First of all congratulations to Los Angeles, Denver, Arizona, Memphis, Houston and Chicago. Those are your six American Conference playoff teams, seeding to be determined. Congratulations are also in order for Birmingham, Baltimore, Washington and New Jersey as they are 4 of the 6 National Conference representatives.
The standings glitch has reared it's ugly head again, prematurely telling teams they are eliminated. First up is the Southeast Division. 7-8 Florida is at 8-7 Jacksonville and a Blazers win sends us to the tiebreaker. Tampa Bay could also factor into the equation with a win.
The loser of Baltimore at Washington will be the #5 seed and Georgia just has to beat Shreveport to be #6 with a 9-7 record. Things will get crazy if Georgia loses, as they would fall to 8-8, and we could have as high as a 4 way tie at 8-8.
There are 6 teams in the National Conference currently 8-7 or 7-8. If Florida wins, we'll end up with as many as 5 teams 8-8, with one being Southeast Champs. We also have the 7-8 New Orleans VooDoo @ the 7-8 (NY) Stars, so one team will be 7-9 for sure, or 7-8-1.
I did not attempt to figure out tiebreakers because I found out after the last World League season that MFN tiebreakers differ from NFL tiebreakers. I never did get an exact response as to what order is used here.
The TV executives are loving this.
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Week 14 Roundup: Chicago, New Jersey and Tampa Bay Continue To Leave the Door Open
If they were remaking Seinfeld, Chicago, New Jersey and Tampa Bay would be auditioning for the role of the doorman. For the second consecutive week the Blitz and the Generals had a win and in scenario and failed to get the job done. Tampa Bay got off to a fast start and looked to be running away with the Southeast Division, but now they're stuck in a 7-7 quagmire with seemingly half the National Conference.
Federals 51 Blitz 8
Washington has had their playoff ticket punched awhile ago and this week they prevented Chicago from doing the same. The Federals have their eye on a Week 16 date with Baltimore but they obviously were not looking ahead as they dropped 51 points and 638 yards of offense on the Blitz. Federals QB Joe Richardson fired 6 TD passes, 4 of them to WR Luther Ellis, who now has 17 on the year, tied for most in the league.
Bulls 34 Generals 21
Another week of winning the turnover battle but losing the game for New Jersey. The Generals defense has shown cracks this year that we haven't seen much of in years past and that was on display this game. Jacksonville QB Charles Evans found WR Albert Anderson for not one, not two, but three long TD passes. Anderson finished with 8 catches for 279 yards. The victory puts Jacksonville in the middle of the 7-7 Southeast scrum while the Generals still need 1 more win or 1 (NY) Stars loss.
Blazers 44 Bandits 17
Tampa Bay really needed a win in this game to keep sole possession of first place but it was the red hot Blazers who dominated. Florida is now 7-7 after an 0-6 start and tied for first place with Tampa Bay and Jacksonville. Blazers QB Michael London was almost perfect, finishing 27-31, 338 yds and 4 TD's. Florida erupted for 20 2nd qtr points to take control of the game.
Express 21 Breakers 7
Los Angeles had also been in the running for the part of the doorman but not anymore after their division clinching win over the improved Breakers. Neither team cracked 280 yards but the Express had a much better running game.
Wranglers 28 Invaders 0
The MFN standings glitch is still there as Oakland is not really eliminated yet. If Arizona loses their last 2 and Oakland wins their last 2, the Invaders will be the #6 seed. Oakland will need a much better offensive game the last 2 weeks as the Wranglers shut down the Invaders offense to the tune of 109 total yards. Oakland had just 9 rushing yards on 16 carries. I'm a little concerned only 58,881 (84%) showed up at Sun Devil Stadium for such an important division game.
VooDoo 23 Hornets 17
In a battle of smoking hot under .500 teams, New Orleans kept their playoff hopes alive with this win. VooDoo RB Socrates Rogers set the tone early on his way to a 115 yard rushing day. This win snaps Charlotte's 4 game winning streak.
Stallions 41 Gunslingers 7
Birmingham keeps rolling as they scored 4 TD's in the first quarter and a half before coasting to the easy victory. The Stallions have earned a first round BYE.
Gamblers 30 Outlaws 13
Houston also keeps rolling as they pulled away after a tight 1st quarter for a comfortable win. The Gamblers are in the playoffs but will they be the #5 seed? #1 or #2 seed? Does it matter? I figure there are 6 or 7 teams with a very good shot to win it all even as a wildcard, and the defending champs are one for sure.
Showboats 40 Force 21
We know Memphis will be playing beyond Week 16 but will Georgia? The Force will have new ownership in 1986 but the question for now is, when will Greyghost's retirement from USFL/WFL start? Georgia is finally finished with the leagues upper echelon teams and their 7-7 record is right in the thick of the wildcard race. Their schedule is more than favorable down the stretch and a 9-7 record should at least put them in a tiebreaker for #6 seed.
(NY) Stars 30 Renegades 7
New York kept the heat on New Jersey with their win over Orlando. Even if the Generals quit choking and win a game, the Stars are in the thick of the wildcard race.
Stars 37 Wheels 0
Baltimore bounced back from their first loss of 1985 by dominating Detroit. The Stars held Detroit to just 120 total yards.
SaberCats 20 Thunderbolts 9
Cleveland turned the ball over 3 times in this crushing loss. The only path to the playoffs for the Thunderbolts is to win the Midwest Division, they can't be a wildcard now. Cleveland needs similar to Oakland, 2 Blitz losses and 2 Cleveland wins.
Maulers 27 Steamer 10
Panthers 34 Hawaiians 10
Sun 20 Bell 12
Gold 19 Storm 13
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Week 13 Roundup: Memphis, Houston, and Denver in the Playoffs
Week 13 saw Memphis, Houston, and Denver punch their playoff tickets, while Los Angeles, Chicago, and New Jersey must wait at least a week.
Showboats 37 Express 3
Memphis intercepted Mario Valencia's second pass of the game and immediately turned it into 6 points. It was all downhill from there as Los Angeles could only muster 119 yards of offense. The Southwest division is still up for grabs but Memphis will have a playoff game in their future.
Gamblers 37 Wranglers 9
Arizona gained 344 yards on Houston's defense and had 19 first downs to just 12 for Houston. Gamblers played bend but don't break defense, forcing 2 turnovers and 0-2 in the red zone. The Gamblers didn't need first downs as they used the big play for 512 yards of offense, 406 through the air. Gamblers QB Tony Dean was 18-24, 415 yards and 5 TD's, taking just 1 sack.
This win clinches a playoff berth for Houston, while Arizona is still in line for the #6 seed.
Gold 28 Invaders 10
In an important West division game, Denver went into Oakland and beat the Invaders, clinching a playoff spot in the process. Oakland is a half game behind Arizona for the #6 seed and those two square off in Week 14. Gold WR Richard Huff had 181 yards on 6 catches.
Thunderbolts 23 Blitz 10
All Chicago had to do was beat Cleveland and they would be Midwest Division champs but they literally fumbled away that chance. WR/PR Joey Walker fumbled 3 punt returns, losing 2 of them to set Cleveland up with easy scoring opportunities. Cleveland is now just 1.5 games back of Chicago with 3 to play.
(NY) Stars 17 Generals 16
All New Jersey had to do was beat New York and they would be East Division champs but the Generals offense failed to deliver despite winning the turnover battle 3-0. Stars QB Eric Roberge found WR Robert Freese for 2 TD's, yet the Stars fell behind in the 4th qtr 16-14. New York got the ball with 2:49 to go and drove the field for the game winning 51 yd FG as time expired.
New Jersey needs either 1 more win or 1 loss each for (NY) Stars and Philadelphia to win the East.
Storm 27 Bandits 7
Tampa Bay currently leads the Southeast Division but for how long? The Bandits came in with a 3 game losing streak and facing a 4-8 Portland squad. The Storm have been playing good football of late as this was their 3rd win in their last 4 games.
Early in the 1st qtr, the Bandits got on the scoreboard first. Melvin Driggers found Thomas Whitley for his league leading 16th TD reception. It was all Storm after that, as Oscar Willis threw 3 TD passes of his own, 2 to RB Kristopher Brown.
Bulls 33 Blazers 14
Florida has been one of the hottest teams in the league but Jacksonville came to town and halted the Blazer's 6 game win streak, preventing Florida from a share of the division lead. This win also puts the Bulls right in the thick of the division race as both teams now trail Tampa Bay by 1 game.
Through 3 qtrs it was 20-0 Jacksonville but Florida scored 2 quick 4th qtr TD's to pull within 6. The Bulls answered right away with this 74 yard Charles Evans to Albert Anderson TD. That was their second hookup of the day and they would add a 3rd to seal the game and leave Florida to wonder what happened.
Stallions 17 Stars 9
In a possible playoff preview Birmingham hands Baltimore their first loss of the season. The road to World Bowl XII still looks to go through Baltimore, but 1 more stumble and home field advantage could shift south. In fact, this loss puts more importance on the Week 16 Stars @ Federals game as Baltimore could find themselves a wildcard if they lose. That would be a disappointing way to enter the postseason, spending all year as the #1 seed only to have to play on the road wildcard weekend.
Bell 20 Renegades 17
SaberCats 41 Hawaiians 24
Hornets 15 Breakers 3
Gunslingers 11 Sun 3
Steamer 18 Outlaws 7
VooDoo 30 Force 7
Federals 16 Maulers 13
Panthers 24 Wheels 3
Showboats 37 Express 3
Memphis intercepted Mario Valencia's second pass of the game and immediately turned it into 6 points. It was all downhill from there as Los Angeles could only muster 119 yards of offense. The Southwest division is still up for grabs but Memphis will have a playoff game in their future.
Gamblers 37 Wranglers 9
Arizona gained 344 yards on Houston's defense and had 19 first downs to just 12 for Houston. Gamblers played bend but don't break defense, forcing 2 turnovers and 0-2 in the red zone. The Gamblers didn't need first downs as they used the big play for 512 yards of offense, 406 through the air. Gamblers QB Tony Dean was 18-24, 415 yards and 5 TD's, taking just 1 sack.
This win clinches a playoff berth for Houston, while Arizona is still in line for the #6 seed.
Gold 28 Invaders 10
In an important West division game, Denver went into Oakland and beat the Invaders, clinching a playoff spot in the process. Oakland is a half game behind Arizona for the #6 seed and those two square off in Week 14. Gold WR Richard Huff had 181 yards on 6 catches.
Thunderbolts 23 Blitz 10
All Chicago had to do was beat Cleveland and they would be Midwest Division champs but they literally fumbled away that chance. WR/PR Joey Walker fumbled 3 punt returns, losing 2 of them to set Cleveland up with easy scoring opportunities. Cleveland is now just 1.5 games back of Chicago with 3 to play.
(NY) Stars 17 Generals 16
All New Jersey had to do was beat New York and they would be East Division champs but the Generals offense failed to deliver despite winning the turnover battle 3-0. Stars QB Eric Roberge found WR Robert Freese for 2 TD's, yet the Stars fell behind in the 4th qtr 16-14. New York got the ball with 2:49 to go and drove the field for the game winning 51 yd FG as time expired.
New Jersey needs either 1 more win or 1 loss each for (NY) Stars and Philadelphia to win the East.
Storm 27 Bandits 7
Tampa Bay currently leads the Southeast Division but for how long? The Bandits came in with a 3 game losing streak and facing a 4-8 Portland squad. The Storm have been playing good football of late as this was their 3rd win in their last 4 games.
Early in the 1st qtr, the Bandits got on the scoreboard first. Melvin Driggers found Thomas Whitley for his league leading 16th TD reception. It was all Storm after that, as Oscar Willis threw 3 TD passes of his own, 2 to RB Kristopher Brown.
Bulls 33 Blazers 14
Florida has been one of the hottest teams in the league but Jacksonville came to town and halted the Blazer's 6 game win streak, preventing Florida from a share of the division lead. This win also puts the Bulls right in the thick of the division race as both teams now trail Tampa Bay by 1 game.
Through 3 qtrs it was 20-0 Jacksonville but Florida scored 2 quick 4th qtr TD's to pull within 6. The Bulls answered right away with this 74 yard Charles Evans to Albert Anderson TD. That was their second hookup of the day and they would add a 3rd to seal the game and leave Florida to wonder what happened.
Stallions 17 Stars 9
In a possible playoff preview Birmingham hands Baltimore their first loss of the season. The road to World Bowl XII still looks to go through Baltimore, but 1 more stumble and home field advantage could shift south. In fact, this loss puts more importance on the Week 16 Stars @ Federals game as Baltimore could find themselves a wildcard if they lose. That would be a disappointing way to enter the postseason, spending all year as the #1 seed only to have to play on the road wildcard weekend.
Bell 20 Renegades 17
SaberCats 41 Hawaiians 24
Hornets 15 Breakers 3
Gunslingers 11 Sun 3
Steamer 18 Outlaws 7
VooDoo 30 Force 7
Federals 16 Maulers 13
Panthers 24 Wheels 3
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Playoff Push
American Conference West Division
This should be the most exciting division race as there are 3 teams within a game and a half. Denver has led the division all season and currently sit at 10-2. Arizona has won 6 in a row after a 3-3 start and is positioned well for a wildcard spot if they can navigate this tough 3 game stretch against playoff caliber teams. Oakland has a rough 3 game stretch of their own and at 8-3-1, in 3rd place, they can't afford too many slip ups.
The winner of this division will likely be the #2 seed and at least 1 wildcard should come from the West as well, maybe 2 if Houston slips up.
Denver: @ Oakland, vs Portland, @ Jacksonville, @ Memphis
Arizona: @ Houston, vs Oakland, @ Tampa Bay, @ Orlando
Oakland: vs Denver, @ Arizona, @ Houston, @ Portland
National Conference Southeast Division
This is also a 3 team race but without the gaudy records of the West. Tampa Bay started out 5-1 but have lost 4 of 6, including the last 3 in a row to hold a precarious lead with their 7-5 record. Hot on their heels are the blazing Blazers of Florida, who have evened their record at 6-6 following an 0-6 start. They are a prime example of what can happen if you don't give up after a rough start. Jacksonville is just 5-7 but only 2 games out of the top spot in the Southeast and they have won 4 of their last 6.
Tampa Bay: @ Portland, vs Florida, vs Arizona, @ Philadelphia
Florida: vs Jacksonville, @ Tampa Bay, vs New Jersey, @ Jacksonville
Jacksonville: @ Florida, vs New Jersey, vs Denver, vs Florida
American Conference Southwest Division
Memphis had been chasing defending World Bowl Champions Houston for most of the season, thanks to their OT loss to the Gamblers in Week 3, but a recent 2 game slide by Houston put the Showboats in the top spot. Neither team has officially clinched a playoff berth yet, but it's likely a matter of time. The winner of this division will be the likely #1 seed while the other team will likely be a wildcard team, though the possibility remains both wildcard spots come from the West.
Memphis: @ Los Angeles, @ Georgia, vs Portland, vs Denver
Houston: vs Arizona, @ Oklahoma, vs Oakland, @ Birmingham
National Conference Atlantic Division
The only team yet to lose in 1985 are the Baltimore Stars, whose only blemish was their Week 10 tie with New Jersey. Despite their 11-0-1 record, they aren't division champs yet because of Washington who sit at 10-2 with a Week 17 home date with Baltimore. At 4-8, Pittsburgh is a long shot but are not officially eliminated from a wildcard.
The winner of this division will most certainly get a BYE and will likely be #1 seed, while second place will be the #5 seed.
Baltimore: @ Birmingham, vs Detroit, vs Pittsburgh, @ Washington
Washington: @ Pittsburgh, vs Chicago, @ Cleveland, vs Baltimore
Pittsburgh: vs Washington, @ Shreveport, @ Baltimore, vs Charlotte
American Conference Midwest Division
With a 2.5 game lead Chicago is in the drivers seat to win the Midwest over Cleveland. If the Blitz win in Cleveland this weekend the division title is theirs, though they need some breaks for a BYE. Cleveland will likely need to win out to make the playoffs.
Chicago: @ Cleveland, @ Washington, vs Honolulu, @ Detroit
Cleveland: vs Chicago, vs San Jose, vs Washington, vs Michigan
National Conference South Division
With their Week 12 win over New Jersey, Birmingham put themselves in line for a BYE, provided they don't collapse down the stretch. Should the Stallions stumble, Georgia is ready to take advantage. They lead a pack of 8 teams vying for the #6 seed, including 4-8 New Orleans. It's probably too late in 1985 for the VooDoo but they will be a team to keep an eye on in 1986.
Birmingham: vs Baltimore, vs San Antonio, @ New Orleans, vs Houston
Georgia: vs New Orleans, vs Memphis, @ San Antonio, @ Shreveport
New Orleans: @ Georgia, vs Charlotte, vs Birmingham, @ (NY) Stars
National Conference East Division
This is the only division that doesn't have a team with the "e" next to their name, though most likely the division still belongs to New Jersey. At 8-3-1 they have a 3.5 game lead over everyone else in the East. Boston, (NY) Stars, and Philadelphia, all sit 5-7 and are still within reach of Georgia, the current #6.
New Jersey: vs (NY) Stars, @ Jacksonville, @ Florida, @ Boston
Boston: @ Charlotte, vs Los Angeles, @ Orlando, vs New Jersey
(NY) Stars: @ New Jersey, @ Orlando, @ Southern California, vs New Orleans
Philadelphia: vs Orlando, vs Southern California, @ Los Angeles, vs Tampa Bay
American Conference Pacific Division
Most likely, Los Angeles will win the division as they have a 3 game lead with 4 to play. Southern California, and Honolulu need an Express collapse to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
Los Angeles: vs Memphis, @ Boston, vs Philadelphia, @ Southern California
Southern California: @ San Antonio, @ Philadelphia, vs (NY) Stars, vs Los Angeles
Honolulu: @ San Jose, @ Michigan, @ Chicago, vs San Jose
Monday, September 23, 2019
Week 11 Roundup: Controversy in Houston and the Force is with Georgia
Controversy was the word of the day in Houston as it seems the refs botched the final play of the game. Frederick Skeen was clearly down with 0:02 on the clock and Gamblers HC Dana Hicks was screaming "TIMEOUT TIMEOUT" on the sidelines. The refs seemed to have trouble figuring out where to spot the ball and that hesitation cost Houston a chance at a game winning 56 yard FG attempt. That marred an otherwise fantastic 4th qtr.
Showboats 19 Gamblers 17
Houston PK Daniel McCormack's 34 yd FG with 3:29 left gave the Gamblers a 17-16 lead. Memphis turned it over on downs inside 2 minutes and it seemed Houston would win. The Gamblers only ran 21 seconds off the clock before punting, but that punt left Memphis at their own 6 with no timeouts and 1:28 on the clock.
The play of the game was this 53 yard pass on 3rd and 10 which put the Showboats in FG range, and the kick was good. It's amazing Houston was even in position for a game winning FG with only 18 seconds to work with. Come on refs, you have to be better than this.
Force 19 Stallions 6
Georgia has their eye on the last wildcard spot in the National Conference after winning the last 2 of their brutal 5 game stretch. Their schedule is favorable down the stretch with only 1 team left with a winning record. Not many highlights from this game, but it was a solid defensive effort from Georgia. They shut down Birmingham's running game and forced 4 INT's.
Express 27 Hawaiians 24
Honolulu jumped out to a 24-10 3rd qtr lead before Mario Valencia led the Express to 17 unanswered points for the 27-24 victory. This Edward Hill TD run with 2:10 left sealed the deal for LA who extend their Pacific Division lead to 3 games with 5 to play.
Gold 27 Invaders 17
Denver won an important division game against Oakland, keeping their slim 1 game lead over Arizona. Dustin Nichols found Corey True for an 86 yard TD pass to put Denver up 24-7 in the 2nd qtr. Oakland QB Les Lacy threw 3 second half INT's to stall any hopes of a comeback.
Generals 13 (NY) Stars 10 (OT)
New Jersey is no stranger to close games this year as the Generals are 4-2-1 in 1 score games in 1985. This is also New Jersey's second consecutive OT game. The New York version of the Stars held the Generals running game in check, but failed to take advantage the other way as they averaged almost 8 YPC yet only ran 14 times. This win gives New Jersey a 3.5 game lead on Boston and NY with 5 to play.
Wranglers 24 Outlaws 6
Arizona has now won 5 in a row and put themselves right in the thick of the playoff race.
Breakers 24 SaberCats 0
Impressive shutout victory for Boston. If the Breakers could find a way to consistently score points they would be a dangerous team.
Stars 25 Blitz 13
Baltimore remains the only team without a loss (10-0-1) and their beat goes on, defeating Chicago in a battle of division leaders.
Bulls 27 Bell 13
Jacksonville rode 5 Philadelphia INT's to a comfortable win.
VooDoo 37 Gunslingers 16
New VooDoo owner Smirt announced his USFL re-arrival by putting up 522 yards of offense. If New Orleans is on your schedule, don't let their 3-8 record fool you, they're a different team now.
Panthers 13 Sun 10
Michigan stops Southern California's 4 game win streak.
Storm 17 Renegades 8
Portland kept Orlando out of the red zone all day to win their second in a row.
Federals 24 Bandits 0
Washington was upset about their loss last week and took it out on struggling Tampa Bay. The Bandits lost their second in a row and have 2 teams just 2 games behind.
Blazers 24 Steamer 9
Florida won their 5th in a row and have the Bandits in their sights. Those two play each other twice the next 3 weeks, stay tuned.
Hornets 33 Maulers 17
Charlotte wins their second in a row.
Thunderbolts 19 Wheels 0
Cleveland shuts out Detroit as the Thunderbolts continue to try and chase down Chicago.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Week 9 Roundup: Force Stop Gamblers 18 Game Win Streak
Force 27 Gamblers 10
I guess it's true, someone gets bullied long enough they'll punch back. Georgia is in the middle of a very brutal stretch of 5 games in a row against the USFL elite. Having lost the first 3, Georgia had enough and took it to the defending champs. They held Houston to 29 rushing yards (20 carries), 287 total yards and forced 2 INT's. Offensively Georgia ran for 165 and was in the red zone 5 times compared to once for Houston. The first of 2 Norris Thomas TD passes put the Force in the lead for good.
Next Week: Georgia @ Birmingham, Memphis @ Houston
Stallions 38 Federals 16
Birmingham went into Washington and galloped their way to victory. On the very first play from scrimmage, David Schmitt found Leonard Robles for a 75 yard TD which seemed to take the fight out of the Federals. Late in the 3rd qtr, this happened. That Kelly Acosta pick six made the score 38-6, at which time the Federals finally started to click on offense
Next Week: Birmingham vs Georgia, Washington @ Tampa Bay
Gold 23 Bandits 0
Denver had lost 2 in a row while Tampa Bay had won 2 in a row, so naturally Denver wins. Just before the 2 minute warning, Corey True took a short swing pass to the house to give the Gold a 16-0 halftime lead. Denver held the Bandits to 189 total yards and just over 24 minutes of possession.
Next Week: Oakland @ Denver, Washington @ Tampa Bay
Stars 20 Generals 20 (OT)
This battle of division leaders was a tale of 2 halves and 2 drives. Baltimore dominated the first half 17-0, thanks to plays like this 79 yard Jon Snow TD pass to Brian Darden. The second half belonged to New Jersey, well the 4th qtr anyway. Ric Flair threw 2 TD passes to Justin Timberlake in the final 6:47, including this TD with 0:35 left to knot the game at 17.
Baltimore got the ball first in OT and settled for a FG, though they took more than 6 minutes off the clock. New Jersey had plenty of time but gained just 39 yards in 10 plays and had to settle for a 51 yard FG as time expired to tie.
Next Week: Baltimore @ Chicago, New Jersey @ (NY) Stars
Hornets 16 Blitz 11
Charlotte finally gets their first win of 1985 with an impressive defensive showing against Chicago. The Blitz had just 8 first downs, zero red zone trips and 204 yards of offense.
Wranglers 38 Express 23
Judging by the turnovers you wouldn't think these are 2 playoff caliber teams. It was 77 and sunny in Tempe so it was just sloppy football.
Maulers 25 VooDoo 7
Committing 5 turnovers won't win many games and this was no exception.
Other Scores:
USFL Notes:
Quite the race for most receiving yards in the league, top 3 within 5 yards.
I guess it's true, someone gets bullied long enough they'll punch back. Georgia is in the middle of a very brutal stretch of 5 games in a row against the USFL elite. Having lost the first 3, Georgia had enough and took it to the defending champs. They held Houston to 29 rushing yards (20 carries), 287 total yards and forced 2 INT's. Offensively Georgia ran for 165 and was in the red zone 5 times compared to once for Houston. The first of 2 Norris Thomas TD passes put the Force in the lead for good.
Next Week: Georgia @ Birmingham, Memphis @ Houston
Stallions 38 Federals 16
Birmingham went into Washington and galloped their way to victory. On the very first play from scrimmage, David Schmitt found Leonard Robles for a 75 yard TD which seemed to take the fight out of the Federals. Late in the 3rd qtr, this happened. That Kelly Acosta pick six made the score 38-6, at which time the Federals finally started to click on offense
Next Week: Birmingham vs Georgia, Washington @ Tampa Bay
Gold 23 Bandits 0
Denver had lost 2 in a row while Tampa Bay had won 2 in a row, so naturally Denver wins. Just before the 2 minute warning, Corey True took a short swing pass to the house to give the Gold a 16-0 halftime lead. Denver held the Bandits to 189 total yards and just over 24 minutes of possession.
Next Week: Oakland @ Denver, Washington @ Tampa Bay
Stars 20 Generals 20 (OT)
This battle of division leaders was a tale of 2 halves and 2 drives. Baltimore dominated the first half 17-0, thanks to plays like this 79 yard Jon Snow TD pass to Brian Darden. The second half belonged to New Jersey, well the 4th qtr anyway. Ric Flair threw 2 TD passes to Justin Timberlake in the final 6:47, including this TD with 0:35 left to knot the game at 17.
Baltimore got the ball first in OT and settled for a FG, though they took more than 6 minutes off the clock. New Jersey had plenty of time but gained just 39 yards in 10 plays and had to settle for a 51 yard FG as time expired to tie.
Next Week: Baltimore @ Chicago, New Jersey @ (NY) Stars
Hornets 16 Blitz 11
Charlotte finally gets their first win of 1985 with an impressive defensive showing against Chicago. The Blitz had just 8 first downs, zero red zone trips and 204 yards of offense.
Wranglers 38 Express 23
Judging by the turnovers you wouldn't think these are 2 playoff caliber teams. It was 77 and sunny in Tempe so it was just sloppy football.
Maulers 25 VooDoo 7
Committing 5 turnovers won't win many games and this was no exception.
Other Scores:
USFL Notes:
Monday, September 16, 2019
Week 8 Roundup: Arizona Wrangles the Gold
Wranglers 22 Gold 3
Arizona went to Denver and gave the Gold their first loss of 1985. The Wrangler defense held Denver to 275 yards of offense and held the ball for almost 35 minutes. Ronald Hensley kicked 5 FG's and this early TD pass to Eric Duncan from Jerry Montalvo set the tone.
Express 29 Hawaiians 27
This Pacific Division showdown had a lot of points and came down to the wire, but it wasn't all good. Los Angeles and Hawaii seemed to be playing hot potato at times, combining for 8 turnovers, 5 by the losing Hawaiians. Despite the ball security issues, the Hawaiians had a slim 1 point lead late into the 4th qtr until Roger Ruzich hit a 53 yd FG with 2:38 left for the final score. Hawaii had 1 last chance, but decided to punt the ball away with 1:28 left. LA had an excellent opportunity to run out the clock but this happened. Given new life in LA territory, one first down would put them in range for a game winning FG try, but INT. The Express ran out the clock and gave themselves a 2 game lead over Hawaii.
Bell 12 Generals 6
Nevermind the Conference Championship streak for New Jersey, are they even going to win the division? The last time a team other than New Jersey won the East was 1977 when the NY Stars, led by former USFL commish tribewriter won the division with a 12-4 record. This game featured zero TD's and for the second game in a row, the Generals finish with <100 passing yards. The only highlight was USFL career sack leader James Lockette adding to his total. The East Division is now the tightest in the league top to bottom.
Invaders 17 Blitz 17 (OT)
They were kissing sisters in Chicago as the Invaders and Blitz couldn't decide things after 70 minutes of football. This was a possible playoff preview, except for the tie part, that Oakland might wish they could do over. The Invaders had a 17-3 lead heading into the 4th qtr, and led 17-10 late. Oakland QB Les Lacy threw his 3rd INT with 1:33 left in the game and Chicago capitalized, tying the game. OT was a whole lot of nothing and somewhere, Donovan McNabb is confused.
Gamblers 27 Gunslingers 6
Bulls 18 Breakers 0
(NY) Stars 35 SaberCats 6
Showboats 9 Outlaws 3
Stars 23 VooDoo 11
Panthers 23 Thunderbolts 0
Sun 23 Storm 13
Bandits 20 Renegades 10
Federals 25 Force 7
Stallions 20 Steamer 3
Blazers 43 Maulers 10
Wheels 19 Hornets 16
Scoring was down as a whole week 8 with only 2 teams topping 30. Florida is Blazing hot, scoring 43 after their 49 point outburst last week. Tampa Bay and Birmingham have 3 game division leads at the halfway point. Is it time to print playoff tickets yet? Houston, Memphis, Baltimore and Washington probably have playoff appearances in their future, but their divisions are in doubt. Two of these juggernauts are going to have to hit the road in January.
The Charlotte Hornets put up a good fight, but K/P Kenneth Dukes missed a 49 yd FG in the final minute that could have sent the game to OT. Shreveport finally ended their scoreless streak with a FG very late in the first qtr. The Steamer had gone 9 quarters, 1 minute and 4 seconds between scores.
Arizona went to Denver and gave the Gold their first loss of 1985. The Wrangler defense held Denver to 275 yards of offense and held the ball for almost 35 minutes. Ronald Hensley kicked 5 FG's and this early TD pass to Eric Duncan from Jerry Montalvo set the tone.
Express 29 Hawaiians 27
This Pacific Division showdown had a lot of points and came down to the wire, but it wasn't all good. Los Angeles and Hawaii seemed to be playing hot potato at times, combining for 8 turnovers, 5 by the losing Hawaiians. Despite the ball security issues, the Hawaiians had a slim 1 point lead late into the 4th qtr until Roger Ruzich hit a 53 yd FG with 2:38 left for the final score. Hawaii had 1 last chance, but decided to punt the ball away with 1:28 left. LA had an excellent opportunity to run out the clock but this happened. Given new life in LA territory, one first down would put them in range for a game winning FG try, but INT. The Express ran out the clock and gave themselves a 2 game lead over Hawaii.
Bell 12 Generals 6
Nevermind the Conference Championship streak for New Jersey, are they even going to win the division? The last time a team other than New Jersey won the East was 1977 when the NY Stars, led by former USFL commish tribewriter won the division with a 12-4 record. This game featured zero TD's and for the second game in a row, the Generals finish with <100 passing yards. The only highlight was USFL career sack leader James Lockette adding to his total. The East Division is now the tightest in the league top to bottom.
Invaders 17 Blitz 17 (OT)
They were kissing sisters in Chicago as the Invaders and Blitz couldn't decide things after 70 minutes of football. This was a possible playoff preview, except for the tie part, that Oakland might wish they could do over. The Invaders had a 17-3 lead heading into the 4th qtr, and led 17-10 late. Oakland QB Les Lacy threw his 3rd INT with 1:33 left in the game and Chicago capitalized, tying the game. OT was a whole lot of nothing and somewhere, Donovan McNabb is confused.
Gamblers 27 Gunslingers 6
Bulls 18 Breakers 0
(NY) Stars 35 SaberCats 6
Showboats 9 Outlaws 3
Stars 23 VooDoo 11
Panthers 23 Thunderbolts 0
Sun 23 Storm 13
Bandits 20 Renegades 10
Federals 25 Force 7
Stallions 20 Steamer 3
Blazers 43 Maulers 10
Wheels 19 Hornets 16
Scoring was down as a whole week 8 with only 2 teams topping 30. Florida is Blazing hot, scoring 43 after their 49 point outburst last week. Tampa Bay and Birmingham have 3 game division leads at the halfway point. Is it time to print playoff tickets yet? Houston, Memphis, Baltimore and Washington probably have playoff appearances in their future, but their divisions are in doubt. Two of these juggernauts are going to have to hit the road in January.
The Charlotte Hornets put up a good fight, but K/P Kenneth Dukes missed a 49 yd FG in the final minute that could have sent the game to OT. Shreveport finally ended their scoreless streak with a FG very late in the first qtr. The Steamer had gone 9 quarters, 1 minute and 4 seconds between scores.
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