Event Date: June 29th, 1987
Event Description: 'Boats Win Title Game
Source: PFW
Walter Lewis threw two touchdown passes to Greg Moser and Sam Bowers and Leonard Williams rushed for 134 yards with a pair of scores, keying the Showboats 48-34 win over Denver in the U.S.F.L. championship game on Sunday night.
The Showboats led 28-20 at halftime Sunday, then struck for three touchdowns in the fourth quarter on their way to the fourteen point victory.
But in the final frame, Leonard Williams scored on a 14-yard run and Bryan Howard returned a fumble 70 yards as Memphis pulled ahead by a score of 41-27 with just over eleven minutes remaining.
Walter Lewis followed with a one-yard run for a touchdown at the 3:24 mark as Memphis never looked back.
Denver finally scored in the final stanza with just over one minute left when quarterback Vince Evans hit Kris Haines for a 22-yard touchdown, his second of the contest.
“I was not concerned with our offensive production going into the game,” coach Pepper Rodgers said afterward. “ I knew that our offense could move the ball. It was our defense and special teams that had to step up today and they did. The blocked punt and the fumble return really sparked the entire team. It’s just a great feeling to know we are being rewarded for our hard work all season.”
Todd Gerhart opened the scoring for Denver with a two-yard touchdown plunge at the 10:13 mark. That score was followed by a Leonard Williams four-yard run for Memphis, tying the game at 7-7.
At the end of the first quarter, Walter Lewis found Sam Bowers for a seven yard touchdown, culminating a six-play, 45-yard drive pushing the ‘Boats ahead 14-7.
A Van Hughes blocked punt at the ten minute mark of the second stanza resulted in a score and a 21-7 lead for Memphis.
Vince Evans then drove the Gold 68 yards on nine plays and hit Todd Gerhart on a nine-yard swing pass as Denver pulled to within 21-13 after a missed extra point.
A 17-yard pass from Lewis to Greg Moser was quickly followed by a Vince Evans to Daric Zeno touchdown as Memphis led 28-20 at the intermission.
Denver quarterback Vince Evans completed 20-of-36 passes for 289 yards and threw one interception to go along with four sacks.
Vincent White led the Gold receivers with seven receptions for 89 yards. Memphis forced Denver into two turnovers and the Gold committed nine penalties for 76 yards.
Game MVP Leonard Williams led Memphis with 134 yards rushing and Walter Lewis added an additional 88 rushing yards with one rushing touchdown. Lewis hit on 9-of-15 passes for 129 yards with two touchdowns, no interceptions and just two sacks.
An announced crowd of just under 48,000 attended the game.
The USFL’s antitrust suit against the NFL resumes this week as rumors of a settlement swirled through the press corps and amongst some league officials.
more to come......
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