It may just be that the Blitz are back.
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| Max Howard, RB, Chicago Blitz |
Those hard times may soon be over. Chicago stopped (well, sort of stopped) Cleveland's 2-point conversion attempt with 41 seconds to play and claimed a 20-18 victory over the Thunderbolts. Back-to-back wins over the Detroit Wheels and Cleveland demonstrate Chicago making up ground on the Midwest Division's two heavyweights.
Paul Bullard's 9-yard TD run gave Cleveland a chance to tie, but Bullard dropped the conversion pass attempt from QB Chester Daugherty.
Chicago rookie RB Max Howard rumbled for 139 yards on the ground, giving him 320 yards in the last two games. WLB William Kennedy had eight tackles as the Blitz (4-4) pulled within one game of the second-place 'Bolts (5-3) in the division standings.
In other Week 8 news:
- The quarterbacks that struggled so often when V 0.4.3 was introduced appear to be catching on to the new codes. Six QBs in the USFL/WFL exceeded 500 passing yards during Week 8: Gene Nowlin, Los Angeles (503 yards, 5 TDs), Doug Fluty, New Jersey (514 yards, 5 TDs), Jerry Ruiz, Michigan (516 yards, 4 TDs), James Lightfoot, New Orleans (534, 6 TDs), Luis Gero, Tampa Bay (575 yards, 6 TDs), and William Hill, Portland (587 yards, 6 TDs).
- The Pittsburgh Maulers have suddenly fallen off a cliff. Larry Ackman had two of New Orleans' five interceptions of Scott Deal as the VooDoo thumped the Maulers, 59-20. New Orleans (5-3) is back in the playoff hunt and only a game behind the Georgia Force in the South Division. Pittsburgh (4-4) has never lost more than five games in a season.
- The unbeaten Denver Gold found a way to shut down Oakland's prolific offense, beating the Invaders, 46-19. Oakland was averaging 49 points per game, but committed three turnovers and was 4-for-20 on third-down conversions. LDE George Turner had a pair of sacks for the Gold. FS Philip Shurtz had 10 tackles for Oakland.
- The Memphis Showboats and Washington Federals combined for 22 points in the final 5 minutes of regulation time. The craziness finally ended when James Ewing kicked a 36-yard field goal in overtime to give the Showboats a 37-34 win. Memphis QB James Perry completed passes of 27 and 16 yards to set up Ewing's game-winner.
- Kerry Justin's interception set up Dustin Henry's game-winning field goal with 30 seconds to play as the New Jersey Generals edged the Michigan Panthers, 38-35.
- The Baltimore Stars, previously the league's last winless team, topped the Boston Breakers, 30-22. CB James James had 11 tackles for Baltimore.
- Oklahoma CB Jason Wilkinson intercepted three passes during the Outlaws' 29-18 win over the San Antonio Gunslingers.
- Christopher Meade of the New York Stars kicked seven field goals during a 28-10 win against Charlotte, one shy of the league record.
Week 9 Preview
The nation's eyes will be fixed on the Liberty Bowl this week, when the defending World Bowl champion Memphis Showboats (7-1) host the league's last undefeated team, the Denver Gold (8-0) in a titanic showdown. Two teams climbing the ladder meet when the Philadelphia Bell (6-2) hosts the Chicago Blitz (4-4). Philadelphia needs one more win to tie last season's franchise record of seven in a season. The New Orleans VooDoo (5-3) are at the New Jersey Generals (6-2) in a game that could have postseason implications. A similar game sees the Cleveland Thunderbolts (5-3) hosting the Oklahoma Outlaws (5-3).
Record Book
- Houston Gamblers QB William Watts was sacked 19 times by the Pittsburgh Maulers in Week 4. That broke the single-game record of 17, set by Charlotte's George Melton against Jacksonville in 1978. Watts was released by the Gamblers and signed with New Orleans.
- There have been three punt returns for TDs this season, by New Jersey's Chad Ochocinco, Allan Howard of the New York Stars, and Philadelphia's Howard Cardenas. There was only one punt return for a TD during the league's first six seasons, by Bruno Fredericks of the New York Stars vs. Baltimore in 1974.
- James Hooper of the Shreveport Steamer set a USFL/WFL record with eight field goals in Week 6 vs. New Orleans, a 31-14 Shreveport win. The previous record was seven, by Winston Hampton of LAX vs. Baltimore in 1974.
- Four punters this season have set a league record by placing seven kicks inside the 20 in a single game. They are Orlando's Richard Griffin, Tampa Bay's David Manion, Charlotte's Thomas Desantiago, and Baltimore's Stephen Jones.
History Lesson
It occurs to me that many of our coaches may not be old enough to remember the real USFL and WFL. I thought a little history of each team might be entertaining to some.
The Shreveport Steamer began the 1974 season as the Houston Texans, then moved to Shreveport toward the end of that season. The most famous Steamer alumnus is veteran talk show host Larry King, one of the team's broadcasters in 1974. There were some notable players on the roster, including fullback Jim Nance, wide receiver Don Maynard and ambidextrous quarterback D.C. Nobles. Shreveport was 7-12-1 and 5-7 during the league's two seasons. The average attendance (13,000) was about half what was predicted when the franchise was launched, leading to financial troubles that plagued the Steamer as well as the rest of the league.
The Shreveport Steamer began the 1974 season as the Houston Texans, then moved to Shreveport toward the end of that season. The most famous Steamer alumnus is veteran talk show host Larry King, one of the team's broadcasters in 1974. There were some notable players on the roster, including fullback Jim Nance, wide receiver Don Maynard and ambidextrous quarterback D.C. Nobles. Shreveport was 7-12-1 and 5-7 during the league's two seasons. The average attendance (13,000) was about half what was predicted when the franchise was launched, leading to financial troubles that plagued the Steamer as well as the rest of the league.
