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Oakland 21 at Michigan 37 Playoff
1983 Divisional Playoffs - Sunday, July 10, 1983
Oakland Invaders(9-9) at Michigan Panthers(12-6)(-8.5)
Attendance: 60,237, TV: ABC
PONTIAC,M I (AP) - Michigan quarterback Bobby Hebert passed for one touchdown and ran for another Sunday to lead the Panthers to a 37-21 victory over the Oakland Invaders and into the United States Football League's first championship game.
The Panthers, who won the Central Division title with a 12-6 record and have now won 12 of the past 14 games, will play the Philadelphia Stars in Denver's Mile High Stadium next Sunday night for the title.
With 25 seconds to play, after Oakland got its final touchdown, thousands of fans swarmed onto the field and tore down both goalposts. Players and coaches from both teams and the officiating crew headed for the safety of the tunnels to the locker rooms and minutes later USFL officials ruled the game was complete at 14:35.
Hebert, who completed 18 of 27 passes for 295 yards, hit Anthony Carter with a 3-yard scoring pass with 11 seconds remaining in the first half to lift Michigan to a 17-7 halftime advantage.
Hebert also scored on a 1-yard plunge that capped an 80-yard, 11-play drive in the third period.
The Panthers, who had averaged 22,251 during the season, drew a USFL-record 60,237 into the Silverdome -- a crowd built in part on reduced ticket prices and free parking.
The Invaders, who won the Pacific Division with a 9-9 regular-season record, grabbed an early 7-0 lead on a 1-yard sneak by quarterback Fred Besana.
Michigan tied it on its next possession when John Williams ran 5 yards for a TD 1:47 into the second period. Oakland linebacker David Shaw intercepted an Hebert swing pass on the third play of the second half and burst 19 yards into the end zone for a TD to cut the Michigan lead to 17-14.
But Hebert's sneak widened the edge to 24-14 with 9:55 remaining in 'the third period. Then Panthers linebacker Ray Bentley forced a fumble by Invader running back Ted Torosian with 2:50 to go in the third quarter. The ball was recovered by defensive end Allen Hughes on the Michigan 17.
Five plays later, Ken Lacy slanted off left tackle on a quick opener for an 18-yard TD and a 31-14 lead. Cleo Miller closed out Michigan's scoring on a 3-yard TD run 1:54 from the final gun and Oakland's final touchdown came on a 5-yard pass from Besana to Marc Lewis.
Place-kicker Novo Bojovic booted a 38-yard field goal in the second quarter for the Panthers. The Michigan defense, led by Bentley, recovered two fumbles and also picked off a pass of Besana passes. Bentley was credited with forcing two of the fumbles and recovering one.
One of Hebert's favorite targets was Carter, who finished with three catches for 78 yards. Carter's biggest catch was a 56-yard play on the series leading to Lacy's touchdown.
The Panthers displayed a flair for the unexpected just as they did in the final-season game against Arizona, a 33-7 rout of the Wranglers. Their play selection consisted of several laterals and reverses which caught Oakland's defense off-balance.
1 2 3 4 F
OAK 7 0 7 7 - 21
MIC 0 17 14 6 - 37
Scoring
OAK:Besana 1 yd run (Shea kick) - OAK 7, MCH 0
MIC:Williams 5 yd run (Bojovic kick) - MCH 7, OAK 7
MIC:Bojovic 38 yd field goal - MCH 10, OAK 7
MIC:Carter 3 yd pass from Hebert - MCH 17, OAK 7
OAK:Shaw 19 yd interception return (Shea kick) - MCH 17, OAK 14
MIC:Hebert 1 yd run (Bojovic kick) - MCH 24, NJ 14
MIC:Lacy 18 yd run (Bojovic kick) - MCH 31, OAK 14
MIC:C. Miller 3 yd run (kick failed) - MCH 37, OAK 14
OAK:Lewis 6 yd pass from Besana (Shea kick) - MCH 37, OAK 21
Box Score
OAK MCH
First Downs 20 22
Rushes-Yards 22-64 39-168
Passing (A-C-Y-I) 35-23-258-2 27-18-295-1
Sacked-Yards Lost 1-1 0-0
Total Plays-Yards 58-321 66-463
Fumbles-Lost 4-2 1-1
Penalties-Yards 6-48 8-49
Turnovers 4 2
Time of Possession 26:37 32:58
Attendance = 60,237
OAKLAND MICHIGAN
Passing Att Cmp Yds In Td Rate Passing Att Cmp Yds In Td Rate
Besana 35 23 258 2 1 73.2 Hebert 27 18 295 1 1 100.1
Rushing Att Yds Ave TD Rushing Att Yds Ave TD
Lewis 2 43 21.5 0 Lacy 14 73 5.2 1
Torosian 10 18 1.8 0 Williams 17 59 3.5 1
Jackson 4 11 2.8 0 Miller, C 5 16 3.2 1
Besana 1 1 1.0 1 Holloway 1 12 12.0 0
Holmes 1 1 1.0 0 Hebert 2 8 4.0 1
Whittington 4 -10 -2.5 0
Receiving Rec Yds Ave TD Receiving Rec Yds Ave TD
Banks 7 96 13.7 0 Carter 3 78 26.0 1
Torosian 7 46 6.6 0 Holloway 3 60 20.0 0
Chester 4 41 10.3 0 Williams 2 48 24.0 0
Lewis 2 38 19.0 1 Miller, C 1 35 35.0 0
Jackson 2 30 15.0 0 Lacy 4 30 7.5 0
Penaranda 1 7 7.0 0 Cobb 3 25 8.3 0
Oden 2 19 9.5 0
Kick Returns No Yds Ave TD Kick Returns No Yds Ave TD
Lewis 2 55 27.5 0 Phea 1 19 19.0 0
Jackson 2 43 21.5 0
Shaw 1 22 22.0 0
Moore 1 21 21.0 0
Yancy 1 20 20.0 0
Punt Returns No Yds Ave TD Punt Returns No Yds Ave TD
Banks 1 8 8.0 0 Carter 2 23 11.5 0
Kicking Fg Lg Xp Pts Kicking Fg Lg Xp Pts
Shea 0-0 0 3-3 3 Bojovic 1-1 38 4-5 7
miss: none miss: none
Punting No Yds Ave Punting No Yds Ave
Talley 3 150 50.0 Greenwood 2 79 39.5
Sacks Sk Yds Sacks Sk Yds
None Borland 1 1
Interceptions No Yds Ave TD Interceptions No Yds Ave TD
Shaw 1 19 19.0 1 Borland 1 22 22.0 0
Greenwood 1 14 14.0 0
Archived news report
Supplemental information courtesy of Chris Blackburn
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