1985 USFL season

Last updated

1985 USFL season
Logo of the United States Football League.png
DurationFebruary 23 – June 24, 1985
Eastern Conference champions (regular season) championsBirmingham Stallions
Western Conference champions (regular season) championsOakland Invaders
DateJuly 14, 1985
Finals venue Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.
Finals championsBaltimore Stars
Seasons
←  1984

The 1985 USFL season was the third and final season of the United States Football League (USFL), and the last by a league using that name until the 2022 USFL season.

Contents

Rule changes

Adopted instant replay for the 1985 season. Under the instant-replay rule, a team may have one appeal per half in three situations: [1]

The team asking for the replay would lose a time out if they were wrong. The replay was available only in games televised by ABC. [2]

Franchise changes

General news

August 22, 1984, the owners voted to move to a fall schedule starting in 1986.

Harry Usher became the new commissioner of the USFL in January 1985.

The USFL and the United States Football League Players Association (USFLPA) agreed on a four-year agreement in March 1985. [3]

On April 29, 1985, the league's owners voted 13–2 to reaffirm their decision to begin playing a fall season in 1986. [4]

Regular season

W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against

 y  = Division Champion,  x  = Wild Card

Eastern Conference
TeamWLTPCTPFPAStadium1985 CapacityAvg. Att.Avg. % FilledCoach
y-Birmingham Stallions 1350.722436299 Legion Field 77,00032,06542% Rollie Dotsch
x-New Jersey Generals 1170.611418378 Giants Stadium 76,89141,26854% Walt Michaels
x-Memphis Showboats 1170.611429337 Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium 50,18030,94862% Pepper Rodgers
x-Baltimore Stars 1071.583368260 Byrd Stadium 51,50014,27528% Jim Mora
x-Tampa Bay Bandits 1080.556405422 Tampa Stadium 72,81245,22062% Steve Spurrier
Jacksonville Bulls 990.500407402 Gator Bowl Stadium 80,10044,32555% Lindy Infante
Orlando Renegades 5130.278308481 Orlando Stadium 52,00024,13646% Lee Corso
Western Conference
TeamWLTPCTPFPAStadium1985 CapacityAvg. Att.Avg. % FilledCoach
y-Oakland Invaders 1341.750473359 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 54,61517,50932% Charlie Sumner
x-Denver Gold 1170.611433389 Mile High Stadium 75,12314,44619% Darrell "Mouse" Davis
x-Houston Gamblers 1080.556544388 Houston Astrodome 47,69519,12040% Jack Pardee
Arizona Outlaws 8100.444376405 Sun Devil Stadium 70,03017,88126% Frank Kush
Portland Breakers 6120.333275422 Civic Stadium 32,50019,91961% Dick Coury
San Antonio Gunslingers 5130.278296436 Alamo Stadium 32,00011,72137% Jim Bates/Gil Steinke
Los Angeles Express 3150.167266456 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 94,0008,4159% John Hadl

New Jersey finished ahead of Memphis based on a head-to-head tiebreaker advantage (2-0-0).

Playoffs

Home team in CAPITALS

Quarterfinals June 29–30 and July 1

Semifinals July 6–7

USFL Championship game July 14 (at East Rutherford, New Jersey)

Statistics

1985 regular season stat leaders

1985 Passing Stats (all)
Name, TeamAttComp%yardsYDs/AttTDTD %INTINT %Rating
Walter Lewis, MEM1849752.715938.66168.752.799.8
Jim Kelly, HOU56736063.546238.15396.9193.497.9
Fred Besana, OAK583458.64948.51610.346.992.2
Brian Sipe, JACK895561.86857.9744.522.291.3
Cliff Stoudt, BIRM44426659.933587.56347.7194.391.2
Tim Riordan, BAL362158.32607.2212.800.090.0
Bobby Hebert, OAK45624453.538118.36306.6194.286.1
Chuck Fusina, BAL49630361.134967.05204.0142.884.0
Mike Kelley, MEM26016563.521868.4193.5145.479.1
Bob Lane, BIRM331854.52557.7313.013.077.2
Doug Williams, ARZ50927153.236737.22214.1173.376.4
Bob Gagliano, DENV35820557.326957.53133.6174.773.5
John Reaves, TB56131456.041937.47254.5295.273.2
Ed Luther, JACK40024060.027926.98153.8215.371.8
Todd Dillon, HOU22512153.814956.6594.094.071.3
Rick Neuheisel, SA42123956.830687.29184.3255.969.3
Doug Flutie, NJ28113447.721097.51134.6145.067.8
Rick Johnson, ARZ432148.83187.4037.037.067.8
Reggie Collier, ORL42722953.625786.04133.0163.766.5
Vince Evans, DENV32515748.322596.95123.7164.963.1
Steve Young, LA25013754.817416.9762.4135.263.1
Matt Robinson, POR31015650.321827.04154.8206.562.6
Buck Belue, JACK683754.42994.4034.434.462.1
Jerry Golsteyn, ORL1356548.16474.7943.075.250.4
Jimmy Jordan, TB935458.16016.4633.21111.848.6
Doug Woodward, POR1556240.08315.3631.963.948.1
Frank Seurer, LA24212049.614796.1172.9187.447.5
Fred Mortensen, SA572035.12043.5811.847.022.8
1985 Rushing leaders
Name, TeamAttYdsAve.TDs
Herschel Walker, NJ 43824115.521
Mike Rozier, JACK 32013614.312
Bill Johnson, DENV 21212615.915
Kelvin Bryant, BAL 23812075.112
Gary Anderson, TB 27612074.416
Joe Cribbs, BIRM 26710473.97
Otis Brown, AZ 22910314.512
Albert Bentley, OAK 19110205.34
John Williams, OAK 1868574.69
Buford Jordan, PORT 1658175.05
Tim Spencer, MEM 1987894.03
Curtis Bledsoe, ORL 2077813.83
Maurice Carthon, NJ 1757264.16
Reggie Collier, ORL 926066.612
Walter Lewis, MEM 655919.14
Greg Boone, TB 1115595.03
Allen Harvin, BAL 1385494.04
George Works, SA 935425.81
Mel Gray, LA 1255264.21
1985 Receiving Leaders
Name, TeamRecYdsAve.TDs
Richard Johnson, HOU 103138413.414
Leonard Harris, DENV 101143214.28
Jim Smith, BIRM 87132215.220
Clarence Verdin, HOU 84100412.09
Alton Alexis, JACK 83111813.55
Marc Lewis, DENV 75120716.16
Scott Fitzkee, BAL 7388212.13
Gary Anderson, TB 726789.44
Derrick Crawford, MEM 70105715.19
Anthony Carter, OAK 70132318.914
Larry Brodsky, TB 69107115.57
Gordon Banks, OAK 62111518.05
Perry Kemp, JACK 5991515.54
Marvin Harvey, TB 5972312.33
Gerald McNeil, HOU 58101717.56
Joey Walters, ORL 5878413.55
Greg Moser, MEM 57114520.16
Vincent White, DENV 5566612.15
Alphonso Williams, AZ 55102018.58
Mark Keel, JACK 5358511.00
Don Roberts, SA 5365312.34
Sam Harrell, HOU 514919.62
Greg Anderson, AZ 5191517.95
Mike Rozier, JACK 503667.33
JoJo Townsell, LA 4777716.56
Derek Holloway, OAK 4782417.57
Jerry Gordon, SA 4469315.87
Ken Dunek, BAL 4450811.50
Frank Lockett, PORT/SA 4379418.53
Joey Jones, BIRM 4375117.57
Jeff Smith, ORL 4252112.41
Dan Ross, PORT 4152212.75

1985 USFL regular season sortable offensive team statistics

TeamPts.Ave.RankTotal
Yards		Ave.RankRush.
Yards		Ave.RankPass.
Yards		Ave.Rank
Houston54430.21703239111192661458403241
Oakland47326.32635435342362131539922224
Birmingham43624.23585232582463137333891889
Denver43324.14662936832079116745502533
Memphis42923.85620134552775154234261908
New Jersey41823.266149342637632091238613314
Jacksonville40722.6757523201019981111137542096
Tampa Bay40522.58670937322070115846392582
Arizona37620.995804322920191121037852105
Baltimore36820.410592632972420134435061957
Orlando30817.111461125613181810112279315512
San Antonio29616.41245972551417779913282015711
Portland27515.31350292791120411139298816610
Los Angeles26614.81447072621220871166262014613

1985 USFL regular season sortable defensive team statistics

TeamPts.Ave.RankTotal
Yards		Ave.RankRush.
Yards		Ave.RankPass.
Yards		Ave.Rank
Baltimore26014.41529129422045114632461803
Birmingham29916.62482926811807100130221681
Memphis33718.73532729631897105334301915
Oakland35919.945584310518321022375220810
New Jersey37821.05568531671959109537262079
Houston38821.6662983501321681208413022913
Denver38921.675924329821721219375220811
Jacksonville40222.3861213401025591421335621987
Arizona40522.595518307422911271032271792
Tampa Bay42223.4105949331923901331235591986
Portland42223.411617734311234413011383321312
San Antonio43624.212564531461949108436962058
Los Angeles45625.31362733491221321187414123014
Orlando48126.71467313741433191841434121904

Awards

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Archives". Los Angeles Times .
  2. ↑ "Archives". Los Angeles Times .
  3. ↑ "Park City Daily News - Google News Archive Search".
  4. ↑ Mizell, Hubert (April 30, 1985). "By its own hand, USFL will fall into oblivion". St. Petersburg Times. pp. 1C. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
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