Save the USFL Tapes! The United States Football League video library is at risk. How can you help? Learn more about our campaign to save USFL video, then check out the USFL Video Library Preservation GoFundMe campaign. Please contact me with any questions.
Join the Save the USFL Video Archive Facebook group for updates.

Looking for news and updates on the new USFL?

« Previous Game Houston Next Game »
« Previous Game Oakland Next Game »

Houston 42 at Oakland 7


1985 Week 3 - Sunday, March 10, 1985
Houston Gamblers(2-0)(-2) at Oakland Invaders(1-0-1)
Attendance: 16,037

OAKLAND(AP) -- Houston quarterback Jim Kelly continued his torrid passing assault in the USFL by throwing four touchdown passes as the Gamblers rolled over the Oakland Invaders 42-7.

Kelly completed 29 of 40 passes for 404 yards as Western Conference-leading Houston improved to 3-0 with its 10th straight victory over two seasons. Kelly has now thrown for 13 touchdowns and 1,239 yards inthe Gamblers' three victories this year. Oakland slipped to 1-1-1 in the Western Conference before a crowd of 16,037 on a rainy day.

Kelly wasted no time in putting the Gamblers ahead, throwing two scoring passes in the first five minutes of the game. He hit Richard Johnson with a 34-yard pass and then found Clarence Verdin on a 74-yard TD play.

Highlights




	1	2	3	4	F
HOU    14	7	7      14   -   42
OAK	7       0       0       0   -   7

Scoring

HOU:Johnson 34 pass from Kelly(Fritsch kick) - HOU 7, OAK 0

HOU:Verdin 74 pass from Kelly(Fritsch kick) - HOU 14, OAK 0 

OAK:A.Bentley 6 run(Bojovic kick) - HOU 14, OAK 7

HOU:A.Hawkins interception return(Fritsch kick) - HOU 21, OAK 7

HOU:McGhee 8 pass from Kelly(Fritsch kick) - HOU 28, OAK 7

HOU:Verdin 23 pass from Kelly(Fritsch kick) - HOU 35, OAK 7

HOU:Potts 6 pass from Dillon(Fritsch kick) - HOU 42, OAK 7

Box Score

                             HOU            OAK
Rushes-Yards                5-33         34-173  
Passing (A-C-Y-I)    43-31-393-0    33-13-131-4
Sacked-Yards Lost           3-19           2-20
Total Plays-Yards         48-426         67-304
Fumbles-Lost                 0-0            2-0       
Penalties-Yards             5-49           6-68
Turnovers                      0              4
Time of Possession         23:01          36:59

Attendance = 16,037 

HOUSTON					     OAKLAND
Passing     Att Cmp Yds In Td  Rate          Passing     Att Cmp Yds In Td  Rate
Kelly        40  29 404  0  4 137.92         Besana       18   8  82  3  0  18.52
Dillon        3   2   8  0  1 109.72         Hebert       15   5  69  1  0  21.25 

Rushing     Att Yds  Ave TD                  Rushing     Att Yds  Ave TD
Verdin        1  14 14.0  0                  A.Bentley    10  77  7.7  1
Kidd          1  13 13.0  0                  J.Williams    9  44  4.9  0
Clark         3   6  2.0  0		     Besana        2  19  9.5  0
					     Newton        6  15  2.5  0
					     Jordan        5   8  1.6  0
					     Hebert        1   8  8.0  0
					     Faulkner      1   2  2.0  0

Receiving   Rec Yds  Ave TD                  Receiving   Rec Yds  Ave TD
Verdin       10 167 16.7  2                  Carter        4  62  15.5 0
Johnson       8 102 12.8  1                  Banks         4  47  11.8 0
McGhee        4  79 19.8  1                  Newton        3  26   8.7 0
McNeil        2  31 15.5  0                  A.Bentley     2  16   8.0 0
Clark         4  21  5.3  0         
Potts         1   6  6.0  1
Kelly         1   3  3.0  0
Barousse      1   2  2.0  0              

Kick Returns   No Yds  Ave TD                Kick Returns   No Yds  Ave TD
McGhee          1  33 33.0  0                A.Bentley       3  65 21.7  0   
Young           1  10 10.0  0                Faulkner        1  25 25.0  0
					     McClanahan      1  10 10.0  0
					     Plummer         1  10 10.0  0
					     Snipes          1  10 10.0  0

Punt Returns   No Yds  Ave TD                Punt Returns   No Yds  Ave TD
McNeil          4  21  5.3  0                Banks           1  13 13.0  0
					     Faulkner        1   8  8.0  0              

Kicking          Fg  Lg   Xp  Pts            Kicking          Fg  Lg   Xp  Pts
Fritsch         0-1  --  6-6   6             Bojovic         0-0  --  1-1   1
                miss: 33                                     miss: --

Punting        No Yds  Ave                   Punting        No Yds  Ave
Walters         6 237 39.5 		     Talley          7 292 41.7

Sacks          Sk Yds                        Sacks          Sk Yds
Hughes          1  11			     Greenwood       1   6
Holyfield       1   9                        Lucas           1   4
					     Bethea          1   0                    

Interceptions  No Yds  Ave TD                Interceptions  No Yds  Ave TD
Eason           1  38 38.0  0		     None
A.Hawkins       1  13 13.0  1		     
M.Hawkins       1  11 11.0  0
Bradley         1  10 10.0  0
Simpson         0  14  --   0
Lewis           0   3  --   0

Archived news report

Supplemental information courtesy of Chris Blackburn


Back to 1985 season results

« Previous Game Houston Next Game »
« Previous Game Oakland Next Game »