Will the all time, single season receiving record fall again? Glen Hampton had an average game...for him anyway with 246 yards, giving him 981 yards through 4 games. That's on pace for 3,924 yards, which would obliterate Albert Olson's 2,835 from last year. As noted in the Houston Chronicle, the Gamblers have the #1 ranked defense in the league to go with their usual high powered offense, and it might be difficult for any team to prevent a 3rd straight Houston World Bowl Victory Parade. The Gamblers took care of the Gunslingers to improve to 4-0, and they join San Jose, Denver, New York, and New Jersey in the undefeated club. The Memphis Showboats were shown the door, asked to leave that club after a hard fought defeat at the hands of defending National Conference Champs Washington. We have several weeks before New York and New Jersey play each other, and the only other possible game of unbeatens could happen later in the season, if San Jose and Houston keep it going.
Gamblers 33 Gunslingers 10
The tone was set in the first quarter as the Houston offense had 3 nearly identical TD drives to start the game while the defense forced three and outs as the Gamblers led 21-0 2 plays into the 2nd. The first 2 TDs were Tony Dean to Hugh Chance TD passes, culminating an 8 play, 75 yard drive and a 9 play, 74 yard drive. Donald Turner capped off the 3rd drive with a 3 yard TD run on the 9th play of that 87 yard journey. Houston let their foot off the gas, kicking FGs the rest of the way as they improve to 4-0. Tony Dean completed 28/34, 363 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT while RB Lloyd Ellis led the receivers with 11 receptions for 117 yards. Fellow RB Donald Turner had a solid game, rushing for 68 yards and a TD, adding 4 catches for 65 yards.
Federals 17 Showboats 12
Memphis had more scoring chances than Washington, but the Federals were able to score a pair of TDs and a FG to win a tough game against the previously unbeaten Showboats. Memphis took an early 3-0 lead after a 10 play, 82 yard drive stalled, then the defense provided a pair of golden scoring opportunities thanks to intercepting Scott Bieber twice. Each time the Memphis offense failed to move, settling for FGs and a 9-0 lead. Washington got within 7 on their next drive as Scott Bieber found Ronald Matthews with a 48 yard TD pass. Memphis would add a 4th Gary Ridgeway FG to lead at the half 12-7. Washington didn't get much out of their running game today, but Jayson Shepherd scored on an 11 yard run to cap the Federals' first drive of the second half. The XP was good and Washington enjoyed their first lead of the game, 14-12. Memphis drove inside the Federals 10 yard line late in the 3rd, and would have at least had a FG opportunity except QB Erik McNamee was intercepted in the end zone by Kevin Armistead. The Washington defense made sure that was their last scoring opportunity as the Federals hang on for the win, improving to 3-1.
Gold 20 Thunderbolts 17 (OT)
Judging by total yards, Denver should have crushed Cleveland as the Gold had 495 yards to just 183 for the Thunderbolts. Denver opened up their passing game a bit after being a run first team the first 3 weeks. Andrew Brewer threw for 353 yards, with WR Steven Riley catching 7 for 149 yards. Brewer was intercepted 3 times however, and the Gold also lost a pair of fumbles for a 5 turnover game. Tony Romo knows turnovers, but he only threw 1 today, while capitalizing on 2 of Brewer's mistakes to lead short TD drives. Romo's first TD was 32 yards to Matthew Martin, the second, 1 yard to Andre King. Denver RB Erik Younker leads the league in rushing through 4 games, and he scored a 5 yard TD run in between Romo TD passes as Cleveland led 14-7 at the half.
Denver scored a FG in the 3rd to get within 14-10, then late in the 4th, Andrew Brewer found Brian Turner with a 4 yard TD pass to take a 17-14 lead. Andre King then had a nice kickoff return, allowing the offense to start at their 33 with 1:10 to play. Romo used all of the clock but he got them within the range of Carlos Reed, who nailed a 52 yard FG at the end of regulation to send the game to overtime. In the extra session, Cleveland punted, then Brewer and the running game drove the Gold into game winning FG range. Robert Deacon split the uprights from 43 yards out and Denver improves to 4-0.
Generals 41 Wheels 34
New Jersey, to Denver: "hold my beer". The Generals aren't impressed by the Gold winning despite 5 turnovers because they beat Detroit despite 6. Unfortunately some habits are hard to break and I knew it was a matter of time before Ferguson had a multi turnover game like this. The game started off like normal, Detroit drove for a TD, then New Jersey did the same. Then came the exchange of gifts, as Detroit QB Gabriel Flanagan threw an INT and they lost a fumble leading to 10 New Jersey points. Don Ferguson didn't want to be rude, so he threw INTs on back to back plays, leading to 14 points for the Wheels. The gift giving stopped for the half, with Detroit getting 3 points and New Jersey getting 7 and we were tied at 24 going into halftime.
In the 3rd quarter, Ferguson's 3rd INT led to another short field for Detroit, and the Wheels turned it into 7 points for a very brief lead. Ferguson giveth, and Ferguson taketh away, as he found Franklin Cherry on the next offensive play for a 75 yard TD that tied the game at 31. Ferguson then threw INT #4, which ended up being harmless until the next drive started at the Generals 4 yard line after an excellent punt. No matter for Ferguson and Cherry, as they liked their long TD so much they did it again for 96 yards to take the lead for good, 38-31. Ferguson INT #5 resulted in a Kent Olden FG, but 38-34 would be as close as Detroit got the rest of the way as the Generals manage to hold on for the win.
For Detroit, Gabriel Flanagan threw for 332 yards, 4 TDs and 2 INTs on 35 completions. Flanagan spread the ball around as 4 receivers had between 50 and 81 yards. For New Jersey, Don Ferguson was 27/40, 443 yards, 5 TDs, 5 INTs and his favorite receiver was Franklin Cherry who caught 5 for 219 yards and 3 TDs. RB Kurt Cobain had 200 combined yards on 127 rushing and 73 receiving.
(NY) Stars 31 Bell 11
Stars WR Albert Olson was asked after the game if he was concerned about Glen Hampton possibly breaking his receiving record. Olson said "No, not at all. Last year was a great personal year for me but we only won 5 games. We already have 4 wins, so if losing my record means more wins for the team, Hampton can have it. He is having a great season, props to him." Olson got the scoring underway early, catching a 66 yard TD in the game's first minute for a 7-0 lead. Olson would only have 60 more yards for the game as QB Damien Oleary found some of his teammates, completing 27/34 for 362 yards, 3 TD and 1 INT. RB William Hall scored New York's 2nd TD on a short run. Hall had 141 combined yards, rushing for 69 yards and that TD, while catching 8 for 72 yards and another score. His TD reception came in the 3rd quarter, extending a 21-0 halftime lead to 28-0. Philadelphia finally started to move the ball late in the 3rd quarter, getting a FG, TD and 2 point conversion, but the huge, early deficit was too much to overcome.
SaberCats 48 Blazers 20
Florida got off to a blazing start in this game as Willie Graham tossed a pair of TD passes for a 14-0 lead. Jake Plummer led San Jose to a TD drive to cut the lead in half, then Florida tacked on a FG for a 17-7 lead. San Jose and Plummer then went on a prolonged scoring run, getting 24 points in the 2nd quarter alone for a halftime lead of 31-17. The SaberCats didn't score as much in the second half, but they did out score the Blazers 17-3 to win 48-20. Jake Plummer completed 24/29, 363 yards, 4 TD and 1 INT. Eric Tanner caught 2 of the TD passes and Mark Hsu led the receivers with 140 yards and a TD. The San Jose running game had 125 yards and TDs from David Hartwig and Frank Huber, and Huber also caught a TD pass.
Blitz 17 Panthers 9
Chicago started the game fast as Ronald Brown hooked up with Ian Gordon for 2 long scoring plays for a 14-0 1st qtr lead. The first one covered 63 yards, the second one 82, but those were the only 2 passes Gordon would catch all day. Fast forward to late 3rd quarter with Michigan trailing 14-6 after a pair of FGs. The Panthers offense was finally sustaining drives, getting deep into Blitz territory 3 times in the 4th quarter. The first time they settled for a FG to trail 14-9. The next drive, they went for a 4th and 2 just outside the red zone and failed, turning it over on downs. The next Michigan drive was another turnover on downs, but this one was in their own end of the field, and the Blitz were able to add 3 points for a 17-9 lead. Michigan needed a TD and a 2 point conversion and Will Allison nearly pulled it off. Allison had the Panthers at the Chicago 15 with 35 seconds left but they turned the ball over on downs as the game clock expired, allowing Chicago to hang on for the win that gives the Blitz sole possession of first in the Midwest.
Bulls 15 Bandits 9
Jacksonville and Tampa Bay decided to have a kicking contest, with some scrimmage plays mixed in for good measure. Only one player had a stat line worth mentioning, Tampa Bay WR Luis Dean, no relation to Tony, caught 8 for 150 yards. Each team kicked 3 FGs in the first half while Jacksonville made the only 2 FGs of the second half to win the kicking contest 5-3. Tampa Bay is just 1-3, but a break here or there, they could be 4-0. The Bandits have now lost 3 straight 1 score games, two being OT losses.
Breakers 19 Force 16 (OT)
Boston has played 4 games now, and 3 have involved the top 2 WR in the league. The Breakers are done with New York already, having played Albert Olson and the Stars twice in the first 3 weeks, and now they face Glen Hampton of Georgia. Hampton is averaging a hair above 245 yards a game after his 9-246-1 stat line today, aided greatly by his 95 yard TD reception. The rest of Georgia's drives didn't end so well as Thomas Jacobi threw 3 INTs, including a crucial one in OT. Larry Henderson didn't produce any big plays for Boston, but he also didn't turn the ball over, completing 30/40 for 235 yards and a TD. The Breakers tied the game at 16 with a FG in the final minute of regulation, then won with a FG in the extra session after Jacobi's 3rd INT allowed Boston to take over at the Force 40.
Storm 32 Steamer 12
Portland didn't need a punter today as every Storm drive ended with points or a turnover. Portland ran the ball 36 timed for 203 yards, yet converted only 1/9 3rd downs. Jeffrey Frost led the way with 130 on the ground and he caught one of two Melvin Driggers TD passes. RB Jose Moses caught the other one in a balanced game for him, rushing for 52 yards and gaining 51 through the air. Richard Robinson had a big game, catching 7 for 192 yards. Portland won the game, but the Storm were far from sharp, converting only 1 of 5 red zone trips into a TD as Donald Atkins made 6 FGs in all. Shreveport put up 325 yards on the Portland defense, led by RB Scott Randall who led the Steamer in rushing (78 yards) and receiving (68 yards). They fell behind 10-0 though, and couldn't get closer than 7 the rest of the game.
Renegades 28 Maulers 19
Orlando got off to a 7-0 lead after a 13 play opening drive covering 75 yards ended with a Trey Lyons TD pass to Arthur Devore. The Renegades 3rd drive covered 97 yards but only resulted in an 18 yard FG, but Orlando did enjoy a 10-0 lead. The script flipped for a bit as Orlando stopped scoring and Pittsburgh started, getting 4 Brett Bowman FGs, all 46 yards or longer, for a 12-10 lead. Midway through the 4th, Chad Magana took a handoff and raced 80 yards for a Maulers TD and a 19-10 lead. Orlando RB Anthony Milan wasn't much of a factor in the passing game, but he did catch a TD pass from Lyons to cut the lead to 19-17. The Renegaded defense forced a punt which Milan returned 28 yards, setting up a short field. Milan then capped the drive with a short TD run and Jose Rush ran in the conversion as Orlando took the lead back 25-19. Paul Marcum then threw an INT, allowing Orlando to tack on a FG for our final score of the game.
Wranglers 19 Hawaiians 15
Arizona's defense came up with 2 big plays and the Wranglers scored the last 12 points of the game to take the win from Honolulu. The Hawaiians offense moved the ball well behind Anthony Davis, who ran for 94 yards and a TD, adding 87 receiving. The Hawaiians had to settle for FGs in the first half though, taking a 9-0 lead at the half. Honolulu was driving for more points in the 3rd qtr when Brian Parsons caught a pass but fumbled trying to advance the ball. William Clardy forced the fumble, scooped it up and ran 76 yards for an Arizona TD. Anthony Davis then got his rushing TD but the XP was no good, so the Hawaiians lead was 15-7. Late in the 3rd, Brian Carmichael found Elias Williams for a 69 yard TD, but they opted to kick the XP to trail 15-14 heading into the 4th. The Wranglers would get a Brian Haworth FG for a 17-15 lead with under 5 minutes to go. As we neared the final minute, Henry was sacked in the end zone by Curtis Prevatte for a safety that sealed the win for Arizona.
Stallions 24 VooDoo 3
Birmingham got 3 TD passes from Norman Maldonado and 93 yards rushing from Francis Schultz as the Stallions get a division win over New Orleans. WR Felix Nguyen caught 2 of the TDs among his 6 for 111 yards. New Orleans RB Harry Charles did his best to keep the VooDoo in the game but he got little help from his offensive teammates. Charles ran for 48 yards on 11 carries and was the leading receiver, catching 9 for 68, for a combined 116 yards. New Orleans had 200 team yards, so everyone else accounted for just 84 yards.
Express 31 Sun 17
Los Angeles were ball hogs today, holding the ball over 41 minutes, yet led by just 6 heading into the 4th quarter. David Tavarez threw the first of his 3 TD passes on the opening drive and 2 subsequent FGs gave the Express a 13-0 lead after a quarter. Harold Angulo got the Sun within 13-7 with a 19 yard TD pass to Matthew Tipps. Los Angeles scored the next 10 points for a 23-7 lead before the Sun added a FG near the end of the half, and our score at the break was 23-10 Express. Midway through the 3rd, Angulo's 2nd TD pass got Southern California within 6 points. David Tavarez capped the scoring with his 3rd TD pass, 2nd to Gary Sappington and Tavarez was good on his 2 point pass as the Express now led 31-17. The defenses of both teams took over from here as Los Angeles gets the victory.
Hornets 23 Stars 3
Charlotte and Baltimore were both looking for their first wins of 1996 and the Hornets got out to a 6-0 lead thanks to a pair of 50+ yard FGs by Javier Gill. Then David Delgadillo had the first punt return TD of the season in the league, taking it 80 yards to the house and a 13-0 Charlotte lead. The Hornets got the ball to start the 3rd and Jeremy McDonald got Charlotte another TD right away, finding Dennis Baird for a 75 yard score. Those 2 big plays by Charlotte was too much for the rebuilding Stars to overcome.
Outlaws 6 Invaders 3
For the most part, I try to stay positive when writing the blog, but some games make it extremely hard to do. This was one of those games. Both teams combined for 329 yards and 1/29 on 3rd down. Five total fumbles, 4 of them being turnovers. Oklahoma won the game with 2 FGs to just 1 for Oakland. The Invaders kicker missed one of his tries and the Outlaws won despite just 3 total first downs and 129 offensive yards.
