2010 UFL Championship Game
Encyclopedia
The 2010 UFL Championship Game was the concluding game of the United Football League's 2010 season
. The game was staged at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium
in Omaha, Nebraska
on Saturday, November 27, 2010, and saw the Las Vegas Locomotives
repeat as league champions, defeating the Florida Tuskers by a 23-20 score.
, who hosted the first sellout game in league history and the first game with over 20,000 tickets sold, were chosen as the hosts for the championship game on October 18, 2010. The game was the last scheduled event at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium
, which served as the Nighthawks' home field in 2010 (the team will move to TD Ameritrade Park in 2011). The selection of Omaha required the UFL to move the date for the title game, from Friday, November 26 to Saturday, November 27 (the former date stood in conflict with a Nebraska Cornhuskers
home game in Lincoln
, a rivalry game with Colorado that is traditionally held on the day after Thanksgiving
).
Las Vegas, the UFL's defending champions, lost their season opener to Florida, 27-20, but pulled off a 5-game winning streak after a Week 2 bye, securing a berth in the title game after Week 7. Before earning that spot, however, starting quarterback Tim Rattay
went down with a ruptured Achilles tendon, and was placed on the injured reserve list. With Rattay out for the rest of the season, the Locos relied on backup quarterbacks Drew Willy
and Chase Clement
for the team's final 3 regular season games, the last 2 of which resulted in losses, giving the Locos a 5-3 record going into the title game.
The Tuskers, who lost to the Locos in the 2009 title game and were now under the leadership of new coach Jay Gruden
, began with the aforementioned Week 1 win at Las Vegas that was followed by late-second losses at Sacramento and to Las Vegas at home. Going into Week 8, the Tuskers had a 2-3 record and were in danger of being eliminated from playoff contention. At that point, the Tuskers decided to sideline 2009 league MVP Brooks Bollinger
, who was suffering from a rib injury, in favor of backup Chris Greisen
. The Tuskers would pull off convincing home wins over Omaha
and Hartford, but still needed a 27-10 win at Omaha on Week 10 to secure a Championship Game berth. (Had the Tuskers lost, Sacramento would have advanced on tiebreakers.)
dodging a Las Vegas blitz for a 5-yard touchdown
run that gave the Tuskers a 7-0 lead. On the 2nd play of the ensuing drive, Locos quarterback Chase Clement
connected with a wide-open Andrae Thurman
for a 75-yard touchdown pass, the longest Locos offensive play of the year, to tie the game at 7-7. The Tuskers then went on another lengthy scoring drive, ending with a 22-yard field goal by Nick Novak
to give the Tuskers a 10-7 lead with 3:13 left in the 1st quarter.
The pace of the game would then start to slow down with no scoring until 5:56 remained in the 2nd quarter; ending the Locos' first sustained drive of the game (including converting three 3rd downs into 1st downs), Clement executed a play-action fake and found another wide-open receiver, tight end George Wrighster
, from 30 yards out for a 14-10 Locos lead. Things got a little heated on the ensuing Tusker drive, with Florida hampered by a 15-yard personal foul to receiver John Standeford
before punting to the Locos. Las Vegas then executed a drive that saw them move down to the Florida 13; the drive stalled, however, with a false start penalty (5 yards and a 10-second run-off of the clock) leading to a pass attempt by Clement winding up out of the end zone as time expired in the 1st half (after which Locos coach Jim Fassel
was heard insisting to the referee that :01 was left, enough time for the Locos to run one more offensive play before heading to the locker rooms).
handled the running load in place of DeDe Dorsey
, who did not play due to knee and thigh injuries.)
The following 2 drives ended with passing errors; a Tusker drive ended when Adrian Awasom
broke up a Griesen pass on 4th-and-2 at the Vegas 35, but the next Locos drive ended with Florida defensive back Keiwan Ratliff intercepting a pass intended for Brian Hernandez with 1:55 elapsed in the 4th quarter. Ratliff's interception, the only turnover of the game, turned into a Tuskers offensive drive that led them to the Las Vegas 4 yard line (thanks to a 36-yard reception by Maurice Hicks
and resulted in a 21-yard field goal by Nick Novak that drew Florida to within 21-20 of Las Vegas with 7:48 left in regulation.
A 3-and-out by the Locos gave the Tuskers the ball back, but on 1st-and-10 at their own 14, a low shotgun snap got past Greisen, who recovered in his end zone only to be sacked by Josh Cooper
for a Las Vegas safety and a 23-20 score. The ensuing Locos drive ended in a punt, after which Greisen and the Tuskers, starting on their own 10 with 1:47 left, marched down to the Vegas 22 (the end point of a 23-yard throw to Cortez Hankton
). After 2 incomplete passes (a spike by Greisen and an attempt in the end zone to Calvin Russell
, who was tightly covered—and may have been interfered with
—by Coye Francies
), Nick Novak came on to attempt a 40-yard game-tying field goal with :06 remaining; a delay of game penalty pushed Novak and the Tuskers back 5 yards to the Vegas 27, where Novak's kick from 45 yards out on the final play of the game was blocked by Alfred Malone
and recovered by the Locos, giving Las Vegas a 23-20 victory and their 2nd consecutive UFL title.
was awarded the UFL Championship Game's Most Valuable Player award after the game. Clement went 16-for-25 for 237 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, and added 30 yards on five carries.
, with Craig Minervini on play-by-play, Doug Flutie
handling color commentary, and Ryan Nece
and Damon Hack reporting on the sidelines. The game also was simulcast in HD on YouTube
, where viewers could watch 4 alternative camera angles as well as submit questions and comments via Facebook
and Twitter
, which were read off during Versus' commercial breaks by HDNet's
UFL sideline reporter, Ron Kruck.
Radio coverage of the game was provided the Tuskers' and Locomotives' radio flagships (respectively, WTKS-FM
in Orlando and KWWN
in Las Vegas) as well as KOZN
in Omaha, the flagship station of the Omaha Nighthawks.
2010 UFL season
The 2010 United Football League season was the second season of the United Football League. The regular season ran from September 18 to November 20 and featured five teams playing eight games each over a 10-week span. The 2010 season was a relatively competitive one as no team won more than five...
. The game was staged at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium
Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium
Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium is a baseball stadium in Omaha, Nebraska, the former home to the annual NCAA Division I College World Series and the minor league Omaha Royals, now known as the Omaha Storm Chasers...
in Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
on Saturday, November 27, 2010, and saw 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...
repeat as league champions, defeating the Florida Tuskers by a 23-20 score.
Background
The UFL did not settle on a Championship Game site until mid-season, choosing to rely on a formula that took into consideration "advance ticket and merchandise sales, energy for all events prior to the season starting, and team record" to determine a site. The Omaha NighthawksOmaha Nighthawks
The Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
, who hosted the first sellout game in league history and the first game with over 20,000 tickets sold, were chosen as the hosts for the championship game on October 18, 2010. The game was the last scheduled event at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium
Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium
Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium is a baseball stadium in Omaha, Nebraska, the former home to the annual NCAA Division I College World Series and the minor league Omaha Royals, now known as the Omaha Storm Chasers...
, which served as the Nighthawks' home field in 2010 (the team will move to TD Ameritrade Park in 2011). The selection of Omaha required the UFL to move the date for the title game, from Friday, November 26 to Saturday, November 27 (the former date stood in conflict with a Nebraska Cornhuskers
Nebraska Cornhuskers
The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference...
home game in Lincoln
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
, a rivalry game with Colorado that is traditionally held on the 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,...
).
Las Vegas, the UFL's defending champions, lost their season opener to Florida, 27-20, but pulled off a 5-game winning streak after a Week 2 bye, securing a berth in the title game after Week 7. Before earning that spot, however, starting quarterback 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...
went down with a ruptured Achilles tendon, and was placed on the injured reserve list. With Rattay out for the rest of the season, the Locos relied on backup quarterbacks Drew Willy
Drew Willy
Drew Willy is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
and Chase Clement
Chase Clement
Chase Austin Clement is a professional American football quarterback for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He played college football for Rice.-College career:...
for the team's final 3 regular season games, the last 2 of which resulted in losses, giving the Locos a 5-3 record going into the title game.
The Tuskers, who lost to the Locos in the 2009 title game and were now under the leadership of new coach Jay Gruden
Jay Gruden
Jay Gruden is an American football coach and former quarterback. He is currently the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals and was formerly the head coach of the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. He is also a decorated player and coach in Arena Football League history,...
, began with the aforementioned Week 1 win at Las Vegas that was followed by late-second losses at Sacramento and to Las Vegas at home. Going into Week 8, the Tuskers had a 2-3 record and were in danger of being eliminated from playoff contention. At that point, the Tuskers decided to sideline 2009 league MVP 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...
, who was suffering from a rib injury, in favor of backup Chris Greisen
Chris Greisen
Christopher J. Greisen is an American football quarterback for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Northwest Missouri State...
. The Tuskers would pull off convincing home wins over Omaha
Omaha Nighthawks
The Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
and Hartford, but still needed a 27-10 win at Omaha on Week 10 to secure a Championship Game berth. (Had the Tuskers lost, Sacramento would have advanced on tiebreakers.)
First half
The game started on a furious pace, with Florida taking the ball first and going on a 12-play, 84-yard scoring drive that ended with Tuskers quarterback Chris GreisenChris Greisen
Christopher J. Greisen is an American football quarterback for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Northwest Missouri State...
dodging a Las Vegas blitz for a 5-yard touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
run that gave the Tuskers a 7-0 lead. On the 2nd play of the ensuing drive, Locos quarterback Chase Clement
Chase Clement
Chase Austin Clement is a professional American football quarterback for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He played college football for Rice.-College career:...
connected with a wide-open Andrae Thurman
Andrae Thurman
D'Andrae Carnell Thurman is a gridiron football wide receiver for Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was signed by the New York Giants of the National Football League as an undrafted free agent in 2004...
for a 75-yard touchdown pass, the longest Locos offensive play of the year, to tie the game at 7-7. The Tuskers then went on another lengthy scoring drive, ending with a 22-yard field goal by Nick Novak
Nick Novak
Nicholas Ryan "Nick" Novak is an American football placekicker for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2005...
to give the Tuskers a 10-7 lead with 3:13 left in the 1st quarter.
The pace of the game would then start to slow down with no scoring until 5:56 remained in the 2nd quarter; ending the Locos' first sustained drive of the game (including converting three 3rd downs into 1st downs), Clement executed a play-action fake and found another wide-open receiver, tight end George Wrighster
George Wrighster
George Fredrick Wrighster, III is an American football tight end for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
, from 30 yards out for a 14-10 Locos lead. Things got a little heated on the ensuing Tusker drive, with Florida hampered by a 15-yard personal foul to receiver John Standeford
John Standeford
John William Standeford is an American football wide receiver for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2004...
before punting to the Locos. Las Vegas then executed a drive that saw them move down to the Florida 13; the drive stalled, however, with a false start penalty (5 yards and a 10-second run-off of the clock) leading to a pass attempt by Clement winding up out of the end zone as time expired in the 1st half (after which Locos coach 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....
was heard insisting to the referee that :01 was left, enough time for the Locos to run one more offensive play before heading to the locker rooms).
Second half
The pace of the game would pick up again in the 3rd quarter. After a 3-and-out Locos' drive began the 2nd half, the Tuskers took the ball down the field for another scoring drive, ending with a 2-yard scramble for a touchdown by Greisen, his 2nd scoring run of the day, to give Florida a 17-14 lead. The Locos would retake the lead on the next drive, a 5-play, 61-yard march ending with 2 plays by running back Hakim Hill, a 13-yard reception immediately followed by a 37-yard run down the right sidelines that gave the Locos a 21-17 lead with 5:53 left in the 3rd quarter. (Hill and Marcel ShippMarcel 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...
handled the running load in place of 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...
, who did not play due to knee and thigh injuries.)
The following 2 drives ended with passing errors; a Tusker drive ended when 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...
broke up a Griesen pass on 4th-and-2 at the Vegas 35, but the next Locos drive ended with Florida defensive back Keiwan Ratliff intercepting a pass intended for Brian Hernandez with 1:55 elapsed in the 4th quarter. Ratliff's interception, the only turnover of the game, turned into a Tuskers offensive drive that led them to the Las Vegas 4 yard line (thanks to a 36-yard reception by Maurice Hicks
Maurice Hicks
Maurice Hicks is an American football running back for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. He was originally signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
and resulted in a 21-yard field goal by Nick Novak that drew Florida to within 21-20 of Las Vegas with 7:48 left in regulation.
A 3-and-out by the Locos gave the Tuskers the ball back, but on 1st-and-10 at their own 14, a low shotgun snap got past Greisen, who recovered in his end zone only to be sacked by Josh Cooper
Josh Cooper (American football)
Joshua Martez Cooper is an American football defensive end for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2004...
for a Las Vegas safety and a 23-20 score. The ensuing Locos drive ended in a punt, after which Greisen and the Tuskers, starting on their own 10 with 1:47 left, marched down to the Vegas 22 (the end point of a 23-yard throw to Cortez Hankton
Cortez Hankton
Cortez Hankton is an American football wide receiver for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. He was originally signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Texas Southern. He attended St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, LA...
). After 2 incomplete passes (a spike by Greisen and an attempt in the end zone to Calvin Russell
Calvin Russell (American football)
Calvin Leon Russell is an American football wide receiver for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Tuskegee.Russell has also played for the Columbus Destroyers, Florida...
, who was tightly covered—and may have been interfered with
Pass interference
In American and Canadian gridiron football, pass interference is a penalty that occurs when a player interferes with an eligible receiver's ability to make a fair attempt to catch a forward pass. Pass interference may include tripping, pushing, pulling, or cutting in front of the receiver or...
—by Coye Francies
Coye Francies
Coye Francies is an American football cornerback He is currently a free agent . He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
), Nick Novak came on to attempt a 40-yard game-tying field goal with :06 remaining; a delay of game penalty pushed Novak and the Tuskers back 5 yards to the Vegas 27, where Novak's kick from 45 yards out on the final play of the game was blocked by Alfred Malone
Alfred Malone
Alfred Wayne Malone is a free agent American football defensive tackle for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2005...
and recovered by the Locos, giving Las Vegas a 23-20 victory and their 2nd consecutive UFL title.
Scoring summary
| Team | Qtr | Scoring Info | FL | LV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FL | 1st | Greisen 5-yard TD run (Novak kick) | ||
| LV | 1st | Thurman 75-yard TD pass from Clement (Hauschka kick) | ||
| FL | 1st | Novak 22-yard FG | ||
| LV | 2nd | Wrighster 30-yard TD pass from Clement (Hauschka kick) | ||
| FL | 3rd | Greisen 2-yard TD run (Novak kick) | ||
| LV | 3rd | Hakim Hill 37-yard TD run (Hauschka kick) | ||
| FL | 4th | Novak 22-yard FG | ||
| LV | 4th | Safety (Cooper sacks Griesen in end zone) |
Most Valuable Player
Locomotives quarterback Chase ClementChase Clement
Chase Austin Clement is a professional American football quarterback for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He played college football for Rice.-College career:...
was awarded the UFL Championship Game's Most Valuable Player award after the game. Clement went 16-for-25 for 237 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, and added 30 yards on five carries.
Broadcasting
On television, the game was carried on VersusVersus (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...
, with Craig Minervini on play-by-play, Doug Flutie
Doug Flutie
Douglas Richard "Doug" Flutie is a former American and Canadian football quarterback. Flutie played college football at Boston College, and played professionally in the National Football League, Canadian Football League, and United States Football League...
handling color commentary, and Ryan Nece
Ryan Nece
Ryan Clint Nece is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
and Damon Hack reporting on the sidelines. The game also was simulcast in HD on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, where viewers could watch 4 alternative camera angles as well as submit questions and comments via Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
and Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
, which were read off during Versus' commercial breaks by HDNet's
HDNet
HDNet is a men's interest television channel in the United States, broadcasting exclusively in high-definition format and available via cable and satellite television...
UFL sideline reporter, Ron Kruck.
Radio coverage of the game was provided the Tuskers' and Locomotives' radio flagships (respectively, WTKS-FM
WTKS-FM
WTKS-FM 104.1 is a FM radio station airing a talk radio format during the work week. The station is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast from Cocoa Beach, Florida , and serves mainly the Orlando and Central Florida areas.Most of the programs are designed to appeal to...
in Orlando and KWWN
KWWN
KWWN is a radio station licensed to Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. The station is owned by Lotus Broadcasting Corp. Programming includes the UNLV Rebels football and men's basketball teams, ESPN Radio talk shows and play-by-play, and various local talk shows....
in Las Vegas) as well as KOZN
KOZN
KOZN is a sports talk station in Omaha, Nebraska. The station broadcasts at 1620 kHz on the AM dial. It is owned by NRG Media, headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The station originally signed on as KAZP, an expanded band station of KOIL 1180, owned by Mitchell Broadcasting, in September 1999...
in Omaha, the flagship station of the Omaha Nighthawks.
External links
- 2010 UFL Championship Game webpage
- Game recaps from Omaha World-Herald and Associated Press