2009 Florida Tuskers season The 2009 Florida Tuskers season was the first season for the Florida Tuskers . In the UFL ' s Premiere Season , the Tuskers put together a league - best , undefeated 6 – 0 record . In the championship game however , they lost to the Las Vegas Locomotives in overtime . The Tuskers played three home games in the six game regular season . Two games were played at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando , and one was played at Tropicana Field in St . Petersburg . Following the conclusion of the season , quarterback Brooks Bollinger was named season MVP , and head coach Jim Haslett was given the Coach of the Year award . Prior to season . Jim Haslett , former NFL head coach of the New Orleans Saints and St . Louis Rams , was named head coach of the then unnamed franchise , on March 11 , 2009 . The team name , uniforms , and colors were unveiled on August 12 , 2009 . On the same day it was announced that the Tampa Bay Rays had bought interest in the team . Draft . The draft took place on June 19 , 2009 . Those selected were among participants in earlier workouts held in Orlando as well as Las Vegas . Once a player was picked by a team , his rights were held by that team should he elect to play in the UFL . With their first selection , the Tuskers picked former Arkansas nose tackle Fred Bledsoe . Schedule . Regular season . < onlyinclude > < / onlyinclude > Game summaries . Week 1 : vs . New York Sentinels . The Tuskers opened the season with a convincing 35 – 13 win over the New York Sentinels . Quarterback Brooks Bollinger threw for 225 yards and four touchdowns . Week 2 : at Las Vegas Locomotives . On the road , Bollinger would surpass his total from a week before with 310 yards . Through the first three quarters , the Tuskers had kept the Las Vegas Locomotives from scoring , and led by 22 points . Kicker Matt Bryant connected on three field goals in the game , won by the Tuskers 29 – 15 . With the win , the Tuskers moved into first place by themselves . Week 3 : vs . California Redwoods . Back in Orlando for Week 3 , the Tuskers routed the California Redwoods 34 – 7 , and improved to 3 – 0 on the season . The Tusker defense held the Redwoods to only 196 yards and forced five turnovers , including four interceptions . Taye Biddle was the Tuskers ' leading receiver with 133 yards on five receptions , however no touchdowns . Week 4 : vs . Las Vegas Locomotives . The Tuskers traveled to their secondary home stadium for Week 4 , Tropicana Field , normally known as the home to the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball . The Tuskers hosted the Locomotives , who were coming off of their bye week and facing the Tuskers in their second consecutive game . In contrast to the teams ' previous game , the game was tied at 24 – 24 late in the 4th quarter . Matt Bryant nailed a 40 - yard field goal to give the Tuskers the lead with 4 : 38 to play . Las Vegas would get the ball back with just under two minutes left , but Florida ' s defense held strong and the Tuskers remained undefeated with their fourth win of the season . With the victory , the Tuskers clinched a spot in the 2009 UFL Championship Game . Week 6 : at New York Sentinels . Coming off of their bye week , the Tuskers were on the road against the Sentinels in Week 6 . The game was close in the 1st half , with the Tuskers holding a slight 10 – 6 lead at halftime . However the Tuskers defense kept New York out of the end zone the entire night . Also behind Brooks Bollinger ' s arm , throwing for 215 yards and two touchdowns , the Tuskers won 24 – 6 , keeping the undefeated season alive at 5 – 0 . Week 7 : at California Redwoods . In Week 7 , the Tuskers played their final game of the regular season in California . After both of the Tuskers ' first two scores in the first quarter , they boldly attempted an onside kick and successfully recovered both . In the 1st quarter , both teams traded a field goal and a touchdown , but the Tuskers were down at halftime 24 – 20 . After that , the Tuskers defense stood tall as they had in the previous week , only allowing a 3rd quarter field goal in the entire 2nd half . Still down 27 – 20 , Brooks Bollinger put together a 67 - yard drive capped off by a touchdown pass to Jayson Foster on the first play of the 4th quarter . Foster was drilled by a Redwoods defensive player immediately after making the catch , but Foster held on to the ball for the score to tie the game . Later in the 4th quarter , California moved the ball to the Tuskers ' 33 - yard line , but cornerback Darius Vinnett intercepted the ball for the Tuskers and returned it 58 yards to the Redwoods ' 8 - yard line . A few plays later , running back Michael Pittman dove over the goal line for the touchdown , putting the Tuskers ahead 34 – 27 . The Redwoods would punt the ball back to Florida on the ensuing drive , and with a chance to ice the game on 3rd down with only a yard needed for the 1st down , Pittman fumbled , and California came up with the ball . However the Redwoods were unable to capitalize on the turnover , as Josh Cooper recovered his own forced fumble on Redwoods quarterback Shane Boyd , sealing the win for the Tuskers . The game was considered as one of the most entertaining of the season . The Tuskers remained undefeated at the conclusion of the regular season , finishing with a 6 – 0 record going into the championship game against Las Vegas . Championship Game . Though it was announced as the location of the championship game before the two teams clinched a spot , the Tuskers traveled back to Las Vegas to play the Locomotives at Sam Boyd Stadium , attempting to beat them for the third time in the season . It was a defensive battle through the first three quarters , until both team ' s offenses came alive in the 4th quarter . Tied with 17 points each at the end of regulation , the game would have to go to overtime , the first overtime game in league history . The Tuskers won the coin toss and received the ball first in OT , but Brooks Bollinger threw an interception deep in Tuskers territory . The Locos ran one play to line the ball in between the goal posts , and kicker Graham Gano made the game winning field goal just inside the right upright to win the championship for Las Vegas , and end the Tuskers ' chance at a perfect season .