Summer Bowl 2012: St. Louis Skyhawks Soar to League Title

The Western Conference Champions made the most of home cooking in Summer Bowl 2012, scoring on their first possession and never trailing in a 33-20 victory over the Eastern Champions from Charlotte.  Both teams put on an offensive show, with Charlotte outgaining St. Louis 411-363 but Charlotte QB Jake Delhomme, returning from an injury in the Wild Card round, was picked off 3 times and the Monarchs committed 4 total turnovers in a game they needed to play cleanly to win.  St. Louis had one flub, a rare pick of Josh Freeman, but were the more efficient team, scoring on 6 of 9 possessions and holding Charlotte at arm’s length for most of the game to win their first title and stake their claim as the first expansion club from the 2000’s to win a USFL title. 

Halfback Antowain Smith was named the game’s MVP, rushing for 111 yards and a TD in 26 carries as the Skyhawks spent the day countering the defensive schemes of Charlotte and zigging when Charlotte played the zag.  The combination of turnovers, penalties (7 for 48 yards) and missed third down shots kept Charlotte from challenging the Skyhawks for much of the game, obtaining a brief tie in the 3rd quarter only to have Fred Jackson give up a safety and give the lead right back to the Skyhawks.

Josh Freeman Warms Up

The game started, after all the usual pomp & circumstance, with Charlotte winning the toss but deferring until the 2nd half.  That gave St. Louis the ball first.  They received the ball at the 25 after the opening kick form Brandon Coutu went out of the end zone.  They would need only 6 plays to put the ball in the end zone. Four of those players were Smith runs, and Charlotte overplayed the run on the 6th play, leading to a wide open Jordy Nelson after the play fake.  Freeman, rolling towards Nelson on the right side, hit the speedy K-State star with a perfect arcing ball and with only 2:42 gone off the clock, the Skyhawks had put points on the board and noise in the stadium. 

A Sea of Skyhawk Blue in the Dome

It was a heavily St. Louis crowd to begin with, but that big first drive scoring play drowned out any Charlotte fans who made the trip.  The St. Louis fans would prove to be a loud, proud, and happy group for the entire game.  After shutting down Charlotte after 4 plays, St. Louis got the ball back and again moved the ball well, this time using shorter runs by both Smith and William Bethea to get the ball into Charlotte territory.  On a 3rd and 7 Freeman missed on a pass over the middle to Sinorice Moss and the Skyhawks settled for 3, a chip-shot of a kick from inside the 10 to give St. Louis a 2-score lead.

Delhomme Struggled, Throwing 3 Picks.

To their credit, Charlotte did not give up the ship at this point.  They mounted their first successful drive of the game, an 11-play grind, largely on the legs of Fred Jackson, that ended with veteran QB Jake Delhomme finding TE Brandon Pettigrew in the endzone from 5 yards out.  Pettigrew appeared to bobble the ball, but it never hit the turf so the replay officials ruled it a catch and a touchdown for Charlotte.  Charlotte’s happiness over scoring would be short-lived.  They would hold St. Louis to 12 yards on the next drive, and it started to seem that Charlotte would pull right back into the game, but on the next series Jake Delhomme would throw the first of three picks that would swing momentum back to the Skyhawks.  Strong Safety Kendrick Lewis would step in front of a ball intended for TE Brandon Pettigrew and pick his pocket.  Lewis returned the ball to the Charlotte 9, and from there it took only 2 plays, both Antowain Smith runs, for the Skyhawks to put 7 more on the board. 

Down 17-7, Charlotte was more careful in their next drive, again relying on Fred Jackson, with a carry by Shonn Greene mixed in, along with a nice out route from Delhomme to D. J. Hackett on a key third down.  But, while the St. Louis defense bent quite a bit, they did not break, and in the end, stuck inside the 5 but unwilling to take a chance on a 4th and goal, Coach Mora sent out his All-USFL kicker, Brandon Coutu, to bring Charlotte back within 1 score at 17-10. 

Sheryl Crow Headlines Halftime

That would be the score at the half as a late Hail Mary from Freeman ended with a pick in the endzone on the final play of the half.  As fans enjoyed a halftime act of Sheryl Crow and Lady Antebellum, the two coaches were trying to inspire their troops at the half.  St. Louis needed little inspiration, the partisan crowd had assured that they remained high energy through the entire first half.  Charlotte’s Jim Mora Jr. reminded his team that they were within range to come back on St. Louis and that only an unfortunate turnover had given the Skyhawks the lead.

Charlotte came out for the second half convinced they had what it took to even the score and fight until the end.  They were half right.  Their first drive was very impressive.  81  yards in 11 plays, including a nicely executed flea-flicker that got Mark Clayton 53 yards and was Charlotte’s biggest play of the game.  That pass led to Delhomme hitting D. J. Hackett from 9 yards out for the equalizer.  Charlotte had come out in the second half and punched St. Louis in the nose.  With the game now tied at 17, it seemed this one could go either way.

It seemed that Charlotte had the advantage, or at least the momentum.  That bore out when St. Louis failed to convert a 3rd and 4 and were forced to punt.  Skyhawks’ punter Larry Contreras hit a perfect coffin corner kick, with the ball rolling out of bounds at the Charlotte 2.  The Monarchs would try to run the ball out of the end zone, but chose poorly in calling a counter run against a linebacker blitz.  Skyhawk linebacker Marlon Greenwood blew the play up in the backfield, dragging Fred Jackson down for a loss on the play and a safety.  Two points for St. Louis and possession of the ball. 

St. Louis again would struggle to establish their offense, and again punted to Charlotte.  This time it went safely into the end zone and the Monarchs would start at the 25.  But, the momentum had shifted, and on the 2nd play of the Charlotte drive, it would lean even heavier towards the Skyhawks.  Delhomme again attempted an out route to his favorite receiver, D. J. Hackett, but this time CB Jordan Pugh was ready for it.  He dove for the ball ahead of Hackett and brought it in before sliding out of bounds on the slick turf.  Once again St. Louis had stolen not only the ball but the momentum. 

Only 3 plays later Josh Freeman would show why he was the league’s MVP, threading a ball between the corner and the safety and giving WR Jordy Nelson his second long TD of the game, this one a 1-yarder.  St.  Louis was now up 9 and would not look back.  The next couple of drives for both teams did nothing to alter the score and as the 4th quarter progressed, Jake Delhomme and the Monarchs grew more and more rushed as they tried to make up 2 scores in the final period. 

Delhomme would guide the Monarchs into scoring range again, but missed on a pass to Mark Clayton deep, forcing Charlotte to settle for a 41-yard field goal from Coutu.  But, this score pulled them within one score, down only 6.  They would need their defense to do the rest and get them the ball back with time to get the game winner.  

Antowain Smith, Summer Bowl '12 MVP

Of course St. Louis knew that was the plan as well. They came out for the next drive in a 3-receiver set, forcing Charlotte to use a nickel package to help defend inside receiver Sinorice Moss.  From the 3-wide set, Charlotte used draw plays and a nice screen pass to Bethea to keep Charlotte off balance.  Soon they were knocking on the door and it seemed there was nothing that Charlotte could do to keep them out of the end zone.  With the ball on the 14 Antowain Smith broke free, rumbling through the initial tackle attempt and brushing off a linebacker on his way to the end zone.  Had it not been for an ankle tackle at the 4 from Jerod Mayo, Smith would have rumbled right into the end zone.  But, he fell to the ground just short, creating a 1st and goal from the 1.  Smith came out of the game, his right ankle a little gimpy.  In came Bethea, and the backup did Smith proud, pounding over the left side, just inside the guard for the decisive score.  Bironas put up the extra point and St. Louis now led by 13 with only 2:47 left to go. 

The Monarchs would need to score a touchdown, kick a successful onside attempt, and then do it again.  They would not even accomplish the first of those necessary steps.  On a 2nd and 4 from their own 33, Delhomme again tried to force a ball in to his receiver, Derrick Mason, and for the 2nd time in the game SS Kendrick Lewis was there to not only break up the pass but make the catch as well.  With 1:47 left to play, St. Louis had the ball, Charlotte had only 1 timeout left, and the Skyhawks could run the clock down to only 14 seconds left.  They did just that with carries by Smith and James Ridley.  On 4th down, Contreras again kicked the ball out of bounds and with only 14 seconds left, Charlotte attempted some deep throws but could not connect. 

St. Louis had won their first ever USFL title, and the first pro football title for the city in its long history with the Cardinals, Knights, Rams, and now Skyhawks.  Fans streamed into the summer Saturday night in the city, sure to keep the party going, but only after watching their Skyhawks lift high the John Bassett Trophy.  Charlotte had availed themselves nicely, particularly for a 6th seed, but questions would emerge over whether Delhomme had come back too quickly, of whether Wheedon was the better option, but these were the debates that every losing team in every championship game has, the what ifs.  For St. Louis it was a title well-earned in a season that will go down as one of the best in the long history of the city’s pro football legacy. 

And so the 2012 season ends with a new champion.  All 28 teams now look to the future, a future that will see USFL football in Dallas, but not in Boston, and a season that will certainly have its own stories and legends to make.