It was everything the USFL and its fans could have wanted out of a title game; two top seeds, the best of each conference, engaged in a back and forth struggle for 60 minutes, with the score unresolved, the game would go to overtime before a champion was decided, and in the end a new champion, a first-time champion was crowned. It was a game filled with stars, with bone-crunching hits, dramatic turns, and big plays. Pre-game concerns about the status of Frank Gore were dispelled, and by game’s end the Arizona halfback was able to take 28 carries, but Gore’s presence also meant that the threat of the run was fully felt, even if the back was not at 100%, and that made the play action game with David Carr work to perfection.
Carr would finish the game as the Summer Bowl MVP, riding off with a 19 of 23 performance, 321 yards through the air against a tough Philadelphia defense, and three touchdown passes. Larry Fitzgerald would be dubbed the playoff MVP, with his third consecutive 100-yard game, this time racking up 135 yards on only 5 receptions, and the defense led by DPOTY Adam Carriker would hold off the Stars in overtime, allowing Arizona to set up the winning kick to bring the Wranglers their first title in over 30 years of play in the league.
For the Stars, their big hitters also showed up in force. Steve Slaton, who had missed the final month of the regular season, added a third consecutive 100-yard rushing game with 101 yards in the game. Stevie Johnson was nearly unstoppable, with 9 receptions for 115 and a touchdown. On defense, LB Dan Connor racked up 9 tackles, 4 for a loss, and added a sack, while FS Jarius Byrd got the lone pick of Carr in the game.
It was a hard fought, tight battle all game long, the kind of game that kept viewers, both in the stadium and at home, on the edge of their seats. The festivities began with Kelly Clarkson performing “America the Beautiful”, before the national anthem was performed by the Air Force Academy Band from just down the road in Colorado Springs. It was a perfect late summer Colorado evening, temperatures in the high 70’s with just a slight breeze coming down from the mountains. The coin toss gave the Wranglers the choice, and they deferred, meaning that Philadelphia would take the ball first when the game kicked off.
A booming kick from David Buehler started the game with a touchback. The Stars’ first series would be a short one, with Arizona’s defense proving its mettle early on with a three-and-out. Matt Gutierrez was pressured on 3rd and 4 and was forced to throw the ball away, unable to spot that James Hardy had gotten open over the middle. Philadelphia punted and Arizona took over on their own 38. The Wranglers would bring out Frank Gore and the offense to rousing applause as a predominantly Arizona crowd welcomed the Wrangler offense to the field.
On his first touch of the day, Frank Gore found a hole on the right side and burst for 5 yards. The run was met with another round of cheers from the nervous Wrangler faithful, happy to see their MVP in the game and starting off well. Gore would not have an MVP game in his totals, averaging only 2.5 yards per rush against the stout Star defense, but on the second play from scrimmage, it became clear how Arizona would use him. Faking the handoff to Gore, the Star defense converged on the back, and that created room for David Carr to roll slightly to the left and find Antonio Bryant for the first down. The play-action strategy on first and second down would mean that Arizona would face only 9 third downs the entire game as they racked up over 400 yards of offense against a Star defense that was 2nd best in the league.
On their opening drive, the Wranglers would mix the run and pass evenly (4 of each), with Carr getting the ball down to the Philadelphia 21 and then take a shot at the endzone. Carr sought out Larry Fitzgerald in the endzone, but Fitz was obstructed by Sam Shields, and the refs threw the flag. From the 1, everyone expected Gore over the top, but that perfectly set up a quick leak-out from TE Rob Gronkowski and the big man blocked out the defender and caught the 1-yard TD toss to open scoring in the game.
Philadelphia would respond with their 2nd drive. Establishing the run with Slaton and Zac Stacy, the Stars also began using play action to provide Matt Gutierrez with time to throw. He connected with Stevie Johnson on a 17-yard gainer that shook the Arizona defense and sent a clear message that the Stars would not be intimidated by Arizona’s defensive rep. 4 plays later, Steve Slaton took a pitch, fond the corner, and raced 9 yards to the end zone and the equalizing score.
In what was one of the higher scoring first quarters in recent Summer Bowl history, Arizona came right back, to the point where many were beginning to question how these two teams had cracked each other’s defensive schemes so effectively. Again it was the play-action pass that was the key, as Arizona was able to get Carr time to throw and Carr, in turn, connected with his receivers, hitting Larry Fitzgerald for a 23-yard gainer before finding Antonio Bryant from 14 yard out to retake the lead at 14-7.
It was a 15-minute span that had both head coaches consulting with their defensive coordinators to try to find answers. The start of the second quarter saw the defenses start to find themselves after the flurry of offense in the opening period. Arizona forced a Philadelphia punt after a sack of Gutierrez, one of only 3 on the day for the Wranglers, as Larry English shed his blocker and found the Philly QB unprepared. Philadelphia reciprocated with a solid defensive stop, stuffing Frank Gore on a 3rd and 3 run to again force a punt. But the Stars on their second drive of the quarter again fell short when Daniel Fells was hit by safety Troy Polamalu, turning a potential first down catch into an incompletion and again forcing a Philadelphia punt.
The Stars would catch their first break, and a key shift in the first half, on the next Arizona possession however, when the Stars did not bite on the fake to Gore, having called a blitz on the play. The blitzing linebacker occupied the tackle, allowing DE Reggie Torbor to reach David Carr just as he was winding up the throw. He clipped Carr’s arm in motion, and the ball sailed on the Arizona QB. Safety Jarius Byrd won the tip drill and Philadelphia found themselves with the first turnover of the game and with the ball on the Arizona side of the field. They would cash in to equalize the score 6 plays later, when Stevie Johnson used a rub route out of a 3-receiver cluster to work his way free of the corner and Matt Gutierrez found him for a 2-yard TD toss.
With the game now tied at 14, Philadelphia kicked off to the Wranglers, who got a good return from Kassim Osgood, a 35-yarder that brought the ball practically to midfield. But, unfortunately, the Wranglers failed to convert a 3rd and 4 and were forced to punt the ball back to the Stars. However, the precision of All-USFL punter Shane Lechler turned a negative into a positive as he coffin corner kicked the ball out on the 4-yard line. The Stars tried to run up the middle with Stacy, but the rookie back was absolutely stuffed by LB Travis Goethel, losing 2 yards and placing the ball precariously close to the endzone. The Wranglers doubled down on pressure on 2nd and 12 from the 2. Sending Karlos Dansby and A. J. Klien on blitzes to either side of the center, they immediately flushed Gutierrez out of his dropback, only to have him roll right into the rushing DPOTY, Adam Carriker. The big DE wrapped up Gutierrez for the safety and a 2-point lead with just over a minute left in the half.
Arizona would not be able to move the ball again and once again were forced to punt, but now, with only 17 seconds left in the half, Philadelphia was content to kneel down on the ball and send the game to the halftime break. Both defenses had asserted themselves in the second quarter, Philadelphia holding the Wranglers out of scoring range and the Wrangler D putting points on the board with a big assist from their special teams unit. Now, as both coaches looked over their offensive plans of attack, the defenses got a much needed rest.
As the fans at Invesco Field rocked to music by Train and local Colorado favorites The Fray, the coaches tried to figure out what was and was not working for their teams. This was a game that had the feel of a drawn out battle that could be decided on one or two key plays. The kind of game that would require discipline and focus for all 60 minutes, and, as it turned, out additional time as well.
The third quarter began with Arizona receiving the kickoff. They had a bit more success moving the ball, but once again were stymied as they crossed midfield. Philadelphia’s defense put enough pressure on Carr on third and 7 that his pass to Fitzgerald was off the mark and once again the Wranglers were forced to punt. Backed up once again, Philadelphia played it conservatively. Using Steve Slaton out of a 2-back formation, they were able to gain 2 first downs and reach midfield, but they too bogged down. Arizona would take over on their own 17 after a John Carlton punt. Their next drive would be kind of slow, steady slog downfield that demoralizes a defense, though the Stars would not give up the touchdown, a huge factor down the road.
Arizona got several nice runs form Frank Gore on the drive, his most proficient of the game, likely due to some trainer support during the half. With Gore running the ball, spelled only once by Stevan Ridley, and with Carr finding WR Mike Williams and TE Rob Gronkowski with first down-earning passes, the Wranglers moved the ball down inside the Philadelphia five. First and goal on the 4 seemed to indicate that the Stars were about to go down by 2 scores. But Philadelphia held. They limited Frank Gore to a 1-yard run on first down, then 2 yards on 2nd down, putting the ball on the 1-yard line. On third down, Carr took the ball out of the shotgun, looked towards Gronkowski, but was flushed by the Stars defense. He made it back to the line of scrimmage, but was officially ruled down, a sack for Anthony Hargrove, and the Wranglers, after nearly 10 minutes of possession, had only a field goal and a 5-point lead to show for it. The third quarter wrapped up at 19-14.
The final period would be the most furious of the game, with both teams moving the ball effectively once again. Philadelphia took the first possession of the quarter down to the Arizona 34, before being stifled on third down. Coach Harbaugh, trusting in the leg of Mike Nugent, and trying to get the score down within 3, would send his kicker out for the 51-yard attempt. Nugent paid off his coach’s confidence with a solid kick and the Stars would find themselves down only 2 points with nearly 12 minutes left to play.
Philadelphia would get a shot to tie only 3 minutes later, as Arizona’s offense again failed to convert and the Wranglers again punted, but after gaining two first downs and crossing midfield, the Stars would suffer another turnover as Leon Washington took a swing pass from Gutierrez, but in the process of going down on the tackle, the ball was forced out by a solid punch-out from LB Lance Briggs, and Arizona would recover the untimely fumble to take over again. They would strike quickly, with a perfect first down play action pass that found Larry Fitzgerald open for a 52-yard strike. Safety Jarius Byrd was able to track down the receiver and knock him out at the Philadelphia 12, but the damage was done. Two plays later, following a false start by the Wranglers, Carr went back to his lanky receiver, and Fitzgerald rewarded him with a 17-yard touchdown on a fade pattern that was indefensible for the shorter cornerback against Fitzgerald’s height. Arizona had built up a 9-point lead, 26-17, and it seemed were on their way to a celebratory champagne shower.
But with just over 5 minutes left, this game was far from over. The Stars drove the ball quickly into Arizona territory, and closed in on a touchdown, with the ball down to the Arizona 3-yard line. But once again a fumble would undo the Stars. This time it was a botched handoff between Gutierrez and Slaton. The Philadelphia fans in attendance groaned as they saw their shot at getting back into the game fumbled away. But, they would be back on their feet only 1 play later. Pinned at their own end zone, the Wranglers tried once again to use play action, hoping to catch Philadelphia focused on Frank Gore, but this time the Stars were ready, and when David Carr dropped into the end zone, the pass rush was there. Carr got the ball off, but not before a flag had been pulled. Holding was the call, and with the call occurring in the end zone, it was 2-points for the Stars and a kickoff to Philadelphia with 47 seconds left to play, a last chance for a TD drive to equalize the score.
The Stars were decisive in the final possession. Leon Washington was brought in as a pass-catching back, three receivers (Johnson, James Hardy, and Michael Newhouse) and TE Travis Kelce would be the players on the field. An 11-yard pass to Hardy on first down got the ball to the Arizona 33 and with Hardy stepping out of bounds, the clock stopped with 34 seconds on the clock. Rather than dink and dunk their way to the end zone, Philadelphia opted to go big. Arizona was notorious for bringing pressure and playing man coverage, even in game ending situations, so OC Greg Roman sent in a play designed to beat man coverage, though it would require some time to set up. Matt Gutierrez was to roll out to his right, to the side of the field that had only 1 receiver, Stevie Johnson. Johnson would run a post route, with Michael Newhouse undercutting that route from the left side and racing to the right corner of the end zone. The play would require Washington to stay in and block to avoid a possible sack.
The play worked as it was written up. Washington chipped Carriker to help Gutierrez have more time, the safety followed Johnson towards the middle of the field, and Newhouse got a step on the corner. Gutierrez put the ball out in front of Newhouse, and with 34 seconds left to play, Philadelphia connected on the play and Newhouse had himself a game-saving touchdown. With Mike Nugent’s confident PAT kick the game was knotted up at 26.
Arizona would elect to push the game to overtime, somewhat shellshocked by the final minute of play. They would need to recover and regroup in the short break between the 4th quarter and the coin toss, because Philadelphia certainly had gained momentum with the 9-point swing in the game’s final minute. As the visitor, Philadelphia called tails and it was tails. They opted to receive, hoping to end the game on the first drive, never giving Arizona a chance to recover.
The Wranglers needed to circle the wagons on defense and retake field position and momentum if they wanted to pull out this game and their title hopes. They would do just that as Philadelphia earned one first down and then was stuffed, pressure and good coverage caused the Stars to falter on both 2nd and 3rd down from their own 33, forcing a punt that gave Arizona their first possession in overtime, knowing that any points put up would end the game.
The Wranglers did not change their formula, mixing up the run and pass plays, using run formations but sending their backs and tight ends out on routes as well. Frank Gore would get his only catch of the game, TE James Casey had two catches on the overtime drive, and Larry Fitzgerald got his final catch, a 14-yarder on 2nd and 9 that helped Arizona get into range for David Buehler. By the 9-minute mark of overtime, the Wranglers were well within Buehler’s range, sitting with the ball on the Philadelphia 15. They wasted no time, bringing Buehler out on first and 10 from the 15 for a 32-yard kick. Philadelphia would ice Buehler, which sent the crowd into a Ferris Buehler-esque chant of “Buehler, Buehler… Buehler”. The Arizona kicker sent the ball straight down the middle and Invesco Field was suddenly a blizzard of copper and red confetti. The Wranglers had won their first title in the team’s and the league’s 31-year history. It had taken an extra 7 minutes, but the victory was theirs.
The team that featured the league’s Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and MVP stood at the podium to hold aloft the John Bassett Trophy. The oft-unsung hero of the team, David Carr, received the game’s MVP award, but was quick in interviews to thank everyone from Coach Tomsula to his line and the defense that had given them a shot in overtime. The Stars had come close once again, but now evened their Summer Bowl record at 3-3 with a third loss. The Wranglers had finished off a magical season, one which saw them fall to defeat only once, with a well-deserved title. Arizona would be home to the Champions of Spring Football.
Wranglers are right up there with the 2002 Glory for greatest team ever
Congratulations to the Wranglers!