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The 4 Pacific teams flew east to play the 4 Atlantic teams, and to win 2 of 4, while the teams of the Central Division battled for playoff position in week 10 play. OAK 3 BOS 27—If Boston is going to get back in the playoff hunt, they will need to win the games that they are favored to win. That is exactly what they did against the 3-6 Oakland Invaders. After trading field goals in the first quarter, Boston took the game over. For the day they held Oakland to 189 total yards of offense and 2 of 11 on 3rd down. On the other side of the ball Oakland had no answer for the wily Johnny Walton, who threw for 326 yards and 2 scores. The win put Boston 2 games over .500 and back in the thick of playoff consideration. LA 24 NJ 37—In another West flies East matchup, New Jersey got back to .500 at 5-5 with a 13 point victory over an overmatched LA Express. Hershel Walker had one of his best games of the year against the beleaguered Express defense, rushing for 159 yards and 3 scores. Bobby Scott added 2 scores of his own as NJ scored 27 unanswered points after letting LA out to a 1st quarter 14-0 lead. Tom Ramsey, the Express signal caller, tried his best, throwing for 4017 yards and 3 scores, but the inability of the LA defense to keep Walker and Scott in check was the end of any chance they had to snatch a win. DEN 19 WSH 16—Denver wins are rarely pretty, and once again the Pacific Division leader slogged out another tough win, edging out the Federals on a late-game field goal and sending Washington to a 2-8 record. The star of the game was Harry Sydney, who carried the ball 20 times for 131 yards and the Gold’s only touchdown. Mike Hohensee, making his second start under center for the Feds, was at times capable, but made too many mistakes on key downs to keep Washington’s offense on the field. With the win, Denver moves to 2 games over .500 at 6-4. ARZ 37 PHI 10—This one goes down as one of the surprises of the season. After losing their first 6 games, the Wranglers have started to figure things out, and shocked every one of the 43,500 in Philly’s Veteran’s Stadium by dominating the Stars. The Stars managed only 200 total yards, including a paltry 54 yards rushing against a defense that had been one of the league’s weakest all season. On the other side, the Stars usually staunch D gave up 146 yards rushing, including 29 yards to Wrangler QB Alan Risher. Risher also threw for 268 and 2 scores as the Wranglers improved to 4-6 and may actually make a run at Denver for the Pacific Division. CHI 5 TBY 20—As the Pacific teams flew east to play the Atlantic teams, the 4 Central Division teams faced off in intradivisional games. Tampa hosted the reeling Chicago Blitz, and proved once again that they are the favorite for the title this year, holding Chicago to a field goal and a safety (on a debatable holding call in the Tampa endzone) as the Bandits won easily. Chicago’s defense played well against John Reaves and the Bandit Ball offense, holding Reaves to only 229 yards passing, but giving up scores to Eric Truvillion and Lewis Gilbert. Add in a couple of Zenon Andrusyshyn kicks and Tampa walks away with a solid 15 point victory. BIR 14 MGN 29—Birmingham needed to keep pace with Tampa after a loss last week, but the Pontiac Silverdome is not the place to try that, as the Michigan Defense stymied the Stallions all day. Bobby Lane was held to only 104 yards passing, and while Cornelius Quarles found his yards, it did not lead to enough scoring to keep pace with the Panthers. Bobby Hebert was efficient with the ball throwing for 3 scores and no interceptions on the way to the victory. Michigan held Birmingham scoreless in the second half, changing a 14-13 halftime deficit into a solid 29-14 victory. That score moves both teams to 6-4 and right in the mix for a wildcard spot behind the surging Tampa Bay Bandits.

Week 9 saw the Central teams travel out West, while the Atlantic Division played another intradivision week of battles. Will teams start to separate? And what upsets are in store? PHI 27 NJ 24—In a game that was not as close as the final score indicated, the Philadelphia Stars took firm control of the Atlantic Division, moving to 7-2 and putting 3 games up on the New Jersey Generals. Philly combined a strong day for Chuck Fusina (337 yards and 77% completion) with a solid run game (Bryant with 90 yards and Russell another 62) to build a lead on NJ in the first quarter and never relinquish it. The run game once again was the only bright spot for the Generals as Walker gained 125 on 24 carries and FB Maurice Carthon added another 59 spelling the premier back in the league. The loss moves New Jersey below the .500 mark. WSH 20 BOS 41—Washington tried mixing things up by starting young Mike Hohensee (U of Minnesota) but the results were still the same. The Washington D once again proved to be a liability as Boston rolled. Johnny Walton had one of his best games of the year, throwing for 335 and 4 TD’s, two to Nolan Franz. The Breakers D held Washington to 2 of 9 on third down and 0 for 1 on fourth down as Boston improved to 5-4 and moved into 2nd place in the Atlantic, 2 games behind the Stars. MGN 13 DEN 19—In a week when the Central Division teams were hoping to feast on the weaker Pacific Division, the Michigan Panthers learned a valuable lesson about underestimating an opponent. It was Denver’s defense that dominated early, shutting Michigan out and picking off Bobby Hebert twice as they built up a 16-0 halftime lead. In the second half Michigan adjusted and was able to score twice, but it proved to be just too little to come back. Gold QB Ken Johnson was efficient, throwing at 78% completion rate, if not spectacular, and kept drives alive to kill clock and hold the lead. It is a costly loss for Michigan, who fall to 5-4 and possibly out of wildcard contention, while Denver solidified their spot in 1st place of the Pacific Division. CHI 14 ARZ 39—What has gotten into the Wranglers? Most wrote off their back to back wins against the LA Express as a bad team beating another bad team. Chicago was an early favorite to win the league title, and while their performance has been spotty at times, most saw this week’s game in the desert as an easy win. No one told the Wranglers. Alan Risher was largely untouched by pressure, going 23 for 32 for 331 yards and 3 TD’s, while Chicago signal caller Greg Landry was sacked 4 times and was under constant pressure. It did not help at all that the visiting Blitz were called for 13 penalties for 100 yards, including several calls against a beleaguered offensive line. Arizona notched their 3rd straight win after starting the season a miserable 0-6, while Chicago drops below the Mendoza line at 4-5. BIR 26 OAK 33—Chicago was not the only Central team to underestimate their Pacific foe this week. The Oakland offense, which can be dangerous if not always consistent, came to play today. Fred Besana threw for 3 scores, but it was the running of Alfred Whittington that set the tone for the game. AW rushed for 129 yards and a 5.2 yard average. Perhaps more shocking, the usually porous Invader D was stout today, holding Birmingham to only 43 total yards rushing and putting the pressure on Bob Lane to deliver a win. Lane struggled and his 2 interceptions helped Oakland score the big upset win. TBY 45 LA 10—Having seen what happened to Michigan, Chicago and Birmingham, the Bandits, playing the night game this week, were not about to make the same mistakes. John Reaves threw for 4 TD’s and by the 4th was relieved by the young Jimmy Jordan. For LA it was not the QB that let them down, it was the run game. LaRue Harrington carried 21 times but for only 17 yards against a Tampa D not known as run stuffers. Tom Ramsey tried, but failed to sustain drives with his arm, and the LA defense just had no answers for the Tampa pass game. The win gives Tampa a nice cushion of 2 games in the Central Division and another loss moves LA into sole possession of the Pacific basement.

THE USFL: FLASH IN THE PAN OR HERE TO STAY? The upstart USFL has reached the mid-point of their inaugural season and there is a lot to be excited about. TV ratings have been strong, attendance in most locations has also exceeded expectations, the quality of play has been better than advertised, and fans seem to be enjoying it. The best news? That the weather is going to continue to get better, which should help both the game on the field and the crowds in the stands. Sure, as with all new ventures, all is not rosy. We are beginning to see injuries add up, which, with somewhat shallower benches than in the NFL, could lead to a decline in the quality of play across the league. There are also some cities where the league has not been embraced. Attendance is predictably lagging in those cities with losing teams, such as Washington, Arizona, and Oakland. Attendance never really materialized at all in LA, which looks like a significant issue for the league moving forward. While the league’s revenue sharing policy will help all these lower attendance cities establish themselves, having a poor draw in the league’s second largest market is not something to be dismissed. There are stadium issues in Boston, lease concerns in Chicago and LA, and no one is really sure what will happen in places like Birmingham or Tampa once the temperatures start to get a little uncomfortable for mid-afternoon games. But, all things considered, the USFL is looking pretty solid. The league is already in the process of reviewing expansion applications, with the entry fees that new teams bring in, and is expected to announce between 2-6 new franchises for the 1984 season. There is also expected to be an increase in NFL poaching, particularly of 1983 NFL Draft Picks, as the league has instituted a flexible salary cap for 1984 in which teams can exclude up to 3 players per squad from the salary cap consideration, a rule almost certainly pushed for by the New Jersey Generals after their signing of Herschel Walker, but one which may benefit others as disgruntled NFL vets and displeased rookies hope to get something like NFL money to jump to the USFL. The other big item on the agenda for the USFL is to potentially renegotiate their TV contracts with ABC and ESPN. With higher than anticipated viewership and the potential to add more teams in 1984 it might be possible for the USFL to renegotiate their deal and to provide more flexibility in the event that a struggling team in LA or Chicago, for example, might be able to relocate without causing major ripples in the TV revenue. It seems that the league’s stronger teams are doing all they can to ensure that there is stability from one year to the next, but attendance will not be ignorable for long. But, we still have 8 weeks left to the regular season, and while the league may be second guessing its decision to only allow 4 teams in the playoffs, the excitement about USFL football, and the potential for mid-summer playoff football seems to be there. And who is to blame the public for wanting more football?

Midseason Update: ON THE FIELD We are at the halfway point of the USFL’s inaugural season and a lot can be said about the league. It’s off-field successes and issues will be catalogued in our sister article, but here we are going to focus between the white lines. Football fans across the nation agree that the level of play has been far better than expected, with plenty of nailbiters, dramatic comebacks, and standout performances. The USFL has impressed fans with the high caliber of performance, and while there does seem to be some imbalance of talent across the league, at the halfway mark of the season all 12 teams have at least 2 wins and no fewer than 2 losses, so while it may not be the NFL’s standard of parity, there is a feeling that on any given week even the weakest teams can step up and play to the level of their opponents. Let’s take a team by team look at what we have seen through 8 weeks. ATLANTIC DIVISION PHILADELPHIA STARS (6-2) Strengths: Balance. The Stars are a team that can beat you on the ground or in the air, or through defensive pressure. They rank middle of the pack in practically every offensives stat, which might not sound great, but what it has meant is that the Stars have not been overdependent on any one aspect of their offense. Chuck Fusina has been a steady hand at QB and has a real rapport with WR Scott Fitzkee, the league leader in receptions. On defense, the Stars have been able to keep opponents well below their own scoring pace of 26 PPG, primarily through a speedy and hard hitting LB corps. Weaknesses: Takeaways. If there is one area where coach Jim Mora cannot be pleased so far this season it is in the lack of takeaways. Philadelphia has only 4 interceptions in 8 games and are middling in fumble recoveries. They are also one of only 4 teams not to score a defensive TD this year. If they want to take home the league’s first championship it may require them to become a bit more aggressive around the ball. Breakout Star: Let’s highlight two players here. On Offense the play of rookie RB Kelvin Bryant has been outstanding, The UNC product has racked up 653 yards on 154 carries, placing him 4th in the league. On Defense the surprise standout has been MLB Sam Mills. The NFL castoff has been the field general of the D and is creeping up the league leaders chart with 59 tackles. Prediction: We think Philly, now with a 2 game lead in the division, has the formula for success. We predict a 12-4 final record and a division title. NEW JERSEY GENERALS (4-4) Strengths: The Run Game. This was predictable as soon as the Generals announced the signing of Herschel Walker, but it is clear that the Generals offense is designed to highlight and complement the talents of the young Georgia product. Walker has led the league in rushing for the entire season, and we don’t anticipate that would change, but it might make sense for the Generals to find a decent backup to spell Walker from time to time. Backup HB Ralph Fuller has not shown much, but there are sparks from FB Maurice Carthon. Weaknesses: Consistency. Bobby Scott has played well, but little has been asked of him. The defense too has had some strong games, but has also failed to show up in key moments. This is a team that has a lot of talent and should have a winning record, but failure to consistently play up to their capacity has led them to a .500 start. Breakout Star: Sure, we are all watching Herschel every game, but as far as surprise players our vote goes to former Nittany Lion Tom McConnaughey. The lanky and somewhat slow receiver has proven to be a solid route runner who can win 50-50 balls. He isn’t going to outpace anyone to the endzone (as evidenced by only 1 TD on the year) but on a 3rd and medium, he will find a way to get open. Prediction: With only 1 Wildcard available in the 4 team playoff, we just don’t see how NJ can catch up with the other contenders. Unless something happens to make Philly fall and the Central division collapse we think the focus for the Generals has to be getting and staying over .500 with hopes that some other teams slip. BOSTON BREAKERS (4-4) Strengths: Pluck. This is a team without any big name signings, playing in the smallest stadium in the league, and led by a 37 year old QB who was coaching HS last year. And yet, they have stunned the league with big wins over New Jersey, Philly and Oakland (back when we expected much of the Invaders). Trick plays, surprising defensive strength, and a decent balance of rush and pass has helped Boston outpace expectations. Weaknesses: Killer instinct. For as much as we praise the Breakers for their pluck, they have also let a few games slip away from them. They seem to do well early in games and then fall away as more talented teams regroup at half. Coach Coury needs to find a way to finish games if the Breakers want to finish above .500 this year. Breakout Star: While we are all rooting for the continued success of veteran journeyman QB Johnny Walton, I am giving this award to unheralded RB Richard Crump. Crump, out of little-known NE Oklahoma was the surprise pick to start, but his reliable 4.1 yards per carry has led him to over 600 yards for the year and 6th on the USFL rushing list. Prediction: I love a good underdog story as much as the next guy, but I think an 8-8 season is a victory for this team. They need more depth on the lines and more firepower as well to compete week in and week out. WASHINGTON FEDERALS (2-6) Strengths: Had you asked us when they started 2-1 we might have a lot to say, but with 5 straight losses under their belts, it is hard to highlight much. We like what we see in backup RB (now splitting time) Curtis Bledsoe, and perhaps the 2-headed RB corps is what Craig James needs to succeed, just as he did with Eric Dickerson at SMU. Other than that, a team that ranks 12th in a 12 team league in offense, and 11th in total defense does not have much to highlight. Weaknesses: Defense. As much as we can say that the Federals offense is plodding and predictable, the bigger issue is that the defense is just too generous. They have allowed the opposing team to score 30 or more points 5 times, including a couple of major blowouts. We don’t think they can fix that immediately, not with the roster they have, so this is a project for the offseason. Breakout Star: In what has become a rough year, the play of wideout Joey Walters has stood out. Averaging 13.4 yards a catch and with 38 catches on the year, Walters has been reliable for the Federals in a season where reliable has been hard to find. Prediction: As the season wears on wins may be harder to find. The Federals are not a team with a deep bench, so injuries and fatigue may make it difficult for them to play with other teams who are in playoff contention. Getting to 5 wins on the year feels like a ceiling for the Federals. CENTRAL DIVISION TAMPA BAY BANDITS (7-1) Strength: Offensive firepower. This is a team molded in the freewheeling style of coach Steve Spurrier. They have been explosive, dynamic, and high energy all season. Other than the mysterious collapse against Birmingham, their only loss to date, the John Reaves-led offense has been the very definition of Bandit Ball, and the fans in Tampa Bay, whose NFL team lacks exactly this, have been loving it. Weakness: Few, but if we have to name one it would be tackling on D. The defense has done fine in slowing down opposing offenses and have spent a lot of time playing with a lead, but we have noticed a penchant for missed tackles which could come into play in a close game. Breakout Star: John Reaves, QB. Reaves is no spring chicken, but with what he has shown this year we are shocked that he was not on an NFL roster. Sure, his pass completion rate is below 50% but that has more to do with the “Chuck it Up” philosophy of the offense which likes to use a high risk, high reward vertical game. His longball game has kept him at or near the top of the yardage leaders all season and his 19 TD passes have led to wins. Prediction: Tampa is a legit championship contender. As long as they can keep defenses from pressuring Reaves into mistakes (He has thrown 8 ints.) they will be able to outflank and outscore most opponents. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (6-2) Strengths: Explosiveness. Sure, we could have said balance as we did with Philly. After all, Birmingham is #3 in yards and in yards allowed, but the secret to the Stallions has been the ability to go on scoring runs that demoralize their opponents. Birmingham has used some breakout performances on offense to overtake Tampa Bay for the division lead (they are tied but B’Ham has the tiebreaker). Whether it is a sack-fumble or a 3rd and 3 that goes for 30, the Stallions have found a way to make big plays at big moments in games. Weaknesses: The receiving corps. This may seem to contradict the “explosiveness” cited above, but while WR Jim Smith and Greg Anderson have done fine statistically, this is one area where a true superstar would be blowing the roof off of games. Birmingham seems content with a complementary passing game, one which becomes more active within the redzone, but if they want to win it all, they will need to add some big plays in the passing game. Breakout Star: RB Cornelius Quarles has been a showstopper for the Stallions. No one expected much out of the young back out of HBCU Howard, but Quarles has been right on the heels of the highly touted Herschel Walker all season. With 688 yards rushing and a league leading 10 TD’s, this team revolves around their breakout star at RB. Prediction: It will be a dog fight between Tampa Bay and the Stallions all season. Hard to say who will come out on top, but even if they fall behind Tampa, the Central Division seems assured to win the lone wild card playoff spot, and B’Ham would be a top contender for it even if they cannot win the title. MICHIGAN PANTHERS (5-3) Strengths: Dee-Fense!!! The Panthers D has been outstanding all year. They are first in the league against the rush and overall. That bodes well for them as the season progresses. Led by LB John Corker and DE Ronnie Paggett, Michigan is a hard-hitting, stingy D that can turn a game on its head with a big play. Weaknesses: Rushing. The Panthers have talent at the RB position in John Williams and Ken Lacy, but more often than not they seem to abandon the run game and ride the hot hand of QB Bobby Hebert and wideouts Anthony Carter and Dereck Holloway. A more consistent and dedicated run game could be what the Panthers need to overtake Tampa and Birmingham in this cutthroat division. Breakout Star: QB Bobby Hebert. It has been a long time since folks in Detroit have seen a QB with his bravado, style and arm strength. Hebert leads the league in several passing categories, including the all important TD to INT ration (19-5). His personality has also been infectious on the team and with the fans. Michigan has a star in the making in this young cajun cannon. Prediction: Michigan has what it takes to win playoff football (defense and a fearless signal caller) but will they make the playoffs to show it off? They need to pull out enough wins, especially division wins, to overtake both Tampa and Birmingham. We are not ready to bet against them, but it is a lot to ask. CHICAGO BLITZ (4-4) Strengths: Veteran leadership. Look, it’s a George Allen team, and that means trust in veterans. The Blitz have experience at some key positions, particularly at QB (Greg Landry) and LB (Stan White). This is not a team that flounders for identity, so much as a team that needs to pair leadership with youthful energy. Weaknesses: Lack of explosiveness. Going into the season the Blitz seemed to have it all, the veterans cited above for leadership, and young talent in rookie RB Tim Spencer and WR Trumaine Johnson. Neither has really shown what they need in order for Chicago to win regularly, and the Blitz have simply not been able to keep pace with some of the stronger sides in the league. Breakout Star: DE Junior Ah You has been a revelation as a pass rusher. His 11 sacks lead the league and he has proven to be tough for most left tackles to handle. The former Sun Devil also has 31 tackels, proving he can play the run as well. The Blitz have a disruptor on D in Ah You. Prediction: We will need to see a lot more from Chicago if we think they can make a run. They may well finish 8-8 this year and in last place in the Central. Don’t they wish they played in the Pacific, where 8-8 is likely to win the entire division. PACIFIC DIVISION DENVER GOLD (4-4) Strengths: Is it surprising that it is hard to pinpoint a strength on a 4-4 team? Denver has been good but not great in several areas. So, perhaps we will pinpoint mental toughness for the Gold. They bounce back well from bad losses and have eked out some tough wins. This is a team without big stars but with a lot of heart. Weaknesses: I just said it, no stars. Name a skills player who wows you on this team. Tough, right? There is consistent play from QB Ken Johnson, RB Harry Sydney and Wideout Vic James, but no one is gameplanning to stop them. On defense, the team is respectable but again no one strikes fear into opponents. Give this solid team 1 more season to draft and sign some gamechangers and they could prove to be something good. Breakout Star: If we have to name someone, and that is tough on a no-name team, our candidate would be MLB Putt Choate. Just because his name is fun to say, but also because he is an all-around player. He has been a sideline to sideline player for the Gold, with 40 tackles and solid pass coverage. Not a glitzy pass rusher, Choate seems content to manage the field and hit the ballcarrier hard. Prediction: Denver’s somewhat uninspiring but consistent play should be enough to win the Pacific Division, but how will they do in the playoffs against the likes of Philly, Michigan or Tampa Bay? ARIZONA OUTLAWS (2-6) Strengths: How is a 2-6 team that started the year 0-6 and has only beaten 1 team (LA twice) in 2nd place in the division? Do they have strengths? I guess we could say that they have a never-give-in spirit, because after 6 straight losses (some of them painful to watch) to start the year they have found strength in the last 2 weeks. We are not sure if that is good for them or just a sign that LA is even worse. Weaknesses: Defense is clearly an issue. The Wranglers have some offensive playmakers, but on defense they are just brutal. They are 11th in scoring defense and 12th in yards allowed, and if there were a 13th position they would likely be there. It may be the scheme, it may be the roster, but you just cannot count on this defense to hold on a third and anything, or to keep teams out of the endzone. Breakout Star: Wideout Jackie Flowers has been a bright spot on offense. His 622 yards far outpace anyone else on the team and he has shown that he will fight for contested catches. Prediction: We just don’t see Arizona, with that defense, even hanging on to 2nd place (they are tied with 2 other teams right now) for the rest of the season. They are talent-poor and that tends to show up over the length of a full season. Expect 3-4 wins to be their cap. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS (2-6) Strengths: The ability to admit they were wrong. The Express started the season 0-3 behind the simply awful play of starting QB Mike Rae. Even 5 weeks after being relieved in favor of Tom Ramsey, Rae still ranks last in passing in the league. Ramsey garnered 2 wins for the Express before they stumbled twice against Arizona. The ability of coach Hugh Campbell to see the issue and replace Rae with Ramsey shows that all is not lost in LA. They have some talent, Campbell just has to put them in positions to win. Weaknesses: The running game. As much as we want to blame Mike Rae for the early losses, it has to be said that he got no help from the running backs. Neither Tony Boddie nor LaRue Harrington have proven to be the answer. Far too often a lack of production on 1st and 2nd down puts LA in the position to throw long to get 3rd downs. If they can get more out of the RB spot, their QB’s may look a lot better. Breakout Star: LB Danny Rich. For much of the season he was at or near the top of the tackles league leaders. Of course part of that was the inability of LA to generate offense and the disproportionate time opposing offenses were on the field, but even so, Rich has made the most of his chances and has shown tenacity as the team’s leader on D. Prediction: We don’t see enough on the horizon to predict anything but continued struggles for LA. Not only on the field, but at the box office. Scenes of only 10-15k within the huge Coliseum are not inspiring confidence in the franchise and are an issue for the league. OAKLAND INVADERS (2-6) Strengths: Firepower. Oakland has one of the more exciting big play offenses in the USFL. With a gunslinger in Fred Besana leading the offense, and true playmakers in RB Arthur Whittington and Fred Banks, this is a team that defensive coordinators stay up late trying to solve. Weaknesses: Consistency on offense. The Invaders have the talent to break open a game, but they seem to struggle to keep long drives going. They depend on the big play to score, and as teams gameplan against this, using zones and deep coverage to avoid big plays, the Invaders have yet to prove that they can march the ball down the field in small chunks until they score. That is a weakness that is keeping this team from reaching the heights many expected. Breakout Star: RB Arthur Whittington is third in the league in yardage, despite only a 3.8 yard average. He has had games where he was simply able to bully the opposition and others where he struggled to get back to the line of scrimmage, but when he is on, he is fun to watch. Prediction: If any team had a shot to leave a 2-6 start behind them and make it over .500 by season’s end, it is Oakland. Will they find more consistency and an ability to turn big play offense into steady offense? That is the question.

The USFL reached the midseason point in Week 8 and teams have begun to separate. While those in the Central Division battle for a possible wildcard spot, the Pacific continues to look like .500 is good enough for a division title. WSH 24 TBY 41—Tampa Bay reestablished themselves as a force to be reckoned with as they demolished the Washington Federals. The game started out quite differently as a Doug Greene interception of John Reeves pushed the Feds up to a 10-0 lead, but with 24 unanswered points from the Bandits, the die was cast. Reaves would finish the day with 308 yards passing and 3 TDs. He was helped by a tandem RB strategy in which Gary Anderson rushed 13 times for 53 yards and Greg Boone added 103 yards on 10 carries, including a 40 yard romp that broke the back of the Washington D on what had been a key 3rd and 1. PHI 31 BIR 28—Birmingham could not keep pace with the Bandits, as they fell by 3 to the visiting Philadelphia Stars. It was as close a battle as you could have with both teams trading haymakers throughout. Both Bob Lane for B’Ham and Chuck Fusina for Philly had good games, and both passed for 2 scores. Kelvin Bryant was a force, rushing for 171 yards on 21 carries, but the combination of Gant and Quarles was able to keep pace and keep the game close throughout. In the end, it was a final drive, “last team with the ball” scenario which ended with David Trout’s short field goal with only 17 seconds left which gave Philly the win. NJ 3 MGN 30—Contain Herschel Walker and you contain the entire Generals Team. That was the sentiment of Michigan coach Jim Stanley, and it proved to be correct. Walker was held to only 47 yards on 21 carries and Michigan was able to win comfortably. The Panthers finally found a run game of their own as HB John Williams caught the Generals napping on a 63 yard romp and finished the game with 162 yards in total. Add two TD passes from Hebert and you have a healthy win over a solid team that was just outcoached today. BOS 2 CHI 15—It is not often you see a game with 2 safeties, much less one where an entire team’s scoring is a safety, but that is what fans in a windy Soldier Field saw today. Boston simply did not have anything in place to move the ball, and Chicago, who has a tendency to settle for field goals, was able to add atTrumaine Johnson TD to take a 15-2 win. The star of the day was the Chicago D, which sacked Johnny Walton 3 times, picked off 2 passes and held RB Richard Crump to only 37 yards. Not a dazzling win, but a much needed slog of a win for the Blitz. DEN 13 OAK 10—Coach Red Miller and the Denver Gold again prove that they can slog it out with the best of them, and Oakland again proved that they are not the best of them. In a sloppy game, in which Denver committed 10 penalties for 70 yards and Oakland went 3 for 12 on 3rd down, the Gold had just enough to take the win and hold off the Invaders. The Gold took a 13-3 lead at the half, and neither team did much in the second half until Oakland moved into 2 minute offense at the end of the half. They got a Besana to Banks TD with 6 seconds left, but that was too little too late and the Invaders fell to a miserable 2-6. Denver, with the win is back at .500 at 4-4 and holds a 2 game lead in the division. LA 31 ARZ 34—Clearly Arizona has LA’s number. The Wranglers, who have not managed to beat anyone in the league this year, won their second of two back-to-back games against LA to move into a 3-way tie for 2nd place in the West at 2-6. For two pretty bad teams, this was a pretty good game. The 4th quarter in particular was quite exciting as the two teams, both fearful of falling to the other, went back and forth and up and down the field. Arizona got a Jackie Flowers TD catch to even the score with LA at 24. That was countered by a LaRue Harrington 1 yard plunge to give LA the 31-24 lead. Steve Howell answered for Arizona with a 2 yard dive of his own to even the score with 2:58 left. The Wranglers got the ball back only 43 seconds later when LA missed on 3 straight pass plays and had to punt. Alan Risher was able to push the ball into LA territory and kicker Jim Asmus hit the winning field goal as time expired to give Arizona its second straight victory over LA. Now all they have to do is figure out how to bean some of the other 10 teams in the league.

With every team playing intradivisional rivalry games, this was a big week for teams to stake a claim to their division, all that plus the end of winless football in Arizona. NJ 17 PHI 23—The Stars tightened their grip on the top spot in the Atlantic, holding off the Generals in a game that went to overtime. In a back and forth game the Generals went up 10-0 only to have Philly tie the game up at the half. In the third quarter, Bobby Scott hit Nathan Bruce for a 9 yard TD to give the Generals a 7 point lead, but a 1 yard Booker Russell run tied it back up for the Stars. Neither team could score again in regulation. In overtime both teams failed on their first drive, before the Stars ended the game on a Fusina pass to his favorite target, Scott Fitzkee to win the game and take a commanding 2 game lead in the division. BOS 30 WSH 24—Washington’s losing streak stretched to 5 games as Boston was able to keep pace with New Jersey with a 6 point win in front of only 15,600 at RFK. Johnny Walton once again proved to be a timeless wonder, throwing for 265 yards and 2 scores to lead the Breakers to the win. Washington was game, and Kim McQuilken did not play poorly, throwing for 275 himself. At one point it looked like a good day for the Feds, as they took a 14 point lead early in the 3rd quarter, 24-10. But, as seems to be the trend for the Feds, they could not hold on. Boston scored 20 unanswered points in the 3rd and 4th quarters, including a 72 yard TD pass to Nolan Franz on a successful flea flicker, and an errant McQuilken throw which Joe Restic took all the way back for a score. The loss puts the Federals at 2-5, while Boston is again above .500 at 4-3. TBY 21 CHI 16—The Bandits shrugged of their Week 6 loss and found a way to slog out a win at a rainy Soldier Field. Once again Chicago found itself settling for field goals (3 in the game) when they needed touchdowns. Tim Spencer had a particularly rough day, gaining only 32 yards on 18 carries, while his counterpart for the Bandits, Gary Anderson scampered for 133 on 15 carries. Pair that with 2 TD’s from wideout Eric Truvillion and Tampa was able to hang on for a win that propelled them to the top of the Central Division once again. For Chicago, the loss dropped them below .500 at 3-4 and placed them at the bottom of this tough division. MGN 24 BIR 38—The run of strong play from the Birmingham Stallions continued in Week 7 as the homestanding Stallions delighted a crowd of over 42,000 in Legion Field. On a warm Sunday afternoon, it was the Stallions’ ground game that really heated things up. Quarles led the team with 104 yards rushing, while backup Earl Gant added 54 yards of his own. Add to that 3 TD tosses from Bobby Lane, and you get a 14 point win despite strong play from the Michigan receiving duo of Carter and Holloway, who had 297 yards receiving between the two of them (with Holloway accounting for all 3 Panther TDs). The win puts Birmingham at 6-1, even with Tampa, but with a win over the Bandits in hand. Michigan falls to 4-3, 2 games back. OAK 40 DEN 17—Just when we think Oakland is in real trouble, after a loss to winless LA, they come out and dominate a solid Denver team. Both Arthur Whittington (135 yards rushing) and Fred Besana (250 yards passing) had good outings and the much-maligned Oakland D bent but did not break against the Gold. Ken Johnson was harassed all day, leading to two interceptions and two sacks. While Vic James caught both Denver TD’s he was also held to only 46 yards on 4 catches, far below his league leading average. The win is Oakland’s 2nd on the season, putting them back in the mix in the weakest of the league’s three divisions. ARZ 41 LA 35—Funny what desperation will do. After two straight wins, LA looked to have turned a corner. Meanwhile Arizona, at 0-6 was a team with nothing to lose, and it showed on Sunday. The Wranglers, led by backup Dan Manucci due to an injury to starter Alan Risher, found balance on offense. They passed for 167 yards (and 3 scores) and rushed for another 122. And while Tom Ramse threw for 331 yards, he also threw 4 interceptions into a secondary that had not been scaring anyone. LA at times looked the stronger team, but 5 total turnovers did them in against a scrappy Wrangler team. So what’s next? Well, due to a scheduling quirk these two teams will meet again next week in the LA Coliseum, perhaps a chance for LA to show its worth and seek some revenge.