LAS VEGAS — J.P. Losman threw two touchdowns passes and Dede Dorsey scored twice to help the Las Vegas Locomotives win the first game in United Football League history, 30-17 over the California Redwoods on Thursday night.
A crowd of 14,209 fans attended the game at 40,000-seat Sam Boyd Stadium.
Losman, who spent the last five seasons with the Buffalo Bills, completed 21-of-31 passes for 226 yards. He threw a 1-yard TD pass to Dorsey with 13 seconds left in the second quarter, and had an 11-yard scoring pass to tight end Adam Bergen that gave Las Vegas a 17-14 lead with 11:07 left in the third quarter.
The Locomotives made it 30-17 on Dorsey’s 9-yard TD run with 2:18 remaining in the game. Dorsey had nine carries for 63 yards and caught four passes for 19 yards.
The UFL, which will begin with a six-game season, is presenting itself as a complement to the NFL, a place where fans can enjoy professional football for as little as $15 and NFL hopefuls can prove their worth.
Former NFL players in the UFL include Tim Rattay, Tony Parrish, Tatum Bell and Simeon Rice. Dennis Green (Redwoods), Jim Fassel (Las Vegas) and Jim Haslett (Florida Tuskers) are all former NFL head coaches, and New York Sentinels coach Ted Cottrell is a longtime NFL defensive coordinator. Most players will be making between $35,000 and $65,000.
