17-Point Swing Sends Invaders Packing
OAKLAND 15 HOUSTON 28
An even battle for three quarters turned into a comfortable win for the Houston Gamblers after a 17-point run to end the game. Houston got two late touchdowns, a Keith Woodside run and a Kelly to Proehl toss, to updend the invaders and advance to the Divisional round.
Houston and Oakland battled through three quarters before the Gamblers’ offense wore down the Invader defense and pulled away in the final 20 minutes of the game. For 3 quarters the two 8-8 squads battled back and forth, with Oakland looking to have the advantage at half, up 12-10. An early Kelly to Jones TD pass in the 1st was countered by a Mark Duper TD catch in the 2nd, and when Kim Bokamper caught Kelly in the endzone for a safety, Oakland took the lead into the half. They added a second Kevin Shea field goal in the third to up their lead to 5, but it all crashed for Oakland after that.
Houston rallied, thanks in large part to the dual threat of Thurman Thomas, who finished the day with 87 yards rushing on 20 attempts as well as 6 receptions for 22 yards. Though he did not find paydirt, Thomas was the key weapon in Houston’s attack. Late in the third that attack put Houston on top to stay as Kelly hit rookie Ricky Proehl for a short touchdown toss, followed by a 2 point conversion that put Houston up 18-15. On their next drive the combo of Thomas and Keith Woodside would move the ball effectively, with Woodside getting the 3rd and goal call that added another 6. Just a few minutes later, with Oakland unable to produce a drive, Dave Jacobs made the Houston lead 28-15, the game’s final score.
Kelly would finish with only 184 yards on the day, as Oakland focused their attention on slowing down the passing game, but the combo of Thomas and Woodside found holes all day and the Houston defense shut down Richard Williams (only 24 yards rushing) to keep Oakland one-dimensional. This Houston Gambler squad, who many had written off as dead at the halfway point of the season, has been a wholly different team in the season’s second half, and now find themselves in the Divisional Playoff, facing a familiar foe, division rival New Orleans, next week in the SuperDome.
Renegades Rout Showboats to Advance
ORLANDO 37 MEMPHIS 17
Memphis came into this game a 6-point favorite, largely on the prowess of their defense, but Orlando’s high octane offense immediately put them on notice and before the Showboats knew what had hit them, they were down 17-0 and forced to play a catchup game that did not suit them well at all. By the game’s end, Orlando walked out of the Liberty Bowl with a 20-point victory and a ticket to next week’s Divisional Playoff in Washington, D.C..
It was all Orlando from the get-go, as the Renegades used their familiarity with Memphis’s defense to confuse and confound the usually tough squad. Reggie Collier ended the game with a 77.4% completion rate, hitting on two touchdown tosses to Wamon Buggs as the Showboats tried to take away league receiving yardage leader John Jefferson. Jefferson finished with 109 yards anyway, but it was Buggs who put the hurt on the Showboats with his two scores.
Backup HB Todd Fowler also proved dangerous to Memphis, as he scored twice while spelling Curtis Bledsoe. Bledsoe would finish with 91 yards on the ground but Fowler got the ball in the endzone twice to keep the pressure on Memphis.
Down 17 early, the Showboats were forced to largely abandon their dual-back rushing attack and put the ball into the hands of QB Mike Kelley. Knowing the Showboats were passing, the Orlando defenders pinned their ears back and put on a furious pass rush, getting to Kelley 3 times and forcing him to scramble on multiple occasions, a rare situation for the usually pocket-bound QB. Memphis, forced to go for broke throughout the game, ended up completing only 2 of 11 third down conversions, and failed on 2 of 3 fourth down attempts as well.
For Memphis it was another disappointment in a season that saw them lose the Division Crown in the final weeks and then exit unceremoniously in the Wild Card game. For Orlando, the win conjured memories of last year’s deep playoff run. The Renegades, boasting one of the most prolific pass offenses in the league, now head to Washington to face the Federals in a game few would have predicted when the season began.
No new injuries to report from either Orlando or Houston, so they enter the Divisional Round with full compliments. New Orleans has a concern at DT where T.J. Turner is out, and both Dan McMillen and Jim Wahler are coming off nagging injuries. Both are listed as probable, but are not likely to be 100% by Sunday. For Washington, SS Louis Oliver is out, as is CB Tony Stargell, a frightening prospect when you are facing the Orlando passing game.
In the other Divisional matchups, Michigan at Arizona and Philadelphia @ Tampa Bay, there are a few injuries of note. Tampa Bay will be without starting DE Skip McClendon (groin) and right tackle Matt Behning (knee) while Philadelphia lists WR Quinn Early as probably despite a lingering shoulder issue, and, as has been the case for several weeks, CB Lorenzo Lynch is out with his own shoulder injury. In the Panthers-Wranglers matchup we will not be seeing DE Al Noga, FS Martin Bayless or guard Morris Vaught for the Wranglers, while Michigan will be without center Hubert Hicks.
DIVISIONAL ROUND PREVIEW
3pm ET, Saturday, July 7 @ RFK Stadium
Reggie Collier and the Renegades hope to upend the Federals and will likely look to do this through the air. With both John Jefferson and Wamon Buggs playing well and with the threat of Curtis Bledsoe on the ground, the Renegades may try to jump out of the gate fast as they did vs. Memphis to put Washington on their heels. The Federals are also a pass-happy team, and with Don Majkowski at the helm, they are quite capable of going head to head with the Orlando passing game. After facing Reggie White and his 21 sacks last week, Orlando now faces a dual threat in the DE combo of Manley (15 sacks) and Haley (14 sacks). Can Orlando keep up the offensive pressure vs. this combo or will Reggie Collier be running as much as he is passing? For the Feds the key is getting Majkowski into a rhythm with wideouts Joey Walters. Duane Gunn, and rookie Terrance Mathis. The Feds do not have a solid run game to fall back on, so they need to be efficient with the passing game.
PREDICTION: We like Orlando’s pluck, but the Federals have been finding ways to win all year, so we will pick them to win by 3.
8pm ET, Saturday, July 7 @ Sun Devil Stadium
The Wranglers were surprise winners of the Pacific Division, but they won it going away, thanks in large part to a balanced attack with Clack and former NFL back Lionel James combining with efficient passing from Robbie Bosco. Michigan got here largely on the strength of their 2nd rated defense, a defense which allows only 59.6 yards rushing a game and has the 2nd leading sack master on the D-line in Ronnie Paggett.
Michigan will try to keep pressure on Bosco, loading the line, blitzing against both the run and the pass, and hoping their secondary can keep Trumaine Johnson, Louis Lipps, and TE Terry Orr from busting out some big plays. For their part, Arizona will hope to contain the run game led by John Williams, forcing Michigan to pass without the benefit of play action. Michigan’s passing game runs through Derrick Holloway, so expect Arizona to line up CB Everson Walls on Holloway all game long, and likely swing over a safety to help when possible.
PREDICTION: Arizona’s defense can be erratic at times, and Michigan certainly has the veteran leadership to recognize weaknesses. We are going to pick the upset here and go with the Panthers.
3pm ET, Sunday, July 8
@ New Orleans SuperDome
These two teams know each other well, having played 11 times since the Central Division was formed and the Breakers joined it after leaving Boston. New Orleans has fared pretty well in those games, winning 7, but they have also had a long history of playoff flops. Houston is no stranger to tough playoff games, having appeared in back to back USFL Championships, and they come in hot, having won 7 games out of 9 to get to the playoffs.
But, what we see this year is a Breakers team that has had all their pieces working all season long. They were 13-2 before resting their starters week 16, and they were head and shoulders above most of the league. They come into this game with the #1 scoring offense, an offense which also leads the league in rushing with 129 yards per game, thanks to the duo of Hilliard and Dupree. Throw in former league MVP Matt Robinson at QB, and we think that this game is a tall order for the Gamblers.
PREDICTION: We like Houston’s pluck, but this is a serious championship contender in New Orleans, and we will not pick against the Breakers this time.
8pm ET, Sunday, July 8 @ Tampa Stadium
This is a really intriguing matchup. You have a veteran team, winner of 2 USFL Championships, but with a rookie head coach, going up against a younger, rebuilt, Bandits team, led by one of only 2 USFL coaches to lead their team since the 1983 league founding in Steve Spurrier. You have the return of Troy Aikman from injury, and you have one of the best backs in the game today in Kelvin Bryant.
Neither team are offensive dynamos, despite their star power. Tampa finished the season 16th in total yards, and Philadelphia was one notch below that, 17th. The two actually match up pretty evenly across most team categories. The big advantage one way or the other may belong to Tampa Bay, if Troy Aikman is back to full form. Chuck Fusina led the league in interceptions with 21 (equal to his TD number) while Aikman was one of the league’s best at protecting the ball (10 interceptions to 24 touchdowns.) If that pattern stays true to form, it may be the Tampa defense that turns the game and turnovers may be the reason.
PREDICTION: We like Philadelphia’s playoff experience, but the younger, hungrier Bandits may just use home field advantage, and the energy it provides, to upend the older, more experienced Stars. We’re picking Tampa Bay.