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Memphis 17 at Orlando 28


1985 Week 7 - Thursday, April 4, 1985
Memphis Showboats(3-3)(-7) at Orlando Renegades(0-6)
Attendance: 21,223, TV: ESPN

ORLANDO, Fia. (UPI) - Horns honked in celebration on nearby Church Street and fans milled around Orlando Stadium for more than an hour after the game's conclusion. This was no championship witnessed by a meager crowd of 21,223, merely a maiden victory.

For the Orlando Renegades, however, there was nothing "mere" about it. Three touchdown runs by quarterback Reggie Collier highlighted the first victory in Renegades history Thursday night, a 28-17-triumph over the slumping Memphis Showboats.

In 1984, the team played as the Washington Federals and finished 3-15.

Collier clinched the inaugural triumph with a 63-yard scoring run with just 33 seconds remaining. "Our philosophy this week was that if we could win this game, we could wipe out all the other games ...and get respect," said Orlando coach Lee Corso, who anguished over the club's 0-6 start.

"I really did, in clutch situations, just give the ball to Collier. I said all along that we were becoming a better team each week." In a decision destined to earn Memphis a fine from the league office, General Manager Steve Ehrhart closed the locker room to media - a direct violation of USFL regulations.

One by one, the Showboats trudged to the team bus, a sullen, beaten club embarrassed by their status as Orlando's initial victims. Memphis suffered its fourth straight setback following a 3-0 start.

"This is undoubtedly one of the low points of the season," understated Coach Pepper Rodgers, who would reveal his thoughts only to a club public relations official. "We just totally broke down on the last run by Collier and that was icing on the cake.

"Hopefully, we're going to come back from this. To say I am disappointed is the understatement of the year."

Complete Game




Highlights




Highlights




	1	2	3	4	F
MEM	7	0	0      10   -   17
ORL    14       0       0      14   -   28

Scoring

ORL:Parrish 87 kickoff return(Brockhaus kick) - ORL 7, MEM 0

MEM:Raugh 10 pass from Lewis(Bushbeck kick) - ORL 7, MEM 7

ORL:Collier 1 run(Brockhaus kick) - ORL 14, MEM 7

ORL:Collier 2 run(Brockhaus kick) - ORL 21, MEM 7

MEM:Sydney run(Bushbeck kick) - ORL 21, MEM 14

MEM:Bushbeck 26 FG - ORL 21, MEM 17

ORL:Collier 63 run(Brockhaus kick) - ORL 28, MEM 17

Box Score

                             MEM            ORL
First Downs                   24	     15  
Rushes-Yards              33-185         29-147
Passing (A-C-Y-I)    28-13-216-1    19-12-136-0
Sacked-Yards Lost           3-15            1-3  
Total Plays-Yards         61-401         48-283
Fumbles-Lost                 1-1            2-1
Penalties-Yards             8-35          11-60
Turnovers                      2              1
Time of Possession         32:13          27:47

Attendance = 21,223 

MEMPHIS					     ORLANDO
Passing     Att Cmp Yds In Td  Rate          Passing     Att Cmp Yds In Td  Rate
Kelley       15   7 152  1  0  55.42         Collier      19  12 136  0  0  84.54
Lewis        13   6  64  0  1  86.70

Rushing     Att Yds  Ave TD                  Rushing     Att Yds  Ave TD
Sydney       16  95  5.9  1		     Collier       6  70 11.7  3
Spencer      13  54  4.2  0		     Bledsoe      12  45  3.8  0
Lewis         4  36  9.0  0		     Claitt        9  18  2.0  0
					     Flowers       1  13 13.0  0
					     Miller        1   1  1.0  0

Receiving   Rec Yds  Ave TD                  Receiving   Rec Yds  Ave TD
Raugh         5  97 19.4  1		     Claitt        3  29  9.7  0
Porter        1  34 34.0  0		     Walters       2  28 14.0  0
Crawford      2  31 15.5  0		     Bledsoe       3  25  8.3  0 
Moser         1  19 19.0  0		     Flowers       2  23 11.5  0
Shirk         1  16 16.0  0		     Smith         1  20 20.0  0
Sydney        2  14  7.0  0		     Niziolek      1  11 11.0  0
Spencer       1   5  5.0  0                

Kick Returns   No Yds  Ave TD                Kick Returns   No Yds  Ave TD
H.Williams      3  49 16.3  0		     Parrish         1  87 87.0  1
Parker          1  12 12.0  0		     Miller          2  41 20.5  0
					     Harrison        1   9  9.0  0                

Punt Returns   No Yds  Ave TD                Punt Returns   No Yds  Ave TD
H.Williams	1   3  3.0  0		     Parker          1  12 12.0  0                

Kicking          Fg  Lg   Xp  Pts            Kicking          Fg  Lg   Xp  Pts
Bushbeck        1-3  26  2-2   5             Brockhaus       0-1  --  4-4   4 
                miss: 47, 23                                  miss: 42

Punting        No Yds  Ave                   Punting        No Yds  Ave
Grupp           3 110 34.3                   Cater           4 164 41.0

Sacks          Sk Yds                        Sacks          Sk Yds
Albright        1   3			     Freeman         2   7
				             Hutchinson      1   8                    

Interceptions  No Yds  Ave TD                Interceptions  No Yds  Ave TD
None		-  --   --  -		     George          1   0  0.0  0


Archived news report

Supplemental information courtesy of Chris Blackburn


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