LAS VEGAS (November 27, 2009) – The Las Vegas Locomotives won the first championship of the United Football League Friday with a 20-17 overtime defeat of the Florida Tuskers before 14,801 at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas.

Locos running back DeDe Dorsey, who scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to force overtime, was named the game’s Title Sports Drink Most Valuable Player. Las Vegas kicker Graham Gano drilled a 33-yard field goal in overtime for the win, igniting a spirited celebration on the Locos’ sideline and among their home fans in the stands.

Gano’s field goal came after Las Vegas cornerback Isaiah Trufant intercepted Tuskers quarterback Brooks Bollinger on a 3rd-and-7 play on the first possession of overtime. Trufant fumbled the ball after making the interception, but safety Tony Parrish pounced on the loose ball to give the Locos possession at Florida 14-yard line. Quarterback J.P. Losman took one snap to position the ball in the center of the field, setting the table for Gano’s game-winner.

The UFL’s overtime system allows each team at least one possession before entering a sudden-death format. After a 12-game regular season without an overtime, this was the was the first time that this rule modification was applied.

The game was a defensive struggle for three quarters. Florida carried a 7-3 lead into the fourth quarter, as each team squandered scoring opportunities in the first half. The most damaging was a fumble by Las Vegas on a 2nd-and-goal play early in the second quarter, which was forced by Tuskers linebacker Odell Thurman and recovered by linebacker Patrick Chukwurah.

The Tuskers led 7-0 at the time, courtesy of an 8-yard touchdown pass from Bollinger to Marcus Maxwell with 5:13 remaining in the first quarter. Florida had several opportunities to extend its lead in the second quarter, but penalties and replay reversals kept them from capitalizing. In one instance, a potential 41-yard field goal attempt was turned into a 51-yard attempt after a holding penalty, and it was missed by Tuskers kicker Matt Bryant. An interception by Darius Vinnett was wiped out by an offsides penalty, and a fumble recovery was overturned by a replay review.

Las Vegas took advantage of a Bollinger interception with 19 seconds remaining in the first half to score its first points of the game. Locos cornerback Trey Young picked off the pass at his own 38-yard line and returned it 13 yards to the Florida 49. Locos quarterback J.P. Losman then found wideout Samie Parker for a 21-yard gain and after two incomplete passes Gano converted from 46 yards for a halftime score of 7-3.

Each team punted on all three of its third-quarter possessions, but the game changed dramatically early in the fourth quarter, setting the stage for a wild finish.

Dorsey took a handoff on the fourth play of the period and dashed around right end for a 38-yard touchdown, giving his team its first lead of the day at 7-3.

Awakened by Dorsey’s scoring burst, the Tuskers offense then regained its typical efficiency, moving down the field 80 yards in five plays for Bollinger’s second touchdown of the day, this one 10 yards to Frank Murphy.

Las Vegas punted on its next possession, and Florida was on the move again with a gain of 14 yards on first down to reach its 49-yard line. Tatum Bell then fumbled, though Bollinger recovered. On the next play disaster struck for the Tuskers in the form of a sack and fumble by Locos’ defensive end Adrian Awasom. Locos nose tackle Ross Kolodziej recovered and advanced it 36 yards to the Florida 2-yard line. Dorsey then scored on his second attempt from the 1-yard line to give Las Vegas a 17-14 lead with 5:58 remaining.

Bollinger was not finished, as he caught fire and moved his club 69 yards in 10 plays, completing four passes to account for 61 of the yards. After a 1st-and-10 at the Las Vegas 11-yard line, though, Florida was unable to get in the end zone and settled for a 27-yard Bryant field goal to tie the game with 2:10 remaining.

The Tuskers forced Las Vegas into a three-and-out and took possession at their own 22-yard line with 1:12 remaining. They had a first down at the Las Vegas 49 with 58 seconds remaining after a 22-yard pass play to Michael Pittman. Three incompletions later, the Tuskers punted the ball back to Las Vegas with 26 seconds remaining in regulation, en route to the first overtime in UFL history.

MVP Dorsey finished the game with 98 total yards from scrimmage, including 66 on the ground and the two fourth-quarter touchdowns. He also caught four passes for 32 yards. Losman completed 21 of 35 passes for 193 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions, and was sacked four times. Tight end Adam Bergen led all Las Vegas receivers with seven catches for 52 yards, while Parker added five catches for a team-high 66 yards.

Bollinger completed 22 of 45 for 306 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions, and was sacked twice. Pittman had a team-high five receptions for 77 yards, while Maxwell caught five passes for a game-high 80 yards and the first-quarter touchdown. Tatum Bell rushed 14 times for 44 yards to pace the Tuskers, who managed just 2.4 yards per carry on 25 attempts (61 yards).

For the game, Florida outgained Las Vegas 358 to 260, and averaged 5.0 yards per play, to the Locos’ 3.9. In a wildly exciting game for fans and TV viewers, it was the Locos, however, who made the big plays when it counted most, as they persevered to win the first title in League history on their home field, albeit as the visiting team. The Tuskers were the home team by virtue of their 6-0 regular season record. The Locos finished 5-2, and more importantly, wear the crown of 2009 United Football League Champions.

Below are quotes from tonight’s post-game press conferences:

Las Vegas Locos Head Coach Jim Fassel

On the Championship Game:

“Games like this, the teams want it badly. Both teams went at each other hard today. We won the game and I am so proud of my guys. They fought like I haven’t seen a team fight. They were out there and the trainer kept coming to me and giving me injury updates. And I thought, oh boy. But we got into overtime and there was something about it (going into overtime) that was just so important to these guys. I don’t mean that we won this game because we thought it was important, because Florida thought it was important too. But, we fought all the way and we waited for our opportunity and we got it…I am really proud of them (Las Vegas Locos) today and this is an unbelievable feeling. People that watched that game and fans here today, if they don’t think that is good football then I don’t know what they were looking at. That was good football”.

On the League:

“I want to thank Bill Hambrecht for having the guts to start a league like this. I think it’s going to be here for a long, long time. It is going to do nothing but get better too. I loved this. I loved coaching in this League and I just had a ball coaching these guys. You saw the character and the toughness they have.”…

On the Loco’s game plan:

“I told the guys that no matter how hard we fight and what our game plan looks like, it is going to be a fight to the finish. So, we just have to be relaxed enough to capitalize on the errors they make and not make our own errors.”

On Isaiah Trufant:

“Trufant got that ball and he hadn’t practiced at all this week. He had two pulled groins and he couldn’t go. So before the game, he said he would give it a try. He said he would give us everything he’s got for as long as he could. I told him he couldn’t be out there if he couldn’t perform at the highest level and he told me he could. And he did.”

On the overtime rules:

“It is the right thing to do. I think there are a lot of bright minds in the NFL, but this is the right thing to do. We decided in the competition committee to play it (Each team gets a possession and then play sudden-death), it’s the right way to do it.”

Las Vegas Locos RB and Title Sports Drink UFL Championship MVP DeDe Dorsey

On making adjustments throughout the game:

“We were making mistakes and making it hard on ourselves. We were putting ourselves in bad situations, second and long and third and long situations where we couldn’t really stick to the run. Once we quit making those mistakes, we got the running game going.”

On winning the UFL Championship:

“It was definitely fun and great to be the first to do it (win). We got a lot of new experiences. It means a lot, especially being the first-ever championship and the first to win it. We will always have it. But as far as being MVP, as long as we are winning I am happy. That is all that matters to me. Again, I am going to cherish this for a while.”

On the UFL:

“I think it’s (the UFL) a great league and it will be around for a while. I am going to be a big fan of it for the rest of my life now… It has been a journey, a fun one. I love this game, and when I had this opportunity to continue to play, I jumped on it.

On future with the NFL:

“Only time will tell. Of course I am healthy enough to play now. We did a good job staying healthy throughout the season.”

Las Vegas Locos CB Isaiah Trufant

On being injured leading up to the game:

“All this week, I had to take some time off and stay in the training room. Actually it was both of my groins that have been really sore. But I was in the training room all week, just working and working (to get better).”

On his interception:

“It was somewhat of a gutsy play. I saw the ball being thrown in the air and another receiver coming towards me. I just felt that I could jump that ball.”

On being a part of the Championship Game:

“This is the biggest Championship I have ever experienced. It is a blessing that Coach Fassel and the League gave me this chance and I am thankful… You wish to play games like this; the close games that are really competitive and at the same time really fun. It’s so much fun to be out there and makes plays to get you the opportunity to win.”

Florida Tuskers Head Coach Jim Haslett

Opening statement:

“To sum it up real fast, I thought they (Tuskers) did a great job on defense chaining our offense. Obviously, the turnovers were the big point in the game. I told the players after the game that if you don’t take anything else away from this League, take away that you can’t have a couple of penalties in overtime and then throw an interception. Those turnovers are obviously what got us today. That being said, injury wise we had so many I can’t even name them … Jackson, McGarigle, Thurman… there were five to six guys get hurt; I can’t even remember them all. I thought we played well; I thought we played well on defense; we just turned the ball over too many times.”

About overtime

“Because if you don’t score and they don’t score, the next possession wins. So we don’t want to defer and give them the ball and have neither of us score; all of a sudden now you’re in sudden death and they have possession. So I don’t think you want to defer in that situation.”

About the UFL

“I thought the play on the field was excellent. Obviously, today’s game was a good game to watch. A lot of things flipped back and forth so it was a good game to watch. I thought from the standpoint of the play on the field, the short amount of time you had to put it together and the things we got done, it was pretty good football.”

Players going to NFL?

“A lot of guys have been contacted; myself, a bunch of coaches have been contacted so we’ll see. I think New York had two guys signed already if I’m not mistaken. So I am sure there will be a few others from these two teams. DeDe Dorsey is a heck of a player on the Locos and we have a bunch of guys who I think will be contacted.

Overtime rule

“I think everyone deserves the opportunity to get the ball. But you have to do something with it. We took the ball and obviously we backed ourselves up with two penalties and an interception, it wouldn’t have made a difference what the rule was.”

About The UFL

The UFL was developed to fulfill the unmet needs of football fans in major markets currently underserved by professional football by providing a high quality traditional football league comprised of world class professional football players. The UFL will serve the communities with pride, dedication and passion, and uphold a leadership role in the development of football worldwide. The UFL will provide every fan with an affordable, accessible, exciting and entertaining game experience. Scheduled to debut in October 2009, the UFL’s headquarters is in New York, N.Y. and has satellite offices in Jacksonville, Fla. and Rutherford, N.J. The UFL is led by Commissioner Michael Huyghue, COO Frank Vuono and is being funded by a consortium of private investors. For more information on the UFL and how to purchase tickets for the UFL’s “Premiere” season, please visit www.ufl-football.com. For group ticket sales, please call 877.UFL.2009.