The journey to reach World Bowl XVIII began today with 12 teams and unfortunately, we had to leave 4 teams behind. All four road teams won one score games, two were won in the final minute while another game was decided in the final 2 minutes. Could not have asked for a better slate of games to kick off the 1991 playoffs.
Maulers 17 (NY) Stars 14
Pittsburgh traveled to New York city for their first playoff game since 1983, while the Stars returned to the playoffs after a 1 year absence. The first big play of the game came mid first quarter when Will Allison threw an interception as the Maulers were driving into scoring position. New York then drove 62 yards in 9 plays, scoring the game's first points on an Alaster Kaminski 3 yard run. The next big plays came in the middle of the 2nd qtr, when after a Pittsburgh punt pinned New York inside their own 10, Willie Bust threw an interception. The Maulers took over at the Stars 11 and scored 2 plays later on a 1 yard Edward Dumais TD run, tying the game at 7. The half would end with that 7-7 score but there was one more huge play in the first half that would impact the game even though the play didn't count. Will Allison threw another interception and injured his foot in the process. New York committed 2 penalties on the play, so the Maulers kept the ball but backup QB Clifford Saul was forced into action.
Allison returned to the game in the second half and he led Pittsburgh on a 9 play, 75 yard TD drive to open the 3rd qtr and take a 14-7 lead on a Robert Erickson 9 yard run. In the middle of the 3rd, New York was driving for a possible score when Bull Dozer fumbled after a catch and the Maulers recovered. On the very next play Robert Erickson gave the ball back to the Stars on a fumble and six plays later, Willie Bust tied the game with a 4 yard TD pass to Stephen Tavera. Pittsburgh K Dominick Cochran was wide left on a 54 yard FG try and the 3rd qtr ended 14-14.
The 4th quarter was a punting battle until less than 3 minutes to play in regulation. A New York punt had Pittsburgh backed up at their own 7 yard line but defensive penalties on the first 2 plays got the Maulers into better field position. Pittsburgh was almost at midfield by the 2 minute warning and they methodically drove the field, using all of the clock as they got all the way down to the New York 6 yard line with 3 seconds left. Cochran snuck the kick just inside the upright and the Maulers advance to play Washington for the 3rd time this year, most likely without QB Will Allison.
Stars 34 Bandits 31
Tampa Bay QB Melvin Driggers tossed 4 TDs with no interceptions, amassing 394 passing yards but the Bandits 27th ranked defense could not hold a late lead, allowing Baltimore to score 13 unanswered 4th qtr points for a come from behind playoff win. Stars QB Jon Snow barely completed half of his 64 pass attempts, but he also threw 4 TD passes with 442 yards.
Baltimore got on the scoreboard first, with a 15 yard TD pass to Justin Coffey. Tampa Bay answered that drive with a 37 yard TD pass from Driggers to Paul Meade. The Bandits would get a 32 yard Edward Walter FG for a 10-7 halftime lead.
The 3rd qtr was wild, with a combined 35 points being scored and Tampa Bay got the party started with a 75 yard Driggers to Thomas Whitley TD pass on the 2nd offensive play of the half to take a 17-7 lead. The Stars answered back on a Snow 17 yard TD pass to Timothy Harmon, only to let the Bandits quickly answer back on a 66 yard TD pass from Driggers to Garry Fowler. That made the score 24-14 Tampa Bay before there were actual punts in this wild 3rd qtr. Toward the end of this quarter the scoring resumed as Snow found John Warkentin for a 7 yard TD pass to cut the lead to 3 only to see the Bandits answer quickly on another long Driggers to Whitley TD.
Baltimore got 3 points very early in the 4th to cut the lead to 31-24, then went on a long FG drive following a Bandits 3 and out, cutting the lead further to 31-27 at the mid point of the 4th. Tampa Bay had another 3 and out then Baltimore went on another long drive. Baltimore got a 6 yard Snow to Jeffrey Zimmer TD pass on the first play after the 2 minute warning to give the Stars their first lead since the 1st quarter. The Bandits would have 2 more chances with the ball but turned it over on downs and the Baltimore Stars advance.
Gold 23 Panthers 19
Michigan got the ball first and went on a long 14 play, 75 yard drive that took nearly 7 minutes off the clock. The drive would end on a 5 yard TD pass from William Mauriello to Walter Simmons and a 7-0 Panthers lead. Denver QB Andrew Brewer threw an interception to set up Michigan at the edge of FG range and a John Bibler 50 yard FG extended the lead to 10-0. The first quarter would end 10-0 and Michigan would extend that to 13-0 before Denver finally scored. The first 3 drives for the Gold went nowhere but this drive lasted 10 plays, covering 75 yards and ending on a Jake Peralta 4 yard TD run to cut the lead to 13-7, which would be our halftime score.
The 3rd quarter saw a FG apiece and we began the 4th qtr with a score of 16-10 Michigan. Denver would take the lead early in the 4th on a short Brian Thornton TD run with the extra point making the score 17-16 Gold. A few punts happened then Thornton lost a fumble but Michigan could not capitalize, as a Bibler 58 yard FG try came up short. The Michigan defense forced a 3 and out and the Panthers got the ball at their own 20 with 2:07 to play. Mauriello and Simmons helped the offense get into FG range and Bibler nailed a 44 yard kick with 0:44 to play to give Michigan a 19-17 lead. Denver just needed to get into FG range but Brewer had other ideas, hitting Richard Huff in stride as he got behind the defense for a 75 yard catch and run TD to leave over 80,000 people in the stands silently numb. Michigan would have one last chance but they ran out of time with the ball at midfield.
Showboats 23 SaberCats 17
This ended up a one score game thanks to a last minute San Jose TD to cut a 13 point lead to 6, so there wasn't quite the drama in this game as the other 3. San Jose actually out gained Memphis 414-305 but Jake Plummer tossed 3 interceptions and the SaberCats average starting field position was their own 19, while the average start for the Showboats was their own 37. The 1st qtr saw each team kick a FG and San Jose K Robert Rodriguez was wide left on a 27 yard try early in the 2nd, leaving the game tied at 3. The game's first TD came inside the first half 2 minute warning with David Allen connecting with Mark Glenn for a 28 yard TD.
San Jose struck quickly in the 3rd qtr, getting a Jake Plummer 67 yard TD pass to Mark Hsu and the extra point tied the game at 10 apiece. We then had a little string of turnovers as Jake Plummer threw an interception only for David Allen to return the favor with an interception in the end zone. Graham Peterson fumbled the ball back to Memphis a couple of plays later and the Showboats would capitalize with a 49 yard TD pass from Allen to Arthur Devore and a 17-10 lead. Memphis would add a Javier Gill FG to take a 20-10 lead into the 4th quarter.
Midway through the 4th, another Gill FG extended the lead to 23-10 and the next 2 San Jose drives ended with an interception and a punt. The SaberCats would get the ball again with 1:45 left, down by 13 and Plummer drove San Jose to a 30 yard TD pass to Peter Henderson with 0:18 left to play, cutting the lead to 23-17. San Jose would recover the onside kick but 4 straight incompletions and a David Allen kneel down closed out the game with Memphis advancing.
