Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31 Indianapolis Colts 28 Sunday 2 November 1997 at the RCA Dome FOX COMMENTARY CREW Kevin Harlan and Jerry Glanville
The Buccaneers snapped a three-game losing skid, the team’s longest winning drought of the season, with an emotionally draining 31-28 victory over the Indianapolis Colts at the RCA Dome. Trent Dilfer completed seven of his final nine passes, marching the team to two scoring drives in the final 10 minutes. With just 52 seconds remaining, Dilfer connected on three straight passes of 12, nine and six yards to set up Michael Husted’s game-winning 36-yard field goal with just :11 remaining.
STARTERS OFFENSE DEFENSE LT 74 Gruber LDE 72 Ahanotu LG 60 Pyne DT 77 Culpepper C 61 Mayberry DT 99 Sapp RG 64 Diaz RDE 91 Upshaw RT 70 Odom WLB 55 Brooks TE 83 Moore MLB 56 Nickerson WR 85 Anthony SLB 59 Porter WR 88 Copeland LCB 21 Abraham QB 12 Dilfer SS 47 Lynch FB 40 Alstott FS 22 Mincy RB 28 Dunn RCB 27 Parker PLAYED 4 Walsh, 5 Husted, 7 Landeta, 23 Bouie, 25 Johnson, 31 Young, 32 Rhett, 37 Ellison, 45 Legette, 50 Gooch, 51 Singleton, 52 Bellisari, 53 Quarles, 69 Pierson, 71 Wunsch, 73 Middleton, 75 Curry, 78 Jones, 82 Hape, 84 Thomas, 86 Williams, 87 Davis, 94 White INACTIVES 13 Milanovich, 20 Barber, 24 Robinson, 29 Gant, 65 Dogins, 80 Harris, 90 Maniecki, 97 Jackson
GAME SCORING TB 7:29-1Q Alstott 1 run (Husted kick) IND 3:37-1Q Blanchard FG43 IND 13:22-2Q Faulk 4 run (Blanchard kick) TB 6:31-2Q Moore 2 pass from Dilfer (Husted kick) TB 0:38-2Q Williams 6 pass from Dilfer (Husted kick) IND 10:04-3Q Blanchard FG36 IND 0:55-3Q Warren 1 run (Pollard pass from Holcomb) IND 11:46-4Q Blackmon 18 fumble return (Blanchard kick) TB 6:52-4Q Williams 24 pass from Dilfer (Husted kick) TB 0:08-4Q Husted FG36
GAME REPORTS Rick Stroud reports from the Hoosier Dome Hubert Mizell - escape from Indianapolis Kelly Holcomb, another potential ex-Buc QB success story Michael Husted comes through when needed Click here for the gamebook and the play-by-play
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING BUCS: Alstott 16-45, Dunn 7-17, Anthony 1-17, Dilfer 1-5. COLTS: Crockett 14-81, Faulk 14-40, Bailey 1-18, Warren 4-8, Justin 1-0. PASSING BUCS: Dilfer 25-16-164-0-3. COLTS: Holcomb 30-19-181-1-0, Justin 3-1-44-0-0. RECEIVING BUCS: Moore 6-53, Dunn 3-39, Williams 2-30, Copeland 2-25, Anthony 2- 16, Hape 1-1. COLTS: Dawkins 4-55, Warren 4-37, Harrison 3-57, Dilger 3-37, Crockett 3-29, Stablein 2-11, Faulk 1- (-1). INTERCEPTIONS BUCS: Abraham 1-0. COLTS: none. KICK RETURNS BUCS: Anthony 4-97, Williams 1-20. COLTS: Bailey 4-60. PUNT RETURNS BUCS: Williams 3-99. COLTS: Stablein 3-17. SACKS BUCS: Sapp 1-7, Upshaw 1-6. COLTS: Footman 1-9, Morrison 1-4, Fontenot 1-1.
VIDEO CLIPS Dave Moore had one of Trent Dilfer’s three touchdown passes The final one to Karl Williams tied the scores in the fourth quarter Michael Husted had the game-winning kick with eight seconds left