The Michigan Panthers hosted the Central Division-rival Houston Gamblers in a United States Football League game on May 6, 1984 with hopes of ending a four-game losing streak.
The Panthers were the defending USFL Champions under Head
Coach Jim Stanley and had started the season fast with six straight wins before
going into the swoon to stand at 6-4 and in a three-way battle for the division
lead. QB Bobby Hebert (pictured at right) was hampered by a bad knee and the losses had begun when
star WR Anthony Carter went down for the year with a broken arm. The offensive
line, a strength coming into the season, was injury-ridden as well, but the
defense remained one of the league’s better units.
Houston, a first-year club coached by Jack Pardee, was
also at 6-4 and was coming off a tough overtime loss the previous week. Rookie
QB Jim Kelly had been outstanding in operating the run-and-shoot passing
offense, although he had taken many sacks. The Gamblers had lost starting RB
Sam Harrell to injury and Todd Fowler, a lightly-regarded rookie out of Stephen
F. Austin, was taking his place.
There were 29,068 fans in attendance at the Astrodome. The
first quarter was scoreless until, following an interception by LB John Corker
that gave the Panthers the ball at the Houston 39, the home team advanced in
four plays to a touchdown on a 13-yard pass from Bobby Hebert to a wide-open RB
Ken Lacy. Novo Bojovic added the extra point for the 7-0 lead.
With the Michigan defense keeping the Gamblers in check,
the Panthers moved methodically in a 12-play, 61-yard series that extended into
the second quarter and ended with another Hebert TD pass, this time to WR
Walter Broughton from four yards out. Bojovic converted and Michigan was up by
14-0.
The next possession by the Panthers ended with Hebert
being picked off by CB Mike Mitchell and the Gamblers capitalized when Kelly
completed a third down pass to WR Ricky Sanders for a 37-yard touchdown. Toni
Fritsch added the extra point to narrow the score to 14-7.
A short Michigan possession led to a punt and Bojovic,
normally just the placekicker but forced to do double duty due to an injury to
SS/P David Greenwood, boomed a 59-yard kick that pinned the Gamblers inside
their 10 yard line. The teams traded punts for the remainder of the half and
the score remained unchanged.
The Panthers had first possession in the third quarter
and, with Hebert passing effectively and RB John Williams picking up 17 yards
on a key carry, they drove 72 yards in nine plays to a TD on a seven-yard run
by Williams. Bojovic converted to put Michigan ahead by 14 points at 21-7.
Todd Fowler ran effectively on Houston’s next series that
ended with Kelly firing long to Sanders for a 44-yard touchdown. Fritsch’s
point after narrowed Michigan’s lead to seven points once more. But it didn’t
take long for the Panthers to respond as, on their third play of the next
series, Williams took off down the right sideline for a 68-yard TD. Bojovic
booted the extra point and the score was 28-14 in favor of the home team.
WR Clarence Verdin returned the ensuing kickoff 39 yards and
the Gamblers again interspersed draw plays by Fowler to good effect. With the
game now early in the fourth quarter, they scored on a five-yard bootleg by
Kelly to complete the six-play, 61-yard drive. Fritsch successfully converted
to make the score 28-21.
An onside kick by Houston was recovered by the Panthers
and, while they were unable to capitalize, Bojovic’s punt was downed at the
Gamblers’ seven yard line. Fowler immediately took off for a 20-yard run and
caught a third-and-10 screen pass for a first down, but the visitors were
ultimately forced to punt. However, they got the ball back at the Michigan 14
when Hebert fumbled while being sacked and FS Tommy Myers recovered. Fowler hit
the line repeatedly, the last time for a touchdown from less than a yard out.
Fritsch’s kick tied the score at 28-28 with 4:37 remaining in regulation.
Neither team was able to get into scoring position the rest of the way and the
contest headed into overtime.
The Gamblers won the toss for the overtime period but the
squibbed kick hit a Houston player and was recovered by Michigan center Max
Gill at the Houston 49. However, Hebert was sacked on first down and two passes
fell incomplete to force a punt. The Gamblers drove into Michigan territory,
converting two third downs along the way, and appeared set to win until
Fritsch’s 30-yard field goal attempt was partially deflected by John Corker and
missed to the left. Granted a reprieve, the Panthers drove methodically in 12
plays with Williams running well and Hebert hitting key passes. Bojovic kicked
a 29-yard field goal and Michigan won by a final score of 31-28 with 59 seconds
remaining in the extra period.
Both teams rolled up significant yardage, with the
Panthers coming out ahead (420 to 405) and also holding the edge in first downs
(24 to 21) and time of possession (40:54 to 33:07). Michigan gained 246 yards
on the ground to 181 for the normally air-oriented Gamblers. The Panthers accumulated
five sacks, to three for Houston and the Gamblers turned the ball over three
times, to two by the home team.
Bobby Hebert completed 20 of 36 passes for 199 yards and
a touchdown while giving up an interception. John Williams had a big day with
165 yards on 22 carries that included two TDs. WR Derek Holloway and Walter
Broughton each caught five passes, for 61 and 46 yards, respectively, and
Broughton scored a touchdown. On defense, DE Larry Bethea accounted for three
of Michigan’s sacks.
For the Gamblers, Jim Kelly was successful on 23 of 36
throws for 249 yards and two TDs, along with two interceptions. Todd Fowler (pictured at left) rushed for 140 yards on 22 attempts with a touchdown, his best outing to date.
Ricky Sanders had 9 pass receptions for 120 yards and two TDs and Richard
Johnson also caught 9, for 67 yards.
The win put the Panthers alone in first place in the Central
Division, but they lost their next three games and had to rally to finish
second and grab a wild card playoff slot with a 10-8 record. They lost an epic
First Round playoff game to the Los Angeles Express in the third overtime
period. Houston, having now lost two straight games in overtime, reeled off
seven consecutive wins to close out the season in first place at 13-5. However,
the Gamblers then fell to Arizona in a close First Round contest.
Both John Williams and Todd Fowler remained productive on
the ground. Williams rushed for 984 yards on 194 carries for a 5.0 average and
scored eight touchdowns. Fowler, barely a footnote during the first half of the
season, ended up gaining 1003 yards on 170 attempts (5.9 avg.), including 208
in a single game, and compiled 11 TDs.
