Saints vs Jaguars Game Day Newsletter 5Oct13Saints_Digital | Page 41

NS, TWENTY-FIVE GAMES
Senior writer John Oehser’s “oral history”
of 25 memorable games in Jaguars history
continues with this look at the Jaguars’ fi rst
ever regular season home game, launching
a new era in Jacksonville history.
Oilers 10, Jaguars 3
Date: September 3, 1995
Records entering game: Jaguars 0-0, Oilers 0-0
Site: Jacksonville Municipal Stadium
What happened
In the fi rst regular-season game in franchise
history, the expansion Jaguars scrapped
and clawed throughout a defensive-oriented
game before losing an AFC Central matchup
to the Houston Oilers, 10-3. In front of a
sold-out crowd of 72,363 at what was then
known as Jacksonville Municipal Stadium,
the Jaguars fell behind Houston 10-0 early.
Mark Brunell, who entered the season as
the Jaguars’ backup quarterback after being
acquired in an offseason trade with Green
Bay, replaced starter Steve Beuerlein and led
a fourth-quarter fi eld goal drive that cut the
Oilers’ lead to 10-3, but Oilers defensive back
Daryll Lewis intercepted Brunell with just
under a minute remaining to end the Jaguars’
comeback hopes. A four-yard fi rst-quarter
touchdown pass from quarterback Chris
Chandler to wide receiver Haywood Jeffries
gave the Oilers an early lead. The Jaguars
fi nished with 146 total yards.
“We’ve been working since March and here we are: Boyz II Men, the new stadium,
jets fl ying over, the crowd going crazy.’ I also went into the game thinking, ‘This will
be a fun one to watch.’’’
– QB Mark Brunell