1983: Blitz Defeat Express to Even Record

The Chicago Blitz were off to a lesser start than anticipated in the inaugural United States Football League season as they hosted the Los Angeles Express on March 27, 1983. Coming into the new league with the best-known head coach, George Allen, and a veteran-laden roster that also included touted rookies in HB Tim Spencer and WR Trumaine Johnson, the Blitz were viewed as the team to beat. But after handily defeating Washington in the opening week, they dropped two straight contests and were at 1-2 as they faced Los Angeles.

The Express was coached by Hugh Campbell, who had enjoyed success in the CFL. He employed a two-quarterback rotation that utilized veteran NFL backup Mike Rae and rookie Tom Ramsey out of UCLA, and unheralded rookie RB Tony Boddie had been a pleasant surprise.  The defensive line, anchored by NT Eddie “Meat Cleaver” Weaver was an asset.

It was a chilly, rainy day at Soldier Field before a sparse crowd of 10,936 fans. Following a scoreless first quarter, John Roveto kicked a 38-yard field goal with 5:43 remaining in the first half to put the Blitz in front by 3-0. Meanwhile, Tom Ramsey came in at quarterback for an ineffective Mike Rae early in the second quarter for the Express.

Later in the period, the Blitz put together a 64-yard series that included an uncharacteristic gamble. Facing a fourth-and-three situation, FB Kevin Long ran around left end for an 11-yard gain. QB Greg Landry (pictured above) then threw to Trumaine Johnson for 22 yards and Long finished the drive off with a one-yard touchdown carry. Roveto added the extra point and Chicago took a 10-0 lead into halftime.

Early in the third quarter, a breakdown by the Blitz defense allowed Ramsey to throw to Tony Boddie for a 40-yard TD and Vince Abbott kicked the PAT. With the lead cut to three points, the Blitz drove 73 yards in 10 plays. Landry completed passes to TE Paul Ricker, Trumaine Johnson, and WR Wamon Buggs along the way and capped the possession by floating a pass to TE Doug Cozen that was caught just inside the end zone for a five-yard touchdown. A pass interference call on the visitors was declined, Roveto kicked the point after, and it was a 17-7 game.

LA got a break later in the period when a poor punt by Chicago’s Frank Garcia traveled just 18 yards. The Express capitalized, scoring on a touchdown pass from Ramsey to TE Ricky Ellis that covered 18 yards. The extra point by Abbott again narrowed the margin to three points.

For the remainder of the contest, the Chicago defense came up with key turnovers to expand and then preserve the lead. First, MLB Jim Fahnhorst recovered a fumble by Los Angeles FB LaRue Harrington, who was stripped by DT Joe Ehrmann, and that led to a 24-yard Roveto field goal that put the Blitz up by six points with 2:07 remaining.

There were still opportunities for the Express, but Chicago’s defense garnered two more takeaways in the last two minutes to seal the win. LB Ed Smith and safety Eddie Brown intercepted Ramsey passes and the Blitz won by a final score of 20-14.

Chicago had the edge in total yards (322 to 208), with an almost-equal balance between rushing (158) and passing (164), and also led in first downs (19 to 12). Los Angeles turned the ball over three times, to none by the Blitz. However, Chicago was hurt by 13 penalties, to just five called on the Express.

Greg Landry completed 20 of 36 passes for 173 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. Tim Spencer ran for 87 yards on 21 carries and Kevin Long added 58 yards on 12 attempts that included a TD. Trumaine Johnson topped Chicago’s receivers with 6 catches for 70 yards and Wamon Buggs contributed another 53 yards on his three receptions.

For the Express, Mike Rae was a dismal four-of-12 for 29 yards before being relieved by Tom Ramsey, who was successful on 8 of 20 throws for 93 yards and two TDs, but also gave up the two late interceptions. Tony Boddie rushed for 50 yards on 10 carries and also topped the club with 46 yards on his two catches that included a score. WR Kris Haines, RB Wilbert Haslip, and LaRue Harrington all had three pass receptions, for 26, 20, and 12 yards, respectively.

“Chicago has the best personnel of all the teams we’ve played so far, no question about it,” said LA’s Coach Campbell. “They present you with a lot of problems, especially their defense.”

The Blitz went on to a 12-6 record, finishing second in the Central Division and grabbing a Wild Card playoff spot. While leading the USFL in scoring and overall defense, Chicago was not so adept at holding fourth quarter leads over the course of the season as it was against the Express, and that extended into the playoffs as they fell to the Philadelphia Stars in the Semifinal round. The inconsistent Express ended up at 8-10 and second in the weak Pacific Division.

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.

1983: Bandits Lose Game to Express & Reaves to Injury

The Los Angeles Express had a 3-3 record, as did all three other teams in the Pacific Division of the United States Football League, as they met the Tampa Bay Bandits on April 18, 1983. Coached by Hugh Campbell, winner of five straight Grey Cups with the CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos, the Express had difficulty scoring points with the quarterback tandem of veteran NFL backup Mike Rae, who started games, and rookie Tom Ramsey, who typically finished them. The defense was tough, however, especially the line that was anchored by rookie NT Eddie “Meat Cleaver” Weaver.

Tampa Bay, coached by the offensive-minded Steve Spurrier, featured an exciting aerial attack directed by veteran QB John Reaves, a former college star at Florida who had floundered in the NFL. The Bandits had won their first four games before being thrashed by the Chicago Blitz, but were 5-1 and playing at home as they faced the Express.

It was a rainy Monday night with 32,223 fans in attendance at Tampa Stadium. The quality of play was sloppy, and the first half was filled with penalties. Tampa Bay took the early lead midway through the first quarter when Zenon Andrusyshyn booted a 40-yard field goal. The Express responded on the ensuing series by going 56 yards in 12 plays that culminated in Vince Abbott kicking a 35-yard field goal with 2:25 left in the opening period. Four plays later and now into the second quarter, it was Andrusyshyn’s turn again to put the Bandits back in front with a 29-yard field goal. The series was helped along by a roughing-the-passer call on DE Dennis Edwards.

LA was helped on its next drive by two penalties on the Bandits to move into field goal position, with Abbott connecting from 36 yards. Late in the second quarter, and with the score tied at 6-6, Eddie Weaver of the Express put pressure on Reaves that caused a poorly thrown pass which was intercepted by SS Mike Fox. But with the ball at the Tampa Bay 10, the visitors couldn’t reach the end zone. NT Fred Nordgren made a shoestring tackle on RB John Barnett to save a possible score, and then Tom Ramsey dropped the snap on third down. LA came away with a 24-yard Abbott field goal as the clock ticked down to 42 seconds and took a 9-6 lead into halftime.

Down by three points in the third quarter, the Bandits stopped the Express at their own 15 and forced a punt that gave them good starting field position at their own 48. However, after advancing to the LA 42, a false start backed them up five yards and then Reaves was again picked off by Fox.

Heading into the fourth quarter, and with 12:31 to go, the Express went ahead to stay on a one-yard touchdown carry by RB John Barnett – the first LA touchdown in over ten quarters. It followed a Reaves fumble that was recovered at the Tampa Bay 17 by Dennis Edwards. The turnover was compounded by the loss of Reaves, who left the game with a broken wrist suffered while being tackled, thus forcing the fumble.

Backup QB Jimmy Jordan helped narrow the margin with a 23-yard touchdown pass to WR Danny Buggs midway through the final period, but the Bandits never threatened again for the remainder of the game. They reached the LA 40 on their final possession before giving the ball up on downs, and a roughing-the-kicker penalty kept the Express from having to give up the ball again until there were just 27 seconds left. LA added two points by dropping Jordan for a safety shortly thereafter and won by a final score of 18-13.

The offensive statistics reflected the closeness of the score. The Bandits held the edge in total yards (260 to 258) and first downs (17 to 16). The big difference was in turnovers, with Tampa Bay giving up five (four interceptions, one fumble) to none suffered by LA, even though the visitors fumbled four times. The Express defensive line put heavy pressure on the Tampa Bay quarterbacks throughout the contest and recorded five sacks, while the Bandits had two.

Mike Rae completed 13 of 25 passes for 140 yards with no touchdowns, but also no interceptions. RB Tony Boddie rushed for 59 yards on 11 carries and John Barnett was right behind with 55 yards and a TD on 19 attempts. TE Ricky Ellis led the receivers with 6 catches for 65 yards. On defense, Eddie Weaver had two sacks and Mike Fox accumulated three interceptions.

For the Bandits, John Reaves had a miserable day before leaving due to injury, completing just 7 of his 27 throws for 81 yards while giving up four interceptions. In relief, Jimmy Jordan went 8 of 10 for 97 yards and a TD with none picked off. RB Sam Platt ran for 107 yards on 21 carries and caught four passes for another 16 yards. Danny Buggs led the team with 62 yards on three pass receptions that included a TD.

“I’m very disappointed in the offense,” said Tampa Bay’s Coach Spurrier in summing up the defeat. “We didn’t play well until Jimmy (Jordan) came in. It hurts when you beat yourself. Even with doing things so poorly, we still had a chance to win.”

The Express went on to an 8-10 tally that placed them second in the mediocre Pacific Division. Eddie Weaver received All-USFL recognition from The Sporting News for his play with the league’s fifth-ranked defense, but even with upgrades to the receiving corps, the offense continued to have difficulty scoring points.

As for the Bandits, the loss that dropped them to 5-2 was all too reminiscent of the one two weeks earlier against the Blitz and a harbinger of harder times to come. Still, with Jordan at quarterback, they managed to remain competitive, even after he, in turn, went down with an injury. Tampa Bay stayed in the playoff hunt until the last week, ending up with an 11-7 record that meant a third place finish in the tough Central Division and just outside the postseason. 

1983: Boddie Upstages Walker as Express Beat Generals in USFL Debut

The United States Football League commenced its inaugural season with five games on March 6, 1983 (there was also a Monday night contest the following day to round out Week 1). Of those games, the one that drew the most attention was played in Los Angeles, where the Express hosted the New Jersey Generals.

There was a national television audience and a large press contingent in addition to 34,002 fans in attendance at the Memorial Coliseum. The reason for the intense scrutiny was the presence of one player, RB Herschel Walker. A three-time All-American and winner of the Heisman Trophy as a junior, he had left the Univ. of Georgia a year early to sign a three-year, $4.2 million contract with the USFL club in a stunning move just weeks before the season commenced.

Expectations were high for Walker, although he had only practiced with the club for a short time since his signing. When the contest was all over another rookie, RB Tony Boddie of the Express (pictured above), who was an unknown 12th round draft choice out of Montana State, would be receiving accolades for his performance.

With veteran NFL backup Mike Rae at quarterback, the Express started off the scoring in the first quarter with a 23-yard field goal by Vince Abbott. New Jersey, also with a veteran pro backup at quarterback in ex-Saint Bobby Scott, scored the first touchdown, and it was Walker running in from five yards out. The extra point attempt failed, however, and the Generals held to a three-point lead. Dave Jacobs booted a 38-yard field goal with just seconds remaining in the opening period to extend New Jersey’s lead to 9-3.

On the opening drive of the second quarter, LA added three points on a 27-yard field goal by Abbott. Rookie Tom Ramsey, a local product from UCLA, replaced Rae at quarterback for the Express five minutes into the period with the Generals holding a 9-6 lead. Ramsey passed to Boddie for an 11-yard touchdown late in the half to put the Express ahead at 13-9.

Four minutes into the third quarter, Los Angeles scored again when Ramsey threw to WR Vister Hayes for a 24-yard TD. The Generals came back with a touchdown of their own in the fourth quarter with Scott hitting WR Tom McConnaughey from ten yards out. Scott’s pass for a two-point conversion fell incomplete and the Express held onto a five-point lead.

With 3:48 left and the ball at the LA 31, Coach Hugh Campbell of the Express chose to go for it on fourth-and-inches. The gamble failed when reserve FB LaRue Harrington carried the ball into the middle of the line and was stopped for no gain. (Afterward, Campbell said that the Express had two injured defensive backs and he was concerned that they wouldn’t have been able to stop New Jersey’s passing attack, thus prompting the effort to maintain possession).

It appeared that it might prove fatal to the home team when the Generals moved swiftly to the Los Angeles five, but then Scott was sacked for a nine-yard loss and, with Walker standing on the sidelines, a fourth-down pass to WR Larry Brodsky came up inches short of a first down and LA was able to run out the clock for a 20-15 win.

The Generals outgained the Express (366 yards to 296), had more first downs (22 to 16), and held onto the ball longer (34:09 to 25:51). However, they also turned the ball over five times, to just one suffered by LA, and Scott was sacked four times while Express quarterbacks were tossed twice. Both teams ran the ball 33 times apiece and Los Angeles outgained the Generals by 169 to 147.

Herschel Walker’s pro debut was pronounced a disappointment as he gained 65 yards on 16 carries that included one TD and caught just one pass for three more yards. By contrast, the unknown Tony Boddie made a splash by gaining 77 yards on 13 attempts and adding 5 pass receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown.

Tom Ramsey completed only 8 of 20 passes for 117 yards for the Express, but two of them went for touchdowns against one interception. Mike Rae was 3-for-7 and 22 yards. While Boddie had the most catches, Vister Hayes was the yardage leader with 60 on his four receptions.

For the Generals, Bobby Scott was successful on 24 of 38 throws for 251 yards and a TD, but was picked off three times. TE Victor Hicks was the top receiver with 5 catches for 69 yards while Tom McConnaughey was right behind with 61 yards on his four receptions. After Walker, the next-leading rusher was FB Dwight Sullivan with 7 carries for 35 yards.


“A lot of the guys had more speed than I expected to see,” said Walker (pictured at left) in summing up his first pro game. “And the execution was better. I guess that’s the biggest adjustment I have to make.”

“I said before the game that we’d use other backs because Herschel had been with us only a week,” said Generals Head Coach Chuck Fairbanks. “In the second half, we were in a catch-up situation early and I felt I had to take him out because of his lack of preparation.”

“We didn’t block as well as we should have for him – we can help him out a lot more than we did today,” added Fairbanks.

“This was real fun,” said Tom Ramsey, whose first pro contest proved to be more satisfying. “I think this is one of the more exciting games I’ve ever played in. The fans got their money’s worth. When the fans are with you, like these fans were, it fires me up.”

Over the course of the season, Herschel Walker asserted himself as a ball carrier and ended up leading the USFL with 1812 yards on 412 carries (4.4 avg.) and 17 touchdowns – he was also New Jersey’s leading pass receiver with 53 catches for 489 yards and another TD. As for Tony Boddie, he returned to earth, ending up 23rd in the league in rushing (and second on the Express) with 403 yards on 109 attempts (3.7 avg.) and three scores while pulling in 46 passes for 434 yards and two TDs.

Both teams ended up with losing records. The Express went 8-10, which was still good enough to contend in the weak Pacific Division (the Oakland Invaders won the division title at 9-9). Alternating quarterbacks (a preference of Coach Campbell from his years in the CFL) and with a generally weak running game, LA could not generate the offensive consistency to put sufficient points on the board and negated the efforts of the fifth-ranked defense. New Jersey was more of a disappointment, finishing 6-12 and well out of the running in the Atlantic Division. Bobby Scott didn’t last the year – he was dealt to Chicago when injuries depleted their quarterback ranks – and Jeff Knapple, Gene Bradley, and Dave Boisture were found wanting.

1984: Eric Dickerson Breaks NFL Season Rushing Record

In his second season in the NFL, Eric Dickerson of the Los Angeles Rams had already established himself as one of the premier running backs in pro football. As a first draft choice out of Southern Methodist in 1983, he set a rookie ground-gaining record with 1808 yards on 390 carries with 18 touchdowns. Now in his second year he was within striking distance of O.J. Simpson’s single-season rushing record as the Rams prepared to host the Houston Oilers at Anaheim Stadium on December 9, 1984.

It was the next-to-last game of the season for the Rams, and with Dickerson 212 yards from surpassing Simpson’s 1973 total of 2003, it was anticipated that, if he was to break the record, it would most likely not happen until the season finale, which was to be a nationally-televised Friday night showdown with the 49ers. LA was 9-5 under Head Coach John Robinson and looking to secure a wild card playoff spot (San Francisco had lost only once and had the division title sewed up). The Rams had lost QB Vince Ferragamo to an injury three weeks into the year, but it hardly mattered as backup QB Jeff Kemp directed the ball-control offense and kept mistakes (and passes) to a minimum. The 6’3”, 218-pound Dickerson had an outstanding line to run behind and the stingy defense was as tough at defending against the run as the offense was at producing on the ground. However, coming into the game, LA was without 34-year-old star DE Jack Youngblood, who had an injured back that ended his consecutive game streak at 201.

The Oilers, coached by Hugh Campbell, were a good team to run against. They had lost their first ten games, and while they then won three of the last four contests, they were 3-11 overall and had the NFL’s worst run defense.

There were 49,092 fans in attendance at Anaheim Stadium. Less than two minutes into the game, the Rams scored when Kemp passed to WR Drew Hill, who had gotten past CB Willie Tullis, for a 57-yard touchdown to finish off a five-play, 77-yard drive. Houston cut the lead to 7-3 thanks to a 21-yard field goal by Joe Cooper to cap a 10-play series, but Los Angeles responded with a 71-yard drive in which Dickerson accounted for 46 of that total, including the last seven for a TD. Mike Lansford added a 35-yard field goal to make it 17-3 after a quarter of play.

The Oilers began to come back behind the passing of QB Warren Moon, the former CFL star in his first season in the NFL. Cooper booted a 42-yard field goal and then RB Larry Moriarty ran for a four-yard touchdown that narrowed the margin to 17-13 with 6:13 remaining in the half. Lansford kicked a 19-yard field goal for LA to make it 20-13 at halftime. Dickerson had gained 106 yards thus far – half of what he needed to catch Simpson.

The Rams started off the third quarter by moving into scoring position, but Kemp was sacked for a 10-yard loss and then Lansford missed a field goal attempt from 41 yards out. The feisty Oilers kept the game close as Cooper kicked his third field goal, this time from 18 yards, and LA’s lead was just 20-16 entering the final period.

On a series highlighted by a 34-yard pass from Kemp to WR Henry Ellard, Dickerson scored on a six-yard run. The Rams were up by 11 points, and the star running back was tantalizingly close to the record – the only question was whether he would get another chance at it in this game.

However, an interception by SS Vince Newsome with 3:30 to play gave Dickerson his final shot at the mark with the ball on the LA 36. Eight seconds later, and with the crowd cheering wildly, he took off on one of his signature plays, the 47 Gap, and running behind G Dennis Harrah, RT Bill Bain, and TE David Hill, cut outside for nine yards and the record. Dickerson finished the contest at 2007 yards after 15 games (one more than the 14-game schedule that was in effect when Simpson set the mark).

Eric Dickerson achieved the new standard in fine style, rushing for 215 yards on 27 carries with two TDs. It was his 12th hundred-yard performance and second over 200 yards in ’84.

The Rams outgained Houston by 453 yards to 338, although the Oilers had more first downs (23 to 21). Unsurprisingly, 276 of LA’s total came on the ground. The Rams didn’t turn the ball over at all, while Houston gave it up twice.

In addition to Dickerson, RB Dwayne Crutchfield ran the ball seven times for 61 yards for the Rams. Jeff Kemp completed 12 of 23 passes for 199 yards and a TD. With 57 yards on his one scoring catch, Drew Hill led the club in pass receiving yardage. Henry Ellard had three receptions for 49 yards and David Hill caught three for 43.

For Houston, Warren Moon was successful on 19 of 29 throws for an even 200 yards with one intercepted. WR Tim Smith grabbed 6 of those passes for 69 yards. Larry Moriarty gained 102 yards on 24 carries that included a TD.

Afterward, Dickerson expressed relief that the chase was over. “Now I can focus in on the playoffs and not worry about 2,000 yards.”

John Robinson praised him as “the greatest football player I've ever been around or seen. He's really pretty good.”

The Rams were defeated in the season finale to end up at 10-6, but in the playoffs. They went on to lose a close 16-13 game to the Giants in the Wild Card round. The Oilers finished at the bottom of the AFC Central with a 3-13 record.

Eric Dickerson topped out at 2105 yards on 379 carries for a 5.6-yard average gain and 14 touchdowns. With his upright running style and wearing his signature goggles, he continued to be one of the league’s most productive runners throughout the decade. He led the NFL twice more in ground-gaining on his way to a career total of 13,259 yards (second all-time in 1993, his last year) and a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

1983: Newcomer JoJo Townsell Scores Winning TD as LA Defeats Wranglers

The Los Angeles Express were tied for the lead in the United States Football League’s Pacific Division as they hosted the Arizona Wranglers at the Memorial Coliseum on June 5, 1983, but with a mediocre 6-7 record. While the defense was adequate, the team was at the bottom of the league in running the ball while Head Coach Hugh Campbell split the quarterbacking between CFL and NFL veteran Mike Rae and rookie Tom Ramsey.

The Express also sought to bolster the receiving corps as the season progressed, adding WR Anthony Allen midway through and, two days prior to the contest with the Wranglers, rookie WR JoJo Townsell, a local talent out of UCLA (where he had been a teammate of Ramsey’s). It did not take long for the 5’9”, 180-pound receiver to make an impression.

Arizona, 4-9 coming into the contest, scored in the first quarter on a 25-yard field goal by Phil Denfeld, but Rae staked LA to a 7-3 halftime lead thanks to a one-yard touchdown plunge in the second quarter. The Wranglers moved back ahead in the third quarter with a 13-yard scoring run by RB Darryl Clark. Vince Abbott tied the score with a 33-yard field goal later in the period.

Arizona regained the advantage in the fourth quarter due to another Denfeld field goal, this from 34 yards. But with 2:38 remaining in the game, Ramsey passed to Townsell for a 26-yard touchdown to win the game for the Express, 17-13.

Neither team mounted much of a running attack, with LA actually outgaining the Wranglers 79 yards to 72. Time of possession was virtually the same, but the Express defense sacked Arizona’s quarterbacks a total of 9 times – both LB Eric Scoggins and NT Eddie “Meat Cleaver” Weaver recorded three apiece.

Of the two Los Angeles quarterbacks, Mike Rae completed 12 of 20 passes for 115 yards with no TDs and two interceptions; Tom Ramsey was successful on 11 of 14 throws for 101 yards with the winning TD and none picked off. Townsell was the headliner with two catches for a team-leading 57 yards and the critical TD, but Anthony Allen led the club in receptions with 6 (totaling 44 yards). RB John Barnett led the runners with 32 yards on 7 carries.

QB Alan Risher completed 14 of 17 passes for 143 yards with no interceptions for Arizona; QB Dan Manucci added another 41 yards while completing 5 of 12 passes with an interception (RB Harold Blue also completed a nine-yard pass). TE Mark Keel caught 6 passes for 44 yards and WR Neil Balholm gained 53 yards on four catches. RB Calvin Murray gained 44 yards on 10 carries to lead the team.

While the win over the Wranglers allowed the Express to stay even with Oakland at the top of the Pacific Division, ultimately LA finished second to the Invaders with an 8-10 record. It did not help that they had difficulty drawing fans to the Coliseum (there were 13,826 on hand for the June 2 contest). Arizona lost its remaining games to stay at the bottom of the division with a 4-14 tally.

The two late-arriving receivers performed well overall, with Allen catching 37 passes for 613 yards (16.6 avg.) and three touchdowns in eight games and Townsell making 21 catches for 326 yards (15.5 avg.) and three TDs over five contests. TE Ricky Ellis, who was with the Express all year (although not initially in the starting lineup) was the leader of the club’s solid group of receivers with 69 receptions for 716 yards and 6 TDs (he grabbed three passes for 21 yards against Arizona). But the lack of a running game badly hindered the offense (LaRue Harrington led the team in rushing for the year with just 547 yards and a 3.8 average).