USFL Roundup : Oakland Prevails on Hebert’s Passing

Bobby Hebert threw four touchdown passes, three in the fourth quarter, as the Oakland Invaders beat the Denver Gold, 31-10, in a U.S. Football League opener Sunday before 23,622 fans at Oakland.

Hebert broke a 10-10 tie with a 50-yard bomb to Anthony Carter on the first play of the final quarter.

Carter and Hebert came to the Invaders during the off-season when the team merged with the 1983 USFL champion Michigan Panthers.

Defensive back Derrick Martin set up the final two Oakland touchdowns with pass interceptions. Hebert, who completed 5-of-6 passes for 90 yards in the period, hit tight end Brian Williams on scoring throws of 34 and 14 yards.

The Invaders took a 10-7 halftime lead on Hebert’s 25-yard scoring pass to Derek Holloway and a 32-yard field goal by Novo Bojovic. Denver scored on a 52-yard fumble return by safety Darryl Hemphill in the second quarter, and pulled even on Brian Speelman’s 28-yard field goal in the third quarter.

Jacksonville 22, Baltimore 14--Brian Franco kicked five field goals and the Bulls stopped a last-minute drive by the defending USFL champion Stars to win at Jacksonville, Fla., before a crowd of 51,045.

The Stars, who moved from Philadelphia to Baltimore during the off-season, pulled off an onside kick with less than a minute remaining and drove to the Jacksonville 22-yard line. But Bulls’ defensive tackle Bob Clasby sacked reserve quarterback Tim Riordan for a five-yard loss in the final seconds of the game.

The Bulls lost starting quarterback Brian Sipe late in the first quarter with a shoulder separation of his throwing arm. Team officials said he would be out from 6-to-14 weeks.

Franco kicked field goals of 51, 50, 42, 27 and 25 yards to carry the Bulls to victory.

Arizona 9, Portland 7--Luis Zendejas kicked a 43-yard field goal with 6:33 left to lift the Outlaws to a victory over the Breakers in front of a crowd of 20,351 at Tempe, Ariz.

The Outlaws are a combination of last season’s Oklahoma Outlaws and Arizona Wranglers.

Zendejas also had field goals of 25 and 29 yards in the first half. The winning kick was set up by Carl Allen’s pass interception.

The Breakers took a 7-6 lead with 1:59 left in the third quarter on an 11-yard touchdown run by Marcus Dupree and the subsequent extra point by Tim Mazzetti.

Dupree rushed for 69 yards on 17 carries before suffering a knee injury and leaving the field on a stretcher with 2:07 left.

Portland had two chances to win the game, but Dupree was stopped by Arizona’s Sel Drain on fourth down at the Outlaw 46 with 4:39 left, and fumbled the ball away at the Outlaw 28 with under three minutes left.

Arizona’s Doug Williams completed 16-of-26 passes for 254 yards.