United States Football League

USFL Week 8: Bandits grind out victory over Gamblers

Updated Jun. 5, 2022 7:28 p.m. ET

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Week 8 of the USFL season came to a close Sunday with the Tampa Bay Bandits defeating the Houston Gamblers 13-3 in a game full of defensive stands.

Here are the top plays from Sunday's game.

Tampa Bay Bandits 13, Houston Gamblers 3 

Man down

The Bandits had to settle for a field goal after this brutal sack by Chris Odom took down QB Jordan Ta'Amu for a loss of nine yards. Odom is now the first player to reach 10 sacks on the season.

Touchdown time

Tampa Bay wide receiver Derrick Dillon caught a seven-yard pass from Ta'Amu and ran it in for the first touchdown of the day, giving TB a 10-0 lead.

Right before the half

Tampa Bay's Tyler Rausa extended the Bandits' lead to 13-0 right before halftime, after knocking in a 33-yard field goal. 

An immediate answer

Houston's Nick Vogel capitalized on an 8-play, 41-yard drive with a 44-yard field goal to get Houston on the board immediately after halftime. 

Tampa's lead was cut to 10, still leading 13-3. 

Tide turning? 

After Houston's touchdown, Vogel tried an onside kick and recovered it all in the same sequence, giving Houston the ball with great field position. 

Houston couldn't capitalize on the big play, though, and was forced to an immediate three-and-out. 

Leaving the door open? 

Tampa Bay took 6:12 off the clock and mounted a 12-play, 50-yard drive, all for a missed field goal. 

At the end of the third quarter, Tampa Bay held a 13-3 lead. 

Big turnover

Tampa Bay once again put together a lengthy drive, this time taking up 4:01 of the clock, but the march ended with a fumble.

But again, Houston couldn't capitalize on another opportunity, going three-and-out.

More turnovers

Houston's Bydarrius Knighten came up with a big-time interception with 4:09 left in the game. 

And once again, Houston couldn't generate any points off the turnover, later turning the ball over on downs. 

Final

Tampa Bay defeated Houston 13-3 in a defensive battle in which neither team seemed to be able to generate much offense. Houston fell to 1-7 on the season, while Tampa Bay improved to 4-4. 

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United States Football League

Tampa Bay Bandits

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USFL - Houston Gamblers vs. Tampa Bay Bandits - 06/05/2022