In a thrilling Week 5 matchup at Mile High Stadium, the Denver Gold and New Jersey Generals battled to a 24-24 tie, with both teams showing resilience in a game filled with dramatic swings. The Generals struck first with a 43-yard field goal by Roger Ruzek, but Denver quickly responded when Bill Johnson powered through the Generals’ defense for a 7-yard touchdown run. The Gold extended their lead in the second quarter with Bob Gagliano’s 16-yard touchdown pass to Leonard Harris, but New Jersey’s Herschel Walker narrowed the gap before halftime with a 1-yard touchdown plunge, making it 14-10 at the break.
The second half continued the back-and-forth nature of the contest. Denver seemed poised to pull away after a 10-yard touchdown pass from Gagliano to Lonnie Turner gave them a 21-10 lead late in the third quarter. However, Herschel Walker once again came to the rescue for New Jersey, scoring a 4-yard touchdown and then converting a crucial 2-point attempt to bring the Generals within three points. As the fourth quarter wound down, Ruzek nailed two long field goals, including a 47-yarder with just 1:20 remaining, to put the Generals ahead 24-21.
Denver refused to go quietly, though, as Jim Asmus kicked a clutch 40-yard field goal with just 22 seconds left to tie the game. Despite both teams’ efforts to claim victory in overtime, missed opportunities and turnovers left the score unchanged, resulting in a hard-fought tie. Herschel Walker’s 200-yard rushing performance earned him MVP honors, but Denver’s defense and timely plays ensured they secured a valuable point, keeping both teams in the playoff hunt at 2-2-1.
