2009 UFL Championship Game
Encyclopedia
The 2009 UFL Championship Game was the concluding game of the United Football League's Premiere Season
. The game was staged at Sam Boyd Stadium
in Las Vegas
on Friday, November 27, 2009 (one day after Thanksgiving
), and was won by the Las Vegas Locomotives
, who defeated the previously unbeaten Florida Tuskers 20–17 on a 33-yard field goal in overtime.
in Las Vegas, Nevada
to host its championship game on the day after that year's Thanksgiving
holiday. (The league intended to bill the game as "The United Bowl," but was unable to gain rights from the United Indoor Football
or its successor, the Indoor Football League
, to use the name; the IFL continues to use the United Bowl name.) When the UFL delayed its start until 2009, the game was moved to the corresponding date in 2009 and kept in Las Vegas.
The Tuskers were the top team in the UFL's premiere season, finishing the regular season with a perfect 6–0 record. Coached by Jim Haslett
, the Tuskers led the league in scoring, putting up 217 points behind an offense featuring quarterback Brooks Bollinger
(the league leader in completion percentage, passing yards, and TD throws), running back Tatum Bell
, and receiver Taye Biddle
(the league leader in receiving yards). The Tuskers' defense included such players as Dexter Jackson, a former Super Bowl MVP
with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
. The Tuskers secured a spot in the championship game with an October 30 win over the Locos at Tropicana Field
in St. Petersburg, Florida
.
The Locomotives, victors of the first game in UFL history (30–17 over the California Redwoods on October 8, 2009), sported a roster including quarterback J. P. Losman, running back DeDe Dorsey
(the league's 2nd leading rusher), linebacker Teddy Lehman
(the league leader in tackles), and lineman Eric Henderson
(who shared the regular season lead in sacks with Tuskers lineman Patrick Chukwurah
). Coached by Jim Fassel
, the Locos finished with a 4-2 record after starting the season 1-2 (both losses were to the Tuskers—a 29-15 home loss on October 14 and the above mentioned loss in St. Petersburg); they secured their berth in the title game with a 16–10 win at California on November 14.
for 32 yards, and Jayson Foster
for 15 yards, and ended with Bollinger connecting up the middle with Marcus Maxwell
on an 8-yard touchdown throw with 5:13 left in the first quarter. After scoring, Maxwell celebrated by slam dunking the ball over the crossbar, noticeably budging the goal post out of alignment and causing a minor delay for repairs before the extra point.
Las Vegas moved the ball into Tuskers territory on the ensuing drive; after changing ends during the quarter break, they moved the ball to the Florida 2-yard line where, on 2nd and Goal, Tuskers linebacker Odell Thurman
forced a fumble by Locos running back Marcel Shipp
that was recovered by defensive end Patrick Chukwurah
. After a 3-and-out by the Tuskers' offense, the ensuing Locos drive nearly ended with a Darius Vinnett
interception, but the pick was called back due to an offsides penalty. On the next play, Losman connected with Samie Parker
on a 16-yard completion for a 1st down before having to depart with an injury. Tim Rattay
finished the drive at QB, moving the Locos to the Florida 35, where Graham Gano
missed wide on a 53-yard field goal attempt. The ensuing Tuskers drive also ended on a missed field goal, as Matt Bryant
hooked a 51-yard try to the left.
Losman returned at QB for the Locos on the next drive, connecting with John Madsen on its second play. Madsen appeared to fumble the ball away to the Tuskers, but a replay challenge determined that Madsen fumbled while his foot was on the boundary line, making him out of bounds and ending the play. The Locos drive ended two plays later in a punt. In fact, the next two drives ended in punts, the second of which featured what appeared to be a serious injury to the Locos' Josh Scobey
, who leaned in with his head when tackling Tuskers return man Willie Andrews
. Though Scobey left under his own power, he would not return due to back spasms. The Tuskers' next drive ended in an interception, which the Locos turned into a 45-yard field goal by Gano to end the half and make the score 7–3 in favor of the Tuskers.
sprinted down the right sideline for a 38-yard TD run, giving the Locos their first lead at 10–7 with 12:53 left. Unbowed, the Tuskers responded in quick fashion; starting from his own 20, Bollinger connected with Taye Biddle
on a 15-yard pass play, immediately followed by a 10-yard Tatum Bell
run. On 2nd and 5 from the 50-yard line, Bollinger went deep and connected with Marcus Maxwell
on a 40-yard throw, the longest offensive play of the game. The Tuskers regained the lead on the next play, as Bollinger threw up the middle to Frank Murphy on a 10-yard TD catch. The five-play, 80-yard drive gave Florida a 14-10 lead with 10:27 left.
After a 3-and-out drive by Las Vegas that featured the Tuskers' fourth sack of the day on Losman, the Tuskers got the ball back on their 35-yard line with 8:19 remaining. One play after Bollinger connected on a 14-yard pass to Bobby Sippio
, Locos defensive end Josh Mallard
forced a Tatum Bell fumble that was quickly recovered by Bollinger. On the next play, Bollinger was hit just before the throw by Adrian Awasom
and fumbled the ball, which was recovered and returned by Locos lineman Ross Kolodziej
. The play was ruled a touchdown (Kolodziej fumbled and another Locos player recovered in the end zone), but Florida immediately challenged the call. After a replay review, Bollinger's fumble remained as called, but the ball was ruled down at the Tuskers' 2-yard line, which was moved ahead to the 1-yard line after the Tuskers' Michael Pittman
was penalized for a Horse-collar tackle
that led to Kolodziej's fumble. Three plays later, Dorsey snuck into the end zone up the middle for his second touchdown of the quarter, giving Las Vegas a 17-14 lead with 5:58 left.
Much in the same way as they responded after the first Locos' touchdown, Florida quickly moved the ball down the field on the next drive. Bollinger started with 2 quick completions to Biddle (18 yards) and Maxwell (15 yards). Two plays later, on 2nd and 6 from the Locos 41, Bollinger found Jayson Foster
, who broke a tackle and sprinted 41-yards down the left sideline to the end zone. Fassel and the Locos immediately challenged the call, and after review it was determined that Foster was down by contact at the Las Vegas 35-yard line. After the reversal, the Locos' defense clamped down, despite allowing a 22-yard throw to Pittman to the Las Vegas 11-yard line. The Tuskers would settle for a 27-yard field goal by Bryant, which tied the game at 17.
Florida regained possession after a Locos 3-and-out. On the 3rd play of the drive (after a Locos pass interference penalty gave the Tuskers a first down), Bollinger connected with Pittman for a 22-yard play to the Vegas 49 (Pittman was injured on the play). After three incomplete passes (the first being a Marcus Maxwell
attempt at a spectacular one-handed 30-yard catch), Florida punted away to Las Vegas. Though he initially called a pass play in an attempt to drive up the field for a game-winning field goal, Las Vegas coach Jim Fassel decided on a kneel down play to run out the clock and send the Championship Game into overtime, the first OT game in UFL history.
. Trufant fumbled but the ball was immediately recovered by Locos' cornerback Trey Young. After one running play to center the ball for a field goal attempt, Graham Gano
hit a 33-yard field goal, sneaking the ball just inside the right upright to give the Locomotives the first UFL title, and denying the Tuskers a perfect season, with a final score of 20-17.
Attendance: 14,801
was awarded the game's Most Valuable Player award thanks to his 98 all-purpose yards (32 receiving, 66 rushing) and two 4th quarter touchdowns that gave the Locomotives the lead on both occasions. The MVP award was chosen through a text message vote, the options of which were presented to fans in attendance and to viewers on Versus
during the 4th quarter; voting was then open until the conclusion of the game.
2009 UFL season
The 2009 United Football League season -- referred to by the professional American football league as the UFL Premiere Season -- was the inaugural season of the United Football League...
. The game was staged at Sam Boyd Stadium
Sam Boyd Stadium
Sam Boyd Stadium is a football stadium located in Whitney, Nevada, an unincorporated community in the Las Vegas metropolitan area; the mailing address of the stadium is "Las Vegas". The stadium is named after Sam Boyd, a major figure in the hotel/casino industry in Las Vegas. The stadium consists...
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
on Friday, November 27, 2009 (one day after Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving (United States)
Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday,...
), and was won by the Las Vegas Locomotives
Las Vegas Locomotives
The Las Vegas Locomotives are a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada who play in the United Football League. The team plays its home games in Sam Boyd Stadium, home field for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Jim Fassel is the franchise's head coach, president, and...
, who defeated the previously unbeaten Florida Tuskers 20–17 on a 33-yard field goal in overtime.
Background
The United Football League originally intended to begin play in 2008, and in March of that year selected Sam Boyd StadiumSam Boyd Stadium
Sam Boyd Stadium is a football stadium located in Whitney, Nevada, an unincorporated community in the Las Vegas metropolitan area; the mailing address of the stadium is "Las Vegas". The stadium is named after Sam Boyd, a major figure in the hotel/casino industry in Las Vegas. The stadium consists...
in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
to host its championship game on the day after that year's Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving (United States)
Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday,...
holiday. (The league intended to bill the game as "The United Bowl," but was unable to gain rights from the United Indoor Football
United Indoor Football
United Indoor Football was a United States indoor football league that started in 2005. Ten owners from the National Indoor Football League, including one expansion and two from arenafootball2 took their franchises and formed their own league...
or its successor, the Indoor Football League
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...
, to use the name; the IFL continues to use the United Bowl name.) When the UFL delayed its start until 2009, the game was moved to the corresponding date in 2009 and kept in Las Vegas.
The Tuskers were the top team in the UFL's premiere season, finishing the regular season with a perfect 6–0 record. Coached by Jim Haslett
Jim Haslett
James Donald "Jim" Haslett is an American football coach and former linebacker. He is currently the defensive coordinator of the Washington Redskins. Previously, he served as the head coach for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League, and the New Orleans Saints and St...
, the Tuskers led the league in scoring, putting up 217 points behind an offense featuring quarterback Brooks Bollinger
Brooks Bollinger
Brooks Bollinger is a retired American football quarterback. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
(the league leader in completion percentage, passing yards, and TD throws), running back Tatum Bell
Tatum Bell
Tatum Antoine Bell is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
, and receiver Taye Biddle
Taye Biddle
RaTavious Anton "Taye" Biddle is an American football wide receiver for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. He was previously with the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
(the league leader in receiving yards). The Tuskers' defense included such players as Dexter Jackson, a former Super Bowl MVP
Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season...
with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
. The Tuskers secured a spot in the championship game with an October 30 win over the Locos at Tropicana Field
Tropicana Field
Tropicana Field is a domed stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida, which has been the home of Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays since the team's inaugural season in 1998, when they were the Devil Rays. It has also served as the host stadium for the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl, an NCAA-sanctioned college...
in St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
.
The Locomotives, victors of the first game in UFL history (30–17 over the California Redwoods on October 8, 2009), sported a roster including quarterback J. P. Losman, running back DeDe Dorsey
DeDe Dorsey
DeDe Dorsey is an American football running back for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
(the league's 2nd leading rusher), linebacker Teddy Lehman
Teddy Lehman
Teddy Lehman is an American football linebacker for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
(the league leader in tackles), and lineman Eric Henderson
Eric Henderson
Eric Charles Henderson is an American football defensive end for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
(who shared the regular season lead in sacks with Tuskers lineman Patrick Chukwurah
Patrick Chukwurah
Patrick C. Chukwurah is a Nigerian defensive end of American football who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
). Coached by Jim Fassel
Jim Fassel
-Professional:-Personal life:Before the 2003 NFL season, Fassel was reunited with a son, John Mathieson, whom he and his wife Kitty gave up for adoption in 1969. The couple was unmarried when he was born....
, the Locos finished with a 4-2 record after starting the season 1-2 (both losses were to the Tuskers—a 29-15 home loss on October 14 and the above mentioned loss in St. Petersburg); they secured their berth in the title game with a 16–10 win at California on November 14.
First half
Florida (the designated home team by virtue of their 1st place regular season finish) took the ball first after winning the opening coin toss, but they and Las Vegas traded punts on their opening possessions. The Tuskers' second possession saw Brooks Bollinger connect with long throws to Taye BiddleTaye Biddle
RaTavious Anton "Taye" Biddle is an American football wide receiver for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. He was previously with the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
for 32 yards, and Jayson Foster
Jayson Foster
Jayson D. Foster is an American football wide receiver for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
for 15 yards, and ended with Bollinger connecting up the middle with Marcus Maxwell
Marcus Maxwell
Marcus James Maxwell is an American football wide receiver for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
on an 8-yard touchdown throw with 5:13 left in the first quarter. After scoring, Maxwell celebrated by slam dunking the ball over the crossbar, noticeably budging the goal post out of alignment and causing a minor delay for repairs before the extra point.
Las Vegas moved the ball into Tuskers territory on the ensuing drive; after changing ends during the quarter break, they moved the ball to the Florida 2-yard line where, on 2nd and Goal, Tuskers linebacker Odell Thurman
Odell Thurman
Odell Lamar Thurman is an American football linebacker for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia....
forced a fumble by Locos running back Marcel Shipp
Marcel Shipp
Marcel Cornelius Shipp is an American football running back for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He played in the NFL from 2001-2008 for the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2001, and played with them...
that was recovered by defensive end Patrick Chukwurah
Patrick Chukwurah
Patrick C. Chukwurah is a Nigerian defensive end of American football who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
. After a 3-and-out by the Tuskers' offense, the ensuing Locos drive nearly ended with a Darius Vinnett
Darius Vinnett
Darius Vinnett is an American football cornerback for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Arkansas....
interception, but the pick was called back due to an offsides penalty. On the next play, Losman connected with Samie Parker
Samie Parker
Samie Jabar Parker is an American football wide receiver for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
on a 16-yard completion for a 1st down before having to depart with an injury. Tim Rattay
Tim Rattay
Timothy F. Rattay [] is a former professional American football quarterback who played in the National Football League and United Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
finished the drive at QB, moving the Locos to the Florida 35, where Graham Gano
Graham Gano
Graham Gano is an American football placekicker for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Florida State...
missed wide on a 53-yard field goal attempt. The ensuing Tuskers drive also ended on a missed field goal, as Matt Bryant
Matt Bryant
Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
hooked a 51-yard try to the left.
Losman returned at QB for the Locos on the next drive, connecting with John Madsen on its second play. Madsen appeared to fumble the ball away to the Tuskers, but a replay challenge determined that Madsen fumbled while his foot was on the boundary line, making him out of bounds and ending the play. The Locos drive ended two plays later in a punt. In fact, the next two drives ended in punts, the second of which featured what appeared to be a serious injury to the Locos' Josh Scobey
Josh Scobey
Joshua Payne Scobey is an American football running back and kick returner who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Kansas State...
, who leaned in with his head when tackling Tuskers return man Willie Andrews
Willie Andrews
Willie Thedric Andrews is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
. Though Scobey left under his own power, he would not return due to back spasms. The Tuskers' next drive ended in an interception, which the Locos turned into a 45-yard field goal by Gano to end the half and make the score 7–3 in favor of the Tuskers.
Second half
Ending a Locomotives' drive that carried over from a scoreless 3rd quarter (when both teams had 3 possessions that ended in punts), DeDe DorseyDeDe Dorsey
DeDe Dorsey is an American football running back for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
sprinted down the right sideline for a 38-yard TD run, giving the Locos their first lead at 10–7 with 12:53 left. Unbowed, the Tuskers responded in quick fashion; starting from his own 20, Bollinger connected with Taye Biddle
Taye Biddle
RaTavious Anton "Taye" Biddle is an American football wide receiver for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. He was previously with the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
on a 15-yard pass play, immediately followed by a 10-yard Tatum Bell
Tatum Bell
Tatum Antoine Bell is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
run. On 2nd and 5 from the 50-yard line, Bollinger went deep and connected with Marcus Maxwell
Marcus Maxwell
Marcus James Maxwell is an American football wide receiver for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
on a 40-yard throw, the longest offensive play of the game. The Tuskers regained the lead on the next play, as Bollinger threw up the middle to Frank Murphy on a 10-yard TD catch. The five-play, 80-yard drive gave Florida a 14-10 lead with 10:27 left.
After a 3-and-out drive by Las Vegas that featured the Tuskers' fourth sack of the day on Losman, the Tuskers got the ball back on their 35-yard line with 8:19 remaining. One play after Bollinger connected on a 14-yard pass to Bobby Sippio
Bobby Sippio
Robert Lee "Bobby" Sippio, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League. He was signed by the Peoria Pirates in 2002...
, Locos defensive end Josh Mallard
Josh Mallard
Josh Mallard is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
forced a Tatum Bell fumble that was quickly recovered by Bollinger. On the next play, Bollinger was hit just before the throw by Adrian Awasom
Adrian Awasom
Adrian Awasom is an American football defensive end who currently is a free agent and most recently was a member of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2005...
and fumbled the ball, which was recovered and returned by Locos lineman Ross Kolodziej
Ross Kolodziej
Ross Anthony Kolodziej is an American football defensive tackle for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the seventh round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
. The play was ruled a touchdown (Kolodziej fumbled and another Locos player recovered in the end zone), but Florida immediately challenged the call. After a replay review, Bollinger's fumble remained as called, but the ball was ruled down at the Tuskers' 2-yard line, which was moved ahead to the 1-yard line after the Tuskers' Michael Pittman
Michael Pittman
Michael Pittman is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Fresno State....
was penalized for a Horse-collar tackle
Horse-collar tackle
The horse-collar tackle is an American football or Canadian football maneuver in which a defender tackles another player by grabbing the back-inside of an opponent's shoulder pads. The technique is most closely associated with Pro Bowl safety Roy Williams...
that led to Kolodziej's fumble. Three plays later, Dorsey snuck into the end zone up the middle for his second touchdown of the quarter, giving Las Vegas a 17-14 lead with 5:58 left.
Much in the same way as they responded after the first Locos' touchdown, Florida quickly moved the ball down the field on the next drive. Bollinger started with 2 quick completions to Biddle (18 yards) and Maxwell (15 yards). Two plays later, on 2nd and 6 from the Locos 41, Bollinger found Jayson Foster
Jayson Foster
Jayson D. Foster is an American football wide receiver for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
, who broke a tackle and sprinted 41-yards down the left sideline to the end zone. Fassel and the Locos immediately challenged the call, and after review it was determined that Foster was down by contact at the Las Vegas 35-yard line. After the reversal, the Locos' defense clamped down, despite allowing a 22-yard throw to Pittman to the Las Vegas 11-yard line. The Tuskers would settle for a 27-yard field goal by Bryant, which tied the game at 17.
Florida regained possession after a Locos 3-and-out. On the 3rd play of the drive (after a Locos pass interference penalty gave the Tuskers a first down), Bollinger connected with Pittman for a 22-yard play to the Vegas 49 (Pittman was injured on the play). After three incomplete passes (the first being a Marcus Maxwell
Marcus Maxwell
Marcus James Maxwell is an American football wide receiver for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
attempt at a spectacular one-handed 30-yard catch), Florida punted away to Las Vegas. Though he initially called a pass play in an attempt to drive up the field for a game-winning field goal, Las Vegas coach Jim Fassel decided on a kneel down play to run out the clock and send the Championship Game into overtime, the first OT game in UFL history.
Overtime
Winning the coin toss, Florida elected to receive the ball. Michael Spurlock's kickoff return was pushed back to the Tuskers' own 9-yard line after a holding penalty. Two plays later, on 3rd and 7, Bollinger escaped a sack but his pass was intercepted by Locos' defensive back Isaiah TrufantIsaiah Trufant
Isaiah Trufant is an American football cornerback for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was signed by the Spokane Shock as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Eastern Washington....
. Trufant fumbled but the ball was immediately recovered by Locos' cornerback Trey Young. After one running play to center the ball for a field goal attempt, Graham Gano
Graham Gano
Graham Gano is an American football placekicker for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Florida State...
hit a 33-yard field goal, sneaking the ball just inside the right upright to give the Locomotives the first UFL title, and denying the Tuskers a perfect season, with a final score of 20-17.
Scoring summary
| Team | Qtr | Time Left | Scoring Info | Plays | Yards | T.O.P. | LV | FL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FL | Maxwell 8-yd TD pass from Bollinger (Bryant kick) | |||||||
| LV | Gano 46-yard FG | |||||||
| LV | Dorsey 38-yd TD run (Gano kick) | |||||||
| FL | Murphy 10-yd TD pass from Bollinger (Bryant kick) | |||||||
| LV | Dorsey 1-yd TD run (Gano kick) | |||||||
| FL | Bryant 27-yd FG | |||||||
| LV | Gano 33-yd FG |
Attendance: 14,801
Most Valuable Player
Las Vegas running back DeDe DorseyDeDe Dorsey
DeDe Dorsey is an American football running back for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
was awarded the game's Most Valuable Player award thanks to his 98 all-purpose yards (32 receiving, 66 rushing) and two 4th quarter touchdowns that gave the Locomotives the lead on both occasions. The MVP award was chosen through a text message vote, the options of which were presented to fans in attendance and to viewers on Versus
Versus (TV channel)
Versus is a sports-oriented cable television channel in the United States. It was previously known as Outdoor Life Network and was launched on July 1, 1995, focusing on fishing, hunting, and other outdoor sports...
during the 4th quarter; voting was then open until the conclusion of the game.
External links
- Game recap and statistics from the UFL league website
- First Half and Second Half recaps from uflaccess.com
- Recap on the game MVP award from uflaccess.com
- Game story from the November 28, 2009 Las Vegas Sun