64 Denver 42, 61 Oakland 38

64 Denver 42, 61 Oakland 38

What a wild game this was -- I needed a few hours to calm down when it was over.

Cela's high-octane Denver squad came to Cali to play Joe's Oakland group, with both teams known for offense and for an offensively bad defense. 

The game lived up to its billing, as both teams moved up and down the field like ants toward sugar, while the defense rested and looked to be on a tropical island somewhere other than at Candlestick Park. The game featured only five punts between the teams. Denver had 447 yards of net offense, while Oakland slightly trumped that with 452 years of offense.

Oakland asserted its game plan early, scoring a TD on the first drive with taking 7:13 to move up the field before star running back Wayne Crow (also the team punter) crossed the goal line. But Denver then matched it with a 6 minute, 12 play drive of its own, punctuated by a one yard run from its featured back, Cookie Gilchrist, at the end of the quarter.

Both teams again traded TDs in quarter two, Oakland's coming in unexpected fashion as Crow broke through the Denver line and ran for 70 yards. 14-14 at the half.

The action was revved up to racing speed in quarter three, with TDs apparently falling from trees. Oakland and Denver each had two touchdowns in the quarter, moving down the field like a marching band at halftime.  Oakland QB Tom Flores tossed two TD passes, Denver QB Jacky Lee had one of his own, and Gilchrist again smashed through the line to score. But at the end of the third quarter, Denver went ahead for the first time on its third touchdown of  the quarter, with Lee's seven yard pass to star receiver Lionel Taylor as time wound down.

Denver held the 35-28 lead until halfway through quarter four, with Flores tossed his third TD pass of the afternoon, finding Alan MIller in the end zone. With the game tied at 35, Oakland again moved downfield but had to settle for a field goal to take a 38-35 lead with 2:32 left in the game. But Denver proved its Rocky Mountain grit, as Cela's team went 83 yards in eight plays, before Lee hit Wendell Hayes in the back of the end zone to take at 42-38 lead with a little over a minute left.

Flores did his best to bring his troops downfield again, moving to Denver's 15 yard line with 30 seconds left. But then, disappointment hit as Flores throw his second INT of the day, as Griffin picked off the end zone pass. Denver wins an exhausting battle.

--submitted by Joe Pryweller--