1965 San Diego Chargers season
[10][11] Garrison went on to spend eleven seasons with the Chargers, accumulating over 7,500 receiving yards while being nominated to one AFL All-Star game and three Pro Bowls.
[22] The future of the Chargers franchise was uncertain entering the 1965 season, with owner Barron Hilton indicating that he would choose to move his team to another venue unless the city of San Diego approved a new stadium.
An interception thrown by Hadl was run back 42 yards for a touchdown, and rookie kicker Les Murdock made only one of three field goal attempts.
[52] Faison and Ernie Ladd added 7+1⁄2 and 6 respectively, despite both men expressing dissatisfaction with head coach/general manager Sid Gillman's contract negotiations in August, and stating their intentions to leave at the end of the season.
[56] Four players attempted at least one punt during the season; Hadl and Redman split the bulk of the duties between them, but both posted a worse average than any of the seven regular punters in the league.
Following a Trevenio miss and a Denver punt, Lowe took a pitch to the right before throwing downfield for Alworth, who was double covered but nonetheless made the catch for a 42-yard gain; Foster scored with a 17-yard run two plays later.
The Chargers responded quickly, with Foster's 36-yard kickoff return soon followed by Alworth's first scoring catch of the season; Hadl found him in stride in the end zone for a 38-yard touchdown.
Former Charger Dick Wood replaced Tom Flores as the Raiders' quarterback, but was intercepted by Duncan and Kenny Graham, with the latter running the ball back 29 yards to the Oakland 18-yard line.
With their lead cut to 24–14 midway through the final quarter, San Diego soon reached a 3rd and 11 at their own 43-yard line, whereupon Hadl and Alworth combined again, this time for a decisive 57-yard touchdown.
Travenio had a 22-yard field goal attempt blocked soon afterwards, but San Diego took the lead early in the 2nd quarter after a 5-play, 67-yard drive, with Lincoln's 31-yard pass to Norton the longest play.
Buffalo later reached a 2nd and 10 at the Charger 15-yard line, but Duncan intercepted Jack Kemp in the end zone, leaving the score at 14–3 going into the interval.
Travenio was short on a field goal attempt late in the half, but the Patriots went three-and-out, Whitehead blocked a punt and DeLong recovered at the Boston 2-yard line.
[74] Trailing 13–7 entering the second half, Boston soon halved the deficit with a Gino Cappelletti field goal after Duncan fumbled on a punt return.
The Patriots had a chance to score again later in the quarter after another special teams error, the long snap on a punt going over Redman's head and setting Boston up at the 6-yard line.
San Diego went three-and-out, Boston drove from the Charger 42-yard line to the 15 and Cappelletti tied the score with a 22-yard kick midway through the final quarter.
However, Ladd blocked a second field goal attempt, and the Chargers drove 64 yards in 8 plays to take the lead on Lowe's 8-yard run around right end.
A threatening Jets drive was halted when Zeman forced a fumble that Buncom recovered at his own 31-yard line, but Redman shanked a punt for only 11 yards soon afterwards, setting up another New York field goal.
The teams exchanged field goals in the final quarter, and Chargers backup quarterback Don Breaux completed the scoring with a 57-yard touchdown to Alworth.
[83] San Diego restored their lead early in the second half with a trick play, Lincoln passing to Alworth for a 34-yard touchdown, but Gilchrist tied the game later in the quarter.
Another Hadl interception set the Chiefs up in San Diego territory; they reached a 1st and 10 at the 14-yard line before being driven back by penalties and negative plays, eventually punting on 4th and 60.
On their next possession, they drove 79 yards to the Buffalo 1-yard line before Foster dropped a pass in the end zone; they settled for a 9-yard Travenio field goal, and a 10–7 half time lead.
Gogolak missed a further field goal in the final quarter, and Lincoln took a swing pass 66 yards to the Bills 10-yard line, setting up a successful Travenio kick.
Graham intercepted Namath on the Chargers 42-yard line on the following possession, and San Diego drove to another Lincoln touchdown, this time a tackle-breaking 25-yard catch and run on 3rd and 7.
After stopping the Jets on downs, the Chargers ended the scoring early in the final quarter with another long Hadl-to-Alworth connection, this time of 36 yards.
After forcing a punt, San Diego extended their lead with an 11-play, 85-yard drive: Lowe had a 23-yard run, Norton converted a 3rd and 10 with a 27-yard catch, and Alworth scored on a 5-yard touchdown reception.
The Chargers soon had another scoring chance, but Hadl was intercepted in Houston territory, and the Oilers fought back with a field goal and a Blanda touchdown pass, trainling only 14–12 at halftime.
San Diego were soon threatening to score again, reaching a 4th and goal from the 1-yard line, but MacKinnon came down with Hadl's pass narrowly out of bounds; the Raiders then drove 80 yards in 11 plays to double their lead.
Having achieved a win and tie against Buffalo during the regular season, having Alworth fit for the game (he had been injured the previous year), and having dominated the league in several major statistical categories, the Chargers were expected to improve on their 20–7 defeat in 1964.
[103] Warren intercepted Kemp at the Chargers 33-yard line early in the game, and Alworth's 20-yard catch moved the ball across midfield, but San Diego were forced to punt.
After another Bills punt, Norton's 35-yard catch helped the Chargers drive from their own 11-yard line to the Buffalo 28 early in the 2nd quarter, but Travenio's 35-yard field goal attempt was short after being partially blocked.
