Rain fell the day before the game. Gillman hired helicopters to dry out the field and maximize his club's speed advantage.

A crowd of 30,361 at Balboa Stadium enjoyed a temperature of 59° and slight wind.

• Quarter 1
  Herb Travenio kicked off to Charlie Warner, who returned from the goal line to the 17. Bills G Billy Shaw, the offensive captain, was knocked silly and left the field for the first half. George Flint took his place.
  The Bills immediately implemented their plan of running the ball to control the clock. Billy Joe gained 5, Wray Carlton 4, then, with Ernie Warlick in as a second TE, Carlton pushed for the first down at the 27. Then Jack Kemp threw his first pass of the day. Bo Roberson snagged it and ran clear across the field before going out of bounds on the 39 to move the chains again. But after Carlton gained 3, the drive ended when CB Jimmy Warren stepped in front of Kemp's pass at the SD 33.
  
  Kemp throws pass just before Ernie Ladd arrives.
  The Chargers moved into Buffalo territory when John Hadl threw a 2nd-and-10 pass to Lance Alworth on a hook pattern to the 47. But two runs gained only 1, and Hadl had to dump the ball under pressure to his safety valve, Paul Lowe, for no gain. Rookie punter Jim Allison kicked off the side of his foot just 19y to the 27.
  On 2nd down, Kemp hit TE Paul Costa to the 38. On 3rd-and-2, Jack made a great fake to Carlton but lobbed the ball too high over the middle to Costa. So Paul Maguire banged a punt to the 9.
  Lowe immediately got the Chargers out of the hole with a brilliant 47y run to the Buffalo 44. But the Bills defense sacked Hadl two straight plays for a total loss of 11, DT Tom Sestak diving and tripping him on the second one. After an overthrown pass to Alworth, Allison tried his foot at punting again but did even worse - just 9y to the 46. Bob would kick no more on the afternoon, Hadl resuming that duty the rest of the game.
  But the Bills couldn't take advantage of the excellent field position. Following Carlton's 4y run, Ernie Ladd, playing head up over backup C Al Bemiller, burst through so quickly that Kemp had to throw away a screen pass. After another incompletion, Maguire sailed a punt to the 11.
  Backed up for the second straight possession, San Diego tried the same play on which Lowe gained 47 earlier but it went nowhere. The Bills chose to decline a holding penalty, which would have been only 6y instead of 15. But the decision backfired when Lowe turned the left corner to the 21 and a first down. On 2nd down, Hadl connected with Don Norton streaking over the middle for 33y to the Bills 44. The visitors had to consider the opening period a victory since they held the potent Chargers offense scoreless.
  END Q1: CHARGERS 0 BILLS 0
  
  Paul Lowe takes a handoff from John Hadl as Gary Kirner (72) gives chase.

• Quarter 2
  Rookie HB Gene Foster darted through a gaping hole up the middle to within a foot of the 1st down at the 34. Lowe then pushed over RT to the 33. 1st-and-10. CB Booker Edgerson got physical with Alworth as Bambi tried to get loose, causing him to trip. So Hadl ran out of bounds for a loss of 2. Again finding no one open, John used his feet to the 28. On 3rd-and-5, his pass to Lowe down the middle misfired as George Saimes banged Lowe, who couldn't hang on. So Travenio came in for a FG attempt. Sestak and LB Mike Stratton got a good push and one of them deflected the ball, which rolled to the 5.
  On 2nd-and-7, Kemp got some breathing space by connecting with Warlick to the 20. But that's as far as the Bills got. Three incompletions brought in Maguire, who got off another tremendous boot to Speedy Duncan, who took the ball over his shoulder at the 25 and returned 8y. Buffalo's special teams were soundly out­playing their counterparts.
  On 2nd-and-8, the Chargers were guilty of holding. The 15y markup put the pig­skin on the 14. Then another fine play by Sestak moved the ball back even further. As Lowe came around on a reverse, Tom rose from being blocked and tripped up Paul at the 8. So Hadl dropped back to punt. As if to say, "Coach, you should have had me punting me from the beginning," John boomed a 62-yarder to Butch Byrd, who returned to the his 40.
  Continuing to run straight at the defense with a pass mixed in here and there, the Bills moved to the day's first score. Two Carlton runs moved the chains to the Chargers 44. Kemp then rolled right and lobbed a pass to Costa. The big, agile TE took it over his shoulder and stepped out of bounds at the 22. After two runs gained 4, Jack found the other TE, Warlick, under the goal posts. Gogolak con­verted. Buffalo 7 San Diego 0 (4:59)
  Afterward, Warlick explained the TD play. I just fake out, then head for the goal posts. It worked fine. I suspect Duncan wasn't accustomed to my move because we hadn't played with two TEs before.
  
  Jack Kemp throws TD pass to Warlick.
  Rookie Miller Farr got a good return from the EZ to the 30. Keith Lincoln, with his bad knee, entered the game at FB for the first time. Under constant pressure, Hadl almost threw an INT on 1st down before connecting on 2nd down with Alworth, who made a diving catch at the 45 for a 1st down. Lincoln gained 3 on a draw play before George Saimes came around the edge on a S blitz and, with MLB Harry Jacobs, sacked Hadl at the 34. A futile pass forced Hadl to punt. He got off ano­ther good kick, but the high spiral turned into a disaster when Byrd took the ball at his 26, delayed a second as if expecting to be tackled, then burst past the first wave of coverage, and ran down the right sideline past the Chargers bench to pay dirt, pausing only to let a blocker take out the last defender, Hadl. The 74y return set an AFL championship game record. Buffalo 14 San Diego 0 (2:29)
  Byrd: Right after I caught the ball, our blocks cleared out everybody near me. So I headed up the sideline. MacKinnon got a hand on me, but I managed to break loose. Maguire hit Hadl. Then I was worried I might run out of bounds. I was real sur­prised when I didn't see any blue jerseys as I headed down the sideline.
  Chargers DB Kenny Graham, who was on the bench at the time: He stepped on the line. The official should have whistled the play dead. I had a strong impulse to trip Byrd, but I didn't do it.
  
  Butch Byrd starts on his record-setting punt return as Hagood Clarke takes out Dick Harris.
  Hadl's frustration continued when Jacobs picked off his 1st down pass at the 32 and returned 12y.
  Following the two-minute warning, the Bills tried to move in for a three-score lead. But three plays gained only 3y. So Gogolak came out for a 24y FG from the right hash mark, but Duncan got a hand on the ball, and it rolled harmlessly into the EZ.
  With all three timeouts left and 1:25 on the clock, the Chargers hoped to get on the board before halftime. On 3rd-and-5, Hadl connected with Alworth on the run to the 47. Following the second timeout at the 1:03 mark, Hadl ran out of the pocket to the Buffalo 40, then used SD's final timeout. After three short comple­tions to the boundary put the pigskin on the 26, Hadl inexplicably handed off to Lincoln, who gained 2 as the clock ticked under 10 seconds. The FG unit hurried out, but Travenio's kick sailed wide left. HALFTIME: BUFFALO 14 SAN DIEGO 0
  Stratton: We went to the locker room at halftime and were looking at each other saying, "Hadl, he doesn't have a clue." He didn't know whether to call timeouts or wind his watch. We changed some looks and things. We could do anything we wanted to.
  Ballboy Buzz Ponce reminisced years later: On the visitors sideline during the game, I remember Saban always looking calm, confident and in control. For a kid who loved the Chargers, I couldn't help it - I was impressed with the coach and his team. The Bills and their low-key self assurance that day contrasted sharply to San Die­go's attitude and even though the first half ended with just a 7-0 score in favor of Buffalo [actually 14-0], I dejectedly sensed it was lights out for the Chargers.
  
  At halftime, Commissioner Joe Foss presents AFL Player of the Year
  Paul Lowe the keys to a new car.

• Quarter 3
  If Charger fans expected their idols to show a rejuvenated offense after receiving the kickoff, they were sadly disappointed. Three plays netted nothing. But they did see Hadl continue his excellent punting - 57y to Byrd, who was smothered for a -2y return at his 27.
  Continuing to do a better imitation of the SD offense than Hadl & Company, the Bills started strong. Kemp threw long down the right sideline to Roberson, who took the ball in stride over his shoulder just beyond CB Jimmy Warren and step­ped out at the 24. Two runs by Carlton and a quick pass to Warlick moved the chains to the 12. But three more runs fell 1y short of another first down. So Go­golak kicked an 11y FG. Buffalo 17 San Diego 0 (9:21)
  
  Gogolak boots the first his three FGs for the day.
  Duncan gave the Chargers a spark when he returned the kickoff 49y to the Buf­falo 48. Lincoln then took a handoff and gained 10. But after Lowe gained 3, Hadl recovered a fumble on a misfired handoff. Then, back to pass, John ran to the 28. Needing a half-yard for the 1st, the backfield had another mixup as Hadl turned but found no one there for the handoff and was dropped for a 2y loss.
  A holding penalty on 2nd down set the Bills back all the way to the 11. No prob­lem. Kemp threw deep again to Roberson, who gathered in the pigskin at the 40 and ran 8 more yards. Three straight Joe carries failed to produce another 1st down. So Maguire punted, dropping a 9 iron inside the 10 that Warner downed at the 1.
  Going for broke, Hadl threw long from the EZ on the first play, but Byrd intercepted at the 45 and returned to the 23.
  Byrd: I was so focused on Norton. Hadl threw a sideline ball over his head, and I just blasted him as hard as I could. Those were the days that, when the ball was in the air, you could hit the wide receiver. He looked at me. His eyes were huge. We were running down the sidelines later, right in front of Sid Gillman. Hadl still had the ball, and I blasted Norton again, knocked him right into Gillman. I jumped up and looked at Gillman and said, "You'd better get him out of this game or I'm going to kill him!" Gillman looked at me like I was crazy.
  DE Bob Petrich chased Kemp out of the pocket and downed him at the 32. Jack fumbled on the play and a Charger fell on it, but the officials ruled the whistle had blown. That set off a chorus of boos from the frustrated crowd that delayed the game momentarily. When play resumed, two incompletions set up Gogolak for a 39y FG that he sent through the uprights. Buffalo 20 San Diego 0 (0:45)
  
  Gogolak boots another FG.
  The SD line continued to have trouble holding off the Bills push. Stepping back from DE Ron McDole's pressure, Hadl threw short over the middle. Then he had to run again, gaining 8.
  END Q3: BUFFALO 20 SAN DIEGO 0
  
  Byrd can't get away from Kenny Graham.

• Quarter 4
  San Diego's offensive ineptitude continued as they started from the 20. First, premature motion drew Buffalo offside as Lincoln gained only 1 of the 2 needed for a 1st down. When the Bills declined the penalty, Gillman gave the word to go for it. Lowe started wide left and, with blockers in front of him, appeared to have a chance to make the 1st down. But he slipped as he cut in to fall 1/2y short.
  Already in FG range from the 30, the Bills started with a hard-driving 11y run from Joe. But on 2nd-and-11, Kemp slipped and fell when trying to pass for a loss of 6. A short run put the ball on the 25. From there, Gogolak booted his third FG of the afternoon, a 32-yarder. Buffalo 23 San Diego 0 (11:45)
  
  Kemp hands to Joe.
  Hadl started with a short pass over the middle to Lincoln for 7y to the 27. But both outside LBs blitzed on the next snap and snowed Hadl under. DT Jim Duna­way completed the outstanding series for the Bills D by batting down Hadl's pass.
  Buffalo stayed on the ground and, aided by a face mask penalty, reached the SD 40. Gogolak lined up a 46y FG, but Daryle Lamonica took the snap and threw to LB John Tracey for a 1st down on the 28.
  
  Daryle Lamonica rolls out on the fake FG play.
  One play later, Lamonica came back in for Kemp, who received a nice round of applause as he left the field.
  As Jack came to the sideline, a fan yelled, Kemp, we want you back. Please come back! Jack had played the 1961 season and half the '62 campaign for the Char­gers before being traded to Buffalo. Gillman reportedly said, We can't win with Kemp.
  On 4th-and-6 from the 25, the Hungarian-born kicker tried for a new championship game record, but the ball sailed wide left with 3:40 on the clock.
  The only suspense remaining was whether the Chargers could avoid a shutout. Hadl hit Alworth for a 25y pass and run to the 45. Hit as he threw the ball, John left as did Lance. Don Breaux took over at QB. On his second snap, Don connect­ed with Farr, who made a leaping catch at the Buffalo 36. But Saimes rushed through on a S blitz to nail Breaux for a loss of 12. Two more sacks continued the humiliation, and Hadl came in to punt into the EZ.
  As the Chargers huddled on their last series, LB Tracey did the twist to celebrate the victory. Come out, and we'll show you some defense, he taunted.
  The Bills ran twice to mercifully end the lopsided contest.
  FINAL SCORE: BILLS 23 CHARGERS 0