 |
| San Jose SaberCats celebrate win over LA Express |
The defending World Bowl champion Los Angeles Express are off to an inauspicious start in defending that title.
San Jose scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to stun LAX, 24-21, and highlight Week 3 action in the USFL/WFL 1979 season. It was the second consecutive loss by that margin for Los Angeles (1-2) after falling, 23-20, to Shreveport in Week 2.
After the Express scored to take a 21-10 lead in the third quarter, their last six offensive drives produced a fumble, four punts, and two San Jose points when Charles Grant sacked Los Angeles QB Gene Nowlin in the end zone with 21 seconds to play. San Jose WR John Martin caught a pair of TD passes from QB David Schmitt.
Things don't get any easier for the Express. Their next six games are all against teams that appear to be postseason contenders.
In other Week 3 games:
- Pittsburgh RDE Robert Keese recorded 8 sacks, 7 tackles, and 16 hurries in a 52-27 Maulers win against the Baltimore Stars. Keese's eight sacks ties the league record for one game. Les Lynch had eight sacks for Baltimore against the Georgia Force in 1977.
- The youthful Houston Gamblers picked up their first win by surprising defending East Division champion New Jersey, 30-22. Only nine of Houston's 53 players have more than six years of pro experience and there are 11 rookies on the roster. Gamblers WR Jason Connelly caught 10 passes for 183 yards and two TDs and rookie LB Vincent Ryan had nine tackles and a sack.
- Michael Sonnenberg caught four TD passes from Dustin Nichols, covering 51, 50, 75, and 64 yards, as the Denver Gold handed the Southern California Sun its first loss, 72-27. Nichols passed for 452 yards, 316 of that to Sonnenberg.
- Memphis QB Antonio Wilson threw for 533 yards and seven TDs as the Showboats (3-0) fended off the Philadelphia Bell, 48-41.
- The New York Stars (3-0) beat the Boston Breakers, 45-16, and have won as many games as they did all last season (3-13). Allen Howard had his fourth career TD kickoff return, this one for 106 yards.
- The Oklahoma Outlaws stopped Arizona's 2-point conversion attempt with 7 seconds to play, preserving a 25-23 victory over the Wranglers.
Week 4 Preview
The West Division will begin to sort itself out this week when the Denver Gold (2-1) hosts the Portland Storm (2-1) and the Arizona Wranglers (1-2) host the Oakland Invaders (2-1). The Cleveland Thunderbolts (3-0) will try to add to the post-World-Bowl-hangover miseries of the Los Angeles Express (1-2). The Tampa Bay Bandits (3-0) will travel to face the Orlando Renegades (2-1) in an important Southeast Division game.Record Book
The Express are not the first World Bowl winner to struggle the next season. The Detroit Wheels, after winning their second consecutive title in 1977, started the 1978 season at 2-2. Detroit finished 12-4, but lost to the Memphis Showboats in the first round of the playoffs. How other defending champs fared to begin the next season:- 1975 Florida Blazers (4-0)
- 1976 Oakland Invaders (6-1)
- 1977 Detroit Wheels (16-0)
- 1978 Detroit Wheels (2-2)
