1983: Besana and Ex-Raiders Lead Invaders to Win Over Panthers

On March 19, 1983 the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League made their home debut against the Oakland Invaders. Both teams came into the contest at 1-1. Coached by Jim Stanley, the Panthers had scored just one touchdown in the first two contests (they won their opening game over the Birmingham Stallions by a 9-7 score thanks to three Novo Bojovic field goals). Rookie QB Bobby Hebert, a largely unknown quantity from out of Northwest Louisiana State, had won the starting job but was off to a slow start, as was the far-more-heralded rookie WR Anthony Carter from the Univ. of Michigan, who had been the team’s biggest preseason signing.

Oakland was coached by John Ralston, formerly of Stanford and the Denver Broncos, and had its own unheralded starting quarterback in Fred Besana, a 29-year-old who had last been behind center for the Twin Cities Cougars of the semi-pro California Football League. Backup to Steve Bartkowski and the ill-fated Joe Roth at California, he had failed to make the cut with the NFL Giants and Bills, but was making the most of his opportunity in the new USFL. He had already found a favorite target in WR Wyatt Henderson. The Invaders, who had skimped on talent coming out of college, also featured TE Raymond Chester and HB Arthur Whittington (pictured above), veteran ex-Raiders, on offense.

There were 28,952 in attendance at the Pontiac Silverdome for the Saturday night game. Hebert started poorly, completing only one of his first seven passes, and was relieved by backup Whit Taylor. Still, the Panthers led by 3-0 after one quarter of play thanks to a 44-yard field goal by Bojovic.

Oakland took the lead in the second quarter as Besana connected with Henderson on a fly pattern for a 45-yard touchdown. Bojovic kicked another 44-yard field goal but Kevin Shea was successful from 32 yards and the Invaders were up by 10-6 at the half.

Oakland scored two more touchdowns in the third quarter, with Besana tossing another TD pass to Henderson, this time of 22 yards, and Whittington running for a 14-yard score. The extra point was missed after the latter TD, but it hardly seemed to matter as the Invaders held a commanding 23-6 lead.

The Panthers were down but not out, however, and Hebert returned to the game to spark a furious rally. It began with a touchdown pass to WR Derek Holloway that covered 48 yards and, with the successful extra point, made it 23-13 heading into the fourth quarter.

Besana extended Oakland’s lead by finding the 13-year veteran Chester along the sideline for a 32-yard touchdown, and this time the PAT was successful. But Hebert brought Michigan back once more as he threw long to Carter for a 58-yard gain that set up another scoring pass to Holloway, this time covering 22 yards.

Nursing a ten-point lead, the Invaders drove to another score. Kevin Shea’s 24-yard field goal extended their margin to 33-20 with 4:25 to go. The Panthers came back one more time, as Hebert connected for a third time with Holloway, who made a leaping grab in the end zone for a 38-yard touchdown, but time finally ran out on Michigan. Oakland came away the winner by a score of 33-27.

The Invaders outgained the home team (460 to 375) and had more first downs (23 to 20) as well as a big lead in time of possession (38:06 to 21:54). Oakland rolled up 169 rushing yards to just 55 on 14 carries by the Panthers, who were playing catch-up during the second half. Besana was sacked seven times (four of them by LB John Corker, the eventual USFL leader in that category) while Oakland’s defense dumped Michigan quarterbacks on four occasions. However, the Invaders suffered no turnovers while the Panthers gave up the ball twice (both on fumbles).

Fred Besana completed 24 of 30 passes for 341 yards with three touchdowns and none intercepted. While Wyatt Henderson scored two of those TDs among his three catches for 93 yards, Raymond Chester was Oakland’s top receiver as he pulled in 7 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown. Arthur Whittington also had a big day, rushing for 109 yards and a TD on 26 carries and adding 4 catches for 46 more yards.

For the Panthers, following the shaky start Bobby Hebert ended up completing 13 of 23 throws for 289 yards with three TDs and no interceptions. Derek Holloway caught three passes – all for touchdowns – and gained 108 yards. RB Ken Lacy was the team’s leading ground gainer with 23 yards on 8 attempts. Anthony Carter had a mixed performance, pulling in two passes for 85 yards that included the one long bomb that set up Holloway’s second TD. However, he also fumbled two punts, one of which led to an Oakland score.


The loss dropped the Panthers to 1-2 and they would fall to 1-4 before turning the season around. In the end, they finished first in the Central Division with a 12-6 record and narrowly won the USFL Championship over the Philadelphia Stars. In the first round of the playoffs they defeated the Invaders, who had a mediocre 9-9 record but were still able to top the weak Pacific Division.

Things got much better for Bobby Hebert and Anthony Carter. Hebert led the league in passing, yards per attempt (7.9), and TD passes (27). Carter caught 60 passes for 1181 yards (19.7 avg.) and 9 touchdowns.

Raymond Chester concluded his accomplished pro football career by catching 68 passes for 951 yards (14.0 avg.) and five TDs and garnering All-League honors. Arthur Whittington was dogged by injuries but nevertheless rushed for 1043 yards on 282 carries (3.7 avg.) and had 66 receptions for 584 more yards. Fred Besana led the USFL in passing yards with 3980 and Wyatt Henderson, who got off to the fast start on the scoring end of Besana’s passes, finished with 54 receptions for 801 yards and 9 TDs.

1994: Rams Trade Jim Everett to Saints

The Los Angeles Rams, who had paid a big price in players and draft choices in 1986 to obtain QB Jim Everett, dealt him to the New Orleans Saints on March 18, 1994 for a seventh-round draft choice. Everett and the Rams had suffered through three difficult years after appearing in the NFC Championship game following the ’89 season. He was benched for a time during ’93 and was nearly cut outright by the team after the season.

It was a long fall for a player who had come out of Purdue with great promise. Originally drafted by the Houston Oilers in the first round of the ’86 draft (third overall), Everett was traded to the Rams after the season had begun when a contract couldn’t be worked out. The price was DE William Fuller, G Kent Hill, 1987 and ’88 first round draft choices, and a 1987 fifth round pick. It seemed worth it to the Rams, a good team that had suffered regularly due to instability at the quarterback position. The 6’5”, 212-pound Everett seemed like the sort of player who could change all of that, especially when he tossed three touchdown passes in his LA debut.

The strike-interrupted 1987 season was a difficult one for the Rams. In the midst of it star RB Eric Dickerson was traded to the Colts, putting even more of the burden on Everett. Head Coach John Robinson, used to a ground-oriented offense, brought in Ernie Zampese as offensive coordinator to bring the young quarterback along and install a new aerial attack that relied on quick timing patterns. LA finished strong as Everett got the hang of the new system and it set the stage for a breakout year in ’88.

1988 and ’89 were the high points for Everett with the Rams. He led the league in touchdown passes in each season (31 and 29, respectively), had his two best passer ratings (89.2 and 90.6), and passed for 3964 yards in ’88, followed by a career-high 4310 in 1989. LA went to the postseason both years, going 10-6 and losing in the Wild Card round and then 11-5 and climbing to the conference title game in 1989. Everett was also helped by the steady play of All-Pro WR Henry Ellard and, especially in ’89, the emergence of deep threat WR Willie “Flipper” Anderson, plus veteran TE Pete Holohan.

However, the seeds of Everett’s downfall were sown in the 1989 postseason. Following a fine clutch performance in an overtime win over the Giants, Everett looked bad in a dreadful 30-3 loss to the division-rival 49ers in the NFC Championship game. One play stood out in particular when, in a third-and-ten situation in the second quarter, he appeared to panic and went down without being hit. To be sure, Everett had plenty of company in looking bad against the eventual league champions – the defense was injury-riddled by the time the Rams faced the 49ers – but previously regarded as a tough competitor, the “self-sack” engendered second thoughts on that score.

Everett still went to the Pro Bowl for the only time in his career in 1990 as he fell just short of a second straight 4000-yard passing season (3989) and tossed 23 TD passes. However, the Rams sank to 5-11 and the questions regarding his toughness under pressure grew louder. It got worse in ’91 with LA collapsing further to 3-13 and Everett tossing more interceptions (20) than touchdown passes (11) while being sacked 30 times. John Robinson was replaced as head coach by Chuck Knox (back for his second stint in LA) and while the quarterback’s performance was better, the Rams were still only 6-10. But a fourth straight losing season in ’93 (5-11) in which Everett failed to complete half of his passes and lost his starting job to backup T.J. Rubley caused the team to part ways with the 31-year-old veteran.

As for the Saints, they were coming off of an 8-8 season in 1993, a disappointing result after making it to the playoffs the previous three years and starting out at 5-0. QB Bobby Hebert had been allowed to depart following the ’92 season and 34-year-old Wade Wilson took his place, with mixed results. Under Head Coach Jim Mora, New Orleans had finally become a contender, but depended on its solid defense more than the conservative offense, and had failed to win a postseason game.

Everett signed a two-year contract and agreed to a lower salary in order to play for the Saints (Wilson, whose salary was worth $4 million against the cap, was waived and re-signed for a lesser amount).

“This is the most exciting time of my life since getting drafted,” said an enthusiastic Everett. New Orleans had worked out several free agent quarterbacks and negotiated with Philadelphia QB Bubby Brister for a week before making the deal for Everett when the Rams agreed to a lower draft choice in return.

For the first year, Everett performed well (a club-record 64.1 % completion percentage and 3855 yards plus 22 TD passes and just 21 sacks). The offense was adjusted to his benefit and the receivers, led by wideouts Michael Haynes and Quinn Early, were adequate. Unfortunately, the running game was mediocre, the defense slipped, and the Saints dropped to 7-9.

The record was the same (as were the weaknesses) in 1995 despite another solid season from Everett, who passed for 3970 yards and 26 touchdowns, against 14 interceptions. But the quarterback and team collapsed in ’96. Everett’s production dropped across the board, he tossed more interceptions (16) than TD passes (12), and the Saints were 3-13. Mora was gone before the end and his successor for 1997, Mike Ditka, chose to bring in new quarterbacks. Everett was let go - he played one last year for the San Diego Chargers, throwing just 75 passes in four games.

Overall with New Orleans, Everett completed 61.0 % of his passes for 10,622 yards and 60 touchdowns with 48 interceptions. However, the team went just 17-30 in his starts and the questions about his competitiveness and toughness (despite his durability) were never fully quieted. An on-air scuffle with talk show host Jim Rome in 1994 only highlighted the issues. In the end, a promising career fell short of expectations despite a fair number of accomplishments.

Past Venue: Foxboro Stadium

Foxboro, MA
aka Schaefer Stadium, Sullivan Stadium



Year opened: 1971
Capacity: 60,292

Names:
Schaefer Stadium, 1971-83
Sullivan Stadium, 1983-89
Foxboro Stadium, 1989-2002

Pro football tenants:
New England Patriots (NFL), 1971-2001
New England Colonials (ACFL), 1973

Postseason games hosted:
AFC Divisional playoff, Oilers 31 Patriots 14, Dec. 31, 1978
AFC Divisional playoff, Patriots 28 Steelers 3, Jan. 5, 1997
AFC Championship, Patriots 20 Jaguars 6, Jan. 12, 1997
AFC Wild Card playoff, Patriots 17 Dolphins 3, Dec. 28, 1997
AFC Divisional playoff, Patriots 16 Raiders 13, Jan. 19, 2002

Other tenants of note:
New England Tea Men (NASL), 1978-80
New England Revolution (MLS), 1996-2001

Notes: Used as venue for FIFA World Cup, 1994. Built on land originally donated by owners of the Bay State Raceway, midway between Boston and Providence, RI. Stadium was built without public funding (and with few amenities) and was originally named for the Schaefer Brewing Co. (an early instance of the selling of naming rights). Was renamed in 1983 for the Sullivan family that originally owned the Patriots and, after they sold the club, reverted to name of locale. Original PolyTurf surface was converted to AstroTurf and, in 1991, to grass. First football game was a preseason contest between the Patriots and New York Giants, Aug. 15, 1971. Occasionally used as home venue by Boston College.

Fate: Demolished in 2002, site became a parking lot for Gillette Stadium.

[Updated 2/3/14]

1967: Raiders Obtain Daryle Lamonica from Bills

Concurrent with the first combined NFL/AFL draft, there were several major trades. Perhaps the biggest occurred on March 14, 1967, the first day of the draft, as the Oakland Raiders dealt QB Tom Flores, split end Art Powell, and a second round draft choice to the Buffalo Bills for QB Daryle Lamonica, split end Glenn Bass, and two draft picks (third and fifth round).

The 25-year-old Lamonica (he turned 26 prior to the ’67 season) had been taken by the Bills in the 24th round of the 1963 AFL draft out of Notre Dame (he was chosen by Green Bay in the NFL). He proved to be an effective backup to veteran Jack Kemp with the Bills and, with ideal size (6’3”, 215), a strong arm, and outstanding ability as a long passer, often relieved Kemp if a change of pace seemed in order in his first few seasons. He was also mobile and, even in a part-time role, led AFL quarterbacks in rushing with 289 yards in 1964. By 1966, however, he was seeing less action and was restless in Kemp’s shadow.

Meanwhile, Tom Flores, a week short of his 30th birthday at the time of the trade, was an original member of the Raiders in 1960 and was coming off a very solid year for a team that went 8-5-1. He ranked third in passing and achieved career highs with 2638 yards and 24 touchdown passes, earning selection to the AFL All-Star Game. However, there was a sense that the team’s managing general partner, Al Davis, and head coach, John Rauch, had concluded that Flores was not the quarterback to take the team to the next level.

As for the two receivers involved, Powell had been one of the best in the AFL since joining the New York Titans in 1960. After moving to the Raiders in ’63, he had never scored fewer than 11 touchdowns in a season (with a high of 16 in that first year) and had been over a thousand yards receiving in three of four years, including 1026 on 53 catches in 1966. Considered temperamental, he was nevertheless highly talented.

By contrast, Glenn Bass had caught just 10 passes for 130 yards in ’66. While he had 82 receptions in his first two seasons and had pulled in 43 throws for 897 yards and 7 touchdowns in 1964, Bass had been having physical problems, including a major ankle injury in 1965, and lost his starting job to rookie Bobby Crockett in ’66. At age 27, there were certainly doubts regarding his future.

At the time, the trade was viewed as a major gamble by the Raiders, who were giving up two experienced and accomplished players for a backup quarterback and injury-prone receiver. Meanwhile, Buffalo had topped the Eastern Division for three straight years, but after back-to-back AFL Championships, the Bills were badly beaten by Kansas City for the ’66 league title. The trade with Oakland, in conjunction with other deals, seemed likely to strengthen the club for a possible Super Bowl run in 1967.

In fact, the results proved to be very different and, ultimately, very one-sided for the Raiders. Bass failed to make the team, but Lamonica more than made up for it with a MVP performance. The player who came to be known as “The Mad Bomber” proved to be an excellent fit in Oakland’s offense with his ability to throw deep and also displayed strong leadership skills. Despite the lack of a legitimate deep threat, flanker Fred Biletnikoff, split end Bill Miller, and TE Billy Cannon performed capably. The Raiders went 13-1 and won the AFL Championship, succumbing to the NFL’s Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl.

Things did not go as well for Buffalo. Flores initially gained the starting job but had arm problems and, even with Kemp playing erratically, saw limited action – he threw a total of 64 passes, none for touchdowns but with 8 of them intercepted. Powell played in only six games and went down with a knee injury, catching 20 passes for 346 yards and four TDs. Instead of contending, and despite the efforts of a still-formidable defense, the Bills fell to 4-10.

Lamonica and the Raiders were 24-3-1 over the next two seasons, although they fell short of another AFL title both times. Still, Lamonica remained one of the league’s best quarterbacks and again received MVP recognition in 1969 as he passed for 3302 yards and 34 touchdowns. The arrival of fleet WR Warren Wells provided an effective deep threat to pair with Biletnikoff.

With the AFL merging into the NFL in 1970, Lamonica was still the starting quarterback for the Raiders and was selected to the Pro Bowl following the ’70 and ’72 seasons. However, the team, while still fundamentally strong, was not as successful and zone defenses began to neutralize the strong-armed quarterback. He began to yield playing time to the younger Ken Stabler and signed with the World Football League’s Southern California Sun, where he ended his career. It was an outstanding one – in eight years in Oakland (six as the primary starting quarterback) he passed for 16,655 yards and 148 TDs and the team went 62-16-6 in his starts and qualified for the playoffs in five of those first six seasons.

As for the Bills, the decline in ’67 continued through 1972, long after Tom Flores and Art Powell were gone. Flores appeared in one game in 1968 after being injured during the preseason, was dealt to the Chiefs during the ’69 season to provide veteran insurance when QB Len Dawson missed time due to injury, and retired afterward. He would eventually return to the Raiders as a head coach, leading the team to two NFL titles. Powell was gone in 1968, catching one pass for the Minnesota Vikings before his career also came to an end.

As for the draft choices the Raiders received, the third round selection was used to take Bill Fairbrand, linebacker from Colorado, and the fifth round pick went for LB Mike Hibler of Stanford. The second round choice the Bills got from Oakland was used for TE Jim LeMoine from Utah State. None of them were of consequence.

A risky trade that worked far better for the team that took the bigger chance proved a dud for the club that was seeking to retool and remain successful with veteran acquisitions. For the Oakland Raiders, it meant going from a promising team to a champion – and with a quarterback whose style of play came to define the franchise. But for the Buffalo Bills, it symbolized a descent from championship-level play to mediocrity.

MVP Profile: Don Meredith, 1966

Quarterback, Dallas Cowboys


Age: 28
7th season in pro football & with Cowboys
College: Southern Methodist
Height: 6’3” Weight: 203

Prelude:
A native of the Dallas metro area who played collegiately at SMU, Meredith was originally chosen by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 1960 NFL draft, but a deal was worked out so the expansion Cowboys could sign him in order to keep him away from the Dallas Texans of the new AFL. He backed up veteran QB Eddie LeBaron for the first two years and saw increasingly more action as he gradually took over the starting role in 1962 and ’63. Mobile and with a good arm, he improved (and fought off injuries) along with the team. The Cowboys broke even for the first time in 1965 at 7-7 as Meredith, while only completing 46.2 % of his passes, threw for 2415 yards and 22 TDs.

1966 Season Summary
Appeared in 13 of 14 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing
Attempts – 344 [7]
Most attempts, game – 45 at Cleveland 10/23
Completions – 177 [7]
Most completions, game – 26 at Cleveland 10/23
Yards – 2805 [4]
Most yards, game – 406 at Washington 11/13
Completion percentage – 51.5 [9]
Yards per attempt – 8.2 [2]
TD passes – 24 [3]
Most TD passes, game – 5 vs. NY Giants 9/18, vs. Philadelphia 10/9
Interceptions – 12 [12, tied with Earl Morrall & Ron Smith]
Most interceptions, game – 4 at Cleveland 10/23
Passer rating – 87.7 [3]
400-yard passing games – 1
300-yard passing games – 3
200-yard passing games – 6

Rushing
Attempts – 38
Most attempts, game - 6 (for 33 yds.) vs. Minnesota 9/25, (for 32 yds.) at Washington 11/13
Yards – 242
Most yards, game – 41 yards (on 3 carries) vs. Pittsburgh 10/30
Yards per attempt – 6.4
TDs – 5

Scoring
TDs – 5
Points – 30

Postseason: 1 G (NFL Championship vs. Green Bay)
Pass attempts – 31
Pass completions – 15
Passing yardage – 238
TD passes – 1
Interceptions – 1

Rushing attempts – 4
Rushing yards – 22
Average gain rushing – 5.5
Rushing TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:
NFL Player of the Year: Bert Bell Award
2nd team All-NFL: AP, UPI, NY Daily News
Pro Bowl

Cowboys went 10-3-1 to finish first in the Eastern Conference while leading the NFL in total yards (5145), passing yards (3023), scoring (445 points), and touchdowns (56). Lost NFL Championship to Green Bay Packers (34-27).

Aftermath:
The Cowboys again advanced to the NFL title game in 1967 – and once more lost a close contest to the Packers – although Meredith had a lesser, injury-plagued year in which he threw for just 1834 yards with 16 interceptions along with 16 TD passes. He still was chosen for the Pro Bowl and was again in ’68 as he passed for 2500 yards and 21 touchdowns. The Cowboys lost in the Eastern Conference title game, however, and the following summer Meredith abruptly retired. “Dandy Don” went on to an acting and broadcasting career – most notably on Monday Night Football. For his NFL career, he passed for 17,199 yards with 135 TD passes and 111 interceptions and rushed for 1216 yards with a 5.0 average gain.

--

MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself).

[Updated 2/9/14]

1984: Cribbs Rushes for 191 Yards as Stallions Defeat Maulers

The Pittsburgh Maulers, one of six new teams in the United States Football League’s second season, had lost their first two games on the road. Owned by Edward J. DeBartolo Sr. (father of the owner of the NFL’s 49ers), Coach Joe Pendry’s team had the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, RB Mike Rozier, but little else. QB Glenn Carano was a former backup for the Cowboys and the defense was mediocre. Still, the Maulers lost their first two contests by a combined total of just seven points. On March 11, 1984 they debuted at home against the Birmingham Stallions.

There were 53,771 fans in attendance at Three Rivers Stadium, the first sellout in league history, fueled by the fact that Birmingham’s new starting quarterback was ex-Steeler Cliff Stoudt. He had been less-than-popular as the replacement for the injured Terry Bradshaw in ’83, and had made the jump to the USFL. Stoudt was joined in the backfield by RB Joe Cribbs, who had been selected to the Pro Bowl in three of four seasons with the Buffalo Bills. The one element of the Birmingham offense that had played well in 1983 was the line, not surprising under Head Coach Rollie Dotsch, who had been offensive line coach of the Steelers during their last two championship years. Adding experienced veteran talent in the backfield could only help, and the club had gotten off to a 1-1 start.

It was a cold and windy day with temperatures in the 20s. A deafening chorus of boos greeted Stoudt’s pregame introduction and a regular barrage of snowballs were tossed toward the quarterback and his teammates during the contest (drawing angry criticism from Coach Dotsch afterward). However, the Maulers proved mistake-prone on both sides of the ball and put themselves in a hole early.

In the opening period, Birmingham CB Chuck Clanton intercepted Carano’s second pass and returned it 53 yards for a touchdown. Before the first quarter was over, Scott Norwood kicked a 35-yard field goal that was set up thanks to a roughing-the-passer penalty on Pittsburgh on a third-down play in which Stoudt threw an incompletion. A run by Cribbs put the ball in field goal range.

It got worse for the Maulers as a fumble by Rozier after catching a swing pass was recovered by Birmingham DT Joe Cugliari. It initially seemed that Pittsburgh had dodged a bullet when, following a 23-yard pass completion from Stoudt to another ex-Steeler, WR Jim Smith, the defense held and Norwood’s field goal attempt was wide to the right. But Norwood was hit by LB Ron Crosby, who was called for roughing-the-kicker. Five plays later, and just into the second quarter, Cribbs scored on a four-yard touchdown carry.

Norwood suffered a knee injury on the play that resulted in the penalty and was forced to sit out the remainder of the contest. Following the Cribbs touchdown, Stoudt ran for a two-point conversion (waving the football triumphantly over his head in response to the Pittsburgh fans) and the score was 18-0 in favor of the visitors.

Tony Lee kicked field goals of 28 and 42 yards for the Maulers in the second quarter to narrow Birmingham’s margin to 18-6 at halftime. In the second half, another penalty snuffed out a successful fake punt for the Maulers. From their 45, punter Larry Swider, after dropping the snap, threw to CB Bill Yancy (a receiver in this instance). However, the play was called back because of an illegal receiver downfield.


Stoudt (pictured at left) was having a poor day throwing but, with Cribbs running effectively and the Maulers beating themselves, it hardly mattered. He also added another six points in the third quarter on a ten-yard run, although the attempt to pass for a two-point conversion failed.

Pittsburgh finally scored a touchdown two minutes into the fourth quarter as Carano tossed a four-yard pass to WR Shawn Potts. Ten minutes later, Cribbs rushed for a 13-yard TD and the Maulers followed with one last score as FB Walt Easley plowed over from a yard out. Both teams attempted two-point conversions after each of their touchdowns, failing in each instance. Pittsburgh came close to one final, meaningless TD but Rozier was stopped inches short of the goal line on the last play of the game. Birmingham comfortably came away as the winner by a final score of 30-18.

The yardage totals were deceivingly close as the Stallions outgained Pittsburgh by just five yards (263 to 258). However, the breakdown showed Birmingham with 242 yards on 52 rushing plays to just 46 on 20 attempts for the Maulers. The Stallions had only 21 net passing yards to Pittsburgh’s 212 that were accumulated in a vain attempt to come from behind. Birmingham led in first downs (19 to 15) and dominated the time of possession (37:07 to 22:53). There weren’t many turnovers, but both of Pittsburgh’s led to Birmingham scores while the Stallions turned the ball over once, and the Maulers were penalized 8 times to 4 flags thrown on the visitors, often in key situations.

Joe Cribbs was the offensive star for the Stallions with 191 yards on 33 carries and two touchdowns. Cliff Stoudt was successful on only two of 17 passes for 29 yards and had one intercepted. Jim Smith’s 23-yard catch was the longest of the game for Birmingham and RB Leon Perry had the only other reception, for six yards. The Stallions went for two-point conversions after their remaining touchdowns but were only successful on one.

For the Maulers, Mike Rozier was held to 52 yards on 16 rushing attempts but caught 7 passes for 68 more, although with the one costly fumble. Glenn Carano went to the air 33 times and had 18 completions for 221 yards and a TD with one intercepted. WR Greg Anderson gained 96 yards on his 4 receptions.

“Cliff did the things that he had to do, and we won,” said Coach Dotsch in response to the comfortable win despite Stoudt’s miniscule passing performance.

“All I have to do is please my teammates, my fans, and my coaches,” added Stoudt, who also said, “the crowd really fired me up. I was just excited out there. I was having fun and I wanted them to know it.”

“The interception didn’t set things back as much as the second turnover,” said Joe Pendry regarding the early plays that put Pittsburgh in a deep hole. “That forced us to throw the ball more than we wanted.”

Pendry, whose team fell to 0-3, added “They’re (Birmingham) an excellent football team, too good for us to make mistakes against. If they didn’t stop us, we had a penalty to stop ourselves.”

The Maulers won their first game the following week, against the equally-hapless Washington Federals, but it was hardly a case of turning a corner. They and Washington ended up the season at 3-15 and at the bottom of the Atlantic Division. Coach Pendry was gone after ten weeks.

Birmingham, on the other hand, went on to win nine straight games and topped the Southern Division at 14-4. They easily defeated the division-rival Tampa Bay Bandits in the First Round playoff game but lost to the Philadelphia Stars, who had also ended their season winning streak, in the Eastern Conference Championship game.

Joe Cribbs led the USFL in rushing with 1467 yards on 297 carries (4.9 avg.) and 8 touchdowns. Cliff Stoudt had far better passing days than he did against the Maulers and ended up ranking second in the league with a 101.6 rating that included 3121 yards and 26 TDs to just 7 interceptions.

Past Venue: County Stadium

Milwaukee, WI



Year opened: 1953
Capacity: 54,187 at highest, up from 36,011 at opening

Names:
Milwaukee County Stadium, 1953-2001

Pro football tenants:
Green Bay Packers (NFL), 1953-94 (select games)

Postseason games hosted:
NFL Western Conf. Championship, Packers 28 Rams 7, Dec. 23, 1967

Other tenants of note:
Milwaukee Braves (MLB – NL), 1953-65
Univ. of Wisconsin – Milwaukee (college football), 1968-71
Milwaukee Brewers (MLB – AL), 1970-2000

Notes: Beginning in 1933, Packers played some home games each year in Milwaukee (the practice continued through 1994), with County Stadium the venue from 1953. Also hosted some home games of MLB Chicago White Sox, 1968-69. Playing area was barely large enough to fit a football field and both team benches were on the same sideline. Hosted exhibition matches of NASL Chicago Sting.

Fate: Demolished in 2001, site now serves as a parking lot for Miller Park.