In the sunset season for the concrete cathedral so often overflowed with as many as 80,000 passionate patrons, WIVB News 4 Buffalo is taking a daily look back over 400 games played in the Orchard Park stadium’s 52 years.
Oct. 5
1975 — Bills 38, Broncos 14 — A crowd of 79,864 at Rich Stadium watched O.J. Simpson run for 138 yards and a touchdown, fullback Jim Braxton pile on another 121 scrimmage yards (102 rushing) with three touchdowns, and Buffalo remain unbeaten while averaging more than 33 points and 300 yards rushing through the first three games. Joe Ferguson also threw a TD pass to J.D. Hill that put the Bills ahead 24-7 at halftime. Dwight Harrison had two interceptions, while Tony Greene picked off one pass and returned a fumble to the 1-yard line to set up a Braxton scoring plunge. The Bills scored 38 again the next week at Baltimore during a season in which they had 420 points, the most by an NFL team in the 1970s.
1997 — Bills 22, Lions 13 — Bruce Smith and Phil Hansen tackled Barry Sanders in the end zone for a go-ahead points with 2:12 left in the fourth quarter as Buffalo returned from its bye week to win its second game in a row. Special teams was key in the win as Eric Smedley down a punt at the 1 before the winning safety, and Ken Irvin blocked a punt to set up Steve Christie’s field goal before halftime. Antowain Smith put the game away with a 56-yard touchdown run following the safety. Smith and Thurman Thomas each had 94 yards from scrimmage. Andre Reed had 95 yards receiving with a 43-yard TD from Todd Collins. Sanders had 107 yards rushing, below his average during a ’97 when season he surpassed 2,000 yards. Attendance at Rich Stadium was 78,025.
2003 — Bills 22, Bengals 16 (OT) — Travis Henry had 99 scrimmage yards (85 rushing) and scored two touchdowns, including a 2-yard run to win the game in the fourth minute of overtime. Eric Moulds caught nine passes for 99 yards, including a 28-yard gain into the red zone in overtime, and a fourth down grab on Buffalo’s for the tying field goal late in regulation. Aaron Schobel had an interception and Takeo Spikes made 10 tackles against his former team. Former Bills cornerback Jeff Burris was taken off the field in an ambulance after hurting his neck. X-rays were negative. The Bills improved to 3-2 with the win in front of 72,615 at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
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Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.
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