Every once in a while you get a game that just screams "classic". That was this week in San Antonio when the Texas Outlaws and Michigan Panthers just gave up on defense and pulled out all the stops on offense. Both QB's threw for 5 scores in a back and forth game that anyhone with a VCR wishes they had taped. And yes, we had 11 other games as well, in a week that seems to be setting us up for a very exciting 2nd half of the season.
What a game we had in San Antonio this week! If you like fireworks, this one felt like the 4th of July. The Outlaws fought like their season depended on it, and it showed. Michigan, sitting at 3-3 did not want to fall any further behind the St. Louis Knights, so they too scrapped hard, and what we got as a result was over 1,000 yards of total offense between the two clubs and two very frustrated defensive coordinators.
Just to show you how wild this one was, both Doug Flutie and Kelly Stouffer threw for 5 TDs in this game. Flutie hit a career record for attempts (55), completions (43), yards (490) and scores (5) on his way to a 125.6 QBR for the week. Stouffer had far less gaudy numbers but still hit Carl Pickens for 2 scores, and one each to Irving Fryar, Jeff Graham, and TE Steve Wilkes in a back and forth game that was not decided until the final minute, a classic “last team with the ball wins” scenario.
And we did not have to wait for the action in this one. Only 2 minutes into the game Stouffer hit Carl Pickens with a huge 32 yard corner route to put the Outlaws on top. Flutie immediately responded, hitting his favorite receiver, rangy Jeff Campbell, with an equalizer. The Texas offense sputtered on their next drive, but were saved by the D when a Flutie pass was tipped at the line, picked off by Brian Simmons and returned 24 yards for the go ahead score as the 1st quarter wound down.
In the second Flutie was back, hitting Mr. Touchdown, Butch Rolle from 7 yards out for the equalizer. We were in for a shootout and the entire Alamodome crowd seemed to know it. Texas got the ball back and in 5 plays were right back in Michigan territory. The Panthers seemed to shut down Texas on a 3rd and 8, but a defensive pass interference call gave Texas new life. 2 plays later it was Stouffer to Fryar and the home team had a 7 point lead. They would go into halftime up by 4 after a half-ending Brett Conway field goal pulled Michigan closer.
The third quarter started just as quickly as the first had, this time with Michigan taking advantage, Flutie finding Muhsin Muhammad with a 13-yard scoring toss. Muhammad and Campbell would have a field day all game against the Outlaws, with Campbell snagging 14 balls for 134 yards and 2 scores while Muhammad would catch 10 for 147 and this 3rd quarter score.
Texas responded to the short-lived Michigan lead as Stouffer again picked apart the Panther defense, finding Jeff Graham to take the lead. It would be short-lived itself, as Michigan came right back, taking the lead back at 31-28 thanks to a Tyrone Wheatley scoring run. Three quarters down and we were still watching both clubs dominate on offense, Michigan up 31-28.
Michigan expanded on that lead as the 4th quarter got underway, with Flutie finding Campbell for his 2nd on the day. Up 10, the Panthers could not feel comfortable as Texas refused to go away. Stouffer hit Pickens with a huge arcing bomb that resulted in a 75-yard TD pass and catch to bring them within 3. Then, after a rare Michigan punt, they did it again, this time Stouffer marching down field on short out routes, curls and slants, before hitting his TE for the go ahead score. 38-42 with only 2:03 left to play.
But we said this was a “last team with the ball” kind of game, and 2 minutes was more than enough time for the Panthers. They ended up needing only 1:12 of the remaining time as they started moving the ball immediately, knowing it would take a TD to end the game. They got as far as the Texas 45 before they seemingly stalled, missing on a 3rd and 10 pass, but once again the yellow flag changed the game. Twelve men on the field was called against Texas, giving Michigan a 3rd and 5 shot at keeping the drive alive. They did more than that as a perfect screen to Wheatley found him with 3 blockers out in front. He stayed behind his linemen for the first 20 yards before making an inside move that surprised the safety, leading to a clear path to the endzone and a 45-yard TD run to give Michigan the win.
For Texas the devastating loss left them at 1-6 after 7 weeks, and with their best offensive game all year now wasted in a losing effort. For the Panthers, sitting at 4-3 still keeps them 3 games behind the Knights, but in the mix when it comes to a possible Wild Card, which may be all they can hope for this season.
TBY 24 MEM 18
While the Michigan-Texas game was certainly the most entertaining, an instant classic, there were several really well-played games in the league this week. In Memphis the Showboats built up a 13-0 lead after 2 quarters, but Tampa came roaring back in the 2nd half, outpacing Memphis 24-5. The final two points came when Aikman deliberately took a safety with 13 seconds left to avoid a possible fumble or defensive score deep in their zone. The gambit paid off as Memphis was unable to score with no time left and Tampa walked out of the Liberty Bowl with a 6-point win.
ARZ 23 OAK 27
Another great game in Oakland, where the Invaders increased their advantage in the division by knocking off one of the big contenders, the Wranglers. It took a late Troy Davis 21-yard TD scamper and a Joe Nedney field goal to put away the pesky Wranglers, who showed great diversity on offense, mixing passes and runs with some trick plays to keep Oakland off balance, even after Jake Plummer was temporarily knocked from the game with a random finger to the eye.
HOU 24 NOR 20
Houston got the upset of the week by knocking off Mike Ditka’s Breakers in the SuperDome. They did it despite only 26 yards rushing as the Greer & Avery combo again proved ineffective. Chuck Hartlieb helped with 2 TD passes, but a lot of kudos have to go to the defense, which allowed only 77 yards rushing to the combination of Davis and Pegram.
CHI 14 STL 30
Chicago fell behind early as St. Louis built up a 27-0 lead after 1 drive in the 3rd quarter. The Machine edged back late, but with no run game to speak of against the Knights all the pressure was on Alex Van Pelt, and he simply could not bring the Machine back. St. Louis got 119 yards between Thompson (37), Green (61) and fullback “Ironhead” Hayward (21) to dominate both the clock and the scoreboard.
BAL 10 PHI 20
Another tough divisional loss for Baltimore as the Stars played a conservative game throughout. When Trent Green went down for the Blitz on his first pass attempt of the game, they tried both Sean Salisbury and later Wally Richardson, but simply could not muster a consistent offense against the Stars D.
JAX 20 ATL 37
Jeff George returned to action and the Fire offense reignited. George only threw for 172, but had 4 TDs as the Fire put the ball into the hands of Tiki Barber for most of their yardage, 136 yards on the ground. Lake Dawson welcomed back George by catching 2 TDs and the Fire defense shut down the Bulls run game, holding Natrone Means to only 30 yards on 13 carries to get back into a winning way.
ORL 27 BIR 14
Orlando won their 3rd in 4 games by blitzing constantly, putting Brett Favre on the ground 11 times as the Stallion O-line simply was unprepared for the onslaught. DE Chris Dishman alone had 4 sacks in the absolute fury of bodies that Orlando sent at Favre. The Birmingham QB still threw for over 300 yards, but the Stallions only converted 1 third down all day as Favre felt constant threat from the Renegade D.
OHI 30 PIT 24
Did we say the Houston game was the upset of the week. How silly of us. Ohio won their 2nd game of the year in shocking fashion by upending the Maulers in Pittsburgh. A steady rain impeded both clubs, leading to several turnovers, but it was Ohio who took advantage of the circumstances. Relying on Eddie George to carry the offense, the Glory got 102 yards from the former Buckeye, and you add in a Pat Terrell pick six, as well as a Jeff Herod fumble recovery inside the Mauler 10 yard line and you have perfect upset conditions, and that is what we got.
NJ 9 WSH 21
Washington flexed their defensive muscles against the visiting New Jersey Generals, Holding Curtis Enis under 10 carries for the game and sacking Spence Fischer 7 times. Add in two early scores from TE Travis McNeal and the Federals held their lead throughout, frustrating the Generals at every turn and limiting them to only 1 late TD in what should have been a 21-3 game.
LA 20 POR 37
As expected, Brent Pease got the start for LA, and he looked good at times, completing 34 of 52 passes for 370 yards on the day, but the absolute lack of a run game from LA, and the weak LA run defense, allowing Robert Drummond 104 yards on only 16 carries, spelled defeat yet again for Los Angeles. Jack Trudeau was hit hard early in the 3rd, so Portland fans got to watch Bill Musgrave finish out the game, but even with 2 interceptions, the Express were unable to come back on the Thunder.
MONSTER SEASON
We need to talk about the season Keith Jackson is having in Denver. Yes, we are used to Mr. Jackson putting up some really good numbers from the TE position. Since coming into the league in 1988 he has never had a season below 70 receptions, and he typically averages between 600-800 yards and 4-6 TDs a year. So what is happening this year? We are only 7 games in and Jackson already has 71 receptions and 568 yards. He is leading the entire league in both targets and receptions, and is on pace for over 1,200 yards receiving. In the 15 seasons of the USFL the best year for a tight end ever was Wesley Walls’ 1993 campaign in which he caught 99 balls for 1,412 yards and 13 TDs. While the yardage would be hard to match, Jackson is well on pace to shatter the receptions record. He could easily surpass the 100-reception mark, and with 5 TDs already, could conceivably take that record as well. It is a long season and defenses are surely going to be paying attention to Jackson after this start, but with Odessa Turner and rookie Kevin Dyson looking very dangerous, there are not a lot of options to double up on Jackson. A story to monitor as we head into the second half as well.
TD RECORD
Another stat to keep an eye on is the record for TD passes in a season. The current record is held by Brett Favre with 48 last year. That bested his 47 TD season in 1992 and Jim Kelly’s 47 TD season in 1996. Is that record in danger of falling? Yes, most certainly. Troy Aikman in only 7 games has already thrown 24 touchdowns, that puts him on pace to shatter the record and end the year with over 50 scoring tosses. Aikman is also on pace to pass for over 5,000 yards, as is Ryan Leaf as well.
Leaf is actually close to Aikman with 21 scoring tosses, so these two could battle it out with the record in mind (as well as both being on 1-loss teams that may just be fighting for a #1 seed come the last month of the year. And, lest we forget, Brett Favre is still around the ballpark too, with 20 TD passes to date, and a Stallion offense that needs to put up points to win games. The heat of summer sometimes wilts offenses, but something tells us that this year could be a different story and since we have seen the TD pass record tied or broken in each of the past 2 years, it is not a stretch to imagine it could happen again this year in the pass-happy USFL.
SACK RECORD
And yes, once again it looks like Phil Hansen is on pace to break his own sack record, but this time he is not alone. Chris Doleman, after some huge weeks of late, is tied with Hansen at 12 sacks, and Leslie O’Neill is not far behind at 10. Even Reggie White is in the mix at 9 sacks after 7 games, but we think this may be Hansen v. Doleman for the rest of the year. The record is 25, set in 1996, with Hansen also holding the mark for 2nd (24 sacks) and third (23 sacks, tied with Dexter Manley). Could this be the year someone actually outpaces him? Does Doleman have a chance to either break into the Top 3 all-time, or to even dethrone the New Jersey Sack King? Keep watching that stat line, it may just be happening.
All things considered it was a pretty light week on the major injury front. Of course that will not console Arizona center Gene McGuire at all as a torn ACL has ended his season, and a good one at that for the big man. Baltimore free safety Joe King can empathize, as his torn quad means his season is also over. Better news for Portland FS Vencie Glenn, who is progressing ahead of schedule and could be back in action within the month. Seattle will be looking at a solid month without Eric Metcalf due to his foot injury, but they will be getting DE Steve Bates back after a rib injury proved to be deep bruising and not a fracture.
Denver QB Mark Brunell is listed as questionable this week after getting some swelling on his right knee, but testing showed no sign of ligament or tendon damage. Finally, LA’s Antowain Smith, who left this week’s games under mysterious circumstances is expected to play next week as it turns out his blurred vision was due to a contact lens rolling up under his lid. Extraction was a bit tricky, but by Sunday Smith is expected to be ready to go.
With all that is happening this year it is easy for some stories to get left on the back burner, but when it comes to the potential 1998 Hall of Fame Class, we do not want to let that one slip by. This year we have a finalist list that includes players who left the game in 1991, 1992, and 1993. It is a pretty impressive group, but only 5 can make the final cut and be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Here, with no ado whatsoever are your finalists for the 1998 HOF Class.
DE Ronnie Paggett (MGN): Before there was Reggie White or Phil Hansen, there was Ronnie Paggett. The 11 season starter for the Michigan Panthers was the first of the league’s sack specialists, amassing 154 sacks, including 9 consecutive seasons of 10 or more. Alongside Junior Ah-You, Paggett was considered the best of the best when the league was looking for young stars. A product of Louisiana Tech, Paggett helped Michigan win 2 titles in the 80’s, was named to All-USFL teams every year from 1983 through 1991 (10 in all), and is considered by many the one shoe-in for first-ballot induction this year.
LB Brandon Zavala (WSH): Another player who spent his entire career with one club, Brandon Zavala was the captain of the Federals defense for nearly a decade. Playing from 1985 until 1993, Zavala retired with 898 tackles, 18 sacks, 10 picks, 15 forced fumbles, 9 recoveries, and started 135 of a possible 141 games in that span. In 1990 he held aloft the first of Washington’s 2 Bassett Trophies. He was selected to 4 All-USFL Teams and set a club record with 17 tackles in one game against the Generals in 1991. He also holds the unofficial record for the longest, slowest fumble recovery touchdown we can remember, a 93-yard return against the Stallions in 1986 that feels like it took 45 minutes to finish, but he made it.
FS Donald Dykes (HOU): This must be the year for player loyalty to team. Our third first year nominee is Donald Dykes, free safety of the Houston Gamblers. A 2 time USFL Champion with the Gamblers, he was also nominated to two All-USFL squads. Dykes retired with 155 games played and 155 starts, a rarity in any league. He also had 497 tackles at the safety position, 29 career picks, including 3 pick-sixes, and 3 blocked punts. Known as a player unafraid to come up to the line to take on running backs but also equally adept at shadowing a slot receiver or tight end over the middle, Dykes retired in 1993 after playing all 16 games in his final season and finishing the year with 3 picks.
HC Jim Stanley (MGN): Jim Stanley is a likely first-ballot entrant into the Hall of Fame along with his favorite Defensive End. A Guard and DT at Texas A&M, Stanley began coaching only 3 years after graduation, first as an assistant at SMU. He got his first gig as a Defensive Coordinator at Oklahoma State in 1966, where he would also get his first head coaching job 6 years later. He moved on to pro ball, first with the Giants and then the Falcons.
Signing on as the first head coach of the Michigan Panthers, Stanley helped the club become a dynasty in the early years of the league. Stanley led the Panthers from 1983-1993, 11 seasons, with a final coaching record of 106-70 (.602). He had a playoff record of 7-4, but what folks in Michigan remember is that he brought the city’s first pro football title since the 1950’s to Detroit, winning the USFL Championship in 1984 and then bringing the Panthers back to glory 2 years later in 1986. His final years in Michigan were rough as the club struggled without QB Bobby Hebert, two straight 7-9 seasons followed by a sad 4-12 finale after an initial 8 years without a losing ballclub. Stanley will forever be remembered in Michigan for his hard-hitting defense, a penchant for calling blitzes at just the right time, and a willingness to let the offense be innovative despite coming from a defensive mindset. We would be shocked if Jim Stanley were not wearing a gold jacket come October.
LB Brian Noble (ARZ): A player with a nose for the ball, Brian Noble played 9 seasons with the Arizona Wranglers, racking up 860 tackles and an impressive 32 forced fumbles. Noble was a versatile backer who was just as comfortable blitzing as covering a tight end, who was always in the middle of the scrum when a back broke through the line, and who found a way to knock the ball out of their hands when the game was on the line. Winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1985, Noble would go on to be named All-USFL three times in his career, but never tasted championship glory with a Wrangler club known for their tough defense but also for real offensive woes.
HC Steve Spurrier (TBY): A second coach to hang up the USFL headset in 1993, Steve Spurrier began as a Heisman-winning QB at the U. of Florida. He played briefly in the NFL, with San Francisco and Tampa Bay, before finding his niche in coaching. Spurrier returned to Florida with his first coaching gig, and soon made a name for himself as an offensive innovator. It was that spirit that attracted Bandits owner John Bassett to Spurrier, making him the first head coach of the Bandits in 1983.
Spurrier repaid the faith shown in him by winning Tampa Bay the first USFL title in that year. He would never regain that level of glory within the USFL, but certainly continued to make a name for himself, leaving the Bandits after 11 seasons and now roaming the sidelines at his alma mater. He left the USFL with a regular season record of 99 wins to 77 losses. His clubs made the USFL playoffs in each of his first 5 seasons with the club, and 7 times in his 11 years. Winning the Southern Division 4 times along the way.
DE Bob Barber (BIR): A 2nd year candidate after retiring in 1992, Barber is another big sack leader in the early years of the USFL. The Stallions were a second career for the former Grambling player. Drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1975, by 1979 Barber had retired, but former Steeler coach Rollie Dotsch brought him to Birmingham, the Magic City, and Barber had a magical run, amassing 104 sacks for Coach Dotsch and the Stallions.
QB Doug Williams (JAX/OKL/TEX): After a year in which he did not make the finalists list, sentiment for Doug Williams returned and Williams made the cut this year. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneer came to the USFL to play for the expansion Jacksonville Bulls in 1984. In that first season he was electric, leading Jacksonville to a respectable 6 wins in their inaugural season while throwing for 4,724 yards and 30 TDs. The next two years would be even better as the Bulls quickly became a contender and Wiliams continued to find the deep ball. He would move on to the expansion Oklahoma Outlaws in 1987, and move with the team to San Antonio (San Marcos at the time) as a member of the Texas Outlaws. Named All-USFL 5 times and winner of the 1989 Offensive Player of the Year, Williams is considered one of the pioneers of the game, paving the way for many of the young Black quarterbacks we see today.
HB John Williams (MGN): Will this be the year for the engine that drove the Panther ground game? In his third attempt at the hall will the big man get his due? That could be tough with two almost certain Panther selections in the same group this year. But Williams certainly has the pedigree to be inducted. An 8-year starter at halfback, Williams retired with 8,281 yards rushing and 55 touchdowns. He was also a solid receiver, bringing in 274 passes for 1,813 yards in his career. He already has 2 USFL Champion rings, will he get a gold jacket to go along with them?
Week 8 is just around the corner and we have a lot of teams lingering around the .500 mark and hoping not to fall behind the pack. We are in full-on interconference mode in this final week of the season’s first half, and while that tends not produce rivalry games, it can still produce some really meaningful matchups. Looking at what is on tap this week, on game stands above all others, but that is not to say that there are not a lot of interesting matchups to catch this week.
We are all psyched for the big game in Tampa Stadium, where the 6-1 Tampa Bay Bandits, the surprise team in the East, with the best offense in the league, will play host to the 7-0 St. Louis Knights, the league’s only unbeaten team, and the best defense in the West. It is a classic matchup of strength against strength in this one, and should be one monster of a game. If the game stays under 20 points, we know that has to be good for St. Louis, because any track meet has to go to the Bandits in this one.
So what else should we watch this week? Well, how about an overachieving 4-3 Arizona squad headed into Veterans Stadium to face the 5-2 Philadelphia Stars? Or we have the upstart Oakland Invaders at 6-1 facing off with the Baltimore Blitz (4-3). We have another good matchups of teams with winning records as Portland travels to DC to face the Federals with both clubs just over .500 at 4-3. In Orlando it is the 4-3 Panthers facing off against the 3-4 Renegades, while in New Jersey we have another 4-3 vs. 3-4 matchup as the Dragons come to the Meadowlands to face the Generals.
In Pittsburgh, the 5-2 Maulers are hoping to stay in the mix with Philly as they face a tough Denver Gold squad. Houston and Birmingham are both surprisingly 3-4, the former playing better than expected, the latter far worse than we predicted. So, is this the game where one of these clubs makes a move towards the upper half of the league? In Atlanta, the 4-3 Fire are hosting a dangerous 3-4 New Orleans Breakers club. With Jeff George back, can Atlanta regain their early season form or will this be the Breakers big break?
Finally we have a few games where both clubs are desperate for wins. In Memphis the 3-4 Showboats want to prove they belong in the playoff mix but the 1-6 Texas Outlaws are pulling out all the stops to get a win. Chicago is a very disappointing 1-6 as well, and as they head to Jacksonville (2-5), both clubs are hoping to radically alter their fortunes with a win. Finally, we have the 0-7 LA Express headed to Ohio, where the Glory have won 2 in a row after their own rough start, beginning the year 0-5.
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