49ers Take Riders in Defensive Battle
OTTAWA -- The 49ers and Roughriders ready to kick it off in this, the first-ever championship game of the Alternative Football Association. Boomer and his Seattle mates favored here in Alt Bowl I. But don't count out the Roughies. Travis Weir has his boys all geeked up for this championship bout.
First series for Ottawa. Bledsoe to throw on third and 13. Complete -- to Dale Carter that is. Seattle with the early INT, in business on the Ottawa 29. Third and short. Alfred Williams with the penetration, nailing Robert Smith for a loss. Wilkins with the FG attempt. Wide right! Ottawa dodges the bullet.
But the Roughies can't stop Seattle on the next possession. Esiason marching them 71 yards to paydirt, finishing it off with this three-yard toss to Lonnie Johnson, the second tight end. 7-0 Seattle.
Early second quarter. Seattle on the move again. Boomer floating the pass out to the sideline. Freeman's got it. He's stripped. Thomas the recovery. Battling for yardage. Now he fumbles! Kaufman picks it up. Look at him tear away from the tackler. Napolean COULD ... GO ... ALL... THE ... WAY. 14-zip 49ers.
Ottawa down 17-3 as they take over on their 28 for their first possession of the second half. Drew and the boys gotta get it going here. Bledsoe hitting Scott for 16 yards to convert the third down play. But they stall at midfield and punt it away again.
The Ottawa D holding. Seattle punting. Bledsoe back in business. Look at him hook up with Smith on this play. Jimmy snagging it in traffic. Juking. Busting loose. 68 yards before Hitchcock drags him down on the one. The give to Anderson. Stopped for a one-yard loss. Jamal taking it wide on second down. Nailed by Chuck Smith and Barker for a five- yard loss. They'll have to settle for three and cut the lead to 17-6. That's a real blow to the Roughies' hopes.
Ottawa getting yet another Vinatieri field goal to cut it to 17-9 with just over six minutes to go. They still have life. Oh, a surprise here. They're going with the onside kick early. Harrison with the recovery! Ottawa in business! Third and sixteen. Bledsoe in the pocket. Drew hitting Smith for 17. Move the sticks, dude. But Ottawa in another jam. Fourth and nine now from the Seattle 26 with 3:40 to go. Those Seattle DBs are on the Ottawa receivers like flies on s---. Bledsoe finding no one open. Hits Smith coming back, but he's short of the first down! Seattle taking over on downs.
Another good job by the Ottawa D. The Roughies taking over near midfield with 34 ticks to go. They'll need the touch and the two to send this thing to OT. But Seattle's pass defense is too much again. Glenn with the sweet play here to break up the desperation toss to Harrison. There's the gun. The Seattle players drenching club GM Larry Olson with the Gatorade. It's all over. The Seattle 49ers have won Alternative Bowl I!
Season One of the Alternative Football Association is history.
1997 SEATTLE 49ers 7 10 0 0 - 17
1997 OTTAWA Roughriders 0 3 3 3 - 9
49ers - JOHNSON 3 yard pass from ESIASON (WILKINS kick), 8:11 1st, 7-0
Drive: 7 plays; 71 yards; 4:01
49ers - KAUFMAN 26 yard fumble return (WILKINS kick), 0:30 2nd, 14-0
Drive: 7 plays; 87 yards; 3:58
Roughriders - Field Goal VINATIERI 40, 7:55 2nd, 14-3
Drive: 15 plays; 64 yards; 7:03
49ers - Field Goal WILKINS 33, 14:54 2nd, 17-3
Drive: 14 plays; 66 yards; 1:52
Roughriders - Field Goal VINATIERI 27, 12:06 3rd, 17-6
Drive: 9 plays; 70 yards; 4:39
Roughriders - Field Goal VINATIERI 39, 8:13 4th, 17-9
Drive: 7 plays; 27 yards; 3:04
TEAM STATISTICS 49ers Roughriders
Total First Downs 16 15
Rushing - Passing - Penalty 1-14-1 4-11-0
Penalties/Yards Lost 6/30 4/47
Third Down Efficiency 4/11 36% 8/17 47%
Total Net Yards 285 312
Total Plays/Avg Per Play 53/5.4 66/4.7
Net Yards Rushing 33 94
Total Rushes/Avg Per Rush 16/2.1 34/2.8
Net Yards Passing 279 226
Completions - Attempts - Ints. 23-35-0 18-30-1
Average Per Attempt 8.0 7.5
Sacked/Yards Lost 2/-27 2/-8
Punts/Average 5/47.4 5/37.4
Return Yards 118 59
Fumbles/Lost 1/1 1/1
Turnovers 1 2
Time of Possession 25:55 34:05
1997 SEATTLE 49ers
RUSHING
Att Yds Avg Long Fumble/Lost TD
FREEMAN 1 10 10.0 10 1 1 0
KAUFMAN 9 13 1.4 11 0 0 0
R SMITH 6 10 1.7 9 0 0 0
PASSING
Att Comp Yds Pct Avg Int Long TD Rating
ESIASON 35 23 279 65.7 8.0 0 29 1 99.6
PASS RECEPTIONS
Num Yds Avg Long TD
FREEMAN 7 130 18.6 29 0
GREEN 5 39 7.8 20 0
JOHNSON 2 23 11.5 20 1
KAUFMAN 1 11 11.0 11 0
PENN 2 23 11.5 17 0
RISON 2 15 7.5 10 0
R SMITH 4 38 9.5 21 0
PUNTS
Att Yds < 20 TB Blk Long Avg [Rtnd Yds] Net Avg
BERGER 5 237 0 1 0 58 47.4 4 31 37.2
PUNT RETURNS
Num Yds Avg Long FC TD
TOOMER 2 8 4.0 6 1 0
KICKOFF RETURNS
Num Yds Avg Long TD
GLENN 4 110 27.5 32 0
INTERCEPTIONS SACKS
Num Yds Avg Long TD Num Yds
CARTER 1 0 0.0 0 0
MINTER 1 -6
C SMITH 1 -2
F I E L D G O A L S P A T
1-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ Total % Lg Att G
WILKINS 1-1 0-1 0-1 1-3 33 33 2 2
1997 OTTAWA Roughriders
RUSHING
Att Yds Avg Long Fumble/Lost TD
ANDERS 11 42 3.8 25 0 0 0
ANDERSON 19 46 2.4 13 0 0 0
BLEDSOE 3 9 3.0 5 0 0 0
GONZALEZ 1 -3 -3.0 0 0 0 0
PASSING
Att Comp Yds Pct Avg Int Long TD Rating
BLEDSOE 30 18 226 60.0 7.5 1 68 0 69.6
PASS RECEPTIONS
Num Yds Avg Long TD
ANDERS 7 49 7.0 38 0
ANDERSON 2 25 12.5 22 0
GONZALEZ 1 3 3.0 3 0
SCOTT 1 16 16.0 16 0
SMITH 7 133 19.0 68 0
PUNTS
Att Yds < 20 TB Blk Long Avg [Rtnd Yds] Net Avg
ROUEN 5 187 2 0 0 43 37.4 2 8 35.8
PUNT RETURNS
Num Yds Avg Long FC TD
MEGGETT 4 31 7.8 19 0 0
KICKOFF RETURNS
Num Yds Avg Long TD
MEGGETT 2 28 14.0 22 0
INTERCEPTIONS SACKS
Num Yds Avg Long TD Num Yds
JONES 1 -12
WILLIAMS 1 -15
F I E L D G O A L S P A T
1-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ Total % Lg Att G
VINATIERI 1-1 1-1 1-1 3-3 100 40