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Tampa Bay 17 at Birmingham 29


1983 Week 18 - Saturday, July 2, 1983
Tampa Bay Bandits(11-6)(-3.5) at Birmingham Stallions(8-9)
Attendance: 20,300, TV: ESPN

BIRMINGHAM(UPI) - The Birmingham Stallions eked out a .500 season by defeating Tampa Bay 29-17 Saturday night and crushed the Bandits' hopes of being in the first-ever USFL championship playoffs.

The Bandits, 11-7, were tied with Chicago and Michigan for first place in the Central Division before the game.

Bobby Lane threw two touchdown passes to Jim Smith in the victory that improved Bimingham's record to a break-even 9-9. The victory capped a perfect day for Birmingham, in which the Stallions signed Buffalo Bills' running back Joe Cribbs. Cribbs signed a contract on the field at halftime to play for the Stallions next season.

The Stallions scored first, with 5:34 left in the first quarter. A clipping penalty on a punt return put the Stallions on their own three, but a 38-yard pass from Lane to Smith and a 32-yard run by Lane set up Lonnie Johnson's 3-yard touchdown run.

Tampa Bay came right back on its next possession. Jimmy Jordan hit Eric Truvillion with a 46-yard bomb and Greg Boone ran 16 yards on a draw play. Gary Anderson scored from two yards out with 1:25 left in the quarter.

Highlights




1983 USFL Regular Season

1983 Week 18

Saturday, July 2, 1983  

Tampa Bay Bandits 17 @ Birmingham Stallions 29

Stadium : Legion Field, Birmingham, AL.

Attendance: 20,300

                   Tampa Bay    Birmingham

First Downs            18          21
Rushes - Yards       15-41       43-220
Passing Yards         301         161
Return Yards           93         105
Passes              24-39-2     12-28-1
Sacks - Yards Lost    4-36        1-14
Punts - Avg.          5-43.6      5-44.2
Fumbles-Lost          0-0         0-0
Penalties-Yards      15-105      13-81
Time of Possession   23:50       36:10


                    1st 2nd 3rd 4th  Total

Tampa Bay            7   3   0   7  - 17
Birmingham          14   9   3   3  - 29


1st Quarter Scoring

Birmingham Stallions - Johnson 3 yd. Run ( Norwood Kick ).

Tampa Bay Bandits - Anderson 2 yd. Run ( Andrusyshyn Kick ).

Birmingham Stallions - Anderson 50 yd. Pass from Lane ( Norwood Kick ).


2nd Quarter Scoring

Birmingham Stallions - Safety, Spencer tackled Jordan in End Zone.

Birmingham Stallions - J. Smith 9 yd. Pass from Lane ( Norwood Kick ).

Tampa Bay Bandits - 39 yd. Field Goal by Andrusyshyn.


3rd Quarter Scoring

Birmingham Stallions - 50 yd. Field Goal by Norwood.


4th Quarter Scoring

Birmingham Stallions - 29 yd. Field Goal by Norwood.

Tampa Bay Bandits - Truvillion 1 yd. Pass from Jordan ( Andrusyshyn Kick ).



INDIVIDUAL Statistics

Rushing 

Tampa Bay Bandits - Anderson 9-26, Boone 3-15, Platt 3-0. 

Birmingham Stallions - Talton 24-95, Gant 9-56, Johnson 4-7,
Lane 3-38, J. Smith 2-19, Quarles 1-5.
 

Passing

Tampa Bay Bandits - Jordan 24-39-2-337.

Birmingham Stallions - Lane 12-28-1-175.


Receiving

Tampa Bay Bandits - Gillespie 7-123, Buggs 7-70, Anderson 4-77, Truvillion 2-47,
Boone 2-2, Gilbert 1-9, Cox 1-9.


Birmingham Stallions - J. Smith 5-76, Gant 2-16, Tallon 2-11, Anderson 1-50,
Frederick 1-11, Mason 1-11.


Kickoff Returns

Tampa Bay Bandits - Bailey 2-47, Anderson 2-36.

Birmingham Stallions - Kincaid 3-67, Johnson 1-20, Hickman 1-0.


Punt Returns

Tampa Bay Bandits - Bailey 2-10, Anderson 1-0.

Birmingham Stallions - Kincaid 4-16.


Punting

Tampa Bay Bandits - Andrusyshyn 5-43.6 Yd. Avg.

Birmingham Stallions - Johnston 5-44.2 Yd. Avg.


Field Goals

Tampa Bay Bandits - Andrusyshyn 1 of 1.

Birmingham Stallions - Norwood 2 of 2


Interceptions

Tampa Bay Bandits - King 1 for 0 yd.

Birmingham Stallions - Thompson 1 for 2 yd., Cesare 1 for 0 yd.


Sacks

Tampa Bay Bandits - Nordgren 1-14. 

Birmingham Stallions - Walker 1/2 sack for 7 yds., Hickman 1-7, Murphy 1/2 sack for 7 yds.,
F. Smith 1-7, Spencer 1-8.

Archived news report
Archived news report

Supplemental information courtesy of Chris Blackburn


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