The Michigan Panthers hosted the Houston Roughnecks at Ford Field today in a vital USFL conference matchup. The Panthers came into the game 1-1 on season, looking to try and keep pace with the Birmingham Stallions near the top the conference. This was their third straight home contest to start the season, and for the most part, their defense had led the way. For the Roughnecks, they came into this road game at 0-2 looking for their first win of the year. A 0-3 start would put them in last in the conference and hurt their playoff hopes early in the season. Let’s look at how the game went down and what it means for both squads going forward.
Game Summary
In a matchup that many expected to be a defensive battle, the struggling Houston Roughnecks’ offense got off to a fast start. Wide receiver Isiah Hennie had a nice kick return that he brought up to around midfield. It was a very efficient drive that ended in a one-yard rushing touchdown by quarterback Reid Sinnett. The play prior to the score was a 24-yard catch by receiver Emmanuel Butler, who caught the two-point conversion to make it 8-0 early in the first quarter. The drive took just over four minutes and was an 8-play, 52-yard possession. Houston started fast for the first time all season.
😂 @ReidSinnett scores the first touchdown for the @XFLRoughnecks and then hit the “what’s up brother” celebration ☝️ pic.twitter.com/C2wHZCCegm
— United Football League (@TheUFL) April 14, 2024
The Michigan Panthers responded with a score of their own on their first possession, as well. A drive that looked promising to start fizzled out and resulted in a 46-yard Jake Bates field goal. The Panthers’ kicker was money as usual and made the score 8-3 with seven minutes left in the first quarter. It was a seven-play, 33-yard drive that ate up nearly four minutes.
Jake Bates doing Jake Bates things 👏@jakebates30 puts 3️⃣ on the board! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/TzLD5TW9Ti
— Michigan…