Sporting News, July 27, 1987 In what is being hailed as one of the greatest championship games in pro football history, the Philadelphia Stars overcame a 5-touchdown performance from Houston QB Jim Kelly to defeat the Gamblers 39-38 on a last minute score that defied the odds. In a game for the ages, the Philadelphia Stars, led by QB Chuck Fusina, built a first half lead over the Houston Gamblers, watched as Houston’s Jim Kelly led the Gamblers all the way back and into the lead, and then had just enough for one more drive to take home the title. Houston desperately drove the ball at the end of the game, but came up just short as time ran out before they could get their field goal team in place to attempt a desperation final kick. It was billed as a battle of two of the league’s best defenses, and while those defenses had their moments, this was an offensive battle of styles. Philadelphia’s balanced mix of inside-outside run game and play action faced off against a wide open aerial assault by the league’s MVP. Early on it looked like slow and steady was going to take the day, as Philadelphia took advantage of two Jim Kelly miscues to build a solid first half lead, only to watch Kelly storm back in the second half. Philadelphia scored the first 16 points of the game thanks in large part to their defense and a noticeably nervous Houston offense. After an initial 3 and out by the Philly offense, the Stars got their first break when special teamer Chris Snyder downed the Philadelphia punt on the Houston 2 yard line. Houston, rather than try to run it out, set up a play action pass that did not fool the Philadelphia defense. DE Tony Simmons bull rushed the Houston right tackle and caught Kelly in the throwing arm just as he was winding up to throw. The ball fell backwards and out of the endzone, giving Philadelphia the safety and the first points of the game. They would add to the narrow 2-point lead following the safety kickoff, as two runs, one by Kelvin Bryant and one by backup Jaime Mueller pushed the ball well into Houston territory. A Fusina pass to Mike Quick got Philly close, and then Fusina found former BC wideout Gerald Phelan for a 16-yard score on a corner fade route. The Stars were now up 9-0 on the Gamblers with only 8 minutes gone in the first. Houston received the kickoff and had a horrific 3-down series. On first down a 1 yard gain by Todd Fowler was called back for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, putting Houston into 2nd and 26. On second down, a blitzing Scott Woerner sacked Kelly to create 3rd and 31. Kelly was pressured again on third down, and his pass to Ricky Sanders was thrown into double coverage, snatched by free safety Rob Porter and returned the 15 yards back to the endzone for a defensive score. Houston was down 16-0 and had only run 4 plays of offense. On the ensuing possession, Houston turned the tide, using 3 Philadelphia penalties to move the ball to midfield, and Kelly started to find his rhythm. He hit TE Victor Hicks, the game’s leading receiver, on two first down passes, audibled to a draw play that gained 12 for Todd Fowler, and then spotted slot receiver Jim Lachance on a slant route that took him into the endzone for Houston’s first score. Lachance would be the first of five different receivers to catch scoring tosses from Kelly on the day. At the end of one it was 16-7 Stars, but Houston on its next possession would narrow that margin. The drive started with a Philadelphia miscue as Chuck Fusina’s pass for TE Steve Folsom was tipped at the line, and instead of finding Folsom, fell into the hands of nickel back Domingo Bryant. Houston would move the ball down to the Stars 14 yard line before settling for a Dave Jacobs field goal to move to 16-10. The Houston D came up big again as the next series was a quick 3 and out for Philadelphia. After a short punt by usually reliable Sean Landeta gave Houston the ball on their 46 yard line, Kelly found Clarence Verdin deep for 32 yards, then got 7 more from Todd Fowler, and again hit Verdin, this time for 5 to get the ball to the Philly 9 yard line. An encroachment call on the Stars took the ball to the 5. Kelly then rolled right, looking to hit Sanders, but with the Gamblers’ top reveiver double covered (as he was all night), Kelly dumped the ball off to halfback Todd Fowler, who laid a shoulder into the safety and fell into the endzone for the score. Houston was now on top 17-16. After trading short drives, Philadelphia got the ball back with 4:26 left in the half. Fusina hit Donovan and Phelan on two successive passes, a Kelvin Bryant run was followed by a 12 men on the field penalty against Houston, and the Stars found themselves on the Houston 16. From there Kelvin Bryant had his best run of the game, a 16 yard off-tackle rumble, untouched at the line, he delivered a brutal stiff arm to the safety and lunged for the endzone. It took 3 minutes for the instant replay official to make it official, but the ball had crossed the plain and Philly was back on top 23-17. Kelly had the ball with 2:08 left, and the somewhat partisan Astrodome crowd felt that something good was about to happen. But, they were mistaken. On the first play for the Gamblers, Kelly dropped back, got immediate pressure from Philadelphia DE William Fuller, and though he was able to get the ball off deep, looking for Verdin, it was off target and found its way into the hands of Porter for another interception. This one had no runback as Porter had to rush towards the sideline to make the catch, but it gave Philadelphia the ball with time to spare. The Stars got the ball only to the Houston 41, but that was good enough for Coach Mora to let David Trout try a 58 yard field goal in the controlled environment of the Dome. The ball just edged over the crossbar and the Stars would go into the half with a 26-17 lead. Undaunted, Houston came out in the second half determined to get the game back. They began the half with a 12-play drive that saw Kelly connect with 5 different receivers, capped off by a TD to Verdin, Kelly’s 3rd of the day. They were back in range at 26-24. Philadelphia would counter with a drive of their own, starting after a touchback. On the first play of the drive, Fusina faked the handoff to Bryant and found Tom Donovan open along the sideline for 26. On the next play he hit TE Abe Davis for 6. Bryant ran for another 6, and then Fusina found Davis again. Within 5 plays the Stars were at the Houston 29. On 2nd and 3, Fusina set up a perfectly executed screen to Bryant, who found himself with two blockers in front and plenty of space to run. Bryant stayed patient, waiting behind his blockers as they cleared out the weakside linebacker and the corner, allowing Bryant to face the strong safety one on one. Bryant was too much for the smaller safety, and, brushing him aside, he rumbled into the endzone to once again bolster the Stars’ lead, 33-24. After another back to back set of short drives, the second highlighted by a Simon Fletcher sack of Fusina on 3rd and 3, Houston got the ball back and Kelly went to work. He found Verdin for 6 and then Hicks for 11 on a play where he took a vicious hit, called Roughing the Passer, on 2nd down. The 15 yard penalty moved the ball to the Philly 31. Kelly hit TE Victor Marchand for 5 and then watched as star wideout Ricky Sanders, who had not caught a ball yet, was taken out by DT Jumpy Gaethers on a questionable hit during a Todd Fowler run. Sanders would not return to the game, leaving Kelly without one of his favorite weapons. Kelly rebounded, and on the very next play found TE Victor Hicks for an 11 yard scoring toss, a beautiful seam route in which Kelly placed the ball just out of reach of the safety Woerner and into Hicks’s hands. Houston again had tightened the lead, now Philly was up by only 2, 33-31. The Stars got the ball back on the kickoff and Philly started mounting what looked like a promising drive, but Fusina got a bit impatient and threw an ill-advised out route to Mike Quick that instead found the waiting hands of Houston’s Donald Dykes. The safety returned the ball down to the Star’s 27, and 3 plays later, Kelly hit Ricky Sanders’ replacement, former Stallion wideout Greg Anderson, with a short rub route for his 5thTD of the day. Houston was back on top, 38-33 with 7:33 left in the game. It would be up to the Houston defense to salt this game away, but the Stars had proven all day that they had answers to the complex Gambler D. They received the ball on a touchback and proceeded to have one of the greatest drives in USFL Championship history to take the lead back. The drive was an astonishing 13 plays and ate up nearly 7 minutes of the 4th quarter. Kevlin Bryant was a monster, never busting loose the big play, but grinding out 3, 4, 6 yards at a time, keeping the ball moving and the drive progressing. And when Houston bit on a run, there was Fusina, pulling the ball back and finding Quick or Donovan on back-breaking first down throws. Philadlephia pushed the ball all the way to the Houston 2 yard line, and there were some calling for the Gamblers to allow them to score just to have time to come back. But Houston’s D, battered by the long drive, but unbowed, did not want to give anything away. They held on first and second down, but on third and three Fusina held onto the ball, rolled to his right and found backup HB Jaime Mueller in the front corner of the endzone. Mueller caught the ball just outside of scoring territory and spun as he fell to cross into the endzone for the score and the lead. Philadelphia would go for 2, but Houston stacked up Kelvin Bryant and the lead remaind one point, Philadelphia 39, Houston 38. With 1:21 left on the clock, Houston would have a chance. The Gamblers had only 1 time out left after the long Philly drive. This time David Trout did not boot the ball into the endzone, but just shy, forcing Clarence Verdin to make an awkward catch on the bounce. He was only able to return the ball to the 17, where Kelly would have to start. Kelly found Verdin on the first play of the drive for a 12 yard gain. He then looked for Anderson but just as they had done to Ricky Sanders earlier in the game, the Stars doubled the deep threat, forcing Kelly to throw into the middle of the field. The throw got the first down but time was ticking away. Jack Pardee decided to use the final timeout rather than have Kelly run up to the line to spike the ball. This would be huge, because although Houston was still only at their own 31, they still had a shot to get into field goal range. After an incompletion on first down, Kelly got what he was looking for on 2nd down, TE Victor Hicks matched up one-on-one with a linebacker. Kelly hit Hicks over the middle, and Hicks was off to the races. He rumbled for 53 yards, easily getting the Gamblers into field goal range, but without a timeout, Kelly would have to race the entire offense up to the Philadelphia 24 to try to spike the ball. The seconds ticked away, and the clock hit zero just as the last of the Gambler linemen made it up the field. There just was not enough time. 2 more seconds and the Gamblers would have been able to give Dave Jacobs a shot at a 41 yarder for the win. Along the sidelines, the Stars players watched as the two squads raced down the field, and when the clock hit all zeroes, an eruption of joy came from the entire Stars sideline. They raced the field before the referees even had time to signal that the game was over. Jim Mora found himself dowsed in Squelcher (the USFL’s official sports drink) and held aloft on the shoulders of some of his offensive linemen. The Stars had won their second championship in 3 years. The Gamblers, undone by time itself, had proven a worthy foe, and Jim Kelly in particular had proven that he was a man to be reckoned with in the league. Kelvin Bryant would take home the Championship MVP trophy. His performance on the Stars’ final drive, and his 112 rushing yards, 40 receiving yards and 2 TDs earned him that honor. Rob Porter, whose two interceptions of Kelly could have also won the award, as could Kelly in all honesty. For Philadelphia and its fans this was proof that the Stars, who have never gone a season without making a playoff appearance, were a true dynasty. For Houston’s fans, this was a bittersweet end to a season that exceeded all expectations. And for football fans everywhere this was a game they would debate and discuss the rest of their lives. It was a true spectacle, a game for the ages.

The results of the 1987 USFL Championship will be posted later today, but before they are, let's get your thoughts. Who will win this epic matchup? Will it be the consistent quality of the Stars, led by Chuck Fusina and Sam Mills? Or will the upstart Gamblers, led by a swarming defense and the league MVP Jim Kelly, win their first championship? Use the Comment Section to make your pick and guess the final score. The game has been simulated, the final score is locked in, but you can test your USFL predicting power before it is revealed. You have until 7pm ET to make your picks before we reveal the score and the recap of the game.

USA Today, July 21, 1987 They were the two best teams all season, and despite all the trials and tribulations, the cream has risen to the top. After two decisive wins it will be the Stars and the Gamblers playing for the USFL Championship in Houston next week. This will be the second time that a team has played at home in the Championship (Denver faced Tampa in the 1983 Championship Game). Both teams tout impressive defenses and more than capable offenses. For Philadelphia, this will be their third straight appearance in the Championship, having defeated the Chicago Blitz in 1985 and fallen to the Michigan Panthers in 1986. Will we have another 2-time champion or will we see Houston, in their first playoff season, rise to be the Champions of the USFL? Before we predict what we expect from the 1987 Championship, let’s take a look at how these two clubs got there. BIRMINGHAM 13 PHILADELPHIA 31 The Philadelphia Stars relied on defensive pressure and the poise of QB Chuck Fusina to defeat the red hot Birmingham Stallions at Veterans Stadium. Philly held the Stallions to only 188 total yards, totally hemming in the elusive Joe Cribbs, who rushed for only 56 yards on 15 carries. They also rattled the usually calm and collected Cliff Stoudt, causing 2 picks and several missed throws. Meanwhile the Philly offense was steady if not spectacular. Kelvin Bryant struggled, averaging only 3.5 yards an attempt, but that was still enough to earn 85 yards, and he still found the endzone twice in the game. Chuck Fusina was his usual efficient self, completing 25 of 33 (76%) and finding Bryant for a 3rd TD on the day for the game MVP. He also found Mike Quick consistently, as defenders played off to avoid the deep throw, Quick hooked, cut and slanted his way to 115 yards on 8 receptions. The win propelled the 13-3 Stars to the USFL Championship for the third straight year, and once again asserted that this was a dynasty, not just a solid club. DENVER 20 HOUSTON 42 While we hesitate to use the word “hero” for athletes when there are so many more deserving heroes in the world, the performance that Jim Kelly put on this week against the Denver Gold was nothing short of heroic. Kelly had suffered a rib injury against Michigan the week before, and in pre-game warmups he was clearly having difficulty and wincing in pain just from the rotation of his throwing arm. Coach Pardee opted to have Sean Salisbury start the game, but kept Kelly suited up just in case. Well, that “just in case” ended up being Kelly playing most of the game, playing through obvious pain, and playing amazing football. Salisbury would end up with more attempts (19 to 13) and while Salisbury helped Houston hold a lead, it was Kelly who would step in when the game was on the line, playing most of the first half and surviving tough hits to turn drives into points. He would finish the day at the half with three touchdown tosses, all three to Ricky Sanders. From the middle of the 1st Quarter to the 2nd half he led Houston to 4 TD drives, building up an unsurmountable 35-7 lead at the half. Salisbury was then able to work with Steve Howell and Todd Fowler to slow the pace of the game and prevent any chance of a serious Denver comeback. With victory assured and a trip to the Championship being celebrated on the sideline, Kelly was asked if he would be able to play next week and his response said it all “Let them try to stop me.” CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW So, what do we expect from the 5th USFL Championship? We expect Jim Kelly to play, rib injury or no rib injury. We expect Philadelphia to run the ball with Bryant, and Houston to pass it to Sanders, Verdin and their backs. We expect the Philly D to focus on Sanders and try to get pressure on Kelly, and we expect the Houston defense to try to limit Bryant’s ability to get outside, while also playing a zone meant to frustrate Chuck Fusina. We expect both clubs to play the kind of 3-phase football that has defined their entire seasons. We expect someone unexpected to make the play that determines the game, and we expect this to be one heck of a championship game. Houston is the home team, a distinct advantage, but Philadelphia has been here before. They know how to win when the pressure is on. But Houston has been finding different ways to win all year long, and if Jim Kelly reflects the grit of this team, then we cannot count them out. We are going to pick Houston by 3, but we cannot advise you to bet the ranch on this game, because these two clubs are both evenly matched and motivated to win. This could be a classic! PHILADELPHIA PLAYERS TO WATCH LB Sam Mills: Mills always plays big in big games. Expect him to own the middle of the field. HB Kelvin Bryant: If the play action game is going to work for Fusina, it is because Bryant is the focus of the defense. WR Tom Donovan: Houston has to defend against Quick, which means Donovan and possibly Gerald Phelan will see a lot of man coverage. They have to find ways to get open and help Fusina convert 3rd downs. CB/KR Chris Snyder: Philly's primary punt and kickoff returner could be the key to field position in a game where the Stars will need that in their favor. HOUSTON PLAYERS TO WATCH QB Jim Kelly: This may seem obvious, but how Kelly plays through pain may determine if this is a defensive showdown or a shootout. When he is on his game, Kelly is the best in the league, but will his ribs keep that from being possible? TE Victor Hicks and WR Greg Anderson: We all know about Sanders and Verdin, and so does the Philadelphia D. It may come down to these two to bail Kelly out of trouble and make key plays when the big guns are out of commission. LB Kiki DeAyala: He does not get the accolades that Sam Mills sees in Philadelphia, but DeAyala is the heart and soul of the Houston D. He sets the play, makes the reads, and shifts the backers. If he can distinguish play action from run plays he can make it a long day for Fusina. DE Simon Fletcher: While his sack numbers were not great this year, Fletcher can be a disrupton on the line at any time. Philly will almost certainly try to double him up, which means he can draw action to him and free up his linemates for the big play on Fusina.

USA Today, July 14, 1987 If you ever doubted whether home field advantage really mattered in professional sports, this weekend’s USFL Divisional Playoffs should make the case for you. All four home squads won this week, some quite easily, others despite needing to overcome significant injuries or deficits. In other words, it was a great weekend to be a home fan at the stadium. TAMPA BAY 16 PHILADELPHIA 21 The Philadelphia Stars have lived and acted like a blue-collar team all year, winning ugly, putting in the hard work, building from the line outwards, and filling in when one man goes down, bringing the next man up. That philosophy was on display in this week’s victory against the Tampa Bay Bandits. Short two receivers, with both wideout Gerald Phelan and regular All-USFL tight end Steve Folsom both out, the Stars asked their replacements to step up, and they did. Little used backup TE Abraham Davis replaced Folsom and led the Stars with 6 receptions on the day. Tom Donovan came up big on several key 3rd downs, and NFL signing Mike Quick scored the only receiving TD for the Stars. Add in 81 yards from Kelvin Bryant, who also ran for 2 scores, and a Stars defense that held John Reaves to 211 yards and the entire Bandits offense to only 9 points for the first 3 quarters, and you have a formula for a blue-collar win in Philly. NEW JERSEY 24 BIRMINGHAM 40 In Birmingham’s Legion Field there was a very different dynamic in play. Perhaps if Herschel Walker had been cleared to play we would be talking about a duel of top halfbacks, but with Walker sidelined, we have to talk about the dominance of Joe Cribbs. With Bob Lane starting for the injured Cliff Stoudt, Cribbs new a large portion of the offense would run through him, and he showed he could pick the Stallions up and carry them. His 121 rushing yards were proof enough, but he also added 43 yards receiving and accounted for all three Birmingham offensive touchdowns. Four Scott Norwood field goals, and a game-altering 25 yard interception return for a score by FS William Simonson, and the Stallions were off and running, beating an overmatched New Jersey by 16. Birmingham, which began the season 0-4 has now won 11 of their last 13 games and is now only one game away from the USFL Championship Game. MICHIGAN 20 HOUSTON 23 Many had Houston as a prohibitive favorite going into the game, but many also gave up on that image when they saw QB Joe Kelly go down on the third drive of the game, after a vicious hit from Michigan’s Hardy Nickerson sent Kelly to the sideline with possible rib injuries. At the time of the hit, Houston was down 17-7, and few expected that backup Sean Salisbury could lead the Gamblers back to victory, but the combination of Houston’s clampdown defense, which limited Michigan to one field goal for the entire second half, and an offense that simply kept giving Houston a chance to score, and you have a dramatic 3-point win. Salisbury was efficient, throwing short passes and play action, and Clarence Verdin helped him out with a beautiful one hand catch on a 17-yard TD catch, Salisbury’s only scoring throw. Houston would kick 2 field goals, collect a 2 point conversion and sack Michigan backup Jeff Kemp (who had to play 3 series in the 3rd due to a hit on Trudeau), just enough to edge Michigan by 3. But with Kelly uncertain for next week’s Conference Championships, Houston fans can celebrate today, but will likely start worrying tomorrow. OAKLAND 7 DENVER 26 There are two big factors which every coach will tell you can sway a game, turnovers and penalties. Oakland may have outgained Denver by nearly 100 yards, held them to only 77 yards rushing, and only 2 of 11 on 3rd down, but when you commit 17 penalties for 160 yards in a game, and you lose the turnover battle (2 to 1), you can forget about yardage, you will likely not win. Denver was not dynamic on offense by any stretch of the imagination, but they did not shoot themselves in the foot. When they got close to scoring range, they scored (4 FG and 2 TD) and while Brian Sipe racked up 247 passing, he also was sacked 5 times for a loss of 40 yards, threw a costly interception in the 2nd quarter, and watched as his offense lost 4 different 3rd down conversions to penalties. Oakland played sloppily after their bye. Denver was patient and consistent, protecting the ball and forcing Invader errors, and this week that was enough. LOOKING AHEAD Next week we have all 4 division winners facing off. Birmingham, one of the league’s hottest teams, is likely to have QB Cliff Stoudt back under center, and are hoping that Joe Cribbs can once again be the best player on the field. The homestanding Stars are one of the healthiest clubs, though they may once again not have TE Steve Folsom available. They counter Cribbs with Kelvin Bryant. It will be a battle of two conservative quarterbacks who tend to protect the ball and take what defenses give them. We give Philly the slight advantage for two reasons, first that home field advantage is real, and second that they will have Mike Quick, their leading receiver in the game, while Birmingham is still playing without Ernest Givens. In Houston, injuries are also a major factor. Gamblers QB Jim Kelly is expecting to start, but he is not 100% and if his rib protector cannot keep him from aggravating this week’s rib injury, his day could be a short one. It may be up to Salisbury to finish this game. The Gamblers will have Ricky Sanders back to 100% after minimal snaps against Michigan. For Denver, they simply will have to recreate the formula of stingy defense and ball control offense to take advantage of a possibly gimpy Kelly and keep the score low. If this game is played in the teens or twenties, Denver has a real shot, but if we start seeing scores in the 30’s it is Houston’s day. Our Picks: We are going to take both home teams, despite the concerns over Jim Kelly’s health. Houston’s D is going to be a tough obstacle for a somewhat limited Denver offense, and we like the look of a healthy and hungry Philadelphia Stars team against the plucky Stallions.

Austin Statesman, June 12, 1987 San Marcos, Texas—At a joint press conference of the USFL and Texas State University, the Texas Outlaws were revealed as the newest USFL franchise. New in that the team represents the merger of the Oklahoma Outlaws and the San Antonio Gunslingers. The USFL had announced last month that the two franchises, each with their own issues surrounding ownership, location, and profitability, would merge to create a new 19th franchise for the spring football league. Today, the league, new Head Coach Woody Widenhofer, and new principal owner of the franchise William Tatham, made the details known. The newly combined franchise would be known as the Outlaws and have opted to be known as the Texas Outlaws due to two significant changes in their home field. The first and most significant change is that the franchise will call Texas State University’s Bobcat Stadium home for 7 of the team’s annual 8 home games. Bobcat stadium, while not considerably larger than the Gunslingers’ former home at San Antonio’s Alamo Stadium, is a new facility, built in 1981 at TSU’s San Marcos campus. With additional temporary seating, the stadium is expected to hold up to 27,000 for Outlaws games each spring while retaining its lower capacity for the Bobcats fall season. The stadium also possesses significant modern amenities, including an enclosed press box, which Alamo Stadium, built in 1940, cannot provide. Bobcat Stadium is expected to serve as the Outlaws’ home on a limited basis, with the franchise relocating permanently to San Antonio upon completion of the Alamo Dome, slated to open in time for a 1991 spring football season. Until the dome is available, the Texas Outlaws will play 7 games a year in San Marcos, halfway between San Antonio and the state capital, Austin. It is hoped that the combined populations of San Marcos, Austin and San Antonio will make for a significant fan base for the team. Additionally, the league has announced that they will expand upon the regional nature of the team through a unique endeavor related to the 8th home game of each of the next 3 seasons. The Outlaws will truly call the entire state of Texas home, with three games over three years scheduled for stadiums across the state. In their inaugural season, 1988, the Outlaws will play one game at TCU’s Amon Carter Stadium in Forth Worth. In 1989 they head across the state to play at UTEP’s Sun Bowl, and in their final year before relocating to the Alamo Dome, they will play one regular season game in Austin, at the University of Texas’s Memorial Stadium. The league has not determined if the statewide travel game will continue once the team is located permanently in the Alamo Dome in San Antonio. In addition to the name and stadium information, the franchise has revealed their new logos and uniforms. The squad attempts to blend the black & red outlaw of the Oklahoma Outlaws with the Kelly, Royal and Silver of the Gunslingers. The result is a black-hatted outlaw, with a green kerchief, shown against a blue, silver, and black lone star. It is a logo fitting for a team named after the state, although the use of a blue and silver star as part of the logo certainly brought a few snickers and immediate references up to Dallas for those in attendance. The uniforms will look very similar to those of the former San Antonio Gunslingers, although the silver pants are now replaced by a white set and a blue set. The helmet will remain Kelly green, now with white, black, and royal blue stripes. The home jersey is royal blue, with white, silver, and green stripes. Overall, it is a solid look that will allow those with Gunslingers apparel to fit in with new fans wearing Outlaws gear. With Texas representing a merger between two of the 1987 USFL expansion teams, a gap was left in the league’s roster. Commissioner Chet Simmons addressed this as part of his discussion of how the roster of the Outlaws will be built from the two feeder clubs. In discussing the upcoming roster draft, in which Texas and the league’s 20th franchise would pull players from the Oklahoma and San Antonio rosters, Mr. Simmons announced that the league has selected the ownership group and site for the 20th franchise. Of the three 1987 bids which were not approved for a squad this past season, the Portland bid, led by Nike sportswear CEO Phil Knight, has been approved as the 20th franchise, to begin play in 1988. While details were not forthcoming about the new team, it was confirmed that an agreement with Portland’s Civic Stadium is in place, and that the team identity would be announced within a few weeks. The roster draft will precede the 1988 USFL Territorial and Open Draft in December, with an expectation that it may occur as early as September so that each club could also sign free agents and prepare for their collegiate draft strategy. Tickets for the new Texas Outlaws will become available beginning August 1st. Fans in the Austin-San Antonio corridor can opt to purchase full 7-game packages or one of two “short stack” packages, one with 3 games, with the guarantee of the annual game against the Houston Gamblers, and one for 4 games, including matchups against two divisional foes. Each package will also include two non-division games, with the final divisional game being the non-San Marcos game. In 1988 this is likely to be New Orleans @ Texas.

USA Today, July 6, 1987 Wild Card Weekend gave us exactly what the USFL had hoped, 4 teams, each intent on getting through to the next round and two games that went down to the wire. The two hosts, both crushed by Week 16 losses which placed them here, and two visiting teams who had to scratch and claw just to qualify. The results were intense, hard hitting, and highly entertaining games. WASHINGTON 21 TAMPA BAY 24 Tampa had led the Southern Division for most of the year, so their final game loss to Memphis and sudden dethroning by Birmingham was a shock. But the Bandits have been to this rodeo before and knew that you had to come out strong. They did, scoring on two Gary Anderson runs in their first two drives to stun the Federals and take a 14-0 lead after only seven and a half minutes. But this Washington team had been resilient all year. Led by NFL import Neil Lomax, and a defense that quickly got the measure of Tampa’s strategy, the Federals slowly built back, moving the ball into Bandits territory on three consecutive drives spanning the end of the first and beginning of the second quarter. Each time they would be stymied as they reached the red zone and each time they had to settle for field goals. But, back in the game at half 14-9, Washington was not going down without a fight. Tampa began the third with a field goal of their own to extend the lead to 17-9, but on the next drive, Washington finally found the endzone. Craig James, who was a cannonball all day, going off tackle left or diving right, able to average 5.5 yards on the day, for a total of 155 by game’s end, dove in from 2 yards out. The Feds tried to tie the game on a 2pt conversion, but Lomax was unable to connect with Joey Walters and the Bandits held a precarious 17-15 lead after 3. In the fourth Washington again moved the ball well, but was unable to punch it in, settling for two more field goals to move the score first to 18-17, their first lead all day, and then to 21-17 with only 40 seconds left in the game. It looked like the long, slow push for the lead had paid off and the Federals were on their way to the next round. But this is the USFL, so the game is never over until the whistle sounds. With only 40 seconds to play, Tampa did the unthinkable, they went the length of the field in only 2 plays. The first was the kickoff runback. Halfback Speedy Neal got the kick at the 3, made the first man miss and found a seem down the right side, taking the ball all the way to the 31 to give Tampa solid field position. But, with only 33 second left, it would take either a brilliant 2-minute strategy by Tampa, who had only 2 timeouts left, or a major Washington defensive bungle to get in the endzone and upend the Federals. Tampa got the latter. On the very first play of the drive, Tampa shifted CB Eric Truvillion into the slot and Washington did not shadow him with their best corner, Lester Lyles. They left nickel corner Eric Thomas on Truvillion, counting on deep safeties to provide help. But the safety now had both Truvillion and Gillespie to deal with. He chose poorly, shadowing Gillespie on a post route. Truvillion started up the seam and then cut to the corner where John Reaves found him with a perfectly placed ball. Thomas went for the deflection, and just missed, which meant that Truvillion was free to run down the sideline. A last gasp diving tackle attempt by free safety Mark Kelso came up short and in just one play the Bandits had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. For Washington, this will be a defeat that lingers for a long time. For Tampa, this dramatic example of Bandit Ball could only provide them confidence as they moved on to face the Philadelphia Stars in the divisional round. And for the fans who were there at Tampa Stadium, it confirmed all the hype about Bandit Ball and the USFL as exciting, well-played football. NEW ORLEANS 20 MICHIGAN 23 (Overtime) Those who tuned into the Tampa-Washington game and then prepared for Michigan-New Orleans could not have anticipated yet another heroic comeback, but that is what they got. Many had predicted that the savvy, battle tested Michigan Panthers would dominate from whistle to whistle, but New Orleans dominated early, requiring a Panther comeback and an overtime period to decide the game. The first quarter looked as many do, with both teams testing and probing the defense, setting up future plays and trying not to give too much away. The only score of the quarter was a 44-yard Tim Mazzetti field goal set up by a 15 yard Dalton Hilliard run. Hilliard would be the run game for New Orleans with Marcus Dupree unable to rehab his hamstring in time for the game. He would carry the ball 17 times for 74 yards on the day, helping to take the pressure off Eason on several key drives. Michigan, as always, would use John Williams (83 yards on the day) to set up deep ball throws to Holloway and Anthony Carter, but they would be plagued on the day by errant throws and tipped balls, leading Trudeau’s final stat line to include no touchdowns and three picks. In the second quarter, following the first of the three Trudeau picks, the Breakers expanded their lead on a short Eason to Mark Boyer pass. Boyer feigned staying in to protect Eason and then leaked out into the flat where no one from Michigan followed him. An uncharacteristically easy score against the usually methodical Michigan D. Only 2 plays later, the Breakers would shock the Panther faithful in the Silver Dome with their 2nd interception of Trudeau and a runback for another 6 to make the score an unexpected 17-0 in favor of the Breakers. With the game slipping away from them, the Panthers changed strategies as the 2nd quarter winded down. They started hitting receivers on curls, short crosses and swing routes, moving the ball methodically down the field until John Williams was able to dive in from 2 yards out to tighten the score with Michigan’s first points of the day. They would receive the kickoff for the 2nd half, having deferred at the game’s start, and again the short passing game would prove effective against a Breaker defense that was doing all it could to avoid giving up the deep ball. Again Williams crashed over the line and in for the score, and now it was only a 3 point lead for the Breakers. The fourth began with another Trudeau interception, though this time we really need to put the blame on wideout Daron Carter, who let a well-thrown Trudeau pass slip through his hands and into the arms of CB Andrew Kitchens, for his third pick of the day. The game’s defensive MVP had to dive to get the ball, but it was ruled a catch after the instant replay review, and it allowed New Orleans to expand the lead back to 6 with another Mazzetti field goal. But from here on out the Panthers defense would not allow Eason and the Breakers to pass midfield, and the foot of kicker Novo Bojovic would slowly chip away at New Orleans’s hopes for an upset. The Breakers defense gave up significant yardage on two 4th quarter Panther drives, both times stiffening up in the red zone, but Bojovic hit from 22 and from 34 yards out, and with 5:34 left in the game, the score was tied. It would remain that way as neither team could mount a 2-minute offense against the other. New Orleans got the ball first in overtime, but a costly 1st down holding call immediately put them in a hole they could not get out of. They punted and Michigan got the ball on their own 43 after an 18-yard return by Johnny Holloway. Trudeau hit Carter for 29 yards on the first play, then, after two unproductive Williams runs, he found Carter again, this time for 9, moving the ball to the New Orleans 22. Bojovic would come out again, and again it would be a very makable 39 yarder in the controlled environment of the Silver Dome. The kick sailed through the uprights and the Panthers were moving on. OTHER LEAGUE NEWS As expected, it was a relatively quiet Black Monday after the conclusion of the regular season, with only one release as Pittsburgh indeed did opt to let Roman Gabriel go after only one season at the helm. The former quarterback and offensive-minded coach simply did not produce enough with his offense to impress Ed DeBartolo Sr, and the Maulers, who finished with only 4 wins on the year, decided that a change was needed. While there is no word yet on who is favored to replace Gabriel, and with a team that has significant issues on both sides of the ball, it is likely that there will be a lot of interviews before a new head coach is chosen. Pittsburgh could look at an offensive guru to bring more dynamism to what has been Mike Rozier and Mike Rozier only, or they could finally address their pretty poor defensive record over the past 4 years. Either way, it is likely that DC Ernie Stautner will be out as well as Gabriel. A second release came 2 days later, and again it was expected. The now merged San Antonio Gunslingers and Oklahoma Outlaws made it official that they would be retaining the services of Oklahoma head man, Woody Widenhofer, and releasing Gunslinger coach Gil Steinke. There had been reports that Steinke was considering retirement even before the decision, and persistent rumors that it was truly his assistants and coordinators who kept the team together throughout the season made the decision an easy one for the new lead owner, William Tatham, to keep on the man he had brought over from the NFL for his Oklahoma franchise. The third release was truly the only surprise. Just hours after the Breakers played in the Wild Card matchup in Michigan it was announced that Dick Coury, the only coach the Breakers have ever had, would be stepping down. It seems that a series of 8- or 9-win seasons, coupled with a now 1-5 playoff record would not satisfy owners David Dixon and Joe Canizaro. The defeat, which included a Michigan comeback from a 17-0 lead, was one more example of the Breakers’ inability to get over the hump and become a truly dangerous club. Rumors were in the wind, but with New Orleans making a 4th straight postseason (including 2 in Boston) most did not expect such a swift and decisive end to the Dick Coury era in New Orleans. While nothing official has been said about a replacement, the recent departure of the very popular Bill Arsparger from LSU means that the Breakers have a top candidate just waiting for them if they want to go that direction. Arnsparger, who led the Tigers to two Sugar Bowls and who has significant pro experience as the DC in Miami and New York (Giants) would be a good candidate to shore up what has always been a hit or miss defense. He would also clearly be a popular choice in Louisiana as his success with the LSU Tigers is not unknown in the region. It is rumored that the University of Florida is looking at Arnsparger for their open AD position, but the lure of pro football may make this a perfect match for the veteran defensive coach and the bridesmaid Breakers.

SCORES PIT 0 NJ 16 Keith Byars again subs for the injured Herschel Walker, and again gains 100 yards (113 to be exact). Vince Ferragamo got the start for New Jersey and, while not spectacular, did hit Lam Jones for 160 yards and a TD, including a 95 yard scoring throw that was actually a 22 yard pass and a long RAC. WSH 38 PHI 20 The Federals needed this game to land their first winning season ever, while Philadelphia rested quite a few players, though Kelvin Bryant, in pursuit of the rushing title, did get the majority of Stars carries. Neil Lomax moved into #1 in the final QB Ratings of the year with his performance today. ORL 14 JAX 31 Jacksonville truly wanted to avoid a losing season, and garnered their 8th win as Chris Miller threw for 310 and a score. George Adams added 3 touchdowns to his impressive year as well. Orlando still finishes as the best of the new expansion clubs with 6 wins, but after a 4-0 start, a 2-10 finish is disappointing. TBY 10 MEM 34 Reaves gets the start, but plays only 1 quarter. Memphis uses the opportunity to reach a surprising 8-8 for the year after their 0-4 start, and, what is even better, QB Mike Kelley has developed into a solid starter, leading the league in completion percentage for the year. His 3 TD day today solidly places him as the expected 1988 starter for the Showboats. NOR 9 CHI 23 The Breakers rested Marcus Dupree due to a hamstring issue, and generally looked lackluster with nothing to play for. Chicago gave rookie Steve Buerlein the start, and he responded with 222 yards and 2 scores. Not explosive, but very solid from the former Golden Domer. Chicago gets its 2nd win and ends up even with Oklahoma at the bottom of the standings. With Oklahoma merging with San Antonio (announced last week) Chicago is still guaranteed the #1 selection in the draft. OAK 51 ARZ 7 The Invaders knew that a win plus a Michigan loss and they would be the #3 seed, which is worth a bye week, and they played like it was a do or die game. Brian Sipe threw for 2 scores and Whittington, spelled often by Paul Palmer, gained just enough to win the rushing crown this year. The biggest game was had by Invader safety Marcus Quinn who had two pick-six touchdowns, one an 84 yarder, on consecutive Arizona drives. LA 6 DEN 37 A rowdy and large Denver home crowd cheered the Gold on to their best record in 5 years of USFL play. The thorough destruction of the Express got Denver to 12-4 on the year, only 1 game below Houston. Bob Gagliano looked sharp, throwing for 213 and 3 scores, while Harry Sydney led the team in both rushing yards and receptions. SAN 13 BLT 27 Baltimore coach Marv Levy decided to start Eric Kramer over Vince Evans and Kramer delivered a 2 TD performance and a win for the slumping Blitz. 7-9 was not what Baltimore fans expected out of the year, and there was some speculation that Marv Levy might be out, but that seems not to be the case as ownership has expressed interest in returning to prominence in the East with Levy at the helm. OKL 14 BIR 32 Birmingham left no doubt that they wanted the Southern Division crown, and with Memphis manhandling the Bandits, they got it. Their home win against the Outlaws propels the Stallions to the #2 seed in the east and gives them a bye week, while Tampa will have to face Washington next week. Bob Lane, in relief for the injured Cliff Stoudt, threw for 273 and Brent Fullwood made the most of his carries in place of a banged up Joe Cribbs. GAME OF THE WEEK Michigan Panthers 15 Houston Gamblers 18 This was not the showdown that most expected. It was a weird game played mostly by backups, but it was also a game Michigan should have been attempting to win at all costs. A #3 seed and a bye was on the line, while Houston had nothing to play for, and yet it was Houston that came out on top. In a battle of backups, Houston’s Sean Salisbury outperformed Michigan’s Jeff Kemp, throwing for 256 and a score, while Kemp, completing 48% of his passes, threw for 134 a score and an INT. Bobby Morse of Michigan led the rushers with 57 yards, while the top receivers were Johnny Holloway for Michigan and Clarence Verdin for Houston. Houston won the game thanks to a late field goal by Dave Jacobs, pushing Michigan down to the #4 seed and a showdown with New Orleans next week in the Silverdome. For Houston, the win pushes them to 13-3. They will have a bye and then face the winner of that Michigan-New Orleans showdown. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK In a week where so many stars were sidelined, we knew that it would be an unheralded player who would make news this week. That player was Oakland safety Marcus Quinn. In one of the most spectacular 5 minutes of play all season, Quinn intercepted Arizona rookie QB Kelly Stouffer not once but twice, and ran both interceptions back for scores. The first was a mistimed out route that Quinn undercut and then raced untouched down the sideline for 84 yards for the score. The second was a crossing route only 3 minutes later, a route where it was clear that Stouffer did not see Quinn coming across the field in the opposite direction. This time Quinn bobbled the ball for a second, finally gripping it solidly just in time to brush off a hit from the Arizona receiver, and then weaved through several half-hearted tackle attempts by Arizona offensive players before breaking free and returning the interception for his second score, 56 yards in total. It was a brief, but stunning display by the young safety. The game was already out of hand at 24-7 when the first pick-6 occurred, so it was not game-defining, but for Quinn it will likely be a memory he will cherish forever. PLAYOFF PICTURE As we said last week there was nothing left to do but determine playoff positions this week. And in both cases where there was a chance for positioning to change, it did. Tampa needed a win or a Birmingham loss to retain the division crown. They got neither, losing to Memphis and watching Birmingham just decimate the Oklahoma Outlaws. The swap means Birmingham will face New Jersey in Legion Field in 2 weeks while Tampa hosts the Washington Federals and top rated QB Neil Lomax next week. In the West, Michigan could hold off Oakland for the 3 seed and a bye, but they had to do so in Houston. Despite the bye on the line, Michigan coach Jim Stanley opted not to play several starters, perhaps knowing that a possible matchup with Houston in the playoffs could be impacted by the game this week. Houston lost a close matchup of backups to the Gamblers, while Oakland prevailed quite handily over Arizona, giving Oakland the #3 seed and forcing Michigan to play next week at home against New Orleans. If Michigan prevails, they do face Houston again in 2 weeks. For Oakland, they know they will face their division rivals, the Denver Gold in the 2nd round of the playoffs. That should be a real slobberknocker between two foes who know each other well and don’t particularly like each other. NEWS & NOTES We will report on Black Monday next week, but it seems unlikely that this year we will see a large turnover of coaches. Sure, with the San Antonio-Oklahoma merger someone, likely Gunslingers’ coach Gil Steinke, will be out of a job, but other than that, the only real potential is for some 8-8 or 7-9 teams to let a coach with proven wins in prior years go. Will Baltimore really let Marv Levy walk for 1 bad year? What about Lindy Infante in Jacksonville? And would Pittsburgh consider a one-and-done situation for Roman Gabriel? It is always possible, but we don’t see it as likely. When the majority of teams at the bottom of the standings are either expansion clubs or teams that hired a new coach last year, the odds of a heavy turnover of coaches are pretty low. As for the draft, the initial order of 10 teams is set. The question is what will the merger of Oklahoma and San Antonio do? Will the new team, which is sure to have more depth to its roster already, get Oklahoma’s #2 pick or San Antonio’s #4 pick? If the league brings in a 20th team, where will they pick? These are not known yet, but here is what we think will happen: #1 Chicago, #2 Team 20, #3 Pittsburgh, #4 OKL-SAN Team, #5 Arizona, #6 Orlando, #7 Baltimore, #8 Los Angeles, #9 Jacksonville, #10 Memphis. The rest of the list will depend on who wins and loses each playoff game. INJURY REPORT With many teams resting their starters, there are not a lot of new injuries of consequence. As reported last week, a lot of the playoff squads are going to try to get their stars back in time for the playoffs, but in some cases it simply may not be possible. Looking at the 4 wild card contenders (Michigan, New Orleans, Tampa and Washington) here is what we have to report: Michigan is in pretty good shape, with only 1 player (T Arnoldo Gardner) listed as questionable and the other three listings, including LB John Corker as probable. New Orleans has a bit more to worry about as Marcus Dupree is still listed as doubtful after a hamstring injury flare up. They will also be missing T Dan Slaughter and FB David Blanton. Tampa will be missing LB Ron Moten with a knee ligament issue, but should otherwise have a full roster. Washington is happy to have Craig James back, listed as probable, and other than the players already on IR also look strong for this week. LOOKING AHEAD It is Wild Card Weekend this week, so only two games on the schedule. Here is our breakdown Washington (9-7) @ Tampa Bay (10-6) Tampa has the experience, Washington has the exhuberance. Typically experience wins out but we are a bit concerned that Tampa did not fight harder to get the #2 seed and the bye. They have to be disheartened to be playing this week. Not only that but Washington QB Neil Lomax has been playing lights out football over the past month. There is a lot to fear about the Federals this year. They can run with James, pass with Lomax, and play defense with top rookie defender Jerome Brown. This is not the same old Federals from years past. That said, Tampa is an old hand at this playoff thing. John Reaves, Gary Anderson and Eric Truvillion are more than capable of shredding even a good defense. Our Pick: A close one but still a Tampa win. Tampa 24 Washington 21. New Orleans (8-8) @ Michigan (10-6) This feels like a mismatch. New Orleans, especially with Dupree dinged up, muddled through the season, again inconsistent, again losing a lot of games they should not have lost. And while Michigan is not the juggernaut of past years, they still have a lot of firepower on offense and a lot of stopping power on defense. If John Corker is fully back to form, and if Jack Trudeau can avoid the turnovers this week, the Panthers could kick it into the top gear we have seen them show in the past. We are not sure New Orleans even has that gear. Last year the Breakers got their first playoff win in 3 tries, but we just don’t see that repeating again this year. Our Pick: Michigan comes up big. Panthers 38 Breakers 21

SCORES BLT 20 PHI 37 Big games from Fusina, Bryant and Quick spell disaster for the Blitz, who fall to 6-9 and risk ending the year on a 5-game losing streak unless they can pull out a win next week. PIT 24 WSH 21 Another unexpected and untimely loss for the Federals within the division has to worry Coach Rutigliano. Alan Risher threw for 305 in the game as Washington’s defense could not hold. The Federals now risk falling to 8-8 next week, matching last year’s record despite clear improvements in the offseason. BIR 6 MEM 22 Memphis’s late season success causes another headache as Birmingham cannot gain ground on Tampa Bay. Mike Kelley is solidifying his starting gig with 2 TD’s and 263 passing against the Stallions. ORL 24 TBY 20 Orlando had no business winning this game in Tampa, but no one told the Renegades that. Collier to Buggs was the key to the game and Tampa simply let this one slide away. Tampa still holds a one game lead over Birmingham, but cannot afford to rest next week. HOU 16 NOR 28 Jim Kelly had one of his worst days of the season, throwing two picks, and while the choice to rest Todd Fowler this week might get some flack, his backup. Steve Howell, rushed for 108, so the problem is not there. It just seems that New Orleans both needed and wanted this one more. The concern now is that a 3-game losing streak to end the season may not be the best way to prep for the playoffs. MGN 28 SAN 20 San Antonio returns Damon Allen back under center, and he helps keep the Gunslingers in the game, but Michigan just proves too much as John Willliams goes over the century mark and scores a decisive touchdown. Michigan is hoping to lock up the #3 seed and avoid playing in the Wild Card round. LA 37 OKL 13 The Express are now shooting for an 8-8 season, which is better than many expected. Steve Young had a field day against the Outlaw defense, throwing for 4 scores. Oklahoma did have one highlight as HB Stump Mitchell had his best game in Tulsa, rushing for 114 in the loss. NJ 18 ARZ 17 The Generals find a way to win in the desert despite Walker’s absence. Keith Byars had a respectable 70 yards rushing and Doug Flutie threw for 269 to help New Jersey eke out the win against a game Wrangler squad. JAX 19 CHI 10 Chicago coach Joe Bugel gave Steve Beurlein the start, and despite being quite rusty, Beurlein kept Chicago in the game for most of the day. Jacksonville’s Chris Miller won the battle of rookie QB’s by putting up 264 and 2 scores to Buerlein’s 185 and 1 score. GAME OF THE WEEK Denver Gold 20 Oakland Invaders 10 Denver scores 10 in the 4th to snatch a win in Oakland and lock up the Pacific Division title. Denver came into the game intent on slowing down Invader halfback Arthur Whittington. They managed to hold him to only 89 yards on 19 carries and also harassed Brian Sipe, recording 6 sacks on the veteran. Bob Gagliano fared better against the Invader defense, throwing for 315 and two scores. The first of the two was a 2nd quarter bomb to Bill Brooks that gave Denver the 10-3 lead over Oakland. After a quiet 3rd quarter, Oakland tied the game after a long 11 play drive led to a 1 yard score from Sipe to little-used receiver Wyatt Henderson. On their next possession Denver retook the lead on a Brian Speelman field goal. Oakland would have tied it again on a 52 yard Kevin Shea kick but the Invaders got called for an illegal shift and once pushed back had to punt. This set up Denver for a game-locking drive. The Gold milked the clock and ground out yardage leading up to Gagliano’s second scoring toss of the day, a 13 yard fade to former NFL Cardinal J.T. Smith. The win locks Denver into the #2 seed in the Western Conference and puts Oakland one game behind Michigan for the 3rd seed and a bye. Without that, they will likely have to play New Orleans in 2 weeks while Denver rests their players and waits for a game against Michigan in the Divisional round. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK The AP gave Kelvin Bryant the player of the week title for his 122 yard, 3 TD day, but we have a little more leeway than that. We are going to give it to all the teams that were elimated from playoff contention weeks ago but still keep plugging, striving, and playing hard. Pittsburgh has won their last 2 divisional games, beating Baltimore and Washington and proving that they are still putting in the effort for Coach Bugel. Memphis, after a 2-7 start, have won 5 of their last 6 and could end up a very respectable 8-8 for the year. Orlando won their 6th of the year, upsetting perennial powerhouse Tampa Bay. The Renegades, despite having some major issues this year, are currently clearly the best of the four expansion teams. But even San Antonio, Oklahoma and 1-win Chicago are coming out and competing. Chicago’s defense has some gamebreakers, if they could only get an offense to match next year, they could be a lot better than their 1-14 record shows right now. As for Oklahoma and San Antonio, they have 6 wins combined, but next year, when we expect their rosters to combine, this may be a club that can win 7 or 8 games right away. There is something to be said for players that love the game, that play hard even when the season is lost, and that understand that every day is a chance to impress, to do your best and to prove you deserve to be on the field. Kudos to those who never give up. PLAYOFF PICTURE One week left and not a lot of drama, but a little remains to be decided. Here is what we know right now: EAST 1 Seed = Philadelphia. They will get a bye and then face off against the Wild Card winner. 2 Seed = Tampa Bay. Need to win to take division. Loss + Stallions win = 4th Seed. 3 Seed = New Jersey. They will play Tampa in the 2nd week of the playoffs. 4 Seed = Birmingham. Would host the Feds, but a win + TBY loss and they win division. 5 Seed = Washington. Happy to be here, the Feds will travel to Legion Field in 2 weeks. WEST 1 Seed = Houston Hoping they don’t have injuries . They will host the Wild Card winner. 2 Seed = Denver A bye and a chance to host either Michigan or Oakland. 3 Seed = Michigan Oakland win and Panther loss and it is the Invaders here. 4 Seed = Oakland Move up to 3 with Panthers loss and a win or host New Orleans. 5 Seed = New Orleans Week 1 loss to Oakland means they are #6 no matter what. NEWS & NOTES With the announcement 2 weeks ago that the Oklahoma Outlaws and San Antonio Gunslingers would merge in 1988, one of the questions racing around the league has been just how the league would add a 20th franchise. This week it was announced that the league would not re-open an expansion bidding process, but that it would explore only the three semi-finalists from the 1987 expansion pool. This means that the 1988 season will include a franchise either in Atlanta, Seattle, or Portland. Since Oklahoma was located in the Pacific Division, our money is on either Seattle or Portland as the most likely option. Atlanta would cause much more realignment, since it would require a new team to move to the Pacific, likely San Antonio, which would disrupt the Texas rivalry with Houston. It would then require a Southern team like Birmingham or Memphis to shift to the Central, again, not ideal. Add Seattle or Portland and you retain all the current rivalries and add a new region entirely to the USFL television profile. So, assuming that it is truly down to the two Pacific Northwest bids, which makes more sense to you? Seattle is a much larger market, but that comes with drawbacks as well as the obvious advantages. The King Dome is a solid venue, but the team would have to share with the Mariners for most of the season. They could opt to play in Husky Stadium, but the rainy season in Seattle is no fun and Husky Stadium does not permit beer sales, which would hurt the team’s revenue stream for sure. Then there is also competition from the SuperSonics as well. Portland is a small market, though not the league’s smallest. Civic Stadium is a solid size, though it lacks some of the amenities of the larger shared stadiums with NFL and NCAA teams. On the plus size, the only major sports competition would come from the Trailblazers NBA club. Without MLB to contend with, a Portland franchise would own outdoor sports for the spring and summer. And there is no NFL team in the city to cause friction or cannibalize fan dollars. It’s a tough call, so we are glad we don’t have to make it. And this is without reviewing the financial bona fides of the ownership group, confirming potential stadium leases, or determining the impact on TV viewership. No matter what the USFL decides, there will again be a new team joining the league next year, a chance for a new community to fall in love with spring football. INJURY REPORT Not a great week for the league. We are going to focus on the 10 playoff teams, since their injury situation has potential to determine who advances and who goes home after Week 16. Here is what is worrying coaches and GM’s going into the final week of the year. BIRMINGHAM: Ernest Givens pulled his hamstring in this week’s game, and that may cost him both the final regular season tilt and the wild card game. That is a big loss for the Stallions. Cliff Stoudt will likely be held out this week, but should be good to go for the Wild Card game. SS William Cesare also is expected back, but his turf toe could inhibit his play for the entire playoffs. HOUSTON: No major players expected to be out, but expect Houston to rest their big names this week to avoid any potential Week 16 surprises. The only lingering injury of concern is left tackle Howard Ballard, who may see a few snaps just to see if he is fit before getting a week off during the bye. MICHIGAN: Only 3 players on the injury report, with the biggest being RT Arnoldo Gardner listed as questionable. John Corker looks ready to go, but may be rested as Michigan gears up for the Wild Card game. NEW JERSEY: Of all the playoff teams, the Generals look the most like the walking wounded. They have 8 players on this week’s injury report. Obviously the loss of Herschel Walker, still listed as OUT, is the biggest concern. But, with a bye week, even Walker might be back in time for the Divisional game against Tampa. All the others (lB Paul Cooks, CB Cliff Hicks, WR Danny Knight) are expected back in time after the bye. NEW ORLEANS: Matt Robinson will not be available to back up Tony Eason, but we knew that weeks ago. The bigger concern is WR Charlie Smith, who is listed as doubtful this week with a lagging wrist injury. They will need him in the Wild Card game. OAKLAND: Only 2 names on the injury report, but one of them is their top-rated guard Kevin Gogan. Gogan is unlikely to return before Championship week, so we likely will not see him this playoff run. DE Will Johnson is listed as probable, but still having difficulty with his ankle. PHILADELPHIA: Jim Mora may be the luckiest coach in the league. He has no players listed on the injury report this week and has had very few injuries to deal with all season long. For a team that played in last year’s Championship, that is music to his ears. TAMPA BAY: QB John Reaves was able to play this past week, and may see some reps next week just to ensure he is not rusty 2 weeks later in the Divisional Round. Guard Dan Morgan and SS Tyrone Davis will likely sit out, despite being listed as Probable, just to ensure they are ready to go in 2 weeks. WASHINGTON: The bad news is that both LB Curtis Taliferro and DE Dexter Manley will not be able to come off IR to play in the playoffs. The good news is that Craig James came back this week and looked very healthy in the Fed’s backfield. With him back the offense for Washington is a lot harder to defend. LOOKING AHEAD As often seems the case, week 16 is less about playoff drama and more about resting players before the postseason begins. The only real drama left is between Michigan and Oakland for a bye, so this week perhaps focus on individual performances and the chance for teams to end the year on a positive. This weeks games include Pittsburgh @ New Jersey, Washington @ Philadelphia, Orlando @ Jacksonville, Tampa @ Memphis, New Orleans @ Chicago, Michigan @ Houston, Oakland @ Arizona, LA @ Denver, San Antonio @ Baltimore and Oklahoma @ Birmingham.

SCORES BLT 19 MEM 21 Mike Kelley gets back to winning ways as Showboats win homestand game against the slumping Blitz. Kelley throws for 263 and 2 scores while Baltimore flounders on 3rd down, going 2 for 10. NJ 29 ORL 17 Herschel Walker starts, but almost immediately reaggravates his injury, could miss the next two games. Keith Byars again shifts from FB to HB, and rushes for 97 yards, catches 5 for 27. New Jersey gets the needed win, but what does the loss of Walker mean down the stretch? PHI 17 TBY 6 Sam Mills and the Philly D stifle the Reaves-less Bandits as Kelvin Bryant and Jaime Mueller combine for 153 yards rushing. Tampa backup Oliver Luck finds Collinsworth for 109 but cannot get the ball into the endzone in a game that assures Philly of the #1 seed in the East. PIT 13 BIR 28 Birmingham remains white hot as Joe Cribbs rushes for 129. Cliff Stoudt leaves the game with what looks like a minor injury in the 4th but could miss next week. WSH 28 JAX 34 Neil Lomax duels with Bulls rookie Chris Miller for 4 quarters, but in a game where the Feds could only muster 36 yards rushing without Craig James and Bulls HB rushes for 148 it is too much for Washington. CHI 14 LA 19 Chicago’s defense holds tough all day, but after building a 14-0 lead on two Chuck Long TD passes, the Maulers offense wilts and LA methodically builds back with 9 points from the defense and a 4th quarter Young to Christiansen TD toss. MGN 24 OKL 5 Michigan’s late season lineup of expansion clubs works out for the Panthers again as they manhandle the Outlaws. Doug Williams suffers 2 picks and completes only 50% of his passes against the stout Panther D, while Michigan’s Derek Holloway gains 117, including a 52-yard TD from Trudeau. NOR 23 ARZ 21 Kelly Stouffer looks solid, completing 64% and tossing two scores, but it is not enough as Hilliard and Dupree combine for 140 and Tony Eason connects with Dan Ross and Charlie Smith for scores. The win moves New Orleans to .500 for the first time in 2 months. SAN 7 DEN 31 San Antonio gives Mike Shula a start and he struggles as San Antonio passes for only 151 on the day. Bob Gagliano completes 80% of his passes against the overmatched Gunslinger defense as Bill Brooks hauls in 2 scores for the homestanding Gold. GAME OF THE WEEK Houston Gamblers 20 Oakland Invaders 23 Having already clinched the #1 seed in the Western Conference, Houston could not find the motivation to win a close one as Oakland, desperate to keep pace with Denver, edges Houston in overtime. Kelly and the Houston offense was game, gaining 411 on the day, including 365 from Kelly’s powerful right arm, but the Houston D, which has been stalwart all year, let up a little too much. Brian Sipe had one of his best games, throwing for 288, while Whittington contributed 122 on the ground to help Oakland pull off the upset. It was a battle for field position early as both defenses held tough in the first half. Houston was able to score only 6 points on two Dave Jacobs field goals while Oakland used good field position after an uncharacteristic Kelly interception to punch it in and take the 10-6 halftime lead. That lead was wiped out only 1:35 into the 3rd as Kelly found Clarence Verdin for a score to jump up 13-10. Four minutes later, Whittington would again cross the plane and Oakland would retake the lead 17-13. They added to that lead with a Kevin Shea field goal to start the 4th. Kelly and Houston responded with a 6-minute scoring drive that concluded with Kelly finding HB Todd Fowler on a beautifully set up screen that went for 32 yards and the score. For the rest of the 4th quarter both teams took advantage of their opposition’s errors to stall drives. Oakland missed out on a key 3rd down conversion due to a drive-killing holding call, while Houston’s last gasp attempt to avoid overtime died on a 3rd and 9 when a catchable ball slipped between TE Victor Marchand’s hands. In overtime, Houston got the ball first, but was unable to convert on a 3rd and 3 run, so Oakland received the punt at their own 44. Sipe was efficient, finding TE Raymond Chester twice and completing a key 3rd down to Mark Duper. The drive eventually stalled, but not until Oakland had reached the Houston 12-yard line. The Kevin Shea chip shot was right down the middle and the Invaders pulled off the much-needed win to remain only 1 game behind Denver, with a huge Pacific Division matchup between the two next week in Oakland. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK The Nigerian Nightmare, that is what fans are calling Express HB Christian Okoye. The huge halfback with the exotic accent and a tendency to run right over tacklers, has become something of a celebrity in star-studded LA, despite the overall mediocrity of the Express squad. This week Okoye solidified his standing with Express fans by almost single-handedly carrying the Express offense to a win vs. Chicago. Okoye, in his first 100-yard game since coming to LA from tiny Asuza Pacific University, ran through and over Chicago defenders on his way to 136 yards on only 18 carries. Okoye, who is soft-spoken off the field, is truly a nightmare to tackle once he starts heading north-south. LA might want to consider readjusting their offense next year to more of a power game to benefit Okoye, who struggles with outside runs compared to longstanding LA back Tony Boddie. But, when the call goes up the middle, watch out. Okoye is big, he has good acceleration, and he does not waste energy on jukes or spins, he just hits defenders like a freight train, and more often than not they fall to the wayside as he heads on through. This week his efforts led LA to a win, something the Express have to hope becomes a much more common occurrence in 1988. PLAYOFF PICTURE With only 2 weeks left to play, the playoff picture is all but confirmed. Philly and Houston have locked up the #1 seed in each conference. 6 other teams have punched their tickets for the postseason, and really the only questions now are division title races between Tampa and Birmingham in the South and Denver and Oakland in the Pacific. New Orleans is in the most tenuous position, only 1 game up on LA for the final Wild Card, while the loss this week means that Washington, while happy to be in the playoffs, will not be overtaking New Jersey or avoiding the Wild Card round. Still a lot to play for in the next 2 weeks, though we do expect that both Philly and Houston may consider resting some starters at least in week 16 if not next week. NEWS & NOTES Expect a lot of experimentation with rosters during the final 2 weeks as playoff teams rest some starters and non-playoff teams look at some talent to see if changes are in order for next year. We have already seen this with San Antonio giving Mike Shula a shot at QB. Chicago went back to Chuck Long this week but may give fellow rookie Steve Beurlein a game or two to see what they have in him. Don’t be shocked as well if Baltimore gives Eric Kramer another game under center or if Oklahoma let’s Doug Williams rest in favor of perennial backup Blair Kiel. It is a time of year to see some rookies who have languished on the bench get their chance to show their wares, while teams like Houston and Philly may try to protect key players like Kelvin Bryant or Jim Kelly from late season hits. With playoff positions still on the line for the other contenders, we don’t expect Oakland, Denver, Tampa, Birmingham or the others to have a chance to do the same, but for the frontrunners it is one of the perks of locking in their seeds early. INJURY REPORT Late season injuries are always the fear of playoff contenders, and we have a few this week that could impact some of the teams seeking to get hot as the postseason approaches. New Jersey in particular has to be nervous as Herschel Walker played only 4 downs before reaggravating his hip. He is likely to miss the final 2 weeks of the year, and the Generals have to try to avoid the Wild Card round to give him another week to recover. Oakland will have to chase Denver without their best lineman, rookie guard Kevin Gogan. Tampa has 6 players on their injury list this week, not the least of which is QB John Reaves, who is listed as questionable and may be a game time decision. Washington is hoping that Craig James can return this week. He is listed as probable. Houston may keep Howard Ballard out, despite him being listed as probable, just to make sure he is ready for the playoffs. And it looks like Birmingham will have to rely on veteran backup Bob Lane to help them down the stretch as QB Cliff Stoudt is likely to miss the next two weeks, and possibly the Wild Card matchup after suffering a rib injury this week. LOOKING AHEAD Week 15 marks 2 consecutive weeks of divisional matchups to end the season in a flurry of key matchups. 8 of 10 games will see divisional foes clash and playoff teams jockey for position. This week is not particularly dramatic in the East as Philly hosts slumping Baltimore while Washington will welcome Pittsburgh to RFK. New Jersey is out of division as they travel to Arizona to face the Wranglers. The same is true in the South, where both Birmingham and Tampa are expected to win. The Stallions faithful will make the trip up to Memphis to watch their team face the Showboats, while Tampa and Orlando battle in the Big Sombrero. Jacksonville is in Chicago for the other non-divisional game. In the Central New Orleans hopes that home field helps them overcome the Houston Gamblers, while Michigan heads down to San Antonio in a game they should win. LA is in Tulsa to face the Oklahoma Outlaws in what may be their last game in the state (see news coming this week), while in the biggest game of the week, the Denver Gold (10-4) face the Oakland Invaders (9-5) with the division title and a bye on the line.