Week 6 - 1984：Jacksonville Bulls vs Memphis Showboats

Week 6 - Saturday, March 31, 1984

Attendance: 17,180

TV: ESPN

Alan Duncan booted a 32-yard field goal with less than 10 seconds left to give the Memphis Showboats a 27-24 victory over Jacksonville.

Duncan's kick broke a 24-24 tie in a see-saw battle between two USFL, expansion teams. The victory, before 17,180 at the Liberty Bowl, gave Memphis a 2-4 record. The Bulls are also 2-4.

Jacksonville drew first blood when running back Larry Mason capped a 79-yard drive with a 1-yard plunge over left guard. Quarterback Robbie Mahfouz completed five passes during the drive, including a 19-yard toss that gave the Bulls a first down on the Memphis 4.

Jacksonville Bulls:

Years of existence: 1984-1985

Owner: Fred Bullard

Overall Regular Season Record: 15-21 (.417)

Overall Playoff Record: 0-0

Yearly Standings and Average Home Attendances

1984: 6-12 (46,730)

1985: 9-9 (44,325)

The Bulls are perhaps the best example of what the USFL meant to a community. Without the support shown the Bulls in 1984 and 1985, there would be no such thing as the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Bulls led the league in attendance in their inaugural season and were again one of the leaders in 1985. Their crowd of 73,227 on March 4, 1984, against the New Jersey Generals was the best in league history.

Coach Lindy Infante also kept the Bulls competitive in most games despite a lack of name talent. The 1984 squad was led by Robbie Mahfouz and Matt Robinson who split the year at QB, while Gary Clark paced the team with 56 catches for 760 yards. The Bulls struggled mightily on defense, giving up 455 points. Don Bessillieu picked off six passes, but the Bulls had trouble pressuring the quarterback.

An improved defense and the addition of Mike Rozier at running back helped the Bulls post a .500 record in 1985. The addition of Keith Millard, who later would become an NFL defensive player of the year, and the emergence of linebacker Vaughan Johnson were two big causes of Jacksonville's defensive turnaround. Rozier finished second in the USFL with 1,361 yards on the ground and added 12 touchdowns. Receiver Alton Alexis made 83 grabs for 1,118 yards, and Perry Kemp caught 53 balls for 915 yards. Kicker Brian Franco nailed 24 of his 29 field goal attempts and all 45 of his extra point attempts to finish as the league's fifth leading scorer. Ed Luther played most of the year at quarterback after Brian Sipe was injured in the opening game and again immediately upon his return to duty. The Bulls also had two-time Heisman winner Archie Griffin at running back, giving them two Heisman winners in the same backfield.

Memphis Showboats:

Years of existence: 1984-1985

Owner: William Dunavant, Logan Young, Jr.

Overall Regular Season Record: 18-18 (.500)

Overall Playoff Record: 1-1

Yearly Standings and Average Home Attendances

1984: 7-11 (27,599)

1985: 11-7 (30,948)

The Memphis Showboats were yet another USFL team that developed a steady and loyal following. Memphis started their first season just 2-7, but coach Pepper Rodger's club finished the season at a 5-4 clip. Mike Kelley and Walter Lewis split time at the quarterback position with Kelley seeing much of the action down the stretch. Derrick Crawford topped the team with 61 catches for 703 yards. Not even Reggie White (12 sacks) could stop the bleeding on defense, thanks in large part to a porous secondary.

The Showboats came out strong in 1985 with a vastly improved defense (third in the USFL) featuring rookies Leonard Coleman and Mossy Cade. With Kelley and Lewis at the helm, Crawford finished the season with 70 receptions for 1,057 yards, and Greg Moser caught 57 balls for 1,145 yards.. Running back Tim Spencer ran for 789 yards, and Lewis scrambled for an additional 591. Reggie White paced the team with 11.5 sacks. In the first round of the playoffs, Memphis destroyed the previously high-scoring Denver Gold, 48-7, by scoring 35 points in the second half. Crawford returned a punt for a TD, but the defense stole the show with five sacks, three forced fumbles and three interceptions. The next week, the Showboats fell to the Oakland Invaders, 28-19, in the semifinals.

Source: http://www.oursportscentral.com/usfl/index.php

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