Gagliano, Gold Steamroll Maulers with 518-Yard Offensive Showcase

On a brisk Saturday afternoon in Pittsburgh, the heavily favored Denver Gold shook off a slow start and overwhelmed the winless Maulers with a 38–14 victory at Three Rivers Stadium. After Pittsburgh took an early 7–0 lead on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Jim Karsatos to Kirk Pendleton, Denver’s offense came alive in the second quarter and never looked back. Bob Gagliano orchestrated three consecutive scoring drives, including a 42-yard strike to Leonard Harris and a 10-yard touchdown scramble, giving Denver a 17–7 lead at the half.

Denver’s dominance continued after halftime as they marched 89 and 91 yards on back-to-back third-quarter possessions, capped by short touchdown runs from Bill Johnson and Todd Gerhart. Gagliano added his third total touchdown early in the fourth quarter with a 6-yard toss to Johnson, who also rushed for 181 yards on the day. Gagliano finished with 299 yards through the air, while Harris torched the Maulers for 202 receiving yards on 12 catches. Denver’s offense racked up 518 total yards, converting six of eight third downs and holding the ball for over 32 minutes.

The Maulers managed a late touchdown pass from Karsatos to Greg Anderson but were otherwise outclassed. While Karsatos threw for 291 yards and two scores, Pittsburgh’s run game never got going, and the team was plagued by penalties and a costly red-zone fumble. Now 0–4, the Maulers continue to search for answers, while the Gold, now 3–1, look every bit like a team rounding into form as February turns to March in the 1986 USFL season.