Three of Four expansion clubs win in a wild week of USFL action. New Jersey and Washington continue to look solid, Michigan looks scary, and the Invaders seem primed to repeat out west.
SCORES
BLT 7 NJ 24
A first quarter injury to Herschel Walker forces Doug Flutie to carry the Generals, and he does, along with a big assist from the defense. Flutie throws for 290 and 3 scores and the Generals’ D gets 4 takeaways as New Jersey gets a big home win early in the season.
PHI 38 PIT 27
Pittsburgh is game for 3 quarters, but cannot keep pace with the Stars in the end. Kelvin Bryant contributes 112 yards and a TD and former BC star Gerald Phelan catches 7 for 110 as the Stars outmuscle the Maulers in Pittsburgh.
BIR 17 JAX 24
Jacksonville gets their first win of the year and hold Joe Cribbs under 100 yards as the Bulls edge past the Stallions. Ed Luther again looks solid, going 22 for 33 and 263 yards in the Bulls first win of the year.
CHI 7 SAN 21
Someone stop these Gunslingers, in their second straight expansion club showdown, the Gunslingers get 107 yards from HB Scott Stamper and another 117 from receiver Aubrey Matthews as they defeat the Machine in Alamo Stadium.
MGN 33 NOR 22
Michigan is proving that the loss of Bobby Hebert is not going to be the doom of the team with a convincing win over a top rival in their division. Trudeau again goes over 300, but this week it was the run game, with John Williams gaining 169 and 2 scores, that secures the win for a very deep, very talented Michigan squad.
LA 15 OAK 23
Oakland gets 153 yards from their workhorse, Arthur Whittington, as they build a 23-0 lead and then withstand a late Express charge to move to 2-0. Despite the win, Brian Sipe looked vulnerable against a blistering LA pass rush, going only 29 for 43 and 196.
ARZ 20 OKL 21
In a game interrupted by a late afternoon thunderstorm, the Outlaws win their home opener, barely edging the Wranglers. Robbie Bosco throws for 309 and 2 scores, but Stump Mitchell’s 47 yard scamper on a screen pass proves the game winner against the Wranglers.
WSH 28 DEN 23
Denver’s Bob Gagliano does all he can with 370 yards and 3 scores, but the Denver D cannot contain Federals’ wideout Webster Slaughter, who scores twice, including a 4th quarter strike for the lead and eventual win. Lomax again looks sharp and the Federals look like a contender this year with a solid win.
TBY 44 HOU 10
Jim Kelly has a nightmare game against the Bandits defense, sacked 5 times and throwing 3 interceptions which help the Bandits blow out the Gamblers. Oliver Luck, in relief for an injured John Reaves, stays within his game, throwing for 212, 2 scores and no picks, as Gary Anderson and Speedy Neal add touchdowns to help Tampa score the road win.
GAME OF THE WEEK
OT: Memphis Showboats 35 Orlando Renegades 41
Two late scores give Orlando their second win of the year against non-expansion competition as Memphis cannot pull off the road win. In a game that saw 10 touchdowns and little semblance of structured defense, the Renegades pull off the minor upset and win their home opener in front of a rowdy crowd at the Citrus Bowl. Reggie Collier throws for 303 in the overtime thriller, including a late score to Wamon Buggs to tie the game at 35 and send it to overtime.
Memphis was game, and Memphis had their first 100 yard rushing performance in a long time as Buford Jordan ran for 103 and 2 scores, but defensively the Showboats could not contain Collier and the Renegades. Another former Federal, HB Curtis Bledsoe ran for 116 and two scores of his own to lead the Renegades to their second win out of the gate for this expansion club. And while we cannot say that either defense had a good day in a 41-35 game, we should recognize Renegades rookie CB Melvin Jenkins, who helped in run coverage (totalling 15 tackles on the day) and also scored on a pick-six interception in the 2nd quarter to even the score at 14.
Walter Lewis would throw 3 interceptions on the day, leading to 14 Orlando points. The Renegades’ Collier kept a cleaner stat line, with no interceptions and a single TD to Wamon Buggs. The win moves Orlando to 2-0 and atop the Southern Division. The loss moves Memphis to a familiar 0-2 as the Showboats continue to struggle to put together a three-phase game.
PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
While not the most statistically impressive performance of the week, we are going to give kudos this week to New Jersey’s diminutive field marshall, Doug Flutie. We all knew the game plan for their game against Baltimore was Walker, Walker, and Walker, but when the All-USFL back went down with an injury to his dominant ball-carrying hand, Flutie stepped up and led the Generals to a big divisional win. The Generals still fed the ball to their rushers, with Jamie Covington getting the majority of carries (21 for 72 yards) but on drive after drive either a Flutie scramble or a well-placed pass to one of the tight ends moved the chains. 2nd year TE Brent Jones finished the game with 121 yards and a score. Flutie also hit on big plays, finding Lam Jones for a 53 yarder and Brent Jones on a 81 yard catch and run. It was the kind of performance that Generals’ fans have hoped for from the former Heisman winner, and perhaps a sign that Ray Perkins’s plans for the Generals are starting to come together.
NEWS & NOTES
Before we all get too excited about having two expansion clubs atop their divisions at 2-0, let’s have a brief reality check. San Antonio, while led by a more than capable QB in Rick Neuheisel, have beaten two fellow expansion clubs, both at home, with wins over the Outlaws and Machine. Orlando, who also have capable leadership in Reggie Collier, have beaten Pittsburgh and Memphis, two perennial 10-loss teams. Let’s just hold on and see what happens when these expansion phenoms face off against some of the league’s better clubs. I am not saying that the Renegades and Gunslingers have not impressed early, I am just saying we need to see more, and against top opposition, before we start planning for playoff games in Orlando and San Antonio.
INJURIES
This always seems to be the case. After a relatively light week of injuries to start off the year, the second week comes around and players start to get knocked around. While we are fortunate that there are not a lot of long term injuries to report, there are some teams that will be scrambling for a week or two to cover for sidelined teammates. As you have heard, Herschel Walker had to leave the game against Baltimore. He is likely to miss at least one more week with a hand injury. Birmingham may be missing their signal caller, Cliff Stoudt, as he had to leave the Stallion’s game with a deep thigh bruise. He is listed as doubtful for week 3. So too are wideouts Vic James (ORL) and Richard Johnson (OKL), the first with a knee concern and the second with a broken foot. Could be 2-3 weeks for either of them. Philly is listing DE William Fuller as doubtful with a deep thigh bruise, and Tampa is in a similar state with DT William Perry, who has tendinitis in his left knee. Denver could miss DT Laval Short for at least a week with a pinched nerve, while Philly is hoping that Sam Mills can return next week but still list him as questionable. Tampa has listed John Reaves as probable, which almost certainly means that the “Old Man” will be back under center in week 3.
LOOKING AHEAD
Week 3 offers us another slate of 8 divisional games and 2 inter-divisional matchups. Folks in DC are excited for their trip to Baltimore this week as a 3rd win to start the year, and a victory over the Blitz, would both be very welcome. Philly will test whether New Jersey is for real when they clash in the Meadowlands. Down South the Bandits hope to have Reaves back for a rivalry game vs. the Stallions in Legion Field, while the Showboats will try to get their first win but face a tough Bulls team in Jacksonville. Michigan heads to Chicago in what looks like a mismatch, and San Antonio and Houston battle in the Astrodome in the first Texas Shootout. LA, still looking for a win, have a tough game, facing the Wranglers in Tempe, while the Outlaws travel to Denver. In what used to be a divisional game, the Breakers are in Pittsburgh to face the newly repositioned Atlantic Division Maulers, while Oakland will be a tough test for the Renegades at home in the Citrus Bowl.