The USFL pulled off something last year that other football spring leagues could not: Completing a full season. This weekend the league kicked off another campaign, while the XFL continues to wrap up its own.
The USFL season started off with a matchup between the Philadelphia Stars and the Memphis Showboats. The Stars made it to the championship last season, where they fell to the Birmingham Stallions. On Saturday night we saw arguably last season’s two best teams square off, as the Birmingham Stallions hosted the New Jersey Generals. The teams each finished 9-1 in the regular season in 2022. On Saturday, it was all Stallions, as they began their title defense with a bang.
Sunday slate started with the Michigan Panthers’ convincing road win over the Houston Gamblers. Michigan is already halfway to reaching last season’s win total, when it finished 2-8.
Below we’ve got takeaways from each game so far. First, a look at the Week 1 scores and schedule:
Saturday
Philadelphia Stars 27, Memphis Showboats 23
Birmingham Stallions 27, New Jersey Generals 10
Sunday
Michigan Panthers 29, Houston Gamblers 13
Pittsburgh Maulers at New Orleans Breakers (in Birmingham), 6:30 p.m. ET | FS1
All odds are via Caesars Sportsbook
Sunday highlights
Panthers 29, Gamblers 13
Led by quarterback Josh Love, Michigan scored 20 unanswered points in the second half. Love enjoyed about as good as a game as a quarterback can have. The former San Jose State signal caller went 19 of 21 for 216 yards and three touchdowns. His 90.5% completion percentage snapped a USFL single-game record that had stood since the league’s first iteration back in the early 1980s. The record was previously held by Greg Landry who, prior to his USFL days, was an All-Pro quarterback for the Detroit Lions.
The Panthers pulled away with back-to-back touchdowns drives in the fourth quarter. Michigan’s first scoring drive of the quarter ended with Love’s 24-yard touchdown pass to Trey Quinn. The Panthers’ back-breaking score (which was setup by Breeland Speaks’ forced fumble of Gamblers quarterback Kenji Bahar) was another deep touchdown strike from Love. Wideout Joe Walker was on the receiving end of the 34-yard score.
Love may have stole the show, but Mike Nolan’s defense deserves some love after holding Houston to just 196 total yards. Along with his forced fumble, Speaks tallied three sacks of Bahar, who threw two…
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