USFL Week 1 scores, highlights: Michigan’s Josh Love has record-setting day, defending champ Stallions roll

The USFL pulled off one thing remaining yr that different soccer spring leagues may just now not: Completing a complete season. This weekend the league kicked off any other marketing campaign, whilst the XFL continues to wrap up its personal.

The USFL season began off with a matchup between the Philadelphia Stars and the Memphis Showboats. The Stars made it to the championship remaining season, the place they fell to the Birmingham Stallions. On Saturday night time we noticed arguably remaining season’s two very best groups sq. off, because the Birmingham Stallions hosted the New Jersey Generals. The groups each and every completed 9-1 within the common season in 2022. On Saturday, it used to be all Stallions, as they started their identify protection with a bang. 

Sunday slate began with the Michigan Panthers’ convincing street win over the Houston Gamblers. Michigan is already midway to achieving remaining season’s win general, when it completed 2-8. The first weekend ended with the New Orleans breakers knocking off the Pittsburgh Maulers.

Below now we have were given takeaways from each and every sport to this point. First, a have a look at the Week 1 rankings and time table:

Saturday
Philadelphia Stars 27, Memphis Showboats 23
Birmingham Stallions 27, New Jersey Generals 10
Sunday
Michigan Panthers 29, Houston Gamblers 13
New Orleans Breakers 22, Pittsburgh Maulers 15

Sunday highlights

Breakers 22, Maulers 15 

A decent sport all the way through, the Breakers took the lead for excellent on McLeod Bethel-Thompson’s two-yard landing go to Anthony Jones with 1:13 left. New Orleans took benefit of excellent box place after kicker Nathan Hierlihy’s kickoff went out of bounds following Isiah Hennie’s 82-yard, game-tying punt go back for the ranking. 

New Orleans, through distinctive feature of the USFL’s laws relating to kickoffs that cross out of bounds, took over at midfield with 4:32 to play. The force’s two giant performs got here on consecutive snaps, with Bethel-Thompson diving for a key first down ahead of hitting tight finish Sage Surratt for 35 yards. 

Jones’ landing catch 3 performs later sealed the primary profession win for first-time head trainer and previous Eagles Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks trainer John DeFilippo. 

It used to be a a hit USFL debut for the 34-year-old Bethel-Thompson, a two-time Canadian Football League champion who joined with the Breakers this spring as an alternative of spending any other season in Winnipeg.

Panthers 29, Gamblers 13

Led through quarterback Josh Love, Michigan scored 20 unanswered issues in the second one 1/2. Love loved about as excellent as a sport as a quarterback will have. The former San Jose State sign caller went 19 of 21 for 216 yards and 3 touchdowns. His 90.5% final touch proportion snapped a USFL single-game file that had stood because the league’s first iteration again within the early Eighties. The file used to be in the past held through Greg Landry who, previous to his USFL days, used to be an All-Pro quarterback for the Detroit Lions. 

The Panthers pulled away with back-to-back touchdowns drives within the fourth quarter. Michigan’s first scoring force of the quarter ended with Love’s 24-yard landing go to Trey Quinn. The Panthers’ back-breaking ranking (which used to be setup through Breeland Speaks’ compelled fumble of Gamblers quarterback Kenji Bahar) used to be any other deep landing strike from Love. Wideout Joe Walker used to be at the receiving finish of the 34-yard ranking. 

Love can have stole the display, however Mike Nolan’s protection merits some love after protecting Houston to only 196 general yards. Along together with his compelled fumble, Speaks tallied 3 sacks of Bahar, who threw two interceptions at the day. 

Saturday’s highlights

Stars 27, Showboats 23

The Stars returned megastar quarterback Case Cookus, working again Matt Colburn II and one of the vital very best cornerbacks within the league in Channing Stribling. Fresh off of a championship run remaining yr, Philly entered this matchup as 2.5-point favorites. 

It used to be certainly the Stars who were given off to a snappy get started, as Cookus and Co. scored touchdowns on 3 in their 4 first-half possessions to procure a 20-10 halftime lead. However, the Showboats were given again on course in the second one 1/2, and scored touchdowns on back-to-back drives to tug inside of 3 issues. 

White had an opportunity to guide a game-winning force for Memphis, and the Showboats even were given to the Philly 39-yard line with beneath a minute to play. However, the Stars protection then stood tall, and the Showboats became the ball over on downs, which ended the sport. 

The USFL is equal to the NFL in that premier quarterback play ends up in wins. Cookus used to be magnificent in his first motion of the 2023 season, as he finished 20 of 29 passes for 212 yards, 3 touchdowns, and added 31 yards at the floor. If there have been any questions on how he used to be feeling after breaking his leg in remaining yr’s championship sport, the ones had been spoke back. 

Check out this passing landing on third-and-7 past due within the 0.33 quarter. Cookus stood tall within the pocket, and floated the ball out to the left aspect of the sector for the ranking. 

For the Showboats, the place of origin child, White, finished 16 of 29 passes for 182 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. There have been some excellent moments and unhealthy moments, however take a look at this landing toss to Ryan McDaniel. 

White used to be changed momentarily through the 6-foot-7 Cole Kelley, who finished 2 of five passes for 16 yards. Former NFL working again Alex Collins used to be quite efficient at the floor for Memphis, as he rushed 14 instances for 63 yards and one landing.

The Memphis go rush used to be spectacular, because the protection recorded 5 general sacks on Cookus. Greg Reaves and Jordan Williams recorded two QB takedowns apiece. 

Stallions 27, Generals 10

The Generals and Stallions have been noticed as the highest two groups within the league remaining yr, and each squads now not most effective retained their head coaches for this season, however their quarterbacks as smartly. Birmingham returned about 80% of remaining yr’s roster, however the Stallions opening as five-point favorites used to be a tad sudden. At least, that is what some concept till Saturday night time.

The Stallions rolled to a 27-10 victory over the Generals, regardless of accidents to quarterback J’Mar Smith, megastar linebacker Scooby Wright and extensive receiver Marlon Williams, who sadly tore his Achilles. 

The first 1/2 used to be very back-and-forth. The Generals fumbled away ownership to begin the sport, and the Stallions wasted no time taking benefit. On Birmingham’s first offensive play, Smith hit Austin Watkins for a 61-yard ranking.

The Generals answered with a landing originally of the second one quarter — a Dakota Prukop 2-yard scamper. The two groups then traded box objectives. 

At the top of the primary 1/2, the Stallions’ beginning quarterback, Smith, suffered an harm, and used to be changed through Alex McGough. He threw a landing on his first go of the sport to damage the tie ahead of the halftime wreck. 

McGough remained within the sport to begin the second one 1/2, and recorded this spectacular 29-yard speeding landing to present Birmingham a 14-point lead. 

This used to be the remaining notable ranking of the sport, as the one issues scored within the fourth quarter got here on a Stallions box purpose. Smith completed having finished 10 of 15 passes for 160 yards, one landing and one interception, whilst McGough finished 7 of eleven passes for 68 yards and a landing. McGough additionally led the Stallions in speeding with 51 yards and any other landing. Tight finish Jace Sternberger goes to be a excellent participant for Birmingham. He stuck 5 passes for 62 yards and a ranking.

As for the Generals, reigning league MVP Darius Victor once more lived as much as the hype, as he rushed for a whopping 84 yards on simply 8 carries. Prukop finished 13 of 17 passes for 146 yards, whilst De’Andre Johnson finished 4 of 13 passes for 29 yards, and added 45 speeding yards.  

The tale of the sport for New Jersey used to be turnovers. The Generals fumbled away ownership two times, and the Stallions scored 14 issues without delay from the ones giveaways.