Week Two of the USFL did not disappoint, with an overtime thriller in Texas. a shutout in DC, a nail biter in the Windy City, and one of the most explosive offensive displays ever seen in Houston.
ORL 27 BAL 10
Reggie Collier completes 21 of 27 pass attempts for 271 yards and 3 scores as Orlando upends Baltimore. The Blitz offense has just not found its stride again as Vince Evans scrambled for more yards than any Blitz halfback gained. Orlando’s John Jefferson picked up where he left off last year, catching 7 balls for 130 yards to pace the Renegades to a comfortable win.
TBY 24 NJ 16
Despite 141 yards rushing from Herschel Walker, and knocking Troy Aikman out of the game early in the 1st quarter, the Generals cannot get the win. Oliver Luck played well in relief, tossing two scores. Tampa’s defense wrangled and contained Doug Flutie, and New Jersey was miserable on third down conversions as they fall to 0-2 on the new season.
BIR 9 PHI 27
The Stars’ season is starting off strong as their defense dominates the Stallions, holding Birmingham to only 163 total yards. Chuck Fusina looked spry, avoiding the Birmingham pass rush, and finding Mike Quick for two scores. Kelvin Bryant was contained (69 yards on 21 carries) but Philly got a spark from little-used Vai Sikahema, who gained 29 yards on only 4 carries, including a key 3rd and 4 conversion that went for 12 on their first TD drive.
JAX 21 PIT 38
Coach Bugel has to be over the moon about the performance of his offense, working with backup QB Jeff Hostetler. Hoss only threw for 161 yards, but when combined with 123 yards and 3 scores from Mike Rozier the Mauler O produced 38 points to pull away from the Bulls 28-0 in just the first quarter. Jacksonville put up a fight, but the early explosion by Pittsburgh was just too much to overcome.
MEM 0 WSH 24
The Federals defense overwhelmed Memphis to power Washington to a rare USFL shutout. The potent Federals D-line was on fire against the Showboats, sacking Mike Kelley 5 times, forcing him to run on 14 occasions (with little success) and garnering an extremely rare 2 safeties. Joe Phillips nabbed 2 sacks to lead the team. Meanwhile the combo of Barry Word and Kevin Harmon gained 123 yards on the day to power the Washington offense.
OAK 30 CHI 27
The decision to name Jeff Kemp the starter has paid off for Coach Vermeil, as the former LA Ram again led a potent Oakland offense. Richard Williams gained 85 yards rushing and 2 scores, while Henry Ellard just missed 100 yards but also contributed a score as Oakland came back in the final minutes to flip the scoreboard and steal the win from the luckless Chicago Machine.
ARZ 20 MGN 34
Arizona’s season is starting off rough, with another tough loss to a playoff team. In a game that saw a combined 813 yards of offense, both teams put up big numbers and scoring was not hard to find. Michigan took the early lead, with 3 Jack Trudeau TD passes in the first half, as they led 28-3, but the second half saw Arizona fight back. In the end Michigan did just enough to keep a steady lead over the Wranglers, as Vince Workman rushed for 98 yards and Dereck Holloway gained 121 on 7 catches, 2 for scores.
DEN 7 NOR 32
Denver’s offense gained only 125 total yards to New Orleans’s 439 in a game that was never in doubt for the Breakers. It was 24-0 at the half before a Bruce Pickens Int return gave Denver its only points on the day. Bob Gagliano looked horrible, completing only 33.3% of his passes (8/24) and Barry Foster could only garner 35 yards rushing as New Orleans utterly dominated the Gold.
LA 27 TEX 33 OT
The New Look LA Express were game, but in the end it was Texas who again thrilled the home crowd with a late game-tying FG and another in overtime to take the win. Kelly Stouffer looks like he is back to possible MVP form, throwing for 3 scores and 342 yards, and 2nd year back Reggie Cobb is not having a sophomore slump, gaining 145 on the ground. For LA, they had to be happy to see a run game work against the Outlaws, as Darrell Thompson shared carries with Buford Jordan, both finishing with an identical 11 carries for 85 yards and a 7.7 average.
PORTLAND THUNDER 37
HOUSTON GAMBLERS 34
It may only be week 2 of the USFL season, but we may have witnessed the game of the year already. A combined 961 yards of offense (521 for Portland and 440 for Houston), with two offensive performances that will go down in the record books. Portland’s Kerwin Bell, who may be starting a QB controversy in the Pacific NW with his play these past two weeks, threw for an eye-popping 456 yards and 4 TDs on a 37 of 48 day. Not to be outdone, Houston’s Thurman Thomas broke huge run after huge run, finishing the day with 260 yards on only 15 carries.
Thomas’s first carry of the day was a 40-yard scamper, which he followed throughout the game with 5 carries of over 30 yards, including a 46-yard TD. Jim Kelly added 3 TD passes to help Houston keep pace with the Thunder, who did it all through the air thanks to Kerwin Bell’s apparent leap in both vision and accuracy over past years. David Archer was the starter when the season started, but there is no way Coach Erickson can take Bell out after the two weeks he has had. He not only leads the USFL in QBR but has 8 touchdown tosses in only 2 weeks of action. They say players should never lose a job due to injury, but the way Bell is playing, we don’t expect Archer to get the starting gig back next week.
The game was an offensive fireworks show throughout, with 7 lead changes, 7 total TD tosses, and big plays in every quarter and from a wide range of players. Aside from Thurman Thomas’s 46-yard TD, the Gamblers also got a 36 yard TD catch from Ernie Jones and scores from Ricky Proehl and Clarence Verdin. Portland got a 30-yard score from Webster Slaughter, a 20 yarder from TE Clint Didier, and an acrobatic catch for a score from Adrian Cooper.
It was a game that defensive-minded fans must have hated, but for the rest of us this was a gem, showcasing brilliant offensive schemes, individual talent, and perfect timing. Tied at 34 with only 1:33 left, Portland was the proverbial “last to touch the ball” as they drove down the field, setting up Al Del Greco for the winning field goal as the clock ticked down. It was a game we hated to see end as both teams played amazingly entertaining games. Now, for both defensive coordinators, the final result may not make them feel secure in their jobs, but if you are on the offensive side of the ball, you were overjoyed with what you got this week.
The AP gave their Offensive POTW to Kerwin Bell, and we cannot argue with that after he recorded the 2nd highest passing total in league history (trailing only a 475-yard performance by Bobby Hebert in 1983 against the Feds.) But, since the AP celebrated Bell’s day, we are going to highlight the 15 carries of Thurman Thomas. No need to embellish this, let’s just give you the 15 carries and you will see how amazing this day was: 48, 44, 2, 40, 7, 36, 2, 5, 2, 20, 12, 15, 14, 13, 1.
Three forty-yard runs in his first 4 touches, that is just stunning. You know the guy who got the tackle on that 2-yard run will brag about that all week. Thomas was so gassed by these amazing runs that the Gamblers had FB Tim Manoa run the ball 9 times, more carries than he had in 1989 and 1990 combined playing for Baltimore. Manoa appears to have been an outstanding signing for Houston as he frequently took out a key linebacker to free Thomas on those long runs, but let’s be clear that this was simply a brilliant demonstration of just how good the former OK State Cowboy is. Thomas now leads the USFL in rushing, and while he will have challengers for the rushing title, this game will stand out as one of his true career highlights. Falling only 2 yards short of Joe Cribbs’s 1986 game against Memphis, this rushing performance is one to remember.
USA Today did a fan poll to see which coaches are believed to be on the hotseat this year. While this is in no way scientific, coaches who the fans listed as “at risk” should likely take note. Of course, there were some who were untouchable, such as Tampa’s Steve Spurrier or Michigan’s Jim Stanley, and teams who performed better than expected last season got an obvious pass, so Arizona’s Ted Tollner, Washington’s Sam Rutigliano, and Philadelphia’s Jack Bicknell can breathe a bit easier. Those in the most danger, according to the USA Today fan poll include Pittsburgh’s Ted Marchibroda, Chicago’s Joe Bugel, Jacksonville’s Galen Hall, and Birmingham’s Carl Reese. Surprisingly in the pack considered “On the Hot Seat” was Oakland’s Dick Vermeil. Oakland made the playoffs last year, but apparently fans believe that Vermeil needs to show more than an 8-8 record to hold his job. Good news for the Invaders coach is that his squad has started the season hot and sits atop the Pacific at 2-0, so maybe that seat is just a bit cooler now.
We would tend to agree that this is a make-or-break year for Joe Bugel, whose Chicago Machine had improved each season since coming into the league in 1987 before plateauing at 7-9 last year. The Machine need to break out of their “close but no cigar” tendency, get over .500 and into the playoffs for Bugel to argue that he has them on track. That is a tough call for the Machine as they have strong competition from New Orleans, Texas, Houston, and Michigan in what is perhaps the best division in the entire league.
For Carl Reese the good feelings about Birmingham’s 12-4 season 2 years ago are wearing off. If he cannot rally the Stallions to a playoff run, this may be the end of his tenure with the Stallions, which means that it will be another coach who may benefit from Birmingham’s decision to spend some big money to sign the QB of the future in Southern Mississippi’s Brett Favre.
Pittsburgh brought in Ted Marchibroda with hopes of giving life to their offense, and he has done that. The offense has been better for the Maulers in his three seasons with the team, and his 8-8 and 7-9 seasons are the two best in Mauler team history, but that is not saying much. The problem has been defense, where the Maulers have just never developed into the type of no-nonsense D that fans in the Steel City respect and demand. The Maulers have started off strong this year, sitting at 2-0 and with both their scoring offense and defense listed as Top 10 squads, but they will need to keep up that early success for Marchibroda to make the case that he has this team ready for prime time.
Finally, Galen Hall has to realize after three straight 6-10 seasons that his time is running short unless he can turn the ship around. Fans have not fully turned on the Bulls yet, but an 0-2 start is turning up the heat for team owner Fred Bullard to make a move. The Bulls brought in a new starting QB this year in former General Timm Rosenbach, and they also snagged HB Jamie Morris from Chicago to boost the run game, so the desire to win is there, but if the ability to win does not soon match that desire, Galen Hall could be a midseason casualty of his own making.
While once again we would say that this was a good week for the USFL on the injury front, don’t say that to Denver SS Patrick Gannon or New Jersey LB Terry Wooden, both suffered knee injuries that will likely cost them the season. But the overall picture is very good. There are 5 players who we expect to miss 1-2 weeks with injuries (including Chicago DT Dan Hampton, Pittsburgh QB Alan Risher, and Federals DE Charles Haley) but all other players are listed as doubtful or better, meaning a 1-week absence is all we can expect. Likely not playing next week are Mauler LB Eric Kumerow (knee), Denver WR Odessa Turner (knee), Tampa TE Chris Kelley (hamstring), Portland DT Mike Golic (nerve pain), Breakers CB Gene Atkins (hand), Houston HB Keith Woodside (neck) and, most notably, Tampa Bay QB Troy Aikman, who was knocked out of this week’s game in the 1st quarter and is questionable for next week with an ankle injury, as one of his linemen rolled onto his ankle during a TD toss to Eric Truvillion.
We are back to division play in Week 3 and with several teams starting at 0-2 there is some pressure to get this week right. Of course, the 2-0 teams have no desire to help that cause. In the East we have two such battles, and battles with key rivalries involved as well. Washington is in Baltimore, where the Blitz’s struggling offense now has to face that brutal Federals D-line (though without Charles Haley). Philly takes their 2-0 record to the 0-2 Generals, who in no way feel that their record is a reflection of their talent.
In the South it is 2-0 Tampa Bay facing a rowdy Legion Field crowd as they try to knock Birmingham to 0-3 without Troy Aikman on the field. Memphis and Jacksonville both come into this week’s game at the Gator Bowl at 0-2, so someone is going to be digging themselves a huge hole with a 3rd loss this week. In Chicago, the 0-2 Machine need to prove they can finish a game as they have a tough task, facing the 2-0 Panthers. Texas takes their 2-0 record into their rivalry game in Houston.
In Tempe, the Wranglers will try to shake off an 0-2 start as they host the 1-1 LA Express. Denver will try to do the same as they invite the 2-0 Portland Thunder into the thin air of Mile High Stadium. We have two inter-divisional games, with both featuring matchups of 2-0 teams. The Breakers will be at Three Rivers in a major test for the upstart Pittsburgh Maulers, while the 2-0 Oakland Invaders head across the nation to face the Orlando Renegades at the Citrus Bowl.