Surprises abound as several favorites fall in Week 2 action. CHI 27 NJ 24— The Blitz and the Generals played the kind of game where you hate that one team needed to be the loser. Greg Landry threw for 335 yards and 3 TD’s for Chicago, while Herschel Walker’s 92 yards allowed the Generals to catch Chicago with some play action passing, to the tune of 3 TD’s for Bobby Scott. In a game that saw 7 lead changes, it was Chicago that pulled it out in the 4th quarter, scoring one field goal to tie the game at 24 and a second to take the win. New Jersey had a chance at the end but needed a stop of 3rd and 3 to get the ball back with 1:53 left. Landry faked to Spencer and hit his TE to get the first down and the ability to run out the clock, taking their first victory of the season. TBY 31 PHI 26—TE Lewis Gilbert was the star of the show, catching 3 of John Reaves’s 4 TD tosses to take the 5 point win out of Philly. In a good game for both QB’s, Reaves just had enough firepower to edge the tenacious Stars. He ended the day with 437 yards passing, while Chuck Fusina, who completed over 70% of his passes, could only muster 259 and 2 TD’s. Kelvin Bryant scored twice for the losing side, but the day belonged to Reaves and Gilbert, the latter finishing with 157 yards receiving and 3 TDs. LA 7 BIR 27—On a beautiful spring day in Birmingham, the hometown Stallions thrilled a crowd of over 41,000 at Legion Field with a defense that smothered the LA offense all afternoon. The Express finished with only 166 in total yards as Birmingham shut them down series after series. The Expressed scored on their first possession and then never sniffed the endzone again. Mike Rae was harassed all day, leading to 2 interceptions, including one returned for six by Stallions safety William Cesare. The win brings the surprising Stallions to 2-0, while Hugh Campbell returns to LA 0-2 and with some significant changes needed to a team that just has not found any offensive rhythm in its first 2 games. ARZ 14 MGN 33—The Panthers are another early season surprise, beating the Arizona Wranglers handily as they opened the Silverdome for their first home game. Good performances by rookie QB Bobby Hebert (23-37 for 347 yards and 3 TD’s) and RB John Williams (25 attempts for 70 yards) kept the ball away from Arizona’s offense for much of the game. Michigan finished with over 41 minutes of possession in a game that was not as close as the score indicated. Arizona committed 11 penalties for 82 yards, shooting themselves in the foot on several occasions. For the Wranglers, an 0-2 start will lead to some changew, while Michigan is turning some heads with their 2-0 start to the season. WSH 26 DEN 21—The altitude at Mile High Stadium was not a factor for the Washington Federals, and neither was a raucous crowd of close to 50,000 for the Denver Gold’s home opener. The Federals, led by the rushing of Craig James (28 carries for 85 yards) were able to keep Denver’s offense in check for most of the game, but neither team could really take over the game, which went back and forth into the 4th quarter. Even after Sandro Vitello hit on a 44 yard field goal to extend a 23-21 lead up to 5 points, Denver still had a chance to take the victory, but a dropped swing pass on 3rd and 9 late in the game cost Denver their chance to regain the lead and the Federals held on to take their first win of the season. BOS 24 OAK 17—Boston flew out to the West Coast to take on the Oakland Invaders, and flew home with a win. In a very evenly matched game, it was veteran QB Johnny Walton who showed the moxie to take home the win. With the game tied at 17 in the 4th quarter, Walton led a game-ending drive, hitting wideout Frank Lockett with the winning score from the 3 yard line with just over a minute left to play. Oakland’s Fred Besana, who had relied on the running of Alfred Whittington (124 yards) all day to move the ball had to try to win the game in the air, and simply was unable to find open receivers against a stingy Breakers D. The game ended when Oakland receiver Gordon Banks earned a first down on the Boston 30 but was unable to get out of bounds to stop the clock. Besana was unable to get the Invaders to the line in time, and the Breakers walked away with a 7 point win, their first of the year.

The USFL's first week of play surprised many with its high quality brand of football, some nail-biters, and some upsets. With coverage on ABC and ESPN outpacing expectations, and attendance averaging just under 30,000 per game for the week, the new league seems tobe off and running. BRM 42 WSH 27—Birmingham QB Bob Lane had a monster game, throwing for 278 yards and 4 TD’s against a Washington Federals defense that had no answers. The Stallions combined for 441 total yards, including 114 receiving yards from Alabama State product Greg Anderson. The effective air attack was seconded by a ground assault that led to 140 rushing yards, including 93 yards on only 13 carries from lead back Cornelius Quarles. Washington was abysmal in the first half, scoring only 3 points to Birmingham’s 35, but fought back, scoring 3 TD’s in the second half. Too little, too late for the Federals as Birmingham wins the first match in USFL history. OAK 22 TBY 25 – Well, Bandit Ball promised to be exciting and this nailbiter sure was. In front of a solid crowd of over 47,000 in Tampa, the Bandits waited until the last minute to take the lead for the first time in the game. The score was 17-17 at half, with both QB’s having strong first halves. After a field goal, Oakland added a safety when they sacked Tampa QB in the endzone with about 8 minutes left. Tampa rallied, and after holding Oakland out of field goal range, they marched down the field, and with 40 second left Reaves hit star wideout Eric Truvillion on a fade route to take the lead. They went for 2 and got it, giving them the 3 point lead and leaving Oakland little time. Tampa came away with the win and the fans went home excited about USFL football. MGN 18 BOS 14 – Sometimes it just takes 1 play to change a game. Boston and Michigan had been going back and forth for 3 ½ quarters when that play happened. A broken coverage left former Michigan wideout Anthony Carter uncovered and rookie QB Bobby Hebert found him for a 76 yard score with 8 minutes left in the game. Boston would never recover. The Breakers had built their offense around the slow and steady running of Richard Crump and a short passing game from veteran QB Johnnie Walton, but when it came time to mount a final drive, the plays just were not there. Michigan got strong performances in all 3 phases of the game, including a safety as DE Ronnie Paggett found Walton in the endzone, and a 52 yard field goal from Novo Bojovic. DEN 20 CHI 9 – A shocker in Chicago as the highly favored Blitz fall to the unheralded Denver Gold. Denver took advantage of 4 Chicago turnovers and kept both Tim Spencer and Trumain Johnson in check throughout the game. While Chicago outgained Denver 336-299, it was the turnovers that told the story. The first, a Greg Landry interception by Denver MLB Putt Choate led to the game’s first score, a FG in the first quarter. A later interception would set up Denver for the first TD of the game, a 30 yard rumbling score from bruising back Harry Sydney. Chicago would never see the endzone, as the Denver D tightened up every time the Blitz sniffed the Red Zone. This was not the Blitz that most of the 33,500 fans at Soldier Field expected to see. For Denver fans, the Gold gave them a reason to look into getting tickets for their home opener next week against Washington. PHI 24 ARZ 20 – A hard fought game in the desert came down to who wanted it most, and the scrappy Philadelphia Stars were able to muster just enough to hold off the homestanding Wranglers. Both offenses played well, though scoring was tough. Philly’s Chuck Fusina found wideout Scott Fitzkee 6 times for 115 yards, while RB Kelvin Bryant averaged 4.3 yards a carry on his way to a 77 yard day. On the other side of the field, it was a mixed performance for former LSU QB Alan Risher, who threw for 318 yards but was unable to find receivers in the endzone. RB Calvin Murphy scored twice, but was only able to average 3.4 yards a carry against the stalwart Philly defense. In a game this close it is usually self-inflicted wounds, turnovers and penalties, that cost a team the win, and that was the case for Arizona, who had 2 turnovers and 7 penalties, including a costly defensive pass interference that wiped a TD off the board. A good game overall, and an exciting opening weekend in Phoenix. NJ 22 LA 12 – In the week’s marquee matchup it was the ability of the Generals, led by Herschel Walker, to pound out first downs and kill clock that helped them earn the win. The combination of a solid run game, with Walker gaining 94 yards on 26 carries, and a defense that caused LA to go 5 of 17 on 3rd down conversions made the difference in a game that saw 6 field goals in total and a weird safety on a penalty called against NJ wideout Mike Friede for hands to the face on a block far from the action when NJ was pinned back to the 2 yard line. For LA the inability of Tony Boddie to rush the ball effectively meant that former USC signal caller Mike Rae had to abandon the play action pass, and that just made it much easier for New Jersey to focus on obvious passing downs. I guess if there is good news, it is that there were plenty of Los Angelinos who missed the game, so the first impression of a lost was not a big one. Only 21,400 attended the first game in the cavernous LA Coliseum, despite the lure of Herschel Walker, a possible sign that all is not well in the world of LA football.

Sporting News, February 26 1983 We are just weeks away from the kickoff of a new adventure in professional football, the well-financed, well-publicized, and perhaps well-designed United States Football League (USFL). The USFL will begin with 12 franchises, predominantly playing in NFL cities and NFL stadiums. There are some well known names, from Chicago Head Coach George Allen to New Jersey Generals RB Herschel Walker, but there are also a lot of unknowns about this league. Early reports are that season ticket sales are doing well in most locations, and the addition of both ABC and the cable network ESPN as broadcast partners certainly adds potential to the league. But what about on the field? Will the play be of a quality to attract fans? With so many moving parts and unfamiliar faces, it is hard to say anything, but here is our best guess of what fans can expect in the USFL. ATLANTIC The Atlantic Division has its share of haves and have nots. At the top of the heap have to be the New Jersey Generals, who boast not only the face of the league in Walker, but also one of its most recognizable coaches in former Oklahoma and New England Patriots head man, Chuck Fairbanks. The Washington Federals also look like a team with some potential. They are led by another big time rookie signing, former SMU "Pony Express" RB Craig James. While their leader, Ray Jauch, is not well known to most American fans, he has proven to know how to win, leading the Edmonton Eskimos to a Grey Cup victory in 1975. The Philadelphia Stars and Boston Breakers don't have the name recognition of the other two squads, though there is some talent on both rosters. Philadelphia will be led by first-time head coach Jim Mora, formerly the D-Line coach in Seattle and New England. Boston, playing in the league's smallest stadium, BU's Nickerson Field, will need to sell out just to break even, but with a roster made up of WFL and NFL castaways, with only a few rookies of note, that may be hard to do. CENTRAL The ol' grey mare just ain't what she used to be, but longtime NFL coach George Allen may still have a few tricks up his sleeve. As we expect of Allen, his Chicago Blitz, were one of the more aggressive teams in signing NFL veterans instead of going for youth. Stan White, of the Lions, will likely lead a stalwart defense. That said, the Blitz did manage to sign two of the most promising offensive rookies in former Buckeye RB Tim Spencer and speedy wideout Trumaine Johnson of Grambling. The top competition for Chicago may come from the Tampa Bay Bandits, led by former Florida Heisman-winning QB Steve Spurrier. Spurrier has put together an interesting cast of characters, and boasts a couple of dynamic rookies as well in wideout Eric Truvillion of Florida A&M and RB Gary Anderson, who just a 6 weeks ago was roaming the sidelines of Fayetteville for the Arkansas Razorbacks. Spurrier showed a flair for trickery and wide open offense while serving as OC at Duke, something he hopes to bring to Bandit Ball. There are some intriguing storylines with both the Birmingham Stallions and the Michigan Panthers, but we are not sure if that will be enough to lead to winning records. Michigan is led by the defensive mind of Jim Staley, but their big star is wideout Anthony Carter, late of the Wolverines just up the road from the Silverdome. In Birmingham, they are relying on a steady stream of SEC talent, particularly from in state rivals Auburn and Alabama to attract fans and win games. Their best weapon, however, may be coming from across the state line, in Southern Miss QB Reggie Collier. Collier is a dual threat, but may need some seasoning, sitting behind Louisiana-Monroe product Bob Lane. PACIFIC It is hard not to like 5-time Grey Cup winning coach Hugh Campbell of the LA Express as the favorite to put together a winning team. Of course, he has a classic quarterback dual to deal with first, and a California classic at that. It's UCLA's Mike Rae vs. USC's Tom Ramsey to see who gets the nod to start for the Express. Supporting the winner will be another Bruin, wideout Jo-Jo Townsell. The Denver Gold roster reads a lot like a U. of Colorado alumni gathering, with no fewer than 20 former Buffs on the preseason squad. Most notable among them are QB's Ken Johnson and Bob Gagliano. They will throw to some familiar targets, including TE Bob Niziolek and wideout Vic James. Maybe familiarity will be the key to a fast start in the mountains. At least that is what former Bronco head coach Red Miller seems to be hoping. In the Bay Area, the loss of the Raiders to LA has been answered and fans are buying into the new Oakland Invaders. Head coach John Ralston, once the head man at Stanford, has put together a more veteran roster than most teams, but once again it is the new class of rookies that has folks excited about the Invaders. And there is definitely a California feel to the team. Stanford's Gordan Banks will be catching passes from Fred Besana (a Cal alum), while the defense will be bolstered by a pair of former rivals, Cal's Gary Plummer and UCLA's Frank Manumaleuga. Phoenix is new to professional football, with the Arizona Wranglers representing the first pro team in the state. After years of efforts to bring an NFL team to the Valley of the Sun, it looks like the USFL will have to do. And they will try to attract fans with some local favorites, including ASU LB Ben Apuna, Arizona TE Mark Keel and BYU wideout Neil Balholm. The biggest name on the roster is QB Alan Rischer, a former standout at LSU, and just the type of scrambling gunslinger that should excite fans in Phoenix. OUR VERY EARLY PREDICTION While it is hard to see just who has the right combination of playmakers and depth to win it all, we trust in good coaching and the ability to run the ball. Our prediction is that George Allen and the Blitz will have just enough talent to edge out Chuck Fairbanks and the NJ Generals for the title. But, along the way, let's hope for some good, solid football, a few surprises, and a spring unlike any other in the American sports calendar. Here comes the USFL, ready or not.

December 20, 1982 The NFL understood that the fledgling USFL would seek to fill its rosters with veteran free agents and college stars, but even they had to be shocked by the impact the recent USFL Free Agent, College and Territorial Drafts has had. What had been expected to be a trickle of talent away from the senior league has turned out to be a tsunami, and the biggest wave in that tsunami was the signing of a player the NFL refused to allow into its upcoming draft. Sophomore standout, and perhaps the biggest name in college football, Georgia's Herschel Walker, had tried and failed to gain NFL approval to come out of college after only one year. The USFL had no such qualms about the prospect of signing such a huge draw, and yesterday in NYC it was announced that Walker would indeed make the jump to the upstart league, signing a 4 year contract with the New Jersey Generals. The Walker signing alone was enough to send the NFL into a nervous frenzy, but when you add on the numerous top draft prospects who have opted to sign with the USFL instead of waiting for April's NFL Draft, the established league has to feel like it has been gut punched. In addition to Walker, the USFL has signed one of the best WR prospects in years in Michigan's Anthony Carter (Panthers), Ohio State's stud RB Tim Spencer (Blitz), SMU rusher Craig James (Federals), Southern Miss signal caller Reggie Collier (Stallions) and Arkansas back Gary Anderson (Bandits). On the defensive side, the names may not be as well known, but it is clear that players such as Buckeye linebacker Marcus Marek, Wisconsin safety David Greenwood, and Louisville corner Frank Minnifield, will be missed by the NFL come this April. Whether it is rookies like BYU center Bart Oates, or NFL veterans like Lions LB Stan White (Blitz), former Packer DT Kit Lathrop, or former Saint & Bengals DB Clarence Chapman, the NFL will be hurt by the lack of depth. The USFL has taken the first steps towards becoming a real challenge to the NFL, and if their strategy of signing college players, including sophomores, continues in future years, they could pose a significant rival to the more-established league. They may not have raided NFL rosters this year, but the signing of Walker, and so many top NCAA stars, has clearly sent a shot across the bow of the NFL.

Los Angeles, November 3, 1997 The fledgling USFL took another big step towards bringing football to the Spring, today announcing the head coaches for each of the 12 founding franchises. The twelve men tapped to head up this new venture in pro football come from every corner of the football world, and include everything from wizened NFL veterans like the Chicago Blitz's George Allen to young upstarts like Tampa Bay Bandits new chief, former Heisman winner Steve Spurrier. Allen gets the early nod as the most well-known of the 12 coaches, but there is still a lot of experience among the group, including LA's Hugh Campbell, who led the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos to 5 consecutive Grey Cup championships, and New Jersey's Chuck Fairbanks, who was the head man for the New England Patriots sandwiched between jobs leading Oklahoma and Colorado. For several coaches, this will be there first job as the Head man, as is the case for Spurrier, as well as former Patriot and Seahawk D-line coach Jim Mora, Steelers' O-line coach Rollie Dotsch, now coaching the Birmingham franchise in the USFL. Other names you might recognize are former WFL coach Dick Coury (now leading the Boston Breakers), former Broncos Head Coach Red Miller, who returns to Denver with the Gold, and another former Broncos leader, John Ralston, who also led squads at Utah State and Stanford. Of the group, likely the largest mystery is the hiring of Saints LB coach, Doug Shively to lead the Arizona Wranglers. While there are several coaches new to the lead position, the selection of Shively is the most intriguing as his resume is one of the shortest of the group. This reporter, and many others, are looking at George Allen, and possibly Hugh Campbell, as the coaches with the best chance to successfully form together new teams and get them ready to play on short notice, as players will not be drafted until December and will have only a short camp before the league's two scrimmage/preseason games in February. With the season kicking off for real in mid-March, it will be the success of these coaches in turning strangers into teammates that may determine how the USFL inaugural season goes.

New York-- October 10, 1982 The United States Football League introduced the world to their 12 founding franchises and their ownership groups today at a presser in New York's prestigious Downtown Athletic Club. In addition to the 9 cities introduced in their initial release last month, the USFL announced that the remaining 4 franchises will be in East Rutherford, New Jersey (NY-NJ market), Denver (CO), Birmingham (AL), and Phoenix (AZ). Not only are 9 of the 12 franchises located in NFL cities, but in most locations they will make use of NFL stadiums, such as the Silver Dome in Detroit, RFK Stadium in DC, Mile High Stadium in Denver, and Giants Stadium in the NY market. While many in the league's announced ownership groups are not household names to most, there are a few among the group who will bring some recognition to the league. Of course, there is David Dixon, founder of the New Orleans Saints as well as the failed World Football League. Also in the mix are LA real estate mogul Alex Spanos, oil man J. Walter Duncan, and another World Football League retred in John Bassett. Bassett brought in perhaps the biggest name, though likely not the owner with the deepest pockets, film star Burt Reynolds, a member of Bassett's ownership team for the Tampa franchise. The league also revealed the team identities for all 12 franchises today. The teams range from traditional names such as Panthers, Stallions, Stars and Generals to some unique names such as the Chicago Blitz, Denver Gold and the Washington Federals. While coaches have not yet been hired for the 12 franchises, the league did announce that a player draft would be held in 3 parts later this Fall, with a free agent draft of veteran players with NFL or CFL experience, a rookie draft, and a territorial draft in which each franchise would have 4-6 "protected" colleges from which they would each have first rights to sign players (current and past graduates). It is hoped that having some regional players will benefit the league with college football fans, though this reporter wonders if teams in Boston and NY can compete with the talent pools of franchises in football hotbeds like Alabama, Florida, and California.

Washington DC-- September 1982. In a crowded conference room in the Washington DC downtown Marriot, the press were invited to witness a birth, the birth of a new professional football league. The United States Football League proposes to offer football fans a whole new season of America's beloved sport. The league, which plans to operate with teams in 12 cities, will begin play in March, with a Spring and Summer season which will extend into July. While details were somewhat lacking in the initial press conference, led by Commissioner Chet Simmons, former ABC, NBC and ESPN executive, there are rumored to be some pretty deep pockets behind the new USFL, including former WFL leader David Dixon, and television contracts are in the works as well. Cities confirmed as founding franchises for the new league include Boston, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Oakland. A New York team is also planned, though it is not certain whether they will play in the city at either Shea Stadium or Yankee Stadium, or if they will join their NFL cousins in New Jersey. The remaining 3 cities for the 12-team league have not yet been named, but it is clear that the league is not shying away from either NFL markets or competition from Major League Baseball. Nearly 10 years after the demise of the short-lived World Football League, it seems that the dream of an alternative football league is alive and well, and with a Spring schedule which does not clash with either NFL or NCAA football, the leaders of this movement are hoping they can corner the market of diehard football fans during the long gap between January Super Bowls and the start of the NCAA and NFL seasons in September. Only time will tell if this new upstart league has what it needs to survive in a tough sports market, going head to head with Major League Baseball, NBA and NHL playoffs and the national phenomenon of March Madness.

The USFL lasted only 3 seasons, from 1983-1985. But it did not have to be this way. This site will be a repository for an alternate history of the USFL, beginning with the 1983 debut season and proceeding well beyond the original 3 year run of the ill-fated league. We will use Wolverine Studio's Draft Day Football '21 to simulate games and record stats. Storylines and developments which differ from the USFL (IRL) will be entirely the machinations of my mind and the longstanding desire I hold that the league fare better than it did. “If you are a USFL fan, or just a fan of alternate history, I hope this site will entertain you.” Where do we start? The league will start with its initial announcement of formation, followed by a 1983 preview. We will follow this with weekly scores and updates, ongoing stories, and eventually new seasons. Stats will be presented periodically, along with league leaders and news about expansion, relocation, or franchises in trouble. Kicking off soon. Let's travel back to 1983 and the start of Spring Football with the USFL.