Week 14: Pre Playoff Playoffs

 Week 14 is in the books and our playoff picture is still developing. All but 2 games this week had some sort of playoff implications, and we are looking at a lot of important games in the last 2 weeks. Half of the 12 spots are spoken for, but there is still seeding and BYES to determine as well. 

Storm 30 Hawaiians 6

Portland overcame 3 lost fumbles thanks to Melvin Driggers and the Storm defense. Driggers completed 30/44 for 431 yards and 3 TDs, all to different receivers. Driggers spread the ball around to 9 different receivers, with 6 gaining between 41-81 yards. RB Jose Moses caught 1 of the TD passes and his 53 rushing yards gave him 130 combined yards (5-77-1 receiving) for the game. Honolulu opted to go with a new QB today, replacing Derek Henry with 8th year pro Edwin Clarkson. He didn't fare too well, completing 21/36 for 128 yards, an INT and 3 sacks. 

The Portland win secures a first round BYE for the Storm, and they remain on track for home field advantage. The Hawaiians loss means Honolulu must now set it's sights on the wildcard, as San Jose wins the Pacific. 

Panthers 20 Stars 12

Michigan QB Larry Henderson threw 2 first quarter TD passes and the Panthers defense intercepted Baltimore QB Jon Snow 4 times to make that stand up for the win. RB Orville Barker had 137 combined yards for the Stars, but 3 of Jon Snow's 4 interceptions came in the final 16 minutes of the game to thwart the comeback attempt. In fact, Snow's 4 INTs put him in 2nd place in the league with 26, surpassing Henderson's 25. Henderson threw just 1 today, completing 25/39 for 308 yards and 2 TDs.

The Michigan win puts the Panthers on the brink of winning the Midwest division. Baltimore is eliminated according to MFN, although there may be a chance for the Stars if they win their last 2 games and either the Maulers or Bell lose both. 

VooDoo 30 Bell 20

Last week Philadelphia benefited from some late turnovers, but this week they were done in by them. The Bell were led by RB Jamie Epperson, who ran for 46 yards and caught 7 passes for 127 yards and a TD, but QB Robert Hernandez threw 2 interceptions in the 4th. New Orleans got a boost with the return of RB Thomas Thomas, who ran for 106 yards and a TD. The VooDoo also got a big game from Nicholas Dorey, who caught 3 for 124 yards today. 

The win gives New Orleans a 1 game in the South over Birmingham and Shreveport. Despite the loss, Philadelphia is in according to MFN thanks to Baltimore's loss. 

Generals 27 Stallions 7

New Jersey overcame 2 Don Ferguson interceptions and 2 lost fumbles by Sam Beckett to defeat Birmingham and claim the East division title. Rookie RB David Koresh had exactly 200 combined yards, rushing for 72 and catching 6 for 128 yards, although he failed to score. That was left to Ferguson, as aside from his 2 INTs, threw for 364 yards and 3 TDs. The Generals defense intercepted 3 Willie Benge passes and held the Stallions to just 2/16 on 3rd down.

New Jersey will earn a BYE if they defeat Florida next week, and will be no worse than the #3 seed. Despite the loss, Birmingham is still in play for the South division title.

Blazers 16 Gold 10

It was 15 degrees and snowing in Denver, but that didn't bother Florida QB Sidney Maggard. Only 3 Maggard passes hit the ground, as he completed 27/31 for 286 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT to lead the Blazers to a hard fought win over defending champion Denver. The Gold have been hit hard with injuries, especially on offense, but they gave Florida all they had. WR Dennis Harris caught 10 passes for 146 yards and a TD, but Andrew Brewer tossed a pair of interceptions as Denver could only score 10 points today.

Florida's win sets up an important game with New Jersey this week. A win over the Generals would put the Blazers in a good spot for a BYE, but they will be no worse than the #3 seed. Despite the loss, Denver is still alive for the #6 seed. They will need to win their remaining games and hope for help among the quagmire of current 7-7 teams.

Steamer 22 Bandits 10

Jeffrey Morris ran for 74 yards and a TD and K William Neal made 5 FGs as Shreveport eliminates Tampa Bay from the post season. Shreveport QB George Marcil completed 20/24 for 220 yards, 0 TD and 0 INT and the defense intercepted 3 Antonio Martinez passes, giving him a league leading 32 on the year.

The loss eliminates Tampa Bay from the post season. Shreveport stays alive with the win and has a must win game this week against New Orleans. If they lose to the VooDoo, the Steamer will be eliminated.

 SaberCats 27 Sun 20

It's been a strange, streaky season for Southern California. The Sun started out 0-6 before winning 5 of 6 for a 5-7 record after 12 games. Last week, they led playoff bound Philadelphia late before turnovers cost them the game. This week, they led playoff bound San Jose until late turnovers cost them the game. In the end, it was the Jake Plummer to Mark Hsu connection that ultimately did the Sun in, as the pair connected 6 times for 139 yards with 3 TDs.

San Jose clinches the Pacific with this victory and they will likely be either the #3 or #4 seed.

Maulers 23 Hornets 3

Pittsburgh dominated Charlotte on both sides of the ball as the Maulers clinch a wildcard spot. Pittsburgh held the Hornets to just 95 total yards, sacking Robert Ament twice. QB Will Allison completed 27/40 for 304 yards and 2 TDs to lead the offense. RB Chris Goldberg had 143 combined yards, rushing for 68 and catching 5 for 75 yards and a score.

Showboats 43 Outlaws 6

Memphis QB Norman Maldonado threw 5 first half TD passes and the Showboats defense forced 2 turnovers and held Oklahoma to 150 total yards as they defeat the Outlaws handily. Maldonado completed 17/29 for 503 yards, 6 TD and 1 INT overall and most of that yardage went to WR Mark Glenn. In the first half, Maldonado and Glenn connected on 4 long TD passes covering 75, 73, 78, and 55 yards. The pair hooked up on a 92 yard TD in the 3rd quarter and overall, Glenn finished the day with 7 catches, 409 yards and 5 TDs.

Gamblers 40 Force 10

Georgia got out to an early 10-0 lead before Houston flipped the script and went on a 40-0 run to win going away. Milton People led the Force on an 11 play, 80 yard TD drive the first time they had the ball, but his final stat line was a pedestrian 9/22, 66 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT. Tony Dean threw an early INT, setting up a Georgia FG, but he settled down to finish 25/39, 343 yards and 3 TDs. WR Jett Black caught 5 for 118 yards and a TD while RB Donald Turner had a combined 178 yards. Turner ran for 78 while getting exactly 100 receiving yards on 9 receptions. RB Lloyd Ellis caught Dean's other 2 TD passes and he had a combined 92 yards on the day.

Federals 13 Renegades 7

Scott Bieber didn't lead Washington to a ton of points today, but he did complete 31/36 for 251 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. Most of the Federals offensive yardage went through their RBs today, as Robert Trammell ran for 51 yards while leading the team in receiving, catching 13 for 84 yards and a TD. James Dunn had a combined 73 yards as the 2nd leading rusher and receiver for Washington. The Federals defense held Orlando to 209 total yards, forcing punts on all 5 Renegade drives in the second half.

Gunslingers 24 Blitz 15

San Antonio led Chicago 22-0 in the 3rd qtr as Charlie Shanks had a 64 yard TD run and Robert Fanelli fired a 58 yard TD pass to Eugene Bufkin. K Benjamin Regalado missed an XP, but he also made all 3 FG attempts. Chicago QB Ronald Brown and WR Ian Gordon tried to bring the Blitz back, as the pair hooked up for a pair of TDs and a 2 point conversion to get within 22-15. The last TD came after the 2 minute warning, and the onside kick failed. Chicago got the ball back deep in their own territory and the Gunslingers defense sacked Brown in the end zone for a safety. 

Robert Fanelli was 20/28 for 202 yards and 2 TDs for San Antonio and RB Charlie Shanks complimented him with 134 rushing yards and that long TD run. The Gunslingers shut down the Chicago running game, but they did allow Ronald Brown to complete 28/38 for 263 yards and 2 TDs.

Invaders 29 Express 26

Los Angeles led Oakland 13-9 after 3 quarters of a "sleepy" type game. Once the clock flipped to the 4th, the offenses exploded, as we had 5 TDs in the final 15 minutes, including 3 straight plays with a TD. Oakland QB Andrew Moreno got the 4th qtr scoring started with a 40 yard pass to Nelson Martinez, giving the Invaders a 16-13 lead. Los Angeles QB William Mauriello then found Gary Sappington for a 35 yard score to give the Express the lead back, 20-16. With 6:25 to go, Moreno found Martinez again, this time for a 55 yard scoring strike as Oakland retook the lead 23-20. After the kickoff, Mauriello found Sappington for a 75 yard TD as Los Angeles briefly took the lead back again. On the next play following the kickoff, Moreno and Martinez hooked up for their 3rd score of the quarter, a 75 yard catch and run for the last score of the game. 

For Los Angeles, Mauriello finished 27/38, 326 yards and 3 TDs, 2 of those to RB Gary Sappington, who led the team in receiving with 7 catches, 145 yards. Oakland QB Andrew Moreno completed 31/43, 429 yards, 4 TDs and 1 INT. WR Nelson Martinez caught 6 passes, 3 for TDs and had 181 yards while teammate TE Jessie Heidt caught 9 for 126. RB Ronald McDevitt finished with 160 combined yards, 137 rushing.

Wheels 20 Thunderbolts 7

Cleveland missed a chance to take the lead in the race for the last wildcard by losing to Detroit today. The Thunderbolts missed FGs on their first 2 possessions and Tony Romo threw an interception on the 3rd. In the meantime, Detroit QB Gabriel Flanagan tossed a pair of first half TD passes as the Wheels got out to a 17-0 halftime lead. Detroit would extend the lead to 20-0 in the 3rd quarter before Romo got Cleveland on the scoreboard with a short TD pass. That's as close as the Thunderbolts would get, and the loss leaves them in a precarious position, as MFN lists them behind all other 7-7 teams in the wildcard race.

Bulls 19 Wranglers 13

Jacksonville QB Derek Joyce tossed 2 TD passes to WR Edward Meister to lead the Bulls to victory over Arizona. Jacksonville led 19-0 at the half, as Brian Johnson made a short FG and Fred Williams sacked Zachary Kinkead in the end zone for a safety. The Wranglers defense settled down, shutting out the Bulls in the second half and forcing 3 turnovers. Arizona chipped away, getting as close as 19-13, but their last 3 drives came up empty, allowing Jacksonville to hang on for the win.

Breakers 22 (NY) Stars 14

Boston QB Adam Scales completed 20/27 for 220 yards and 2 TDs, both to WR Bob Carder, who caught 5 for 124 in all, as the Breakers defeat New York. Stars RB William Hall continued where he left off last week minus the kick returns, but the Boston defense held the rest of the New York offense in check. Hall had 95 yards rushing with a TD and he also caught a TD among his 2 catches for 21 yards, returning his lone kickoff 27 yards. Boston forced New York QB Willie Bust into a bad game, 15/36, 136 yards with 1 TD and 3 INTs, 2 by Stephen Harris. 

Week 13: Playoff Push Begins

 We have 3 games to go and the stakes are getting higher every week as teams try to qualify for the World Bowl Tournament. According to MFN, 6 teams have already punched their ticket, leaving 15 teams battling for the final 6 spots. Even the 6 teams already in still have something to play for, whether it's fighting for a division title, or a BYE and possible home field advantage. The Southwest might have the most compelling race, as the winner of Memphis/Houston likely earns a BYE while the other is a wildcard with a better record than 2 division winners. We also have a pair of divisions that are 3 team races, 3 if you count the Atlantic where Washington has a 2 game lead. The Midwest is currently led by 8-5 Michigan but Cleveland and Chicago are right on their heels at 7-6. The South also has 3 teams within 1 game as New Orleans and Birmingham are tied at the top with 7-6 records while Shreveport is 1 game back at 6-7.

We have 2 division winners already as Portland wins the West and Florida wins the Southeast. San Jose, Washington, and New Jersey could possibly clinch this week, but the wildcards will likely come down to Week 16 action, especially in the American Conference. Best of luck to everyone for the stretch run.

Showboats 16 Stallions 13 (OT)

Memphis might be leading the Southwest with Houston, but they're probably glad they aren't in the South division. The Showboats finished 1993 wining 3 of the 4 games against the South teams, but they only beat Georgia and New Orleans by a single point before losing to Shreveport last week. Today's OT win completes the South portion of the Memphis schedule, and they only averaged 13.5 points per game in those 4. Unless the Showboats reach a World Bowl against a team from the South, Memphis won't see them again until 1997.

Not much to talk about in today's game, as defenses ruled the day. Neither team ran the ball well, gaining less than 3 yards a carry and both QBs threw 1 TD and 2 INTs for less than 260 yards and no skill player had more than 74 combined yards. Memphis took a 10-6 lead into the 4th, extending it to 13-6 early in the final quarter. Birmingham tied it at the 2 minute warning on a Willie Benge 25 yard TD pass to Charles Brockman. The Stallions got the ball first in OT, going three and out. Memphis got the ball at midfield and 7 plays later, Gary Ridgeway split the uprights with the game winning 38 yard FG.

VooDoo 24 Outlaws 17

New Orleans led 17-0 at halftime, then held off a late Oklahoma rally to defeat the Outlaws and pull into a tie atop the South. The box score is similar for both teams, as each QB had an efficient game. Oklahoma QB John Crisp was 23/28, 218 yards and 1 TD while New Orleans QB Joseph Jones was 21/26, 275 yards and 2 TDs. The receptions were spread out for both teams, with the VooDoo's Tom Jacobs gaining the most yards with 77 and no RB ran for more than 48 yards. 

We did have 1 big play in this game. Oklahoma had just scored to get within 17-14 with a little over 5 minutes left but Joseph Jones found Eric Duncan for a 75 yard TD pass on the next offensive play to extend the lead back to double digits. That was Duncan's only catch of the day but he sure made it count. The Outlaws would drive for a FG with 3 minutes left, and down 7 they opted to kick away and play defense. That decision didn't work out as the Outlaws didn't get the ball back until the final minute, needing to drive 91 yards to tie. 

Steamer 24 Force 12

Shreveport RB David Oldham ran for 110 yards and a TD, while QB George Marcil threw 2 TD passes to Martin Haley as the Steamer defeat division rival Georgia today. Marcil completed 14/17 for 149 yards, with Haley accounting for 85 of that total. The Shreveport defense helped the cause by forcing 3 turnovers, a lost fumble and 2 interceptions of Force QB Milton People. The win keeps Shreveport 1 game out of the South division lead.

Panthers 35 Wheels 10

Gabriel Flanagan got Detroit on the board first with a 48 yard TD pass to Larry Rickard but that was as good as it got for the Wheels. The Detroit defense did a good job in the first half, holding Michigan to a pair of FGs as the Wheels took a 7-6 lead into halftime. Detroit forced the Panthers into a three and out on the opening drive of the second half, but Josh Baskin fumbled the punt to give the ball back to Michigan. Baskin also lost a fumble in a similar fashion in the first half, but that was harmless. This one was not however, as Michigan took advantage, scoring a TD on the first of 3 Larry Henderson TD passes. On the Panthers next drive, Henderson connected with James Hillis for a 56 yard TD pass to give Michigan a 20-7 lead. Detroit would cut the lead to 10 points entering the 4th qtr, but the Wheels came off, literally. First, Detroit lost a fumble early in the quarter and Gabriel Flanagan followed that with 3 INTs in the quarter to kill any comeback hopes. 

Blitz 24 Invaders 23

Not much defense was played today, although we didn't have the stat explosions that often come in games like this. Each team had 5 drives over 50 yards each and Oakland pulled off a 12 play drive, a 19 play drive, and an 11 play drive while Chicago had a pair of long drives as well (12 plays, and 11 plays). Oakland took a 10-7 lead into halftime, and they built it up to 23-14 midway through the final quarter. That's when Ronald Brown led Chicago on a quick 2 play, 75 yard drive to get the Blitz within 2, then the defense forced a three and out. Brown then led Chicago on a 9 play drive that took all but 36 seconds off the clock, and Leon Rupe capped it off with the game winning FG.

Oakland QB Andrew Moreno completed 25/34 for 301 yards and 2 TDs, with Nelson Martinez catching 1 as part of his 4-96 yard receiving day. Ronald McDevitt had 151 combined yards, 74 rushing and 77 receiving. For Chicago, Ronald Brown was 25/32, 318 yards with 3 TDs and an INT. Ian Gordon caught 4 passes for 165 yards and a TD to help Chicago stay 1 game behind Michigan in the Midwest race.

Stars 38 Thunderbolts 24

Baltimore got 415 yards and 5 TDs from QB Jon Snow as the Stars keep their playoff hopes alive, hurting Cleveland's chances in the process. The Thunderbolts also moved the ball well on Baltimore, but they came away empty on 3 of their 5 red zone possessions, with 2 missed FGs by Carlos Reed. Cleveland scored first on a 17 yard Tony Romo pass to Howard Buxton before Jon Snow led Baltimore to 4 straight TD drives for a 28-7 lead. Cleveland's Bobby Colley then ripped off a 75 yard TD run, but that's as close as the Thunderbolts would get. The Stars were led by RB Orville Barker who ran for 75 yards and caught 10 passes for 165 yards and 2 TDs.

Bell 17 Sun 13

Philadelphia was the story of the league a few weeks ago as the last undefeated team, but the Bell have since lost 3 in a row. Philadelphia entered play today solidly in position as the top wildcard, but another loss would put even more pressure on the Bell, who haven't made the post season since 1982. The game was an offensive struggle, with both teams missing a FG and punting often as Southern California held a 13-7 lead with under 4 minutes to play. Despite the offensive struggles, both teams played turnover free football up to this point, but the Sun's Brian Dow fumbled the ball away after a reception and Robert Hernandez found Craig Hines for a TD a few plays later to give Philadelphia a 14-13 lead. Sun QB Wilmer Kimble then threw an interception on the next drive, allowing the Bell to tack on 3 points and hold on for their 10th win of the season. 

Maulers 14 Bulls 12

Pittsburgh is currently the #6 seed in the National Conference, but they have Baltimore hot on their heels and need to keep winning. Jacksonville may have a 1-11-1 record but 5 of the losses have been by 1 score, including three by 3 points or less, so they are better than their record shows. The Bulls gave Pittsburgh all they wanted, but they couldn't put the ball in the end zone, settling for 4 Brian Johnson FGs. Pittsburgh QB Will Allison threw 2 TD passes for just enough points to beat Jacksonville today. Maulers RB Chris Goldberg had 100 combined yards and there were 18 different players catching a pass today, 10 Maulers and 8 Bulls.

Federals 32 Bandits 13

Washington QB Scott Bieber had his best game in awhile, tossing a pair of first half TD passes to lead the Federals to victory and dealing a blow to the playoff hopes of Tampa Bay. Bieber completed 23/35 for 315 yards and no INTs to go with the aforementioned TD passes and K John Bazile booted 6 FGs. WR Ronald Matthews helped Bieber's stat line with 6 catches, 170 yards and a TD. The win maintains Washington's 2 game lead on Pittsburgh and 3 game lead on Baltimore, and the Federals should end up winning the division, in play for a BYE. Tampa Bay is still alive in the wildcard race, but this loss severely hurts their chances, as they are 2 games behind Pittsburgh for the final spot, and Baltimore is also ahead of the Bandits in the standings.

Gold 16 SaberCats 10

San Jose was hoping to clinch the division today and eliminate the defending champs at the same time, but the Gold were not having any of that. Denver's defense kept the SaberCats out of the end zone, as their lone TD came courtesy of a Richard Alcantara INT return. The Gold held San Jose to 233 total yards and a horrible 1/16 on 3rd downs, although the SaberCats were 2/3 on 4th down. Andrew Brewer led Denver to a 90 yard TD drive on their opening possession, then the defense and K Robert Deacon took over. Denver keeps their slim playoff hopes alive while San Jose remains 1 win or 1 Honolulu loss away from winning the Pacific.

(NY) Stars 38 Renegades 37

New York and Orlando might be eliminated from the post season, but they might have played the most entertaining game of the day. New York RB William Hall scored an Al Bundy-esque 4 TDs today, but unlike the former Polk High star, Hall scored in a variety of ways. Hall took the opening kickoff 103 yards for a TD and an instant 7-0 lead for the Stars. RB Jose Rush tied the game for Jacksonville with a short TD run then Daniel Costigan intercepted Willie Bust, returning it 24 yards to break the tie. This kickoff, Scott Mueller tried to kick it out of the end zone, but came up just short, as Hall caught it at the back line and took another one to the house, this one going the maximum 110 yards. Orlando QB Emory Howard then threw a pair of 2nd qtr TD passes to give the Renegades a halftime lead of 28-14. 

William Hall got New York back within 7 on a short TD run before Orlando booted 3 FGs to take a 37-21 lead with 9 minutes to play. Willie Bust then led New York to a TD, cutting the lead to 37-28 with 4:41 to play. The Stars tried an onside kick, which was successful and 6 plays later, Bust found William Hall for an 18 yard TD, Hall's 4th of the game. That got New York within 37-35 with 3 minutes to play and the Stars tried another successful onside kick. Bust drove the Stars into FG range, where Ed Jetton nailed a 34 yard kick with 1:40 to play and the New York defense holds on for the victory.

Gamblers 45 Gunslingers 3

Houston ran all over San Antonio as Donald Turner's 101 yards and 2 TDs led the Gamblers RBBC that gained 286 yards on 45 carries. Tony Dean complimented that effort by completing 22/25 for 233 yards and 3 TDs, with Jett Black hauling in 2 of the scores. Defensively, the Gamblers had trouble stopping the run, but they harassed Robert Fanelli into a 13/33, 86 yard 2 INT day as the Gamblers improve to 11-2 on the year.

Storm 31 Wranglers 13

Portland QB Melvin Driggers threw for 355 yards and 4 TDs to lead the Storm to victory over an Arizona team that showed some defensive fight today. The Wranglers did not allow the Storm running game to get going, and despite the yards allowed, they did intercept 3 passes and recovered a fumble, as Arizona was within 7 points until late in the 3rd quarter. The Wranglers also didn't turn the ball over themselves, but they struggled to maintain drives against the stingy Storm defense. Certainly not Portland's best game, but it's a win and they remain in the top spot in the American Conference.

Blazers 28 Hornets 0

Southeast Division Champion Florida had a ho-hum victory over Charlotte today, as the Blazers defense shutout Charlotte. QB Sidney Maggard completed 23/25 for 275 yards and TD passes to 4 different receivers, with Ray Parker leading the way with 104 yards and a TD. RB Robert Romero rushed for 95 yards and the Florida defense held the Hornets to 212 total yards. 

Generals 23 Hawaiians 3

Honolulu shut down the New Jersey running game (17 yards on 19 carries) and held Don Ferguson to exactly 300 yards passing, about 65 lower than average. Ferguson still completed 35/45 with 2 TDs and no INTs or sacks, while the Generals defense forced 2 turnovers and kept the Hawaiians out of the end zone. New Jersey is close to clinching the East and will be no worse than a wildcard, while this loss does hurt Honolulu's chances at winning the Pacific, they are tied with 2 other teams for the #6 seed, but currently fall short in tiebreakers according to MFN.

Breakers 27 Express 13

Boston RB George Cade ran for 88 yards and a TD to lead the Breakers RBBC that ran for 231 yards. The Breakers scored the first 3 times they had the ball to take a 17-6 halftime lead before William Mauriello's 69 yard pass to Corey Gibbons early in the 3rd trimmed the deficit to 17-13. Early in the 4th, Mauriello found Gary Sappington with a pass, but John Briggs forced a fumble that John Nelson scooped up for a 24 yard TD return, extending Boston's lead to 24-13. Sappington finished with a combined 143 yards (81 rushing, 62 receiving) and Gibbons finished with 103 receiving yards, but it was Boston winning the most important category, points.

Week 12: Portland and New Jersey Clinch Playoff Berths

 Week 12 saw the Portland Storm defeat the 10-1 Florida Blazers and clinch the West Division title in the process. The New Jersey Generals have not won the East yet, but they have clinched at least a wildcard spot with today's win over Baltimore. We have 9 teams already eliminated, leaving 21 teams fighting for the remaining 10 playoff spots. Good luck down the stretch everyone.

Storm 26 Blazers 7

Portland and Florida entered the game with identical 10-1 records, with the Storm coming out on top, clinching the West Division. Storm RB James Pritchard's short TD run got Portland on the board first and Timothy Roquemore ran in a score in the 2nd for a 14-0 lead. QB Melvin Driggers was an efficient 24/31 for 217 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. The TD came in the 2nd qtr as Portland took a 20-0 lead into halftime, but Alan Grossi missed the XP. Portland would extend the lead in the 3rd when Pritchard ran in an 86 yard TD run. Grossi missed the XP again, but the Portland defense allowed just a 4th qtr TD to win the game 26-7.

Generals 53 Stars 16

New Jersey scored 5 times in the first quarter alone, with 3 touchdowns, a FG and a safety for a quick 26-0 lead. K Al Borland extended the lead to 29-0 early in the 2nd before Baltimore went on a 16-0 run to get within 13 points midway through the 3rd. New Jersey then went on another run of their own, scoring the last 24 points of the game to win going away. The win plus the Florida loss means the Generals are currently the #1 seed in the National Conference. New Jersey and Florida play each other in Week 15. The loss puts Baltimore in a tough spot, tied with Tampa Bay 1 game behind Pittsburgh for the last wildcard spot.

For Baltimore, Jon Snow was 25/45, 271 yards, 1 TD and 4 INTs, with the TD going to John Warkentin, who caught 4 for 119 yards. Generals QB Don Ferguson was 40/52, 489 yards, 5 TDs and 1 INT. RB Sam Beckett ran for 68 yards and a TD with 5 catches covering 84 yards, for a solid game. Rookie RB David Koresh only ran for 25 yards, but he caught 13 passes for 185 yards and a TD. 

Steamer 13 Showboats 8

Jeffrey Morris ran for a short TD and David Oldham ran 25 times for 100 yards to lead Shreveport to 13 points today. Neither QB topped 200 yards and both were sacked twice, but Memphis QB Norman Maldonado threw 2 INTs leading to 10 Shreveport points. Shreveport held Memphis to 239 total yards and 2/15 on 3rd down conversions as Shreveport upsets Memphis.

Gamblers 30 Outlaws 7

Tony Dean didn't have his most efficient game, but he was 33/50, 409 yards, 3 TDs and 2 INTs to lead Houston to victory. RB Donald Turner ran for 63 yards and had 97 receiving yards to lead the skill group. Dean's TD passes went to Jett Black, Lloyd Ellis and Hugh Chance. The Gamblers defense forced 3 turnovers and held Oklahoma to 252 yards.

Stallions 31 VooDoo 14

New Orleans and Birmingham met to determine which team would be at the top of the South and the VooDoo got on the board first. Donald Briggs ran it in from 2 yards out for a 7-0 New Orleans lead, but Birmingham took the lead into halftime with a FG and a Willie Benge TD pass. Richard Sutton ran in a TD for the Stallions in the 3rd qtr and Birmingham led 17-7 heading to the 4th. The Stallions extended the lead to 20-7 before Bruno Wilson found Donald Marsh for a short TD pass to pull New Orleans within 6. There was just 2:22 to play so the VooDoo opted to try an onside kick. That failed, leading to another FG, then Bruno Wilson threw a Pick 6 to Charles Sermons, and the 2 point conversion was good. The win means Birmingham is in sole possession of first place in the South.

Maulers 19 Blitz 10

Pittsburgh scored the first 3 times they had the ball, although only one score was a TD, as they built a 13-0 lead. QB Will Allison finished the day 27/42, 275 yards and a 22 yard TD pass to Joel Davis and the Maulers defense forced Chicago into three and outs on their first 5 drives. The 6th Blitz drive of the half ended with an interception, as did their first second half "drive". That INT turned into a FG for Pittsburgh, extending their lead to 16-0. Chicago tried to get back into the game with a TD and a FG on their next 2 drives, but they would get no closer, as they would miss a FG and turn the ball over on downs twice. The win coupled with the Baltimore loss means Pittsburgh controls their own playoff destiny, as the Maulers are currently the #6 seed.

Hawaiians 12 Bell 7

Philadelphia came into the game on a 2 game losing streak after starting the season 9-0, and they needed a good showing today to get their confidence back. QB Robert Hernandez got the Bell on the board first with a 36 yard TD pass to James Jones for an early 7-0 lead. Honolulu is also in the playoff hunt, currently the #6 seed in the American Conference, and Derek Henry brought them back with a 2nd qtr TD pass to Michael Argueta, but the XP was no good. That left the Bell still leading 7-6, and Hawaiians K David McInnis also missed a FG attempt previously. 

Philadelphia's offense went nowhere after their TD and neither QB played particularly well, with Henry tossing 3 INTs and Hernandez 2. Henry did manage to throw a 2nd TD pass early in the 4th qtr to Delmar Moeller, but the 2 point try failed, making the score 12-7 Honolulu. Philadelphia's last 4 drives resulted in an interception, three and out, four and out, and the end of the game, 40 yards short of the game winning TD.

Gold 25 Panthers 9

Our defending champs Denver are currently the 10th seed, 2 games out of the last wildcard spot, and while extra games seems unlikely, they can still play spoiler. With their top 2 RB hurt, the Gold threw it on every down except the final kneeldown of the game. Midwest leading Michigan only ran 11 times as we had a whopping 143 passes thrown, 88 by Denver's Andrew Brewer. Despite the lack of rushing attempts, the teams combined for 3 fumbles, which is odd. Despite all of the passes, no receiver had a 100 yard game and the first TD was scored in the 4th qtr with 5:45 to play. Up to the TD, Denver was winning the FG contest 6-2 for an 18-6 lead. 

Brewer finished the game 53/88, 335 yards, 1 TD and 3 INTs, getting sacked twice. Michigan's Larry Henderson completed 21/55, 116 yards, 2 INTs and 7 sacks. 

Thunderbolts 30 Invaders 19

The Michigan loss opened the door for Cleveland to tie the Panthers atop the Midwest if they could defeat Oakland today. Tony Romo found James Bull for a 49 yard TD to give the Thunderbolts a 10-3 lead in the 2nd qtr, before throwing interceptions on the next 2 drives. Those turnovers led to a pair of Andrew Moreno TD passes to Patrick Miller and the Invaders took a 16-10 lead into halftime. 

In the second half, Cleveland scored touchdowns on their first 3 possessions, while Oakland managed just a FG and the Thunderbolts would go on to win the game. Romo ended with 2 TD passes and the Cleveland running game added 191 yards and a pair of scores, including a 76 yard TD run by Evan Hershey.

Federals 20 Hornets 0

A good running game and solid defense can be a struggling QB's best friends, and that's the case for Federals QB Scott Bieber. RB Robert Trammell ran for 73 yards and had 72 yards receiving while the Washington defense held Charlotte to just 98 offensive yards as Washington shut out the Hornets 20-0. Bieber finished 25/34, 205 yards, 0 TD but also 0 INT, with a 2 point conversion pass to Trammell. K John Bazile added 4 FGs to the scoreboard tally.

SaberCats 55 Gunslingers 2

San Jose had their big play offense working today, while the defense shut out San Antonio, with the only Gunslingers points coming on a safety by their defense. The SaberCats ran for 132 yards as a team on 42 carries, and it would have looked better but Ryan Clark gained 15 feet on 24 carries. That's only 5 yards however, and whatever they did against Clark, they did not do against Rodney Richardson, who had 120 yards and a TD on 14 carries. QB Jake Plummer continues to do a lot with few pass attempts, throwing for 458 yards and 6 TDs on only 15 completions in 21 attempts. WR Mark Hsu caught all 6 TDs, finishing with 391 yards on 8 catches.

Bandits 29 Renegades 20

Tampa Bay got out to a 20-3 halftime lead on Orlando as Antonio Martinez fired a 1st qtr TD pass and the Bandits defense returned a fumble for a TD. Tampa Bay would extend the lead to 23-3 before Orlando came back with 17 unanswered points to get within 23-20. The Bandits would score a pair of FGs in the 4th, extending their lead to 29-20, and they held on for the win. Martinez finished 21/31, 402 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT, with 117 yards going to Garry Fowler on 4 receptions. 

Breakers 13 Bulls 13 (OT)

Jacksonville and Boston played 70 minutes of football without determining a winner in a mistake filled game. The Bulls out rushed the Breakers 138-130 despite half as many carries but Derek Joyce tossed 4 INTs, which led to 10 of Boston's 13 points. The Breakers turned the ball over twice, once on an INT, once on a fumble and each kicker missed game winning FG opportunities. Jacksonville K Brian Johnson was hoping to shake all night long but his 45 yard FG attempt in the final minute was wide right, making the walk back to the sideline feel like the highway to hell. Misery loves company though, as Ellis Devoe was also wide right on a 45 yard FG try as the OT clock expired, leaving the game tied.

(NY) Stars 13 Force 7

New York got 83 yards rushing from William Hall and he caught a 3 yard pass from Willie Bust for the Stars only TD of the game as they defeat Georgia today. New York K Ed Jetton booted a pair of FGs and the Stars defense held off a late rally, as the clock expired with Georgia 11 yards away from the end zone. This was New York's 2nd straight win while Georgia lost their 3rd in a row.

Wheels 13 Wranglers 3

Arizona scored first and the Wranglers played turnover free football, but the Detroit offense did just enough to win the game 13-3. Detroit turned the ball over once, but they converted 11/18 3rd downs with 311 yards of offense. QB Gabriel Flanagan completed 35/46 for 259 yards with a TD and an INT. The TD was a 6 yard pass to Thomas Barrera that gave the Wheels a 10-3 lead at the half. The second half was mostly punts for both teams, with Detroit ending one drive with a FG and the Wranglers had the clock run out on their last drive. The Wheels hold on for their 3rd straight win, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive.

Sun 29 Express 10

Southern California had 410 offensive yards and the Sun scored on 7 of their 11 drives in defeating Los Angeles today. QB Wilmer Kimble completed 28/46 for 297 yards and 1 TD that should have been 2. Kimble completed a pass to Joseph Baker, who got down to the Express 4 yard line before fumbling the ball. It took a perfect bounce though, as Baker recovered his own fumble in the end zone for a TD, which does not get credited to Kimble. The TD Kimble did get went to RB Gene Ingram, who caught 7 for 124 yards. Southern California did allow Los Angeles 298 offensive yards but they also sacked William Mauriello twice and forced him into 2 INTs.

Week 11: Memphis Wins Part 1 of the Southwest Showdown

 Going to be a quick blog for Week 11 since we've already played Week 12, and there weren't many compelling games. 

Showboats 23 Gamblers 16

Memphis and Houston have been battling each other for division supremacy since 1985 and both teams entered this game with identical 9-1 records. In these last 8 seasons, they have a combined 5 World Bowl wins, so the eyes of the USFL were on this game. 

These teams are so evenly matched they both scored the same amount of points in each of the first 3 quarters. They were tied 3-3 after 1, tied at halftime 13-13, and it was 16 all after 3 quarters. Then came the 4th quarter, where Memphis scored a TD, thanks to a Norman Maldonado 1 yard pass to Mark Glenn and the Showboats defense forced Houston into 3 three and out drives to win the game and control of the Southwest.

Stats wise, the difference was the running game of Memphis. Erik McNamee ran 19 times for 161 yards and a TD and the Showboats got 7 yards per carry today, holding Houston under 3 ypc. The Gamblers frustrated Maldonado today, as he was less than 50% passing, completing 22/47 for 204 yards with 1 TD and 2 INTs. Houston also sacked Maldonado 3 times, but the Memphis running game allowed the Showboats to convert 7/18 3rd down opportunities, while Houston was just 3/13. Adding to Houston's woes was 12 penalties for minus 75 yards while Memphis had 2 flags for minus 15 yards. The rematch is set for Week 16.

Panthers 13 Thunderbolts 3

Cleveland and Michigan played for the second time this season as they battle it out with Chicago to see who wins the Midwest. Panthers QB Larry Henderson threw a 4 yard TD pass to Walter Simmons in the 2nd qtr for the game's only TD and the Michigan defense made that stand up for the win. Henderson completed less than 50% of his passes and was intercepted twice but still wasn't as bad as Tony Romo today. Romo was barely over 50%, 23/45, but he also threw 3 INTs and was sacked twice. For now, the win gives Michigan a 1 game lead on Cleveland and Chicago.

Blazers 37 Stars 23

This was a rematch of last season's National Conference Championship, and while Florida enjoys a big lead in the Southeast, Baltimore is fighting for their playoff lives. Florida QB Sidney Maggard threw a pair of 1st qtr TD passes as the Blazers had a 17-7 lead after 15 minutes but Baltimore tied it up by halftime as Jon Snow found John Warkentin for scoring passes in the first and second quarters.

In the second half, the Florida defense forced a fumble, then 4 straight three and out drives while Maggard led the Blazers to 17 more points and a 34-17 lead with under 6 minutes to play. Both QBs threw for over 300 yards and had 3 TD passes to 1 INT, with John Warkentin the leading skill player catching 6 balls for 122 yards and 2 TDs. The Florida win gives them a 4 game lead over Tampa Bay while the Baltimore loss hurts their playoff chances, and they will need to bounce back against 10-1 New Jersey next week.

Federals 33 Maulers 17

Washington and Pittsburgh faced off in an important Atlantic division game, and this was all about the QB play and Robert Trammell. Scott Bieber is having his worst season, but he had a good game today, completing 23/37 for 257 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT. Pittsburgh QB Will Allison threw for more yards than Bieber, completing 33/54 for 332 yards, but for just 1 TD with 4 INTs. Washington built up a 33-3 lead entering the 4th before the Maulers made the final closer the final 15 minutes.

Pittsburgh WR Joel Davis was the only skill player on either team to top 100 yards, catching 7 for 114 yards and a TD. RB Robert Trammell had 164 combined yards to lead Washington, gaining 79 on the ground, adding 85 more and a TD on 10 receptions.The victory gives Washington a 2 game edge on both Pittsburgh and Baltimore in the Atlantic.

SaberCats 31 Hawaiians 6

San Jose and Honolulu faced off in an important Pacific division game, as the Hawaiians entered the game 1 game back of the SaberCats for the top spot. The teams took different approaches to this game, with Honolulu deciding to air it out, throwing 68 times today. Derek Henry completed 38 for 318 yards, with 0 TD and 0 INT, getting sacked 4 times. San Jose ran twice as often as they passed, with RB Rodney Richardson gaining 98 yards on 24 carries. Jake Plummer only attempted 17 passes, completing 12, but the completions went for 365 yards as the SaberCats had the big play working today. Plummer threw 4 TD passes, 3 to Mark Hsu, who caught 4 total for 271 yards.

Storm 27 Gold 6

The hangover season continues for our defending champs, as they have now been swept by Portland and are 2 games behind in the wildcard race. Denver had 330 offensive yards to 399 for Portland but the Storm were much better at turning their yards into points. Portland QB Melvin Driggers threw for 301 yards and 3 TDs, all to Richard Robinson, who caught 8 in all for 197 yards. The Storm scored the last 17 points of the game after Denver cut the lead down to 10-6 in the 2nd qtr. Portland improves to 10-1 and is very close to clinching the West division crown.

Generals 49 Force 22

New Jersey used to win with defense back when they lost World Bowls with regularity, but now they are winning with the league's #1 rated offense, with QB Don Ferguson throwing the ball all over the field. Georgia put up 381 yards of offense today, including 353 passing yards by Milton People, but the Force defense couldn't stop Ferguson. The Generals scored TDs on all 6 of their red zone possessions as Ferguson completed 35/50, 387 yards, 7 TDs and 1 INT. WR Duncan Meyer caught 6 passes for 157 yards and 2 TDs, while RBs Sam Beckett and David Koresh also caught 2 scores apiece. Beckett caught 6 for 50 yards while gaining 91 on the ground for 141 combined yards. 

Bandits 41 Bell 32

The box score of this game is pretty even all the way down, and the score indicates a possible hard fought, back and forth type game, but things played out differently on the field. The game was tied at 10 after a quarter, but Tampa Bay scored 21 points in the 2nd for a 31-10 halftime lead. Following a scoreless 3rd qtr, Philadelphia cut the lead to 31-19 with 6:50 to play and they tried an onside kick that failed. Tampa Bay used the field position to pad the lead by 3 with a FG. Philadelphia then went down the field for a TD, but again the 2 point try failed so the Bell were still down 9. This onside kick was successful and the Bell went down for another TD, cutting the lead to 2 with a little over 3 minutes to play. Philadelphia tried a 3rd onside kick but this one failed, allowing the Bandits to score a TD and put the game away.

For Philadelphia, Robert Hernandez completed 29/38 for 390 yards and 4 TDs while Craig Hines caught 2 for 113 yards and a TD. Tampa Bay QB Antonio Martinez was 20/39, 358 yards, 5 TDs and 1 INT. Most of the damage was done by Garry Fowler, who caught 8 passes for 254 yards and 3 TDs. 

Stallions 26 Hornets 7

Both teams had 296 yards of offense, but Birmingham forced 5 Charlotte turnovers and sacked Robert Ament 3 times, including once for a safety. Willie Benge threw for 3 TDs, all to different receivers to lead Birmingham to the win that ties them with New Orleans atop the South. Birmingham spread the ball around for their 296 yards while Charlotte RB David Delgadillo had a combined 133 yards, with 70 rushing yards and 63 receiving on 8 catches.

Gunslingers 23 VooDoo 3

San Antonio beat New Orleans today thanks to defense, ball control rushing, and a couple of long pass plays. The Gunslingers kept Thomas Thomas and the VooDoo offense in check, allowing only 169 total yards and forcing Bruno Wilson into 2 interceptions. Offensively, San Antonio got 136 rushing yards as a team, with Randy Leger scoring a TD and Charlie Shanks gaining 89 yards on 26 carries. QB Robert Fanelli only threw 16 passes today, completing 10 for 186 yards and a TD. WR Eugene Bufkin led the way with 5 receptions, 137 yards and a TD.

Blitz 33 Wranglers 0

Chicago made Arizona look like the 1992 version of the Wranglers as the Blitz allowed just 94 total yards, getting 3 turnovers and 7 sacks, with Douglas Russell taking an INT to the end zone for a TD. With the defense dominating, Chicago played it safe on offense, mostly handing off to Dale Davis and Jay Kinder. Davis ran for 127 yards and a score on 31 carries, adding 57 yards on 3 receptions while Kinder ran for 73 yards on 10 carries. Chicago stays 1 game behind Michigan in the Midwest.

Renegades 23 Bulls 20

Orlando scored the first 3 times they had the ball as they built a 20-3 halftime lead. Jacksonville chipped away with a FG and a pair of Derek Joyce TD passes to Anthony Holland to tie the game at 20 just before the 2 minute warning. Orlando QB Emory Howard led the Renegades downfield quickly, getting the eventual game winning FG with 1:41 left, then the defense intercepted Joyce on the next play to seal the win. Howard finished 27/36, 286 yards, 1 TD and 2 INT while RB Ben Dehaven had 143 combined yards and a TD to lead Orlando. 

(NY) Stars 17 Steamer 9

New York RB William Hall ran for 62 yards and a TD while Willie Bust's 2nd qtr TD pass to Stanley Hart gave the Stars an early 14-0 advantage. Shreveport was forced to punt on 6 of their first 7 possessions, with their 1 play "drive" at the end of the half the lone exception. The Steamer offense started gaining yards in the second half, but they had to settle for FGs on all 3 red zone trips as they could not get any closer than 8 points to New York.

Express 30 Outlaws 17

Oklahoma got off on the wrong foot, fumbling the opening kickoff to give Los Angeles a short field. Two plays later, William Mauriello fired a TD pass for a quick 7-0 lead. The Outlaws came back to tie it, but Mauriello would throw 2 more TD passes in the first half, both to Corey Gibbons (6-157-2) as the Express built a 27-7 halftime lead. Oklahoma QB John Crisp tried to bring the Outlaws back, completing 25/29 for 260 yards and a TD, but the RBBC was ineffective, gaining 78 yards on 32 carries (2.44 ypc). Oklahoma got as close as 10 at the 2 minute warning, but the onside kick failed and Los Angeles added a FG to pad their lead and seal the win.

Wheels 31 Invaders 10

Detroit had 460 offensive yards and the Wheels defense forced 3 turnovers in today's win over Oakland. The Invaders did get big games from RB Ronald McDevitt (94 rushing yards, 60 receiving) and Nelson Martinez (9 receptions, 118 yards) but those turnovers and a bad defensive day hurt the cause. Andrew Moreno threw 2 INTs while his counterpart for Detroit, Gabriel Flanagan, was on fire. Flanagan completed 27/35, 408 yards and 4 TDs, each to different receivers. His favorite target Matthew Houston did not catch a TD, but he did catch 9 for 148 yards to lead the receivers. 

Sun 28 Breakers 0

Boston traveled to Southern California and they got way more Sun than they bargained for, as the Breakers were shutout. Boston QB Joseph Haight threw 4 INTs and the Breakers offense generated only 158 yards today. Southern California QBs also threw 4 INTs, backup Gary Wiggins threw 1 while Wilmer Kimble threw 3. While Boston struggled as a whole, the Sun moved the ball well when they weren't turning it over as they ran for 137 yards and passed for 283. Kimble finished the day 24/41, 260 yards, 4 TDs and 3 INTs, with Victor Smith catching 2 of the scores. RB Gene Ingram led the rushing attack with 72 yards on 11 carries, adding 36 yards and a TD on 5 receptions.

Week 10: Philadelphia Finally Loses

 The longest winning streak in Philadelphia Bell history is over after they were defeated by the New Jersey Generals 47-33. Congratulations on being the last team to lose this season. The Generals victory means New Jersey and Philadelphia are now tied atop the East with identical 9-1 records. The East is not the only division tied with 9-1 records, as the Memphis Showboats and Houston Gamblers are both 9-1 atop the Southwest. Week 11 marks the first of 2 Memphis/Houston games, with the rematch set for Week 16. Let's check on what happened in Week 10.

Generals 47 Bell 33

New Jersey got out to an early 17-3 lead before Philadelphia pulled within 17-10 midway through the 2nd quarter. The Bell would tie it with a TD inside the 2 minute warning, capping off a 12 play, 86 yard drive. This TD was a 3 yard Robert Hernandez pass to Robert Cooper and was just the beginning of a very wild and crazy final 90 seconds of the first half. On the very next play from scrimmage, Don Ferguson threw an 81 yard TD pass to Duncan Meyer as the Generals retook the lead, briefly. On the very next play from scrimmage, the Bell handed off to Jamie Epperson and he burst through the New Jersey defense for a 75 yard TD, tying the game at 24. Stop me if you've heard this before, but on the very next play from scrimmage, Ferguson hooked up with Meyer again for a 75 yard TD pass that gave the Generals a 31-24 halftime lead. In case you're not counting at home, that's 4 TDs in 4 consecutive plays from scrimmage, something we probably have not seen since the old days of MFN versions gone by. That was the end of the first half scoring, but the excitement was still happening. On the very next play from scrimmage, Jamie Epperson fumbled the ball away to the Generals and Don Ferguson had the New Jersey offense ready to score, but on 2nd and goal from the 2, he threw an INT.

Things settled down a bit in the second half as each team added a 3rd qtr FG and a Don Ferguson 25 yard TD pass to Kurt Cobain on the first play of the 4th gave New Jersey a 41-27 lead. Philadelphia would get 2 FGs in the 4th to get within 41-33 with 7:21 to play, but they decided to try an onside kick, which failed. New Jersey didn't score, but the field position led to their next FG following a Philadelphia turnover on downs at their own 28 inside 3 minutes to go. Robert Hernandez was intercepted twice inside the final 2 minutes, allowing New Jersey to get the victory that ties the East.

Stat time. For Philadelphia, Robert Hernandez threw 2 TD passes but was otherwise ineffective, completing 18/38, 204 yards and 2 INTs. RB Jamie Epperson ran 20 times for 175 yards and a TD. For the Generals, Don Ferguson completed 32/43, 508 yards, 4 TDs and 3 INTs, with WR Duncan Meyer catching 9 passes for 261 yards and 3 TDs. RB Sam Beckett ran for 62 yards and a TD, adding 7 receptions for 117 yards. 

Stars 27 Maulers 23

I failed to mention above that New Jersey won despite committing 5 turnovers, and I was reminded of that when I looked at this box score, as Baltimore also won despite 5 turnovers in an important divisional game. In between the turnovers, the Stars moved the ball well, to the tune of 496 yards, converting 7/13 3rd down conversions. Baltimore got a 71 yard Jon Snow TD to John Warkentin and a 102 yard kickoff return TD from Ernest Wiley to take a 14-3 2nd qtr lead. The teams then had a 2 minute warning fireworks display, though not quite like the Generals/Bell game. First, Will Allison tossed a 23 yard TD pass to Chris Goldberg then Snow found John Warkentin for another TD. That left just enough time for Allison to complete a 35 yard pass to set up a Brett Bowman 58 yard FG for a halftime score of 21-13 Stars.

In the second half, Baltimore would add a FG, extending the lead to 24-13, but Allison would fire his 2nd TD pass late in the 3rd and a 4th qtr Bowman FG got Pittsburgh within 24-23. The rest of the game was exchanging punts until the final seconds, when Fred Boyce tacked on a FG. Chris Goldberg was the star of the game for Pittsburgh, with 42 rushing yards to go with 5 receptions, 100 yards and a TD. Jon Snow threw for 295 yards and 2 TDs, with 4 INTs, finding John Warkentin 7 times for 191 and 2 scores. RB Orville Barker had 165 combined yards, 107 rushing and William Halford added 87 rushing yards.

Showboats 46 Express 7

Memphis scored 3 TDs in the first quarter and rode that momentum to a blow out win over Los Angeles. Norman Maldonado threw for 513 yards and 4 TDs, all to Mark Glenn who had a monster day receiving. Glenn had TDs of 69, 79, 60, and 91 yards, with a total of 333 yards on 8 receptions. RB Thomas Saunders had 151 combined yards, leading the team with 75 rushing yards, adding 76 on 4 receptions. The Showboats defense shut down the Los Angeles running game, forced William Mauriello into a sub 50% completion rate, sacked him once and held the Express to 2/16 on 3rd down.

Gamblers 58 Outlaws 9

It was the Tony Dean show in Houston as Mr. MVP threw for 510 yards and 7 TD passes, leading Houston to scores the first 7 times they had the ball. Jett Black was the leading receiver with 204 yards and 3 TDs on 6 catches, while RB Donald Turner also caught 6, gaining 170 yards with 2 TDs. Turner also ran for 76 yards for a combined 246. 

Storm 38 Bandits 13

Tampa Bay scored the first TD of the game on what I can only guess was the fumblerooski play. The game log just says Touchdown, and the video just shows the center fall on the ball in the end zone. Portland QB Melvin Driggers threw a pair of first half TD passes and the Storm led at the half 14-10. Neither team scored in the 3rd, but Portland scored 24 unanswered 4th quarter points to seize control of the game and defeat the Bandits. Driggers finished the game 36/41, 422 yards and 5 TDs, with Peter Jesse leading the way with 8 catches, 113 yards and 2 TDs. Defensively, the Storm intercepted Antonio Martinez twice and sacked him twice as well. 

Blazers 37 Bulls 27

Florida QB Sidney Maggard tossed 3 first half TD passes, 2 to Ray Parker and the Blazers defense overcame 180 rushing yards and 2 TDs from Tyron Bailey to defeat Jacksonville. Parker caught 4 for 133 yards in all and Robert Romero had 100 rushing yards to lead the Florida offense. Jacksonville played hard but the Blazers eventually pulled away from the stubborn Bulls.

Federals 13 Thunderbolts 0

Washington passed for 152 yards and ran for 151 in a truly balanced attack and the defense shutout Cleveland as the Federals win to take sole possession of 1st place in the Atlantic. Struggling Scott Bieber did complete 23/29 but for just 152 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT. RB Robert Trammell led the Washington offense with 129 total yards, 76 rushing. Cleveland didn't turn the ball over, but they couldn't sustain drives against the stingy Federals defense.

Blitz 30 Panthers 10

Michigan QB Larry Henderson threw 10 interceptions the first 2 weeks of the season but only 2 since, including three straight games with none. One of those first 2 games was against today's opponent Chicago, and the Blitz intercepted Henderson 4 times yet still lost in Week 1. This time around, Chicago intercepted Henderson 7 times, with Jeffery Welch taking 1 in for a TD. Blitz CB Douglas Russell intercepted 4 passes today, giving him a league leading 9 on the season. Offensively, Chicago ran for 198 yards with Dale Davis gaining 142 with a TD on 31 carries. The Chicago win tightens up the Midwest race as the 5-5 Blitz are just a game behind Michigan and Cleveland.

Hawaiians 21 (NY) Stars 3

Honolulu couldn't get out of their own way in the first half, as their 5 drives ended with a punt, downs, missed FG, fumble, and interception. New York couldn't take advantage, with just a FG during the first 30 minutes for a 3-0 lead. Derek Henry bounced back in the 3rd qtr however, leading a pair of scoring drives that ended in TD passes. Henry added a 3rd TD in the 4th qtr and Honolulu wins to improve to 6-4. Hawaiians RB Anthony Davis had 201 combined yards, running for 112 on 18 carries, adding 89 receiving yards and a TD on 7 receptions. The next 4 weeks will make or break Honolulu's season: @ (7-3) San Jose, vs (9-1) Philadelphia, @ (9-1) New Jersey, and @ (9-1) Portland. 

Breakers 15 SaberCats 9

Three weeks ago San Jose had a 3 game lead over Honolulu, but today's loss is their 2nd in the last 3 games and the lead is down to 1. The SaberCats did get 111 rushing yards from Rodney Richardson, but the Breakers made life miserable for Jake Plummer and the passing game. Boston intercepted Plummer twice, sacked him twice, and held him to 12/36 passing for 137 yards. They also kept Mark Hsu in check, allowing him 68 scoreless yards on 5 catches. The Breakers weren't great on offense, but they didn't turn the ball over and QB Joseph Haight was a solid 20/30 for 186 yards and a TD.

VooDoo 23 Force 17

Georgia was looking to tighten up the race in the South, and they got the scoring underway with a 67 yard Milton People TD pass to John Huynh in the first qtr. New Orleans RB Thomas Thomas tied it with a short TD run before Georgia got a FG and a short INT return for a TD to take a 17-7 2nd qtr lead. As the first half wound to a close, People had the Force poised to score but a red zone INT thwarted any chance for points. To add insult to injury, the VooDoo took possession and drove for a FG as the half expired. 

The turnovers continued in the 3rd quarter as Georgia lost fumbles that directly led to 10 points for New Orleans. The first fumble led to a FG, cutting the lead to 17-13 and the second fumble led to a 17 yard Joseph Jones TD pass to Nicholas Dorey that gave the VooDoo the lead for good. New Orleans would add an important FG at the 2 minute warning because Georgia got the ball after that and drove all the way down to the VooDoo 7 yard line. Down 6 instead of 3, they had to go for it on 4th and goal from the 7 but the Force turned it over on downs and New Orleans hangs on for the win.

Stallions 21 Steamer 3

Birmingham and Shreveport met to determine which team would remain 1 game behind New Orleans in the South. Shreveport won the turnover battle 3-0 but the Steamer offense had trouble moving the ball on the Stallions. Birmingham sacked George Marcil 4 times while their QB Willie Benge tossed 3 TD passes to Theodore Turner as the Stallions defeat division rival Shreveport. Turner had 8 catches for 117 yards in all today while Francis Schulz ran for 89 yards to lead the rushing attack. Sylvester Martin and Jason Hinkle had 2 sacks apiece to lead the defense.

Gold 41 Renegades 20

There wasn't much defense played in this game but the Gold went on a 20-3 run over the last 17 minutes to seize the win and keep their playoff hopes alive. Orlando kept things close for 3 quarters thanks to RB Ben Dehaven, who ran for just 44 yards but he caught 7 passes for 133 yards and a TD. QB Emory Howard completed 25/30 for 283 yards and a TD, but Dehaven and Howard were bested by Jake Peralta and Andrew Brewer. Brewer completed 20/27 for exactly 300 yards, tossing 5 TDs and 0 INTs. Peralta caught 2 of the scores, and 5 overall for 121 yards, adding 76 on the ground. Richard Huff almost joined Peralta in the 100 club, catching 4 for 96 yards and 2 TDs. 

Invaders 23 Gunslingers 14

Oakland had 4 first half possessions, scoring on all 4 as they took a 20-0 halftime lead, then held on for the win against San Antonio. The first 2 drives ended with Andrew Moreno TD passes, one to Ronald McDevitt and one to Nelson Martinez. The last 2 drives ended with FGs, the last drive being an 18 play, 93 yard drive that took over 8 minutes off the clock. Gunslingers QB Robert Fanelli threw a pair of TD passes in the second half, but the comeback attempt fell short. Moreno finished the day 35/43, 323 yards and 2 TDs while McDevitt touched the ball 31 times, 19 rushes for 74 yards and 12 receptions for 114 and a TD.

Wheels 34 Hornets 6

Detroit scored the first 34 points of the game before Charlotte closed the scoring with a pair of 4th qtr FGs as the Wheels break a 7 game losing streak. Detroit QB Gabriel Flanagan completed 23/32 for 387 yards and 3 TDs, with favorite target Matthew Houston catching 5 for 237 yards and 2 of the scores. 

Sun 10 Wranglers 9

Arizona outgained Southern California 253-184 and the Wranglers defense held the Sun to 0/11 on 3rd down, allowing less than 50% completions. An early lost fumble by Nathan Rodgers allowed the Sun to score first on a FG, then Southern California had their best drive of the game. The 10 play, 79 yard drive ended when Wilmer Kimble found Joseph Baker for a 1 yard TD pass, giving the Sun a 10-0 lead. Arizona opted to go with Gregory Skidmore at QB today and he led 3 scoring drives but unfortunately, they were all FGs, with the last 2 Wranglers possessions ending in a turnover on downs and an interception. The INT came in the final minute as Arizona was approaching the outer limits of FG range, sealing victory for Southern California.   

Week 9: Philadelphia Bell Last Undefeated Team Left

 The Florida Blazers were defeated by the Washington Federals, leaving the Philadelphia Bell as the last undefeated team in the league. The Bell have won four one score games, including an OT win, and they have their biggest game of the season so far next week. Philadelphia travels to New Jersey to take on the 8-1 Generals, whose only loss this year was to the Bell, and if Philadelphia wins again, they will have the inside track on their first ever division title. New Jersey has scored 119 points the last 2 games, putting up 69 today after last week's 50-45 win over San Jose, but Baltimore and New Orleans said hold our beers. The Stars and VooDoo put up 106 total points and 1330 total yards and both QBs combined for 13 TD passes. Baltimore won 59-47, scoring 49 first half points, and WR John Warkentin went off for 7 TD catches, which is not a league record by the way.

Bell 17 (NY) Stars 12

Philadelphia failed to score 20 points for just the 3rd time this season, with one of the other's being the first time these two teams met. In Week 4, the Bell beat the Stars 16-10, and this rematch produced a similar game. New York out gained Philadelphia as QB Willie Bust completed 29/42 for 245 yards. Not a great game by Bust, but he was not sacked and did not turn the ball over. The Stars got the memo about Craig Hines, as they held the big play Bell WR in check with 51 yards on 3 receptions. Midway through the 4th qtr, Ed Jetton made his 4th FG of the game, giving New York a very brief 12-10 lead. Jetton's kickoff nearly went out of the end zone but Faustino Dixon brought it out anyway, not stopping until he reached the other end zone 109 yards away for the game winning TD. On New York's last drive, Bust got them into the red zone, but a 4th and 1 pass from the Bell 17 was short of the line to gain and Philadelphia ran out the clock for the win.

Federals 17 Blazers 13

Florida scored a TD on their opening drive as Sidney Maggard found Ray Parker for a 65 yard catch and run, and the Blazers added FGs on each of their next 2 possessions for a 13-0 2nd qtr lead. Washington moved the ball well on their opening drive but Scott Bieber threw an INT. Bieber bounced back though, with a 2nd qtr 22 yard TD pass to Ronald Matthews to cut the lead to 13-7. Defense took over at this point as Washington scored their next TD on a 1 play, 74 yard "drive", a Bieber pass to Andrew Favela in the 3rd qtr. John Bazile added a FG for the final margin.

Scott Bieber's worst season continues, as he threw for 2 TD and 2 INT today, but the running game helped out a lot. The Federals ran for 177 yards, with Robert Trammell's 87 yards leading the way. Trammell added 59 receiving yards to help Washington keep pace with Pittsburgh atop the Atlantic. This was the first loss of the season for Florida but they still enjoy a 3 game division lead.

Stars 59 VooDoo 47

It seems the only defense played in this game was when the QBs threw to the wrong team, as Baltimore and New Orleans combine for 106 points, 1330 total yards, 14 TDs, 13 of those passing, and 5 INTs, but there were 10 punts as well. New Orleans scored first on a 68 yard run by Thomas Thomas, then Jon Snow hooked up with John Warkentin for not 1, not 2, not 3 but 4 TD passes in the 1st qtr alone, covering 75, 63, 74, and 7 yards. That gave Baltimore a 28-7 lead and New Orleans would cut the deficit to 28-14 before the quarter ended on a 75 yard TD pass by Joseph Jones to Thomas Thomas.

The 2nd quarter began and it didn't take long for Snow and Warkentin to connect on their 5th TD of the game. Before the end of the half, Snow found Warkentin for 2 additional TD passes, then New Orleans got a FG to make the halftime score Baltimore 49 New Orleans 17.

Baltimore got the ball to start the second half and Jon Snow decided to be different by throwing his 8th TD of the game to someone other than John Warkentin. Tomas Abbott caught the 12 yard score to give the Stars a 39 point lead. New Orleans finally started to slow down Baltimore after this score, holding them to just 3 points the rest of the game. Joseph Jones tried to bring the VooDoo back from the huge deficit and they won the second half 30-10, but Jon Snow and John Warkentin were too much in the first half, and Baltimore holds on for the win. 

Stats time: RB Orville Barker ran for 103 yards. QB Jon Snow completed 29/38, 584 yards, 8 TDs and 2 INT. WR John Warkentin caught 10 passes for 452 yards and 7 TDs and FS Howard Hutchinson intercepted 2 passes. For New Orleans, QB Joseph Jones completed 42/60, 497 yards, 5 TDs and 3 INTs and RB Thomas Thomas had a double triple. Thomas ran for 103 yards and a TD on 12 carries while catching 13 passes for 154 yards and 2 TDs.

Storm 13 Gold 9

Important game in Denver today as the defending champion Gold try to keep their winning streak alive and get back into playoff contention against division leader Portland. These offenses combined for 484 yards, or 32 more than John Warkentin had. Portland got 97 yards rushing and a TD from Jose Moses and the defense intercepted 3 Andrew Brewer passes as the Storm defeat Denver to improve to 8-1. K Alan Grossi made all of his kicks again today, so it seems whatever was wrong with him against Oakland is no longer an issue.

Showboats 51 Outlaws 9

We have had a high scoring game 2 weeks in a row, but none of those games featured a team scoring 35 points in a quarter. That's what Memphis did today, scoring 35 points in the 1st quarter before cruising to an easy victory over division rival Oklahoma. The Outlaws RBBC was shut down by the Showboats defense to the tune of 17 yards on 24 carries and Oklahoma had just 3 drives all game longer than 3 plays. The Outlaws actually scored first, turning a Norman Maldonado INT into a quick 3 points. Maldonado bounced back with 4 TD passes in the 1st quarter alone, 3 to Mark Glenn. The Showboats also returned a fumble for a TD on the kickoff following their first TD.

RB Erik McNamee ran for 104 yards and a TD to lead the Memphis running game. Maldonado finished the game 21/32, 451 yards, 5 TD and 1 INT with Mark Glenn catching 9 for 280 yards and 4 scores. Memphis is quietly 8-1, tied atop the Southwest division.

Gamblers 23 Stallions 16

Houston scored first on a Francisco Russell 8 yard TD run for a 7-0 lead, then the next 3 quarters of action saw both teams kick 3 FGs apiece. Birmingham QB Willie Benge tied the game at 16 late in the 4th on a 49 yard TD pass to Willie Despres. That left plenty of time for Tony Dean to lead Houston down the field, finding Donald Turner for an 8 yard TD with less than a minute to play. Birmingham went 4 and out and Houston holds on for the win to keep pace with Memphis.

Birmingham RB Francis Schultz ran for 122 yards on 14 carries to lead the Stallions offense. Tony Dean completed 44/55 for 393 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT, with Donald Turner the leading receiver, gaining 100 yards and a TD on 7 receptions. 

SaberCats 41 Express 9

San Jose got the ball first but fumbled, setting up Los Angeles with a short field. The Express cashed it in for a William Mauriello 3 yard TD pass to Gary Sappington, but the XP was no good, giving Los Angeles an early 6-0 lead. San Jose didn't flinch, as Jake Plummer threw 2 TD passes in the quarter and Rodney Richardson ran in a score from 9 yards out and the SaberCats led 21-6 after 15 minutes. Los Angeles cut it to 21-9 with a FG in the 3rd before San Jose closed out the scoring with 20 unanswered points, including a fumble return for a TD by Champ Bailey.

San Jose sacked Mauriello 5 times and Plummer threw for 342 yards and 3 TDs. The leading receiver for San Jose was not Mark Hsu, although he caught 4 for 111 and a TD. Leading the way was Glenn Kahl, who caught 4 for 116 yards and a TD while Rodney Richardson ran 31 times for 98 yards to help San Jose improve to 7-2.

Maulers 32 Bandits 6

This seems to be the week for huge 1st quarters as the Pittsburgh Maulers scored 20 points during the first 15 minutes to take a 20-0 lead, then they won the kicking contest 4-2 the rest of the way. K Brett Bowman made 6 FGs today, giving him 28 on the season, 1 behind Al Borland for the league lead. For Tampa Bay, they turned it over on their first 2 drives, although it only cost them 6 points. QB Antonio Martinez threw just 1 INT today, which is encouraging, but he also failed to throw a TD pass. For Pittsburgh, QB Will Allison completed 32/43, 331 yards and a TD, finding 11 different receivers. RB Chris Goldberg ran for 120 yards, including an 80 yard TD run and caught 3 passes for 31 yards to lead the Maulers skill players.

The win improves Pittsburgh to 7-2, keeping pace with Washington atop the Atlantic, and Baltimore, who is hot on their heels, 1 game back.

Panthers 38 Hornets 6

This game was about QB play. The Michigan defense intercepted Charlotte QB Robert Ament 3 times, including 1 for a TD by Ramon Carter. Panthers QB Larry Henderson struggled the first 3 weeks, throwing 11 INTs in that span, but he's only thrown 1 since. Today, Henderson was 21/33, 329 yards and 4 TDs. WR James Hillis caught 2 of those, and he usually gets the lion's share of receiving yards, but today Henderson spread the ball around, with 5 receivers having between 47-64 yards. The win keeps Michigan tied atop the Midwest with Cleveland.

Thunderbolts 27 Blitz 9

Cleveland scored on 5 of their first 6 drives as Bobby Colley led the rushing attack with 125 yards and a TD on 15 carries to help the Thunderbolts beat Chicago. Tony Romo was an efficient 20/27, 193 yards and a TD as Cleveland converted 8/12 3rd down conversion attempts. The Blitz have had a streaky season, losing their first 2, winning the next 4, and they have now lost 3 in a row.

Hawaiians 30 Wheels 24

Honolulu had 532 yards of offense, holding the ball over 40 minutes and fending off a late Detroit rally to defeat the Wheels. QB Derek Henry was 37/53, 380 yards, 3 TD and 2 INT, with Brian Vizcarra leading the way with 8 catches, 146 yards and a TD. The Hawaiians also ran the ball well, rushing for 152 yards on 32 carries. Detroit QB Gabriel Flanagan threw for 361 yards and 3 TDs in defeat.

Generals 69 Breakers 10

New Jersey started off slow, with only a 7-0 lead after 1 quarter, but they then scored 21 in the 2nd, 24 in the 3rd and 17 more in the 4th to break Boston 69-10. The Generals had 31 first downs and 616 offensive yards, including 202 rushing. The defense intercepted 4 Joseph Haight passes, with Martin Riggs returning one 5 yards for a TD. New Jersey RB Sam Beckett ran for 126 yards and a TD, adding 8 receptions for 65 yards and a TD, for 191 combined yards. RB Kurt Cobain almost caught Beckett, rushing for 70 yards, while catching 8 passes for 116 yards and a TD. QB Don Ferguson completed 38/57 for 414 yards, 7 TDs and 0 INT, with 3 of the scores going to TE Redd Foxx, who caught 9 for 100 yards altogether. 

Force 27 Steamer 3

Georgia defeated division rival Shreveport to tighten the South division standings. The Force are still in last with a 3-6 record, but they are only 2 games behind division leading New Orleans with plenty of season left. QB Milton People completed 26/33 for 252 yards, 4 TD and 0 INT, with Matthew Taylor catching 2 of the scores among his 6 catches for 92 yards. Defensively, they held the Steamer to 144 offensive yards and intercepted 2 passes, allowing just 1 3rd down conversion in 12 attempts. 

Invaders 16 Wranglers 0

Arizona is still struggling, but it's nowhere near as bad as the last 3 seasons. This was a major rebuilding project that is going to take time to fix, and the Wranglers seem headed in the right direction, especially since they finally settled on a starting QB. The previous regime played QB merry-go-round, which hurt the development of all the QBs.

In this game, Oakland got 3 FG from Robert Albertson and a TD pass from Andrew Moreno to Jessie Heidt and the defense held Arizona to 195 yards to help the Invaders improve to 5-4. RB Ronald McDevitt ran for 107 yards, adding 52 more receiving to lead the Oakland skill players.

Renegades 26 Bulls 13

QB Emory Howard is finding life rough as a 2nd year pro, but he threw for a season high 366 yards today as Orlando defeats division rival Jacksonville. The Renegades got a big game from WR Donald Young, who caught 8 passes for 167 yards and the Orlando defense intercepted Derek Joyce 3 times, including one returned for a TD by Murray Hardin. Orlando ran out the final 2:18 of the game, and could have caused some bad blood, but opted against it. The Renegades had the ball 1st and goal at the 1 following a pass interference penalty with 1:32 to play, and had Howard kneel down 3 times to kill the clock. 

Gunslingers 16 Sun 13

San Antonio got 222 passing yards from Robert Fanelli, with 103 of that going to Eugene Bufkin and the Gunslingers defense forced 2 turnovers in their win over Southern California today. The game was tied at 13 after 3 quarters and San Antonio K Benjamin Regalado was wide right on a 37 yard FG attempt in the middle of the 4th. It seemed we were headed for extra football when the Gunslingers took over on their own 34 with 0:52 left, but they got just enough yards for Regalado to boot a 57 yard game winning FG at the final gun to boost San Antonio to 3-6, snapping the Sun's 2 game win streak.

Week 8: Halfway There

 We have reached the mid point of the 1993 season and the Florida Blazers and Philadelphia Bell just keep on winning, pacing the league with their 8-0 records. We have several tight division races, three have a tie at the top, two are separated by a single game, and one has a two game spread. Only Florida and Portland enjoy 3 game division leads while the Midwest, South, and Atlantic are 3 team races. Statistically, Tampa Bay QB Antonio Martinez has thrown 22 interceptions, on pace to tie the league record of 44. San Jose WR Mark Hsu has slowed his pace a bit, but his 169 yards against New Jersey today gives him 1,354 yards through 8 games, on pace for 2,708 which would be a new league record. Speaking of New Jersey, Generals K Al Borland is 27/29 on FGs this season, on pace for 54 FGs made. Only John Bazile has ever made 50 in a season, making exactly 50 in 1985. If the second half of the season is anything like the first half, we're in for a fun last 8 weeks.

Generals 50 SaberCats 45

I normally begin the blog with the undefeated teams, but this week I feel like leading with this wild and crazy game. There were a combined 95 points in this game, 72 by halftime, 35 after the 1st qtr, although defense played a role as well. San Jose QB Jake Plummer threw 5 first half TD passes, 3 to SaberCats receivers and 2 to New Jersey defensive players. The SaberCats begin the game by ripping down the field for a TD and a 7-0 lead before the Generals were forced to punt on their first drive. Clark W. Griswold pinned San Jose inside their 1, and on the next play, Plummer tried a RB screen over the middle, but he threw it right to New Jersey DT Justin Orlowski in the end zone for the tying TD. On the next series, Plummer found Mark Hsu for a 76 yard TD pass, then New Jersey tied it on a Don Ferguson pass to Kurt Cobain. Jake Plummer closed out the first quarter scoring with a 43 yard TD pass to David McEntee, giving San Jose a 21-14 lead.

In the 2nd qtr, Al Borland made the first of his 5 FG on the day, cutting the lead to 21-17 before Plummer to Hsu struck again. This score went for 32 yards and extended San Jose's lead to 28-17. The rest of the first half belonged to New Jersey, as they went on a 27-0 run in just the last half of the 2nd qtr. First, Ferguson and Cobain hooked up for another TD on a 46 yard pass then Jay Leno intercepted Jake Plummer, racing 19 yards for the go ahead TD. Don Ferguson then hit Sam Beckett in stride as he raced down the sideline for a 62 yard TD to extend the Generals lead to 38-28. Al Borland closed out the wild first half with a pair of FGs to give New Jersey a 44-28 lead at the half.

In the second half, the SaberCats defense tightened up, but the Generals extended their lead to 50-28 with Borland's 4th and 5th FGs of the game. Those came after turnovers and San Jose had 6 in all, 5 interceptions by Plummer and a lost fumble. San Jose would go on to score the last 17 points of the game, including the 3rd Plummer to Hsu TD pass but that 33-0 New Jersey run was too much to overcome. 

Plummer finished 17/35, 392 yards, 5 TD and 5 INT with Mark Hsu catching 5 for 169 yards and 3 TDs while David McEntee caught 4 for 123 yards and 2 TDs. For New Jersey, Ferguson completed 32/50 for 305 yards, 3 TD and 1 INT. The Generals running game was led by Sam Beckett's 88 yards and he also caught 7 passes for 76 yards and a TD. RB Kurt Cobain caught 7 passes as well, covering 107 yards with 2 TDs. 

Storm 13 Panthers 9

This game was the opposite of Generals/SaberCats as only one TD was scored all game. Defense ruled the day and Portland's 4.28 yards and a cloud of dust out lasted Michigan and their 3.41 yards and a cloud of dust. Melvin Driggers fired a 1st qtr TD pass to James Pritchard and the Storm defense forced the Panthers to go three and out on their first 5 drives as Portland improves to 7-1. Storm K Alan Grossi bounced back from last week's implosion to make all 3 of his kicks today, 1 XP and 2 FGs.

Showboats 10 VooDoo 9

Defense ruled the day in this game too, as both teams had 287 offensive yards with just 1 offensive TD scored all game. The combined 3rd down conversion rate was 2/28, New Orleans going 1/16, Memphis 1/12. The VooDoo led the time of possession, with nearly 38 minutes, but they could only manage 3 Jordan Fuller FGs today. Memphis got a FG in the 1st and a 74 yard TD pass from Norman Maldonado to Mark Glenn, and the Showboats defense made those 10 points stand up for victory.

Gamblers 37 Steamer 30

Houston QB Tony Dean has only thrown 5 INTs this season, with 3 coming today against Shreveport. All 3 came in the second half as Houston was trying to come back from a double digit deficit. The Steamer built that lead despite not a lot of offensive fireworks, as they had a pair of FGs and a TD drive of 26 yards as they took an early 13-3 lead. Tony Dean cut it to 13-10 with a 75 yard TD pass to Jett Black, but Richard Brown took the kickoff 106 yards for a score and a 20-10 Shreveport lead. 

On the first Houston drive of the second half, Tony Dean was intercepted by Toney Richardson, who returned it 27 yards for the score, increasing the Steamer lead to 27-10. Dean would later find Jett Black again for a 72 yard TD before Shreveport added a FG to take a 30-17 lead into the 4th. Houston would score 20 unanswered points in the 4th for a come from behind win. Earl Castro started and ended the run with FGs and Tony Dean tossed a pair of TD passes in between, including his 3rd to Jett Black. 

The Gamblers defense really put the clamps on the Shreveport offense in the second half, allowing Tony Dean to complete the comeback. Dean finished the day 24/44, 358 yards, 4 TD and 3 INT. Jett Black hauled in 6 passes for 169 yards and 3 TDs.

Blazers 24 Bulls 3

Sidney Maggard threw a pair of 2nd qtr TD passes as the Blazers score 17 in the quarter, and riding that momentum to a 24-3 win over division rival Jacksonville. Maggard finished 31/38, 275 yards, 2 TD and 1 INT. TE William Merkel caught 13 passes for 132 yards and a TD while Robert Romero had 98 yards on the ground to lead the Florida offense. The Florida defense allowed just 219 yards to Jacksonville today, with 118 of that coming on the final 2 drives of the game when the outcome was already decided.

Bell 30 Force 9

Georgia put up 406 offensive yards against the Philadelphia defense, but the Bell forced the Force into 3 turnovers and kept them out of the end zone until the game was already decided. Philadelphia had 422 offensive yards of their own, and Craig Hines seems to be the difference for the Bell in their 8-0 start. In previous seasons, Philadelphia lacked a big play WR, but after today's 3-153-2 stat line, Hines has 562 receiving yards and 6 TDs in 8 games, putting him on pace for 1124 yards. Philadelphia hasn't had a 1,000 yard receiver since 1979.

QB Robert Hernandez completed 18/25 for 306 yards and 3 TDs, with RB Jamie Epperson catching the one Hines didn't. Epperson caught 3 for 48 yards in all to go with his 62 rushing yards, for a combined 110. Philadelphia is now 8-0, looking for their first playoff appearance since 1982.

Federals 16 Blitz 13

Scott Bieber and the Washington offense continued their offensive slump in the first half as Chicago enjoyed a 13-3 lead at the break. In the second half, the Federals offense showed signs of snapping out of it, but still trailed 13-6 after 3 quarters. Washington enjoyed success on the ground, gaining 152 yards on 34 carries and that opened up the passing game for Bieber, who tied the game in the 4th with a 52 yard TD pass to Andrew Favela. K John Bazile broke the tie with a FG on the next drive and the Washington defense held on for the win.

Maulers 34 Renegades 13

Neither team ran the ball well today, but while the Pittsburgh defense forced Orlando to stick with short passes (26 completions, 204 yards), Maulers QB Will Allison threw for 431 yards on 30/38 passing with 4 TDs and 1 INT. After Allison's 1st TD pass, Emory Howard brought Orlando back with a TD pass of his own to Daniel Williams, tying the game at 7. From that point, Allison and the Maulers went on a 27-0 run, seizing control of the game. RB Chris Goldberg only ran for 26 yards on 15 carries, but he caught one of Allison's TD passes as part of his 7 catch, 154 yard receiving line to lead the Maulers skill players.

Stars 27 Hornets 0

The Baltimore defense only allowed 141 yards to the Charlotte offense and Jon Snow threw 3 TD passes to lead the Stars to victory. RB Orville Barker ran for 112 yards and caught 6 passes for 56 yards and a TD to lead the offense. The Baltimore defense forced 2 turnovers and made the Hornets go three and out on 10 of 15 drives.

Gold 24 Invaders 9

Don't look now but our defending champs won their second in a row, and find themselves just 2 games out of a wildcard spot. The Gold leaned on their ground game today, rushing for 208 yards and QB Andrew Brewer overcame 2 interceptions with 2 TD passes to Richard Huff. RB Jake Peralta led the Denver RBBC with 106 yards on 23 carries and the Gold converted 8/14 3rd down tries. Defensively, they held Oakland to just 2/11 on 3rd down and kept the Invaders out of the end zone as they improve to 3-5.

Bandits 38 Wranglers 19

Tampa Bay QB Antonio Martinez continues to rack up both TD passes and INTs, throwing 3 of each today, giving him a 23/22 TD/INT ratio on the season. Martinez threw an INT on the Bandits first drive, then led 3 consecutive TD drives to take control of the game. The Bandits defense was shutting down the Arizona offense in the first half as the Bandits took a 24-0 lead into halftime. Zachary Kinkead tried to bring Arizona back, but they were too far behind after the Bandits scoring run to get any closer than 18 points. Martinez threw for 372 yards today, 138 to Garry Fowler (5 catches, 1 TD) and 117 to RB Paul Meade. Meade scored 3 total TDs today, catching 2 from Martinez among 10 total receptions, and running 1 in as part of his 15 carry, 38 yard day.

Hawaiians 22 Gunslingers 20

Honolulu QB Derek Henry threw for 287 yards and 2 TDs while RB Anthony Davis had a combined 110 yards (39 rushing, 71 receiving) to lead the Hawaiians to a 22-7 lead midway through the 4th qtr. San Antonio got their TD on a Robert Fanelli 69 yard TD pass to Russell Arroyo on their opening drive, then did little until the 4th. The Gunslingers drove for a TD after Honolulu took the 22-7 lead, but the 2 point try failed, leaving the Gunslingers down 9. They recovered the onside kick, then Fanelli hooked up with Arroyo for another score to cut the lead to 2 points, but this time Honolulu recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock for the win. Fanelli threw for 244 yards and 3 TD for San Antonio with Arroyo finishing with 9 catches, 133 yards and 2 scores. 

Thunderbolts 16 Wheels 0

Detroit is shutout for the second straight game as Cleveland scored 10 points on their first 2 drives, then held on for the divisional win. The Thunderbolts forced Gabriel Flanagan into 3 interceptions, sacked him 3 times, and held the Wheels to 163 total yards. Cleveland did little on offense after their initial 10 point flurry, but with the Wheels only converting 1/13 3rd down conversions it didn't matter. Late in the game, Detroit turned the ball over on downs 3 times, enabling Cleveland to kick 2 FGs without moving the ball to pad the final margin.

Stallions 24 Outlaws 6

Birmingham scored TDs on their first 2 drives, adding a FG on the 3rd for a quick 17-0 advantage over Oklahoma. The Stallions defense forced the Outlaws to punt on their first 9 drives, before forcing a pair of 4th qtr fumbles to seal the win. RB Francis Schultz ran for 116 yards and a TD while QB Willie Benge threw 2 TD passes to lead the Birmingham offense. 

Sun 20 Express 9

Southern California beat division rival Los Angeles for their 2nd win in a row. RB Michael Johnson ran 8 times for 29 yards, caught 3 passes for 97 yards and a TD, and he returned a kickoff 104 yards for a score. The Sun led after 3 quarters 17-6, and the defense clamped down after the Express cut the lead to 17-9 by forcing a fumble, punt, and interception on the last 3 Los Angeles drives.

(NY) Stars 5 Breakers 3

Boston scored first with a FG, then the Stars got within a point after tackling RB George Cade in the end zone for a safety. The 3-2 score stood until 2:10 left in the game when New York K Ed Jetton booted a 33 yard FG to give the Stars a 5-3 win over Boston.

Week 7: Storm Lose/Sun Win/Blazers and Bell Still Unbeaten

 Week 7 saw the Portland Storm lose for the first time this season, leaving only the Florida Blazers and Philadelphia Bell undefeated in 1993. The Southern California Sun beat the Oklahoma Outlaws for their first win of the season, meaning we won't have an 0-16 team this season. 

This week's blog will be an abridged version as I had a long weekend of work. The good news is I made more money over these last 2 days than any non holiday 2 day stretch of work ever. People started getting their stimulus money and spent it on alcohol and pizza and bigger tips. The bad news is not only am I wiped out, but Dayton drivers didn't spend any of their newly found cash on driving lessons.

Invaders 13 Storm 6

Portland was 6-0 coming into the game because they don't make very many mistakes but the Storm couldn't get out of their own way today. Melvin Driggers threw an INT on the opening drive then K Alan Grossi missed an XP after a Portland TD in the 2nd qtr to give the Storm a brief 6-3 lead. Oakland QB Andrew Moreno threw an 80 yard TD pass to Nelson Martinez to give the Invaders a 10-6 halftime lead. The second half was a kicking contest with 6 punts, an Oakland FG and 2 missed FGs by Grossi with no TDs by either team, giving Oakland the upset victory.

Blazers 34 Wranglers 8

Arizona was playing their second straight game against an unbeaten foe, and the result was predictable. The Wranglers scored first and last, but got crushed 34-3 in between as Florida improves to 7-0. Sidney Maggard tossed 2 TD passes to TE William Merkel and RB Kevin Forester ran for exactly 100 yards to lead the Blazers offense. Florida also got a defensive score as Richard Smith returned an interception 56 yards for a TD.

Bell 27 Breakers 3

Philadelphia's defense held Boston to 139 offensive yards and the Bell offense produced 3 players with 100+ yards and a TD. RB Jamie Epperson led the Bell rushing attack with 140 yards and a TD on 22 carries while James Moon added 101 and a TD on 18 carries. Philadelphia ran 50 times in all for 273 yards, which meant the passing game didn't need to do much, as Robert Hernandez was 12/24, 185 yards and a TD. That score was caught by Craig Hines, who finished with 3 catches and 111 yards to help Philadelphia improve to 7-0.

Generals 29 (NY) Stars 2

New Jersey scored 2 FGs and a TD on their first 3 drives and the Generals defense allowed just 77 total yards in the victory that keeps them 1 game behind 7-0 Philadelphia. QB Don Ferguson threw 2 TD passes, 1 INT and 1 safety, on a completion to David Koresh, who failed to make it out of the end zone. K Al Borland was 5/5 on FG attempts, giving him a league high 22 on the year. 

Maulers 24 Stars 21

Pittsburgh started off on fire, scoring each of the first 3 times they had the ball, amassing a 17-0 halftime lead. Baltimore had 3 punts and 2 turnovers on their 5 first half possessions, but the Stars bounced back with 3 3rd qtr TDs to take a 21-17 lead. The Maulers offense helped Baltimore out during the Stars run with 3 turnovers and 3 punts, but the 4th qtr saw the script flip. Baltimore lost a fumble early in the 4th, leading to a Maulers TD then Jon Snow threw 2 interceptions down the stretch in the failed comeback attempt. 

Federals 17 Wheels 0

Scott Bieber and the Federals offense aren't exactly over their recent slump, but they did play turnover free football. The 17 points isn't much, but the Federals defense allowed Detroit nothing, and the win allows the Federals to remain tied atop the Atlantic division. RB Robert Trammell ran for 73, adding 61 receiving yards on 8 catches while fellow RB James Dunn scored both Washington TDs, one on the ground, one through the air.

Gamblers 29 Hawaiians 0

Tony Dean completed 30/34 passes for 314 yards and 4 TDs, 2 to Wesley Hull, and the Houston defense kept Honolulu off the scoreboard in the shutout win. Houston started off slow in the first half, with just a 10-0 lead at the break, but halftime adjustments were made. Dean and the Gamblers offense scored TDs on each of their first 3 second half drives to put the game away, although K Earl Castro missed 2 XP kicks.

Showboats 27 Gunslingers 16

San Antonio hung tough with Memphis in the first half, but the Showboats offense, specifically WR Thomas Ballard were too much to overcome. Ballard caught 4 passes for 166 yards and 1 of Norman Maldonado's 2 TD passes as Memphis wins to remain tied with Houston atop the Southwest division.

Sun 26 Outlaws 3

RB Michael Johnson ran for 89 yards and a TD while also catching 3 passes for 26 yards and a TD to lead Southern California over Oklahoma. The Sun overcame 3 Wilmer Kimble INTs thanks to Johnson and the defense, which limited the Outlaws to 189 total yards.

Gold 61 Blitz 10

Defending Champion Denver is not having the best season, but they will always have a World Bowl Trophy to console themselves, and for this week, the knowledge that they can still perform at a high level. The Gold reminded Chicago, and the rest of the league that they are still a formidable team by putting up 679 offensive yards to just 190 for the Blitz. Denver intercepted 4 Ronald Brown passes while getting 521 yards and 4 TDs from Andrew Brewer. Richard Huff caught 2 of the TD passes, amassing 200 yards in all on 5 receptions while Richard Funkhouser had 129 yards for his 5 catches. RB Fredrick Whidden caught the other 2 TD passes, RB Max Ellis ran in 2 scores and Jake Peralta ran for exactly 100 yards with a TD and caught 4 passes for 65 yards.

SaberCats 34 Express 17

You can't keep WR Mark Hsu down forever. Hsu was coming off back to back sub 100 yard games, but Jake Plummer found Hsu 9 times today for a league high 293 yards and 4 TDs as the SaberCats rebound from their first loss of the season by defeating Los Angeles. The San Jose defense held the Express to 216 total yards and sacked William Mauriello 4 times today.

Panthers 37 Thunderbolts 3

Michigan only led 17-3 after 3 quarters, but the Panthers defense forced 3 turnovers in the 4th quarter alone, plus a turnover on downs to help the offense break the game open with 20 4th qtr points. Michigan QB Larry Henderson completed 27/38 for just 212 yards but the important numbers were 4 TDs and 0 INTs. WR James Hillis caught all 4 scoring passes, 8 in all covering 117 yards as the Panthers take advantage of 6 Cleveland turnovers, 4 of them lost fumbles. 

VooDoo 42 Force 20

Georgia had over 400 yards of offense against New Orleans, including 326 yards passing and 2 TDs from Milton People but 2 lost fumbles turned the tide in the VooDoo's favor. The game was tied at 7 and the Force were in scoring range but a lost fumble thwarted that drive and the VooDoo took the ball and drove 90 yards for a TD of their own. Then on the first drive of the 2nd half, trailing 21-7, Georgia lost another fumble which led to another New Orleans TD and the rout was on. QB Joseph Jones completed 21/25 for 216 yards and 2 TDs while Thomas Thomas ran for 151 yards with 1 rushing and 1 receiving TD. RB Donald Briggs ran in 3 TDs of his own as New Orleans was a perfect 6 for 6 scoring red zone touchdowns today.

Bandits 27 Bulls 20

Tampa Bay QB Antonio Martinez completed 25/42 for 325 yards, 3 TD and 3 INT as the Bandits score 14 unanswered points in the 4th quarter for a come from behind win over division rival Jacksonville. Both of the Bulls turnovers occurred in the 4th qtr, as did 3 of their 5 punts, yet Jacksonville was still in position to send the game to overtime. The final Bulls drive began at their own 36 with 2:24 to play, and they got down to the Bandits 3 yard line for a 1st and goal with 0:15 on the clock and no timeouts. They needed a TD, so surely they would throw for it, but they ran instead, getting stuffed and allowing the clock to expire.

Steamer 28 Stallions 3

It was 70 degrees and sunny in Birmingham, yet neither team threw the ball well at all, combining for 188 passing yards. Shreveport QB George Marcil was at least passable, completing 18/27 for 100 yards and a TD while Willie Benge was 15/42 for 88 yards and 6 INTs. David Oldham ran for 90 yards and a TD and William Neal made 4/5 FGs to lead the Steamer offense.

Renegades 9 Hornets 3

Charlotte got on the board first thanks to a 41 yard Lawrence Linville FG in the 1st quarter, but it was all downhill from there. Orlando got a 2nd qtr TD pass from Emory Howard to Daniel Williams and the defense tacked on a late safety, sacking Robert Ament in the end zone. Those 9 points stood up to give the Renegades the victory over Charlotte.

Week 6: The 6-0 Club: Portland, Florida, and Philadelphia

 The undefeated club lost a member this week as the San Jose SaberCats were defeated by the Memphis Showboats, leaving us with 3 teams without a loss. The Portland Storm continue to crush opponents and look like they're on a mission. The Florida Blazers got out to a big lead before surviving a late Pittsburgh flurry. The Philadelphia Bell helped Washington continue their offensive slump, intercepting 3 passes. 

Portland and Florida enjoy 3 game division leads while Philadelphia has a 1 game lead on 5-1 New Jersey. San Jose still has a 2 game lead in the Pacific while the other 4 divisions are tight. Houston and Memphis are tied atop the Southwest at 5-1 while the Midwest has a 3 way tie as Michigan, Cleveland, and Chicago are all 4-2. New Orleans has a 1 game lead on Birmingham and Shreveport, and even last place Georgia is just 2 games out. The Atlantic mirrors the Midwest, with Pittsburgh, Washington, and Baltimore all tied at 4-2.

Showboats 24 SaberCats 3

Memphis won this game with a balanced offensive attack and a defense that shut down the big play San Jose offense. QB Norman Maldonado threw for 292 yards and 2 TDs and Thomas Saunders had 107 combined yards to lead the Showboats offense. Memphis led 17-3 at the half and San Jose wasn't able to adjust in the second half. Memphis limited the SaberCats to just 174 offensive yards. San Jose didn't turn the ball over at all, they just couldn't move the ball on the Showboats, generating only 10 first downs. The Memphis win gives both teams 5-1 records.

Storm 55 Wranglers 3

Last week I said in the blog that Arizona is an improved team, and I still believe that, even after the destruction by Portland. The Storm are on a mission, ticked off at being a wildcard in 1992, and they've let it be known they want the division back. It took Portland most of the first quarter to dent the scoreboard, but once they did, it was like the floodgates opened. The Portland defense allowed Arizona just 5 first downs, 141 total yards, and 16 minutes worth of possession. Wranglers QB Zachary Kinkead had a stat line like 1992, and their next game is against 6-0 Florida. 

Stat time: RB Jose Moses had 214 combined yards and just missed a double triple with 126 rushing yards and 88 receiving. Moses also scored 3 rushing TDs. Timothy Roquemore had 109 combined yards with 80 rushing and 29 receiving. In addition to those 2 combining for 206 rushing yards, 3 other ball carriers added 48 yards on 10 carries as Portland rushed for 254 as a team. If that's not enough, Melvin Driggers completed 35/43 for 459 yards and 4 TDs, all to different receivers. Peter Jesse led the way with 11 catches, 160 yards and a TD.

Blazers 27 Maulers 24

This game was a tale of 2 halves, with Florida winning the first half 24-3. The Pittsburgh defense did a good job of limiting the big plays Florida usually gets, as the Blazers longest offensive play was 18 yards, but the Maulers offense and special teams let them down the first 30 minutes. Will Allison threw 2 INTs, both in the first half, and Florida turned both into TDs, driving 20 and 50 yards respectively. In between those drives, Florida got a 35 yard punt return, setting up a short 34 yard TD drive. Sidney Maggard tossed 1 TD pass to Freddy Jones today, but was limited to 192 yards passing. No Blazers skill player had 100 yards, with RB Robert Romero the closest with 80 yards and a rushing TD.

The Pittsburgh offense finally got going late in the 3rd when Robert Erickson's 4 yard TD run cut the deficit to 24-10. Erickson ran for 62 yards and 2 TDs while catching 10 for 143 yards, spearheading the attempted Maulers comeback. Pittsburgh would add 2 FGs to get within 8 before Florida finally scored again with a FG of their own, for a 27-16 lead with 3 minutes to play. The Maulers drove quickly for a TD, Erickson's 2nd rushing score, and Allison threw for 2 points to Cory Martin and the score was 27-24 Florida. Pittsburgh tried an onside kick that failed, and got the ball back too far away with too little time left to force OT.

Bell 17 Federals 7

Washington QB Scott Bieber is in the midst of a slump that's affecting the whole offense as they've only scored 36 points the last 3 weeks after averaging 29 points the first 3 weeks. Bieber threw 2 INTs each of the last 2 weeks, and he matched that today on the first 2 Federals drives. Philadelphia couldn't take advantage directly though. Indirectly, it led to a field position switch, and the Bell finally got 3 points after a Washington punt allowed Philadelphia to start on the Federals side of the field. The Bell got a TD on their next drive as Robert Hernandez found Craig Hines for a 59 yard TD and a 10-0 lead. Bieber then led Washington to a TD of their own, with Robert Trammell capping it off with an 8 yard run, trimming the lead to 10-7. Washington would get the ball one more time before the half ended, but another Bieber INT thwarted that drive, leaving the score 10-7 Bell at the half.

The second half, both teams traded punts until Philadelphia's last 2 drives. Hernandez tossed his 2nd TD pass, 47 yards to Andres Freeman, to extend the Bell lead to 17-7, then their last drive ran the final 4:51 off the clock to preserve the win and improve to 6-0.

Bandits 29 Gold 25

Denver is the defending champs, but the Gold are finding 1993 to be much tougher than 1992. The Gold lost their 5th game of the season today, although none of the losses has been by double digits, and they still have to play Portland twice. It's going to be difficult for Denver to get back into the playoff race, but they have the talent to do it.

There was a game today, and for 3 quarters, not much happened. The first half ended with Denver leading 8-7, on a pair of FGs and a safety. Andrew Brewer's lone TD pass came in the 3rd qtr to give the Gold a 15-7 lead going into the 4th. Denver extended the lead to 22-7 after Fredrick Whidden's 3 yard TD run before Tampa Bay started their comeback. The Bandits moved the ball well on their opening drive before punting, and their first half TD came on a 75 yard drive, but the rest was literally almost nothing until early in the 4th. Tampa Bay would score TDs on each of their last 3 drives to steal victory from Denver.

Antonio Martinez wasn't efficient, completing just 18/37, with 2 INTs and 3 sacks allowed, one for a safety. His 18 completions went for 346 yards though, and he threw 4 TD passes, 3 in the 4th qtr. Luis Dean caught a TD from Martinez in the first half, then Daniel Steward caught an 11 yard TD pass and Martinez found Darren Cotton for the 2 point conversion to cut the deficit to 22-15 early in the 4th. Following a three and out, Martinez led the Bandits on an 11 play, 83 yard drive that ended with a 5 yard TD pass to Richard Miller. That tied the game at 22, then Denver drove for a go ahead FG with just over a minute to play, but Tampa Bay would get the ball back with time. A 58 yard pass to Thomas Whitley got the Bandits into the red zone right away and the next play, Martinez found Luis Dean for the game winning 17 yard TD pass. Denver got the ball back with 0:30 remaining, but couldn't cross midfield.

Generals 13 Steamer 9

The teams combined for 24 punts as there were few sustained drives today. New Jersey was leading 6-0 in the 3rd qtr when rookie FB Frasier Crane caught a pass but Christopher Landreneau forced a fumble, which was scooped up by William Augustine for a 32 yard TD, but the XP was wide right, leaving the game tied at 6. Don Ferguson threw 44 passes today, completing just 24 for 206 yards, with 91 coming on a 3rd qtr TD pass to Duncan Meyer, breaking the tie. The rest of the game was punts until Shreveport cut the lead to 13-9 with a FG at the 1:21 mark. The Steamer then recovered the onside kick and got to the edge of FG range, but being down 4, they had to go for it on 4th and 14, but failed. New Jersey kneeled down twice to preserve the win for the 5-1 Generals.

Blitz 24 Wheels 16

Detroit led 13-10 after 3 quarters but Chicago out scored the Wheels 14-3 in the final quarter for their 4th victory in a row. Detroit QB Gabriel Flanagan completed 32/45 for 263 yards with a TD and an INT. The TD went to Matthew Houston, who caught 9 in all for 114 yards. Chicago turned the ball over 3 times during the first 3 quarters, including 2 INTs by QB Ronald Brown, but Brown found Ian Gordon for a 21 yard TD that gave the Blitz a 17-13 lead early in the 4th. Detroit got a FG to get within 17-16 before Flanagan's INT allowed Chicago to play add on with a Dale Davis 3 yard TD run. Davis ran for 97 yards, adding 41 more receiving, while Ian Gordon caught 7 for 116 yards and a TD. The Davis TD came with 1:10 left, but Detroit could not cross midfield and the Blitz hang on to win.

Force 23 Breakers 20 (OT)

Four Boston RBs combined for 39 rushes, 145 yards and 2 TDs as the Breakers enjoyed a 20-9 lead after 3 quarters. Boston QB Joseph Haight threw an INT and James Nash lost a fumble, leading to 2 of the 3 Force FGs up to this point.Georgia would start to move the ball in the 3rd qtr and that continued into the 4th. Milton People found Thomas Sanchez for an 8 yard TD on the first play of the 4th, and the 2 point conversion got the Force within 20-17. Georgia would tie the game with a FG inside the 2 minute warning. The game then went to overtime, where Boston punted and Georgia drove for the game winning FG by Salvador Dennison.

Bulls 12 Hornets 6

Jacksonville won the FG kicking contest against Charlotte 4-2, giving the Bulls their first win of the season. Tyron Bailey ran for 118 yards and Brian Johnson made 4/5 FG attempts to lead the Bulls to victory. The Jacksonville defense held Charlotte to 260 offensive yards and forced 2 fumbles.

Panthers 17 Invaders 7

Michigan shut down the Oakland rushing attack (19 rushes 28 yards), and intercepted 2 passes, scoring 17 unanswered second half points to defeat the Invaders. Oakland did throw for 299 yards, with Jessie Heidt catching 8 for 110 yards and Ronald McDevitt hauling in 8 as well for 96 yards. Michigan got a big play TD pass from Larry Henderson on each of the Panther's first 2 drives of the second half, 64 to James Hillis and 65 to Walter Simmons. Oakland QB Andrew Moreno threw 2 4th qtr interceptions to seal the win for Michigan. Hillis caught 8 for 149 yards today while Simmons ran for 51 to add to his 77 receiving yards for a combined 128.

Gamblers 36 Express 10

Los Angeles did a good job on the ground today, rushing for 112 yards on 20 carries while allowing Houston 82 yards on 39 carries. The difference today was the passing game, where William Mauriello completed less than 50% of his passes with a pair of INTs while Tony Dean completed 20/22 for 427 yards and 3 TDs. Jett Black caught 4 passes for 194 yards and 2 of the TD passes while Lloyd Ellis caught the other TD pass as part of his 8 for 163 stat line. Houston scored 23 points in the 1st qtr and rode that flurry of early points to cruise to victory.

Stallions 16 Gunslingers 6

This was a defense oriented game as the teams combined for less than 400 yards and the only TD of the game was an interception return. Each team had similar rushing stats, getting about 3.5 yards a carry, but the Birmingham passing game was less putrid than San Antonio's. Each QB tossed 2 INTs, but one of Robert Fanelli's was returned 19 yards for a score by David McElmore. Both of Fanelli's INTs came in the 4th qtr, ending any hopes of a come from behind win.

Thunderbolts 17 Outlaws 3

The Cleveland defense allowed Oklahoma just 117 total yards today as they bottled up the Outlaws RBBC to the tune of 13 yards on 26 attempts. Outlaws QB John Crisp completed 19/25 passes, 76%, but they only covered 104 yards as Oklahoma only had 5 first downs all day. Cleveland turned the ball over 3 times, 2 on lost fumbles, but Tony Romo completed 26/31 for 308 yards and 2 TD passes with 1 INT. James Bull caught 6 passes for 134 yards and a TD to lead the Thunderbolts skill players.

VooDoo 24 (NY) Stars 0

The New Orleans defense shut down New York today, allowing just 133 total yards and 7 first downs on 22 minutes of possession. VooDoo QB Joseph Jones completed 16/20 passes for 156 yards, 2 TD and 1 INT, with both scoring tosses coming in the first half. Every New York drive ended with a punt except the drive at the end of the first half, which ended when the clock ran out. The game was effectively sealed in the 3rd qtr when Edward Hervey recovered a fumble and returned it 15 yards for a TD to give New Orleans a 21-0 lead. Thomas Thomas led the VooDoo with 104 combined yards, 61 rushing, 43 receiving.

Stars 38 Renegades 10

Orlando had the lead at halftime 10-7 but Baltimore made the needed halftime adjustments, out scoring the Renegades 31-0 in the second half to win going away. QB Emory Howard threw a TD pass to RB Ben Dehaven , who had 118 combined yards (50 rushing, 68 receiving), in the final minute of the first half to take the brief lead. The second half was all three and out drives except for 1 6 play drive, but they all ended in punts, which did nothing to help their defense, which was being abused by Jon Snow. After the break, Snow led Baltimore to points on their first 4 drives, breaking open a close game. Snow finished 36/51, 520 yards, 5 TD and 1 INT, with all 5 TD passes going to John Warkentin, who caught 9 in all for 290 yards. Orville Barker was the leading rusher for the Stars with 48 yards and he caught 9 passes for 96 yards as Baltimore takes advantage of losses by Pittsburgh and Washington to forge a 3 way tie atop the Atlantic.

Hawaiians 45 Sun 0

Honolulu dominated division rival Southern California today, out gaining the Sun 600-95. The Hawaiians ran for 291 as a team, with Robert Schuler gaining 161 yards and a TD on 16 carries and Anthony Davis rushing for 107 and a score on 20 carries. QB Derek Henry completed 28/37 for 309 yards and 2 TDs, spreading the ball around as no receiver had more than 57 yards. K David McInnis, was 5/5 on FG attempts. Defensively, Honolulu forced 2 turnovers and sacked Wilmer Kimble 5 times, allowing just 1/12 3rd down conversions.