby Colley, then Tony Romo found Mark Howe for a pair of TD passes, one just before halftime, the other right after. K Carlos Reed missed the XP after the last TD but he made 3 FGs after as Cleveland improves to 3-1. Romo finished 25/30, 286 yards and 2 TDs.

SaberCats 20 Express 13

San Jose QB Jake Plummer bounced back from his miserable start to 1994, completing 23/32, 249 yards and 2 TDs. It's taken a few weeks for the SaberCats to get used to a more balanced offensive approach, and to his credit, all world WR Mark Hsu has yet to publicly voice his displeasure at his lack of targets/counting stats. The San Jose defense forced 2 Los Angeles turnovers and held the Express to 239 total yards as San Jose now sits alone atop the Pacific with a 2-2 record.

Sun 20 Maulers 16

Pittsburgh and Southern California both came into this game 0-3, so someone was coming out of it with their first win of 1994. The Sun scored first with a FG and they forced the Maulers to punt on the next drive, but Victor Smith fumbled the punt away, allowing Pittsburgh to tie the game at 3. The Maulers went on to add a Will Allison TD pass to Franklin Cherry for 66 yards and a FG to take a 13-3 lead in the 2nd qtr. Southern California QB Gary Wiggins finished the game 14/31, 254 yards and 2 TDs, and if you take away the scores, he had 84 yards on 12 completions. Wiggins' 96 yard TD pass to Joseph Baker got the Sun within 13-10 at the half and each team kicked a FG in the 3rd for a score of 16-13 Pittsburgh entering the 4th. The Maulers wish games were 45 minutes today, as the final 15 did not work out well for Pittsburgh. First they missed a FG, then they punted. Their 3rd drive saw them get to the doorstep of the red zone before a James Godoy fumble gave the ball back to the Sun. One play later, Wiggins found Gene Ingram for a 74 yard catch and run TD that gave the Sun the lead for good. 

Force 13 Blitz 9

Not a whole lot of offense to talk about in this game, as they held a FG contest in the first half, with both teams making 2 for a 6-6 tie. Georgia QB Milton People threw a 33 yard TD pass in the 3rd qtr to Matthew Taylor for the game's only TD. Chicago cut the lead to 4 with a FG early in the final quarter, but their next drive resulted in an interception and their last 2 drives went nowhere, as Georgia gets off the schneid for their first win of 1994.

Breakers 27 Invaders 6

Oakland out gained Boston 328-283, but the Invaders missed 2 FGs and had the game's only turnover as Boston gets their first win of the season. Ralph Harris got the scoring underway with a 2 yard TD reception from Adam Scales and the halftime score was 10-6 Breakers. In the 3rd, Scales threw his second 2 yard TD pass of the game, this one to Christopher Griffey for a 17-6 lead. Boston would add a FG before Ralph Harris closed out the scoring with a 38 yard TD run. Scales finished the game 13/16, 100 yards and 2 TDs and the Breakers RBBC carried 36 times for 183 yards.

Bulls 27 Hornets 22

Jacksonville scored TDs on their first 3 possessions for a 20-0 lead on Charlotte after 15 minutes of action. The Hornets punted on every first half drive except their last, when the clock ran out on them. Jacksonville QB Derek Joyce was 23/32, 343 yards and 4 TDs, but his 3rd qtr INT set Charlotte up for a FG to finally dent the scoreboard. Charlotte would add another TD before Jacksonville finally answered with a TD of their own. Charlotte would go on to score 2 more TDs to pull within 27-22 but they only had 19 seconds left after their last score and Jacksonville hangs on for the win. Bulls rookie WR Leon Gutierrez had another big game, catching 5 for 163 yards and 2 TDs.

(NY) Stars 10 Renegades 9

Damien Oleary got New York on the board with a 13 yard TD pass to Albert Olson late in the first quarter for a 7-0 Stars lead. Orlando RB Ben Dehaven tried to keep Orlando in the game, finishing with 143 combined yards, but neither he nor his teammates could crack the end zone today. The Renegades did manage 3 FGs from Scott Mueller to take a 9-7 lead which they held onto for most of the 4th. With 1:49 to play, New York took over on their own 20 and Oleary drove New York into position for an Ed Jetton 50 yard game winning FG as time expired.

Gunslingers 40 Outlaws 13

Is Oklahoma even trying? It's my bad, I just now noticed the Outlaws have not had an actual placekicker all season, instead using a WR to kick. He is 3/7, but this isn't going to fly any longer. San Antonio QB Robert Fanelli threw 3 TD passes and their actual kicker, Benjamin Regalado made all 8 of his kicks, 4/4 FGs and 4/4 XP. The Gunslingers defense intercepted John Crisp twice as San Antonio improves to 2-2 on the season. 

 

Week 3: Four Shutouts and Other Low Scores

 Week 3 saw 4 teams suffer shutouts and 7 other teams scored less than 10, and just 12 teams scored 20 or more. There are 8 teams with perfect 3-0 records so far, with two divisions each having a pair of unbeatens. Michigan and Detroit are 3-0 in the Midwest while Washington and Baltimore are 3-0 in the Atlantic. The other 3-0 teams are the defending champs Portland Storm, the Houston Gamblers, Florida Blazers and Philadelphia Bell. Despite all the defense, we keep setting a new high in scoring each week. Birmingham scored the most points in Week 1 with 35, then we had two teams score 41 in Week 2, Houston and Honolulu. In Week 3, New Jersey scored 43 to top the previous high, but the Generals were still 3 TDs behind the 64 points Houston put up against Oklahoma.

Storm 27 Breakers 6

Portland's RBBC ran 42 times for 130 yards and 2 TDs while the Storm defense kept Boston out of the end zone all game. Portland QB Melvin Driggers did not have his best game, throwing 2 INTs, but those came late in the game while nursing a big lead. Portland scored TDs the first 3 times they had the ball and added a FG on the 4th, for a 24-3 lead. Boston could muster just 215 total yards in the loss.

Gamblers 64 Outlaws 6

Houston QB Tony Dean is off to a great start in 1994 and he kept it up against Oklahoma today. Dean completed 28/44, 498 yards, 6 TDs and 2 INTs as the Gamblers built a 43-0 halftime lead and held on to stay undefeated. WR Jett Black caught 4 TD passes as part of his 5 catch, 173 yard game while WR Daniel Franks caught 2 passes, both TDs, for 113 yards. RB Donald Turner had a solid game both running (86 yards) and receiving (5-74) for a combined 160 yards. Defensively, the Gamblers forced 3 turnovers and held the Outlaws to 201 total yards.

Panthers 19 VooDoo 0

Michigan struggled in the red zone, settling for 3 points on all 4 trips but the Panthers defense was up to the challenge. Michigan held New Orleans to 171 total yards, sacking Joseph Jones twice and intercepting him twice as well. One of those interceptions led to a 1 play, 24 yard drive for the Panthers as Larry Henderson fired the game's lone TD pass to Lawrence Schroeder to take a 13-0 lead late in the 3rd. New Orleans never threatened to score as they spent most of their offensive time on their side of the field.

Wheels 17 Sun 10

Detroit scored on 2 of their first 3 drives for a 14-0 lead before Southern California went 96 yards in 8 plays for a TD to cut the lead in half. The score remained 14-7 at halftime and through the 3rd qtr, until Detroit broke the scoring drought with a FG early in the 4th. The Sun answered with a FG of their own to pull within 7 but their final drive stalled just inside Detroit territory as time ran out. Wheels TE Thomas Barrera caught 12 passes for 106 yards as the leading skill player of the game.

Blazers 20 (NY) Stars 0

Florida got a solid game from QB Sidney Maggard and the offense, but the defense carried the day for the Blazers. Florida held New York to 145 total yards, allowing barely over 1 yard per carry and keeping QB Damien Oleary under 50% and intercepting him twice, as the Stars never scored. Offensively, Maggard was conservative today, with the biggest play going for just 17 yards, yet he connected on 33/39 for 245 yards and a TD. 

Federals 34 Maulers 5

Washington is off to a 3-0 start after their victory over division rival Pittsburgh today. Federals QB Scott Bieber wasn't spectacular, but he did complete 20/34, 220 yards, 2 TDs and 0 INT. Bieber spread the ball around to several different receivers and RB James Dunn led in combined yardage with 80 on 23 rushing yards and 57 receiving. The Washington defense allowed Will Allison to complete 34/57 passes but those 34 completions only covered 160 yards and Allison threw 2 INTs. 

Stars 38 Force 21

Baltimore and Georgia had the offense cranked up today, and the Stars used a 17-0 run to seize control of the game in the second half to improve to 3-0. Georgia RB Thomas Sanchez ran for 132 yards on 17 carries, and his 45 yard TD run got the scoring underway. Baltimore tied it up on a short Herman Hayes TD run, then the Force kicked a FG for a 10-7 lead. Jon Snow then threw the first of his 4 TD passes to take the lead back 14-10. Georgia added 3 more to pull within 1, then Jon Snow struck again inside the 2 minute warning with his first TD pass to WR John Warkentin. That TD got the 17-0 run started, and it continued to the 4th as Fred Boyce kicked a FG for the only points of the 3rd quarter. The Stars held a 24-13 lead entering the 4th if you've lost track, and Jon Snow's 3rd TD pass early in the 4th extended it to 31-13. Milton People then found Matthew Taylor for a 68 yard TD and the 2 point try was good as well, and Baltimore's lead was down to 31-21. Baltimore and Jon Snow answered with his 4th TD pass, 2nd to John Warkentin as the Stars put the game away. 

Bell 20 Renegades 16

Orlando out gained Philadelphia 329-270 and had a 16-10 lead entering the 4th quarter, but Philadelphia scored 10 unanswered points in the final quarter to remain undefeated on the year. Orlando RB Ben Dehaven ran for 85 yards, adding 74 yards and a TD on 7 receptions, but QB Trey Lyons threw 3 INTs. Philadelphia QB Joseph Serio connected with WR Craig Hines for a 42 yard TD with 8:18 to go, giving Philadelphia the 20-16 lead. Orlando then went on a long drive and were knocking on the door of the red zone when Lyons tossed interception #2. Philadelphia then ran all but 9 seconds off the clock and Lyons was intercepted a 3rd time on the game's final play.

Gold 13 Showboats 7

Not much offense to speak of, as Denver led 3-0 at the half before Max Ellis finally cracked the end zone with a 6 yard run, extending the lead to 10-0. A 4th qtr FG extended the lead to 13-0 before Norman Maldonado got the Showboats on the board with a 6 yard pass to Jason Laughlin. Memphis had one last chance but the clock ran out on them as they approached the red zone. Denver held Memphis to 202 total yards and the Gold RBBC ran for 151 yards as they hand the Showboats their first loss of the season.

Invaders 16 Gunslingers 14

Both teams played hot potato early as San Antonio fumbled, Oakland went three and out, San Antonio threw an interception then Oakland fumbled it back. Things settled down toward the end of the 1st quarter and Oakland took a 7-0 lead on an Andrew Moreno 7 yard pass to Ronald McDevitt. The Invaders would tack on a FG in the 2nd for a 10-0 halftime lead. San Antonio did nothing but punt after their 2 turnovers, but their offense turned it around in the second half as Robert Fanelli threw a 5 yard TD pass to Randy Leger, cutting the lead to 3. The first play of the 4th quarter saw Oakland kick a FG for a 13-7 lead, then San Antonio embarked on a long, time consuming drive. The Gunslingers went 75 yards in 16 plays, taking almost 9 minutes off the clock before Randy Leger ran in a 5 yard TD and the extra point gave San Antonio a 14-13 lead. Moreno then led Oakland down the field before the drive stalled, and Lawrence Linville made his 3rd FG of the game to give the Invaders the lead. San Antonio had a little over 2 minutes to drive into FG range, but they weren't up to the task and Oakland hangs on for the win.

Thunderbolts 31 SaberCats 0

Cleveland ran for 216 yards and the Thunderbolts defense flexed their muscles on the struggling San Jose offense. The SaberCats got the ball first and it took Jake Plummer 3 plays to throw a Pick 6 as Jason Miller did the honors to give Cleveland an early 7-0 lead. Tony Romo threw a 5 yard TD pass to Mark Howe in the 2nd while Bobby Colley got the 3rd quarter started with a bang, rumbling 75 yards for a TD and a 21-0 lead. Cleveland would go on to add a FG before WLB Amos Worsham pulled a defensive trifecta. Worsham sacked Plummer in the end zone, causing a fumble and falling on it for the final TD of the game. Cleveland held San Jose to 159 total yards, intercepting 2 passes, recovering a fumble and sacking Plummer 4 times to go with the bookend defensive TDs to start and end the scoring.

Bulls 13 Bandits 9

The bad Antonio Martinez showed up for Tampa Bay after a good first 2 weeks, as he completed 23/39, 188 yards and 2 INTs but his counterpart was no better. Emanuel Fugate did complete 35 passes in 49 attempts for 275 yards and a TD, but he also threw 3 INTs. The box score was similar for both teams and despite the turnovers and sub 300 yard games, each team had a 100 yard receiver. Jacksonville WR Leon Guiterrez caught 9 for 114 yards while Tampa Bay WR Richard Miller caught 7 for 110 yards, but the difference in the game was a short TD pass from Fugate to Scott Randall. That came in the 2nd quarter, but it was the game's only TD and it gave Jacksonville the lead for good.

Blitz 26 Steamer 9

Chicago RB John Gates ran for 94 yards and a TD and also chipped in a receiving TD as Chicago beat Shreveport. The Steamer had 16 more yards than the Blitz but they lacked any kind of ball security today. QB George Marcil threw 4 INTs and Shreveport lost 2 fumbles for a whopping 6 turnovers. The Steamer defense did a good job keeping them in the game despite all the turnovers but it was just too much to overcome.

Generals 43 Wranglers 0

New Jersey dominated Arizona on both sides of the ball, and the only bad point for the Generals was only scoring 2 TDs in 8 red zone trips. New Jersey held the Wranglers to 92 total yards and less than 20 minutes of possession as they intercepted 3 passes and had 3 sacks. Offensively, New Jersey rolled up 593 total yards with Don Ferguson throwing for 429 yards and 4 TDs. RB David Koresh recorded a double triple, running for 141 yards on 20 carries and catching 7 for 121 yards, although he did not score. WR Roger Rabbit only caught 2 passes but both were scores and WR Eric Davis caught the other 2 TD passes as part of his 5-150 yard day. Even K Al Borland got back on track after missing a pair of FGs in last week's loss, making all 9 of his kicks, including 5/5 on FGs.

Express 31 Hawaiians 27

Honolulu out gained Los Angeles 529-380 and they got out to a 14-0 lead before the Express went on a 31-0 run. Honolulu fought back however, and they went on a 13-0 run to pull within 31-27 and they had 1:53 left for their final drive of the game. Had the Hawaiians not settled for so many FGs earlier, they may have been able to settle for a FG now, but their 3 TDs in 6 red zone trips came back to bite them. Derek Henry threw for 409 yards today and got the Hawaiians inside the red zone on the final drive, but down 4 they had to keep going and the clock expired before they could score.Los Angeles QB David Tavarez completed 22/30, 334 yards and 3 TDs while all of Honolulu's TDs came on the ground with Jeffrey Richins scoring twice. RB Anthony Davis had the other rushing TD and 242 combined yards with 84 rushing and 158 receiving on 11 catches. WR Brian Vizcarra contributed 9 catches for 142 yards.

Hornets 18 Stallions 3

Birmingham won the yardage battle but suffered 2 turnovers and a sack in the end zone for a safety as Charlotte gets their first win of the season. Not much offense to discuss as the leading rusher had 30 yards, neither QB topped 200 yards, and no receiver had more than 49 yards. Charlotte got the game's only TD on a 2 yard run by Mark McDuffie late in the 3rd to extend an 8-0 lead to 15-0. Each team kicked a FG inside the 2 minute warning to give us our final score of 18-3.  

Week 2: Who needs close games?

 Week 2 is in the books, and close games are rare, three one score games this week. Houston and Honolulu scored 41 points each, the high water mark for the season so far. Statistically speaking, no skill player has more than 3 TDs and only Donald Turner of Houston has over 300 combined yards. Tony Dean of Houston already has a 156 yard lead in the passing department with 834 yards so far. Defensively, Jacob Hills of Baltimore has 9 sacks and 9 hurries already. He's a legit DE, 6'3", 276 lbs. Second place in sacks has 4 while the second place in hurries has 6, Stars opponents will need to account for Hills. Evan Joseph of Chicago has made 10/12 FGs already, on pace for 80 made kicks. 

Storm 35 Generals 25

World Bowl Champs Portland traveled across the country to face New Jersey, who finally get their shot at the Storm after falling short in last year's Conference Championship Game. The first half was closely contested, with Portland holding a 12-10 lead thanks to a safety, sacking Generals QB Don Ferguson in the end zone. Portland QB Melvin Driggers had an up and down game, throwing for 451 yards and 4 TDs, but also 3 INTs, with 2 of his TD passes coming in the 3rd quarter to extend the Storm lead to 26-10 entering the 4th. Early in the 4th, Sam Beckett ran in his 2nd rushing score to pull New Jersey within 26-17 but Portland came right back with a 70 yard Driggers TD pass to Timothy Roquemore. The Storm would add a FG and the Generals would add a TD and a 2 point conversion for our final score of 35-25. 

New Jersey was able to move the ball on Portland on the ground and in the air, albeit dink and dunk style. The Generals finished with 397 total yards, converting 11/25 3rd downs, and they forced Portland into 4 turnovers. Aside from the turnovers, the Storm moved the ball better than New Jersey, especially in the air, more than doubling the Generals in yards per pass and per completion. Also, usually reliable K Al Borland missed 2 FGs for New Jersey. That's the same number of FGs Borland missed for all of 1993.

Bell 28 Maulers 6

This was also a battle of 1993 playoff teams that did not meet in the post season. Philadelphia had 3 good drives in a row at the end of the first half/start of the second, and rode those to victory. Bell QB Joseph Serio only completed 12/22 passes for 208 yards, but he threw 3 TD passes as well. Andres Freeman caught 2 of those and the Philadelphia defense intercepted Will Allison twice. Both teams had 2 red zone trips, but Pittsburgh came away with just FGs on both while Philadelphia cashed in TDs.

Gamblers 41 Invaders 10

Houston has their offense rolling to begin 1994, as their 75 points lead the league by 12 and Tony Dean has the passing yard lead. Dean threw for 381 yards and 3 TDs today while RB Donald Turner had a double 90 game. Turner fell just short of 100 yards rushing, gaining 99 yards with a TD while catching 7 for 90 yards and another TD. Oakland was able to top 300 yards against the Gamblers, but they were hurt by 3 turnovers, 2 of them fumbles.

Hawaiians 41 Sun 17

Both teams committed 3 turnovers, but Honolulu did a better job of overcoming those, putting up 504 yards of offense in defeating division rival Southern California. The Sun held a 17-14 lead after scoring a TD in the first minute of the 2nd quarter, but the Hawaiians went on a 27-0 run thereafter. Honolulu QB Derek Henry completed 32/43 for 378 yards, 3 TDs and 2 INTs, with Brian Vizcarra the leading receiver, hauling in 5 for 138 yards and 2 TDs. The Sun had trouble running the ball all game but the Hawaiians did not, as RB Jeffrey Richins gained 110 yards and a TD on 17 carries.

Showboats 31 Outlaws 9

Memphis jumped out to a 21-0 lead after 1 quarter and 1 play, then held on for the division victory over Oklahoma. The Showboats were led by QB Norman Maldonado, RB Erik McNamee and WR Thomas Ballard. Maldonado was only 18/38 passing, but he threw for 312 yards with 3 TDs and 2 INTs. Thomas Ballard only caught 4 passes but 2 went for TDs and he had 211 yards on those receptions. Erik McNamee ran 21 times for 120 yards and a TD, adding 20 more yards on 3 receptions. The Showboats defense bottled up the Outlaws offense most of the day, but they did allow a 91 yard John Crisp TD pass to Craig Icenhour.

Panthers 27 Express 6

In 1993, Michigan QB Larry Henderson threw 33 TD passes and 27 INTs, but so far in 1994, it's 7/1. If Henderson keeps up this level of ball security, the Panthers will be tough to beat. Henderson finished this game 27/33, 340 yards and 3 TD passes and the Panthers defense held the Express to 238 total yards. FB William Hutchings led the Panthers skill players with 128 combined yards and a TD, with his 82 receiving yards and 46 rushing yards led both the WRBC and RBBC (WR by committee, RB by committee).

Wheels 20 Blitz 18

Detroit overcame 4 turnovers to secure a division win over Chicago thanks to a pair of Gabriel Flanagan TD passes. Flanagan completed 31/41 passes in all for just 233 yards, as big plays were scarce on both sides. The Wheels defense kept Blitz QB Ronald Brown below 50% and 200 yards while also keeping the offense out of the end zone. Chicago K Evan Joseph made 6/7 FG attempts, missing only a 56 yard attempt, and while some may say he should have made that kick, at some point the ball needs to get into the opponent's end zone, and that did not happen in today's loss.

Blazers 38 Bulls 16

Florida won the first half over Jacksonville 24-3 and rode that to victory. Jacksonville did move the ball on the Blazers defense, but most of the damage was in the second half, facing a large deficit on the scoreboard. Florida had 5 different ball carriers and Robert Romero led the RBBC with 40 yards, no big deal. Romero was also the Blazers leading receiver though, catching 7 for 149 yards and 2 TDs. QB Sidney Maggard threw 4 TDs in all, completing 28/38 for 354 yards and no turnovers. Jacksonville rookie WR Leon Gutierrez caught 6 for 153 yards and a TD.

Bandits 24 Renegades 21

This was Florida week in USFL as all 4 teams in the Southeast division, aka Florida division faced off. The box score was pretty even in this game, as both teams had trouble running the ball but had decent success through the air. Both QBs threw 2 TDs and 1 INT and both teams lost a fumble. Tampa Bay held a 21-6 lead through 3 quarters before Trey Lyons found David King for a TD to cut the lead to 8. Tampa Bay would extend their lead by 3 inside the 2 minute warning before Lyons and King hooked up again, this time on a 73 yard TD. Lyons completed a pass for the 2 point conversion but the onside kick failed and the Bandits ran out the clock for a 2-0 start.

Steamer 19 Stallions 3

Shreveport has the #3 ranked defense through 2 weeks based on yards and only Baltimore has allowed fewer than the 10 points the Steamer defense has allowed. They did give up over 5 yards per carry on the ground but the pass defense held Birmingham to 11/37 passing, 52 yards, 2 INTs and 1 sack. RB David Oldham broke a 3-3 tie late in the 3rd quarter with a 45 yard TD run for the game's only TD and Jeffrey Smith made 4/6 FGs to lead Shreveport to a division win over Birmingham.

Federals 20 Force 6

Washington starts out 2-0 as the Federals played good red zone defense today against Georgia. The Force also played good defense against Washington's rushing attack, holding Robert Trammell and James Dunn to 56 yards on 24 carries. QB Scott Bieber was solid for the Federals, completing 22/29 for 252 yards and a TD to Ronald Matthews, who was the leading receiver with 66 yards. Georgia reached the red zone twice, but had to settle for 3 both times while the Federals cashed in their lone trip with a TD.

Stars 23 SaberCats 0

I mentioned Jacob Hills in the opening, and it turns out all 9 sacks came in this game. The Baltimore defense totally wrecked the San Jose passing attack, sacking Jake Plummer 12 times in all. Plummer finished 14/33, 100 yards and 1 INT, but he lost 109 yards on sacks for a net negative 9 yards passing. We haven't seen sack numbers like this since Mark McKeon, although I suspect this has more to do with too many long passes attempted. Baltimore would have won 16-0 but Hills sacked Plummer in the end zone, causing a fumble which Barristan Selmy recovered for a TD, padding the lead in the final minute.

VooDoo 25 Hornets 10

New Orleans doubled the yards per carry of Charlotte, although the Hornets only ran for 0.54 yards a carry. Neither team ran the ball well, as the Hornets gained 7 yards in 13 carries while New Orleans stuck with their struggling ground game longer, gaining 48 yards on 42 carries. Through the air, the VooDoo held the Hornets below 50% completions, intercepting 2 passes and getting a sack while offensively, Joseph Jones was 30/35, 354 yards and 2 TDs. Backup QB Donald Briggs saw extensive action at RB today, rushing 37 times for 46 yards and a TD while catching 10 for 115 yards to lead New Orleans in both categories. 

Gold 27 Wranglers 10

Denver got out to a 17-3 lead before Arizona cut it to 17-10 late in the first half, but that's as close as the Wranglers would get as the Gold claim the division win. Fredrick Whidden ran for 92 of the Gold's 177 rushing yards, with a TD and he added 59 yards on 4 receptions. QB Andrew Brewer was 18/24, 278 yards with a TD, spreading the ball around to 6 different receivers. Denver's defense held Arizona to 179 total yards, intercepting a pass and recording 2 sacks.

Gunslingers 17 Thunderbolts 12

San Antonio played a 1970's style offense, running twice as much as they threw, and while they were out gained by Cleveland in yards 323-209, they also did not turn the ball over while the Gunslingers defense had 4 sacks and an INT. San Antonio RB Charlie Shanks did the heavy lifting, rushing for 149 yards and 2 TDs on 25 carries. Shanks went 75 yards for a score on the second play from scrimmage to give San Antonio the instant lead. QB Robert Fanelli was 8/15 for 45 yards passing while his counterpart, Tony Romo, completed 30/45 for 235 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. 

(NY) Stars 31 Breakers 21

New York RB William Hall caught a TD pass and ran in another score as the Stars had a 17-7 lead late in the 2nd quarter. In the final minute before intermission, Boston QB Adam Scales threw his 2nd TD pass to cut the lead to 17-14, then New York QB Damien Oleary threw an interception that Boston CB Edward Baker returned for a score and suddenly the Breakers led 21-17 at halftime. Oleary bounced back with a pair of TD passes to Theodore Dunn, one at the end of the 3rd quarter, the other early in the 4th, and that was enough for New York to emerge victorious.