1983: Backup Woodward Leads Breakers to Win Against Bandits

On June 19, 1983 two teams with playoff aspirations in the inaugural United States Football League season met in Boston. Both were also playing without their regular quarterbacks.

The Boston Breakers were 9-6 and in second place in the Atlantic Division. With the Philadelphia Stars having already clinched the division title, the Breakers were in the hunt for the lone Wild Card playoff spot. Coached by Dick Coury, they had proven adept at rallying for wins with their exciting offense, but veteran QB John Walton was out with a strained knee and the untested Doug Woodward would be making his first start at quarterback.

The Tampa Bay Bandits also had injury problems at quarterback, and were starting Mike Kelley in place of Jimmy Jordan, originally himself a backup who had in turn taken over for John Reaves when the 33-year-old veteran went down with a broken wrist. Under pass-oriented Head Coach Steve Spurrier, the Bandits had gotten off to a 4-0 start but were now at 10-5 and trying to keep pace with the Chicago Blitz atop the Central Division. They had beaten the Breakers in the season’s first week.

There were 15,530 fans in attendance at Nickerson Field of Boston University on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Among those in attendance was actor Burt Reynolds, a minority owner of the Bandits. With the inexperienced Woodward at quarterback, who had thrown just three passes thus far, the Breakers came into the contest utilizing a simplified offense and relying on a good defensive effort.

On the first play from scrimmage, Tampa Bay RB Gary Anderson fumbled and SS Joe Restic recovered for the Breakers. Four plays later, Doug Woodward, rolling to his left, tossed a scoring pass to FB Dennis Johnson from 11 yards out. Tim Mazzetti added the extra point and, less than two minutes into the game, the home team was up by 7-0. To make matters worse for Tampa Bay, Anderson, the star rookie whose arrival at midseason had bolstered the running attack, aggravated a shoulder injury.

The Bandits responded by driving to a 35-yard field goal by Zenon Andrusyshyn, but the Breakers then put together a 46-yard series that was capped by Johnson diving for a two-yard TD. Mazzetti again successfully converted and Boston was staked to a 14-3 first quarter lead.

Early in the second quarter, the Bandits scored on a 20-yard touchdown carry by RB Sam Platt and Mike Kelley threw to WR Eric Truvillion for a two-point conversion. Mazzetti kicked a 22-yard field goal with 2:20 remaining in the first half that increased Boston’s advantage to 17-11. As time expired before halftime, Andrusyshyn kicked a field goal from 51 yards that hit the crossbar but went over. The score was 17-14 at the intermission.

In the third quarter, the Bandits put together a drive that started from their 25 and advanced deep into Boston territory. But facing third-and-three at the seven, Anderson ran for two yards and then, attempting to convert fourth down, the rookie was stopped by LB Marcus Marek for no gain (although the spot by the officials was highly disputed) to end the threat and turn the ball back over to the Breakers.

Later in the period, a 72-yard punt by Boston’s Dario Casarino pinned the Bandits back at their two yard line. Tampa Bay reached the 12 before having to punt in turn early in the fourth quarter, and it took the Breakers just two plays to score from their own 49. Woodward connected with TE Beau Coash for 44 yards and then WR Nolan Franz for a seven-yard TD. Mazzetti kicked the point after.

With 7:50 to play, Andrusyshyn narrowed the margin to seven points with a 35-yard field goal, but that proved to be the last gasp for the Bandits, who failed to cross midfield for the remainder of the contest. On the game’s next-to-last play, LB Ray Phillips sealed the 24-17 win for the Breakers by intercepting a Kelley pass at the Boston 40.

Tampa Bay dominated in total yards (355 to 222) and first downs (22 to 10), and ran 27 more offensive plays than the Breakers. However, the Bandits failed too often to convert long possessions into touchdowns and turned the ball over three times, to none by Boston. The Breakers also recorded four sacks, while Tampa Bay had none.

Staked to an early lead, Doug Woodward completed 12 of 17 passes for just 80 yards, but two were good for touchdowns and he gave up no interceptions. RB Richard Crump rushed for 79 yards on nine carries. Thanks to his one long catch, Beau Coash led the Breakers with 47 yards on two pass receptions.

For the Bandits, Mike Kelley was successful on 22 of 40 throws for 238 yards and no TDs and was picked off once. Gary Anderson, who was knocked out of the contest for a time in addition to reinjuring his shoulder, rushed for 49 yards on nine attempts and Greg Boone contributed 36 yards on 10 carries. WR Willie Gillespie caught four passes for 87 yards.

“It was a fairly simple game plan, but the young kid did an excellent job,” said Boston’s Coach Coury. “He’s a heady kid, throws the ball real well, and came up with a couple of big plays.”

It was the fifth win in six games for the Breakers. Meanwhile, the loss put the Bandits a game behind the Chicago Blitz in the Central Division with two contests remaining. Both clubs ultimately failed to make the postseason. They each split their remaining games and ended up with 11-7 records (Chicago was the Wild Card at 12-6).

1983: Rae Rallies Express Past Breakers

The May 7, 1983 United States Football League game in Los Angeles featured a pair of teams that had lost their last two games and were struggling to remain in playoff contention.

The Los Angeles Express were coached by Hugh Campbell, who had been highly successful in the CFL. They sported a mediocre 4-5 record, but that was the same as the other three teams in the lackluster Pacific Division of the USFL. While the defense was tough, the offense had difficulty scoring points. Former NFL backup Mike Rae (pictured above) had been starting at quarterback, but was typically relieved by rookie Tom Ramsey out of UCLA, and now Ramsey was getting an opportunity to start.

The visiting Boston Breakers, coached by Dick Coury, had a better record coming into the game at 5-4, but in the Atlantic Division that put them three games behind the Philadelphia Stars. They were coming off two tough losses, including one the week before in which QB John Walton passed for 423 yards, the highest total in the new league’s brief history. A veteran of the Continental and World Football leagues, as well as the NFL, Walton had good targets in wide receivers Charlie Smith, formerly of the NFL Eagles, Nolan Franz, and Frank Lockett. They could also run the ball well, and while the passing defense was spotty, there was a good group of linebackers led by rookie Marcus Marek from Ohio State.

There were 16,307 fans on hand for the nationally-televised game late on a Saturday afternoon at the Memorial Coliseum. The Express got the first break when DB Alvin Burleson intercepted a third-down pass by John Walton and returned it to the Boston nine yard line. It led to an eight-yard touchdown pass from Tom Ramsey to WR Kris Haines. Vince Abbott missed the extra point attempt, but the home team held the early 6-0 lead.

The Breakers responded with a 44-yard Tim Mazzetti field goal after going 36 yards in nine plays and then got the ball back when the Express fumbled the ensuing kickoff return. The visitors made the most of the opportunity as FB Tony Davis swept around left end for a six-yard TD. Mazzetti added the extra point and Boston took a 10-6 lead into the second quarter.

LA put together a good drive of 75 yards in 13 plays that featured two Ramsey-to-Haines passes, but a holding penalty wiped out a carry to the one yard line and the Express had to settle for an Abbott field goal from 22 yards.

The Breakers came back with a series that featured effective running, a pass interference penalty on LA, and a flea-flicker pass to WR Charlie Smith that set up RB Richard Crump’s one-yard leap into the end zone for a touchdown. Mazzetti added the point after, and the score was 17-9 at the half.

Five minutes into the third quarter, Mike Rae relieved the injured Tom Ramsey at quarterback, who went out after being sacked by DE Daryl Wilkerson and suffered a bruised Achilles tendon. Abbott missed on a 42-yard field goal attempt shortly thereafter, but two plays later the Express got another huge break on defense when RB Anthony Steels fumbled and CB Wymon Henderson scooped up the loose ball and ran 33 yards for a touchdown. Abbott’s successful conversion again made it a one-point game at 17-16 heading into the final period.

The Breakers again moved effectively on their next series, but an offensive pass interference penalty called in the end zone on Smith forced a long field goal attempt of 48 yards by Mazzetti that was partially blocked and fell short.

Boston got a break, intercepting a Rae pass, but after driving to a first down at the five yard line, the Breakers could only come up with a 24-yard field goal by Mazzetti as the Express defense stiffened. Still, the lead was four points with less than eight minutes remaining to play.

It seemed as though it would be enough when LA was forced to punt on its next series and the Breakers responded with a long drive that finally stalled deep in Express territory. With 1:03 now on the clock, Mazzetti missed a 28-yard field goal attempt that would have given the visitors a seven-point lead.

The Express, who had such difficulty on offense for most of the game, proceeded to put together a six-play, 80-yard possession that was helped along by three completions to RB Tony Boddie for sizable gains. With 18 seconds remaining on the clock, Rae threw to Haines for a six-yard touchdown, and Los Angeles came away with a stunning 23-20 win.

Boston dominated in total yards (339 to 211), with only 22 of LA’s yards coming on the ground, in first downs (20 to 12), and time of possession (38:27 to 21:33). In addition, the Breakers sacked LA quarterbacks four times, to one by the Express. However, Boston turned the ball over four times, to two suffered by Los Angeles, and was penalized 12 times at a cost of 80 yards while the Express was flagged 7 times for 60 yards.

In his relief effort, Mike Rae completed 9 of 12 passes for 104 yards and one touchdown along with one interception. Prior to leaving due to injury, Tom Ramsey was 10 of 18 for 117 yards and a TD with none intercepted. Tony Boddie had 7 catches for 79 yards in addition to his team-leading 11 rushing yards on three carries and Kris Haines added 6 receptions for 86 yards that included the two touchdowns.

For the Breakers, John Walton was successful on 19 of 33 throws for 196 yards and was picked off three times. Anthony Steels ran for 92 yards on 17 attempts and caught three passes for 18 more yards. Nolan Franz topped the club with four catches for 64 yards.

“For the third straight week we played well enough to win, and didn’t get the job done,” said a disappointed Coach Coury of the Breakers. “It’s very frustrating, probably the most frustrating three-week period in my career.”

The Breakers went on to win their next four games, but ended up with an 11-7 record that was good enough to maintain second place in the Atlantic Division but not enough for the Wild Card playoff spot. The Express ultimately also came up short in the Pacific Division, also placing second at 8-10. Mike Rae and Tom Ramsey continued to split time at quarterback the rest of the way.

1984: Breakers Edge Maulers Despite Carano’s Big Passing Day

The Week 7 United States Football League contest on April 8, 1984 between the New Orleans Breakers and Pittsburgh Maulers appeared to be a classic mismatch on paper. The Breakers were 5-1, having lost for the first time in their previous game, and were in the thick of the Southern Division race. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh was struggling at 2-4, although they were coming off a win.

The Maulers were one of six expansion teams for the USFL’s second season and were coached by Joe Pendry, a former college assistant who had been offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Stars in ’83. They had made a high-profile signing by picking up the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, RB Mike Rozier, and they had a quarterback with NFL experience in former Dallas backup Glenn Carano. But the offense struggled, at least until picking up WR Jackie Flowers from the Chicago Blitz, and the defense had many holes.

The Breakers, coached by Dick Coury for the second year, had been in Boston in 1983 but were thriving in their new home. 36-year-old QB John Walton directed an offense that was productive both on the ground and through the air and the defense, anchored by LB Marcus Marek, was effective as well.

There was a crowd of 39,315 on hand at the Louisiana Superdome. The Breakers scored first on a five-yard carry around end by RB Marcus Dupree for a touchdown that finished off a 91-yard drive and Tim Mazzetti added the extra point. Dupree ran the ball five times for 31 yards during the series, but also aggravated a hamstring problem that hindered him the remainder of the game (he gained just ten more yards).

Just before the opening period ended, Glenn Carano connected with WR Greg Anderson for a nine-yard TD and Tony Lee added the point after to tie the score. The Maulers moved the ball well again on their next possession, going 77 yards, but they came up empty when a hurried throw by Carano was picked off by SS Eric Johnson.

Carano gave up another interception on the next Pittsburgh series, this time on a bomb intended for Anderson that was grabbed by CB Bruce Miller at the New Orleans 18. Pittsburgh got the ball back thanks to a fumble recovery when DT David Graham stripped RB Tony Good at the New Orleans 48. Once again the Maulers moved into scoring territory, but after reaching the 25 a penalty moved them back five yards and Lee ultimately was short on a 47-yard field goal attempt. Despite moving the ball well, Pittsburgh was unable to take advantage of scoring opportunities and the tally remained 7-7 at the half.

Early in the third quarter, Mazzetti booted a 33-yard field goal to put the Breakers back in front by 10-7. The Maulers responded with a field goal of their own, with Lee successful from 32 yards. New Orleans drove 79 yards on a series that ended with Walton throwing to WR Marion Brown, who dove to make the catch for a 15-yard touchdown, and Mazzetti’s PAT made it a seven-point contest with less than a minute remaining in the period.

In the fourth quarter, the Maulers came through with a big stop on defense when the Breakers attempted to convert a fourth-and-two play and RB Buford Jordan was tackled for a one-yard loss at the Pittsburgh 36. The Maulers responded with 63-yard drive in seven plays, all passes, six of which were completions. The last was to Anderson for a seven-yard TD and, with the successful extra point, the score was tied at 17-17.

The Maulers were backed up to their seven yard line when they next got the ball, but they went 93 yards to take the lead. Carano again had the hot hand, competing six of seven for 78 yards along the way, the biggest a toss to Anderson that picked up 27 yards down the left sideline. That got the ball to the New Orleans one, from where Carano got the touchdown on a quarterback sneak.

Down by seven points with 2:46 left in the contest, Walton led the Breakers 80 yards in five plays over the course of 57 seconds to tie the score. Three of the plays were pass completions to WR Charlie Smith that picked up a total of 48 yards, and each victimized safety Larry Friday, who was in the game as a nickel back. Friday hit Smith with an elbow after one reception to add another 15 yards and advance the ball to the Pittsburgh 24. Smith’s last catch was in the corner of the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown. Mazzetti tied the score once more at 24-24 with the extra point.

The ensuing kickoff was returned just 10 yards by RB William Miller, who was brought down hard at his own 11 yard line. Carano had a short toss to Mike Rozier for three yards but then threw two incomplete passes before Larry Swider, kicking from his end zone, launched a 49-yard punt to the New Orleans 36.

Jordan ran 21 yards on a draw play to the Pittsburgh 43. On a third down play, Walton connected with Smith once again for a 14-yard gain to the 24 that set up a 41-yard Tim Mazzetti field goal with 12 seconds left on the clock. Having scored ten points inside the last two minutes, the Breakers came away with a 27-24 win.

Pittsburgh led in total yards (452 to 425) and also had the edge in first downs (29 to 28). However, the Maulers had three turnovers, to one suffered by the Breakers, and they were also penalized 9 times at a cost of 84 yards, to 8 flags thrown on New Orleans for 49 yards.

John Walton completed 18 of 33 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns with none intercepted. Buford Jordan ran for 111 yards on 12 carries and gained another 50 yards on his three pass receptions. The 10-year veteran Charlie Smith, who had been a teammate of Walton’s with the Eagles in the NFL, topped the receivers with 7 catches for 113 yards and a TD, most of which came in the clutch in the fourth quarter.

For the Maulers, Glenn Carano went to the air 48 times and had 35 completions for 388 yards and two TDs, although he also gave up three interceptions. Jackie Flowers and Greg Anderson each caught 10 passes, for 135 and 128 yards, respectively, and two of Anderson’s were good for scores. Mike Rozier led the ground game with 45 yards on 13 carries and also had 7 receptions for 23 yards.

“We’re fortunate to get out of here alive,” said a relieved Coach Dick Coury afterward.

“We let the offense down,” said Pittsburgh DE Sam Clancy. “We gave up ten points in the final two minutes. No team can win like that.”

The win improved New Orleans’ record to 6-1 but, after splitting their next two games, the Breakers collapsed and won only once more the rest of the way to finish at a disappointing 8-10 for third place in the Southern Division. Pittsburgh fell to 2-5 and continued to flounder, ending up at the bottom of the Atlantic Division along with the Washington Federals with a 3-15 record. Coach Pendry was gone after ten games and replaced by Ellis Rainsberger.

Glenn Carano, who had such a big day in a losing cause, went on to complete 53.7 percent of his passes for 2368 yards and 13 touchdowns against 19 interceptions in what was his last pro season. Greg Anderson led the team with 63 catches for 994 yards (15.8 avg.) and six TDs while Jackie Flowers contributed 51 receptions for 904 yards (17.7 avg.) and eight scores. 

1983: Bandits Pull Out Win Over Breakers in USFL Debut

March 6, 1983 marked the debut of the United States Football League with the first game starting in Tampa between the Tampa Bay Bandits and Boston Breakers, just ahead of four other Sunday afternoon contests.

The Bandits were owned by John Bassett, a Canadian businessman who had once operated the Memphis Southmen in the World Football League. The head coach was Steve Spurrier, a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at the University of Florida who played in the NFL with the 49ers and Buccaneers and had most recently been offensive coordinator at Duke. 33-year-old John Reaves (pictured above) was the starting quarterback and, like his coach, had also starred at Florida but had little success as a pro and had been dogged by drug and alcohol problems off the field. Reaves had last played for Houston in 1981 and was selling real estate in that city when the opportunity to play in the new league came along.

Boston also had a veteran quarterback in John Walton, a 35-year-old who had last played as a backup with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1979 before becoming head coach at Elizabeth City State for three years. Walton was also a veteran of the Continental and World Football Leagues along the way and had demonstrated a strong passing arm. Head Coach Dick Coury was an experienced NFL assistant who had also been head coach with the WFL’s Portland Storm.

There was plenty of hoopla surrounding the opening game at Tampa Stadium with a good crowd of 42,447 fans in attendance on a sunny, 80-degree afternoon. The Bandits came out fast, running their first eight plays without a huddle, but it was Boston’s Tim Mazzetti who put the first points on the board a minute before the end of the first quarter with a 30-yard field goal.

In the second quarter, the Bandits put together a 75-yard drive in six plays that culminated in Reaves throwing to RB Ricky Williams for a five-yard touchdown with six minutes remaining in the first half. Zenon Andrusyshyn added the extra point. Boston responded with an eight-play, 80-yard series that also led to a TD on a pass from John Walton to RB Anthony Steels. Mazzetti successfully added the PAT to give the Breakers a three-point lead at 10-7.

In their first possession of the third quarter, the Bandits drove 83 yards to score again. Reaves completed all four of his passes, the last one for a six-yard touchdown to WR Eric Truvillion. Moving the ball effectively later in the period and ahead by 14-10, it seemed as though the Bandits were on the verge of taking control of the game as they faced third-and-goal at the Boston three yard line. However, Reaves fired a pass into the end zone that was tipped twice before being intercepted by CB Terry Love five yards deep in the end zone. Love proceeded to run 102 yards before being brought down at the Tampa Bay three by Truvillion. Three plays later, the Breakers re-took the lead on a one-yard carry by FB Tony Davis and Mazzetti added the point after.

The momentum had shifted and Tampa Bay’s next possession also ended with an interception, but the Breakers were unable to add points. With 10:17 left in the game, Reaves went long to WR Willie Gillespie for a 33-yard touchdown that put the Bandits back in front to stay, Andrusyshyn capping the score with his third extra point of the contest.

That was it for the scoring. Holding a four-point lead and with 1:35 left in the contest, the Bandits were in possession at their own 29 and Coach Spurrier gambled by seeking to convert a fourth-and-one situation. The Breakers stopped the ensuing running play by RB Greg Boone but were flagged for being offsides. Tampa Bay was able to run out the clock and win by a final score of 21-17. 

The Bandits easily outpaced Boston in total yards (470 to 225) and first downs (26 to 14). However, the Breakers led in time of possession (31:02 to 28:58) and Tampa Bay turned the ball over twice, to one turnover suffered by the visitors.

John Reaves had a fine performance, completing 28 of 39 passes for 358 yards and three touchdowns, along with two interceptions. Ricky Williams, who played collegiately at Florida State, got the starting nod at running back due to a foot injury suffered by RB George Ragsdale on the opening kickoff and rushed for 97 yards on 25 carries and also had 6 catches for 49 more yards that included a TD (his only production of the season, as he went down with a knee injury the following week). WR Danny Buggs led the club with 7 pass receptions for 112 yards and Eric Truvillion contributed 6 catches for 88 yards and a score.

For the Breakers, John Walton was successful on 17 of 28 throws for 163 yards and a TD along with one interception. Tony Davis rushed for 29 yards and a touchdown on 12 attempts while RB Anthony Steels gained 23 yards on 6 carries and added 4 receptions for 35 yards. Veteran WR Charlie Smith, a former teammate of Walton’s in Philadelphia, gained a team-leading 48 yards on his two catches.

“I was very much pleased with what I saw,” said former Steelers RB Rocky Bleier, who was on hand to cover the game for a Pittsburgh television station. “It was wide open, there was a good selection of plays and there wasn’t the kind of sloppy play you might expect for a game like this.”

The opening-week win was the first of four straight for the Bandits, but they stumbled during the second half of the season and the resulting 11-7 record left them third in the Central Division and just short of the playoffs. The loss of John Reaves with a broken wrist was a factor, although backup Jimmy Jordan performed well until also going down with an injury.

Boston recovered to go 11-7 as well, good enough for second in the Atlantic Division although also on the outside looking in for the postseason.

1983: Invaders Edge Breakers to Win Pacific Division Title

The Oakland Invaders had a mediocre 8-8 record with two contests to go in the inaugural United States Football League season, but that was enough to put them in control of their own destiny in the weak Pacific Division. On June 25, 1983 they hosted the Boston Breakers, who were 10-6 and trying to secure the lone Wild Card playoff spot.

The Invaders, coached by John Ralston, had uncovered a hidden talent in 29-year-old QB Fred Besana, a former semi-pro player who was proving to be one of the USFL’s most productive passers. Two former members of the NFL Raiders, TE Raymond Chester and RB Arthur Whittington, were better known to Bay Area football fans and key players on the offense, although Whittington was out with an injury for the Breakers game. The inconsistent defense had a good group of linebackers, most notably Frank Manumaleuga and Gary Plummer on the inside as they utilized a 3-4 alignment.

Head Coach Dick Coury’s Breakers boasted a well-balanced offense directed by QB John Walton, a veteran of the Continental and World Football Leagues as well as the NFL who had come out of retirement to play in the USFL. With a fine group of receivers plus ex-Canadian Football League RB Richard Crump, Boston could typically move the ball. Like the Invaders, the best part of the defense was the linebacking corps that was led by rookie Marcus Marek, but stopping the pass was a chronic problem.

There was a crowd of 30,396 on hand at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum for the Saturday contest. They saw the home team take the early lead when Besana, rolling to his right, just got off a pass before going out of bounds that was caught in the end zone by HB Louis Jackson for a touchdown. Kevin Shea’s successful extra point made it 7-0, and that was the score after a period of play.

Boston got on the board in the second quarter thanks to a 35-yard Tim Mazzetti field goal. Oakland again moved into scoring position but a field goal attempt was blocked and returned 75 yards for a touchdown by LB Ben Needham. Instead of extending their lead, the Invaders were behind by 10-7. Before the half was over, Shea got another shot at a field goal and was successful from 22 yards out to tie the game at 10-10 at the half.

Mistakes by the Breakers in the third quarter put Oakland back in front. A fumble was recovered at the Oakland 48 and, with the help of three penalties, the Invaders moved to the Boston three. On the first play of the fourth quarter, FB Ted Torosian powered into the end zone for a touchdown and, with the successful extra point, Oakland took a 17-13 lead.

The Breakers again hurt themselves when an apparent touchdown was called back due to a penalty. Mazzetti was able to add a 24-yard field goal but the Oakland defense held the rest of the way and the Invaders won the game, and the division title, by the slender margin of 17-16.

Oakland outgained the Breakers (322 yards to 282), had more first downs (18 to 9), and significantly dominated time of possession (39:21 to 20:39). The Invaders also recorded five sacks, for a total loss of 31 yards, while Boston got to Besana twice. The Breakers turned the ball over three times, to one suffered by Oakland, and while the Invaders were penalized 11 times, Boston was flagged on 12 occasions, often in key situations, at a total cost of 115 yards.

Fred Besana had a solid, if unspectacular, performance as he completed 25 of 36 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. In place of Arthur Whittington, Louis Jackson rushed for 90 yards on 23 carries and caught 8 passes for 110 yards and a TD. Ted Torosian pulled in 10 receptions for 63 yards in addition to his 8 rushes for 16 yards and a score as most of Besana’s completions went to backs. Raymond Chester added 4 catches for 45 yards and only two completions were made to a wide receiver.

For the Breakers, John Walton was successful on only 7 of 20 throws for 109 yards with no TDs and one picked off while Doug Woodward went two-for-six and 28 yards with another interception. Richard Crump gained 122 yards on just 13 rushing attempts. WR Nolan Franz caught three passes for 36 yards while WR Charlie Smith gained 55 yards on his two receptions.

The Invaders lost their season finale and ended up at 9-9. They were defeated decisively by the Michigan Panthers in the Semifinal playoff game. Boston finished second in the Atlantic Division at 11-7 and out of the postseason. 

Fred Besana led the USFL in passing yards (3980) and completion percentage (62.7) while ranking second in passing overall. He tossed 21 TD passes as opposed to 16 interceptions.  In a backup role, Louis Jackson rushed for 273 yards on 82 carries (3.3 avg.) and caught 29 passes for 294 yards – his touchdown against Boston was his only one of the year.

1983: Stars Hold Off Rally to Beat Breakers

The Philadelphia Stars were off to a 6-1 start in the inaugural United States Football League season as they hosted the Boston Breakers on April 24, 1983. Head Coach Jim Mora’s team benefited greatly from the presence of rookie RB Kelvin Bryant on a ball-control offense directed by QB Chuck Fusina. The “Doghouse Defense” was even more the key to the club’s success, having given up an average of just eight points a game in the first seven weeks.

Boston was 5-2 and right behind the Stars in the Atlantic Division standings. Coached by the offensive-minded Dick Coury, who had ex-NFL star quarterback Roman Gabriel as offensive coordinator, the Breakers had a fine passing game with 35-year-old QB John Walton, a veteran of the WFL and NFL who had come out of retirement as a college coach, throwing to wide receivers Frank Lockett, Nolan Franz, and ex-Eagle Charlie Smith. Ex-CFL halfback Richard Crump was productive both as a receiver out of the backfield and runner from scrimmage.

There were just 10,257 fans in attendance at Veterans Stadium. The home team started off the scoring as Fusina tossed a 14-yard touchdown pass to WR Willie Collier seven minutes into the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, Kelvin Bryant ran around the left side for a 21-yard TD.

The defense set up another scoring series for the Stars when FS Mike Lush knocked the ball out of the hands of Nolan Franz and LB Sam Mills recovered at the Philadelphia 37. The resulting drive ended up with a 34-yard David Trout field goal for a 17-0 margin.

Five minutes into the second half, Trout added another field goal, this time from 34 yards, and it seemed as though the Stars were cruising at 20-0. However, the Breakers came up with a big play with just over five minutes to go in the third quarter. Walton connected with Frank Lockett down the middle for an 86-yard touchdown to get them on the board.

Two minutes later, LB Ben Needham intercepted a Fusina throw and that resulted in a Boston possession that concluded with Walton tossing another TD pass, this time from eight yards out to Richard Crump. Suddenly, the Breakers were only six points down with plenty of time remaining.

The Stars defense showed its mettle in keeping the surging Breakers from again reaching the end zone. In the closest call, a fake field goal attempt by the Breakers came up short at the Philadelphia three yard line with 4:19 left on the clock.

The Stars couldn’t move out of their end of the field and took an intentional safety with 2:29 remaining in the game as punter Sean Landeta ran out of the end zone. But while that pulled the Breakers to just four points behind, Boston RB Ira Matthews fumbled the free kick and CB Jonathan Sutton of the Stars recovered at the Breakers’ 30. David Trout added a 42-yard field goal to make it a seven-point game.

The Breakers had one last shot and drove to the Philadelphia 10 with 26 seconds remaining. However, they could get no further as Walton threw two incomplete passes and the Stars hung on for a tough 23-16 win.

Although Philadelphia held the ball for five minutes longer than the Breakers, Boston outgained the Stars (471 yards to 254) and had more first downs (19 to 14). However, the visitors also turned the ball over five times, to three by Philadelphia.

As usual, Kelvin Bryant was the key producer on offense for the Stars with 110 yards on 23 rushing attempts that included a TD. Chuck Fusina completed 12 of 18 passes for 124 yards with a touchdown and the one costly interception. WR Rodney Parker led the receiver s with three catches for 55 yards.

For the Breakers, John Walton went to the air 44 times and was successful on 31 for 367 yards and two TDs with one intercepted. Nolan Franz caught 7 of those passes for 74 yards while, with the one long scoring grab, Frank Lockett gained 131 yards on 5 receptions. Charlie Smith contributed another 5 catches for 97 yards. Richard Crump ran for 51 yards on 13 carries and pulled in 6 passes for 50 more yards and a TD.

The fumble on the free kick, not surprisingly, drew the most comments after the game.

“I think the Stars made a poor decision in calling for the safety,” said Dick Coury. “It gave us a chance, but we fumbled it away, and that fumble cost us the game.”

“The biggest thing we wanted to do was make sure we made the tackle to keep them from getting good field position,” explained Jonathan Sutton of the key turnover. “Mark McCants made a good hit. We saw the ball pop out and I was right there to cover the ball.”

The Stars continued on to win the Atlantic Division with a 15-3 record, eventually losing to the Michigan Panthers in the USFL Championship game. Boston won the rematch with Philadelphia but finished second in the division at 11-7 and missed the postseason.

Kelvin Bryant ranked second in the league in rushing with 1442 yards on 318 carries (4.5 avg.) and 16 touchdowns and had 53 pass receptions for 410 more yards and a TD. He received All-USFL recognition and was named MVP by the league.

John Walton led the USFL in pass attempts (589) and ranked second in completions (330) and yards (3770) while tying for third (with Alan Risher of Arizona) with 20 touchdown passes. Nolan Franz led the Breakers with 62 catches, for 848 yards, while Charlie Smith gained 1009 yards on 54 receptions for a fine 18.7-yard average and five scores. Frank Lockett, who missed five games, had 37 catches for 535 yards and three TDs. 

1983: Breakers Pull Away in Second Half to Beat Wranglers

The United States Football League Week 7 contest at Tempe, Arizona on April 17, 1983 featured the Boston Breakers, a 4-2 team that was in contention in the Atlantic Division, against the Arizona Wranglers, 3-3 along with the other three clubs in the Pacific Division.

The Breakers, coached by Dick Coury, had a potent offense directed by 35-year-old QB John Walton, who came out of retirement following previous stints in the Continental, World, and National football leagues. WR Charlie Smith, formerly of the NFL Eagles, combined with rookie wide receivers Nolan Franz and Frank Lockett to provide good targets and the running game was paced by HB Richard “Fast” Crump (pictured above). A solid linebacker corps, led by rookie Marcus Marek, anchored the defense. Boston was a game behind the division-leading Philadelphia Stars coming into the contest in Arizona.

Head Coach Doug Shively’s Wranglers had less talent across the board. The roster was undistinguished, but the team was holding its own in a mediocre division and had put together two exciting come-from-behind wins in doing so. Rookie QB Alan Risher played well and had a big-play wide receiver available in Jackie Flowers. Another ex-Eagle, Calvin Murray, was the top running back.

There were 20,911 in attendance at Sun Devil Stadium, and they had little to cheer about. Boston got the first big break early in the first quarter as Arizona punter Jim Asmus fumbled a snap and was tackled at his own two yard line. Walton promptly fired a pass to Crump for a touchdown.

The Wranglers immediately turned the ball over again thanks to a fumble on the ensuing kickoff. The Breakers came away with a 38-yard Tim Mazzetti field goal and the score was 10-0 with 7:21 left in the opening period.

Arizona finally got on the board halfway through the second quarter when Risher tossed a four-yard scoring pass to Flowers. With 31 seconds remaining before halftime, Mazzetti booted a 20-yard field goal and the score was 13-7 at the intermission.

In the third quarter, Boston put together a seven-play, 58-yard drive that resulted in FB Tony Davis running for a six-yard TD. The score was 20-7 with just under nine minutes remaining in the period. It got worse for the home team three minutes later when Breakers safety Joe Restic intercepted a Risher pass which resulted in Mazzetti adding to the margin with a 50-yard field goal.

Before the period was over, Arizona scored again, this time on a one-yard touchdown run by Murray that was followed by a successful two-point conversion on a throw from Risher to WR Neil Balholm. It was 23-15 after three quarters of play and Arizona was still within striking range.

However, there would be no late-game heroics for the mistake-prone Wranglers in this contest. The Breakers put it away with three fourth quarter touchdowns, the first two on four-yard runs by Crump and the last a fumble recovery by Lockett in the end zone. Arizona scored once more on a two-yard pass from backup QB Todd Krueger to Balholm, and the two connected again on a successful two-point conversion, but by then the outcome had long been decided. Boston came away with a convincing 44-23 win.

The Breakers outgained Arizona, 325 yards to 253, while the Wranglers had the edge with 19 first downs to Boston’s 18. Time of possession was nearly equal – the Breakers held the ball for 30:26 to Arizona’s 29:34. However, turnovers put the Wranglers in an early hole and sealed their fate – they gave up the ball five times to Boston’s one.

John Walton had an efficient day, completing 20 of 26 passes for 183 yards with one touchdown and none intercepted. Richard Crump rushed for an even 100 yards on 21 carries that included two TDs and caught 5 passes for 17 yards and one score. Nolan Franz had 6 receptions for 63 yards and Charlie Smith gained 66 yards on his 4 catches. Tim Mazzetti’s three field goals gave him 12 straight and, together with five extra points, he took over as the USFL’s scoring leader with 56 points.

For the Wranglers, Alan Risher was successful on 13 of 26 throws for 123 yards with a TD but two intercepted; Todd Krueger tossed 11 passes in relief and completed 6 for 55 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Calvin Murray was the leading rusher with 77 yards on 19 attempts and a TD. Neil Balholm pulled in 7 passes for 81 yards and a touchdown while Jackie Flowers caught 5 for 35 yards.

The Breakers remained in contention throughout the season, finishing second in the division with an 11-7 record and barely missing a wild card spot in the postseason. Arizona, however, completely collapsed, winning one more game the rest of the way and ending up tying Washington for the USFL’s worst record at 4-14.

John Walton missed time due to injury but still managed to throw more passes (589) than any other USFL quarterback and completed 56 percent of them for 3772 yards with 20 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. Richard Crump was the league’s seventh-ranked rusher with 990 yards on 190 carries, giving him a 5.2-yard average. He also scored a total of 12 TDs. The ex-Falcon Tim Mazzetti (pictured below) ended up second in scoring (119 points) and field goals (27). 

Past Venue: Nickerson Field

Boston, MA



Year opened: 1955
Capacity: 10,412, down from 21,000 when it was still being used for football

Names:
Nickerson Field, 1955 to date

Pro football tenants:
Boston Patriots (AFL), 1960-62
Boston Breakers (USFL), 1983

Postseason games hosted:
None

Other tenants of note:
Boston University, 1955 to date
Boston Minutemen (NASL), 1975
New England Tea Men (NASL), 1979
Boston Bolts (ASL/APSL), 1988-90
Boston Breakers (WUSA), 2001-03
Boston Cannons (MLL), 2004-06

Notes: Built on site of Braves Field using some segments of that stadium, including the right field pavilion and portions of the outer wall and entry gate, but the main grandstand, left field pavilion, and a smaller section of bleachers known as the Jury Box were demolished. Venue was given the name of the university’s previous athletic field, which pertained to William E. Nickerson, a member of the school’s board of trustees who donated that original facility in Weston, MA. The stadium was renovated to accommodate the arrival of the AFL Patriots in 1960. In a further renovation in 1968, the Braves Field light towers were taken down and the field was converted to AstroTurf. It has since been replaced with FieldTurf. Boston University officially dropped its football team in 1997, although a club team has since been formed, and the facility is mostly used for soccer and lacrosse.

Fate: Still in use


(top view shows original football configuration with grandstand still intact, lower view is more recent)

1983: Mazzetti Field Goals Lift Breakers Past Federals

The Boston Breakers had split their first two games on the road in the United States Football League’s inaugural season. On March 20, 1983 they played their first home game, drawing 18,430 to the 20,535-seat Nickerson Field at Boston University. Under Head Coach Dick Coury and offensive coordinator Roman Gabriel, they had 35-year-old John Walton at quarterback, a veteran of four different pro football leagues (Continental, Midwest, NFL, and WFL) who had come out of retirement as head coach at Elizabeth City State to lend his strong passing arm to a fifth league.

Their opponents, the Washington Federals, had lost both games thus far under Head Coach Ray Jauch. They were further handicapped coming into the contest at Boston by the loss to injury of starting QB Mike Hohensee and RB Craig James, two prize rookies.

Veteran NFL backup QB Kim McQuilken took over for Hohensee, and the Federals started off the scoring when Obed Ariri kicked a 38-yard field goal 5:43 into the first quarter. The Breakers responded when Tim Mazzetti, the former bartender-turned-NFL placekicker who spent three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, booted a 20-yard field goal. The score stood at 3-3 after one quarter.

Mazzetti kicked a 47-yard field goal in the second quarter to put Boston ahead by 6-3, but Washington regained the lead by scoring the first touchdown of the game on a 17-yard pass from McQuilken to WR Joey Walters. A third Mazzetti field goal, from 21 yards, made it 10-9 in favor of the Federals at the half.

Washington extended its lead to 16-9 in the third quarter when DB Mike Guess returned a punt 43 yards, setting up a two-yard touchdown carry by RB James Mayberry. The extra point attempt was missed.

It seemed as though the underdog Federals would pull out the win on the road, especially since Boston’s offense was missing scoring opportunities. On four occasions, the Breakers made it inside the Washington ten yard line without scoring a TD - Walton had turned the ball over on two of those occasions, with a fumble and an interception. But turnovers on special teams by the Federals in the last five minutes of the game ultimately determined the outcome.

With the ball deep in their own territory, an attempted punt by Steve Coffman was botched due to a bad snap, forcing the punter to fall on the ball on the one yard line. With 4:37 remaining on the clock, Boston RB Richard Crump ran for the one-yard touchdown. The successful PAT tied the score at 16-16.

Then, with time running down, Washington got another chance to retake the lead, lining up for a 42-yard field goal attempt. However, the snap passed over Ariri’s head, and traveled all the way to the Federals’ 35 yard line, where Ariri finally fell on it, resulting in a 40-yard change of possession.

Walton completed passes of 13 yards to WR Dwayne Strozier and 9 yards to Crump to set up Mazzetti’s fourth field goal of the game, which was successful from 29 yards out with 27 seconds left on the clock. The Breakers came away with a 19-16 win.

Obed Ariri kicked a field goal for the Federals, but also missed an extra point and had a 33-yard field goal attempt blocked. C Dave Pacella was handling the long-snapping in place of another injured player, Bruce Byrom, with disastrous results. Breakers NT Jeff Gaylord disrupted Pacella, causing the bad snaps that ultimately cost the Federals the game.

Boston outgained Washington (390 yards to 335) and had the edge in first downs (19 to 18), although the Federals held onto the ball longer (31:42 to 28:18). As would prove typical throughout the season, the Breakers gave up no sacks as the line gave Walton good protection.

The veteran Walton had a relatively ordinary day, completing 21 of 42 passes for 247 yards with no TDs and two interceptions. Richard Crump (pictured below) had an outstanding game, rushing for 130 yards on 15 carries, including the short touchdown, and caught 5 passes for another 50 yards. WR Nolan Franz had 5 receptions for a team-leading 73 yards and ex-Patriots RB Andy Johnson also grabbed 5 passes for 55 yards.



For the Federals, Kim McQuilken went to the air 47 times, with 25 completions for 322 yards, but also gave up four interceptions. RB Eric Robinson caught 9 passes for 98 yards and Joey Walters gained 112 yards on 7 catches. However, the running game was ineffective, with a total of 27 yards on 27 attempts – Robinson led the club by gaining 32 yards on 20 carries.

The narrow win would come to characterize the Breakers throughout the ’83 season. 11 of their 18 games were decided by fewer than nine points, and the outcome of 10 weren’t determined until the fourth quarter. Overall, Boston went 11-7 to finish second in the Atlantic Division, just missing a chance at the playoffs. Washington ended up at the bottom with a 4-14 record.

John Walton suffered a knee injury late in the season, but still managed to lead the USFL with 589 pass attempts, of which he completed 56 percent for 3772 yards with 20 touchdowns against 18 interceptions. Richard Crump ran for 990 yards on 190 carries for a good 5.2-yard average and 8 touchdowns – he scored another four TDs among his 44 pass receptions. Tim Mazzetti was the league’s second-leading scorer with 119 points that included 27 field goals and 38 extra points.

1983: John Walton Throws for 423 Yards as Breakers Fall to Panthers

35-year-old QB John Walton had made the rounds of minor and major pro football leagues prior to becoming a member of the Boston Breakers of the United States Football League in 1983. He had won a Continental Football League championship as a rookie with the Indianapolis Capitols in 1969 and spent a year with the Columbus Barons of the Midwest Football League in ’73. In between, he was on the taxi squad of the NFL’s Rams.

Walton moved on to the World Football League - after backing up in Chicago in 1974, he got a chance to start and performed well with the San Antonio Wings in 1975. From there, it was back to the NFL and a backup role with the Philadelphia Eagles from 1976-79. At that point he retired as a player and returned to his alma mater, Elizabeth City State, where he was the head coach for three seasons before taking a shot at the USFL (his coaching record was 20-10-1).

Everywhere Walton went he had impressed with his strong throwing arm, and age had not diminished his passing ability. He also provided leadership; as Head Coach Dick Coury put it, “Talk about character, John’s the catalyst of that on the field.”

The Breakers had a 5-3 record as they hosted the Michigan Panthers (4-4) on May 1, 1983 at Nickerson Field. The Panthers had won three straight after a slow start, and scored the first touchdown when TE Don Echols recovered a fumble in the end zone. Boston scored 10 points in the second quarter as Walton passed to WR Nolan Franz for a 44-yard touchdown and Tim Mazzetti booted a 38-yard field goal. However, Michigan led 14-10 at the half thanks to a five-yard TD pass from QB Bobby Hebert to TE Mike Cobb.

The Panthers extended their lead to 21-10 in the fourth quarter as Hebert threw another TD pass, this one covering 47 yards to WR Anthony Carter. However, Walton drove the Breakers back into the lead with two touchdown throws to RB Anthony Steels that covered one and 13 yards, respectively. Boston had a 24-21 lead, but the storybook performance by Walton failed to have a happy ending; a shanked punt by Dario Casarino gave the Panthers good field position at the Breakers 43 yard line, and with under two minutes left to play, RB John Williams plowed over for a touchdown and the lead for the Panthers.

Walton and Boston still nearly pulled the game out. Taking possession at their own 22 yard line, the Breakers drove to the Michigan three. However, Boston was unable to stop the clock at that point and time ran out. The Panthers won, 28-24.

The veteran quarterback put on an impressive passing display in defeat, completing 37 of 48 passes for 423 yards with three TDs and no interceptions; the yardage figure was the highest of the ’83 USFL season. He also spread the ball around well, and several receivers had noteworthy performances: WR Frank Lockett and RB Richard Crump caught the most passes, with 8 apiece for 85 and 66 yards respectively, while Nolan Franz gained the most yards, 103, on six catches with the one TD. FB Tony Davis caught 6 passes for 65 yards, while veteran WR Charlie Smith (who had been a teammate of Walton’s with the NFL’s Eagles) had 4 catches for 75 yards. Anthony Steels, who caught the last two touchdown throws, had 5 receptions for 29 yards.

Michigan outgained the Breakers on the ground, 121 yards to 65, as RB Ken Lacy led the way with 55 yards on 16 carries and John Williams added 41 yards on 13 attempts, including the winning TD. Tony Davis, by contrast, led the Breakers with 26 yards on seven attempts.

Bobby Hebert completed 17 of 26 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns; like Walton, he had none picked off. Elite rookie Anthony Carter gained 77 yards on three catches with a TD while Mike Cobb led the club with 5 catches (for 53 yards).

There was plenty of sloppy play along the way, as the teams combined for 27 penalties (14 by Michigan, 13 by the Breakers for more yards).

Boston ended up with an 11-7 record, finishing in second place in the Atlantic Division. The Panthers surged to a 12-6 finish, and thanks to tiebreakers won the Central Division title over the Chicago Blitz. They also won the first USFL championship, defeating the Philadelphia Stars.

John Walton ranked first in the league in pass attempts (589), second in completions (330) and yards (3772), and tied for third in touchdown passes (20). However, it was the unheralded rookie, Bobby Hebert, ranking first among USFL passers in leading the Panthers to the title; he also topped the league in yards per attempt (7.9) and touchdown passes (27).