Sacramento won the second WLAF title on Saturday night as Eddie Brown caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from David Archer with 5:44 to play for a 21-17 victory over Orlando in the World Bowl.
The title game drew an announced crowd of 43,759 at Olympic Stadium - about 10,000 short of capacity and almost 18,000 below the turnout at London's Wembley Stadium for the inaugural World Bowl last year.The Surge trailed 17-6 entering the fourth quarter, but closed the gap to three points with 2:33 gone when Archer, a veteran NFL backup and the WLAF's top passer, connected with Paul Green for a 12-yard touchdown. Archer's pass to Mark Stock for a two-point conversion made it 17-14.
The Surge failed to tie the score moments later when Cary Blanchard was wide left on a 31-yard field goal attempt.
But, on the next series, linebacker Michael Jones intercepted a pass by quarterback Scott Mitchell and returned it 12 yards to the Orlando 34. A 31-yard screen pass to running back Mike Pringle brought the ball to the 3, and three plays later, Archer lofted the ball to Brown in the left corner of the end zone for the winning score.
Brown set WLAF records in the regular season with 1,011 yards on 48 receptions, including 12 for touchdowns.
Orlando jumped to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a penalty-aided 12-play, 98-yard drive that was capped by Mitchell's 10-yard TD pass to Chris Ford.