GAME HIGHLIGHTS Video footage from the expansion season is limited to occasional clips from the NFL Films season highlight film as NBC who broadcast all 14 games that season, destroyed the master tapes some years later leaving none of the games available in the way other games from Buccaneer history are. However I have been able to obtain the coverage from NFL Films’ Review of the Week in which the Buccaneers were featured, sometimes though not in the most flattering of highlights. The left video are the selected Buccaneer clips. The right video is the one from the Review of the Week.

The Chargers shut out the Buccaneers 23-0 on the strength of three Toni Fritsch fieldgoals and two touchdowns in the final three minutes. Until Rickey Young bolted free on a 46-yard touchdown jaunt with 2:55 left in the game, the hard-pressed Tampa defense had kept the Bucs in contention. On the next play, Tom Hayes picked off a pass and went 37 yards down the sideline untouched for the final score. Both Larry Lawrence and Parnell Dickinson relieved Steve Spurrier at QB but of their eight combined passes, they threw three interceptions. John McKay: "I really don't have any answers for the offense. We just don't seem to have anybody fast and we don't seem to be able to block anybody."

SCORING SD 7:01-1Q Fritsch FG48 SD 3:23-2Q Fritsch FG48 SD 8:57-4Q Fritsch FG22 SD 2:55-4Q Young 46 run (Fritsch kick) SD 2:37-4Q Hayes 37 interception return (Fritsch kick)

GAME REPORTS Ron Martz of the St.Petersburg Times - how he saw the game Hubert Mizell of the St.Petersburg Times - his game column Ray Holliman of the St.Petersburg Times - how he saw the game Click here for the gamebook and the play-by-play

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING BUCS: Dickinson 3-54, Williams 11-44, Johnson 5-23, Carter 3-8, DuBose 1-2, Spurrier 1-1, CDavis 7-0, M.Moore 2-(-3). CHARGERS: Woods 19-64, Young 13-85, Fouts 2-13, Matthews 6-27, Scarber 1-6. PASSING BUCS: Spurrier 10-3-13-0-0, Lawrence 5-0-0-2-0, Dickinson 3-0-0-1-0. CHARGERS: Fouts 21-14-154-0-0. RECEIVING BUCS: B.Moore 2-17, M.Moore 1-(-4). CHARGERS: Young 4-31, Joiner 3-59, Owens 2-26, Woods 2-7, Curran 1-14, Dorsey 1-14, Matthews 1-3. INTERCEPTIONS BUCS: none. CHARGERS: Hayes 1-37, Goode 1-26, Lowe 1-8. KICK RETURNS BUCS: C.Davis 2-45, M.Moore 2-34, Reece 1-30, Cooper 1-22. CHARGERS: Fuller 1-19. PUNT RETURNS BUCS: Reece 2-31, M.Moore 2-18. CHARGERS: Fuller 8-105. SACKS BUCS: J.Peterson 1-10, L.Selmon 1-6, Toomay 1-6. CHARGERS: Johnson 1-9, Lee 1-8.

STARTERS OFFENSE DEFENSE LT 75 Reavis LDE 78 Rudolph LG 72 Fest DT 76 Pear C 73 Ward DT 63 Selmon RG 67 Alward RDE 66 Toomay RT 74 Current LLB 58 Peterson TE 86 Moore MLB 52 Reese WR 83 McGriff RLB 57 Peterson WR 89 McKay LCB 40 Washington FB 35 DuBose SS 33 Cotney RB 26 Davis FS 28 Stone QB 11 Spurrier RCB 46 Reese PLAYED 4 Green, 5 Roder, 13 Lawrence, 18 Dickinson, 19 Johnson, 21 Blahak, 32 Carter, 42 Oliver, 43 Williams, 44 Moore, 51 Ryczek, 53 Ball, 54 Wood, 56 Cooper, 61 Selmon, 64 Robinson, 71 Young, 77 Little, 82 Pagac, 88 Smith DID NOT PLAY 80 Novak INACTIVES 25 Jordan, 27 Davis, 30 Gunn, 50 Kearney, 79 Wilson