SCORES
PHI 14 BLT 19 Vince Evans and the Blitz hold off the Stars on a rainy gameday.
NJ 19 WSH 17 James outgains Walker, but the Generals prevail in the rain.
NOR 32 PIT 20 Dupree goes over 100 yards again and Eason looks solid in win.
HOU 13 MGN 19 No one expected a defensive battle in this one, but they got one.
MEM 7 ARZ 19 Memphis D looks good, but offense fizzles as they drop to 0-5.
JAX 17 DEN 30 Gold overwhelm Bulls as Williams tosses 4 interceptions in loss.
TBY 32 LA 37 Offensive fireworks from both clubs, but Young gets the win.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Birmingham Stallions 28 Oakland Invaders 31
The New Look Invaders gave their fans all they could handle with a true miracle comeback in the final minute of the game. It was a game that should not have been so close, but a 4th quarter explosion made this a nail biter. The game was 17-7 Oakland after three quarters, with the Invaders fueled by Arthur Whittington’s strong rushing day (84 yards) and the growing Sipe to Duper combo. When Oakland scored again on a Sipe to Henderson 9 yard toss and built the lead up to 24-7 with just over 14 minutes left, many fans felt the game was in hand. But, over the next 11 minutes, Birmingham roared back, thanks in part to 2 Oakland turnovers, as Cliff Stoudt hit rookie wideout Ernest Givens for 2 scores and shovel-passed a third to Lonnie Parker to take a shocking 28-24 lead with only 2:22 left to play.
It was all set up for Brian Sipe, former head of the Cardiac Kids in Cleveland, to mount a dramatic game-winning drive. And that is exactly what Sipe did. Starting on his own 25, Sipe hit Chester for 9, Venable for 8, and Venable again. A 6-yard pass to Duper followed, and on top of that a Roughing the Passer call added 15 yards onto the play. Sipe again hit Venable, this time for 9 yards to bring the ball to the Birmingham 13. After spiking the ball, Sipe called a fade route to the wide side of the field, to the rookie Givens. Birmingham blitzed to pressure Sipe, but that left Givens with 1-on-1 coverage, and Sipe found him with a perfect looping ball to the back corner of the endzone. Givens kept his feet in bounds, and with only 19 seconds left in the game, the Invaders had taken the lead for good. It was a crowd-pleasing performance from a team that imagines itself a playoff contender.
PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
We could give the game ball to Sipe, this week’s AP Offensive Player of the week, but since we highlighted his heroics above, let’s give some praise to another big performer this week, Pittsburgh’s Mike Rozier. Yes, the Maulers lost again, their 5th straight to start the season, and yes, the offense again failed to score more than 20 points, the fifth such result this year, but amid all the chaos, the quarterback controversy, the defeats and the frustration, one thing provides hope in the Steel City, Mike Rozier. His performance this week, 185 yards on only 21 carries, with both Pittsburgh touchdowns, is a testament to his talent and his dedication. He is leading the USFL in rushing despite playing on a team with no passing game to speak of. Often facing 8 or 9-man fronts, Rozier still manages to find holes, avoid tackles and make tough yards. Were he on an LA, Philadelphia, or Tampa squad, where the passing game is a dangerous concern for defenses, he might have a shot at 2,000 yards. On Pittsburgh’s sad sack squad he will continue to struggle for recognition and for yards, and we wanted to appreciate him today after once again showing us his heart and his skill as a player.
NEWS & NOTES
Let’s keep the topic on Pittsburgh. With both the Maulers and the Showboats languishing at 0-5 it might be easy for both clubs to throw in the towel on another season. Neither has. Memphis has a new coach so some time will be needed to right the ship, and the trade of Dupree for Jordan and Gann, while not popular, is showing signs of effort for the Showboats. Fans in Pittsburgh were wondering if management would do the same to help coach Joe Pendry, or if this would be a lost season. It looks like the DeBartolo’s and the front office heard the plight of Mauler fans and are trying to improve the team in time to help them garner some wins this year.
With Todd Blackledge continuing to struggle (2 more interceptions and no TD’s again this week), the Maulers made a move to challenge the former Penn State QB, signing former Arizona Wrangler QB Alan Risher. Risher, who left the USFL for the NFL’s Buccaneers, was let go after 2 unimpressive years sitting on the Tampa bench. The Maulers scooped him up, perhaps as a potential post-bye week starter, or at the very least as a challenger to Blackledge. The Maulers also strove to improve a struggling defense, making a trade with Denver to bring LB Manu Tuiasosopo to town. It cost them a 3rd round pick and backup LB Richard Brown, but Tuiasosopo immediately becomes the most senior, and perhaps the most talented member of the Maulers LB corps on day 1. Is this enough to help Pendry garner some wins? Will he still be looking at possible firing this season? Too soon to tell, but unless Pittsburgh can improve over the next month, the outlook does not look promising.
INJURIES
Three injuries of note, but fortunately all fall into the 1–3 week variety. Houston QB Jim Kelly continues to have trouble with injuries, which is not surprising considering his often-ineffective offensive line. This time it is a wrist injury, sustained when his hand bounced off a defender’s helmet. He is likely to miss at least 2 weeks. In Arizona, veteran LB Stan White is suffering from a pinched nerve in his right leg, limiting his ability to move laterally, and needing down time to recover. The Stars will be without LB John Bunting for a few weeks as he has a strained left knee. And in New Orleans, league interception leader (tied with 2 others) Bobby Melendez will miss some time with an injury to his right arm and shoulder. All four are expected to be back no later than Week 8 or 9.
LOOKING AHEAD
Week Six has the Pacific teams headed east to play the Atlantic, and the Central squads headed South. The best matchups of the week are Oakland visiting Baltimore, Denver at Philadelphia, and New Orleans at Tampa Bay. Memphis will try to get its first win, but is hosting 5-0 Michigan, while Pittsburgh is headed off to face 4-1 Jacksonville in the Gator Bowl. In other games, Washington hosts Arizona, LA travels to New Jersey, and Houston visits Birmingham.