1983: Bandits Rally to Defeat Gold in Storm-Interrupted Game

The Tampa Bay Bandits were trying to keep their flickering playoff hopes alive in the United States Football League’s first season as they faced the Denver Gold on June 27, 1983.

Coached by the offense-minded Steve Spurrier, the Bandits had broken out to a 4-0 start with 33-year-old veteran QB John Reaves throwing to a fine corps of receivers led by WR Eric Truvillion (pictured above). However, Reaves suffered a broken wrist and, while rookie Jimmy Jordan performed capably in his place, he encountered injury problems as well. The addition of another talented first-year player, RB Gary Anderson, midway through the season helped, but Tampa Bay had trouble winning consistently down the stretch and was 10-6 and fighting the Chicago Blitz and surging Michigan Panthers for dominance in the tough USFL Central Division.

Denver had a 7-9 record in the mediocre Pacific Division. Craig Morton had taken over the coaching reins five weeks before and while the defense was able to keep games close, the offense was unstable at quarterback and prone to turning the ball over.

There were 46,128 fans in attendance for the Monday night game at Tampa Stadium. Less than four minutes into the first quarter, Tampa Bay NT Fred Nordgren intercepted a screen pass by QB Craig Penrose and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown. LB Mike Goedecker ran for a two-point conversion to stake the Bandits to an early 8-0 lead.

Following a three-and-out series by the Gold, the home team moved methodically to a score on offense. John Reaves, making his first appearance since his injury, completed passes to Eric Truvillion down the middle for 23 yards and to TE Lewis Gilbert along the sideline for 22. Following a defensive pass interference penalty, the possession concluded with Gary Anderson running two yards for a TD and Zenon Andrusyshyn kicking the extra point that made it 15-0.

Early in the second quarter, the Gold finally got on the board as the result of a 13-play, 65-yard series kept alive when LB Putt Choate took off for 31 yards on a fake punt. After five consecutive running plays, Penrose, facing fourth down, tossed a two-yard touchdown pass to TE Bob Niziolek. Brian Speelman added the point after.

On Denver’s next possession, the visitors again put together a long drive as they advanced 69 yards in 13 plays. While they lost Penrose to a hip pointer, backup QB Fred Mortensen’s first pass was good for a 24-yard gain that set up a touchdown on RB Harry Sydney’s one-yard plunge for a TD. The try for a two-point conversion failed but the Gold was only two points down at 15-13 with 7:18 remaining in the first half.

That was it until, after CB David Martin of the Gold intercepted a pass at the Tampa Bay 45 with just under a minute remaining, Speelman kicked a 41-yard field goal with 17 seconds left on the clock and Denver took a 16-15 lead into halftime.

Jimmy Jordan replaced Reaves at quarterback for the Bandits in the third quarter, but his first pass was picked off and the Gold took advantage, moving 44 yards to another scoring carry by Sydney, this time covering two yards. With Speelman’s conversion, the visitors were up by 23-15.

At just under two minutes into the fourth quarter, the Bandits put points on the board, this time on a 47-yard Andrusyshyn field goal that made it a 23-18 contest. Tampa Bay had the ball again when a storm erupted with heavy rain and lightning, forcing a 50-minute delay in the action with 8:31 left in regulation. On the second play after the game resumed, Jordan threw to Truvillion for a 44-yard touchdown. Up by a point, the home team got two more when RB Greg Boone ran for the conversion.

There was still plenty of time, but Denver turned the ball over on its next series when RB Larry Canada fumbled and CB Jeff George recovered for the Bandits. It was also George who finally put the game away with an interception of a Mortensen pass , to the joy of the remaining Tampa Bay faithful in the stands. The Bandits came away with a 26-23 win.

Tampa Bay had the edge in total yards (283 to 263) while the Gold led in time of possession (35:37 to 24:23) and first downs were even at 16 apiece. Denver was hurt by five turnovers, with the two late ones preventing a fourth quarter comeback, and was penalized 9 times at a cost of 79 yards. The Bandits turned the ball over three times and drew five flags for 55 yards.

In his return to action, John Reaves completed 7 of 13 passes for 72 yards and gave up two interceptions. Jimmy Jordan was 9 of 12 for 131 yards in relief, with a touchdown as well as an interception. Gary Anderson led the Bandits in rushing with 48 yards on 15 carries that included a TD and also caught 5 passes for 36 yards. Eric Truvillion gained 94 yards on his three pass receptions that included the game-winning touchdown.

For the Gold, Craig Penrose was successful on 7 of 11 throws for just 28 yards and a TD while being picked off once and Fred Mortensen made good on 8 of 14 passes for 81 yards and gave up two interceptions. RB Vincent White led the club with 72 yards on 13 rushing attempts while Larry Canada, who ran 8 times for 24 yards, topped the receivers with 6 receptions for 56 yards. On defense, David Martin intercepted three passes but was also beaten for the game-winning touchdown.

“I knew we would win when it started to rain,” said Tampa Bay’s Coach Spurrier. “That was Banditball weather.”

The Bandits needed help to reach the playoffs but it was not forthcoming as they lost their season finale and Michigan and Chicago won to claim the division title and wild card spots, respectively. Tampa Bay finished third at 11-7. The Gold also lost in the last week to place third in the Pacific Division with a 7-11 tally.

1984: Gold Defeat Showboats in Back-and-Forth Contest

The Denver Gold had a 3-1 record heading into Memphis to face the Showboats in a United States Football League game on March 25, 1984. Coached by Craig Morton, the Gold had a strong fan base that was being rewarded with improved offensive play. QB Craig Penrose, a former teammate of Morton’s with the NFL Broncos, was behind center and had promising rookie WR Leonard Harris, who also returned kicks, as a target while productive RB Harry Sydney was the best of the backs.

The first-year Showboats, coached by the colorful Pepper Rodgers, were struggling at 1-3. Rookie QB Walter Lewis was more noted for his running than passing, but the defense was anchored by DE Reggie White, a first-year player out of Tennessee who was showing off the abilities that would make him an all-time great.

There was a crowd of 21,213 in attendance at the Liberty Bowl. The Gold jumped out to a 14-0 lead thanks to two Memphis turnovers. The first was a fumble, which led to a nine-yard touchdown carry by RB Vincent White, and then a pass interception that set up a Craig Penrose TD pass to TE Bob Niziolek that covered 36 yards. Brian Speelman added the extra point after each. Early in the second quarter, Alan Duncan kicked a 48-yard field goal to finally get the Showboats on the board and the score remained 14-3 at the half.

Memphis narrowed the margin in the third quarter, this time benefiting from a Denver turnover as SS Terry Love intercepted a Penrose pass and returned it 79 yards for a TD. Just before the end of the period, the Showboats took the lead when Walter Lewis scored on a one-yard touchdown carry. Duncan successfully converted after each score and the tally was 17-14.

Denver responded on the next series by scoring on a Penrose pass to WR John Arnold that covered 34 yards. The Showboats put together a 16-play, 72-yard drive that culminated in RB Alan Reid running for a one-yard touchdown and, with the successful extra point, they led by 24-21 with under three minutes to go in the contest.

There was still enough time for the Gold, and they went 66 yards on their next series. Penrose threw to Leonard Harris for a 27-yard gain to the Memphis 25 and, with 57 seconds remaining, Vincent White scored from 16 yards out. Speelman added the PAT and Denver came away with a hard-earned 28-24 win.

Memphis led in total yards (323 to 277) and first downs (19 to 11). The Showboats were hurt by the two early turnovers that put them in a hole, while Denver turned the ball over once. There were many penalties, with the Gold being flagged 9 times at a cost of 50 yards to 8 penalties for 63 yards on Memphis.

Craig Penrose completed 12 of 20 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns while giving up one interception. Harry Sydney ran for 54 yards on 12 carries and Vincent White was right behind with 52 yards on 7 attempts that included two TDs. Bob Niziolek had three catches for 45 yards and a touchdown and John Arnold gained 49 yards on his two receptions that also included a score.

For the Showboats, Walter Lewis was successful on 17 of 25 throws for 175 yards and a TD as well as one that was picked off. He also ran the ball five times for 37 yards and a score. Alan Reid had 22 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown and added another 34 yards on four catches. WR Derrick Crawford led the club with 5 pass receptions, for 31 yards, while WR Cormac Carney gained 52 yards on his three catches. On defense, Reggie White accounted for both of his team’s sacks.

Denver’s promising start failed to hold up over the long haul. The Gold won their next three games to reach 7-1 before the bottom fell out and they lost eight of their last ten contests to finish at a disappointing 9-9 and third in the USFL's Pacific Division. Memphis won the next week but continued to struggle and ended up fourth in the Southern Division at 7-11.

Craig Penrose ended up being one of five quarterbacks utilized by the Gold, but was the most productive as he completed 60.3 percent of his passes for 1984 yards and 12 touchdowns along with 14 interceptions. 

1983: Denver Explodes on Offense to Defeat Wranglers

In the inaugural United States Football League season, the Denver Gold were hardly known for explosive offense. They turned the ball over with great frequency and were at the bottom of the USFL in offensive production. Denver had also experienced the first head coaching change of any team in the new league when Red Miller, formerly of the NFL Broncos, gave way to Craig Morton, an ex-Broncos quarterback. But on June 17, 1983 the Gold exploded against the Arizona Wranglers to not only post their highest point total of the year but also the most yards of total offense by any USFL club in the first season.

To be sure, the Wranglers had their own problems. After getting off to a 4-4 start, Head Coach Doug Shively’s team had lost seven straight. Arizona also had difficulty putting points on the board. While rookie QB Alan Risher showed promise, the club simply couldn’t remain competitive - even in the weak Pacific Division, where the 6-9 Gold were still mathematically in the hunt for the division title.

The one thing the Gold could do better than any other USFL team was draw fans, and there were 42,621 on hand for the Friday night game at Mile High Stadium, which was also the last home game of the year. The Gold wasted no time, getting on the board less than four minutes into the first quarter by driving 91 yards in six plays that culminated in a 75-yard touchdown pass from QB Craig Penrose (pictured above) to WR John Dirden.

The Wranglers responded with a 76-yard drive into scoring territory, but on a fourth-and-two play TE Phil Denfield fumbled the pitchout from Alan Risher and CB David Dumars recovered at the Denver 17. It was Arizona’s only threat of the first half.

Meanwhile, Denver put together an 82-yard drive in less than two minutes as RB Vincent White had runs of 29, 25, and 11 yards and backup QB Fred Mortensen threw to TE Bob Niziolek for a 12-yard TD. On the extra point attempt, the Gold lined up for a kick but instead the snap went to RB Bo Matthews, who powered into the end zone for two points. The score remained 15-0 at the half.

The Gold took the second half kickoff and drove 80 yards with Penrose completing a five-yard scoring pass to TE Darryl Goosby. Denver, pulling out all of its tricks, added to the lead later in the third quarter with the benefit of a flea-flicker pass from Penrose to WR Richard Matheney that gained 26 yards. It set up a 33-yard Brian Speelman field goal to make the score 25-0.

The Wranglers finally got on the board in the fourth quarter when SS Aaron Mitchell intercepted a Penrose pass and returned it 66 yards to the Denver 11. QB Dan Manucci threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to TE Mark Keel but the try for two points was unsuccessful. The Gold came back to score one more TD, on a Penrose pass to WR Victor James that covered seven yards, and with the successful Speelman point after finished up with a 32-6 win.

Denver rolled up an impressive 509 yards, to just 167 for the Wranglers. The attack was well balanced as the Gold gained 256 yards on the ground and 253 through the air. They also accumulated 22 first downs to Arizona’s 9 and dominated time of possession (35:22 to 24:38). However, Denver was also penalized 15 times, to 9 flags thrown on the visitors. There were remarkably few turnovers, with each club suffering one apiece.

Craig Penrose, a former teammate of Morton’s with the Broncos who joined the club after he became head coach, completed 12 of 21 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Vincent White  (pictured below) had a big day as he rushed for 159 yards on 20 carries. Victor James caught four passes for 60 yards while Bob Niziolek gained 93 yards on three receptions. John Dirden’s 75-yard scoring catch was his only one of the game.

For the Wranglers, Alan Risher was successful on just 10 of 25 throws for 105 yards and replacement Dan Manucci went 5-for-14 and 52 yards with one TD. Mark Keel caught 4 passes for 57 yards and a TD to pace the club. The running game that produced just 25 yards overall on 18 attempts was led by RB Darryl Clark’s 10 yards on 6 carries.

The Gold returned to their losing ways, finished the season at 7-11 and third in the Pacific Division. Arizona did likewise, ending up at the bottom of the division with a 4-14 record. 

Vincent White, like Penrose a late addition to the team, had by far his most productive game against the Wranglers. For the year, he ended up rushing for 291 yards on 52 carries for an impressive 5.6-yard average gain. He would see far more action in 1984.