NEW YORK STARS LEAGUE-LEADING OFFENSE TO CLASH WITH PHILADELPHIA BELL'S LEAGUE-LEADING DEFENSE

It'll be a battle of number 1's this coming Thursday, July 25, as the New York Stars hit the road with the World Football League's top-ranked offense to meet with the league's number 1 defense - - the Philadelphia Bell, at Philadelphia's John F. Kennedy Stadium at 9:05 PM this Thursday. The game will be the WFL's third nationally-televised contest with the Stars being featured a second time.

The New Yorkers, led last week by Tom Sherman at quarterback and rookie Andy Huff at fullback, combined 171 yards passing with 283 yards rushing (106 by Huff alone) to bring their two game yardage total to 776 yards, an average of 388 per game. Unfortunately for the Stars, most of their offensive fireworks occurred in the first half as they quickly built a 29-3 lead over the Birmingham Americans. Birmingham quarterback George Mira exploded himself in the second half, for three touchdown passes and a one-yard gallup, to nip the Stars 32-29. Still, New York's potent offense, as exhibited by their 22-9 first down advantage over the Americans, should give Philadelphia a rough night - - and perhaps the Stars their first win of the still-young WFL season.

Philadelphia, losers last week to Houston, 11-0, after breaking in with a 33-8 rout of Portland, has allowed only 173 average yards per game, an incredibly-stingy pace that is followed by the Stars 211 per game pace. The Stars will send running backs Jim Ford and Andy Huff (both among the top-ten leading rushers in the WFL) and Bob Gladieux (the Stars third leading rusher) against a Bell line that has given up only 240 yards in two games...and pit quarterback Tom Sherman, the leagues second-leading passer with 373 yards, against the Bell's league-leading pass defense.

Offensive threats for Ron Waller's Bell are Claude Watts and John Land, the seventh and tenth-ranked runners in the league, and Jim "King" Corcoran, the flamboyant, yet solid Bell quarterback, who has yet to be sacked by opponents. Corcoran is the league's sixth-leading passer, with 29 completions out of 62 attempts, for 308 yards.

After Thursday night's battle of the league-leaders, the Stars return home Wednesday night at 8:05 PM against the Jacksonville Sharks, victors over the Stars in their opening game, 14-7.

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