We still have 9 undefeated teams as all the 2-0 teams won this week. In a statistical oddity, there are only 3 of 32 teams with 2 wins and 13 with 1 win. We've also had 2 tie games already, blowing Donovan McNabb's brain.
Gold 51 Bulls 0
It's early in the season but the Denver Gold look like a legitimate threat to end the Houston/Memphis stranglehold on the World Bowl. Jake Peralta had set the league on fire the first two weeks, so much so that today's 144 combined yards with a TD seems like an off game. QB Andrew Brewer threw for 542 yards and 4 TD, and with Peralta getting so much defensive attention, the Gold will need others to step up. Step up they did, as Jose Buford caught just 3 passes, but they were all long TDs covering 195 yards (69, 46, 80yds). Richard Huff chipped in 150 total yards and 2 TD, 1 each rushing and receiving.
Denver's defense is overlooked because of their offensive firepower, but the Gold have only given up 11 points a game. Three of Denver's next 4 games are against other 3-0 teams, Portland, Houston, then after a game against the Sun, they face Portland again.
Gamblers 12 Stallions 10
Birmingham has struggled offensively this year, but their defense held Tony Dean in check today. Dean was 18/31 for 255 yards, which isn't bad but it's a subpar game for Mr. MVP. Houston's whole offense had a subpar game, but to be champions, you need to be strong on both sides of the ball. The Gamblers defense had Dean's back, sacking Joe Richardson 5 times, one for a safety by Charles Wallace that proved to be the difference in the game.
Showboats 41 VooDoo 11
Memphis is 3-0 and one of 3 teams to have scored over 100 points this season (Denver and Houston the others) but their defense has been equally good. Only the Baltimore Stars have given up less than the 20 Memphis has allowed. For New Orleans, new QB Bruno Wilson is struggling to acclimate himself with the VooDoo offense. The VooDoo did put up 340 yards of offense, but losing the turnover battle 3-1 won't help against an offensive juggernaut like Memphis.
Willie Howland had over 100 yards again as did Mark Lambert. The score was close at halftime, 17-11 Showboats, but Memphis shutout New Orleans in the second half, adding 24 points to their total for the lopsided win.
Hawaiians 10 Wheels 7
If you like low scoring, turnover filled games, then you would enjoy this game. Detroit turned it over 4 times, Honolulu twice. The teams also combined to go 1-3 on FG attempts, so this was an ugly win for the Hawaiians. Detroit's Frederick Barron was the only player with a 100 yard game, as his 76 rushing yards and 29 receiving yards gave him 105 for the game. Honolulu held a 10-0 lead until 1:10 left in the game, when the Wheels finally crossed the goal line, but the onside kick failed and Honolulu ran out the clock.
Storm 17 Bandits 9
Portland is 3-0 despite QB Oscar Willis and his 6/8 TD/INT ratio. Willis threw 2 more today and his counterpart, Melvin Driggers, who has INT issues of his own, threw none. That's usually good news for the Bandits but the Storm defense kept Tampa Bay out of the end zone all game and rode an early 17-3 lead to victory. The offensive star was Portland WR Fred Wink who caught 4 for 118 and a TD. Tampa Bay's last drive went all the way to the Storm 17 yard line, but they turned it over on downs.
Invaders 23 SaberCats 10
San Jose rookie QB Tony Romo took his lumps today and if this continues, this Romo will start his broadcast career well before RL Romo did in 2018. Oakland intercepted 6 passes today, taking one to the house for a TD. That came in the 4th qtr of a 10-10 game, and that momentum swing was all she wrote for San Jose. Oakland's Nelson Martines caught 11 for 103 and a TD while teammate Oliver Thomas had a combined 118 yards.
Steamer 17 Gunslingers 10
The first 2 weeks, Shreveport won despite not cracking 300 yards of offense. This week the defense continued their fine play but their offense not only eclipsed 300 yards, they topped 400. Orville Barker ran for 149 and a TD and Zachary Goudy had 100 receiving yards. The Steamer defense intercepted 3 passes and led 17-3 until the final minute of the game.
Stars 27 Blitz 13
Baltimore is now 3-0 thanks to their #1 ranked defense. They have given up the fewest yards and points in this young season. Oh by the way, their offense is ranked 5th in yards so they're continuing where they left off last year. There were a lot of turnovers in this game, 4 by Chicago and 3 by Baltimore. In between the turnovers, the Stars had 489 yards of offense but could not pull away from the Blitz until the final 3 minutes of the game. Mark Numbers had 169 combined yards and Knob Creek had 102 and a TD.
(NY) Stars 24 Sun 0
There was a solar eclipse in New York as their Stars shut out Southern California, holding them to a mere 127 offensive yards. QB Willie Bust was an efficient 31/37, 261 and a TD but the Stars stars of the game were Cam Dalton and Ernest Lynch. Lynch punched in 2 short yardage TDs while Dalton did the heavy lifting otherwise, with 82 rush yards and 90 receiving.
Thunderbolts 27 Express 10
Live by the punter, die by the punter. Huh??? One week after Dwain Yu pinned New Jersey deep many, many times, the tables turned this week. Cleveland P Thomas Brott nailed 7 of 8 punts inside the 20 and the Express offense had trouble moving all game. Cleveland held Los Angeles to 185 yards and Samuel Draper had a combined 127 yards and 2 TD. Thunderbolt RDE Eric Taft had a strip sack in the end zone for a TD to help the cause.
Federals 16 Panthers 10
What's up with Michigan? The Panthers have struggled out of the gate in 1989, already losing more games than they did in 1988. The schedule hasn't been kind for sure, but coming off such a fine season, it's shocking their offense is ranked 18th, defense 19th. We were asking what's up with Washington last week but the Federals bounced back today, despite 3 turnovers. The Federals defense held Michigan under 200 yards and John Bazile kicked 3 FGs for the win.
Generals 48 Hornets 24
New Jersey's pass defense isn't as feared as it once was, as yet another WR had a big day against them. Charlotte WR James Lombardo caught 5 for 100 yards and 2 TD, but it wasn't enough to keep pace with the Generals offense today. QB Ric Flair was 28/31 for 362 yards and 4 TD, 2 of those to Marcus Medina. TE Calvin Hobbes had 125 yards on 8 catches and rookie RB/WR Duncan Meyer ran for 100 yards and a TD.
Outlaws 23 Force 14
The box score was pretty even in this game, but it doesn't reflect field position. Oklahoma had the advantage there all game, enabling them to kick 3 FGs, which was their margin of victory. Oklahoma RB Clint Young ran for 120 yards and a TD.
Wranglers 12 Renegades 10
Orlando held Arizona to 7 rushing yards on 21 carries and outgained the Wranglers 379-312, but 2 lost fumbles and a late missed FG spelled doom. Despite the lack of a running game, Arizona had 305 yards through the air, with TE William Fey catching 9 for 123. The missed Orlando FG was their last drive of the game and would have given them a 13-9 lead, forcing the Wranglers to stick it in the end zone. As it was, the 10-9 lead enabled Arizona to drain the clock and kick the GW FG as time expired.
Maulers 13 Bell 13 (OT)
Pittsburgh probably wants to kick themselves worse than Orlando. The Maulers outgained the Bell 422-145 and missed 2 long FGs as 70 minutes of football could not determine a winner. Pittsburgh also had the time of possession advantage but 3 INTs hurt their cause. Pittsburgh WR Robert Wheeler was the star of the game, catching 8 for 135 and a TD.
Blazers 9 Breakers 7
This was a classic defensive struggle, as Florida had 231 offensive yards, Boston 149. Florida won the turnover battle 3-1 and a 3rd down almost always meant a punt. The teams combined to go 3-29 on 3rd down and there were 5 total sacks.
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Tuesday, June 2, 2020
1989 Week 2
After 2 weeks of football we have 9 teams 2-0, 6 in the American Conference. We also have 10 winless teams, 2 of which are 0-1-1 as we had a tie this week. The Champion Houston Gamblers scored 45 points for the second straight week and Tony Dean has almost reached 1000 passing yards already(931). Gamblers RB Ryan Dearing leads the league in rushing with 216 and WR Gabriel Ahrens is second in receiving yardage and receiving TDs (390-5). The #1 spot in those categories belongs to Denver's Jake Peralta (458-6).
Gamblers 45 Wheels 10
In 1988, Houston had some problems with slow starts to some games, but the Champs had no such trouble against Detroit. The Gamblers scored the first 4 times they had the ball en route to a 24-0 lead after one quarter. Houston had 596 total yards with Tony Dean throwing for 4 TDs and 432 yards, 170 and 2 of that went to Gabriel Ahrens. Ryan Dearing had a double hundo game, rushing for 107 and adding 7 catches for 131 and a TD. The lone bright spot for Detroit was Raymond White, who caught 4 passes for 115 and a TD.
Showboats 34 Panthers 3
Memphis has had a lot of success in the USFL but in recent seasons, the Michigan Panthers have been a thorn in their side. Michigan snapped the Showboats' long winning streak and bounced them from last year's playoffs, so Memphis had revenge on their mind. Memphis amassed a 27-3 halftime lead and cruised in the second half. Willie Howland has returned to prominence after going MIA during the brief Greyghost tenure, and he had a receiving line of 3-114-2 today. Mark Lambert combined for 156 yards and 2 TDs. Michigan was led by Nicholas Dorey and his 117 combined yards.
Gold 30 Renegades 23
This game was between two of the up and coming teams in the league and there were plenty of fireworks. Denver had 470 yards, Orlando 465, and though Denver never trailed, this game came down to the wire. Denver took a 7-0 lead on a 50 yard TD pass from Andrew Brewer to Jake Peralta (more on him later). Orlando cut it to 7-3 before Denver scored another TD for a 14-3 lead. The first quarter would end 14-6, then Orlando got within 14-13. Denver would then extend the lead to 24-13 at halftime only to watch Orlando come back within one point, 24-23 midway through the 3rd. Orlando's four 4th qtr possessions ended with a fumble, punt, turnover on downs, and an INT as their comeback bid fell short.
Renegades RB Ben Dehaven had 193 combined yards but the star of the season so far has been Denver WR Jake Peralta. He followed up his 312 yard 3 TD Week 1 with 282 yards and 3 TD against Orlando. When factoring in return yardage, Peralta has more yards in 1989 than the #2 and #3 guys combined. Peralta has 856 total yards while Gabriel Ahrens is #2 with 447 and Ryan Dearing is #3 with 395. If he continues his current pace, he will nearly double the current total yardage in a season record, which was set in 1980 by Oakland WR Christopher Curtis (3,587 yards). We don't have an Elias Sports Bureau, but I'd bet this has been the best 2 game stretch for any player in league history that's not a QB.
Hawaiians 40 SaberCats 13
Honolulu bullied San Jose, hogging the ball more than 40 minutes, racking up 568 yards of offense in the process. San Jose punted on their first 6 possessions, while Honolulu scored on their first 5, and the score would have been 31-0 at that point if not for a 99 yard kickoff return TD by the SaberCats Edward Hayes. Hawaiians RB Scott Stillings had a double hundo game, rushing for 106 and adding 110 receiving, while QB Derek Henry (not the Titans RB) threw for 395 yards and 3 TD (1 INT).
Storm 37 Wranglers 20
Portland jumped out to a 28-3 2nd qtr lead which proved to be too much for Arizona to overcome. The difference in this game was in the rushing attack as the passing stats were relatively even. The Storm rushed for 206 yards on 26 carries while the Wranglers only had 27 yards on 19 carries. Portland RB Alfred Gale combined for 214 yards and a TD.
Invaders 20 Sun 10
Oakland is off to a 2-0 start after holding Southern California to 235 total yards. Bucking the trend for big stat days, neither team had a 300 yard passer, nor any 100 yard games. In fact, nobody combined for 100+ yards either. The Invaders defense held Sun QB Wilmer Kimble to below 50% passing (19/42).
Stars 26 Bell 3
Baltimore QB Jon Snow threw for 359 yards and 3 TD, but also threw 3 INT. Philadelphia could not take advantage however, finishing with 78 yards of offense for the game. Stars RB Mark Numbers had a combined 175 yards and a TD while fellow RB Knob Creek combined for 113 and a TD.
(NY) Stars 24 Federals 3
New York won the East in 1988 so it's not too big of a surprise they defeated Washington, but what is surprising is how they did it. Washington's offense doesn't usually get held below 150 yards, but that's just what the Stars allowed them, 143. New York QB Willie Bust was efficient, 29/39, 275 and 3 TD and RB Cam Dalton had a combined 174 yards and a TD. Prince Buster and Kamal Kash had 2 sacks apiece for the Stars defense.
Steamer 20 Blazers 7
Shreveport is now 2-0, thanks to their #3 ranked defense and a chain moving ground game. Orville Barker (77) and David Oldham (72) both rushed for over 70 yards while the Steamer defense held Florida to 195 total yards.
Bandits 21 Bulls 21 (OT)
70 minutes of football failed to produce a winner so everyone kissed their sisters. Tampa Bay had the yardage advantage for the game but the Bandits will only go as far as Melvin Driggers will take them. The talented QB has a knack for throwing passes to the other team in bunches, and today was no exception. Driggers threw 3 INT on the day, 2 in the 4th quarter, although he did also toss the tying TD with 1:16 left. Gordon Wong of Jacksonville had 2 more INT, giving him 4 already after he had 14 last year. Don't throw Wong's way.
VooDoo 34 Outlaws 0
New Orleans overcame 4 Bruno Wilson INTs thanks to their defense who forced 4 turnovers of their own. When the offenses weren't turning it over, the VooDoo got the better of things as Wilson tossed 3 TD passes and the VooDoo rushing attack had 202 yards. New Orleans spread the ball around to their various playmakers as no one player had a monster game. Oklahoma was held to 149 yards as New Orleans evened their record at 1-1.
Thunderbolts 17 Blitz 12
Cleveland opted to lean on the ground game and not rely on rookie QB Michael McGowan so much after his 3 INT debut last week. The formula worked, as McGowan was turnover free. No player passed for 300 or had 100 rushing or receiving, but Cleveland was able to cross the goal line twice while Chicago could only kick FGs.
Express 21 Generals 11
New Jersey outgained Los Angeles 417-335 but the Express won the field position battle and the turnover battle. The Express jumped out to a 14-3 lead in the 2nd qtr and rode the field position to the cross country road win. The average drive start for Los Angeles was their 37, while New Jersey's was their own 14 as Express punter Dwain Yu nailed 8 of 9 punts inside the 20. Generals rookie WR Duncan Meyer had a combined 162 yards but the New Jersey defense had no answer for Express WR Fredrick Whidden who caught 6 for 170 and 2 TDs.
Hornets 15 Maulers 14
Charlotte had 360 yards of offense, nearly double the 182 of Pittsburgh but an INT return for a TD by Maulers WLB Fred Leeper gave them a 14-3 halftime lead. The Hornets shut out the Maulers in the second half and they got the game winning TD with 4:04 left on a 77 yard pass from Robert Ament to James Lombardo.
Stallions 19 Gunslingers 10
The box score was similar for both teams and the Gunslingers had the game's only offensive TD, a 13 yard pass from Gary Wiggins to Juan Morgan to give San Antonio a 7-6 halftime lead. They would extend that to 10-6 in the 3rd qtr before the momentum swing play of the game. Birmingham's LDE William Mikell hit the trifecta, sacking Wiggins at the Birmingham 34, forcing a fumble and recovering said fumble, returning it 60 yards for the go ahead TD. Gerald Hinton nailed 2 of his 4 FGs in the 4th qtr to help seal victory for the Stallions.
Force 17 Breakers 10
For the second straight week the Breakers defense surrenders more than 200 yards rushing, as the Georgia Force overcame 4 turnovers for the road win. Georgia turned the ball over on each of their first 3 drives, but Boston could not take advantage, going three and out each time. Georgia dented the scoreboard first on a Richard Donofrio 2 yard TD run, then the teams traded FGs, giving us a halftime score of 10-3 Force. Boston tied it early in the 3rd on an Edward Swafford 5 yard TD pass to Martin Sutton. Late in the 3rd, Georgia's Walter Parnell ran it in from 2 yards out to give the Force a 17-10 lead entering the 4th. Parnell finished the day with -3 yards on 4 carries and that TD, strange stat line for sure. The 4th qtr resulted in no points scored but not for lack of trying. Georgia missed 2 FGs in the quarter while Boston missed 1.
Gamblers 45 Wheels 10
In 1988, Houston had some problems with slow starts to some games, but the Champs had no such trouble against Detroit. The Gamblers scored the first 4 times they had the ball en route to a 24-0 lead after one quarter. Houston had 596 total yards with Tony Dean throwing for 4 TDs and 432 yards, 170 and 2 of that went to Gabriel Ahrens. Ryan Dearing had a double hundo game, rushing for 107 and adding 7 catches for 131 and a TD. The lone bright spot for Detroit was Raymond White, who caught 4 passes for 115 and a TD.
Showboats 34 Panthers 3
Memphis has had a lot of success in the USFL but in recent seasons, the Michigan Panthers have been a thorn in their side. Michigan snapped the Showboats' long winning streak and bounced them from last year's playoffs, so Memphis had revenge on their mind. Memphis amassed a 27-3 halftime lead and cruised in the second half. Willie Howland has returned to prominence after going MIA during the brief Greyghost tenure, and he had a receiving line of 3-114-2 today. Mark Lambert combined for 156 yards and 2 TDs. Michigan was led by Nicholas Dorey and his 117 combined yards.
Gold 30 Renegades 23
This game was between two of the up and coming teams in the league and there were plenty of fireworks. Denver had 470 yards, Orlando 465, and though Denver never trailed, this game came down to the wire. Denver took a 7-0 lead on a 50 yard TD pass from Andrew Brewer to Jake Peralta (more on him later). Orlando cut it to 7-3 before Denver scored another TD for a 14-3 lead. The first quarter would end 14-6, then Orlando got within 14-13. Denver would then extend the lead to 24-13 at halftime only to watch Orlando come back within one point, 24-23 midway through the 3rd. Orlando's four 4th qtr possessions ended with a fumble, punt, turnover on downs, and an INT as their comeback bid fell short.
Renegades RB Ben Dehaven had 193 combined yards but the star of the season so far has been Denver WR Jake Peralta. He followed up his 312 yard 3 TD Week 1 with 282 yards and 3 TD against Orlando. When factoring in return yardage, Peralta has more yards in 1989 than the #2 and #3 guys combined. Peralta has 856 total yards while Gabriel Ahrens is #2 with 447 and Ryan Dearing is #3 with 395. If he continues his current pace, he will nearly double the current total yardage in a season record, which was set in 1980 by Oakland WR Christopher Curtis (3,587 yards). We don't have an Elias Sports Bureau, but I'd bet this has been the best 2 game stretch for any player in league history that's not a QB.
Hawaiians 40 SaberCats 13
Honolulu bullied San Jose, hogging the ball more than 40 minutes, racking up 568 yards of offense in the process. San Jose punted on their first 6 possessions, while Honolulu scored on their first 5, and the score would have been 31-0 at that point if not for a 99 yard kickoff return TD by the SaberCats Edward Hayes. Hawaiians RB Scott Stillings had a double hundo game, rushing for 106 and adding 110 receiving, while QB Derek Henry (not the Titans RB) threw for 395 yards and 3 TD (1 INT).
Storm 37 Wranglers 20
Portland jumped out to a 28-3 2nd qtr lead which proved to be too much for Arizona to overcome. The difference in this game was in the rushing attack as the passing stats were relatively even. The Storm rushed for 206 yards on 26 carries while the Wranglers only had 27 yards on 19 carries. Portland RB Alfred Gale combined for 214 yards and a TD.
Invaders 20 Sun 10
Oakland is off to a 2-0 start after holding Southern California to 235 total yards. Bucking the trend for big stat days, neither team had a 300 yard passer, nor any 100 yard games. In fact, nobody combined for 100+ yards either. The Invaders defense held Sun QB Wilmer Kimble to below 50% passing (19/42).
Stars 26 Bell 3
Baltimore QB Jon Snow threw for 359 yards and 3 TD, but also threw 3 INT. Philadelphia could not take advantage however, finishing with 78 yards of offense for the game. Stars RB Mark Numbers had a combined 175 yards and a TD while fellow RB Knob Creek combined for 113 and a TD.
(NY) Stars 24 Federals 3
New York won the East in 1988 so it's not too big of a surprise they defeated Washington, but what is surprising is how they did it. Washington's offense doesn't usually get held below 150 yards, but that's just what the Stars allowed them, 143. New York QB Willie Bust was efficient, 29/39, 275 and 3 TD and RB Cam Dalton had a combined 174 yards and a TD. Prince Buster and Kamal Kash had 2 sacks apiece for the Stars defense.
Steamer 20 Blazers 7
Shreveport is now 2-0, thanks to their #3 ranked defense and a chain moving ground game. Orville Barker (77) and David Oldham (72) both rushed for over 70 yards while the Steamer defense held Florida to 195 total yards.
Bandits 21 Bulls 21 (OT)
70 minutes of football failed to produce a winner so everyone kissed their sisters. Tampa Bay had the yardage advantage for the game but the Bandits will only go as far as Melvin Driggers will take them. The talented QB has a knack for throwing passes to the other team in bunches, and today was no exception. Driggers threw 3 INT on the day, 2 in the 4th quarter, although he did also toss the tying TD with 1:16 left. Gordon Wong of Jacksonville had 2 more INT, giving him 4 already after he had 14 last year. Don't throw Wong's way.
VooDoo 34 Outlaws 0
New Orleans overcame 4 Bruno Wilson INTs thanks to their defense who forced 4 turnovers of their own. When the offenses weren't turning it over, the VooDoo got the better of things as Wilson tossed 3 TD passes and the VooDoo rushing attack had 202 yards. New Orleans spread the ball around to their various playmakers as no one player had a monster game. Oklahoma was held to 149 yards as New Orleans evened their record at 1-1.
Thunderbolts 17 Blitz 12
Cleveland opted to lean on the ground game and not rely on rookie QB Michael McGowan so much after his 3 INT debut last week. The formula worked, as McGowan was turnover free. No player passed for 300 or had 100 rushing or receiving, but Cleveland was able to cross the goal line twice while Chicago could only kick FGs.
Express 21 Generals 11
New Jersey outgained Los Angeles 417-335 but the Express won the field position battle and the turnover battle. The Express jumped out to a 14-3 lead in the 2nd qtr and rode the field position to the cross country road win. The average drive start for Los Angeles was their 37, while New Jersey's was their own 14 as Express punter Dwain Yu nailed 8 of 9 punts inside the 20. Generals rookie WR Duncan Meyer had a combined 162 yards but the New Jersey defense had no answer for Express WR Fredrick Whidden who caught 6 for 170 and 2 TDs.
Hornets 15 Maulers 14
Charlotte had 360 yards of offense, nearly double the 182 of Pittsburgh but an INT return for a TD by Maulers WLB Fred Leeper gave them a 14-3 halftime lead. The Hornets shut out the Maulers in the second half and they got the game winning TD with 4:04 left on a 77 yard pass from Robert Ament to James Lombardo.
Stallions 19 Gunslingers 10
The box score was similar for both teams and the Gunslingers had the game's only offensive TD, a 13 yard pass from Gary Wiggins to Juan Morgan to give San Antonio a 7-6 halftime lead. They would extend that to 10-6 in the 3rd qtr before the momentum swing play of the game. Birmingham's LDE William Mikell hit the trifecta, sacking Wiggins at the Birmingham 34, forcing a fumble and recovering said fumble, returning it 60 yards for the go ahead TD. Gerald Hinton nailed 2 of his 4 FGs in the 4th qtr to help seal victory for the Stallions.
Force 17 Breakers 10
For the second straight week the Breakers defense surrenders more than 200 yards rushing, as the Georgia Force overcame 4 turnovers for the road win. Georgia turned the ball over on each of their first 3 drives, but Boston could not take advantage, going three and out each time. Georgia dented the scoreboard first on a Richard Donofrio 2 yard TD run, then the teams traded FGs, giving us a halftime score of 10-3 Force. Boston tied it early in the 3rd on an Edward Swafford 5 yard TD pass to Martin Sutton. Late in the 3rd, Georgia's Walter Parnell ran it in from 2 yards out to give the Force a 17-10 lead entering the 4th. Parnell finished the day with -3 yards on 4 carries and that TD, strange stat line for sure. The 4th qtr resulted in no points scored but not for lack of trying. Georgia missed 2 FGs in the quarter while Boston missed 1.
Friday, May 29, 2020
1989 Begins
Gamblers 45 Force 3
Welcome to the league RyanFitzmagic, your first game is against the defending Champions. Houston was in top form as Tony Dean threw for 499 yards and 5 TD, 3 of those to Gabriel Ahrens. Ahrens caught 7 total passes for 220 yards and Willie Nelson smoked his way to 2 TDs as well.
Stars 24 Hornets 3
Baltimore WR Jeffrey Zimmer caught 4 passes for 120 yards and 2 TDs as the Stars defense stole the show today. They held Charlotte to 195 offensive yards and forced 2 turnovers in the victory. The Hornets defense did okay against the Baltimore offense, but too many short possessions by the Charlotte offense seemed to wear out their defense a bit.
(NY) Stars 26 VooDoo 24
These two teams were eliminated in the 1988 playoffs by the Baltimore Stars and they're looking to start 1989 off on the right foot. Neither team had a 100 yard RB or WR nor a 300 yard QB. New Orleans actually won the box score, outgaining New York 400-296, but the 2 INTs by VooDoo QB Bruno Wilson were the difference. Wilson found Billy Brink for a TD late in the 4th to cut the Stars lead to 26-24 but the 2 point conversion failed, as did the onside kick. New York then ran out the final 3:26 to preserve victory.
Renegades 35 Bandits 28
Orlando is an up and coming team in the Southeast division and Tampa Bay has to be sick of seeing the Renegades. Orlando eliminated Tampa Bay in the 1988 playoffs and they start 1989 against each other. Orlando had a 21-13 lead after 3 but Tampa tied it with a TD and 2 point conversion early in the 4th. A few minutes later, Orlando retook the lead with a TD but a missed XP left the score 27-21. Tampa Bay would score a TD and the XP made the score 28-27 Bandits. Orlando would come right back with a TD and a 2 point conversion just inside the 2 minute warning to take a 35-28 lead. Needing a TD, the Bandits drove all the way down to the Orlando 9 yard line before the clock hit 0:00.
Panthers 25 Thunderbolts 6
Cleveland started rookie QB Michael McGowan and he experienced the expected rookie jitters. McGowan has the tools to be a fine QB eventually but today he threw 3 INTs and just 189 yards. The Thunderbolts defense held Michigan's offense down except for Nicholas Dorey, who had 161 combined yards. The Panthers scored just 1 TD but added 6 John Bibler FGs.
Showboats 44 Blitz 6
Memphis RB Mark Lambert had a combined 171 yards and a TD while Big Play Willie Howland chipped in with 125 receiving yards and 2 TDs. Memphis allowed Chicago 338 offensive yards but kept them out of the end zone all game.
Maulers 17 Blazers 3
Florida had no answer for Pittsburgh WR Robert Wheeler today. Wheeler had 6 catches for 136 yards and the game's only 2 TDs to lead the Maulers to victory. Pittsburgh hald Florida to 231 offensive yards.
Steamer 21 Stallions 6
New Birmingham QB Joe Richardson is one of the USFL's all time QBs but his Stallions debut was anything but stellar. Richardson was 16/32, 2 INT and 155 yards. Shreveport RB Orville Barker had 2 TDs and 131 total yards as Shreveport left Birmingham steamed about the loss.
Gunslingers 7 Outlaws 3
The defenses came to play today as both teams combined for just 443 yards of offense. The only TD of the game was a 56 yard pass from Gary Wiggins to Chris Cornell as San Antonio never drove into the red zone. Oklahoma got to the red zone 4 times but their "kicker" missed 3 of 4 FGs. That "kicker" was actually center William Downing. If Oklahoma had a kicker on the roster, perhaps they'd be 1-0 instead of 0-1.
Federals 23 Wheels 10
Detroit got on the scoreboard right away, as Billy Smith celebrated his All Pro election with a 108 yard kickoff return TD. Things went downhill for the Wheels after that, as they could only muster 91 offensive yards. Federals QB Scott Bieber threw for 434 yards and 2 TD but also threw 2 INT. Robert Sullivan had 180 combined yards and Joseph Andrews had 100 receiving yards and 2 TD.
Generals 38 Breakers 3
New Jersey had the 1988 Defensive Rookie of the Year in DE Dan Conner and the Generals started off 1989 with a win led by 2 offensive rookies. RB Sam Beckett quantam leaped to the top of the leagues rushing list with 162 yards but also quantam leaped to the training room with a bad neck injury. Fellow rookie, WR Duncan Meyer, chipped in with 5 catches, 103 yards and 3 TDs. Meyer's namesake lost 2 foot races to comedian Jerry Seinfeld under suspicious circumstances.
Gold 47 Express 10
Los Angeles only had 230 offensive yards and could not stop Jake Peralta of Denver. Peralta ran 17 times for 78 yards but also added 6 catches for 234 yards and 3 TD. For those not counting along, that's 312 yards for Peralta, 230 for Los Angeles. Gold QB Andrew Brewer tossed 5 TD without an INT and had 433 yards.
Storm 20 Bulls 16
Portland overcame 5 INTs by Oscar Willis to survive Jacksonville 20-16. The Storm held the Bulls to 5 rushing yards on 15 carries and had a nearly 37-23 edge in time of possession. Jacksonville Defensive MVP Gordon Wong had 2 INT today, starting 1989 where he left off in 1988.
Invaders 26 Wranglers 17
Total yards were almost even but Oakland forced 3 Arizona turnovers, leading to 2 short TD drives for the Invaders. Kicker John Hensley converted all 4 FG attempts and Oakland had a 36-24 edge in time of possession.
Hawaiians 26 Sun 24
This game didn't have the crazy wild 4th qtr of Orlando/Tampa Bay but Honolulu K Howard Bury buried a 53 yard FG as time expired to give the Hawaiians the victory. I haven't watched the game film, but the scores were back and forth while the box score also indicates an evenly matched game. Southern California RB Gene Ingram had a combined 140 yards and a TD, but his lost fumble just after the 2 minute warning, set up Honolulu for the game winning FG.
Bell 12 SaberCats 0
This game was a defensive struggle but Philadelphia came out on top, thanks to 4 FGs by kicker Robert Albertson. San Jose missed 3 FGs, all by RDE Jurrell Casey despite having a real kicker on the roster.
Welcome to the league RyanFitzmagic, your first game is against the defending Champions. Houston was in top form as Tony Dean threw for 499 yards and 5 TD, 3 of those to Gabriel Ahrens. Ahrens caught 7 total passes for 220 yards and Willie Nelson smoked his way to 2 TDs as well.
Stars 24 Hornets 3
Baltimore WR Jeffrey Zimmer caught 4 passes for 120 yards and 2 TDs as the Stars defense stole the show today. They held Charlotte to 195 offensive yards and forced 2 turnovers in the victory. The Hornets defense did okay against the Baltimore offense, but too many short possessions by the Charlotte offense seemed to wear out their defense a bit.
(NY) Stars 26 VooDoo 24
These two teams were eliminated in the 1988 playoffs by the Baltimore Stars and they're looking to start 1989 off on the right foot. Neither team had a 100 yard RB or WR nor a 300 yard QB. New Orleans actually won the box score, outgaining New York 400-296, but the 2 INTs by VooDoo QB Bruno Wilson were the difference. Wilson found Billy Brink for a TD late in the 4th to cut the Stars lead to 26-24 but the 2 point conversion failed, as did the onside kick. New York then ran out the final 3:26 to preserve victory.
Renegades 35 Bandits 28
Orlando is an up and coming team in the Southeast division and Tampa Bay has to be sick of seeing the Renegades. Orlando eliminated Tampa Bay in the 1988 playoffs and they start 1989 against each other. Orlando had a 21-13 lead after 3 but Tampa tied it with a TD and 2 point conversion early in the 4th. A few minutes later, Orlando retook the lead with a TD but a missed XP left the score 27-21. Tampa Bay would score a TD and the XP made the score 28-27 Bandits. Orlando would come right back with a TD and a 2 point conversion just inside the 2 minute warning to take a 35-28 lead. Needing a TD, the Bandits drove all the way down to the Orlando 9 yard line before the clock hit 0:00.
Panthers 25 Thunderbolts 6
Cleveland started rookie QB Michael McGowan and he experienced the expected rookie jitters. McGowan has the tools to be a fine QB eventually but today he threw 3 INTs and just 189 yards. The Thunderbolts defense held Michigan's offense down except for Nicholas Dorey, who had 161 combined yards. The Panthers scored just 1 TD but added 6 John Bibler FGs.
Showboats 44 Blitz 6
Memphis RB Mark Lambert had a combined 171 yards and a TD while Big Play Willie Howland chipped in with 125 receiving yards and 2 TDs. Memphis allowed Chicago 338 offensive yards but kept them out of the end zone all game.
Maulers 17 Blazers 3
Florida had no answer for Pittsburgh WR Robert Wheeler today. Wheeler had 6 catches for 136 yards and the game's only 2 TDs to lead the Maulers to victory. Pittsburgh hald Florida to 231 offensive yards.
Steamer 21 Stallions 6
New Birmingham QB Joe Richardson is one of the USFL's all time QBs but his Stallions debut was anything but stellar. Richardson was 16/32, 2 INT and 155 yards. Shreveport RB Orville Barker had 2 TDs and 131 total yards as Shreveport left Birmingham steamed about the loss.
Gunslingers 7 Outlaws 3
The defenses came to play today as both teams combined for just 443 yards of offense. The only TD of the game was a 56 yard pass from Gary Wiggins to Chris Cornell as San Antonio never drove into the red zone. Oklahoma got to the red zone 4 times but their "kicker" missed 3 of 4 FGs. That "kicker" was actually center William Downing. If Oklahoma had a kicker on the roster, perhaps they'd be 1-0 instead of 0-1.
Federals 23 Wheels 10
Detroit got on the scoreboard right away, as Billy Smith celebrated his All Pro election with a 108 yard kickoff return TD. Things went downhill for the Wheels after that, as they could only muster 91 offensive yards. Federals QB Scott Bieber threw for 434 yards and 2 TD but also threw 2 INT. Robert Sullivan had 180 combined yards and Joseph Andrews had 100 receiving yards and 2 TD.
Generals 38 Breakers 3
New Jersey had the 1988 Defensive Rookie of the Year in DE Dan Conner and the Generals started off 1989 with a win led by 2 offensive rookies. RB Sam Beckett quantam leaped to the top of the leagues rushing list with 162 yards but also quantam leaped to the training room with a bad neck injury. Fellow rookie, WR Duncan Meyer, chipped in with 5 catches, 103 yards and 3 TDs. Meyer's namesake lost 2 foot races to comedian Jerry Seinfeld under suspicious circumstances.
Gold 47 Express 10
Los Angeles only had 230 offensive yards and could not stop Jake Peralta of Denver. Peralta ran 17 times for 78 yards but also added 6 catches for 234 yards and 3 TD. For those not counting along, that's 312 yards for Peralta, 230 for Los Angeles. Gold QB Andrew Brewer tossed 5 TD without an INT and had 433 yards.
Storm 20 Bulls 16
Portland overcame 5 INTs by Oscar Willis to survive Jacksonville 20-16. The Storm held the Bulls to 5 rushing yards on 15 carries and had a nearly 37-23 edge in time of possession. Jacksonville Defensive MVP Gordon Wong had 2 INT today, starting 1989 where he left off in 1988.
Invaders 26 Wranglers 17
Total yards were almost even but Oakland forced 3 Arizona turnovers, leading to 2 short TD drives for the Invaders. Kicker John Hensley converted all 4 FG attempts and Oakland had a 36-24 edge in time of possession.
Hawaiians 26 Sun 24
This game didn't have the crazy wild 4th qtr of Orlando/Tampa Bay but Honolulu K Howard Bury buried a 53 yard FG as time expired to give the Hawaiians the victory. I haven't watched the game film, but the scores were back and forth while the box score also indicates an evenly matched game. Southern California RB Gene Ingram had a combined 140 yards and a TD, but his lost fumble just after the 2 minute warning, set up Honolulu for the game winning FG.
Bell 12 SaberCats 0
This game was a defensive struggle but Philadelphia came out on top, thanks to 4 FGs by kicker Robert Albertson. San Jose missed 3 FGs, all by RDE Jurrell Casey despite having a real kicker on the roster.
Tuesday, May 12, 2020
World Bowl XV: Houston wins 4th Championship
Houston Gamblers 38 Baltimore Stars 24
The last decade of USFL/WFL football has been dominated by two teams, the Memphis Showboats and Houston Gamblers. Houston defeated Baltimore 38-24 in front of 80,126 fans at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida to win their 4th World Bowl, all in the last 7 seasons. That ties them with the Memphis Showboats for the most in league history.
Houston got the ball to start the game and the Gamblers drove the length of the field in 7 plays, capping it off with a 33 yard TD run by Wesley Hull for the early 7-0 lead. Baltimore went three and out their first drive and the Gamblers struck again 6 plays later. Tony Dean found Kevin Leech in the flat and 42 yards later the lead was stretched to 14-0. The Stars would not go down without a fight however, as Jon Snow found Mark Numbers for a 38 yard TD to slice the lead in half.
The first quarter would end with the score 14-7 Houston and we had a kicking exhibition in the second. First, Daniel McCormack connected from 40, giving the Gamblers a 17-7 lead. Baltimore's Fred Boyce would make it 17-10 with a 19 yard chipshot, then McCormack extended the lead to 20-10 with a 50 yarder.
The 3rd quarter was pretty much exactly like the 2nd, a kicking exhibition. Houston's McCormack has an 86.7% career success rate from 50+ regular/postseason combined, and he connected on a 54 yard attempt for a 23-10 lead. Fred Boyce connected on another short FG, cutting the lead to 23-13. McCormack then capped off the 3rd qtr scoring with a 43 yard FG and a 26-13 lead entering the final 15 minutes.
Nearly half of the 4th went by before Fred Boyce made another FG. The 39 yarder cut the Houston lead to 10 points, but the Gamblers struck quickly. Houston needed just 2 plays to get down to the Baltimore 12, and Tony Dean took it from there. The Dean-Skeen connection gave the Gamblers a 17 point lead but there were still well over 6 minutes left and the Stars can score just as quickly as Houston. Baltimore did score a TD on their next drive as Jon Snow found Justin Coffey for a 9 yard score. Knob Creek caught the 2 point conversion to cut the lead to 33-24 with about 4 minutes remaining. The ensuing onside kick failed, then Daniel McCormack added another 54 yard FG for our final score of 36-24.
For Baltimore, Jon Snow completed 26/43 for 284 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT, and was sacked 4 times. Irvin Balzer got 2 of those 4 sacks for the Houston defense while John Rogers picked off 2 passes. Baltimore RB Mark Numbers combined for 178 yards with a TD while Knob Creek had 125 yards.
World Bowl MVP Tony Dean completed 25/33 for 365 yards 2 TD and 2 INT. The Gamblers OL kept the Stars defense off of Dean all game long, allowing zero sacks. RB Ryan Dearing had a combined 161 yards while fellow RB Wesley Hull combined for 134 and a TD.
The last decade of USFL/WFL football has been dominated by two teams, the Memphis Showboats and Houston Gamblers. Houston defeated Baltimore 38-24 in front of 80,126 fans at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida to win their 4th World Bowl, all in the last 7 seasons. That ties them with the Memphis Showboats for the most in league history.
Houston got the ball to start the game and the Gamblers drove the length of the field in 7 plays, capping it off with a 33 yard TD run by Wesley Hull for the early 7-0 lead. Baltimore went three and out their first drive and the Gamblers struck again 6 plays later. Tony Dean found Kevin Leech in the flat and 42 yards later the lead was stretched to 14-0. The Stars would not go down without a fight however, as Jon Snow found Mark Numbers for a 38 yard TD to slice the lead in half.
The first quarter would end with the score 14-7 Houston and we had a kicking exhibition in the second. First, Daniel McCormack connected from 40, giving the Gamblers a 17-7 lead. Baltimore's Fred Boyce would make it 17-10 with a 19 yard chipshot, then McCormack extended the lead to 20-10 with a 50 yarder.
The 3rd quarter was pretty much exactly like the 2nd, a kicking exhibition. Houston's McCormack has an 86.7% career success rate from 50+ regular/postseason combined, and he connected on a 54 yard attempt for a 23-10 lead. Fred Boyce connected on another short FG, cutting the lead to 23-13. McCormack then capped off the 3rd qtr scoring with a 43 yard FG and a 26-13 lead entering the final 15 minutes.
Nearly half of the 4th went by before Fred Boyce made another FG. The 39 yarder cut the Houston lead to 10 points, but the Gamblers struck quickly. Houston needed just 2 plays to get down to the Baltimore 12, and Tony Dean took it from there. The Dean-Skeen connection gave the Gamblers a 17 point lead but there were still well over 6 minutes left and the Stars can score just as quickly as Houston. Baltimore did score a TD on their next drive as Jon Snow found Justin Coffey for a 9 yard score. Knob Creek caught the 2 point conversion to cut the lead to 33-24 with about 4 minutes remaining. The ensuing onside kick failed, then Daniel McCormack added another 54 yard FG for our final score of 36-24.
For Baltimore, Jon Snow completed 26/43 for 284 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT, and was sacked 4 times. Irvin Balzer got 2 of those 4 sacks for the Houston defense while John Rogers picked off 2 passes. Baltimore RB Mark Numbers combined for 178 yards with a TD while Knob Creek had 125 yards.
World Bowl MVP Tony Dean completed 25/33 for 365 yards 2 TD and 2 INT. The Gamblers OL kept the Stars defense off of Dean all game long, allowing zero sacks. RB Ryan Dearing had a combined 161 yards while fellow RB Wesley Hull combined for 134 and a TD.
Monday, May 4, 2020
1988 Conference Championships
It would have been extremely difficult to repeat the drama of the divisional round, and alas, there was no drama at all. The Houston Gamblers and Baltimore Stars flexed their muscles and will meet in World Bowl XV.
Gamblers 48 Panthers 18
This game was actually close in the first half and neither team scored at all the first 15 minutes of the game. Houston opened the scoring early 2nd qtr with a Daniel McCormack 44 yard FG. The first TD of the game came with 5:23 left in the half as Tony Dean found Chase Miles with a short pass to make the score 10-0 Gamblers. Michigan QB Alan Scales would throw an INT on the next drive and Houston would capitalize three plays later. Tony Dean found Ryan Dearing this time, and 18 yards later it was 17-0.
The Panthers crowd was stunned by this turn of events, but Michigan wasn't going to go down without a fight. Adam Scales hit Peter Lewis for a 22 yard TD and the ensuing 2 point conversion made the score 17-8. Houston lived up to their nickname as they gambled they could score before halftime rather than just go into the locker room with a 9 point lead. The gamble did not pay off as Tony Dean was intercepted by Robert Kimball. Michigan would kick a FG at the end of the half for a halftime score of 17-11 Houston.
The 3rd qtr was a different story however, as Adam Scales threw 2 more INTs and the offense punted 3 times. Houston scored a FG on their first drive of the second half, then scored 3 straight TDs for a 41-11 lead heading into the final quarter. The first TD was another Dean to Miles TD pass and Miles struck again for the second TD with an 8 yard run. Following Scales' second INT of the quarter, Ryan Dearing ran in the final TD of the quarter from 25 yards out.
Gabriel Ahrens was uncharacteristically silent most of the game but he did end up with 3-143-1 thanks to this 71 yard catch and run TD to cap the Houston scoring for the game. Ryan Dearing had a combined 197 yards and backup QB Clifford Saul even saw some action, but this pick six was not the kind of action he wanted.
Stars 31 VooDoo 3
Baltimore went to New Orleans and quickly took the crowd out of the game with TDs on their first 3 drives. New Orleans got the ball first and punted. Baltimore then went 77 yards in 12 plays which ended with this short TD pass from Jon Snow to Timothy Harmon. Following the ensuing VooDoo punt which left Baltimore pinned at their 10, Jon Snow led the Stars on an 11 play 90 yard drive. Justin Coffey caught this pass from Snow for a 14-0 Stars lead. Three and out for the VooDoo and their defense is right back on the field, surely gassed from the previous 2 long drives. The third Baltimore drive ended just like the first 2, with a Jon Snow TD pass. This one went to Brian Darden, giving Baltimore a 21-0 lead.
New Orleans went on a long drive of their own, but turned it over on downs at the Stars 22 yard line. That drive plus the halftime break gave the VooDoo defense some much needed rest. Baltimore got the ball to start the 3rd qtr, but the VooDoo defense had other ideas. This was just the break New Orleans needed if they were going to have another double digit comeback in the playoffs, but they could only manage a FG, so it was 21-3.
That was the score when the 4th qtr started, but one play later it was 28-3, thanks to the second Snow-Darden hookup. The VooDoo struggled with their offense the whole game and the early deficit was too much to overcome as Baltimore advances to their first ever World Bowl.
Gamblers 48 Panthers 18
This game was actually close in the first half and neither team scored at all the first 15 minutes of the game. Houston opened the scoring early 2nd qtr with a Daniel McCormack 44 yard FG. The first TD of the game came with 5:23 left in the half as Tony Dean found Chase Miles with a short pass to make the score 10-0 Gamblers. Michigan QB Alan Scales would throw an INT on the next drive and Houston would capitalize three plays later. Tony Dean found Ryan Dearing this time, and 18 yards later it was 17-0.
The Panthers crowd was stunned by this turn of events, but Michigan wasn't going to go down without a fight. Adam Scales hit Peter Lewis for a 22 yard TD and the ensuing 2 point conversion made the score 17-8. Houston lived up to their nickname as they gambled they could score before halftime rather than just go into the locker room with a 9 point lead. The gamble did not pay off as Tony Dean was intercepted by Robert Kimball. Michigan would kick a FG at the end of the half for a halftime score of 17-11 Houston.
The 3rd qtr was a different story however, as Adam Scales threw 2 more INTs and the offense punted 3 times. Houston scored a FG on their first drive of the second half, then scored 3 straight TDs for a 41-11 lead heading into the final quarter. The first TD was another Dean to Miles TD pass and Miles struck again for the second TD with an 8 yard run. Following Scales' second INT of the quarter, Ryan Dearing ran in the final TD of the quarter from 25 yards out.
Gabriel Ahrens was uncharacteristically silent most of the game but he did end up with 3-143-1 thanks to this 71 yard catch and run TD to cap the Houston scoring for the game. Ryan Dearing had a combined 197 yards and backup QB Clifford Saul even saw some action, but this pick six was not the kind of action he wanted.
Stars 31 VooDoo 3
Baltimore went to New Orleans and quickly took the crowd out of the game with TDs on their first 3 drives. New Orleans got the ball first and punted. Baltimore then went 77 yards in 12 plays which ended with this short TD pass from Jon Snow to Timothy Harmon. Following the ensuing VooDoo punt which left Baltimore pinned at their 10, Jon Snow led the Stars on an 11 play 90 yard drive. Justin Coffey caught this pass from Snow for a 14-0 Stars lead. Three and out for the VooDoo and their defense is right back on the field, surely gassed from the previous 2 long drives. The third Baltimore drive ended just like the first 2, with a Jon Snow TD pass. This one went to Brian Darden, giving Baltimore a 21-0 lead.
New Orleans went on a long drive of their own, but turned it over on downs at the Stars 22 yard line. That drive plus the halftime break gave the VooDoo defense some much needed rest. Baltimore got the ball to start the 3rd qtr, but the VooDoo defense had other ideas. This was just the break New Orleans needed if they were going to have another double digit comeback in the playoffs, but they could only manage a FG, so it was 21-3.
That was the score when the 4th qtr started, but one play later it was 28-3, thanks to the second Snow-Darden hookup. The VooDoo struggled with their offense the whole game and the early deficit was too much to overcome as Baltimore advances to their first ever World Bowl.
Sunday, May 3, 2020
1988 National Conference Divisional Round
The two National Conference Divisional games ended within one score just like the American Conference, but the way they played out was completely different. The American Conference had back and forth games while the National Conference featured double digit come from behind wins. The television ratings just came in and viewership was through the roof as the closely contested games held America's attention.
VooDoo 20 Renegades 17 (OT)
Orlando was enjoying their first playoff season since 1978 when they made it to the National Conference Championship game and a win in New Orleans would see the Renegades back in a conference championship. The VooDoo have been playoff regulars who are seeking their first conference championship game since 1982.
New Orleans got the ball first, and an excellent opening drive seemingly stalled with a 4th and goal at the 5. Most head coaches would opt for the easy 3 but Smirt decided for the aggressive approach. This time, the gamble did not work as James Perry's pass was knocked down by Orlando LB Chung Hill. Following an Orlando punt, New Orleans faced a 4th and 1 on their second drive, opting to punt from their 40 yard line rather than be extra aggressive. Given what happened next, perhaps they should have went for it as Orlando QB Elwood Savage found Ben Dehaven for an 86 yard catch and run TD for a 7-0 Renegades lead. Midway through the second quarter, Renegades rookie RB/WR Jose Rush punched it in from 2 yards out to extend the lead to 14-0.
New Orleans would finally dent the scoreboard late in the first half to cut the lead to 14-3. Orlando got that 3 back in the 3rd qtr and the score heading into the 4th quarter was 17-3 Renegades. New Orleans finally crossed the goal line early in the 4th qtr as James Perry found Socrates Rogers in the end zone, cutting the lead to 17-10. The Renegades next drive stalled at the VooDoo 38 and Orlando opted to punt since their kicker, Jacob Barger's long on the year is just 54 yards and he is 5/8 on 50+ FGs in 1988.
New Orleans was well on their way toward the tying TD, having the ball 1st and 10 from the Orlando 11 with just over 2 and a half minutes to go in regulation. James Perry tried to force the ball to James Sheckler despite double coverage and Renegades CB John Greenway intercepted. The VooDoo defense had Perry's back though, forcing a three and out to give the ball back to the offense. Four plays later, Perry found WR Leonard Robles who broke a tackle before sprinting into the end zone with the game tying TD.
There were still 0:55 left, plenty of time for Orlando to maneuver into FG range but for some reason they decided to run the ball on first and second down, wasting precious seconds. The regulation clock ran out with Orlando in VooDoo territory, 10-15 yards too far for a FG try.
So on to OT we go and we'll fast forward over 2 punts from each offense. New Orleans CB Dennis Camp picked off Elwood Savage in Orlando territory, and the return had the ball at the Renegades 24. One running play later, New Orleans K Jordan Fuller booted the game winner from 37 yards out, sending the VooDoo to the conference championship game.
Baltimore Stars 29 New York Stars 24
These two teams share the same name and the box score for each team from this game look like mirror images of each other. Forgive me for over using their city names in this recap, but I can't very well just say Stars. New York got the ball first and wasted little time scoring, with Willie Bust hitting Joseph Clark in stride for a 59 yard TD four plays in. Following a Baltimore punt, New York took 5 plays to pad the lead to 14-0 as Ernest Lynch imitated his cousin Marshawn with a 56 yard TD run. New York forced Baltimore to go three and out then struck again 6 plays later. Willie Bust threw a 33 yard TD pass to Tomas Abbott and New York had a 21-0 lead with about 2:30 left in the 1st qtr.
At this point of the game, Baltimore needed a nice long drive to give their defense a break but WR Brian Darden had other ideas. Jon Snow found him for a 75 yard TD on the first play of the drive to cut it to 21-7.
New York got the ball right back and embarked on a 13 play 72 yard drive. They got as close as the Baltimore 3 yard line, but could not get a TD, settling for a short FG and a 24-7 lead. This turned out to be a huge stop for Baltimore as they began to slowly take momentum back from New York. A 10 play, 40 yard drive ended with a FG, then following a three and out by New York, Snow and Darden hooked up again to make the halftime score 24-17 New York.
The 3rd qtr was scoreless and Baltimore kicked 2 FGs early in the 4th, but New York was still clinging to a 1 point lead. Baltimore had been doing a great job of slowing down the New York offense after their first quarter onslaught and that continued throughout the final quarter. Just inside the 2 minute warning, New York punted and left Baltimore at their own 34. The New York fans were in full throat as the Baltimore offense took the field but Jon Snow quieted them rather quickly. Jeffrey Gentry took the pass and raced 66 yards for the go ahead score, but the 2 point try failed, making the score 29-24 Baltimore. New York had plenty of time for a drive, but they turned it over on downs at the Baltimore 43 and one Jon Snow kneel down sealed victory.
VooDoo 20 Renegades 17 (OT)
Orlando was enjoying their first playoff season since 1978 when they made it to the National Conference Championship game and a win in New Orleans would see the Renegades back in a conference championship. The VooDoo have been playoff regulars who are seeking their first conference championship game since 1982.
New Orleans got the ball first, and an excellent opening drive seemingly stalled with a 4th and goal at the 5. Most head coaches would opt for the easy 3 but Smirt decided for the aggressive approach. This time, the gamble did not work as James Perry's pass was knocked down by Orlando LB Chung Hill. Following an Orlando punt, New Orleans faced a 4th and 1 on their second drive, opting to punt from their 40 yard line rather than be extra aggressive. Given what happened next, perhaps they should have went for it as Orlando QB Elwood Savage found Ben Dehaven for an 86 yard catch and run TD for a 7-0 Renegades lead. Midway through the second quarter, Renegades rookie RB/WR Jose Rush punched it in from 2 yards out to extend the lead to 14-0.
New Orleans would finally dent the scoreboard late in the first half to cut the lead to 14-3. Orlando got that 3 back in the 3rd qtr and the score heading into the 4th quarter was 17-3 Renegades. New Orleans finally crossed the goal line early in the 4th qtr as James Perry found Socrates Rogers in the end zone, cutting the lead to 17-10. The Renegades next drive stalled at the VooDoo 38 and Orlando opted to punt since their kicker, Jacob Barger's long on the year is just 54 yards and he is 5/8 on 50+ FGs in 1988.
New Orleans was well on their way toward the tying TD, having the ball 1st and 10 from the Orlando 11 with just over 2 and a half minutes to go in regulation. James Perry tried to force the ball to James Sheckler despite double coverage and Renegades CB John Greenway intercepted. The VooDoo defense had Perry's back though, forcing a three and out to give the ball back to the offense. Four plays later, Perry found WR Leonard Robles who broke a tackle before sprinting into the end zone with the game tying TD.
There were still 0:55 left, plenty of time for Orlando to maneuver into FG range but for some reason they decided to run the ball on first and second down, wasting precious seconds. The regulation clock ran out with Orlando in VooDoo territory, 10-15 yards too far for a FG try.
So on to OT we go and we'll fast forward over 2 punts from each offense. New Orleans CB Dennis Camp picked off Elwood Savage in Orlando territory, and the return had the ball at the Renegades 24. One running play later, New Orleans K Jordan Fuller booted the game winner from 37 yards out, sending the VooDoo to the conference championship game.
Baltimore Stars 29 New York Stars 24
These two teams share the same name and the box score for each team from this game look like mirror images of each other. Forgive me for over using their city names in this recap, but I can't very well just say Stars. New York got the ball first and wasted little time scoring, with Willie Bust hitting Joseph Clark in stride for a 59 yard TD four plays in. Following a Baltimore punt, New York took 5 plays to pad the lead to 14-0 as Ernest Lynch imitated his cousin Marshawn with a 56 yard TD run. New York forced Baltimore to go three and out then struck again 6 plays later. Willie Bust threw a 33 yard TD pass to Tomas Abbott and New York had a 21-0 lead with about 2:30 left in the 1st qtr.
At this point of the game, Baltimore needed a nice long drive to give their defense a break but WR Brian Darden had other ideas. Jon Snow found him for a 75 yard TD on the first play of the drive to cut it to 21-7.
New York got the ball right back and embarked on a 13 play 72 yard drive. They got as close as the Baltimore 3 yard line, but could not get a TD, settling for a short FG and a 24-7 lead. This turned out to be a huge stop for Baltimore as they began to slowly take momentum back from New York. A 10 play, 40 yard drive ended with a FG, then following a three and out by New York, Snow and Darden hooked up again to make the halftime score 24-17 New York.
The 3rd qtr was scoreless and Baltimore kicked 2 FGs early in the 4th, but New York was still clinging to a 1 point lead. Baltimore had been doing a great job of slowing down the New York offense after their first quarter onslaught and that continued throughout the final quarter. Just inside the 2 minute warning, New York punted and left Baltimore at their own 34. The New York fans were in full throat as the Baltimore offense took the field but Jon Snow quieted them rather quickly. Jeffrey Gentry took the pass and raced 66 yards for the go ahead score, but the 2 point try failed, making the score 29-24 Baltimore. New York had plenty of time for a drive, but they turned it over on downs at the Baltimore 43 and one Jon Snow kneel down sealed victory.
Saturday, May 2, 2020
1988 American Conference Divisional Round
Wildcard week was mostly boring blowout games but the Divisional Round more than made up for that. All four games were within one score, one went to OT and we had 2 big comebacks. I was going to do all 4 games in 1 blog, but so much happened that I'm splitting it into 2 parts.
Panthers 3 Showboats 0
The Memphis Showboats traveled to Pontiac, MI to take on the Panthers in their quest for a threepeat. If you had told anyone before the game that Memphis would hold Michigan to just 3 points, 99% or more would guess the Showboats won. The Panthers have been a thorn in the side of the Showboats the last 2 years, stopping their 24 game win streak in 1987 and tying them this season. In this game, Memphis suffered their first shutout since the Los Angeles Express did it to them November 29, 1981.
It's not like Memphis didn't have chances to score, as they had the 2 longest drives of the game. The longest went 60 yards in 11 plays covering the end of the 1st/beginning of the 2nd qtrs. That drive ended badly, as James Ewing was wide right on a 38 yard FG attempt.
The first half was scoreless as every drive but 2 ended with a punt. One of those was the missed FG discussed above, the other one ended with the clock running out on the half. The second half was slightly different, with 4 non punting drives. The first such drive was late 3rd qtr when David Allen was intercepted. Michigan could not capitalize though, punting and pinning Memphis at their 9. Three plays later David Allen was intercepted again, this time by Bryan Odom. That gave Michigan the ball in the red zone and they almost punched it in, setting up a 4th and goal from the 1. In a scoreless game, the Panthers opted for the chip shot FG to take a 3-0 lead.
Memphis had one last shot, but they were pinned at their own 4 after another fine punt by Julius Horowitz, who nailed 7 of 10 inside the 20. The Showboats had 1:49 and 2 time outs to try to get 60 yards or so to tie the game or 96 to win. Memphis converted twice on 4th down, once on a completed pass despite pass interference, then another pass interference penalty kept the drive alive. A couple plays later, Donut Mogul Tim Horton caught a pass and fumbled, but the ball went harmlessly out of bounds.
All of the fans in the Silverdome were holding their collective breaths as the Showboats were getting all the breaks and it was looking like we could possibly be headed for OT. David Allen took a sack on the next play and the clock would hit 0:00 shortly after, preserving victory for Michigan.
Gamblers 27 Gold 20
This was a back and forth game on the scoreboard though Denver literally threw the game away. The Gold had little trouble moving the ball on the Gamblers defense as Richard Funkhouser ran for 108 yards and had 109 receiving. Andrew Brewer was 33/55, 373 yards and 2 TDs. While the Houston defense bent, the only breaking they did was breaking the spirit of the Denver offense. Despite all of the offensive yards, Brewer was sacked 5 times and intercepted 4. Denver ran the ball 20 times for 140 yards and had a 27-10 first down advantage.
It's not like Houston did nothing though. Tony Dean was an efficient 24/33, 283 yards and 3 TD. Zero was the most important number for Houston and Dean, as in zero INT and zero turnovers. Denver scored first to take a 7-0 lead, then Houston scored 10 straight to take the lead back. Denver tied it at 10 before halftime, and tied it again at 17 in the 3rd. Denver got their 2 TDs from Richard Huff, and Richard Funkhouser. Houston's 2 TD up to this point came from Chase Miles, and Gabriel Ahrens.
That TD pass from Dean to Ahrens came on the first play after a Brewer INT. Midway through the 4th qtr, Brewer suffered a case of deja vu, watching a Gabriel Ahrens TD on the first play following an INT. That made the score 27-17 Houston, though Denver would pull within 27-20 with 4:05 to go. Houston went 3 and out, punting Denver at their own 12 with just over 3 minutes left.
Needing a TD to tie, the Gold advanced all the way to Houston's 5 yard line before Charles Wallace sacked Brewer with 0:40 left, allowing Denver time for just 1 more play. That 4 yard gain was not enough and the time ran out on Denver's season.
Panthers 3 Showboats 0
The Memphis Showboats traveled to Pontiac, MI to take on the Panthers in their quest for a threepeat. If you had told anyone before the game that Memphis would hold Michigan to just 3 points, 99% or more would guess the Showboats won. The Panthers have been a thorn in the side of the Showboats the last 2 years, stopping their 24 game win streak in 1987 and tying them this season. In this game, Memphis suffered their first shutout since the Los Angeles Express did it to them November 29, 1981.
It's not like Memphis didn't have chances to score, as they had the 2 longest drives of the game. The longest went 60 yards in 11 plays covering the end of the 1st/beginning of the 2nd qtrs. That drive ended badly, as James Ewing was wide right on a 38 yard FG attempt.
The first half was scoreless as every drive but 2 ended with a punt. One of those was the missed FG discussed above, the other one ended with the clock running out on the half. The second half was slightly different, with 4 non punting drives. The first such drive was late 3rd qtr when David Allen was intercepted. Michigan could not capitalize though, punting and pinning Memphis at their 9. Three plays later David Allen was intercepted again, this time by Bryan Odom. That gave Michigan the ball in the red zone and they almost punched it in, setting up a 4th and goal from the 1. In a scoreless game, the Panthers opted for the chip shot FG to take a 3-0 lead.
Memphis had one last shot, but they were pinned at their own 4 after another fine punt by Julius Horowitz, who nailed 7 of 10 inside the 20. The Showboats had 1:49 and 2 time outs to try to get 60 yards or so to tie the game or 96 to win. Memphis converted twice on 4th down, once on a completed pass despite pass interference, then another pass interference penalty kept the drive alive. A couple plays later, Donut Mogul Tim Horton caught a pass and fumbled, but the ball went harmlessly out of bounds.
All of the fans in the Silverdome were holding their collective breaths as the Showboats were getting all the breaks and it was looking like we could possibly be headed for OT. David Allen took a sack on the next play and the clock would hit 0:00 shortly after, preserving victory for Michigan.
Gamblers 27 Gold 20
This was a back and forth game on the scoreboard though Denver literally threw the game away. The Gold had little trouble moving the ball on the Gamblers defense as Richard Funkhouser ran for 108 yards and had 109 receiving. Andrew Brewer was 33/55, 373 yards and 2 TDs. While the Houston defense bent, the only breaking they did was breaking the spirit of the Denver offense. Despite all of the offensive yards, Brewer was sacked 5 times and intercepted 4. Denver ran the ball 20 times for 140 yards and had a 27-10 first down advantage.
It's not like Houston did nothing though. Tony Dean was an efficient 24/33, 283 yards and 3 TD. Zero was the most important number for Houston and Dean, as in zero INT and zero turnovers. Denver scored first to take a 7-0 lead, then Houston scored 10 straight to take the lead back. Denver tied it at 10 before halftime, and tied it again at 17 in the 3rd. Denver got their 2 TDs from Richard Huff, and Richard Funkhouser. Houston's 2 TD up to this point came from Chase Miles, and Gabriel Ahrens.
That TD pass from Dean to Ahrens came on the first play after a Brewer INT. Midway through the 4th qtr, Brewer suffered a case of deja vu, watching a Gabriel Ahrens TD on the first play following an INT. That made the score 27-17 Houston, though Denver would pull within 27-20 with 4:05 to go. Houston went 3 and out, punting Denver at their own 12 with just over 3 minutes left.
Needing a TD to tie, the Gold advanced all the way to Houston's 5 yard line before Charles Wallace sacked Brewer with 0:40 left, allowing Denver time for just 1 more play. That 4 yard gain was not enough and the time ran out on Denver's season.
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