World Bowl XVIII: 4th Qtr Comeback Leads Storm to Title

 

World Bowl XVIII was played at Charlotte's American Legion Memorial Stadium in front of a capacity crowd of 50,000. National Conference Champions New Orleans scored the first 14 points of the game and led 21-6 after 3 quarters but the American Conference Champions Portland stormed back with 3 touchdowns in the 4th qtr to take the trophy home for the second time in 3 seasons. 

Portland Storm 25 New Orleans VooDoo 21

New Orleans got the ball first and Bruno Wilson led the VooDoo on an 11 play, 75 yard drive which ended on a Stanley Kerr 2 yard TD run. New Orleans usually goes for 2 in the first half of games but opted for the conventional XP and they took a 7-0 lead. Portland got their first possession with 8:50 left in the 1st and they kept the ball into the 2nd. The Storm went on a 16 play, 69 yard drive but a 4th and 1 run was stopped short and the VooDoo took over on their own 4.A defensive pass interference penalty got New Orleans out of bad field position and after they punted, Portland had the bad field position, taking over at their 12 yard line. Oscar Willis promptly threw an interception and CB Douglas Kirkland took it into the end zone for a 14-0 VooDoo lead. The rest of the half saw New Orleans miss a FG and Portland make one for a 14-3 New Orleans lead at the break.

Portland's first drive of the 3rd quarter ended with a punt and Jose Little of New Orleans fumbled the ball back to the Storm for an instant red zone possession. The VooDoo defense held them to a FG and Portland had cut the lead to 14-6. Thomas Thomas would get a 45 yard TD run on the next New Orleans possession to extend the lead to 21-6. 

That 21-6 lead was the score entering the 4th quarter and the Storm finally scored their first TD with 10:10 left. Timothy Roquemore ran it in from 10 yards out but the 2 point run was unsuccessful so the score was now 21-12. New Orleans would be forced to punt and they got Portland pinned at their own 8. Oscar Willis then led the Storm on a 12 play, 92 yard TD drive, completing 10/12 passes, the last of which went 15 yards for a TD to Chris Goldberg. The conventional XP was good and Portland was within 2 at 21-19. Portland would kick away to New Orleans and the Storm forced a three and out. Willis and the Storm took the ball on their own 28 with 1:59 on the clock, needing only a FG to take the lead. Willis completed 9/13 on the drive that ended in a short TD pass to Jeffrey Frost. The 2 point pass was incomplete but Portland now led 25-21. Did they score too quick? Bruno Wilson and the VooDoo still had just over a minute to score a TD. The Storm helped them out with 3 defensive pass interference penalties but time ran out with the ball at the Portland 13 yard line as Wilson only completed 2/7 on the final drive.

The win gives Portland their second World Bowl trophy in the last 3 seasons. MFN and I disagree on the MVP but how can it not be Oscar Willis, who was 19/25 with 2 TD passes down the stretch. Willis drives away in a brand new 1992 Chevy Corvette.

                                                                         

1991 Conference Championships

 World Bowl XVIII is set with the New Orleans VooDoo taking on the Portland Storm for all the marbles at an as yet undisclosed location. All of the drama occurred during the week leading up to the game as Smirt, GM of New Orleans threw shade at Pittsburgh GM and former USFL Commissioner tribewriter in interviews with the media. What about the games? Read on...

Storm 28 Gold 14

Portland WR/RB Timothy Roquemore ran for 70 yards and caught 7 passes for 81 yards and 2 scores while QB Oscar Willis threw for 282 yards and 4 TDs to lead Portland to victory. Denver tried to hang with Portland, but it was tough with leading playmaker Jake Peralta only playing 1 snap. QB Andrew Brewer was 18/22 with 2 TDs but only had 114 passing yards. Brian Thornton ran for 107 but it wasn't enough to overcome the Storm.

Midway through the 1st, Portland got on the board on an Oscar Willis 7 yard TD pass to Tony Abbott. Denver would answer in the final minute of the quarter as Andrew Brewer found Richard Huff with a 2 yard TD pass to tie the game at 7. The second quarter was mostly uneventful until the final minute when Willis fired his 2nd TD pass of the half, a 24 yarder to Jeffrey Frost. Portland led 14-7 at the half.

Portland took control of the game in the 3rd quarter after a 12 play 73 yard drive ended with a Willis 13 yard TD pass to Roquemore that pushed the Storm lead to 21-7. Midway through the 4th qtr, Willis and Roquemore hooked up again, this time on a 13 yard score to give Portland a commanding 28-7 lead. Denver would close out the scoring on the 2nd Brewer to Huff TD pass, but the onside kick failed and Portland ran out the clock to advance to World Bowl XVIII.

VooDoo 24 Maulers 10

Bruno Wilson threw for 329 yards and a TD while Nicholas Dorey ran for 2 TDs and a pair of 2 point conversions as New Orleans took a 24-0 first half lead and made it stand up for the victory. Pittsburgh QB Will Allison continued to play on a bad foot and he was 37/60 and 270 yards. The Maulers win with defense, special teams, and ball control so they clearly didn't want 60 pass attempts, but falling behind 24-0 will wreck any gameplan. 

New Orleans got the ball first and they went 75 yards in 8 plays, going up 8-0 on a short TD run by Nicholas Dorey, who also ran in the 2 point try. Pittsburgh went three and out, then the VooDoo went on another 8 play drive that ended with a short Dorey TD run and a 2 point run, also by Dorey. The VooDoo would later have a 14 play, 66 yard drive that resulted in a turnover on downs, so after a sudden change of possession, New Orleans got a quick strike TD and another 2 point conversion for a 24-0 lead. Pittsburgh finally began to move the ball but a 12 play, 69 yard drive ended with a missed FG and their last possession of the half ended with a punt just outside of FG range.

Bruno Wilson threw his lone INT on the first VooDoo offensive drive of the second half to set up Pittsburgh in scoring range. Four plays later, Robert Erickson got Pittsburgh on the scoreboard with a 9 yard TD run to get within 24-7 with plenty of football left. New Orleans had a chance at more points early in the 4th, but they opted to go for it on 4th and goal from the 6 rather than try a FG and they turned it over on downs. After an exchange of punts, Pittsburgh got a FG, cutting the lead to 24-10 but the onside kick failed. Pittsburgh would get the ball back down 14 with 2:30 to go but turned it over on downs and New Orleans advances to World Bowl XVIII.

1991 Divisional Round American Conference

 Gold 35 Gamblers 33

Denver WR/RB Jake Peralta obliterated the single game post season rushing record with 272 yards and 3 TDs while also adding 110 receiving yards and a 4th TD to lead Denver to an upset win at Houston. Gamblers QB Tony Dean threw for 315 yards and 3 TDs but also had 2 interceptions in the loss.

The big plays in this game started early as Houston took the opening kickoff and were driving for a score when Tony Dean was intercepted deep in Denver territory by Noel Gerrard. The Gold took over on their own 5 and on the first play Andrew Brewer found Peralta in the flat and he ran all the way to the end zone for a 95 yard TD, the second longest offensive TD in our postseason history. Houston would answer with a FG and the score after a quarter was 7-3 Denver.

Houston took the lead 10-7 early in the 2nd on a Tony Dean 14 yard TD pass to Jett Black. Houston would add 2 field goals before halftime, the second one set up by a Charles Weymouth fumble in Denver territory, to take a 16-7 lead.

Denver and Jake Peralta got the second half started on the right foot as Peralta broke a 75 yard TD run to get the Gold within 2 points. Houston would answer that with a FG, extending the lead to 19-14. Peralta struck again a little later for a 76 yard TD run and the XP gave Denver a 21-19 lead. Houston would go three and out before Peralta's 3rd long TD run of the quarter, this one covering 68 yards, extending the lead to 28-19. 

That's the score heading to the 4th but just before this quarter ended, Gold QB Andrew Brewer tossed an interception to give Houston the ball at the Denver 32. Tony Dean would find Hugh Chance for an 8 yard TD pass, cutting the Denver lead to 2 points, 28-26. Denver would extend that lead back to 9 points on a Brian Thornton 10 yard TD run. Tony Dean answered that score quickly with his 3rd TD pass of the game, 51 yards to Hugh Chance. That was Chance's 2nd TD of the quarter and it gave him 104 receiving yards for the game. The score was 35-33 Denver with 3:14 to play but Houston would only run 1 more offensive play the rest of the game. Denver punted, then Dean threw his second INT of the game and the Gold ran out the clock. 

Storm 24 Showboats 10

Oscar Willis threw for 258 yards and 2 TDs, one to Timothy Roquemore as Portland defeats Memphis to advance to the American Conference Championship. Roquemore also ran for 104 yards and a TD as the Storm offense controlled the ball for nearly 38 minutes, almost doubling the yardage of Memphis. 

There was an exchange of punts to begin the game before Portland dented the scoreboard first on a Willis to Roquemore 4 yard TD pass for the 7-0 lead. Memphis would punt again and the Storm marched down the field, going 80 yards in 6 plays and taking a 14-0 lead on Roquemore's 6 yard TD run. Memphis would answer with a 67 yard TD pass from David Allen to Arthur Devore and the first quarter ended 14-7 Portland. 

Portland would add an Alan Grossi FG for a 17-7 lead, then they had the back breaking drive to close out the half. The USFL records department doesn't track longest drive stats but the Storm embarked on an 18 play, 84 yard TD drive that took 8:06 off the clock. The 18th play was a 1 yard Willis to Peter Jessee TD making the score 24-7 Portland at the half. 

The second half saw just a Memphis FG to give us the final score of 24-10 and when the Showboats turned it over on downs with 3:50 to go, the game was essentially over. Portland will host Denver for the right to play in World Bowl XVIII.

1991 Divisional Round National Conference

 We had a couple of upsets in the divisional round, and the conference finals next week will have Denver at Portland and Pittsburgh at New Orleans. Portland and New Orleans are both listed as 6 point favorites to reach World Bowl XVIII. 

Maulers 15 Federals 10

Pittsburgh QB Will Allison was a game time decision with an injured foot and the Maulers decided to roll with him rather than backup Clifford Saul. Allison didn't have a very good game, completing 28/47 for 216 yards, 1 TD and 2 INT but Washington QB Scott Bieber was worse, finishing 31/49, 223 yards with 1 TD and 4 INTs. The turnover battle ended evenly though, as Pittsburgh RB Robert Erickson lost 2 fumbles. 

The 1st quarter ended 3-0 Pittsburgh but Washington took the lead very early in the 2nd on Scott Bieber's 15 yard TD pass to Andrew Favela. Pittsburgh would get another FG from Dominick Cochran and the Federals took a 7-6 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Washington would drive for a FG to start the second half and their lead grew to 10-6. The rest of the 3rd was scoreless and the Maulers were driving as the quarter changed but was forced to punt. John Downey pinned Washington at their own 7, and Bieber threw his 3rd interception on the next play to give Pittsburgh a 1st and goal situation. Three plays later, Allison found Michael Merlino for a 2 yard TD pass, giving Pittsburgh a 13-10 lead after the XP. Washington would punt and throw an INT on their next 2 drives and Allison had the Maulers offense poised to score the game clinching TD when disaster struck. Facing 3rd and goal at the 1, Allison was intercepted by Robert Mann, and the Federals had 1 last chance for the tying or winning points. Scott Bieber would get sacked in the end zone for a safety by Lee Ramirez to give Pittsburgh a 15-10 lead. Washington would recover the onside free kick, so they still had a chance, but a field goal was no longer an option. The Federals could not get a first down and had to punt, allowing Pittsburgh to run most of the clock before punting back to Washington with too little time left to do anything.

VooDoo 26 Stars 17

New Orleans ran 85 offensive plays (39:03 time of possession) to just 46 for Baltimore, and the VooDoo had a nearly even run/pass split. They ran 41 times for 162 yards while Bruno Wilson tossed 3 TD passes to just 1 INT as he led the VooDoo to a 26-7 lead before Baltimore made the score closer at the end.

New Orleans got the ball first and their opening drive covered 75 yards in 13 plays, ending on a 2 yard TD pass from Wilson to Tom Jacobs. Nicholas Dorey ran in the 2 point conversion for an early 8-0 VooDoo lead. Baltimore would punt and New Orleans would turn it over on downs as the quarter ended 8-0. Early in the second qtr, Jon Snow got the Stars within 8-7 after his 9 yard TD pass to Jeffrey Zimmer. The VooDoo then went on another long drive, taking 16 plays to go 81 yards for another TD , a Bruno Wilson 10 yard pass to Stanley Kerr. Dorey ran in another 2 point conversion and New Orleans had a 16-7 lead. Baltimore would turn it over on downs at their own 42 and the VooDoo would capitalize with a FG just before the 1st half ended, taking a 19-7 lead into the locker room.

Baltimore got the ball to start the 3rd qtr but was forced to punt. Bruno Wilson struck again, firing a 62 yard pass to Eric Duncan to get down to the Baltimore 1 yard line, then Wilson fired a short TD pass to Jose Little. The conventional XP gave New Orleans a 26-7 lead. Baltimore would get a 3rd qtr FG and a Jon Snow 70 yard TD pass to John Warkentin early in the 4th to get within 26-17. The Stars would only get the ball two more times, going three and out and throwing an interception and the VooDoo advance to host Pittsburgh for the right to play in World Bowl XVIII.

 

1991 Wildcard Weekend

 The journey to reach World Bowl XVIII began today with 12 teams and unfortunately, we had to leave 4 teams behind. All four road teams won one score games, two were won in the final minute while another game was decided in the final 2 minutes. Could not have asked for a better slate of games to kick off the 1991 playoffs.

Maulers 17 (NY) Stars 14

Pittsburgh traveled to New York city for their first playoff game since 1983, while the Stars returned to the playoffs after a 1 year absence. The first big play of the game came mid first quarter when Will Allison threw an interception as the Maulers were driving into scoring position. New York then drove 62 yards in 9 plays, scoring the game's first points on an Alaster Kaminski 3 yard run. The next big plays came in the middle of the 2nd qtr, when after a Pittsburgh punt pinned New York inside their own 10, Willie Bust threw an interception. The Maulers took over at the Stars 11 and scored 2 plays later on a 1 yard Edward Dumais TD run, tying the game at 7. The half would end with that 7-7 score but there was one more huge play in the first half that would impact the game even though the play didn't count. Will Allison threw another interception and injured his foot in the process. New York committed 2 penalties on the play, so the Maulers kept the ball but backup QB Clifford Saul was forced into action.

Allison returned to the game in the second half and he led Pittsburgh on a 9 play, 75 yard TD drive to open the 3rd qtr and take a 14-7 lead on a Robert Erickson 9 yard run. In the middle of the 3rd, New York was driving for a possible score when Bull Dozer fumbled after a catch and the Maulers recovered. On the very next play Robert Erickson gave the ball back to the Stars on a fumble and six plays later, Willie Bust tied the game with a 4 yard TD pass to Stephen Tavera.  Pittsburgh K Dominick Cochran was wide left on a 54 yard FG try and the 3rd qtr ended 14-14. 

The 4th quarter was a punting battle until less than 3 minutes to play in regulation. A New York punt had Pittsburgh backed up at their own 7 yard line but defensive penalties on the first 2 plays got the Maulers into better field position. Pittsburgh was almost at midfield by the 2 minute warning and they methodically drove the field, using all of the clock as they got all the way down to the New York 6 yard line with 3 seconds left. Cochran snuck the kick just inside the upright and the Maulers advance to play Washington for the 3rd time this year, most likely without QB Will Allison.

Stars 34 Bandits 31

Tampa Bay QB Melvin Driggers tossed 4 TDs with no interceptions, amassing 394 passing yards but the Bandits 27th ranked defense could not hold a late lead, allowing Baltimore to score 13 unanswered 4th qtr points for a come from behind playoff win. Stars QB Jon Snow barely completed half of his 64 pass attempts, but he also threw 4 TD passes with 442 yards. 

Baltimore got on the scoreboard first, with a 15 yard TD pass to Justin Coffey. Tampa Bay answered that drive with a 37 yard TD pass from Driggers to Paul Meade. The Bandits would get a 32 yard Edward Walter FG for a 10-7 halftime lead.

The 3rd qtr was wild, with a combined 35 points being scored and Tampa Bay got the party started with a 75 yard Driggers to Thomas Whitley TD pass on the 2nd offensive play of the half to take a 17-7 lead. The Stars answered back on a Snow 17 yard TD pass to Timothy Harmon, only to let the Bandits quickly answer back on a 66 yard TD pass from Driggers to Garry Fowler. That made the score 24-14 Tampa Bay before there were actual punts in this wild 3rd qtr. Toward the end of this quarter the scoring resumed as Snow found John Warkentin for a 7 yard TD pass to cut the lead to 3 only to see the Bandits answer quickly on another long Driggers to Whitley TD. 

Baltimore got 3 points very early in the 4th to cut the lead to 31-24, then went on a long FG drive following a Bandits 3 and out, cutting the lead further to 31-27 at the mid point of the 4th. Tampa Bay had another 3 and out then Baltimore went on another long drive. Baltimore got a 6 yard Snow to Jeffrey Zimmer TD pass on the first play after the 2 minute warning to give the Stars their first lead since the 1st quarter. The Bandits would have 2 more chances with the ball but turned it over on downs and the Baltimore Stars advance. 

Gold 23 Panthers 19

Michigan got the ball first and went on a long 14 play, 75 yard drive that took nearly 7 minutes off the clock. The drive would end on a 5 yard TD pass from William Mauriello to Walter Simmons and a 7-0 Panthers lead. Denver QB Andrew Brewer threw an interception to set up Michigan at the edge of FG range and a John Bibler 50 yard FG extended the lead to 10-0. The first quarter would end 10-0 and Michigan would extend that to 13-0 before Denver finally scored. The first 3 drives for the Gold went nowhere but this drive lasted 10 plays, covering 75 yards and ending on a Jake Peralta 4 yard TD run to cut the lead to 13-7, which would be our halftime score.

The 3rd quarter saw a FG apiece and we began the 4th qtr with a score of 16-10 Michigan. Denver would take the lead early in the 4th on a short Brian Thornton TD run with the extra point making the score 17-16 Gold. A few punts happened then Thornton lost a fumble but Michigan could not capitalize, as a Bibler 58 yard FG try came up short. The Michigan defense forced a 3 and out and the Panthers got the ball at their own 20 with 2:07 to play. Mauriello and Simmons helped the offense get into FG range and Bibler nailed a 44 yard kick with 0:44 to play to give Michigan a 19-17 lead. Denver just needed to get into FG range but Brewer had other ideas, hitting Richard Huff in stride as he got behind the defense for a 75 yard catch and run TD to leave over 80,000 people in the stands silently numb. Michigan would have one last chance but they ran out of time with the ball at midfield.

Showboats 23 SaberCats 17

This ended up a one score game thanks to a last minute San Jose TD to cut a 13 point lead to 6, so there wasn't quite the drama in this game as the other 3. San Jose actually out gained Memphis 414-305 but Jake Plummer tossed 3 interceptions and the SaberCats average starting field position was their own 19, while the average start for the Showboats was their own 37. The 1st qtr saw each team kick a FG and San Jose K Robert Rodriguez was wide left on a 27 yard try early in the 2nd, leaving the game tied at 3. The game's first TD came inside the first half 2 minute warning with David Allen connecting with Mark Glenn for a 28 yard TD. 

San Jose struck quickly in the 3rd qtr, getting a Jake Plummer 67 yard TD pass to Mark Hsu and the extra point tied the game at 10 apiece. We then had a little string of turnovers as Jake Plummer threw an interception only for David Allen to return the favor with an interception in the end zone. Graham Peterson fumbled the ball back to Memphis a couple of plays later and the Showboats would capitalize with a 49 yard TD pass from Allen to Arthur Devore and a 17-10 lead. Memphis would add a Javier Gill FG to take a 20-10 lead into the 4th quarter.

Midway through the 4th, another Gill FG extended the lead to 23-10 and the next 2 San Jose drives ended with an interception and a punt. The SaberCats would get the ball again with 1:45 left, down by 13 and Plummer drove San Jose to a 30 yard TD pass to Peter Henderson with 0:18 left to play, cutting the lead to 23-17. San Jose would recover the onside kick but 4 straight incompletions and a David Allen kneel down closed out the game with Memphis advancing.

Week 16: Last Call For The Playoffs

 Week 16 represents the last game of the season for 20 teams and we had some important games featuring teams trying to either punch their ticket or get a better seed. Before we get into the games, let's take a look at our league leaders, which has a musical touch from players I did not name...

Most Passing Yards: 5,479 Bruno Wilson, New Orleans

Most Passing TD: 51 Bruno Wilson, New Orleans

Most Rushing Yards: 1,533 William Hall, (NY) Stars

Most Rushing TD: 11 Timothy Roquemore, Portland

Most Receptions: 118 Robert Sullivan, Washington

Most Receiving Yards: 1,994 Richard Robinson, Portland

Most Receiving TD: 22 Arthur Devore, Memphis

Most Kick Return TD: 3 Thomas Earl Petty, San Antonio

Most Punt Return TD: 2 Robert Romero, Florida (League Record)

Most FG: 43 John Bazile, Washington

Most Tackles: 121 Stephen Ray Vaughan, San Antonio

Most Sacks: 15 Wade Whitaker, Tampa Bay Hubert Morris, Los Angeles

Most Hurries: 23 Charlie Daniels, Georgia

Most Interceptions: 8 Luis Fellows, Orlando

Most INT TD: 2 Alfred Payeur, (NY) Stars

Most Total Yards: 2,751 Walter Simmons, Michigan

Most Total TD: 22 Arthur Devore, Memphis

Bandits 34 Blazers 30

 

Florida just needed to win and they would win the division while Tampa Bay would need help if they won the game. The Bandits got on the board first on a Melvin Driggers 7 yard TD pass to Richard Miller. The first quarter would end 7-0 Tampa Bay but Florida tied the game early in the 2nd on a Sidney Maggard 8 yard TD pass to Perry Salgado. Two plays later, the Blazers recovered a Paul Meade fumble and turned that into 3 points and a 10-7 lead. Florida would push the lead to 17-7 on Maggard's 2nd TD pass, this one 4 yards to Richard Carstens. One thing defenses must do to beat the Bandits is prevent big plays from WR Thomas Whitley, and the Blazers missed that memo, as 3 plays later Driggers found Whitley for a 73 yard score to pull within 3. Just after the 2 minute warning, Maggard fired his 3rd TD pass of the half, a 44 yarder to William Merkel  and Florida upped their lead to 24-14. Tampa Bay would close out the first half scoring on a Driggers to Whitley 4 yard pass and the score was 24-21 Florida at halftime.

The second half didn't see as much scoring and Florida held a 30-24 lead midway through the 4th. That's when Melvin Driggers fired his 4th TD pass of the day, 3rd to Thomas Whitley, and the XP gave Tampa Bay the lead, 31-30. Sidney Maggard then threw an interception, leading to a FG for the Bandits, extending the lead to 34-30. Maggard threw another INT but the Florida defense forced a punt to give the offense one last chance. Starting at their own 15, Sidney Maggard led the Blazers down the field, but they needed a TD and the clock ran out with the Blazers at the Tampa Bay 12 yard line. 

Sidney Maggard completed 36/54, 343 yards, 3 TD and 2 INT in the loss while TE William Merkel caught 11 for 147 yards and a TD. Melvin Driggers was 34/53, 368 yards and 4 TDs while Thomas Whitley caught 6 for 133 yards and 3 TDs. The win gives Tampa Bay the tiebreaker edge on Florida, but they still needed help to make the playoffs, and an Orlando loss to Cleveland would do the trick.

Thunderbolts 16 Renegades 13 (OT)

 

An Orlando win would give them the Southeast Division title but Cleveland played spoiler. The first quarter was scoreless and the Renegades dented the scoreboard first on a 37 yard run by Jose Rush. Cleveland would get a FG and the halftime score was 7-3 Orlando. On the first play from scrimmage in the second half, Michael McGowan threw a 75 yard TD pass to Wayne Boutwell to give the Thunderbolts a 10-7 lead. Orlando would later tie it with a FG only to see Cleveland break that tie and hold a 13-10 lead. Orlando QB Gregory Skidmore threw an INT to set Cleveland up for a FG opportunity, but the kick was no good and the lead remained 3 points. Orlando would use the last 2 minutes of clock and kick the game tying FG as regulation time expired.

In the extra session, both teams went three and out, then Orlando punted a second time after a first down, leaving Cleveland at their own 18 and 3:30 left in OT. The Thunderbolts drove down the field, thanks in large part to a 30 yard McGowan pass to Mark Howe. They got the ball to the Orlando 18 in the final minute, and Brian Haworth kicked the game winning 36 yard FG, ending both team's seasons.

Federals 22 Maulers 19

 

Washington scored 10 points in the final 1:10 to steal a victory and break Pittsburgh's 9 game winning streak. Washington secures home field advantage with the win while Pittsburgh also made the playoffs as a wildcard team despite the loss. This game featured 9 field goals and 4 turnovers, none more costly than Will Allison's 2nd one in the final minute. Pittsburgh held a 19-12 lead until Washington capped off an 11 play, 91 yard drive with the tying Scott Bieber TD pass to Andrew Favela. Allison promptly threw an interception to allow John Bazile to kick the game winning FG with 0:42 left. 

VooDoo 52 Force 3

 

New Orleans secured a first round bye by destroying Georgia 52-3. Bruno Wilson had 673 passing yards on 38/67 passing with 8 TD and 3 INT. The VooDoo had 4 receivers with over 100 yards: Leonard Robles (7-192-2), Nicholas Dorey (7-152-1), Mario Burton (7-105-1), and Eric Duncan (3-103-1), and Jose Little caught 2 TDs with 93 combined yards.

(NY) Stars 27 Stallions 6

 

William Hall ran for 149 yards and 2 TDs as he takes the league rushing title this season. The Stars defense held Birmingham to 150 total yards and will have a home playoff game against Pittsburgh next week.

Stars 58 Wranglers 0

 

Jon Snow threw for 580 yards and 6 TDs, 4 to Jeffrey Zimmer who caught 6 total for 254 yards. Baltimore out gained Arizona 749-200 as they tune up for their wildcard game at Tampa Bay next week.

Storm 31 Showboats 10

 

Portland held the usually prolific Memphis offense to 130 total yards and Timothy Roquemore ran for 88 yards and 3 scores as the Storm defeat the Showboats handily. QB Oscar Willis completed 29/36 for 309 yards and a TD to Richard Robinson, who had 6 catches for 117 yards. 

Gamblers 62 Outlaws 3

 

Tony Dean was 22/27, 367 yards and TD passes to 4 different receivers as Houston crushed Oklahoma to secure a first round bye. Ryan Dearing contributed 3 rushing TDs and 122 yards and the Gamblers defense forced 3 Outlaws turnovers and held them to 160 total yards.

Blitz 26 Panthers 17

 

Michigan will host a playoff game against Denver next week despite today's loss to Chicago. The Blitz were out gained by Michigan 437-270 but the Panthers turned it over on downs 4 times. Chicago QB Ronald Brown tossed 2 TD passes and RB Jay Kinder had 115 combined offensive yards with a TD reception along with a 105 yard kickoff return TD. Michigan QB William Mauriello threw for 346 yards and 2 TDs in the loss.

SaberCats 16 Express 0

 

San Jose out gained Los Angeles 355-83 with 204 yards rushing as the SaberCats shut out the Express. San Jose spread the ball around both rushing and passing but the story was the defense. Los Angeles had 11 total possessions, going three and out the first 9, then they threw an interception on the 3rd play of the tenth drive before finally putting together a 10 play, 59 yard drive that ended on downs. 

Invaders 20 Gold 15

 

Denver opted to sit QB Andrew Brewer to avoid any potential for injury with a playoff game coming up, and Elwood Savage was alright in his place, but a 2nd qtr pick six helped Oakland pull the upset. Brian Thornton had 154 combined yards for Denver while Oliver Thomas had 114 rushing yards for victorious Invaders. 

Bulls 26 Wheels 9

 

Joseph Serio passed for 271 yards and 2 TDs to lead Jacksonville to the win over Detroit. William Morrisson caught 9 passes for 125 yards and a TD while teammate Tyron Bailey caught 7 for 103 and a TD and the Bulls defense held Detroit to 172 offensive yards.

Steamer 9 Hornets 6

 

The teams combined for 402 offensive yards and Shreveport won the field goal kicking contest 3-2 over Charlotte. 

Bell 20 Breakers 7

 

Jamie Epperson ran for 88 yards and a TD to help Philadelphia win their 2nd game in a row to close out the season. QB Robert Hernandez was 19/24 with a TD pass, with just 138 passing yards but no turnovers. Boston was able to nearly match the Bell's yardage but not the points.

Generals 38 Gunslingers 9

 

Ernest Simmon was 19/24, 247 yards and 3 TD passes in his second good start since joining New Jersey. Sam Beckett ran for 129 yards and a TD as the Generals close out their season with their 2nd win in a row. 

Sun 28 Hawaiians 26

 

Southern California QB Wilmer Kimble threw for 2 TDs and the Sun ran for 2 more as they hand Honolulu their 7th consecutive loss. Edwin Clarkson got the start in place of Derek Henry, and he finished 31/49, 271 yards, 3 TD and 2 INT. 

Week 15: Playoff Push

 The American Conference playoff teams are all set, with seeding to be determined by Week 16 results. The National Conference is somewhat chaotic for the last 2 spots as 4 teams are trying to join Washington, Baltimore, New Orleans and New York in the playoffs. We'll look at the important National Conference games first.

Bandits 21 Renegades 17

Orlando had a chance to eliminate Tampa Bay with a victory but Melvin Driggers threw 3 TD passes in the first half, two to Thomas Whitley as the Bandits win 21-17. Orlando scored first on a 91 yard TD pass from Gregory Skidmore to David King before Tampa Bay went on a 21-0 run for a 21-7 lead at the half. Orlando scored 10 points in the second half to get within 21-17 and Skidmore had the Renegades driving for a late TD, getting as far as the Tampa 4 yard line before time ran out. Melvin Driggers threw for 383 yards for the winning Bandits while David King had 8 catches for 171 yards and 2 TDs for Orlando.

Blazers 18 Hornets 3

Florida won a FG kicking contest 6-1 as neither team moved the ball very well today. There were only 401 total yards in this game, so nobody had big stats except Gerald Hinton and his 6 FGs. It was an important win for Florida though, as the Orlando loss gives the Blazers sole possession of first place and a playoff elimination game on Sunday Night Football in Week 16 against Tampa Bay.

Maulers 28 Force 7

Pittsburgh QB Will Allison tossed 3 TD passes, 2 in the second half as the Maulers broke open a 7-7 game in the second half to win their 9th game in a row, 28-7 over Georgia. Allison also threw 2 INTs but the Maulers ran for 210 yards and were a perfect 3 for 3 in the red zone. Georgia WR John Huynh had 92 receiving yards, breaking his 3 game streak of at least 100 yards.

Federals 12 Invaders 11

"That's why they play the games". Football games don't always go as expected, hence the famous quote and the Washington vs Oakland game certainly did not go as expected. Robert Sullivan ran for 41 yards and a TD, adding 104 receiving yards but the rest of the Federals offense took the day off. Washington did get out to a 10-0 lead that Oakland cut to 10-6 at the half. The Federals got a safety late in the 3rd qtr for a 12-6 lead, and Oakland later added a FG to cut the deficit to 12-9. Late in the 4th, Oakland was driving for a possible tying or leading score when Andrew Moreno threw an INT deep in Federals territory. Washington took over but they couldn't get out of the end zone and the Oakland safety saw them now trail 12-11. Oakland got the free kick but the drive stalled at the Oakland 44, then after a 3 and out, the Invaders final drive also stalled at the Oakland 44 and Washington escapes Oakland with their #1 seed barely intact.

VooDoo 35 Stallions 16

Bruno Wilson and the VooDoo had the offense working today as they tune up for the playoffs. Wilson threw for 323 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT and had 204 yards of support from the rushing attack as New Orleans was 3/4 in the red zone scoring TDs. Birmingham also had 4 red zone trips but had just 1 TD and 3 FGs. Eric Duncan caught 2 of Wilson's 3 TD passes and the ball was spread around to several different skill players so nobody had a standout stat game. 

Bulls 17 (NY) Stars 10

New York and Jacksonville played to a 10-10 tie in the first half and the score remained the same until early in the 4th, when Jacksonville QB Joseph Serio threw a 4 yard TD pass to Charles Ayers for a 17-10 lead. New York's last 4 possessions after the TD went punt, punt and 2 turnovers on downs. The Stars could have been in great position for a playoff bye with a win, but they only scored 10 points on 4 red zone trips. 

Gold 27 Stars 19

Denver had 445 offensive yards and QB Andrew Brewer completed 22/25 passes for 274 yards and 2 TDs as the Gold defeat Baltimore in an interconference battle of wildcard teams. It was a back and forth game with 3 early lead changes before Denver pulled away in the 4th quarter, thanks to a pair of Jon Snow interceptions. Denver was led by Brian Thornton's 71 rushing yards with a TD and 6 catches for 90 yards.

Storm 28 Gamblers 26

This was a battle for home field advantage and Portland came out on top in an entertaining back and forth game. Portland QB Oscar Willis only threw for 187 yards but he had 4 TD passes, 3 in the 2nd qtr. Those TD passes went to 4 different receivers and the offensive leader for the Storm was Timothy Roquemore, with 137 yards rushing. Houston QB Tony Dean tossed the game's first TD pass and the game's last TD pass, as part of his 341 yard passing day but there was too much Portland scoring in between Dean TD passes for the Gamblers to win the game. Jett Black caught 11 passes for 122 yards in the loss.

Panthers 33 Express 6

Michigan out gained Los Angeles 464-108 as the Panthers cruise to the victory as they prepare for the playoffs. William Mauriello threw for 355 yards and 2 TDs while Walter Simmons had a double triple with 113 rush yards and 128 receiving. Michigan had the ball nearly 43 minutes and was a blistering 12/21 on 3rd down conversions.

SaberCats 34 Hawaiians 0

San Jose QB Jake Plummer threw 3 TD passes and 3 INTs and the offense lost 2 fumbles but Honolulu turned it over 4 times themselves, as the SaberCats shutout Honolulu. WR Mark Hsu caught 2 of Plummer's TD passes, 8 in all for 153 yards but the story was the San Jose ground game. They had 324 yards as a team, led by Rodney Richardson's 23 for 170 and William Smalling's 16 for 82.

Showboats 41 Gunslingers 10

Memphis QB David Allen completed 22/25 for 327 yards, 3 TD and an INT as the Showboats nearly double the San Antonio offensive output in a playoff tune up. The Gunslingers tried to keep up in the first half but the Showboats had long TD drives the first 3 times they had the ball and eventually wore down San Antonio. 

Outlaws 27 Wranglers 16

The battle for the #1 pick was "won" by Arizona as Oklahoma won the actual game and will pick 2nd in the upcoming draft. Dale Davis ran for 141 yards for Arizona but Zachary Kinkead was 12/33 and 3 INTs and Oklahoma got 2 TD passes from John Crisp. The Wranglers out gained Oklahoma 355-234 but lost the turnover battle 4-1 and the Outlaws took advantage. Oklahoma scored 2 touchdowns in the final 3 minutes, a Crisp 80 yard TD to Steve Haywood and a 23 yard run by Kevin Reeves to turn a 16-13 deficit into victory.

Generals 34 Breakers 10

Former Arizona QB Ernest Simmon was recently signed by New Jersey and he got the start today against Boston's tough pass defense. He wasn't great but he did finish 22/31, 188 yards and 2 TDs with 0 INTs and Sam Beckett ran for 122 yards and a TD to lead the Generals to victory. 

Thunderbolts 17 Wheels 10

Cleveland benched struggling QB Michael McGowan for veteran Martin Greene  but it did not spark the offense. The Thunderbolts won anyway by holding Detroit under 200 total yards and scoring a defensive TD on a fumble recovery in the end zone by Timothy McKenzie.

Blitz 25 Sun 6

Jay Kinder ran for 106 yards and Ronald Brown tossed 2 TD passes to David Karim as Chicago defeats Southern California today. The Blitz improve to 9-5-1 on the season but play in the wrong conference for playoff consideration this year. The Blitz defense held the Sun to 184 yards of offense.

Bell 16 Steamer 10

Philadelphia QB Robert Hernandez was 20/29, 184 yards and an early TD pass to James Jones and the Bell added 3 Robert Albertson FGs to post a 16-10 win over Shreveport. The Bell ran for 149 yards in breaking their 4 game losing streak and the defense limited the Steamer to 209 offensive yards.