1992 Conference Title Game Recap

Four teams came into the weekend with visions of Summer Bowl ’92 in their heads. Two teams emerge with their tickets to DC punched. For one it is a chance to reignite past glory and become only the third USFL club to win multiple titles. For the other it is a chance to change the narrative, from also-ran to champion. It was a weekend of dreams and possibilities, and of heartbreak. Let’s get right to it.

Sunday, July 26 @ 1pm ET

Liberty Bowl, Memphis, TN

57,234 in attendance

PITTSBURGH 29 MEMPHIS 18

The Pittsburgh Maulers had never won a playoff game before this season. They had never won their division. And they had never been considered a powerhouse. This week’s convincing win over the favored #1 seed Memphis Showboats may change all of that. The Maulers dominated the early game and then contained the Memphis comeback on their way to a conference title and an almost undreamed of trip to Summer Bowl 1992.

The Maulers used a balanced attack and an opportunistic defense to build up a 23-0 lead over the course of the first quarter and a half, forcing Memphis to play catch up for most of the game, and allowing their defense to focus on containment. It all started with special teams and defensive pressure. After both teams were held to short drives and quick punts, Pittsburgh drove the ball to their own 47 and then got a perfect coffin corner punt from Mark Royals, pinning the Showboats on their own 3 yard line. After a Greg Boone run set them back to the 2, Memphis tried a play action pass to get out of the shadow of their own endzone, but the slow-developing play was exactly what John Bosa wanted, and by the time the Memphis receivers were getting open, he was forcing Mike Kelley to tuck the ball and take the safety.

Pittsburgh received the safety kickoff and in only 4 plays they were up by 9. After a 2nd and 5 run by Rozier got them the first down, Alan Risher missed on a pass to Mike Shaw and then hit on a big 2nd and 10 deep ball to underappreciated wideout Raynard Brown. The out & up worked to perfection and the line protected Risher, leading to a 31 yard touchdown for the Maulers. They would add the next 14 points as well, first on a Lydell Carr screen pass and then a 2-yard off tackle run from Mike Rozier. Only 4 minutes into the 2nd quarter and the visiting Maulers were up 23-0.

Memphis would have to dig deep to come back. They would also need to adjust both their offensive and defensive schemes on the fly. They got on the board 3 minutes later when Greg Boone had his best run of the day, a 31 yard rumble to the endzone. He would finish the day with 147 yards on 23 carries, outpacing the league rushing champion, who gained 120 on 24 carries, but Pittsburgh was more than happy to let Memphis run the ball in chunks of 3-4 instead of giving up quick strikes.

Both teams would trade field goals to end the half, with the Maulers taking a comfortable 26-10 lead into the half. The second half would be a war of attrition. Pittsburgh was happy to let Rozier and Carr tote the rock, to stretch out the play clock, and to play a containment defense that slowed Memphis down the rest of the way. Memphis would score 10 more points over the half, to Pittsburgh’s 3, but nothing came easy and with 2 second half turnovers (a Terrell INT of Kelley, and a Godfrey Miles strip of Tommy Agie) the Showboats simply did not have enough offense or enough time to battle back.

Pittsburgh would be headed to their first Summer Bowl, Mike Rozier, after years of frustration, would have his shot at a title to go along with all his individual accolades. Coach Marchibroda, whose slow development of the Maulers’ identity almost cost him his job a year ago, was now leading a championship calibre team towards the final prize.

Sunday, July 26 @ 5pm ET

Astrodome, Houston, TX

51,405 in attendance

NEW ORLEANS 30 HOUSTON 43

It was a battle of expectations. The savvy veteran QB with the cannon arm against the surprise starter. The league MVP runner-up against a division rival who knew every trick in his arsenal. The #1 seed against the squad most predicted to miss the playoffs entirely. Houston was the favorite and they played like it all game long. New Orleans was the plucky upstart and they too played their part, challenging Houston throughout the day, but in the end there was simply not enough for the Breakers to upset the favored Gamblers. Houston would be returning to the Summer Bowl after a 3 year absence. Kelly and Thomas would get a shot at immortality with another championship shot.

The game started out slowly, with both the Breakers and Gamblers forced into two quick 3-and-out possessions each, testing each other out and devising a strategy after the initial scripted plays failed to produce much. On their third possession, the Gamblers found the answer, with Thomas working in the screen game to loosen up the D-line and Kelly looking beyond the tight coverage on Proehl and Perriman. He would eventually find TE Ron Heller, a former Breaker, open for a 19-yard TD pass to open the scoring. New Orleans responded with their first downs of the game, 3 of them to move into Houston territory and set up Tim Mazzetti for an easy 33 yarder. 7-3 after one.

In the second quarter the dyke burst and the Houston offense rushed in. The Gamblers would score 21 unanswered points in the quarter before New Orleans added a second field goal to end the half. Again it was Kelly spreading the ball out, with a quick strike TD to slot receiver Ernie Jones on their first possession of the quarter. On their next possession it was a 4 WR formation that forced New Orleans into single coverage, and that allowed Ricky Proehl the space he needed to haul in a 22-yarder to put Houston up 21-3. After a solid defensive stop which included a tipped ball nearly picked off by LB Johnny Holland, Houston took over and once again drove the length of the field, this time primarily on Thomas runs, before a subbed-in Keith Woodside dove in from 2 yards out to give Houston a dominant 28-3 lead.

Down 28-6 at the half, New Orleans abandoned a run game that simply found no room against the Houston defenders and turned the ball over to Danny McManus. What did they have to lose? McManus, who had only 81 yards in the first half, would throw for 281 in the second half, including 121 to Michael Jackson and three scores to three different receivers. It would still not be enough. Thurman Thomas added another Houston TD, John Kasay would add two field goals, and despite late TD passes to Herman Fontenot and Greg Paterra, it was still Houston 41-30 when a muffed snap forced Marcus Dupree to fall on the ball in his own endzone, producing a safety and the final score of 43-30.

Kelly would end the game with 338 yards passing, 4 touchdowns, and a QBR of 156.5. Thomas would rush for only 37 yards but would add 59 more through screens, circle routes, and swing passes. Houston did what they had to do to take control of the game and contain New Orleans throughout. The Gamblers would be headed back to the championship with a chip on their shoulder and a chance to become 2-time champions.

SUMMER BOWL PREVIEW

While we love to focus on quarterbacks in the USFL, this year’s USFL Championship, Summer Bowl 1992, is shaping up as a battle between two of the league’s best halfbacks. It is league MVP Mike Rozier against 2nd place vote-getter Thurman Thomas. Rozier is a classic one-cut back, willing to run you over or make you miss. Thomas is the dual threat, a solid runner and excellent out of the backfield. While there are other stars on both offenses, from QB Jim Kelly and wideouts Ricky Proehl and Brett Perriman to newly-acquired deep threat Louis Lipps and reliable TE Mike Shaw for Pittsburgh. And both teams also have solid defenses with two of the league’s best middle linebackers in Eric Kumerow and Kiki DeAyala. But, when all is said and done, the team that can best utilize their star halfback will likely be the team to win. Both clubs have first-time championship coaches in Pittsburgh’s Ted Marchibroda and Houston’s Ray Willsey (It was Jack Pardee who took Houston to consecutive championships in ’87 and ’88). Let’s take a quick look at the key positions before we make our pick:

QB Advantage: Houston. Jim Kelly can be a bit of a gunslinger, but this year he has avoided the negative plays, setting league records for QBR and completion rate along the way.

HB Advantage: Toss Up. Rozier is the league MVP and came close to the league rushing record, but Thomas became the first back in league history to gain 2,000 all purpose yards with WR-like receiving numbers.

TE Advantage: Pittsburgh. The combo of McKeller and Heller works for Houston, but in a pinch we know that Pittsburgh’s Mike Shaw is a better option for a desperate QB.

WR Advantage: Houston. We like what Louis Lipps has brought to Pittsburgh, but the combo of Brown and Lipps is not as proficient or as diverse in what they offer as the trio of Proehl, Perriman and Ernie Jones for Houston.

OL Advantage: Pittsburgh. The Maulers have one of the best run-blocking lines in football. Both clubs can protect their QB’s, but the advantage goes to Pittsburgh’s ability to pull guards and their center to work the outside run.

DL Advantage: Pittsburgh. John Bosa had a career year with 12 sacks and 4 forced fumbles. Add in DTs Dan Saleamua and Moe Gardner and you have a line that can put pressure on QBs or stuff the inside run. Houston’s best D-lineman is DE Gerald Williams, who is a solid passrusher but tends to vanish on run plays.

LB Advantage: Houston. We love Eric Kumerow for Pittsburgh, and his teammates Godfrey Miles and rookie Mark D’Onofrio are good complements, but for our money the more athletic set of backers is the one led by Kiki DeAyala, and includes Johnny Holland, Quentin Coryatt, and former Saint Pat Swilling.

DB Advantage: Houston. Ashley Ambrose is developing into an elite CB, add in safeties Donald Dykes and Robert Blackmon and you have both experience and talent. Pittsburgh’s secondary has had its issues over the season and is a clear weakness when matched up against deep receiving corps such as Houston’s.

Coaching Advantage: This is tough, as neither coach has proven himself in the USFL before. Marchibroda came to Pittsburgh with a solid NFL pedigree, while Willsey was viewed as something of a surprise selection. Both have had midling success so far with this season being the high point for both. We are going to call this one a draw.

OUR PICK: Like we said, it likely will come down to the halfback position and the ability of the offensive squads to find ways to use them to good effect. We like Thurman Thomas’s versatility to make that easier for Ray Willsey. Add in a more confident Jim Kelly and we like the odds for Houston to win a second title. Our pick is Houston 24 Pittsburgh 20.

As expected, with Washington, Tampa Bay, Oakland and Portland joining the free agency pool, and with all clubs now having their coaching staffs in place, we are seeing more action on the hot stove. Let’s get right to the movement seen around the league.

PHILADELPHIA: The coaching search ended this week as the Stars announced that NFL Hall of Fame receiver and former New England Patriots head coach Raymond Berry would be the new leader of the club.

Berry has spent the past year serving as QB coach for the Lions, and with Philadelphia hoping to either develop young Browning Nagle or find a suitable alternative, those QB development credentials are going to be vital. Berry is also known as a WR guru, and he will need to look at restocking a very old WR corps of Mike Quick, Tom Donovan, and Gerard Phelan.

Coach Berry and the Stars did not waste any time in working to strengthen the roster, they added two players in their first 48 hours on the job. Despite WR being a priority, the Stars started with defense, signing Portland DT Esera Tuaolo and veteran MLB Ed Brady from Tampa Bay. Berry commented that the key to defense is a strong central line running from NT to MLB to SS, and he hopes to build out from there. Expect Philly to look to the draft for wideouts as there are not many left within the USFL free agent pool and no clear choices to defect from the NFL until at least February’s transfer window.

MICHIGAN: The Panthers’ attempt to reimagine their offense continues as Michigan signed HB Alfred Jenkins from the Federals. Jenkins is a change of pace back, a good receiver, and a solid punt returner. He adds a bit of quickness and ball skills to the more power game of Rodney Culver.

PORTLAND: The Thunder moved to fix an obvious hole in their defense, picking up Birmingham FS Vencie Glenn. Glenn has been a top flight safety since coming into the league, and free safety was a clear weakness for the Thunder who rotated Darren Carrington with Gary Jones, to poor effect, all season.

TEXAS: The Outlaws hoped to improve their O-Line performance and protect QB Kelly Stouffer. To do so they have signed Michigan LT Arnoldo Gardner. Gardner, despite giving up significant sacks each year, is thought of as an effective run blocker and does well against power rushers, despite having a bit of a problem with the speed rush.

BIRMINGHAM: The Stallions snapped up one of the best linemen in the free agent pool, signing Oakland guard Guy McIntyre to a 3-year deal. Big Mac is expected to immediately move into the Right Guard position on the strong run side, making Joe Cribbs happy for certain.

NEW JERSEY: The Generals have signed Portland SS Eric McMillian, a clear sign that they have inside information on the possible retirement of longtime starter Gary Barbaro. McMillian is known for the same type of hard hitting and run support as Barbaro, but with considerably more tread left on the tires.

MICHIGAN: The Panthers, after losing Arnoldo Gardner, dipped back into Washington’s roster and have signed tackle Jim Lachey. Lachey is a more athletic pass defender, able to handle the speed rush, and is quite adept at run blocking as well. Many in the Motor City are seeing this as an upgrade, and we tend to agree.

OAKLAND: No official signing yet, but it looks as if Oakland is definitely going to have to look for a new QB. Since their loss last Sunday, Oakland has seen QB Gale Gilbert interview with the Chicago Machine, but also with the Seattle Seahawks and San Diego Chargers of the NFL. Oakland’s GM all but admitted that the Invaders were not seeing themselves as a viable contender for Gilbert’s services. Expect to get word on Gilbert’s final destination next week, but now we have to wonder who is available for the Invaders to go after. It may take a trade, or a costly NFL raid for Oakland to find a viable starter. At present the only available free agent is Texas backup Mike Shula, and, as of Monday, Memphis backup Cary Conklin. Neither of those seem like strong starting QB material, and with Oakland’s roster only having Mike Pawlawski and Troy Taylor as backups to Gilbert, the cupboard is pretty bare.

Retirements: We have seen a significant number of players announce their retirements this past week, but still no word on one we have heard in rumors but are unable to confirm. Here are the new retirees we can confirm:

• Baltimore WR Jackie Flowers

• St. Louis TE Todd Christiansen

• Tampa Bay S Roy Gee

• Philadelphia HB and PR Vi Sikahema

• New Jersey DE Gary Jeter

• New Orleans DE David Wilkinson and FS Matthew Fong

• Michigan LB Rick Naylor

• Denver K Brian Speelman

• Chicago D-Linemen Dan Hampton and Dave Board

While none of these departures are huge surprises, it certainly will not help Baltimore to lose their top receiver, or for St. Louis to lose the dependable Christiansen. New Orleans and Chicago will have to start looking for defensive help as well as both clubs are losing key role players. This is always the case in pro football. Either through free agency or retirement there is always turnover on USFL rosters, and teams are always asked to adapt and move forward. We will see how these clubs do so.