1983 - USFL Championship Game: Michigan Panthers vs Philadelphia Stars

Gridiron America USFL Radio

1983 Championship - Sunday, July 17, 1983. Attendance: 50,906. TV: ABC.

[NOTE: If you want to skip all the pregame analysis forward to about the 10:30 minute mark where kickoff begins]

Anthony Carter and Derek Holloway were big enough to be enough for Bobby Hebert and definitely big enough for the Michigan Panthers, who got big plays and big days from their little guys to win the first United States Football League championship with a 24-22 victory over the Philadelphia Stars. Bobby Hebert found them 12 times. Hebert, named the game's Most Valuable Player, completed touchdown passes of 12-and 14-yards to the 5-foot7- Holloway and topped his 314-yard passing night off with a 48-yard game-sealing strike to the 5-9 Carter to give the Detroit area its first pro football championship since the Detroit Lions copped the NFL title in 1957. A preponderance of the fans who came out to 75,000-seat Mile High Stadium were rooting for Michigan. Banners for the Panthers dominated the scene and the Stars were booed during the intros. That was fine during the game, but with six seconds to play — moments before Philadelphia's Chuck Fusina hit Rodney Parker with a two-yard touchdown that made the final score close — thousands of boisterous Michigan fans surged onto the field. Some 50 police officers were forced to use chemicals, clubs and dogs to control the crowd, which bent one goal post. A dozen persons were arrested, with police estimating half from Michigan.