1960 American Football League Championship Game

The 1960 American Football League Championship Game was the first AFL title game. The game was played on New Year's Day 1961 at Jeppesen Stadium in Houston, Texas.

Background

The game matched the Eastern Division champion Houston Oilers (10–4), against the Western Division champion Los Angeles Chargers (10–4), in the first championship game of the new American Football League.

Game summary

The AFL had established a format in which championship games would be alternated each year between the Western Division winners and the Eastern Division. The first game was originally scheduled to be played in the cavernous Los Angeles Coliseum, but it was moved to the cozier Jeppesen Stadium in Houston, where it drew 32,183.

The Chargers led 6–0 in the first quarter on two field goals by Ben Agajanian, one of only two players (Hardy Brown) who played in the AAFC, the NFL and the AFL. In the second period, Houston scored on a 17-yard Blanda pass to All-AFL fullback Dave Smith, then answered a 27 yard Agajanian field goal with a 17-yard kick by Blanda. In the final quarter, Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon caught a short toss from Blanda and went for an 88-yard touchdown scamper. The Chargers, down by eight points, tried to reach the end zone on their final possession. Had they scored they could have gone for the two-point conversion, but the clock ran out with the Chargers at the Oilers' 22-yard line. The Oilers won the first American Football League championship, 24–16.

• First Quarter
  • LA-Agajanian 38-yard FG 3-0 LA
  • LA-Agajanian 22-yard FG 6-0 LA
• Second Quarter
  • Hou-Dave Smith 17-yard pass from George Blanda (Blanda kick) 7-6 HOU
  • LA-Agajanian 27-yard FG 9-7 LA
  • Hou-Blanda 17-yard FG 10-9 HOU
• Third Quarter
  • Hou-Bill Groman 7-yard pass from Blanda (Blanda kick) 17-9 HOU
  • LA-Paul Lowe 2-yard run (Agajanian kick) 17-16 HOU
• Fourth Quarter
  • Hou-Billy Cannon 88-yard pass from Blanda (Blanda kick) 24-16 HOU

References