The 1989 Oakland Raiders roster is full of surprises. The team lost to Kansas City Chiefs four times in its first three seasons. They were also without their legendary quarterback from 1987 until 1990. Joe Pendry was the Chiefs’ Offensive Coordinator. The Raiders lost to the Buffalo Bills three times during that time: Nov. 20, 1988 and Dec. 11, 1988. Each year, the team won one game.
The season ended with an 8-8-1 record, which saw the Raiders finish third in the NFL’s West Division. The Raiders lost 8 games and gave up 297 points. The team was led by Steve Beuerlein, who passed for 1,677 yards. Mervyn Fernandez hauled in 57 passes for a total of 1,069 yards. Bo Jackson carried it for 950 yards. Eddie Anderson intercepted five passes for opposing quarterbacks. Greg Townsend was the defense’s leader with ten quarterback tackles.
The 1989 Oakland Raiders went undefeated under Wilbert Kennedy and won the Summer/Fall National Championship. The team defeated the Detroit Seminoles by 39-8 in a game played at Historic Horlick Athletic Field, Racine, Wisconsin. Justin Schoepke, a rookie kicker, was named MVP. Rookie Tyrone Galvin punted 48 yards for a touchdown. Chris Hicks, a first-year Raider, returned an onside kick of 45 yards for another score. Oakland managed to score only one touchdown and limit the Seminoles’ total offense to 267 yards.
The 1989 Oakland Raiders won their eighth National Championship. They went undefeated in league play and lost just one game all year. They played against the Brooklyn Mariners in the Semi-Pro BCS AAA National Championship. The Raiders scored their first touchdown with a Charlie Bliss-to Gary Kuykendall pass. The Raiders responded by returning a punt for a touchdown and winning the game.