Kickoff Weekend USFL Preview

USA Today, March 13, 1987

The USFL kicks off their fifth season tomorrow and fans across the country are gearing up for football once again. With four new franchises and a lot of new faces around the league there is a buzz of excitement for this season kickoff weekend. Let’s look at the changes you can expect this season and then preview this week’s big games. Here is what you need to know about the USFL this year:

NEW TEAMS

There are 4 new teams, spread from coast to coast. The Orlando Renegades are led by former U. of Miami coach Howard Schnellenberger and feature QB Reggie Collier, HB Curtis Bledsoe and former Gold wideout Vic James. The Oklahoma Outlaws are led by QB Doug Williams and former Cardinals HB Stump Mitchell. San Antonio’s Gunslingers traded to get both LB Putt Choate (DEN) and QB Rick Neuheisel (ARZ). They play in the league’s smallest park, Alamo Stadium, which, with additional temporary seating will hold approximately 24,000 fans. And Chicago is back in the league. After losing the Blitz to Baltimore, the new Chicago Machine will be taking the field with QB Chuck Long, HB Albert Bentley, and former Browns LB Clay Matthews anchoring the defense.

REALIGNMENT

With Expansion came some minor realignment. To fit in these 4 clubs, the league expanded each division to 5 teams, and the Pittsburgh Maulers shifted from the Central Division to the Atlantic, where they will now face off with in-state rivals, the Philadelphia Stars, twice a year. All other divisions have at least one expansion club, with Orlando playing in the Southern Division along with Tampa and Jacksonville for a lot of good in-state games. Both San Antonio and Chicago will join the Central, giving Houston their first in-state rivalry and returning a Chicago-Michigan Midwest match to the schedule. The Oklahoma Outlaws were slated to play in the Pacific Division when they were originally planning to play in San Diego, California. Now that they are in Oklahoma, their closest rival will be the Denver Gold.

EXPANDED PLAYOFFS

The expanded league also means expanded playoffs, as now 5 teams from each conference will participate in a 10-team playoff. The added teams also means an added week of playoff action as the two lowest-ranked Wild Card teams in each conference will play in the Wild Card Weekend, prior to the Divisional Playoffs, for the right to travel to each conference’s #1 seed.

INSTANT REPLAY

New this year in the USFL will be an instant replay system which allows the coaches each 3 challenges to calls made on the field. They can challenge everything from ball placement to penalties, fumbles to completions. Just how this will impact games remains to be seen, but it sounds like an answer to fans’ constant complaints about officiating, or just another element of officiating to complain about.

TELEVISION

Finally, the addition of 4 teams means 2 more games per week, a total of 10 each week. There will be no bye weeks this year, so all 20 teams will be in action each week. With 10 games, and a new TV contract, there will be triple headers on both Saturday and Sunday. Saturdays will have 3 games, with a Noon, 3pm and 8pm (EST) game. On Sunday’s there will be 6 games, with 3 early games at noon and 3 late games at 4pm, and, of course, each week there will be a final game held on Monday Night and televised on ABC. ABC and ESPN remain the exclusive television partners of the USFL, though there are talks underway for an additional network once the current contracts end after the 1988 season. For this year, it is ABC on Saturday afternoon and all Sunday games, with ESPN taking the Saturday Night and Monday Night games.

Now let’s take a look at the first week of matchups as the USFL Season kicks off.

SATURDAY

Birmingham @ Baltimore (12pm EST-ABC)

The Stallions and Blitz are both hoping to make deep playoff runs this year, and both are led by familiar faces. Cliff Stoudt will be handing off to Joe Cribbs, while Vince Evans hopes to reconnect with wideout Jackie Flowers. The biggest new arrival in this game is Stanley Morgan at wideout opposite Flowers. Morgan is a savvy vet of 9 years in the NFL with the Patriots.

Oklahoma @ San Antonio (4pm EST-ABC)

Our first look at the new expansion clubs will be a Texas-Oklahoma showdown and maybe a Wild West shootout as it’s the Gunslingers and the Outlaws. Both teams traded multiple draft picks to acquire top QB talent in Doug Williams (OKL) and Rick Neuheisel (SAN), and both have a lot of questions as the season starts. The good news for one of these expansion clubs is that one will not start the year off winless.

Denver @ Houston (8pm EST-ESPN)

The first night game of the year is a coaching matchup between the former OC of the Gamblers, Mouse Davis of Denver, against his former boss and close friend Jack Pardee of Houston. Both of these teams are itching to make a playoff appearance in 1987 and both have some new names to watch. In Denver, linebacker Michael Douglass comes over from the Green Bay Packers with big shoes to fill for the departed Putt Choate. Meanwhile, in Houston, they have a local linebacker of their own, Texas A&M’s Johnny Holland, who has won the WLB position for the Gamblers.

SUNDAY

Jacksonville @ New Jersey (Noon EST-ABC)

The Bulls waited until just today to announce that veteran Ed Luther will get the start over top draft pick Chris Miller at QB. For New Jersey, it is the same faces we all know, Doug Flutie and Herschel Walker, who will try once again to live up to expectations and finally get New Jersey a playoff berth.

Memphis @ Philadelphia (Noon EST-ABC)

The Showboats, with star DE Reggie White, have a tough draw for opening week as they face a Philadlephia Stars team that retained most of their roster over the wild offseason. The Stars will rely on Kelvin Bryant to control the ball, while Chuck Fusina hopes to make a connection with the cross-league transfer Mike Quick, formerly of the Eagles. For Memphis, they spent the offseason working on their O-line in hopes of boosting the run game with Robert Williams and Buford Jordan.

Tampa Bay @ Washington (Noon EST-ABC)

The new-look Federals, with former NFL QB Neil Lomax, host the always dangerous Tampa Bay Bandits. Tampa lost backup QB Jimmie Jordan to the expansion draft, so they will put a premium on protecting John Reaves. For Washington, the hope is that the addition of Lomax, along with 3rd down back Alfred Jenkins and imposing rookie DT Jerome Brown will be the difference this year, finally taking the Feds to the playoffs after 4 years of frustration.

Orlando @ Pittsburgh (4pm EST-ABC)

If the Maulers want to turn their fate around, no better way to start than with an expansion team coming to your home turf. The Maulers drafted for defense under new Head Coach Roman Gabriel. DC Ernie Stautner, the longtime Cowboy DC, is hoping new rookie LB John Bosa can have an impact. For Orlando, a mix of rookies, free agents and two former Federals (Collier and Bledsoe) make up the roster. The player we are keeping our eyes on is former Cowboy SS Bill Bates, who will captain the defense.

Arizona @ Chicago (4pm EST-ABC)

Football returns to Soldier Field as the expansion Machine take on the Arizona Wranglers. Arizona is hoping QB Robbie Bosco is ready to take command of the offense. They brought in former Buccaneer James Wilder to boost the run game and take pressure off the former BYU Cougar at QB. For Chicago, it is all about untested leadership as they have opted to start rookie QB Chuck Long from Iowa in his first pro game. He will also depend on the run game as Chicago plans to rely heavily on former Invader Albert Bentley, who 2 years ago rushed for over 1,000 yards for Oakland.

Oakland @ New Orleans (4pm EST-ABC)

Speaking of Oakland, the Invaders are hoping to repeat as Pacific Division champions. They roll into New Orleans with a revamped LB corps and a former Dolphin All-Pro at DE in Kim Bokamper. New Orleans will try to build off their playoff win last July and will lean heavily on HB Marcus Dupree to do so. The Breakers defense may be a bit shaky, so expect New Orleans to try to outscore opponents, a game Oakland is also adept at. This one may be a barn burner.

MONDAY

Los Angeles @ Michigan (8pm EST-ESPN)

Steve Young and the LA Express roll into the Silver Dome to take on a very different Panthers team. The defense for the Panthers should still be fierce, but all eyes are on former backup Jack Trudeau as he takes the reins on the Panthers offense. For the Express, expect to see a good number of carries from rookie HB Christian Okoye, who broke tackles left and right in a preseason game against Chicago.