August 22, 1974
By Dale Robertson
NEW YORK - The Stars were without George Sauer, the Texans had Don Maynard.
If ever there was a night the red-hot New Yorkers could be upset in cozy, crummy Downing Stadium, this was the one, right?
Wrong.
The Stars destroyed the Texans, 43-10, before 12,042 Wednesday evening as Bob Gladieux scored four touchdowns, Tom Sherman passed for two and Al Young got most of the big yardage in between.
Gladieux, Sherman, Young - National Football League rejects all, Sauer and Maynard - legends here when they played with the Jets.
Still, it was the former not the latter, that made the difference this tepid evening on Randall's Island, where the Stars have been sentenced until Yankee Stadium reopens in 1976.
Sauer, who pulled a muscle in practice Monday, didn't play - and wasn't needed.
Maynard, who left retirement and signed with Houston Tuesday, didn't see enough action to make a difference.
Gladieux, meanwhile carried 20 times for 84 yards to go with his four short TDs. Sherman completed 10 of 20 passes, including a four-yarder to Gladieux and a 26-yard beauty to Kreg Kapitan for scores.
Young had all five of his key receptions - totaling 63 yards - in the first half, while Kapitan caught four himself for 64 steps.
New York finished with 25 first downs and 405 net yards, an amazing average of 5.2 per play against the WFL's No. 1 defense. The Stars No. 1 rushing offense pounded for 231 of those.
The Texans, now 2-4-1 and reeling were far, far behind. They totaled only 11 first downs, and 162 yards for the game, which ended in the Stars' fifth straight victory after two losses.
Mike Taliaferro hit only 12 of 25 passes for 81 yards, and was intercepted twice. Mike Richardson and Jim Nance shared rushing honors with 26 yards each.
Houston's only plus was winning its first coin toss this year. And the joy there was short lived.
Richardson fumbled at his own 37 four plays into the game and the Stars wasted no time pushing out the yardage - and the points.
They marched the distance in just seven tries. Gladieux went for six, Sherman for eight. Gladieux for eight, Sherman to Young for eight, Sherman to Young again for 10 and Gladieux dived for the touchdown with 7:30 left in the first quarter.
The squat, ex-Patriot was to be a busy young man this night.
New York strolled 46 yards to the Houston 30 the next time it had the ball, but Moses Lajterman missed a 47-yard field goal try.
The Stars got the football right back, however, when Taliaferro, under fire from former teammates Gerry Philbin and John Elliott, passed into Grambling rookie Steve Dennis' hands at the New York 46.
It was only a matter of time.
Sherman found Young for 19, 4 and 7 yards and Kapitan for 17 to get the Stars to the Houston seven. Gladieux pounded for two, and then fielded Sherman's play-action flip for the touchdown with 11:58 left in the half.
Again the Texans went nowhere, but John Odom's 16 yard punt gave New York operating room. They started at their own 26 and clicked steadily down the field - the same old faces doing the same old things.
Gladieux - who else? - pranced the final yard 12 plays and 74 yards later. New York 21, Houston zip and 2:43 left in the half.
The embarrassed Texans saved some face, however, getting to the Star 26 where Charlie Durkee booted his 43-yarder with 30 seconds left.
At the break, New York already had 16 first downs and 214 yards, five more than Houston's average yield per game before Wednesday night.
There was to be no letup, either.
Gladieux, Sherman, Young. The massacre continued unabated.
The Stars drove to the Houston 10 in nine plays as the third period started and there Sherman delivered the most cutting blow. Seemingly trapped for a 14-yard loss, he slithered loose and streaked to the Texans 4.
Gladieux went the last four steps for touchdown No. 4. Sherman converted his first action point on a toss to Young and the Stars lead, 29-3, with 23 minutes still left.
Make that 36-3.
Taliaferro was intercepted by Jeff Woodcock two Houston possessions later and thump, thump, thump - the Stars blinked the scoreboard one more time. With feeling.
Sherman hit Kapitan, a rookie out of Mankato State, for the score from the 26. Thirty seconds remained in the third period.
The Texans lone touchdown came too late. Way too late.
They marched 49 yards in eight plays. Richardson going over from the one at 6:05 of the last quarter. Maynard surfaced on the drive, his grab for 17 yards.
But even the legendary former Jet, who took a good razzing from his former New York fans couldn't help Houston this night.
The Stars marched right back and rookie Gary Danielson, subbing for Sherman, plunged across from the one for New York's sixth and final touchdown.
Aarrgh...