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Donald Igwebuike won his and the Bucs’ third game of the season, with a 52 yard field goal just ten seconds from the end. The win ended Tampa Bay's five game losing streak and proved to be the final nail in the coffin for Detroit coach Darryl Rogers. He was fired the following day, and replaced by former Buccaneer assistant coach, Wayne Fontes.
But this was something special, for it was the first live Buccaneer game that 1 had ever seen. Of course, we have all seen the video of the Bucs v Bears game from 1985 but this was different. The Clearwater Bucs Bunch had decided to have a special TV watching party, with some 200-odd fans packed into Chief Charley's restaurant to watch the game on two large TV screens.
The first quarter was not to be remembered however. Vinny Testaverde was intercepted, the 25th of the season, and the Lions led 10-0 thanks to a 39 yard field goal by the reliable Eddie Murray, and .a one-yard run by Garry James that was set up by a terrible pass interference call on Bobby Futrell,
But as seems to be the case this season, the end of the first quarter signified the start of the game for the young Bucs, and by virtue of a 2-yard run by Williams Howard, and a 23 yard field goal by 'lggy', we were level at the half. Howard's TD run was something special, as it started out as a dive over the right guard for an apparent no gain - Howard bounced back into the backfield and scooted around right end to pile into the endzone for a fine score.
The key to the Bucs’ success, not just in the second quarter, but through the second half as well, was the play of the offensive line who just started to blow to Lions off the ball. Eddie Murray put the Lions ahead at the start of the 4th quarter with a 39-yard field goal, .but the Bucs came back with a 77 yard drive on 8 plays that culminated on Lars Tate scoring on 3rd and goal from the five.
Ray Perkins had called time-out before No 34 powered up the middle, with the Lions were expecting a pass play, A Lions' interception gave the Bucs a chance to wrap the game up, but they were held on 3rd and 3 from the Lions’ five, and Donald kicked us seven points in front with his second kick of the day.
But the young defensive secondary could not stop Rusty Hilger and his receivers, as within 75 seconds, 70 yards and seven plays, Garry James beat Buc linebacker Chris Washington in one-on-one coverage in the left flat, and hooked up with Hilger on a 17- yard pass play. 20-20 each, and with less than 40 seconds left, this game looked set for overtime.
Enter Vinny Testaverde, three for three on the second half, but he had thrown just 10 passes for 71 yards on the game. Could he win it for the Bucs? Vinny takes up the story as told to yours truly the following Saturday:-
"Donnie (Elder) brought the ball out to the 30, and Coach Perkins called two passing plays in the first huddle. 1 was looking for Bruce Hill on the first play, but he was double covered, I dumped the ball of to William Howard who made eight. The clock was running down, and as we were out of time-outs, I called the same play again at the line of scrimmage. This time Bruce was open, and I managed to put it right in his numbers for the big completion. "
Bruce Hill's catch and run really deserved to make all the highlight films. He ran a post pattern from the left sideline, and caught the ball round about the left hash-mark. He then cut back to avoid two Lion defensive backs, and then outran two more toward the right sideline, He finally got out of bounds at the Lions' 35 with around 15 seconds left.
Ray Perkins took no chances, and sent his Nigerian wonder in to win the game. The distance may have been 52 yards, but it made no difference. The kick didn't just clear crossbar, it slammed into the netting behind, and would have been good from another 10 yards out. " As soon as 1 looked up ", said snapper Torn McHale. " 1 saw it going straight down the middle, I knew it was good. it was a great feeling ".
To describe the emotions in Chief Charley's restaurant would be impossible. " If you could have bottled up all that energy, said one Buc fan, "you could have sunk a battleship".
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