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Michigan 52 at Houston 34


1984 Week 5 - Monday, March 26, 1984
Michigan Panthers(4-0)(-3) at Houston Gamblers(3-1)
Attendance: 38,754

HOUSTON ( UPI ) - While it is the Michigan Panthers that are on a roll, it was the Houston Gamblers that played a game of USFL craps - and lost.

The defending league champion Panthers extended their winning streak to 11 games over two seasons Monday night and in the process set numerous records in a wild 52-34 victory at the Astrodome.

The Gamblers tried but were no match for Michigan's big-play offense.

The Panthers' Bobby Hebert, who entered the game as the league's top quarterback, passed for a USFL record 444 yards and added four touchdowns and 5-0. Michigan had two receivers with over 100 yards in a team-record scoring blitz.

Also, the 86 points for the two clubs is a USFL record for most scored in one game. Despite the offensive onslaught, however. Hebert felt there was nothing special going on.

"I wasn't aware of any record." said Hebert. who completed 26 passes in 37 attempts. "Offensively, we never gave up. It seemed tonight like every time we needed a big play we came up with with it."

Michigan wide receivers Derek Holloway and Anthony Carter had 133 and 111 yards, respectively.

Houston. 3-2. drove 70 yards in five plays to take a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when rookie quarterback Jim Kelly hit wide receiver Scott McGhee on a 9-yard strike.

Michigan countered with a 14 play, 75-yard drive that took 10:15, in which halfback John Williams ran a yard for a TD.

On their next possession. Kelly moved the Gamblers 75 yards in five plays, culminating with a 9-yard TD pass to running back Richard Johnson.

Michigan countered for a 17-14 halftime lead with Novo Bojovic kicking a 22-yard field goal and Hebert directing a 75-yard drive that ended with an 11-yard toss to Carter.

In the third quarter. Hebert hit Holloway with a 72-yard touchdown pass and connected with halfback Linnie Patrick for a 30-yard TD strike. Patrick also ran 11 yards for another score.

Kelly, who was 13-of-23 for 289 yards, passed to wide receiver Clarence Verdin for 63 yards in the only Gambler score of the third quarter, which ended with Michigan ahead 38-21.

In the fourth quarter. Hebert hit Carter with a 55-yard TD pass and Patrick ran 14 yards for a touchdown. Reserve Houston quarterback Todd Dillon, hit wide receiver Greg Moser with a 65-yard TD pass with 6:01 left and Todd Fowler scored on a 4-yard run to complete the scoring.

1st Q




Complete Game




Highlights




Highlights




Highlights




	1	2	3	4	F
MIC	7      10      21      14   -   52
HOU	7	7	7      13   -   34

Scoring

HOU:McGhee 9 yd pass from Kelly (Fritsch kick) - HOU 7, MIC 0

MIC:Williams 1 yd run (Bojovic kick) - MIC 7, HOU 7

HOU:R. Johnson 9 yd pass from Kelly (Fritsch kick) - HOU 14, MIC 7

MIC:Bojovic 22 yd field goal - HOU 14, MIC 10

MIC:Carter 11 yd pass from Hebert (Bojovic kick) - MIC 17, HOU 14 

MIC:Holloway 72 yd pass from Hebert (Bojovic kick) - MIC 24, HOU 14

HOU:Verdin 63 yd pass from Kelly (Fritsch kick) - MIC 24, HOU 21

MIC:Patrick 11 yd run (Bojovic kick) - MIC 31, HOU 21

MIC:Patrick 19 yd pass from Hebert (Bojovic kick) - MIC 38, HOU 21

MIC:Carter 55 yd pass from Hebert (Bojovic kick) - MIC 45, HOU 21

MIC:Patrick 14 yd run (Bojovic kick) - MIC 52, HOU 21

HOU:Moser 65 yd pass from Dillon (Fritsch kick) - MIC 52, HOU 28

HOU:Fowler 4 yd run (run failed) - MIC 52, HOU 34

Box Score

                             MIC            HOU
First Downs                   27             17
Rushes-Yards              32-116          13-43
Passing (A-C-Y-I)    37-26-444-0    33-24-434-2
Sacked-Yards Lost            0-0           2-11
Total Plays-Yards         69-560         48-466
Fumbles-Lost                 3-2            2-2
Penalties-Yards             7-58           5-39
Turnovers                      2              4
Time of Possession         36:03          23:57

Attendance = 38,754

MICHIGAN				     HOUSTON
Passing     Att Cmp Yds In Td  Rate          Passing     Att Cmp Yds In Td  Rate
Hebert       37  26 444  0  4 146.7          Kelly        23  18 298  2  3 122.1
                                             Dillon       10   6 136  0  1 137.5

Rushing     Att Yds  Ave TD                  Rushing     Att Yds  Ave TD
Patrick       8  48  6.0  2                  Kelly         4  27  6.8  0
Williams      9  28  3.1  1                  Harrell       6   9  1.5  0
Miller C      8  24  3.0  0                  Fowler        1   4  4.0  1
Miller T      5  14  2.8  0                  Dillon        2   3  1.5  0
Hebert        1  10 10.0  0                  
Holloway      1  -8 -8.0  0                  

Receiving   Rec Yds  Ave TD                  Receiving   Rec Yds  Ave TD
Holloway      6 133 22.2  1                  Moser         3  83 27.7  1
Carter        5 111 22.2  2                  Sanders       7  76 10.9  0
Cobb          7  77 11.0  0                  Harrell       2  71 35.5  0
Broughton     2  35 17.5  0                  Verdin        1  63 63.0  1
Miller C      2  35 17.5  0                  McGhee        4  48 12.0  1
Patrick       1  19 19.0  1                  Johnson R     3  36 12.0  1
Miller T      1  18 18.0  0                  Fowler        1  30 30.0  0
Williams      2  16  8.0  0                  Barousse      1  14 14.0  0
                                             Rush          2  13  6.5  0

Kick Returns   No Yds  Ave TD                Kick Returns   No Yds  Ave TD
Broughton       3  61 20.3  0                Heath           4  62 15.5  0
Futrell         1  25 25.0  0                Eason           3  52 17.3  0
Moriarty        2   0  0.0  0                Rush            1  31 31.0  0

Punt Returns   No Yds  Ave TD                Punt Returns   No Yds  Ave TD
None                                         Sanders         1  29 29.0  0

Kicking          Fg  Lg   Xp  Pts            Kicking          Fg  Lg   Xp  Pts
Bojovic         1-1  22  7-7   10            Fritsch         0-0  --  4-4    4
                miss: --                                     miss: --

Punting        No Yds  Ave                   Punting        No Yds  Ave
Greenwood       1  35 35.0                   Walters         0   0  0.0

Sacks          Sk Yds                        Sacks          Sk Yds
Bethea          1   2                        None
Spencer       0.5 4.5                        
Cline         0.5 4.5                        

Interceptions  No Yds  Ave TD                Interceptions  No Yds  Ave TD
Greenwood       1   0  0.0  0                None
Davis           1  -3 -3.0  0 

Archived news report

Supplemental information courtesy of Chris Blackburn


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