Defending champs Houston have fought with the Memphis Showboats the last decade for supremacy in the Southwest and in the playoffs. If Memphis had any hopes of winning the division, they needed a win over 8-0 Houston to do it. They played an exciting game with several lead changes, and while the Houston win doesn't guarantee a division crown, it does make the road much harder for the Showboats. Washington is also unbeaten, and they faced their main rival Baltimore. Much like Houston/Memphis, the Federals and Stars have been battling it out the last decade for Atlantic division supremacy. Not so much this season, as the Stars have had it rough, and the Washington win today gives them a season sweep of the Stars and a 5 game lead with 7 to play. Orlando is our 3rd undefeated team, and while their rivalry with Jacksonville isn't as memorable as the other 2, they still had to beat a division foe to reach 9-0. Florida has ruled the Southeast recently, but the Renegades have a 4 game lead over the Blazers. It's getting to that point of the season where most every game is important as the playoff field starts to take shape, let's see what happened Week 9.
Gamblers 36 Showboats 30
If football games were scripted for TV, they would look a lot like this game. We had 6 lead changes, 799 total yards, 66 total points and the outcome was in doubt until the final minute. In the first quarter, Houston took a 3-0 lead, then Norman Maldonado threw a TD pass to Steve Ransome for a 7-3 Memphis lead after the 1st qtr. Houston came back in the 2nd with a FG and a Tony Dean TD pass to Anthony Fulks to take a 13-7 lead. The Showboats answered with an Erik McNamee 4 yard TD run to take the lead 14-13, then added 7 more on a Steve Ransome 61 yard TD run. Tony Dean got the Gamblers within 21-20 at the half with a 52 yard TD pass to Jett Black.
The 3rd quarter saw just one score, a Tony Dean 2 yard TD pass to Ozzie Newsome to give Houston the lead 27-21. The next 3 scores were by Memphis in the 4th quarter, all Gary Ridgeway FGs, with the 3rd giving the Showboats a 30-27 lead with 1:27 to play. It didn't take Tony Dean long to bring the Gamblers back as he found Jett Black for a 75 yard catch and run TD to give Houston the lead back. Memphis had time to score, but Maldonado was sacked 3 times on the final drive, the last one for a safety and Houston recovered the onside free kick to seal the victory that keeps them undefeated.
Tony Dean completed 26/31, 394 yards and 4 TDs and Jett Black caught 8 for 200 yards and 2 scores for the Gamblers. Steve Ransome led Memphis with 162 combined yards (135 rushing) and 2 TDs.
Federals 32 Stars 9
One week after Baltimore QB Jon Snow tied a league record with 10 TD passes in a game, he almost tied another, albeit dubious record. Four QBs in league history have thrown 8 INTs in a game, and Jon Snow tried to tie it, but he only threw 7 today. The Baltimore defense only allowed Washington 165 offensive yards, but all of those short fields led to 6 John Bazile FGs, a Robert Trammell 3 yard TD run and a 3 yard Scott Bieber TD pass to James Dunn. Trammell, playing on a sore foot, was the offensive star of this game, getting a combined 114 yards and that rushing TD.
Renegades 27 Bulls 9
The Orlando defense intercepted Derek Joyce on 2 of the first 3 drives, turning those into 10 points for an early lead. Jacksonville got a FG at the end of the first half but Anthony Milan ripped off a 75 yard TD run on the first play of the 3rd quarter to seize momentum and a 17-3 lead. Milan also caught one of Trey Lyons 2 TD passes as he finished with 141 rushing yards and a TD to go with 29 receiving yards and a TD. Barring an injury, Milan will be in the running for OROY. Lyons tossed his 2nd TD pass at the end of the 3rd to give the Renegades a 24-6 lead heading into the uneventful 4th and Orlando moves to 9-0.
SaberCats 27 Express 16
Los Angeles got on the board first with a FG, then were driving for more points when David Tavarez was sacked and lost a fumble, leaving the score 3-0 Express. Rodney Richardson gave San Jose the lead with a 2 yard TD run but Tavarez got it right back for L.A. with a 29 yard TD pass to Patrick Peavey. Rodney Richardson struck again, catching a Jake Plummer pass and taking it 65 yards for the go ahead TD as the SaberCats now led 14-10. Inside the 2 minute warning, Jake Plummer found David Hartwig for a 28 yard TD and a 21-10 halftime lead. The second half saw the defenses settle down as each team scored just 2 FGs and San Jose holds on for the win that gives them a 2 game advantage on the Express. Neither QB was very efficient, as Tavarez completed 24/49 with 2 INTs and while Jake Plummer threw 2 TDs and 0 INT, he only completed 13/37 passes.
Storm 20 Wranglers 13
Melvin Driggers threw for 298 yards and a TD and got help from Jeffrey Frost (108 combined yards and a rushing TD) and Richard Robinson (8 catches, 116 yards) as Portland defeats Arizona to maintain their slim division lead. Portland had nearly 400 yards of offense while allowing the Wranglers just 163, and keeping their offense out of the end zone. The Storm allowed just 2 red zone FGs, with Arizona's lone TD coming on a 99 yard kickoff return by William Haubert after Portland went up 20-3. Arizona would add a FG early in the 4th to pull within 20-13, but their last 2 drives went three and out and the Storm hold on for the win.
Wheels 16 Panthers 15
This Midwest division battle featured struggling offenses and 4 lead changes. Detroit got the ball first and punted, and Michigan punted it back after their first possession. Gabriel Flanagan then led the Wheels on a FG drive that took over 7 minutes off the clock and gave Detroit a 3-0 lead. Larry Henderson and the Michigan offense responded with a 14 play, 75 yard TD drive that ended when Henderson found Harvey Williams with a short TD pass. Gabriel Flanagan answered that with a TD pass to Thomas Love and Detroit had a 10-7 halftime lead. Michigan scored 5 points in the 3rd with a sack of Flanagan for a safety and a FG for a 12-10 lead. That lead was extended to 15-10 early in the 4th with another FG. Detroit then saw Flanagan throw an INT but Michigan fumbled it right back, allowing Flanagan to move the Wheels into FG position and they found themselves down 2 with almost 11 minutes to play. Henderson drove Michigan to the Wheels 35, but they opted to play field position and punted. Detroit couldn't move the ball and punted it back, giving the Panthers a chance to run out the clock. They went three and out though, and Flanagan got the Wheels in position for a 52 yard FG attempt at the gun. Kent Olden was good from 52 yards and Detroit keeps their division title hopes alive with the come from ahead, then behind win.
Generals 41 Hornets 20
Charlotte hung with New Jersey for the first 28 minutes but New Jersey broke a 10-10 tie in the final minute of the first half and scored 17 more in the 3rd quarter for a 24-0 run that basically won the game for the Generals. Don Ferguson completed 28/38 for 351 yards and 5 TDs to lead the New Jersey offense, with help from David Koresh and Duncan Meyer. Koresh ran 17 times for 57 yards and caught 5 for 137 yards and a TD while Duncan Meyer had 88 receiving yards and 3 TDs. Charlotte won the 4th quarter, but the 24-0 run made that a moot point.
Force 20 Blazers 12
Coming into the game, Florida was on a streak of 9 and a half quarters without scoring a TD. The Blazers last TD came with 6:41 left in the 3rd quarter against Tampa Bay in Week 6, then they scored 3 FGs in the 4th, 5 more FGs in Week 7's 15-0 win and 1 FG in last week's loss to Orlando. Their first score today was also a FG that gave Florida a 3-0 lead before Georgia QB Thomas Jacobi fired a 42 yard TD pass to Glenn Hampton gave the Force a 7-3 lead. Georgia added a FG for a 10-3 lead before Florida kicked 2 more FGs in the final 2 minutes of the first half to trail 10-9 at the break. Yet another Blazers FG gave them a 12-10 lead heading into the 4th, but they were done scoring, FGs or otherwise. Georgia took the lead 13-12 on a FG, then Jacobi fired his 2nd TD pass, this one 28 yards to Willard Brekke and the Force led 20-12 with 9:45 to play. Florida's last 3 drives ended on a punt, turnover on downs, and downs again as the Blazers have now gone over 13 quarters without a TD. Georgia keeps a share of first in the South, and their 4-5 record also has the Force in the thick of the wildcard, as it seems the whole conference is 4-5.
Steamer 23 VooDoo 3
The New Orleans defense couldn't Stump the Schwab today as Shreveport RB Milton Schwab ran for 168 yards, including an 80 yard TD run as the Steamer win to keep pace with Georgia atop the South. The VooDoo didn't turn the ball over today and they had 4 drives where they did not punt. Unfortunately, 2 of those "drives" were just a single play at the end of both halves and a third was a missed FG, leaving just 1 scoring drive. The New Orleans defense kept Georgia's passing game in check as George Marcil had 130 yards passing on 20 completions, but the Force running game was too much when the offense had trouble moving the ball.
Gold 34 Invaders 7
Denver came into the game on a 4 game winning streak, but the last 2 wins have been by just 3 points, including an OT win over Oakland 2 weeks ago. Oakland was also hot coming into the game, winning 4 of 5 so something had to give. Early in the game, it looked like we'd have another close game between these 2 teams as Oakland took the opening kickoff and drove to the edge of the red zone, but the 41 yard FG try was wide left. The Invaders 2nd drive lasted 12 plays, covering 80 yards and Frederick Barron's 4 yard TD run gave Oakland a 7-0 lead. Denver answered that score in 1 play as Andrew Brewer found Gary Cortez for a 75 yard catch and run TD, then the Gold defense forced Oakland punts the rest of the game. Robert Deacon booted FGs in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, Fredrick Whidden had a 2 yard TD run and Brewer threw TD passes in the 3rd and 4th as the Gold score 34 unanswered points to win going away. Andrew Brewer completed 21/29, 363 yards and 3 TDs, 2 to Gary Cortez, who caught 6 for 174 in all. Fredrick Whidden chipped in 122 rushing yards and the aforementioned TD as Denver stays 1 game behind Portland in the West and 1 game ahead of the other wildcard contenders.
Blitz 18 Thunderbolts 16
Chicago and Cleveland played an even, back and forth game that might have played out differently if Evan Joseph made a couple of XP kicks. Cleveland scored first on a Tony Romo 44 yard TD pass to Evan Hershey and the XP was good for a 7-0 lead. Chicago answered with a 4 yard Ronald Brown TD pass to Keith McGhee but the XP was wide right, and the Thunderbolts now lead 7-6. Carlos Reed's 56 yard FG in the final minute of the 1st half extended the Cleveland lead to 10-6 and Chicago seemed willing to run out the clock and head into halftime. Dale Davis had other ideas to run out the clock, like racing 83 yards for a TD and the Blitz took a 12-10 lead into the break after this XP try was also wide right. In the second half, Cleveland kicked a FG to retake the lead 13-12, then Chicago went on a 13 play, 8:26 drive that ended with a FG and the Blitz now led 15-13. Cleveland takes over with 7:02 to play, and they took over 5 minutes off the clock and another FG gives the Thunderbolts a 16-15 lead. If Chicago makes their earlier XP kicks, Cleveland wouldn't have been able to settle for 3, as they would have been trailing by 4. Chicago got the ball with 1:52 left and took all of that time off the clock and Evan Joseph won the game with a 30 yard FG as time expired.
(NY) Stars 16 Breakers 13
The New York Triplets production has been going down in recent weeks, though they are still dangerous offensive weapons. RB William Hall had 151 combined yards, 86 rushing and 65 receiving, and Albert Olson caught 4 for 92 and a TD as he continues to lead the USFL in receiving yards/TDs. The offenses of both teams combined for 629 yards, mostly on 1st and 2nd downs as they also combined to convert just 5/27 3rd downs, and we had a FG kicking contest for 3 and a half quarters. New York led 9-6 when Damien Oleary connected with Olson for a 64 yard TD pass to give New York a 16-6 lead with 6:23 to play. Boston responded with a 17 play, 75 yard TD drive when Adam Scales passed the last 2 yards to Bob Carder to get the Breakers back within 3. The onside kick failed and New York ran the final 2 minutes off the clock for the victory.
Maulers 24 Bell 17
Twenty seems to be Pittsburgh's magic number this season as the Maulers are now 4-0 when scoring at least 20 points and 0-5 when they don't. Philadelphia took the opening drive 75 yards and Joseph Serio's 15 yard TD pass to Craig Hines gave the Bell an early 7-0 lead. Pittsburgh QB Will Allison then threw an INT which led to a Bell FG for a 10-0 Philadelphia lead. Pittsburgh trimmed the deficit to 10-3 before Philadelphia committed a pair of turnovers. The fumble wasn't costly but the interception was as Will Allison converted that into a 19 yard TD pass to Glenn Lajoie to tie the game at 10. Joseph Serio bounced back with a 13 play, 75 yard TD drive capped off with an 11 yard scoring pass to Charles Hunt and the Bell led at the half 17-10.
The second half was a different story as Pittsburgh shut down the Bell offense while Will Allison threw TD passes in the 3rd and 4th for a come from behind victory for the Maulers. Allison finished 23/31, 309 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT and the leading receiver was WR Arthur Thompson, who caught 4 for 104 yards and the game winning TD.
Hawaiians 26 Sun 16
Honolulu scored TDs on their first 2 possessions for a 13-3 lead then held on for the win through a mistake filled 4th quarter. The Hawaiians went 75 yards in 11 plays on the opening possession, with Edwin Clarkson's 2 yard TD pass to Anthony Graves giving Honolulu a 7-0 lead. Southern California QB Gary Wiggins answered with a 16 play, 72 yard drive that took nearly half the quarter but resulted in a FG. Clarkson then found Michael Argueta for a 75 yard TD and a 13-3 lead after the XP was missed. Honolulu added a FG to go up 16-3 before Wiggins led a TD drive toward the end of the first half. Matthew Tipps caught the 23 yard TD pass from Wiggins and the Sun now trailed 16-10 with 1:34 before halftime. Honolulu punted, as did the Sun and Honolulu had the ball 80 yards away with 38 seconds left in the half. Clarkson found Argueta for a 73 yard pass for a first and goal at the 7. Anthony Graves only caught 2 passes for 9 yards today, but both were scores as his 7 yard reception enabled Honolulu to enjoy a 23-10 halftime lead. The second half was a FG kicking contest, then the turnovers started in the 4th quarter. The Sun had 2 INTs and a turnover on downs in the final 15 minutes while Honolulu lost a fumble and also turned it over on downs, with the end result being a Hawaiians win that breaks their 6 game losing streak.
Gunslingers 20 Outlaws 9
San Antonio QB Robert Fanelli completed 26/34, 262 yards and 2 TDs to Eugene Bufkin as the Gunslingers defeat Oklahoma. Charlie Shanks rushed for 91 yards to lead the Gunslingers RBBC that had 145 yards, but Shanks also fumbled twice, losing one. San Antonio WR Michael Stott led the team in receiving but also lost a fumble as the Gunslingers had the only turnovers of the game. They didn't hurt too bad though, as the San Antonio defense held the Outlaws to 229 offensive yards and 0/13 on 3rd down. Neither offense enjoyed getting in the red zone as Oklahoma got 2 FGs from 3 trips while San Antonio had a TD in 2 trips.
Stallions 27 Bandits 0
Today was a great day for Birmingham while Tampa Bay would like to forget this game ever happened. We'll start with the good...Birmingham had 410 offensive yards, converted 14/20 3rd downs, scored 2 TDs and a FG in 3 red zone trips and they held the ball 45:46. Francis Schultz ran for 110 yards and Willie Benge completed 30/36, 282 yards and 3 TDs, all in the first half. Oh, the Stallions were also 2/2 on 4th down. Tampa Bay's game was all bad, as the offense couldn't stay on the field. The Bandits rushed for 15 yards on 7 carries and the bad Antonio Martinez played today, as he completed just 13/31, 147 yards and 2 INTs. His 2nd INT came with 10:55 left in the 3rd quarter, and the Bandits offense would run just 9 offensive plays the rest of the game on 3 three and out drives.
