“Whoever wins the turnover battle usually wins the game” is a generally accepted football adage. The term “turnover battle” (a “battle” with the “war” being the football game) has been used since at least the 1980s. “The team that wins the turnover battle usually wins the game” was cited in print in 1990. In 1991, Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly quoted Bills coach Marv Levy for having said “whoever wins the turnover battle will win the game.”
 
 
Google News Archive
21 November 1990, Record-Journal (Meriden, CT), “Rams to play spoiler” by Mike Boland, pg. 20, col. 5:
“You’re not controlling anything if you give away football,” he said. “In big games, the team that wins the turnover battle usually wins the game.”
(Cheshire coach Steve Addazio—ed.)
 
25 December 1990, The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY), “Orangemen Want One More Gift,” pg. E7, col. 1:
“I think it’s the same every time you play,” Tomey said. “It’s who wins the turnover battle, who wins the kicking game and who scores when you get in position.”
(Arizona coach Dick Tomey—ed.)
 
Google News Archive
7 October 1991, Kingman (AZ) Daily Miner, “Kansas City explodes while Buffalo flounders, 33-6” by Craig Horst (AP Sports Writer), pg. 6, col. 2:
“We look at it like Marv said before the game: Whoever wins the turnover battle will win the game,” Kelly said. “I fumbled four times and you just can’t have that.”
(Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly on Bills head coach Marv Levy—ed.)
 
Google Books
Armed and Dangerous
By Jim Kelly with Vic Carucci
New York, NY: Doubleday
1992
Pg. 221:
Right before the game, Coach Levy told us, “Whoever wins the turnover battle is going to win the football game.” As usual, his analysis was right on the money. We gave them so many gifts, they should have been happy until Christmas 1995.
 
Baylor Bears
Head coach Guy Morriss discusses Saturday’s Nebraska game with media.
Oct. 11, 2005
(...)
On Baylor’s defensive forced turnovers:
“I’m extremely pleased because that usually determines the outcome of the football game. Whoever wins the turnover battle is going to win the game. It’s something we’ve stressed. We’ve already surpassed what we did last year as a defensive team.”
   
The Giants Beat
Giant advantage in TOs, sacks paves the way
By Keith Idec
Giants Insider
Posted Dec 17, 2005
(...)
“In the NFL, man, the team that wins the turnover battle usually wins the game,” Umenyiora said. “So we’ve been focusing on that this year and we’ve done a pretty good job of it.”
 
RealFootball365
Taking advantage of turnovers key to ACC success
By Lee Roberts |  Thursday, November 20, 2008
Common football theory suggests that the team that wins the turnover battle will win the game.
 
Blogging the Boys (Dallas Cowboys blog)
Confucius say, “He who wins the turnover battle wins the game”
by DIRE WOLF on Dec 31, 2012 3:07 PM CST