All but one of the USFL’s first game weekends are on the books, and so far they’ve all been decided by six points or fewer. In the second of three games on Sunday, the New Orleans Breakers took advantage of the Philadelphia Stars’ first-half mistakes to build up and take an early lead, then found their offensive flow in the second half to win in a 23-17 to stay in Birmingham, Alabama. – where all regular season matches of the newly started league will be played.
Jordan Ellis got the go-ahead for the touchdown from two yards to start the fourth quarter that finally gave the Breakers the lead. The Stars faced a 9-0 deficit before reconciling in the third quarter for a 17-17 draw. Darnell Holland rushed for a 42-yard score to level the game in the third quarter, a quarter in which the Stars scored 10 points.
Miscues doomed the stars all afternoon. Stars quarterback Bryan Scott threw to Vontae Diggs for an interception that was returned 37 yards for a touchdown to give the Breakers a 7-0 lead. New Orleans also blocked a punt by Matt Mengel for safety reasons.
As the NFL prepares for the 2022 draft in Las Vegas and football fans hunger for a viable spring league, the USFL is hoping it can become a mainstay in the lives of those who crave the rust and don’t want an offseason of it. If that’s you, and it probably is, buckle up — we already saw a thrill in the Birmingham Stallions’ season opener on Saturday night, and in Sunday’s first game, the Houston Gamblers narrowly fended off a furious comeback from the Michigan Panthers , whose potential TD was incompletely juggled in the end zone in the last game.
Next comes the nightcap between the Bandits and Maulers. Here’s a look at the results so far:
SATURDAY
Birmingham Stallions 28, New Jersey Generals 24
SUNDAY
Houston Gamblers 17, Michigan Panthers 12 (Finals)
New Orleans Breakers 23, Philadelphia Stars 17 (finals)
Tampa Bay Bandits vs. Pittsburgh Maulers, 9 p.m. ET, FS1, fuboTV.
Stay tuned to the live blog below for highlights and updates on all the promotions!