Houston wins USFL Championship with dramatic 4th Quarter Comeback
The Houston Gamblers looked like a ship without a rudder for three quarters, falling behind the Memphis Showboats 13-3 and unable to find the endzone through 45 minutes of play, but the final quarter turned the storyline around as QB Jim Kelly threw two touchdown passes to rally the Gamblers and win the franchise’s first title. The game was highlighted by defense as both teams were able to move the ball in the middle of the field but both also found it tough sledding to get into the red zone. It was a great game for those that love smashmouth, hard hitting, solid defensive football. While Jim Kelly was named the game’s MVP it could have easily gone to LB Kiki DeAyala, who forced a fumble, Memphis’s lone turnover, late in the third quarter to spark the Houston comeback.
Before we get into the game action, we want to acknowledge the sad news that was released by the league this past Saturday during the annual Commissioner’s Address. During his address Commissioner Chet Simmons announced that Birmingham Stallions head coach Rollie Dotsch has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and would be stepping down from his duties to seek treatment and be with his family. Defensive Coordinator Carl Reese will serve as Interim Head Coach until such time as Rollie can return to his duties. The entire USFL community wishes Rollie Dotsch a speedy recovery and our thoughts and prayers are with his family.
We hope that despite the news Rollie was able to find some joy in this year’s Championship, as the tough defensive game was exactly the type of football he enjoyed most. The game began with defense as Memphis won the toss, opted to defer for a 2nd half kickoff, and Houston recevied the opening kickoff. They quickly realized that Memphis’s defense was here to play and play hard. Houston moved the ball well on the first drive, relying on Thurman Thomas for several key runs, but also catching Memphis on a 2nd and 4 as Kelly connected with Ricky Sanders for 18. Three plays later, Memphis made a statement as a 3rd and 10 turned into a Booker Reese sack of Kelly. Dave Jacobs trotted out for a 49 yard field goal attempt, and on the balmy July day in Philly the ball sailed true to start the scoring.
On Memphis’s first drive, Houston also asserted their defensive prowess as Simon Fletcher sacked Mike Kelley on a irst and 10, forcing a fumble that Kelley was able to recover, but setting up Memphis with a brutal 2nd and 17. The Showboats would be forced to punt. On Houston’s next posession, it would be Reggie White getting into the action, garnering his first sack to turn a 2nd and 12 into a 3rd and 18. Houston punted from their own 8 yard line and Memphis got the ball in solid field position at the Houston 40.
Memphis capitalized for their only touchdown drive of the day on the next drive. It began with a Kelley to Moffett 19 yard completion on 1st and 10, folowed by a Greg Boone 14 yard run. 2 plays later Kelley found Moffett again, this time for a score and Memphis was up 7-3. The three following possessions were short drives followed by punts. It would have been four, but Memphis opted to go for a 4th and 4 on the Houston 39 and turned the ball over on downs. Three more drives ended in punts, one despite a 58 yard rush by Thurman Thomas, before someone would again get on the scoreboard. Memphis had one of its longest drives of the day as the 2nd quarter wound down. After a failed Dave Jacobs 50 yard FG attempt, Memphis began with the ball on their own 40. Spiking the ball frequently to preserve their time outs, the Showboats moved down to the Houston 30 and with 19 seconds left in the half expanded their lead to 10-3.
Memphis would get the ball to start the second half, and they again added to their lead as Ali Haji-Sheikh connected from 38 yards out to put the Showboats up by 10. Houston had two possessions in the third, but simply could not get through the smothering Memphis defense. It would be up to their defense to impact the game, and that is exactly what happened. On a 2nd and 7 from the Memphis 49, Kiki DeAyala blitzed and caught the guard flat-footed, leaving him free to swipe at Mike Kelley’s arm. The ball popped loose, and there was a mad scramble at the 40 as both Houston and Memphis players piled onto the ball. The referees gave possession to Houston and the Gamblers were set up in Memphis territory with a new sense of urgency.
Thurman Thomas carried the ball twice to set up a Houston short yardage play, and Kelly used the threat of the rookie back to fake the defense and find Clarence Verdin for 11 on 3rd and inches. Kelly would then hit Verdin again for 9 yards, then Solano, then Thomas on a screen for 4, and then Greg Anderson for a first down at the Memphis 9. It appeared that Kelly and the Gamblers had found new life after the key turnover. After two short runs by Thomas and Fowler, Kelly found Ernie Jones for the score on 3rd and goal, and Houston was back in the game, down only 13-10.
Memphis had a chance to drive a stake into the heart of the newly inspired Gamblers, but on their next drive back to back penalties, an unnecessary roughness call on wideout Tim Moffett and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on HB Buford Jordan, put Mepmhis in an impossible 3rd and 41 hole. Memphis would punt and Houston’s offense would have a chance to take the lead. The drive began on the Houston 42 after a solid return by Ernie Jones, the touchdown scorer. Kelly went to work immediately, finding Verdin for 6, then again for 5 and a first down. On 1st and 10 Memphis’s Booker Reese sacked Kelly on an ill-advised bootleg. But on the very next play Reese was called for offsides on a hard count and Houston moved back to 2nd and 12. He would find Ricky Sanders for 7 and on 3rd down hit Johnson for 8 and another first down in Memphis territory. With 1st and 10 on the Memphis 31, Kelly pulled off the biggest offensive play of the game, finding Ricky Sanders for 30 yards on a perfectly thrown corner route. Sanders appeared to get into the endzone, but upon review the ball was placed at the 1 yard line. With 1:07 left in the game, Thomas carried for no gain and Houston called for a time out. On the next play, Kelly faked to Thomas, rolled to his right and had 2 receivers to choose from. Fowler, who had lined up as an H-back was short of the endzone, but drew the attention of the safety, leaving Sanders on the corner and racing across the back line of the endzone. Kelly threw a perfect strike to Sanders and with only 59 seconds left in the game the Gamblers took their first lead of the day, on top 17-13.
Needing a touchdown and with less than a minute left in the game, Memphis simply did not have enough time to recover. They moved the ball to the 44 but a key sack of Kelley by David Peace cost them their final time out and time simply got away from them before they could get into Houston territory.
As the clock struck double zeroes, the Houston bench erupted, Coach Pardee was lofted atop some linemen’s shoulders, and Thurman Thomas knelt at the 50 in ecstasy. After coming so close the year before, the Houston Gamblers had won the USFL Championship and brought the first major sports championship to the Space City Jim Kelly would be recognized as Championship MVP, surviving the Memphis defense which sacked him 3 times, while Thurman Thomas finished the game with 102 yards rushing on 18 carries.
For Memphis it was a disappointing end to a magical run. Mike Kelley finished the game with 191 yards passing and the lone Memphis touchdown, while Greg Boone (91) and Buford Jordan (58) combined for 149 rushing yards on the day. Booker Reese had 2 sacks but the costly penalty, while Houston’s Simon Fletcher and Kiki DeAyala both forced fumbles (with DeAyala’s leading to the pivotal takeaway that gave Houston its spark). For fans of old school mud and glory football this was a game to remember. For the casual fan, particularly those tired of NFL blow out Super Bowls, the USFL again proved to be an exciting and balanced league, with solid play and talent on both sides of the ball.
For the first time in 5 years the USFL Championship does not go to either Philadelphia or Michigan, and we have a new king of the mountain in professional football. And so, from a celebratory Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia we say goodbye to the 1988 USFL season and start the long and intriguing offseason before the 1989 season. Congratulations to both teams, and we will be back in 1989 with the Houston Gamblers as our defending USFL Champions.
