Event description: USFL Conference Championship Previews
Source: UPI
(15-4) Birmingham Stallions at (17-2) Philadelphia Stars
1:05 p.m. (ABC-National-Keith Jackson and Lynn Swann)
Spread: Stars by -6
Cliff Stoudt is facing his 36th football game since September, and he'll give his right shoulder to play in it.
Although his coach lists him as questionable, Stoudt said there's no way he'll miss leading the Birmingham Stallions into the USFL Eastern Conference championship game against the Philadelphia Stars Sunday.
Tonight, it's Michigan at Houston in the Western Conference final.
The winners meet July 15 at Tampa, Fla. for the USFL title.
Stoudt, who quarterbacked the Pittsburgh Steelers into the NFL playoffs last winter, missed practice all week due to a sore right shoulder. He sat out the final regular-season game, but bounced to score two touchdowns in last week's 33-13 playoff victory over Tampa Bay.
Stoudt finished third to Philadelphia's Chuck Fusina in passing and teams with running back Joe Cribbs and wide receiver Jim Smith to give the Stallions three former NFL starters on their offense.
“There's nothing that could keep me out of this game,” Stoudt said.
Actually, there is one thing -- Birmingham Coach Rollie Dotsch.
Dotsch still hasn't decided whether Stoudt or backup Bobby Lane will start.
“Cliff is very sore,” Dotsch said. “He's questionable right now. I have to wait and see if he can throw the ball. We'll just have to watch him and everyone else carefully this week and hope they get better. There isn't much we can do.”
The Stallions are trying to avenge a 24-10 defeat at the hands of the Stars back in week five.
Despite the previous win, Philadelphia Coach Jim Mora certainly isn't overconfident about Sunday's game.
'The Stallions pose a double threat to us because of their running game and the passing of Cliff Stoudt,' Mora said. “They have three legitimate superstars in Stoudt, Joe Cribbs and Jim Smith. They can play for anybody.”
Cribbs finished the regular season with 1,450 yards, Smith caught 84 passes for 1,371 yards and Stoudt passed for 2,765 yards with 18 TDs and just five interceptions.
Fusina completed 69 percent of his passes for 37 TDs and five interceptions. Stars running back Kelvin Bryant was just behind Cribbs with 1,434 rushing yards with 16 touchdowns.
(10-9) Michigan Panthers at (13-6) Houston Gamblers
8:00 p.m. (ABC Regional-Tim Brant and Lee Grosscup)
Spread: Gamblers -4
The Panthers pulled the upset last week with their road win at Arizona. Michigan will again be the underdog this week as they travel to Houston to take on league-MVP Jim Kelly and the rest of the Gamblers.
Back in Week #8, the Panthers demolished Houston as Kelly was intercepted five times while being held to just 189 passing yards. The Michigan defense swarmed Kelly and his cohorts all day long, while the Panthers’ offense led a controlled the clock with a stout running attack led by John Williams and Ken Lacy.
Look for Michigan to again give the Gamblers all they handle as Bobby Hebert and the offense try and keep pace with the explosive Houston offense.
The game was switched to a Saturday night game so as to take advantage of the prime time audience.
Story-(UPI Modified)
