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, Nevada
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.
Background
On October 13, 2007, the league announced it would hold its
inaugural championship game over Thanksgiving weekend in 2008; the
league had originally used the name "
United
Bowl" for the contest, but was unable to gain rights from
United Indoor Football or its
successor, the
Indoor Football
League, to use the name (the IFL continues to use the United
Bowl name).
Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas was awarded the hosting for the game
in March 2008. When the inaugural season was postponed to
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 was tied with Tuskers lineman
Patrick Chukwurah for the league lead in
sacks). 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 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.
Game Recap
First Quarter
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
Biddle 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. 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.
Second Quarter
On the drive following Florida's 1st quarter touchdown, Las Vegas
moved the ball into Tuskers territory. After changing ends during
the quarter break, the Locos 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.
Third Quarter
There was little offensive momentum in the 3rd quarter, with both
teams having thre possessions that ended in punts, keeping the
score the same as it was at the start of the quarter.
Fourth Quarter
Ending a Locomotives' drive that carried over from the 3rd quarter,
DeDe Dorsey 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.
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 Trufant. Trufant fumbled but the ball
was immediately recovered by a Locos teammate. After one running
play to center the ball for a field goal attempt,
Graham Gano connected on a 33-yard attempt,
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 |
1st
|
5:13
|
Maxwell 8-yd TD pass from Bollinger (Bryant kick) |
8
|
64
|
5:13
|
0
|
7
|
| LV |
2nd
|
0:00
|
Gano 46-yard FG |
4
|
21
|
0:24
|
3
|
7
|
| LV |
4th
|
12:53
|
Dorsey 38-yd TD run (Gano kick) |
5
|
67
|
2:40
|
10
|
7
|
| FL |
4th
|
10:27
|
Murphy 10-yd TD pass from Bollinger (Bryant kick) |
5
|
80
|
2:25
|
10
|
14
|
| LV |
4th
|
5:58
|
Dorsey 1-yd TD run (Gano kick) |
3
|
1
|
0:54
|
17
|
14
|
| FL |
4th
|
2:10
|
Bryant 27-yd FG |
11
|
69
|
3:48
|
17
|
17
|
| LV |
OT
|
13:13
|
Gano 33-yd FG |
2
|
(-1)
|
0:43
|
20
|
17
|
Most Valuable Player
Locomotives running back
DeDe Dorsey was
awarded the game's Most Valuable Player award thanks to his 11
carries for 66 yards (after being held to 4 yards at halftime) and
two 4th quarter touchdowns that gave the Locos 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 opened until the conclusion of the
game.
Notes
- By virtue of their win, the Locomotives became the first
receipients the William Hambrecht Trophy, the UFL's championship
trophy that is named for Bill
Hambrecht, the Locos' owner and a founding investor in the
United Football League.
- The game was the only one during the UFL's Premiere Season to have a daytime start
(just after 12PM Las Vegas time, or 3PM Eastern).
- Kicker Graham Gano, who scored the
first points in league history, also scored the last points in the
premiere season with his championship winning field goal.
- Joe Barbara performed the National Anthem in the pregame
ceremonies.
- The opening coin flip was handled by game referee Dave
Cutaia.
- Halftime entertainment featured "The Las Vegas Circus Train", a
collection of Las Vegas performers including dancers and
acrobats.
- Theory of Flight performed the pregame show.
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