1965 HOUSTON OILERS – Statis Pro Football – Match #8/14 Oakland Raiders at Houston Oilers

Playboy Playmate of the Month – Pat Russo Box Office – The Sound of Music (Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer) Trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMMgcAqOYbI Billboard #1 – Get Off of My Cloud – The Rolling Stones UK #1 – Get Off of My Cloud – The Rolling Stones Doctor Who – Sn3 – The Myth Makers ep4/4 (William Hartnell) The Doctor waits inside the Trojan Horse for a chance to reach his companions but Steven’s assumed identity as a Greek soldier and Vicki’s growing feelings for Troilus endanger their escape.

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8-2-1 Head to Head W/L/T record before game

“Nearly men” help out in nail biter

Houston’s hard fought victory today was thanks in no small way to the contribution of players who usually spend most of the game on the side-lines. Squad players Bobby Jackson and Dalton Hoffman scored all of Houston’s TD’s as the regular starters pounded away to near exhaustion. Houston began brightly, scoring in the first 3 minutes and then taking advantage of an Oakland fumble from the kick off to allow them to add a FG to their total. Oakland took a while to settle but immediately at the start of q2 Clem Daniels scored to level the game. Oakland then dominated until Bobby Janciks first interception near the end of the half allowed Blanda to add another FG. The 3rd quarter was all Houston and it was here that the fringe players made their presence felt. First Hoffman crashed through the Raiders defense for a 2 yard rushing TD, and then following some stout defending a Jackson short range pass reception looked to have put victory firmly in the Oilers grasp. The Raiders had some reorganising to attend to following an injury to Daniels but the game turned on its head when Oakland QB Flores found Fred Biletnikoff for a TD. It was then the turn of the Oilers Special Teams to blot their copybook spilling the ball from the kick off. Although they recovered possession, a three and out followed and suddenly Oakland were menacing Houston’s red zone. It was no surprise when they scored to level the game at 27-27. With everything to play for considering that a tie would not help either teams chances, Blanda went “all in” connecting a 32 yard pass to Charley Hennigan to put the Oilers deep in Oakland territory. With 90 seconds on the clock he notched his 3rd FG of the game to put the Oilers ahead. Oakland still had all their time-outs remaining and just a minute later had moved the ball into Mike Mercers FG range. It was at this point that QB Tom Flores threw a hopeful pass toward Art “King Pin” Powell that the eagle eyed Jancik anticipated to perfection to pick off for his 3rd interception of the day thereby handing Houston victory.

Buffalo also won today to maintain their 3 game lead. Houston have a game in hand, as they will play the Bills one more time they will still consider themselves in with a chance as long as they keep winning. Next week the Oilers entertain Denver.

07 Nov 1965 – At Rice Stadium, Houston, TX. Att. 38,051 – Weather – rain	q1	q2	q3	q4	Score
Oakland Raiders	3	10	0	14	27
Houston Oilers	10	3	14	3	30

Real Life Oakland 33 Houston 21

q1 12:10 – Hou – Bobby Jackson RB4 – 4 pass (George Blanda kick)

q1 10:25 – Hou – George Blanda QBA4/PK – 18 kick

q1 05:10 – Oak – Mike Mercer PK/P – 24 kick

q2 14:50 – Oak – Clem Daniels HB1 – 2 run (Mike Mercer kick)

q2 10:15 – Oak – Mike Mercer PK/P – 15 kick

q2 03:40 – Hou – George Blanda QBA4/PK – 17 kick

q3 10:20 – Hou – Dalton Hoffman RB4 – 2 run (George Blanda kick)

q3 03:20 – Hou – Bobby Jackson RB4 – 3 pass (George Blanda kick)

q4 06:20 – Oak – Fred Biletnikoff FL3 – 10 pass (Mike Mercer kick)

q4 03:50 – Oak – Allan Miller FB3⁽²⁾ – 4 run (Mike Mercer kick)

q4 01:25 – Hou – George Blanda QBA4/PK – 12 kick

Bobby Jancik – made a game saving interception today ^{image courtesy footballcardgallery.com}

Guard Sonny Bishop – Big contribution protecting Blanda and in support of the RB’s today

Player PASSING	Att.	Comp.	Yds.	Pct.	TD	Int.	Sck	Rating
George Blanda QBA4/K	42	23	305	54.8%	2	1	0	83.93

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RECEIVING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Charley Hennigan FL2	10	126	12.6	32	0
Bobby Jackson RB4	4	80	20.0	58	2
Bob McLeod TE3	5	49	9.8	15	0
Charley Frazier SE2	2	27	13.5	18	0
Sammy Weir WR4	2	23	11.5	15	0

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RUSHING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Ode Burrell RB2	23	83	3.6	13	0
Charley Tolar FB3	9	30	3.3	8	0
Dalton Hoffman RB4	4	12	3.0	7	1
George Blanda QBA4/PK	2	2	1.0	3	0
Charley Frazier SE2	1	-1	-1.0	-1	0

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

#16 George Blanda on his way to another 300+ yard passing display today.

Appleton injured and out for a month

Eastern Division	W	L	T	Pct.
BUFFALO BILLS	8	1	0	.889
HOUSTON OILERS	5	2	1	.714
NEW YORK JETS	2	5	1	.286
x–BOSTON PATRIOTS	1	7	1	.125

x = eliminated from Championship final contention

Western Division	W	L	T	Pct.
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS	6	1	2	.857
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS	4	3	2	.571
OAKLAND RAIDERS	3	5	1	.375
DENVER BRONCOS	2	7	0	.222

x = eliminated from Championship final contention

1965 HOUSTON OILERS – Statis Pro Football – Match #7/14 Houston Oilers at Buffalo Bills

Box Office – The Sound of Music (Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer) Trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMMgcAqOYbI Billboard #1 – Yesterday – The Beatles UK #1 – Tears – Ken Dodd Doctor Who – Sn3 – The Myth Makers ep3/4 (William Hartnell) With Steven and Vicki held captive by the Trojans, the Doctor’s only hope of seeing them again is to suggest the idea of the Trojan Horse.

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6-3-1 Head to Head W/L/T record before game

Beat up Bills edge Oilers

Buffalo took a huge step towards the Eastern Division championship with a hard fought victory over Houston in a game that could have gone either way today. Despite being hot favourites, Buffalo were missing 3 starters and their punter Paul Maguire although dressed to play was also carrying an injury. Even when shorn of 2 offensive linemen, Buffalo are still a team to be reckoned with and Houston’s defense had to be at their very best in order to contain them. The fact that they held the Bills to a solitary Field Goal in the first half, endorses the efforts of the entire defensive unit whether linemen or in the secondary. Some may say it was the best defensive performance of the season as they managed to hold the Bills four times to just outside Pete Gogolak’s maximum kicking range.

Thanks to the defensive heroics, Houston managed to keep in contention throughout. Late in q3 after they had registered a Field Goal to bring the score to within 3, on the very next play, Buffalo’s Wray Carlton broke free for the only time to score an opportune 69 yard rushing td. Many teams of a lesser resolve would have buckled after this shattering blow, but the Oilers gamely stuck to their guns and were rewarded early in q4 when Blanda managed to respond with a QB sneak. Houston’s running game was again found wanting but this season George Blanda has revelled in adversity and once more he answered the call with another strong passing performance for the record books. In the end it was just too much to ask as Buffalo held the Oilers on 4th down on their subsequent possession. The team can nevertheless leave New York State with their heads held high after a gritty performance that almost upset the form book.

Buffalo now have a 3 game advantage over Houston which will mean the Oilers will have to rely on other teams results in order to have a chance of clawing their way back into contention.

31 Oct 1965 – At War Memorial Stadium, Buffalo, NY. Att. 49,358 – Weather – rain	q1	q2	q3	q4	Score
Houston Oilers	0	3	3	7	13
Buffalo Bills	0	3	13	0	16

Real Life Houston 19 Buffalo 17

q2 07:35 – Hou – George Blanda QBA4/PK – 16 kick

q2 00:25 – Buf – Pete Gogolak PK – 8 kick

q3 11:15 – Buf – Pete Gogolak PK – 28 kick

q3 07:50 – Buf – Pete Gogolak PK – 15 kick

q3 02:45 – Hou – George Blanda QBA4/PK – 14 kick

q3 02:25 – Buf – Wray Carlton HB2 – 69 run (Pete Gogolak kick)

q4 11:40 – Hou – George Blanda QBA4/PK – 1 sneak (George Blanda kick)

Doug Cline – outstanding in defense ^{image courtesy footballcardgallery.com}

Walt Suggs, paved the way for Blanda’s QB sneak and the teams only td of the game

Player PASSING	Att.	Comp.	Yds.	Pct.	TD	Int.	Sck	Rating
George Blanda QBA4/K	44	24	283	54.6%	0	1	0	63.46

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RECEIVING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Charley Hennigan FL2	6	69	11.5	17	0
Ode Burrell RB1	5	65	13.0	42f	0
Charley Frazier SE2	3	59	19.7	42	0
Dick Compton SE4	3	41	13.7	15	0
Willie Frazier TE2	5	33	6.6	11	0
Bobby Jackson RB4	1	13	13.0	13	0
Charley Tolar FB3	1	3	3.0	3	0

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RUSHING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Ode Burrell RB2	15	43	2.9	12	0
George Blanda QBA4/K	4	12	3.0	10	1
Dalton Hoffman RB4	2	8	4.0	7	0
Charley Frazier SE4	1	4	4.0	4	0
Charley Tolar FB3	5	-2	-0.4	7	0

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

George Blanda get’s ready to shimmy over the goal line for a QB sneak.

Eastern Division	W	L	T	Pct.
BUFFALO BILLS	7	1	0	.875
HOUSTON OILERS	4	2	1	.667
NEW YORK JETS	1	5	1	.167
BOSTON PATRIOTS	1	6	1	.143

x = eliminated from Championship final contention

Western Division	W	L	T	Pct.
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS	5	1	2	.833
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS	4	2	2	.667
OAKLAND RAIDERS	3	4	1	.429
DENVER BRONCOS	2	6	0	.250

x = eliminated from Championship final contention

1965 HOUSTON OILERS – Statis Pro Football – Match #6/14 Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Oilers

Box Office – The Great Race (Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood) Trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9biklE2wA6M Billboard #1 – Yesterday – The Beatles UK #1 – Tears – Ken Dodd Doctor Who – Sn3 – The Myth Makers ep2/4 (William Hartnell) While Odysseus forces the Doctor to find a way to win the war, Steven decides to get himself taken prisoner in order to enter Troy and find Vicki and the TARDIS.

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0-4 Head to Head W/L record before game

Honours even as penalty saves Oilers

Houston and Kansas played out an entertaining draw at a sunny Rice Stadium today. The result while failing to help either teams Championship ambitions, was nevertheless a keenly contested and entertaining one. In the early stages it looked anything but competitive as Kansas threatened to overwhelm their hosts. The Chiefs opened the scoring after just 2 minutes following an Oilers 3 & out by running the ball into the end zone in 2 plays on their first possession. They continued to dominate throughout the first half, however fortunately for Houston, George Blanda was in fine form and his kicking kept the Oilers in touch at halftime. Kansas continued to hog possession in the 3rd quarter but could only add a solitary FG to their tally as the 4th quarter approached. Then, against the run of play Houston scored when Blanda launched a long pass to Charley Frazier from the half way line that he caught in the end zone. The TD galvanised the Oilers defense who quickly forced the Chiefs to punt on their possession. Blanda wasted no time with another long pass completion to Bob McLeod which put the Oilers ahead for the first time. With plenty of time on the clock both sides defenses tightened up but inevitably the Chiefs running duo of McClinton and Hill began to find holes in a tiring Oilers defensive line. When Hill crashed over the game line to tie the scores for a 2nd time the pendulum of momentum swung in Kansas’ favour. Relentless pressure followed with the Oilers going in the wrong direction as they looked to find a way out from their own 15 yard line. Pushed back on consecutive running plays, at the 2 minute warning they found themselves on 4th & 17 at their own 8 yard line. Norton’s punt didn’t reach the halfway line, but after kicking the ball, a Chiefs player bumped into Norton and spun him round. A “Running into Kicker” penalty was enforced on the Chiefs and Houston had a reprieve and a fresh set of downs. Although there was still time to try to win the game, the Oilers nerves looked shredded and they decided to settle for a draw rather than risk a last second interception pick six.

Houston play their biggest game of the season next week when they travel to league leaders Buffalo.

24 Oct 1965 – At Rice Stadium, Houston, TX. Att. 38,830 – Weather – fair	q1	q2	q3	q4	Score
Kansas City Chiefs	7	3	3	7	20
Houston Oilers	3	3	0	14	20

Real Life Kansas City 36 Houston 38

q1 13:00 – Kan – Curtis McClinton HB1 – 12 run (Tommy Brooker kick)

q1 08:35 – Hou – George Blanda QBA4/PK – 22 kick

q2 10:45 – Kan – Tommy Brooker PK/DE – 17 kick

q2 08:20 – Hou – George Blanda QBA4/PK – 25 kick

q3 03:35 – Kan – Tommy Brooker PK/DE – 36 kick

q4 13:20 – Hou – Charley Frazier SE2 – 50 pass (George Blanda kick)

q4 09:50 – Hou – Bob McLeod TE3 – 21 pass (George Blanda kick)

q4 03:30 – Kan – Mack Lee Hill FB2 – 7 run (Tommy Brooker kick)

Unsung hero McLeod’s TD temporarily gave Houston the lead in the 4th qtr ^{image courtesy footballcardgallery.com}

Defensive End Scott Appleton double teamed the Chiefs RB’s today

Player PASSING	Att.	Comp.	Yds.	Pct.	TD	Int.	Sck	Rating
George Blanda QBA4/K	32	18	290	56.3%	2	0	0	107.55

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RECEIVING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Charley Frazier SE2	4	94	23.5	50td	1
Bob McLeod TE3	2	61	30.5	40	1
Charley Hennigan FL2	3	51	17.0	35	0
Dick Compton SE4	3	42	14.0	19	0
Willie Frazier TE2	3	21	7.0	8	0
Bobby Jackson RB4	1	15	15.0	15	0
Charley Tolar FB3	2	6	3.0	3	0

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RUSHING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Ode Burrell RB2	13	57	4.4	22	0
Charley Tolar FB3	7	16	2.3	8	0
George Blanda QBA4/PK	2	-4	-2.0	1	0
Dalton Hoffman RB4	2	-6	-3.0	-2	0

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Back up Center Bobby Maples called into action again today

#16 George Blanda about to thrill the home crowd as he unleashes a long pass to Charley Frazier for a touch down

Eastern Division	W	L	T	Pct.
BUFFALO BILLS	6	1	0	.857
HOUSTON OILERS	4	1	1	.800
NEW YORK JETS	0	5	1	.000
BOSTON PATRIOTS	0	6	1	.000

x = eliminated from Championship final contention

Western Division	W	L	T	Pct.
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS	5	0	2	1.000
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS	3	2	2	.600
OAKLAND RAIDERS	3	3	1	.500
DENVER BRONCOS	2	5	0	.286

x = eliminated from Championship final contention

1965 HOUSTON OILERS – Statis Pro Football – Match #5/14 Houston Oilers at Denver Broncos

Box Office – The Great Race (Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood) Trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9biklE2wA6M Billboard #1 – Yesterday – The Beatles UK #1 – Tears – Ken Dodd Doctor Who – Sn3 – The Myth Makers ep1/4 (William Hartnell) The TARDIS lands in the middle of the Trojan War, where the Doctor is mistaken for the god Zeus.

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8-2 Head to Head W/L record before game

Oilers bounce back to beat Broncos

Houston used their bye week to full effect in planning the downfall of Denver and help put to bed the memory of their humiliating defeat at the hands of the Chargers last time out. The game was not a pretty one with both defenses dominant for most of the game. The Oilers running game was almost totally stifled out with a team average of under 2 yards per carry and which led to George Blanda going aerial. With little to show for his efforts in the first half, things changed dramatically in the dying seconds of the 1st half when he launched a speculative long range bomb that was caught by Dick Compton for a 73 yard TD. Denver were also having problems of their own, flanker and punter Bob Scarpitto was not fit to play which meant that QB John McCormick would have to take on punting duties. McCormick was injured late in q1 and while ex-Oiler Jacky Lee took over QB duties, McCormick had to be called to punt while he was clearly unfit to do so.

In the 2nd half, Denver’s punting issues became more acute with short kicks allowing the Oilers to start their offensive drives in good field position. Although Denver held firm, the Oilers managed to chip away enough ground to get within Field Goal range for George Blanda whose kicking form has returned to nail 3 of 4 FG attempts and keep the score ticking over. As the score line began to move away from Denver, Lee had little option but to attempt more risky plays which inevitably led to interceptions from the gleeful Oiler DB pairing of Jim Norton (2) and W.K Hicks (1).

Houston return home next week with their pride and confidence restored and a fully fit roster to select from. Perhaps the best time to take on Kansas City, a team they have yet to beat since that franchise moved from Dallas.

17 Oct 1965 – At Bears Stadium, Denver, CO. Att. 34,929 – Weather – fair	q1	q2	q3	q4	Score
Houston Oilers	0	7	3	6	16
Denver Broncos	3	0	0	7	10

Real Life Houston 17 Denver 28

q1 08:25 – Den – Gary Kroner PK/DB – 32 kick

q2 00:00 – Hou – Dick Compton SE4 – 73 pass (George Blanda kick)

q3 02:25 – Hou – George Blanda QBA4/PK – 29 kick

q4 14:05 – Hou – George Blanda QBA4/PK – 37 kick

q4 06:20 – Hou – George Blanda QBA4/PK – 31 kick

q4 00:00 – Den – Hewritt Dixon TE3 – 32 pass (Gary Kroner kick

Ex Oiler QB Jacky Lee during practice trialling a prototype helmet camera

McFadin in the heart of defense required treatment for concussion ^{image courtesy footballcardgallery.com}

QB George Blanda put in a Captains performance today – passing, running and kicking his team to victory

Player PASSING	Att.	Comp.	Yds.	Pct.	TD	Int.	Sck	Rating
George Blanda QBA4/K	40	18	278	45.0%	1	2	0	56.04

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RECEIVING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Charley Frazier SE2	7	112	16.0	42	0
Dick Compton SE4	3	98	32.7	73td	1
Charley Hennigan FL2	3	35	11.7	23	0
Willie Frazier TE2	4	30	7.5	9	0
Charley Tolar FB3	1	3	3.0	3	0

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RUSHING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Ode Burrell RB2	16	32	2.0	10	0
George Blanda QBA4/PK	4	7	1.8	5	0
Dalton Hoffman RB4	2	6	3.0	6	0
Charley Tolar FB3	4	1	0.3	4	0

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Ode Burrell attempts to hurdle the stingy Denver defensive line

Dick Compton fast becoming a fan favourite, scored a spectacular 73 yard worldie today

Eastern Division	W	L	T	Pct.
BUFFALO BILLS	5	1	0	.833
HOUSTON OILERS	4	1	0	.800
NEW YORK JETS	0	4	1	.000
BOSTON PATRIOTS	0	5	1	.000

x = eliminated from Championship final contention

Western Division	W	L	T	Pct.
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS	4	0	2	1.000
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS	3	2	1	.600
OAKLAND RAIDERS	2	3	1	.400
DENVER BRONCOS	2	4	0	.333

x = eliminated from Championship final contention

1965 HOUSTON OILERS – Statis Pro Football – Match #4/14 Houston Oilers at San Diego Chargers

Playboy Playmate of the Month – Allison Parks Box Office – The Sound of Music (Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer) Trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMMgcAqOYbI Billboard #1 – Eve of Destruction – Barry McGuire UK #1 – Tears – Ken Dodd Doctor Who – Sn3 – Galaxy Four ep4/4 (William Hartnell) The Doctor and Vicki enlist the aid of the Chumblies to rescue Steven from the Drahvins and then look to find a way off the planet before its destruction.

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3-8 Head to Head W/L record before game

Houston hammered

San Diego posted a record defeat against Houston shattering their unbeaten record in todays top of the table AFL clash. Both teams went into the game undefeated but the signs were there early on when Paul Lowe broke through the Oilers defense twice with 17 and 12 yard running TD’s. After that rude awakening, Houston tried to re-group but a Blanda interception early in q2 soon led to another Chargers score and when Paul Lowe scored his 3rd TD of the game to increase the lead to 28 points Houston’s task looked to be hopeless. The Oilers finally stirred into life when Ode Burrell who had been closely marked all game managed to break free of his tackler to score an opportune 34 yard break-away rushing TD. A Chargers three and out followed and then a shanked punt gave Houston’s Offense possession in Chargers territory in double quick time. When Hennigan caught a Blanda bullet with 1 minute 10 left before the interval, Houston sensed a comeback but that was quickly snuffed out 50 seconds later when San Diego’s John Hadl responded with a perfectly placed 68 yard TD pass to the lurking Lance Allworth. That score knocked the stuffing out of the Oilers who had no answer in the second half to a rampant Chargers offense intent on piling on the misery with a huge score. The points conceded as well as the margin of deficit in this defeat are unwanted records this Houston team will have to bear. This defeat coupled with Buffalo’s win means that the Bills are now in sole charge of the Eastern Division.

Houston are fortunately on a bye next week which couldn’t have come at a more opportune moment given the urgent need to re group after this thrashing. The side will also welcome back Walt Suggs and Rich Michael from the treatment room which will give them a fully fit roster to select from for their next game at Denver.

03 Oct 1965 – At Balboa Stadium, San Diego, CA. Att. 31,009 – Weather – fair	q1	q2	q3	q4	Score
Houston Oilers	0	14	0	0	14
San Diego Chargers	14	21	17	7	59

Real Life Houston 14 San Diego 31

q1 09:40 – San – Paul Lowe HB1 – 17 run (Herb Travenio kick)

q1 03:20 – San – Paul Lowe HB1 – 12 run (Herb Travenio kick)

q2 14:10 – San – Jim Allison RB4/P – 13 pass (Herb Travenio kick)

q2 05:50 – San – Paul Lowe HB1 – 6 run (Herb Travenio kick)

q2 03:10 – Hou – Ode Burrell RB2 – 34 run (George Blanda 16 kick)

q2 01:10 – Hou – Charley Hennigan FL0 – 11 pass (George Blanda kick)

q2 00:20 – San – Lance Allworth FL0 – 68 pass (Herb Travenio kick)

q3 14:10 – San – Jimmy Warren LCB – 21 interception (Herb Travenio kick)

q3 08:35 – San – Herb Travenio PK/LLB – 38 Kick

q3 05:15 – San – Keith Lincoln FB3 – 41 pass (Herb Travenio kick)

q4 06:50 – San – Lance Allworth FL0 – 16 pass (Herb Travenio kick)

Questions will be asked of Def. Capt. Husmann after today’s performance ^{image courtesy footballcardgallery.com}

Middle Linebacker Doug Cline struggled to contain the Chargers bruising rushing attack

Player PASSING	Att.	Comp.	Yds.	Pct.	TD	Int.	Sck	Rating
George Blanda QBA4/K	32	17	173	53.1%	1	3	0	40.23

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RECEIVING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Charley Hennigan FL2	4	37	9.3	15	1
Bobby Jackson RB4	2	28	14.0	14	0
Charley Frazier SE2	2	25	12.5	16	0
Bob McLeod TE3	1	21	21.0	21	0
Willie Frazier TE2	3	19	6.3	8	0
Sammy Weir WR4	1	15	15.0	15	0
Dick Compton SE4	1	14	14.0	14	0
Ode Burrell RB2	2	11	5.5	6	0
Charley Tolar FB3	1	3	3.0	3	0

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RUSHING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Ode Burrell RB2	17	50	2.9	34td	1
Charley Tolar FB3	5	8	1.6	7	0
Dalton Hoffman RB4	3	7	2.3	4	0

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

#16 George Blanda about to throw

#61 Bob Talamini opens up the defense for #25 Ode Burrell to break clear and score

Eastern Division	W	L	T	Pct.
BUFFALO BILLS	4	0	0	1.000
HOUSTON OILERS	3	1	0	.750
NEW YORK JETS	0	4	0	.000
BOSTON PATRIOTS	0	4	0	.000

x = eliminated from Championship final contention

Western Division	W	L	T	Pct.
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS	3	0	1	1.000
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS	2	1	1	.667
DENVER BRONCOS	2	2	0	.500
OAKLAND RAIDERS	1	3	0	.250

x = eliminated from Championship final contention

1965 HOUSTON OILERS – Statis Pro Football – Match #3/14 Houston Oilers at Oakland Raiders

Box Office – The Sound of Music (Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer) Trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMMgcAqOYbI Billboard #1 – Help! – The Beatles UK #1 – Make It Easy on Yourself – The Walker Brothers Doctor Who – Sn3 – Galaxy Four ep3/4 (William Hartnell) The Doctor and Vicki encounter the Rills and learn that the situation is more complex than they thought. Meanwhile Steven finds the Drahvins’ hospitality ever more perilous.

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7-2-1 Head to Head W/L/T record before game

Oilers Secondary hit their groove

For the third successive week, the Houston Secondary unit of Banfield, Norton, Hicks & Jancik stamped their authority on the opposition marking the intended receivers so tightly as to give little away. They also forced 3 interceptions (another 3 game streak) including a 27 yard pick six return from W.K. Hicks to stun the home crowd.

Although it took the defense to get the score rolling with Hicks’ aforementioned interception return, after that and despite an uncharacteristic number of incomplete passes from Blanda, the offense also hit their stride in the middle of the game with both running and receiving disciplines working well. Credit has to be given to the back up O-linemen John Frongillo, Rich Michael and Tom Goode who all stepped up when required to play out of position for most of the game. Such was Houston’s dominance in this game that they had the relative luxury of alternating their kickers and trying some long range FG attempts as well as trying out the entire defensive roster late in the game.

Houston remain in California for their next road game at San Diego next week. The Chargers have often had the measure of Houston in the past having beaten them in 8 of their previous 11 encounters. This game will thus be a real test of the Oilers championship aspirations as they welcome back two of their offensive starters, Running Back Ode Burrell and Split End Charley Frazier.

26 Sep 1965 – At Frank Youell Field, Oakland, CA. Att. 19,074 – Weather – fair	q1	q2	q3	q4	Score
Houston Oilers	0	14	7	9	30
Oakland Raiders	0	7	0	0	7

Real Life Houston 17 Oakland 21

q2 12:15 – Hou – W.K. Hicks RCB – 27 interception (George Blanda kick)

q2 11:05 – Hou – Willie Frazier TE2 – 8 pass (George Blanda kick)

q2 03:45 – Oak – Alan Miller FB3 – 5 run (Mike Mercer kick)

q3 10:50 – Hou – Dalton Hoffman FB4 – 2 run (George Blanda kick)

q4 12:55 – Hou – Jack Spikes FB4/K – 16 kick

q4 07:15 – Hou – George Blanda QBA4/K – 35 kick

q4 00:45 – Hou – George Blanda QBA4/K – 44 kick

Pressed into action today, Goode put in a strong performance ^{image courtesy footballcardgallery.com}

Charlie Rieves had a stint late in the game in the RLB position

Player PASSING	Att.	Comp.	Yds.	Pct.	TD	Int.	Sck	Rating
George Blanda QBA4/K	51	22	226	43.1%	1	0	0	63.03

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RECEIVING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Willie Frazier TE2	7	71	10.1	14	1
Charley Hennigan FL2	6	52	8.7	16	0
Dick Compton SE4(3)	3	39	13.0	14	0
Bobby Jackson RB4	1	25	25.0	25	0
Bob McLeod TE3	2	24	12.0	19	0
Sammy Weir WR4	3	15	5.0	6	0

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RUSHING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Charley Tolar FB3(2)	24	89	3.7	18	0
Jack Spikes FB4/K	3	13	4.3	9	0
George Blanda QBA4/K	2	9	4.5	10	0
Bobby Jackson FB4	2	7	3.5	10	0
Dalton Hoffman RB4	4	3	0.8	6	1

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

George Blanda seeking out a receiver

Bobby Jancik about to pick Raider QB Flores for his 2nd interception of the season

Eastern Division	W	L	T	Pct.
HOUSTON OILERS	3	0	0	1.000
BUFFALO BILLS	3	0	0	1.000
NEW YORK JETS	0	3	0	.000
BOSTON PATRIOTS	0	3	0	.000

x = eliminated from Championship final contention

Western Division	W	L	T	Pct.
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS	2	0	1	1.000
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS	1	1	1	.500
OAKLAND RAIDERS	1	2	0	.333
DENVER BRONCOS	1	2	0	.333

x = eliminated from Championship final contention

1965 HOUSTON OILERS – Statis Pro Football – Match #2/14 Boston Patriots at Houston Oilers

Box Office – The Sound of Music (Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer) Trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMMgcAqOYbI Billboard #1 – Help! – The Beatles UK #1 – (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction – The Rolling Stones Doctor Who – Sn3 – Galaxy Four ep2/4 (William Hartnell) With the knowledge that the planet will be destroyed in two days, the Drahvins instruct the Doctor to help them steal the Rills’ ship.

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6-3-1 Head to Head W/L/T record before game

Patriots meet their Charleston at the hands of the Oilers

George Blanda led his patched up offense to a crushing win over the Patriots today, the margin of victory was all that was needed for a wise crack comparing the score with one of the worst defeats suffered by patriotic home forces in the Revolutionary War.

With Ode Burrell on the treatment table, Coach Bones Taylor had been obliged to activate veteran Jack Spikes as well as utilising the inexperienced pair of Dalton Hoffman and Bobby Jackson when number one RB Charley Tolar needed a rest. Hoffman who had spent the entire 1964 on the side-lines took his chance firmly with both hands, racking up big gains when called on. With Charley Frazier also injured, Dick Compton was preferred in the Left Split End position and after a quiet start he exploded into life in the 2nd half with 2 consecutive TD receptions (one of 64 yards) perhaps reminding Detroit of the talent that they may have let go when he signed for the Oilers this year. Rookie Sammy Weir, also had cause to celebrate when he scored his first ever TD and Houston’s fifth in the rout.

The Oilers were simply unstoppable today. George Blanda was in imperious form throwing 4 TD passes and over 300 yards in one of his best performances in a Houston shirt. The defense also played their part stifling the once feared Patriots rushing game and forcing Babe Parilli into uncharacteristic mistakes including 3 interceptions. Jim Norton was the beneficiary of 2 of these, but it was his skills as a punter that really stood out with him averaging over 43 yards from 6 punts, 4 of which pinned the opposition inside their own 20.

Houston play their first road game next travelling to Oakland.

19 Sep 1965 – At Rice Stadium, Houston, TX. Att. 33,257 – Weather – fair	q1	q2	q3	q4	Score
Boston Patriots	0	3	3	0	6
Houston Oilers	10	7	14	10	41

Real Life Boston 10 Houston 31

q1 09:55 – Hou – George Blanda QBA4/K – 28 kick

q1 04:45 – Hou – Charley Tolar FB3⁽²⁾ – 2 run (George Blanda kick)

q2 05:25 – Hou – Charley Hennigan FL2 – 14 pass (George Blanda kick)

q2 01:15 – Bos – Gino Cappelletti FL2/PK – 25 kick

q3 11:30 – Hou – Dick Compton SE4⁽³⁾ – 64 pass (Jack Spikes kick)

q3 10:30 – Hou – Dick Compton SE4⁽³⁾ – 6 pass (George Blanda kick)

q3 02:10 – Bos – Gino Cappelletti FL2/PK – 34 kick

q4 11:30 – Hou – Sammy Weir WR4 – 14 pass (George Blanda kick)

q4 00:05 – Hou – George Blanda QBA4/K – 45 kick

Superb display from Norton today – 2 interceptions & 4/6 punts landing inside the 20 ^{image courtesy footballcardgallery.com}

Full Back Charley Tolar – rewarded for his hard work with his first TD of the campaign

Player PASSING	Att.	Comp.	Yds.	Pct.	TD	Int.	Sck	Rating
George Blanda QBA4/K	36	19	302	52.8%	4	0	1	118.06
Don Trull QBB4	1	0	0	0.0%	0	0	0	39.58

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RECEIVING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Dick Compton SE4(3)	5	110	22.0	64td	2
Bobby Jackson RB4	2	70	35.0	58	0
Charley Hennigan FL2	6	61	10.2	17	1
Willie Frazier TE2	3	35	11.7	14	0
Sammy Weir WR4	2	25	12.5	14td	1
Jack Spikes FB4/K	1	1	1.0	1	0

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RUSHING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Charley Tolar FB3(2)	21	77	3.7	18	1
Dalton Hoffman RB4	4	52	13.0	23	0
Don Trull QBB4	1	10	10.0	10	0
Bobby Jackson FB4	1	7	7.0	7	0
Jack Spikes FB4/K	3	7	2.3	3	0
George Blanda QBA4/K	1	5	5.0	5	0

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Unfamiliar faces take up the cause – After 1964 spent on the sidelines, Dalton Hoffman has every reason to be smiling. Today’s 4 carries netted him over 50 rushing yards.

New boys show promise – rookies Maples, Evans & Williams started today’s game on the O-line, joined by receiver Weir who scored his first career td & veteran Spikes who had rushing, receiving and kicking stats to his name.

Eastern Division	W	L	T	Pct.
HOUSTON OILERS	2	0	0	1.000
BUFFALO BILLS	2	0	0	1.000
NEW YORK JETS	0	2	0	.000
BOSTON PATRIOTS	0	2	0	.000

x = eliminated from Championship final contention

Western Division	W	L	T	Pct.
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS	2	0	0	1.000
OAKLAND RAIDERS	1	1	0	.500
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS	1	1	0	.500
DENVER BRONCOS	0	2	0	.000

x = eliminated from Championship final contention

1965 HOUSTON OILERS – Statis Pro Football – Match #1/14 New York Jets at Houston Oilers

Playboy Playmate of the Month – Patti Reynolds Box Office – The Sound of Music (Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer) Trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMMgcAqOYbI Billboard #1 – Help! – The Beatles UK #1 – (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction – The Rolling Stones Doctor Who – Sn3 – Galaxy Four ep1/4 (William Hartnell) After an encounter with a hostile robot called a Chumblie, the Doctor and his companions are rescued by a group of glamourous female Drahvins.

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3-1 Head to Head W/L record before game

Fine win overshadowed by injury toll

Houston under new Head Coach “Bones” Taylor commenced their season with a strong performance at a raucous Rice Stadium today. In front of a record 52,680 partisan home crowd, the Oilers hit their stride immediately, holding the Jets to a three & out and then setting up George Blanda for a 45 yard field goal on their first drive. This was Blanda’s longest kick in three years and his form today if anything to go by, bodes well for the rest of the season. There has been some gossip recently regarding whether the 38 year old veteran (now commencing his 16th season) should consider retiring after last season’s dreadful injury, but it didn’t look to be in his thoughts as he marshalled the team to an impressive victory. Blanda did make some mistakes today, throwing 4 interceptions that could have been costly but the Oilers defense were also up to the task keeping the Jets at bay for most of the game.

This victory though may prove to be a pyrrhic one, as 4 starting offensive players were injured and will all be absent for at least the next 2 matches. Critical to the Oilers plans after Sid Blanks’ pre-season injury is Ode Burrell’s rushing and receiving skills. After his injury in q1, the Oilers offensive coordinator had some major re-organising to contend with. This was followed by the loss of receiver Charlie Frazier before he had even touched the ball and then both Offensive Tackles (Walt Suggs & Rich Michael) which effectively killed off the running game for Houston. The Oilers did keep plugging away, and were rewarded in the last quarter when Dalton Hoffman managed to score thereby putting the game out of reach of the Jets.

A number of players achieved personal and Houston milestones today and all lead in their respective disciplines. Blanda – over 11,000 career passing yards. Hennigan over 4,000 career receiving yards, Tolar over 3,000 career rushing yards & Norton over 9,000 career punting yards.

Houston entertain Boston next week.

12 Sep 1965 – At Rice Stadium, Houston, TX. Att. 52,680 – Weather – fair	q1	q2	q3	q4	Score
New York Jets	0	0	7	15	22
Houston Oilers	10	13	0	7	30

Real Life New York 21 Houston 27

q1 10:25 – Hou – George Blanda QBA4/K – 45 kick

q1 06:15 – Hou – Charley Hennigan FL2 – 6 pass (George Blanda kick)

q2 11:35 – Hou – George Blanda QBA4/K – 27 kick

q2 10:35 – Hou – Willie Frazier TE2 – 15 pass (George Blanda kick)

q2 00:05 – Hou – George Blanda QBA4/K – 37 kick

q3 06:40 – New – Don Maynard FL0 – 4 pass (Jim Turner kick)

q4 09:35 – Hou – Dalton Hoffman FB4 – 7 run (George Blanda kick)

q4 06:05 – New – Matt Snell FB2 – 2 run (Bill Mathis 2pt try)

q4 00:50 – New – Don Maynard FL0 – 9 pass (Jim Turner kick)

Hennigan scored the Oilers first td of the season ^{image courtesy footballcardgallery.com}

Linebacker Danny Brabham recorded his 1st career interception today

Player PASSING	Att.	Comp.	Yds.	Pct.	TD	Int.	Sck	Rating
George Blanda QBA4/K	46	23	231	50.0%	2	4	0	42.93
Don Trull QBB4	1	1	6	100.0%	0	0	0	91.67

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RECEIVING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Charley Hennigan FL2	9	85	9.4	12	1
Willie Frazier TE2	7	69	9.9	17	1
Bob McLeod TE3	4	39	9.8	16	0
Dick Compton SE4(3)	1	26	26.0	26	0
Charley Tolar FB3(2)	2	11	5.5	7	0
Sammy Weir WR4	1	7	7.0	7	0

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RUSHING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Charley Tolar FB3(2)	18	32	1.8	10	0
Ode Burrell RB2	5	18	3.6	6	0
Dalton Hoffman RB4	4	15	3.8	10	1
Bobby Jackson FB4	1	6	6.0	6	0
Don Trull QBB4	1	-3	-3.0	-3	0
George Blanda QBA4/K	5	-8	-1.6	1	0

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Safety Jim Norton picks off Joe Namath as the Oilers defense turns the screw

Baylor Bears (l-r) Don Trull, Dalton Hoffman and Bobby Maples were all unexpectedly called on today making important cameo contributions

Eastern Division	W	L	T
BUFFALO BILLS	1	0	0
HOUSTON OILERS	1	0	0
NEW YORK JETS	0	1	0
BOSTON PATRIOTS	0	1	0

x = eliminated from Championship final contention

Western Division	W	L	T
OAKLAND RAIDERS	1	0	0
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS	1	0	0
DENVER BRONCOS	0	1	0
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS	0	1	0

x = eliminated from Championship final contention

1965 HOUSTON OILERS – Statis Pro Football – Pre-Season preparations start to unravel

Oilers newly appointed head coach Hugh Taylor must be wondering what heinous crime he may have committed in a past life as his plans for a successful 1965 campaign are in danger of derailing before the season begins following a series of catastrophic pre-season training injuries to key players. The Oilers 1964 Player of the Year Sid Blanks AND their #1 draft pick Flanker Larry Elkins (Baylor) were both injured during pre-season and will now miss the entire season. While Taylor’s offensive plans look to be in tatters, he can at least call on the services of Sammy Baugh who has been persuaded to stay on as Offensive Backfield coach alongside (1960-61 head coach) Lou Rymkus who takes up the offensive line coaching job. Taylor will need to utilise all their expertise if he is to have any chance of salvaging what may be one of the worst series of events to befall a new coach in AFL history. The problems are further exacerbated by the fact that veteran running back Dave Smith and Split-End Willard Dewveall both retired at the end of last season. Their retirement coupled with Blanks & Elkins injuries are an almost perfect storm for any incoming coach. The first attempt to ameliorate the player shortfalls have already been taken with the Oilers re-signing Bobby Jackson from Oakland. Jackson played no part in Houston’s 1964 campaign and was traded mid-way through the season. He can expect that his services will almost certainly be required this year. A lot will also rest on the veteran Charley’s, Tolar and Hennigan.

In wider AFL news, the active player limit increases again from 34 to 38 players, allowing for the largest rosters since the AFL commenced. It was also announced that Miami have been awarded the first AFL expansion franchise commencing in 1966 with Joe Robbie and Danny Thomas the owners. New York, Boston and Buffalo have made minor cosmetic changes to their helmets and uniforms while Denver have also slightly revised their uniform

Here is the full list of Houston playing personnel changes

The following players have left the club:

Offense Starters:

Willard Dewveall SE3 (61-64) – retired

Offense Squad:

Dave Smith FB4 (60-64) – retired

Dobie Craig FL4 (64) – retired

Bob Kelly OT (61-64) – released

Stan Fanning OT (64) – retired

Jerry Fowler OT (64 rookie) – released/retired

Staley Faulkner OT (64 rookie) – released/retired

Jack Klotz OT (64) – retired

Defense Starters:

Benny Nelson LSB (64 rookie) – released/retired

Defense Squad:

Sammy Odom DT (64 rookie) – released/retired

The following new signings/acquisitions/returnees have been made:

Offense:

Bobby Jackson RB4 – re-signed from Oakland AFL

Jack Spikes FB4/PK – Kansas AFL

Larry Elkins FL- – rookie (1st round draft pick)

Dick Compton SE4 – Detroit NFL

Sammy Weir WR4 – rookie undrafted

Rich Michael ORT – returning from injury

Wayne Frazier OC – free agent

Bobby Maples OC – rookie (4th round draft pick)

Norm Evans OT – rookie (14th round draft pick)

Maxie Williams OG – rookie (10th round draft pick)

Defense:

Bob Evans DE – rookie (18th round draft pick San Diego)

Jim Hayes LDT – rookie undrafted

George Kinney DE – rookie (9th round draft pick)

Art Strahan DT – rookie undrafted

Tony Banfield LCB – returning from injury

DATE	OPPONENT	DATE	OPPONENT
12/09/65	vs New York	07/11/65	vs Oakland
19/09/65	vs Boston	14/11/65	vs Denver
26/09/65	at Oakland	21/11/65	at New York
03/10/65	at San Diego	28/11/65	at Kansas City
Bye	— ———-	05/12/65	vs Buffalo
17/10/65	at Denver	12/12/65	vs San Diego
24/10/65	vs Kansas City	18/12/65	at Boston
31/10/65	at Buffalo	26/12/65	AFL Championship

1964 HOUSTON OILERS – Statis Pro Season – End of Season stats

1964 SEASON SUMMARY

Date	Team	Team	Score	Att.
12-Sep-64	Houston	at San Diego	Lost 7-16	22,632
19-Sep-64	Oakland	at Houston	Won 42-28	25,820
27-Sep-64	Houston	at Denver	Lost 17-27	22,651
04-Oct-64	Houston	at Kansas City	Lost 28-42	21,619
11-Oct-64	Buffalo	at Houston	Won 20-13	24,251
17-Oct-64	Houston	at New York	Lost 27-45	32,019
25-Oct-64	San Diego	at Houston	Won 13-12	20,587
01-Nov-64	Houston	at Buffalo	Lost 16-33	40,119
06-Nov-64	Houston	at Boston	Won 16-8	27,476
15-Nov-64	Houston	at Oakland	Won 41-10	16,784
22-Nov-64	Kansas City	at Houston	Lost 16-35	19,116
29-Nov-64	Boston	at Houston	Lost 17-20	18,438
13-Dec-64	New York	at Houston	Won 28-21	16,631
20-Dec-64	Denver	at Houston	Won 20-10	16,631

W 7 L 7 PCT .500 PF 308 PA 320 (-12) Attendance home 141,474 Average 20,211

Player PASSING	Att.	Comp.	Yds.	Pct.	TD	Int.	Sck	Rating
Don Trull QBB5	304	148	1538	48.7%	11	13	12	57.98
George Blanda QBA5/K	164	86	948	52.4%	6	6	0	66.82

Player RECEIVING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Charley Hennigan FL0	54	601	11.1	23	5
Willie Frazier TE3	34	518	15.2	43	4
Willard Dewveall SE3	42	464	11.1	31	2
Bob McLeod TE3	27	246	9.1	20	1
Sid Blanks RB0	28	244	8.7	23	0
Charley Tolar FB0	33	230	7.0	20	1
Ode Burrell RB4	6	96	16.0	27	2
Charley Frazier WR4(3)	7	60	8.6	13	2
Dobie Craig FL4	3	27	9.0	13	0

Player RUSHING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Sid Blanks RB0	335	1597	4.8	29TD	17
Charley Tolar FB0	118	386	3.3	15	7
Don Trull QBB5	14	66	4.7	18	1
Dave Smith FB4	12	45	3.8	14	0
George Blanda QBA5K	7	8	1.1	6f	0
Ode Burrell RB4	2	2	1.0	5	0
Bobby Jancik DB	1	0	0.0	0	0

SCORING	TD	TD R	TD P	TD Rt	PAT	FG	2PT	SAF	TP
Sid Blanks RB0	17	17	0	0	0	0	2	0	106
George Blanda QBA5K	0	0	0	0	32	6	0	0	50
Charley Tolar FB0	8	7	1	0	0	0	0	0	48
Charley Hennigan WR0	5	0	5	0	0	0	0	0	30
Willie Frazier TE3	4	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	24
Willard Dewveall SE3	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	12
Charley Frazier WR4(3)	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	12
Ode Burrell RB4	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	12
Bob McLeod TE3	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	6
Don Trull QBB5	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	6
Ed Husmann RDT	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2

1964 HOUSTON OILERS – Statis Pro Football – Game #14/14 Denver Broncos at Houston Oilers

Box Office – My Fair Lady (Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison) Trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr6535lfB98 Billboard #1 – Mr Lonely – Bobby Vinton UK #1 – I Feel Fine – The Beatles Doctor Who – Sn2 – The Dalek Invasion of Earth ep5/6 (William Hartnell) The Doctor’s party investigate the Daleks’ central control in Bedfordshire while Barbara and Jenny’s attempt to reach it are derailed when they are betrayed.

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7-2 Head to Head W/L/T record before game

Baugh’s bombshell broadcast overshadows end of season win

Houston won their final game of the 1964 campaign and their last match at Jeppesen stadium but all the talk was concerning Head Coach Sammy Baugh’s announcement 2 days before of his resignation effective after Sunday’s final game. Baugh (50) stated that his job interfered with his ranching operations in West Texas. At the press conference he said he was open to offers as an assistant coach with the Oilers, but that a head coaching role demanded full‐time attention and he could not spare that much time from the operation of his 6,335‐acre ranch. Baugh is Houston’s fourth head coach in 5 years and the search for a replacement will commence immediately.

Despite reeling from the shock announcement, the team put in a credible performance spurred on by the chance to avoid a losing season record as well as sign off at Jeppesen with a win. Don Trull’s tenure as starting QB ended on a high with a career best completion percentage and George Blanda also made a cameo return in q4 pointing towards a more settled season next year. Sid Blanks couldn’t match Billy Cannon’s rushing record but his 84 yards today make him only the 2nd player to attain over 1500 rushing yards in a season.

It is clearly evident that both Buffalo and Boston have stolen a march on the Oilers in the Eastern Division this year and the incoming coach will have a lot of work to do if the team are to narrow the gap on the top teams in the AFL in 1965.

20 Dec 1964 – At Jeppesen Stadium, Houston, TX. Att. 16,631 – Weather – rain & wind	q1	q2	q3	q4	Score
Denver Broncos	0	3	0	7	10
Houston Oilers	7	0	3	10	20

Real Life Denver 15 Houston 34

q1 04:10 – Hou – Charley Hennigan WR0 – 12 pass (George Blanda^inj kick)

q2 00:05 – Den – Dick Guesman PK/DT – 29 kick

q3 06:05 – Hou – George Blanda^inj QBA5/K – 38 kick

q4 14:55 – Hou – George Blanda^inj QBA5/K – 43 kick

q4 02:55 – Den – Al Denson FL3 – 13 pass (Dick Guesman kick)

q4 00:45 – Hou – Charley Tolar FB0 – 2 run (George Blanda^inj kick)

^{image courtesy footballcardgallery.com}

Player PASSING	Att.	Comp.	Yds.	Pct.	TD	Int.	Sck	Rating
Don Trull QBB5	27	17	150	63.0%	1	1	0	74.61
George Blanda QBA5/PKinj	5	1	10	20.0%	0	0	0	39.58

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RECEIVING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Charley Hennigan WR0	2	35	17.5	23	1
Bob McLeod TE3	3	32	10.7	15	0
Willard Dewveall SE3	4	29	7.3	8	0
Willie Frazier TE3	2	27	13.5	17	0
Sid Blanks RB0	3	21	7.0	10	0
Charley Tolar FB0	3	8	2.7	4	0
Ode Burrell RB4	1	8	8.0	8	0

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RUSHING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Sid Blanks RB0	27	84	3.1	28	0
Charley Tolar FB0	6	24	4.0	11	1
Dave Smith FB4	1	-1	-1.0	-1	0
Don Trull QBB5	1	-1	-1.0	-1	0

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Reach! Leading Oilers receiver Charley Hennigan stretches every sinew for a catch to score his first td in 7 games.

Cheerleaders lead out the Oilers at the last game at Jeppesen Stadium 

Eastern Division	W	L	T
BUFFALO BILLS	11	3	0
x-BOSTON PATRIOTS	9	3	1
x-HOUSTON OILERS	7	7	0
x-NEW YORK JETS	5	8	1

x = eliminated from Championship final contention

Western Division	W	L	T
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS	7	6	1
x-KANSAS CITY CHIEFS	7	7	0
x-OAKLAND RAIDERS	4	8	2
x-DENVER BRONCOS	3	10	1

x = eliminated from Championship final contention

1964 HOUSTON OILERS – Statis Pro Football – Game #13/14 New York Jets at Houston Oilers

Playboy Playmate of the Month – Jo Collins Box Office – My Fair Lady (Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison) Trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr6535lfB98 Billboard #1 – Mr Lonely – Bobby Vinton UK #1 – I Feel Fine – The Beatles Doctor Who – Sn2 – The Dalek Invasion of Earth ep4/6 (William Hartnell) While Susan and David try to find a way out of London, Ian and Larry infiltrate the Dalek mine workings.

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2-1 Head to Head W/L record before game

Blanks stops the rot

Sid Blanks’ 150 rushing yards today puts his tally for the season at 1513, within touching distance of Billy Cannon’s 1662 yard record set in 1961. His performance was the highlight of the teams offense that overcame a lack lustre Jets team in a game that had little meaning to the outcome of the championship. Victory for Houston does mean the two teams swap places with the Jets now in the wooden spoon position. Don Trull put his last two pitiful performances behind him with a good display today which should go some way to calming his nerves as understudy to Blanda and put him in good stead as the man waiting in the wings for 37 year old Blanda’s eventual retirement.

Houston’s last game is home against Denver. It will also be the last game at Jeppesen Stadium with the team hoping to sign off their tenure there with a win that would ensure the side do not finish on a losing record.

13 Dec 1964 – At Jeppesen Stadium, Houston, TX. Att. 16,631 – Weather – rain	q1	q2	q3	q4	Score
New York Jets	0	7	0	14	21
Houston Oilers	7	7	7	7	28

Real Life New York 17 Houston 33

q1 13:10 – Hou – Sid Blanks RB0 – 8 run (George Blanda^inj kick)

q2 06:20 – New – Matt Snell RB0 – 1 run (Jim Turner kick)

q2 00:30 – Hou – Bob McLeod TE3 – 6 pass (George Blanda^inj kick)

q3 05:25 – Hou – Sid Blanks RB0 – 12 run (George Blanda^inj kick)

q4 09:25 – Hou – Willie Frazier TE3 – 16 pass (George Blanda^inj kick)

q4 04:45 – New – Matt Snell RB0 – 2 run (Jim Turner kick)

q4 02:05 – New – Matt Snell RB0 – 4 pass (Jim Turner kick)

Don Floyd contributed to a strong performance from the defense today^{image courtesy footballcardgallery.com}

Player PASSING	Att.	Comp.	Yds.	Pct.	TD	Int.	Sck	Rating
Don Trull QBB5	34	19	179	55.9%	2	1	1	77.94

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RECEIVING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Sid Blanks RB0	3	37	12.3	24	0
Bob McLeod TE3	3	37	12.3	20	1
Charley Tolar FB0	5	29	5.8	11	0
Willard Dewveall SE3	3	26	8.7	10	0
Willie Frazier TE3	2	23	11.5	16	1
Dobie Craig FL4	2	20	10.0	13	0
Charley Hennigan WR0	1	7	7.0	7	0

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RUSHING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Sid Blanks RB0	31	150	4.8	14	2
Charley Tolar FB0	12	37	3.1	7	0
Don Trull QBB5	2	12	6.0	7	0
Dave Smith FB4	1	8	8.0	8	0

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Eastern Division	W	L	T
BUFFALO BILLS	10	3	0
BOSTON PATRIOTS	9	3	1
x-HOUSTON OILERS	6	7	0
x-NEW YORK JETS	5	7	1

x = eliminated from Championship final contention

Western Division	W	L	T
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS	7	5	1
x-KANSAS CITY CHIEFS	6	7	0
x-OAKLAND RAIDERS	3	8	2
x-DENVER BRONCOS	3	9	1

x = eliminated from Championship final contention

1964 HOUSTON OILERS – Statis Pro Football – Game #12/14 Boston Patriot at Houston Oilers

Box Office – My Fair Lady (Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison) Trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr6535lfB98 Billboard #1 – Leader of the Pack – The Shangri-Las UK #1 – Baby Love – The Supremes Doctor Who – Sn2 – The Dalek Invasion of Earth ep2/6 (William Hartnell) The Doctor and Ian are taken to the Dalek saucer while Susan and Barbara join the rebels in planning an attack.

Gridiron-uniforms.com

gridiron-uniforms.com

6-2-1 Head to Head W/L/T record before game

Boston take the spoils

Boston kept their championship hopes alive while consigning the Oilers to the basement of the Eastern Division at a wet Jeppesen stadium. Although the scoreline points towards a close game, for most of the match the Patriots were the better side as the Oilers offense continually misfired. Don Trull had another game to forget, posting worse than mediocre stats for the second game in succession and with the absence of Bob Talamini in the trenches, the Oilers were kept to just over 100 rushing yards. The tricky conditions played their part but the Patriots adapted the better of the two sides recovering all but one of their fumbles while Houston lost possession both times they spilled the ball. Houston were shorn up in offense yet again by the mercurial skills of Sid Blanks who scored a brace of TD’s and becomes the first Houston player to register 15 in a season. His 117 yards today place him third in total rushing yards in a season behind only Dave Smith (1960 – 1455yds) and Billy Cannon (1961 – 1662yds). With two games to go, he will have his eye firmly set on breaking Cannon’s record.

Houston now have nothing left to play for in their last two games but pride. The next match in two weeks time verses the Jets will be the wooden spoon game with the loser almost certainly confirmed as the bottom side in the Eastern Division.

29 Nov 1964 – At Jeppesen Stadium, Houston, TX. Att. 18,438 – Weather – rain	q1	q2	q3	q4	Score
Boston Patriots	7	13	0	0	20
Houston Oilers	0	10	7	0	17

Real Life Boston 34 Houston 17

q1 09:30 – Bos – Babe Parilli QBA4/P – 2 run (Gino Cappelletti kick)

q2 11:35 – Bos – Gino Cappelletti PK/FL0 – 26 kick

q2 09:45 – Hou – Sid Blanks RB0 – 8 run (George Blanda^inj kick)

q2 06:10 – Hou – George Blanda^inj QBA5/K – 9 kick

q2 03:50 – Bos – Tony Romeo TE3 – 26 pass (Gino Cappelletti kick

q2 00:05 – Bos – Gino Cappelletti PK/FL0 – 36 kick

q3 02:40 – Hou – Sid Blanks RB0 – 7 run (George Blanda^inj kick)

Bob McCleod returning to duty today could do nothing to stop the Oilers sliding to their seventh defeat of the season^{image courtesy footballcardgallery.com}

Player PASSING	Att.	Comp.	Yds.	Pct.	TD	Int.	Sck	Rating
Don Trull QBB5	37	13	166	35.1%	0	2	1	27.53

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RECEIVING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Willard Dewveall SE3	3	43	14.3	31	0
Willie Frazier TE3	2	37	18.5	20	0
Sid Blanks RB0	2	30	15.0	20	0
Bob McLeod TE3	2	22	11.0	14	0
Charley Tolar FB0	2	18	9.0	11	0
Charley Hennigan WR0	1	12	12.0	12	0
Charley Frazier WR4	1	4	4.0	4	0

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RUSHING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Sid Blanks RB0	20	117	5.9	18	2
Charley Tolar FB0	4	-7	-1.8	-1	0

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Sid Blanks eyes another record.

Don Floyd going all in to desperately break up another Patriots attack

Eastern Division	W	L	T
BUFFALO BILLS	9	2	0
BOSTON PATRIOTS	8	3	1
x-NEW YORK JETS	5	5	1
x-HOUSTON OILERS	5	7	0

x = eliminated from Championship final contention

Western Division	W	L	T
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS	6	4	1
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS	5	6	0
x-DENVER BRONCOS	3	8	1
x-OAKLAND RAIDERS	2	8	2

x = eliminated from Championship final contention

1964 HOUSTON OILERS – Statis Pro Football – Game #11/14 Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Oilers

Box Office – My Fair Lady (Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison) Trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr6535lfB98 Billboard #1 – Baby Love – The Supremes UK #1 – Baby Love – The Supremes Doctor Who – Sn2 – The Dalek Invasion of Earth ep1/6 (William Hartnell) Ian and Barbara believe the TARDIS has finally returned to their contemporary London, but soon discover signs of plague and warfare. Their old enemies, the Daleks, have invaded the Earth of the 22nd century. Separated and fighting for their lives, the travellers must try to aid the remaining humans and overthrow the Daleks’ cruel tyranny.

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0-3 Head to Head W/L record before game

Chiefs remain the Oilers bogey team

With Buffalo, the Division leaders on a bye week, Houston wasted a chance to close the gap when they lost heavily for the second time to a rampant Kansas City. The Oilers are yet to record a regular season victory against the Chiefs that (including their earlier incarnation as the Dallas Texans) spans all the way back to the beginning of the AFL in 1960. Despite a third quarter rally, the game was to all intents and purposes over at half time. 2 rushing TD’s either side of a pick six 46 yard TD return did for Houston’s chances who were second best in all departments today. Don Trull had a poor game completing just 13 passes and despite another 100 yard haul from Sid Blanks who must be nailed on as recipient for Rookie of the Year, the running game fared little better. This match is probably best summed up by the fact that one of the best displays was Jim Norton’s punting average of 44.8 yds.

Bob Talamini joins the ranks of the injured players out for the rest of the season although it is hoped that Tight End Bob McLeod will be fit to return next game. In wider news, Oilers owner Bud Adams confirmed that the team will be moving to Rice Stadium next season as a stop gap until they find a more suitable home. Top of Adams’ list is the brand new Harris County Domed Stadium due for completion next year.

Houston play the Patriots next week before their bye week.

22 Nov 1964 – At Jeppesen Stadium, Houston, TX. Att. 19,116 – Weather – fair	q1	q2	q3	q4	Score
Kansas City Chiefs	7	21	0	7	35
Houston Oilers	0	3	13	0	16

Real Life Kansas City 28 Houston 19

q1 09:20 – Kan – Mack Lee Hill FB1 – 2 run (Tommy Brooker kick)

q2 14:10 – Kan – Abner Haynes HB0 – 5 run (Tommy Brooker kick)

q2 12:00 – Kan – Bobby Smith DSB – 46 interception (Tommy Brooker kick)

q2 01:50 – Kan – Curtis McClinton FB2 – 6 run (Tommy Brooker kick)

q2 00:05 – Hou – George Blanda^inj QBA5/K – 40 kick

q3 09:30 – Hou – Sid Blanks RB0 – 3 run (George Blanda^inj kick)

q3 04:40 – Hou – Don Trull QBB5 – 1 sneak (kick missed)

q4 11:00 – Kan – Abner Haynes HB0 – 22 pass (Tommy Brooker kick)

Back down to earth for the Defense today who came off second best to the Chiefs ^{image courtesy footballcardgallery.com}

Player PASSING	Att.	Comp.	Yds.	Pct.	TD	Int.	Sck	Rating
Don Trull QBB5	38	13	129	34.2%	0	2	1	22.81

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RECEIVING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Charley Hennigan WR0	4	33	8.3	13	0
Willard Dewveall SE3	3	31	10.3	15	0
Charley Tolar FB0	2	20	10.0	12	0
Willie Frazier TE3	1	20	20.0	20	0
Ode Burrell RB4	1	15	15.0	15	0
Dobie Craig FL4	1	7	7.0	7	0
Sid Blanks RB0	1	3	3.0	3	0

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RUSHING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Sid Blanks RB0	23	102	4.4	29	1
Don Trull QBB5	2	19	9.5	18	1
Charley Tolar FB0	7	8	1.1	8	0
Bobby Jancik DB	1	0	0.0	0	0

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

After last weeks heroics, Trull made the cover of Sports Illustrated this week. But it was mixed fortunes for the Oilers rookie, achieving 1000 passing yards for the season but at the cost of a career low 34.2% completion rate.

It was confirmed today that this will be the Oilers final season at Jeppesen. The team will move temporarily to Rice Stadium next year until a more suitable permanent home can be found.

Eastern Division	W	L	T
BUFFALO BILLS	8	2	0
BOSTON PATRIOTS	7	3	1
HOUSTON OILERS	5	6	0
NEW YORK JETS	4	5	1

x = eliminated from Championship final contention

Western Division	W	L	T
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS	6	3	1
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS	5	5	0
x-DENVER BRONCOS	3	8	0
x-OAKLAND RAIDERS	2	8	1

x = eliminated from Championship final contention

1964 HOUSTON OILERS – Statis Pro Football – Game #10/14 Houston Oilers at Oakland Raiders

Box Office – Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke) Trailer –  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TLIi28kNYg Billboard #1 – Baby Love – The Supremes UK #1 – Oh, Pretty Woman – Roy Orbison Doctor Who – Sn2 – Planet of Giants ep3/3 (William Hartnell) The Doctor and his friends face a race against time to expose Forrester’s plans and return to normal size before Barbara succumbs to the effects of DN6.

gridiron-uniforms.com

Gridiron-uniforms.com

6-2-1 Head to Head W/L/T record before game

Houston find their groove

Houston recorded their first back to back win of the season with a polished display at Oakland that also helped to move them off the bottom of the Eastern Division. After a tight q1 Houston found the form that has eluded them for most of the season as Don Trull announced his arrival in a Houston shirt with career best completion stats, throwing for 3 td’s and his first ever 200+ yard haul. Oakland’s defense had no answer to Sid Blanks who was on fire today with a brace of breakaway TD’s from 29 and 18 yards respectively but it was after he was rested in the 4th quarter that Houston ran amok scoring 3 TD’s. Houston’s defense played their part, picking Raiders QB Cotton Davidson 4 times as well as holding their star RB Clem Daniels to just scraps for the entire game and completely shutting out their opponents in the second half. Not to be outdone, the Special Teams unit also contributed with Bobby Jancik the pick of the bunch with 4 punt returns with an average of 22 yards.

Tight End Bob McLeod took a knock today and will miss next weeks game, he will be replaced by Dobie Craig for the game. With this win, Houston have recorded their first “double” home & away victory against the same team. They have also scored over 40 points in each of the Oakland victories. The result confirms Oakland as the first team to be eliminated from play-off contention while still keeping Houston’s slim hopes alive. The Oilers have now completed their road campaign and will play their remaining 4 games with home field advantage at Jeppeson. Next up are Kansas City, a team they have not beaten since the franchise moved from Dallas and became the Chiefs.

15 Nov 1964 – At Frank Youell Field, Oakland, CA Att. 16,784 – Weather – fair	q1	q2	q3	q4	Score
Houston Oilers	7	7	6	21	41
Oakland Raiders	3	7	0	0	10

Real Life Houston 10 Oakland 20

q1 05:45 – Oak – Mike Mercer PK/P – 35 kick

q1 01:20 – Hou – Sid Blanks RB0 – 29 run (George Blanda^inj kick)

q2 13:50 – Hou – Willard Dewveall SE3 – 16 pass (George Blanda^inj kick)

q2 07:40 – Oak – Clem Daniels HB0 – 3 run (Mike Mercer kick)

q3 08:00 – Hou – Sid Blanks RB0 – 18 run (kick missed)

q4 11:10 – Hou – Charley Frazier WR4⁽³⁾ – 11 pass (George Blanda^inj kick)

q4 07:20 – Hou – Willie Frazier TE3 – 10 pass (George Blanda^inj kick)

q4 02:00 – Hou – Charley Tolar FB0 – 4 run (George Blanda^inj kick

Career high stats for stand-in QB Don Trull today ^{image courtesy footballcardgallery.com}

Player PASSING	Att.	Comp.	Yds.	Pct.	TD	Int.	Sck	Rating
Don Trull QBB5	37	23	215	62.2%	3	1	1	93.86

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RECEIVING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Willard Dewveall SE3	5	63	12.6	17	1
Willie Frazier TE3	5	59	11.8	16	1
Sid Blanks RB0	4	25	6.3	8	0
Charley Hennigan WR0	2	24	12.0	16	0
Charley Tolar FB0	4	22	5.5	7	0
Bob McLeod TE3	2	11	11.0	0	0
Charley Frazier WR4(3)	1	11	11.0	11td	1

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Player RUSHING	No.	Yds	Ave	Lg	TD
Sid Blanks RB0	21	106	5.1	29td	2
Charley Tolar FB0	14	56	4.0	10	1
Dave Smith FB4	1	11	11.0	11	0

numbers in bold denote Oilers career personal best

Eastern Division	W	L	T
BUFFALO BILLS	8	2	0
BOSTON PATRIOTS	6	3	1
HOUSTON OILERS	5	5	0
NEW YORK JETS	4	4	1

x = eliminated from Championship final contention

Western Division	W	L	T
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS	6	3	1
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS	4	5	0
DENVER BRONCOS	3	7	0
x-OAKLAND RAIDERS	1	8	1

x = eliminated from Championship final contention