Two games to determine who will appear in the 1990 Summer Bowl, four very different teams, four devoted fanbases looking for their moment in the sun. It all comes down to this, Championship football. Who will rise up to the challenge? Who will move one step closer to the mountaintop? Let's get to the action and find out.
TAMPA BAY 14
WASHINGTON 19
There is a distinct difference between offensive production and scoring. This week’s Eastern Conference Championship proved that point as Tampa Bay outgained the Washington Federals by over 100 yards, 366 to 249, and yet it was Washington that prevailed, thanks to 4 Ray Wershing field goals and a defense that bent but would not break.
The Federals once again proved that their defense was peaking at the right time, as they frustrated and harassed Troy Aikman all day. The front four of the Federals is proving to be a force in these playoffs, as they led Washington to 7 sacks of the young Bandit QB. The combination of line stunts and the occasional blitz package proved deadly as not only did Washington get to Aikman 7 times, but helped to produce 3 interceptions of the usually accurate quarterback as well. Brandon Zavala led all defenders with 6 tackles and 2 sacks, while 5 other Federals also had their shot to take down Aikman.
Meanwhile, Federals QB Don Majkowski came out of the game relatively unphased. He was sacked 3 times but also completed 71.4% of his passes, including the only Federals TD of the day, a short slant route to Terrance Mathis to open the 4th quarter. And while Washington did not light up the scoreboard, they were able to get into scoring range for Wersching throughout the game, slowly building a 19-7 lead which held until the final minute of play.
Washington, often maligned as one of the league’s weaker sisters, has shaken off that image this year, playing tough, hard-nosed football and relying heavily on their defense to set up the offense in positive field position. They now find themselves with a ticket to the biggest game of the summer, the USFL Championship, also known as Summer Bowl 1990.
ARIZONA 31
NEW ORLEANS 24
The Federals’ opponent in Summer Bowl 1990 will be another upstart team, the Arizona Wranglers. The Wranglers outlasted the New Orleans Breakers, beating the #1 seed in their home through a combination of balanced offense and timely defensive takeaways. Once again New Orleans comes one game short of the Championship with yet another home defeat in the playoffs.
The game started Arizona’s way as a first quarter interception of Matt Robinson not only kept the Breakers off the board, but gave momentum to the visitors. It would be the first of four interceptions on the day for the Arizona D, and 5 total turnovers as the Wranglers picked New Orleans’s pockets throughout the game. Arizona would turn this first turnover into immediate points, scoring on a Bosco to Curtis Duncan toss to open up the scoring. They would score only 3 minutes later when a 2nd Robinson interception put them deep in Breaker territory. A short drive was capped off by a Darryl Clack plunge and the Wranglers had a 14-0 lead which New Orleans would never break.
The Breakers rebounded and had a stronger 2nd quarter, scoring on a Dalton Hilliard 14-yard TD rumble and then a Mazzetti field goal to make the halftime score a respectable 14-10, but turnovers continued to haunt the Breakers. In the third they would obtain their only lead of the day when Robinson hit TE Dan Ross from 19 yards out to go up 17-10. Arizona could not respond on the next drive, but after punting, the Wranglers once again took advantage of a Breaker miscue, this time a Marcus Dupree fumble, to find themselves in scoring range again. Darryl Clack would run in his 2nd TD of the day only 5 plays later and Arizona was back on top 21-17.
The Wranglers would never relinquish that lead. Early in the 4th they got a 43 yard Mick Luckhurst field goal to build on the lead, and then, with only 2:44 left in the game, the back-breaker. Robinson, trying to make something happen for the Breaker offense, and still within 7 of Arizona, tried to thread the needle on a pass to Nolan Franz, but free safety Stan Perry cut in front of Franz, snagged the ball and followed a caravan of Wrangler defenders down the sideline for the score, putting Arizona up by 14 with less than 3 minutes to play. The Breakers would add a late touchdown to bring the score down to 7, but with no timeouts left and only 45 seconds to play, it all depended on the onside kick and Tim Mazzetti’s bounder ended up out of bounds. Arizona chose to take the ball rather than allow a rekick, and Robbie Bocso was able to take a knee and celebrate as the Wranglers schocked New Orleans and punched their ticket to the Championship.
It will be a battle of underdogs in Summer Bowl 1990, two teams picked to finish near the bottom of their divisions who turned the world upside down and not only won their division titles, but advanced through the playoffs to make it to Orlando and the first Championship game for each. For Washington the playoff run has been about pressure, not pressure to win but pressure placed on opposing quarterbacks by a defense that has found its calling. Ends Dexter Manley and Charles Haley were #3 and #4 in the sack totals this year, and combined they are a force to be reckoned with. Add in pressure up the middle from All-USFL DT Jerome Brown, and timely blitzes from the linebackers and this Federals team is terrorizing quarterbacks.
For Arizona the story of the year has been the effective 1-2 punch of running backs Darryl Clack and Lionel James. Their effective combo has relieved pressure on QB Robbie Bosco, allowing the BYU grad to have his best season to date. Bosco has been able to stay healthy and connect with a talented group of receivers, including Trumaine Johnson, Louis Lipps, and TE Terry Orr. The Wrangler defense, while not as intimidating perhaps as Washington’s, is formidable, and have proven expert at forcing takeaways that help set up the offense.
We have two intriguing offenses in the game, both looking for a way to keep pressure off the quarterback so that he can find receivers downfield. Arizona has the better run game, while Washington depends more on the short pass to open up the run. Both have playmakers capable of turning a short catch into a major chunk of yardage, and both have reliable, strong-legged kickers. What is unknown is how these two clubs, inexperienced with playoff success, will react to the spotlight, fanfare, and chaos that is the week leading up to the Summer Bowl. Both are very happy to be in the big game, but neither can rest on their laurels or let the bright lights overwhelm them.
Our pick? This is truly a tough one to call. These teams are very comparable and share a lot of qualities. While we like the balance that the run game is able to provide the Wranglers, that front 4 of Washington is one of the best we have seen in the league’s short history, and seem to be putting all the pieces together. And whereas Arizona had a relatively stress-free ride to their division title, Washington faced much tougher opposition in their division from both Philadelphia, a perennial contender, and the former champion New Jersey Generals. We think that experience of tough, hard fought, smashmouth games in their division gives Washington an edge in what we expect to be a slugfest in Orlando. We are picking the Federals to win and take the USFL crown.
Just a quick sidenote regarding the coaching vacancies in the USFL. Our suspicions about the resignation of Mouse Davis proved correct, as he just signed on as the new OC for the Houston Oilers in the NFL, where he is reunited with head coach Jack Pardee and will have the chance to design an offense for QB Warren Moon. Denver has moved on quickly and has become the first team to fill their coaching vacancy, signing former NY Jets head man Joe Walton. Walton fits into the Denver philosophy of focusing on consistency, solid defense and a balanced offense. Whereas Mouse Davis grew extremely frustrated with the personnel available in Denver and the inability to fully utilize his famed Run & Shoot offense, Walton is almost certainly going to build his offense around the run game and slowing games down to keep his defense fresh.
In other coaching news, the LA Express have interviewed three candidates, and are likely to make an announcement at any time. The favorite at this time appears to be Stanford head coach Jack Elway, father of famed Denver Broncos QB John Elway. Elway, who was let go by Stanford after the 1988 season, has strong California ties, having also coached at San Jose State. The other candidates under consideration are former Atlanta Falcon Head Coach Jerry Glanville and former San Diego State head coach Denny Stolz. The Texas Outlaws have also spoken with Glanville, but seem to have their sights set on someone with Dallas Cowboys credentials, having also spoken with current Cowboys Defensive Coordinator Dave Wannstedt and former Cowboys DB Coach and recently released Arizona Cardinals head coach Gene Stallings. Announcements from both Dallas and LA are likely within the next two weeks as teams want to lock in their staffs before free agency hits all league teams.