August 8, 1974
By Gavin Dance
ANAHEIM, California - The New York Stars, bewitched, bothered and bewildered by a series of fumbles, made one drive stand up last night in catching the Southern California Sun, 11-8, at Anaheim Stadium, before 28,174 fans.
The Stars (3-2), who fumbled a half-dozen times in the first three quarters put it all together for one 86-yard touchdown march on the strong right arm of quarterback Tom Sherman, with 9:19 left in the game.
Sherman began the march from his own 13 with a 16-yard pass to wide receiver George Sauer. He came back with a 12-yard toss to his other wide man - Al Young.
A nine-yard run by Ed White, a two-yard pass to Bob Gladieux and Sherman's eight-yard scramble brought the ball to the Sun 40.
With third and two and the Sun expecting a run, Sherman faked up the middle, stepped back and hit tight end Bert Askson on the Sun 10. He caught it and raced in. Sherman's pass to Sauer added the Action Point.
The Sun (2-3), who had dominated the game, bounced back and moved to the Stars 37 with 4:44 remaining. But linebacker Tom Chandler sacked Southern California quarterback Tony Adams for an eight yard loss and the Sun didn't threaten again.
Paced by UCLA rookie running backs, Kermit Johnson and James McAlister, the Sun scored in the first two minutes of play and constantly threatened to overwhelmed the fumble plagued Stars.
Until the final spurt, the only points the Stars could put on the board was the 33-yard field goal by soccer style kicker Moses Lajterman, of Montclair State, with three seconds to go in the first half.
Some of the late arrivals were still streaming in when the Sun suddenly was on the scoreboard.
Jim Ford fumbled the opening kickoff and Alonzo Emery of Southern California recovered on the Stars' 39-yard line. Kermit Johnson picked up seven yards and then Adams hit wide receiver Ike Harris at the right flag for a 32-yard touchdown.
Adams came right back with a toss over the middle to tight end Jacque MacKinnon for the Action Point. The Sun lad, 8-0, as a shower of fireworks lit the sky.
An early siege of fumblitis hit the Stars again a few minutes later. Ed White picked up a couple of yards but fumbled on his own 40 when cracked by Dave Roller. Sun linebacker Jim Baker fell on this one.
The Sun seemed headed for a score as it rolled to the 11-yard line. But Stars safety Jeff Woodcock picked off an Adams toss in the end zone and ran it out to New York's 31-yard line.
After the Stars missed by a yard in a first down try and punted, the Sun was back knocking on the door again.
Johnson and McAlister were chewing up the Stars' defense. Suddenly McAlister took a short pass from Adams, squirmed away from a couple of tackles and raced down the left sideline for an apparent 37-yard touchdown.
However, the Sun was detected for illegal motion, nullifying the score.
The Stars didn't pick up their initial first down until the final play of the first quarter on Sherman's short pass to Gladieux at their own 31.
The same combination connected again, this time for 27 yards as New York moved into Sun territory for the first time, with five minutes gone in the second quarter.
Sun Kicker Nick Dzepina, a Frenchmen, was way short on a 53-yard field goal try. Two more fumbles by White gave the Sun still another chance, but linebacker Tom Chandler picked off an Adams' pass on his own 35.
Suddenly, the Stars came to life. A piling on penalty at the New York 35 got them started. White broke up the middle for 15 yards to the Sun 40 as they battled the first half clock.
Sherman passed to wide receiver Al Young at the Sun 15 as the clock ran down to three seconds. Lajterman trotted out, and was square with a 33-yard field goal.
It narrowed the gap to 8-3 as the first-half ended.
The fumbling continued as the second half began. Bob Hermanni, a Montclair State product fumbled on his own 17 the first time the Stars had the ball.
On third down, defensive tackle Lloyd Voss threw Adams for a nine-yard loss and Dzepina was wide left with a 41-yard field goal.
Aided by a roughing the punter penalty, the Sun threatened again midway in the third period and reached the Stars' 32 before a couple of passes fell incomplete.
Later, Baker picked off a Sherman pass at the Sun 47. On the first play, Adams hit wide receiver Dave Williams with a 41-yard bomb to the Stars 12-yard line.
Johnson cracked down to the six. On fourth down, Dzepina was wide on a 23-yard attempt that would have been nullified anyway because of illegal procedure.