The inaugural season of the United States Football League
ended with four teams qualifying for the postseason (three division winners
plus a wild card). On July 10, 1983 two of those teams, the Oakland Invaders
and Michigan Panthers, met for a Semifinal Playoff game in Pontiac, Michigan.
The Panthers, coached by Jim Stanley, had hardly started out
looking like a playoff contender as they lost four straight contests after
narrowly defeating the Birmingham Stallions in Week 1. However, veteran talent
was brought in to solidify the offensive line and rookie QB Bobby Hebert (pictured above), along
with the more-heralded first-year player, WR Anthony Carter out of Michigan, overcame the
slow start and began to hit their stride. The defense included the new league’s
Defensive Player of the Year, LB John Corker with his 28 sacks, and another
star rookie, SS David Greenwood. Michigan caught fire in the second half,
winning six consecutive games and 11 of the last 13 to win the Central Division
with a 12-6 record and take a great deal of momentum into the postseason.
Oakland
was the top team in the Pacific Division, but it was the USFL’s weakest
grouping and the Invaders had prevailed with a mediocre 9-9 record. Head Coach
John Ralston, formerly of Stanford and the Denver Broncos, had gotten good
mileage out of two ex-NFL Raiders on offense, TE Raymond Chester and RB Arthur
Whittington. He had also uncovered a surprising star in QB Fred Besana, who had
been working in a beer distributorship and playing minor league football before
signing with the Invaders and leading the league in passing yards (3980),
completions (345), and completion percentage (62.7). However, the Invaders had
a leaky offensive line and the immobile Besana thus also led the USFL by being
sacked 71 times. Inconsistency on defense was also a problem – definitely a
concern in facing an explosive team like the Panthers. Furthermore, Whittington
would not be starting due to a disciplinary action after missing a practice –
the team officially said he was out with a rib injury, and while he came into
the game late in the second quarter, his contribution was negligible.
A USFL-record crowd of 60,237 was present at the Pontiac
Silverdome, helped along by free parking and reduced ticket prices, and it was
loud and enthusiastic. Nevertheless, Oakland
scored first, driving 78 yards in 14 plays that ate up over seven minutes of
the first quarter. But after getting a first down at the Michigan two yard line, it took four plays
for the Invaders to get into the end zone, with Besana finally sneaking for the
last yard on fourth down.
Behind 7-0, the Panthers responded impressively on the next
series that stretched into the second quarter as Hebert threw to WR Derek Holloway
for a 40-yard gain and RB John Williams ran for a five-yard touchdown. The
defense then set up another score when LB Kyle Borland intercepted a Besana
pass and the resulting Michigan
possession led to a 38-yard field goal by Novo Bojovic.
With the Invaders unable to move the ball effectively
against the inspired Michigan
defense, the Panthers decided to press their advantage in extending the lead
late in the second quarter. In a key gamble, they passed up an easy field goal
attempt on fourth down with 11 seconds left in the half and Hebert passed to
Carter for a three-yard touchdown that made it a 17-7 contest at the midway
point.
Oakland wasn’t out of it yet and on the third play of the
second half, LB David Shaw picked off a swing pass by Hebert and ran 19 yards
for a touchdown that, with the successful extra point, narrowed Michigan’s lead
to 17-14. The Panthers once again responded by scoring, putting together an 11-play,
80-yard drive that culminated in Hebert keeping the ball himself for a one-yard
TD. It was 24-14 with just under ten minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Late in the period, Michigan LB Ray Bentley forced Oakland
RB Ted Torosian to fumble and DE Allen Hughes recovered for the Panthers at the
Michigan 17.
On the ensuing series, the biggest play was a Hebert-to-Carter pass that
covered 56 yards. Shortly thereafter, RB Ken Lacy scored on an 18-yard run and
the home team was up by 31-14 and firmly in control.
That was it for the scoring until RB Cleo Miller ran for a
touchdown from three yards out for the Panthers with a little under two minutes
remaining (the extra point attempt failed). Oakland responded with a consolation
five-yard scoring pass from Besana to WR Marc Lewis.
Following Oakland’s
final touchdown, fans overflowed the field with 25 seconds on the clock and
tore down the goal posts. The teams and officials headed to the locker rooms
and the game was officially declared complete at 14:35 of the final period. The
Panthers came away with a decisive 37-21 win.
Michigan
showed a great deal of flair, using laterals and reverses and twice passing up
field goal attempts on fourth down to successfully go for touchdowns. While the
Invaders held only a narrow edge in first downs (22 to 20), they rolled up
significantly more yardage (463 to 321) and held the ball over six minutes
longer (32:58 to 26:37). Oakland
was further handicapped by turning the ball over four times, against two
suffered by the Panthers.
Bobby Hebert completed 18 of 27 passes for 295 yards with
one touchdown and interception apiece. Anthony Carter (pictured at right) caught three passes for
78 yards and a TD and Derek Holloway also had three receptions, for 78 yards.
TE Mike Cobb contributed three more for 25 yards. However, the team’s leading
receiver was RB Ken Lacy, who had 4 catches for 30 yards to go along with his
73 yards on 14 rushing attempts. John Williams compiled 59 yards on his 17
carries. Ray Bentley had a notable game on defense for the Panthers, forcing
two fumbles and recovering one.
Fred Besana, playing catch-up for most of the game, went to
the air 35 times and completed 23 for 258 yards with the one late touchdown and
had two picked off. WR Gordon Banks caught 7 of those throws for 96 yards. Ted
Torosian gained just 18 yards on 10 carries that included a fumble and pulled
in 7 pass receptions for 46 yards. Of Oakland’s
total of 64 yards on the ground, 43 came on two carries by Marc Lewis.
“We could have settled for three there,” said Jim Stanley
regarding the decision to pass up the field goal attempt for the pass on fourth
down late in the first half. “But this team has worked awfully hard. If I don’t
have faith in them, I lose something.”
“We misfired on a couple of turnovers,” said Coach Ralston
in defeat. “Against a team like Michigan,
you have to play error-free. Our offense moved the ball pretty much like we
wanted, but the turnovers killed us.”
The Panthers kept up the momentum, defeating the
Philadelphia Stars in the USFL Championship game. Their 1984 season was the
mirror opposite of ‘83 as Michigan
ran out to a 6-0 start but, thanks to key injuries to Anthony Carter and David
Greenwood, slumped in the second half and nosed into the postseason as a wild
card team with a 10-8 record. Oakland
lost its first nine contests of ’84, turned around and won seven straight, and
finished at 7-11.
