USFL scores Week 1: Complete results, highlights from Sunday’s games

Jacob Camenker

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USFL scores Week 1: Complete results, highlights from Sunday’s games image

The USFL's 2022 season kicked off Saturday with a tilt featuring the New Jersey Generals and Birmingham Stallions. On Sunday, the rest of the league's eight teams faced off in a tripleheader to cap Week 1 of the league's 10-week regular season.

The second day of USFL action wasn't quite as clean as the first day. The weather, rainy and blustery, made things difficult for players and fans alike. Still, it was a day filled with excitement, albeit tempered slightly by delays and postponements.

The first game of the day, a defensive battle between the Houston Gamblers and Michigan Panthers, was delayed for nearly an hour because of lightning.

Once the game started, Houston was the early aggressor. The Gamblers built a 17-0 halftime lead before the Panthers made a game of it in the second half. Shea Patterson had a chance to lead a game-winning drive, but the Gamblers' defense — keyed by Reggie Northrup's 95-yard scoop and score — came up big to give coach Kevin Sumlin the win over Jeff Fisher.

The New Orleans Breakers and Philadelphia Stars played in the second game. Like the opener, one started hot on defense. New Orleans scored the game's first nine points on a pick-six and a blocked punt for a safety, but Bryan Scott and the Stars managed to score late in the first half to make it a game. The contest was tied entering the fourth quarter, but the Breakers' defense, led by Davin Bellamy (three sacks), and their running game, powered by T.J. Logan and Jordan Ellis, proved too much for the Stars.

The final game of the day, a clash between the Tampa Bay Bandits and Pittsburgh Maulers, was set to kick off at 8 p.m. ET. but was moved back an hour because of the earlier delay. Then the rain and wind returned, making the conditions unplayable. The game was postponed and rescheduled for 7 p.m.ET on Monday.

This should be another defensive battle. Todd Haley's Bandits and Kirby Wilson's Maulers are supposed to possess two of the stoutest defenses in the league. The Bandits may have an advantage offense, though — Jordan Ta'amu, who starred in the XFL in 2020, is expected to start at quarterback.

Sporting News is tracking the action from the USFL's first tripleheader of the season. Follow along for the latest news, updates and highlights from Sunday's (and now Monday's) action. 

USFL COVERAGE:

Stars vs. Breakers score

  Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 F
Stars 0 7 10 0 17
Breakers 7 2 8 6 23

Philadelphia Stars vs. New Orleans Breakers final score, highlights

(All times Eastern.)

Recap: The Breakers relied on their defense in the first half to carry them. A pick-six by Vontae Diggs and a blocked punt safety by Chad Williams gave them a 9-0 lead. The Stars came roaring back behind Bryan Scott (25 of 36, 202 yards, one TD, one INT) to eventually tie the game after three quarters.

New Orleans emerged with a victory thanks to its suffocating defense (two turnovers, six sacks, nine tackles for loss) and its dual-threat running game featuring T.J. Logan and Jordan Ellis. The duo combined for 145 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Kyle Sloter went 17 of 27 for 149 yards and an interception. He also ran for 26 yards.

Final: Breakers 23, Stars 17

8:02 p.m. — On third down, T.J. Logan catches a swing pass and takes it 11 yards for a first down. The Breakers will win their first game of the season, barring any mishaps in victory formation.

7:59 p.m. — Kyle Sloter hard counts on third-and-2 to draw the Stars offside. First down, Breakers. The Stars still have one timeout remaining, but it may not matter much with just 1:49 left on the clock.

7:58 p.m. — Jordan Ellis gains one yard on second down. Ahead of third-and-2, the Stars use their second timeout. There's one remaining. A first down for New Orleans will now surely end the game.

7:57 p.m. — After a 5-yard false start penalty, Sloter runs for 12 yards... but runs out of bounds. It's second-and-3 from the 46-yard line.

7:53 p.m. — Jordan Ellis starts the Breakers' drive with a short first-down run. On second down, Kyle Sloter connects with Sal Cannella, who makes a nice spin move to the outside to generate yardage and get a first down. The Breakers now have the ball at their own 47 at the two-minute warning. The Stars have two timeouts left, so another first down could effectively ice the game for New Orleans.

7:50 p.m. — The Stars go three-and-out after the missed field goal. Bryan Scott had a nice completion to Matt Colburn on first down, but they went backward after that. The Breakers have the ball on their own 30-yard line with 3:14 left in the game, leading by six. Philadelphia has two timeouts remaining.

7:46 p.m. — The Breakers' penalty proves costly. Austin MacGinnis misses a 40-yard field goal attempt wide left after the Breaker picked up just a few yards on third-and-16. They still lead by six with under five minutes to play.

7:43 p.m. — New Orleans was set up for a third-and-short opportunity, but Kai Absheer was flagged for a personal foul after hitting a defender late. As a result, it will be a third-and-long for the Breakers as they look to take a two-possession lead.

7:42 p.m. — The Breakers force a Bryan Scott fumble on third-and-short. Shakir Soto forced the ball out and Shareef Miller scoops it up, though he can't take advantage of a wide-open lane to the end-zone, as it took him too long to pick it up. New Orleans takes over at the Philadelphia 22-yard line.

7:36 p.m. — Kyle Sloter scrambles for seven yards on third-and-10 to set up a fourth-and-3. The Breakers go for it on fourth-and-3, but Jordan Ellis is stopped after a gain of one. The Stars get the ball back at their own 37-yard line trailing by six with 8:33 left to go.

7:34 p.m. — Sloter takes a big hit but manages to get the ball to Johnnie Dixon. Dixon may not have actually caught it, but the Breakers managed to go quickly enough that it was not reviewed.

7:31 p.m. — Jerod Fernandez makes a tackle on a third-and-3 run to stop the Stars for no gain. Philadelphia attempts a 44-yard field goal with their drive stalled out, but Matt Mengel misses it. It hooked to the right at the last second, so the Breakers maintain a six-point lead. 

7:28 p.m. — On a third-and-10, Scott manages to connect with Devin Gray up the middle of the field. Gray elevated to make the catch and held onto it through the contact.

7:26 p.m. — Bryan Scott dodges two sacks and manages to find Diondre Overton for a big gain. Overton forced a missed tackle, so it was a nice play for the Philly offense overall.

7:23 p.m. — Something to watch: Kyle Sloter is dealing with an apparent injury to his hand. He was in on the fourth-down snap, but he is flexing his hand on the sideline. We'll see if he is OK, but backup quarterback Zach Smith is starting to get ready just in case he is needed.

Score: Breakers 23, Stars 17

7:21 p.m. —TOUCHDOWN. The Breakers decide to go for it on fourth-and-1 and Jordan Ellis powers through the line for the first down and for the score. The Breakers attempt the PAT, but they miss it wide left. They lead by six.

End of third quarter: Stars 17, Breakers 17

7:17 p.m. — New Orleans can't make it back-to-back third-down conversions. Sloter completes a pass to Chad Williams, but they are one yard short of the line to gain. The Breakers are on the 2-yard line and lined up to go for it on fourth-and-1. They'll think about it as the third quarter comes to an end.

7:15 p.m. — Jordan Ellis logs an 18-yard run for the Breakers to convert their first third down of the day in eight chances. The Stars were whistled for unnecessary roughness on the play, so the Breakers are already at the 11-yard line.

7:13 p.m. — The Breakers' offense is starting to get into a rhythm. T.J. Logan and Jordan Ellis have had some nice runs while Johnnie Dixon bounced nicely off contact on a screen to earn a first down.

Score: Stars 17, Breakers 17

7:10 — TOUCHDOWN. Darnell Holland is GONE on a 42-yard touchdown. Vontae Diggs wiped out on the play and Holland was able to get to the second level. From there, Holland turn on the jets and was able to get into the end zone untouched. They kick an extra point to tie the game.

7:09 p.m. — The Breakers' kick went out of bounds, so the Stars get the ball at the 50-yard line. They have a short field as they look to tie the game or take the lead.

7:08 p.m. — Seriously, that Logan two-point conversion was crazy. It deflected a few different times before he was able to catch it.

Score: Breakers 17, Stars 10

7:04 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN. The Breakers' offense gets on the board for the first time today. T.J. Logan takes an outside run 10 yards to the house after nice blocks from Sal Cannella and Johnnie Dixon. The Breakers go for two and Logan makes a juggling catch on an ugly underthrow from Sloter to put New Orleans up seven.

7:03 p.m. — Kyle Sloter threads the needle on a perfectly placed throw to Sal Cannella. The Breakers are now in field goal range and are keeping it moving after two more solid runs from Ellis.

7:01 p.m. — New Orleans starts its next offensive drive with a nifty run by Jordan Ellis. He takes it from the Breakers' 42 to the Stars' 42, good for a gain of 16.

6:58 p.m. — The Breakers defense continues to play well. Shareef Miller had a big tackle for loss and a strip sack on that series. The Stars came up with the ball but they have to punt it to New Orleans. The Breakers gets the ball near midfield down by one.

6:53 p.m. — Sloter missed another third-down throw and threw an incomplete pass as a result. The Breakers are forced to punt again after another drive that was impacted by penalties.

6:51 p.m. — The Breakers committed an illegal shift penalty on first down. It's their seventh penalty of the day for 78 yards. The Stars, meanwhile, have yet to commit a penalty.

6:50 p.m. — Kyle Sloter completes a pass to Johnnie Dixon for a first down. It was his first throw after his interception.

Score: Stars 10, Breakers 9

6:47 p.m. — Matt Mengel missed his first field goal of the day but he makes his second. That gives the Stars their first lead of the day.

6:46 p.m. — Scott's pass is deflected at the line of scrimmage and he actually catches it. He turned it into a 1-yard gain and the Stars will settle for a field-goal attempt.

6:43 p.m. — Philadelphia takes a timeout ahead of third-and-12 from the 20-yard line. The Breakers have gotten penetration into the backfield on each of the first two plays of the drive.

6:41 p.m. — Kyle Sloter makes a mistake on third-and-3. He throws into double coverage and it's intercepted. He returned it all the way to the 18-yard line giving the Stars a chance to take the lead.

6:38 p.m. — Philadelphia kicks off to begin the second half. The New Orleans offense and Kyle Sloter will look to get going, something that they haven't done yet. The Breakers have scored all of their points on defense and special teams.

6:33 p.m. — The Breakers have led for almost all of the game, but the Stars are outgaining them 158-90 and have possessed the ball for 20:09 of the game's 30 minutes. If the Breakers' defense tires, that could allow the Stars to take their first lead of the day.

Halftime: Breakers 9, Stars 7

6:24 p.m. — Sloter takes a couple of deep shots with a screen sandwiched in between, but the Breakers can't get the first down. They will punt with 15 seconds left in the half. The Stars run one play and let the clock run out as we head to halftime.

6:22 p.m. — There are 58 seconds left in the first half. The Breakers will likely try to get into scoring range given that they have two timeouts, but they get the ball after halftime. So, they may not try anything overly risky.

Score: Breakers 9, Stars 7

6:21 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN. The Stars finally get on the board. Bryan Scott finds Bug Howard wide open and he walks into the end zone untouched. The Stars make the extra point and now trail by just two points.

6:19 p.m. — Chris Rowland makes what appears to be an incredible catch at the 10-yard line. He got his elbow down in bounds. It was called incomplete on the field, but Mike Pereira is reversing the call. Rowland came up lame on the play, however; his status will bear watching.

6:17 p.m. — Back-to-back penalties on New Orleans. Jarey Elder is whistled for defensive holding on the play to give the Stars another first down.

6:15 p.m. — Scott slightly overshoots Jordan Suell on a downfield route, but Keith Washington is whistled for pass interference. He was grabbing the bottom left corner of Suell's jersey, so the Stars will get 15 yards. They have two timeouts and 1:14 left on the clock.

6:13 p.m. — Scott and the Stars faced another third down and Scott find a way to shovel the ball to Matt Colburn while under pressure. Philadelphia has another first down just shy of midfield.

6:10 p.m. — Bryan Scott scrambles for the first down. The middle of the field was vacated and he had a wide-open running lane. He gets to the Stars' 35-yard line and we get to the two-minute warning with the Breakers up 9-0.

6:09 p.m. — The Stars ran twice to get a first down and some breathing room. However, two plays later, they are facing a third-and-5.

6:04 p.m. — Sloter throws a pass to tight end E.J. Bibbs on third-and-8, but Evan Worthington makes a nice pass break-up to end the drive. Matt White pins the Stars deep, and Philly will get the ball at its own 5-yard line.

6:01 p.m. — The Breakers go for it on fourth-and-inches. All they needed was eight inches, to be exact, and Jordan Ellis picked it up easily. The Breakers are getting near midfield as the clock ticks under seven minutes to go in the second quarter.

5:58 p.m. — T.J. Logan starts the possession following the safety with a 10-yard run. First down, Breakers.

Score: Breakers 9, Stars 0

5:55 p.m. — SAFETY. Chad Williams blocks Matt Mengel's punt and it flies out of the back of the end zone. That gives the Breakers another two points and pushes them ahead 9-0.

5:54 p.m. — The Breakers manage another sack on third down. Anree Saint-Amour gets to him in the backfield and brings him down for the sack. Philadelphia will have to punt from its own end zone.

5:51 p.m. — Davin Bellamy gets pressure on Bryan Scott again. He doesn't sack him this time, but he forces an incompletion that puts the Stars in a third-and-long situation.

5:47 p.m. — The Breakers picked up one more first down on their drive, but Chad Williams and Kyle Sloter couldn't connect on a third-down pass to extend the drive. They kick it back to the Stars, who will once again get a chance to answer the Breakers' score.

5:45 p.m. — Kyle Sloter completes his first pass of the day to Sal Cannella. The Breakers get the first down marking their first of the day and of the 2022 USFL season.

5:42 p.m. — The Stars fail to score once again. They got it to fourth-and-goal on the 2-yard line, but Bryan Scott's attempted pass to the running back out of the backfield is knocked down by Jarey Elder. The Breakers get the ball back but are pinned deep in their own territory.

End of first quarter: Breakers 7, Stars 0

5:37 p.m. — The Stars get to about the 4-yard line on a run as the first quarter comes to an end. New Orleans leads but Philadelphia is threatening to tie it up.

5:36 p.m. — Vontae Diggs made another big play, generating a tackle for a loss on an outside run. However, the Breakers' linebacker grabbed Matt Colburn's face mask, so a penalty was called. The Stars now have a goal-to-go opportunity. 

5:35 p.m. — Davin Bellamy comes up with another sack. It's his third of the day.

5:34 p.m. — Chris Rowland has another catch-and-run off a beautiful delivery from Scott. The Stars at the 11-yard line and threatening to score again.

5:32 p.m. — It took Philadelphia just a few plays to get to the New Orleans 30-yard line. Matt Colburn had a big gain off a swing pass, and the Stars are in scoring range again.

5:29 p.m. — The Stars nearly got pinned deep in their own territory off the kickoff, but the returner managed to get out to the 23-yard line after taking it near his own end-zone. Scott will look to overcome the pick on this drive.

Score: Breakers 7, Stars 0

5:26 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN. The Breakers' defense comes up with a big play. Linebacker Vontae Diggs jumped a route and picked off Bryan Scott. He returned it 38 yards untouched for a score. The Breakers made the extra point to take an early 7-0 lead.

5:24 p.m. — The Stars pick up where they left off, as Bryan Scott completes two passes to get a first down. Chris Rowland had the first-down catch.

5:20 p.m. — The Breakers start off conservatively, running the ball three times on a Kyle Sloter scramble and two T.J. Logan runs. New Orleans goes three-and-out and punts it just inside the 20-yard line.

5:16 p.m. — Matt Mengel's kick is NO GOOD, as it doinks off the right upright. The Stars fail to score despite a solid offensive drive, so now we'll see what Kyle Sloter and the Breakers' offense can do.

5:15 p.m. — There's a reason that Davin Bellamy was the top edge rusher picked in the USFL Draft. He manages to sack Bryan Scott on third down to force a 45-yard field goal attempt.

5:13 p.m. — The Stars are off to a great start, as Darnell Holland picks up a first down on the ground and gets to the New Orleans 25-yard line. Philadelphia is threatening to score early.

5:12 p.m. — Shareef Miller is called for roughing the passer after an incompletion on second down. The gives Philadelphia its second first-down of the opening drive.

5:10 p.m. — Scott manages to find Diondre Overton wide open on third down. He brings it across the line to gain giving the Stars their first, first down of the game.

5:09 p.m. — The first play from scrimmage sees Breakers defensive end Davin Bellamy come after Bryan Scott right away. New Orleans sacks Scott to put them in a second-and-15 situation.

5:07 p.m. — And the second game of Sunday's USFL action is underway. The Stars received the kicker and were able to bring it out to the 27-yard line. Bryan Scott comes onto the field as the Stars' quarterback.

Gamblers vs. Panthers score

  Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 F
Gamblers 3 14 0 0 17
Panthers 0 0 6 6 12

Houston Gamblers vs. Michigan Panthers final score, highlights

(All times Eastern.)

Recap: This game was a tale of two halves, as the Gamblers dominated the first half before the Panthers came roaring back in the second. Shea Patterson keyed that comeback effort, completing 17 of 24 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 31 yards. However, Michigan had too many costly mistakes, including two missed 2-point conversions, a missed field goal and three turnovers, including a 95-yard. scoop and score. The Gamblers won thanks largely to their defense and linebacker Reggie Northrup, who score the game's first touchdown.

Final: Gamblers 17, Panthers 12

3:47 p.m. — Shea Patterson throws a beautiful-looking pass to La'Michael Pettway in the end-zone, but he can only get one foot down. There was a chop block on the play anyway, so the Gamblers will emerge as the winners, needing just to take a knee to earn the victory.

3:46 p.m. — Sack! Chris Odom hits Shea Patterson for a big loss. The clock runs down to nine second remaining on the ensuing play, and the Panthers now are facing a fourth-and-26 with the game on the line.

3:45 p.m. — Patterson bobbles a shotgun snap and has to cover it in the backfield. The Panthers take their final timeout with 46 seconds left. They are facing a second-and-17 from the 21-yard line, trailing by five.

3:44 p.m. — Patterson hits Joe Walker for a big gain. They're down to the 14-yard line with 52 seconds left.

3:43 p.m. — Stevie Scott converts the first down. The Panthers need 37 yards to take the lead. 

3:40 p.m. — The Panthers are ripping off big chunks of yardage, as Patterson hit Devin Ross for a first down before Lance Lenoira gained seven on a jet sweep. The Panthers are over midfield but are facing a third-and-2 as the two-minute warning arrives.

3:37 p.m. — Michigan got the ball back on its own 10-yard line, but Shea Patterson got them 15 yards right away on a completion to Lance Lenoir.

3:34 p.m. —The Gamblers pick up one first down but they are stopped a couple of yards short on the ensuing series of downs. Houston will punt it, leading by five with less than five-and-a-half minutes left in the contest.

3:31 p.m. — Kenji Bahar is now in the game for the Gamblers at quarterback. Clayton Thorson threw an interception on his last pass attempt.

3:28 p.m. — Patterson completes a 19-yard pass to Lance Lenoir on third-and-20. They line up quickly to sneak it on fourth-and-1, but Patterson was unable to get it. The Gamblers will take over with 8:57 left in the fourth quarter.

3:25 p.m. — Shea Patterson lets the first snap go past him. He recovers the ball, but Michigan loses 10 yards on the play.

3:22 p.m. — Clayton Thorson's first pass following the Panthers' touchdown drive is an interception. Jameson Houston makes the diving play while will give Michigan a chance to put together a go-ahead drive in good field position.

Score: Gamblers 17, Panthers 12

3:17 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN. Stevie Scott hammers the ball into the end-zone to bring the Panthers within one score. He was originally ruled short but replay review shows that he was able to extend the ball beyond the goal line. Michigan goes for two but once again fails to convert on the play.

3:14 p.m. — The Panthers choose to go for it on fourth-and-6 from inside the 19-yard line. Patterson hits Lance Lenoir, who makes an amazing catch to keep the drive alive.

3:12 p.m. — Shea Patterson runs the read-option and brings the ball inside the 25-yard line. Cameron Scarlett takes it into the red zone on the ensuing carry.

3:09 p.m. — Shea Patterson hits Devin Ross for a big gain off play-action on first down. The Panthers are already in Houston territory, and Gamblers safety Andrew Soroh is down after the play.

3:07 p.m. — Thorson completes a pass to JoJo Ward on third-and-14, but they gain just nine yards. The Gamblers punt it back to the Panthers, who will start their drive at their own 33-yard line.

End of third quarter: Gamblers 17, Panthers 6

3:04 p.m. — Clayton Thorson keeps using the hard count to draw the defense offsides, but his linemen are jumping instead. The Gamblers will face third-and-long when the fourth quarter begins.

3:01 p.m. — Mike Perreira reveals that there should have been a face mask called on the last play of the Panthers' drive before the kick. The USFL replay center can overturn personal fouls that are called on the field, but they cannot buzz in to call fouls that haven't been called.

3:00 p.m. — The Panthers run a screen on third-and-11 but can't quite get the first down. Michael Carrizosa attempts a 43-yard field goal instead, but it misses wide left. The Panthers still trail 17-6 with a couple of minutes left in the third quarter.

2:56 p.m. — Michigan looked poised to face a third-and-long, but Chris Odom was whistled for illegal use of hands to the face. The Panthers have crossed the 30-yard line and are threatening to score again.

2:53 p.m. — The Panthers overcome a drop by Devin Ross and complete a first-down pass to former Oklahoma and XFL player Jeff Badet. The Panthers are across midfield as they look to draw within one score.

2:48 p.m. — The Gamblers were whistled for a false start penalty and delay of game penalty on back-to-back plays. They manage to get nine of it back, but they are forced to punt. The Gamblers hit the returner early on the play, so Michigan will start near the 35-yard line.

2:46 p.m. — Michigan allows Houston to gain five yards on its first two plays of the second half. Can they get a key stop to get the ball back?

2:42 p.m. — Wondering how the Panthers snapped out of a game-long offensive funk to mount their first TD drive of the season? Jeff Fisher did a good job of motivating them in the halftime locker room.

Score: Gamblers 17, Panthers 6

2:39 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN. Shea Patterson finds Lenoir in the back left corner of the end-zone. Lenoir had plenty of space on his defender and was able to make the catch with ease. The Panthers go for two but can't convert.

2:38 p.m. — Patterson completes a pass to Lance Lenoir while rolling to the right. They now have a first-and-goal from the 8-yard line.

2:36 p.m. — Patterson throws his first pass of the second half, and it's a good one. He dodges a sack and throws a 9-yard completion to Cameron Scarlett. Patterson sneaks it for a first down on the next play, as Michigan starts the half off well.

2:34 p.m. — Stevie Scott gets off to a good start in the second half. He runs three times consecutively and helps get the ball to the Gamblers' 45-yard line. Shea Patterson is back in at quarterback but hasn't thrown a pass yet.

2:32 p.m. — And, we're back. The Panthers will receive the ball to start the second half after their won the coin toss and deferred. They trail 17-0 and will need to score quickly to gain some confidence.

2:24 p.m. — One cool moment from the first half: Will Likely tossed the ball to his father in the stands after recording his first USFL interception. Likely went undrafted in 2017 and has been trying to make it as a pro for the last five years.

Halftime: Gamblers 17, Panthers 0

2:20 p.m. — Michigan elects to run the ball after the missed field goal. The Panthers run out the clock and take it into halftime trailing by 17.

2:18 p.m. — Nick Vogel's field goal attempt is NO GOOD, as it bangs off the left upright. That keeps the lead at 17-0, which is, technically, a two-score lead given the USFL's unique scoring rules.

2:17 p.m. — Michigan comes up with a big stop. Orion Stewart breaks up a potential touchdown pass on third-and-goal to force Houston to settle for a field-goal attempt.

2:15 p.m. — The Gamblers have a goal-to-go opportunity. They are likely going to run most of the first-half clock as they look to score once again.

2:10 p.m. — We've reached the two-minute warning. The Gamblers are up 17-0 and just crossed the Panthers' 35-yard line. They should be positioned to take a three-possession lead into halftime if they can score again.

2:09 p.m. — The Panthers turn the ball over again. Paxton Lynch throws a pass to Lance Lenoir, but Will Likely was able to undercut the route easily. The Gamblers get the ball near midfield once again.

2:06 p.m. — The NBC broadcast just showed some mic'd up footage of Chase DeMoor getting into it with one of his teammates, who didn't like DeMoor talking to him after a defensive series. It seems that the frustrations are growing on that side of the ball as the Panthers trail big.

Score: Gamblers 17, Panthers 0

2:03 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN. Clayton Thorson makes a perfect throw to Isaiah Zuber, as he fits it in over the head of two Michigan defenders and allows Zuber to tap his toes in with ease. The Gamblers fail on their two-point conversion but have built a formidable lead.

2:01 p.m. — Houston generates three first downs on the first four plays of its drive after the fumble. The last came after he was sacked by Jameson Houston, but the cornerback drove him into the ground and was flagged for roughing the passer.

1:55 p.m. — Yet another fumble for Michigan — their fifth of the day — and they lose this one. Paxton Lynch has it stripped out of his hands by Ahmad Gooden. The Gamblers pounce on it and get the ball just shy of midfield. That makes the penalty on the punt return all the more impactful.

1:50 p.m. — Joe Walker returns the punt for a touchdown, but Michigan is whistled for an illegal blindside block. It may not have made a difference in the play, but the Panthers will have their points taken off the board.

1:49 p.m. — T.J. Carter comes up with a big sack on Gamblers quarterback Clayton Thorson. He gets to Thorson at the 1-yard line to create a fourth-and-long. The Gamblers will have to punt from deep in their own end-zone.

1:47 p.m. — Michigan has fumbled once on each of its four drives today. They have recovered three, but the lone one they didn't recover became a scoop-and-score.

1:44 p.m. — Lynch's first pass hits Lance Lenoir square in the hands on a third down, but the receiver drops it. The Panthers have to punt again, pinning the Gamblers deep in their on territory.

1:42 p.m. — The Panthers seem to have figured something out with the running game. Stevie Scott is generating some yards at running back while Paxton Lynch scrambled for six yards on a first down.

1:40 p.m. — Michigan keeps the ball on the ground for its first three plays after the scoop-and-score and generates a first down. Paxton Lynch was set to check into the game for the first time but his communication device wasn't working. The Panthers take their second timeout.

1:37 p.m. — Northrup's touchdown is the first defensive score of the new USFL. It took just over five quarters for a defense to make a big-time, game-changing play.

Score: Gamblers 11, Panthers 0

1:35 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN. Not for the Panthers, but for the Gamblers. Shea Patterson fell down on the play and got back up and tried to scramble. He fumbled the ball for the second time of the day and it was scooped up by linebacker Reggie Northrup, who returned it for a touchdown. The Gamblers go for two and covert to take an 11-0 lead.

1:32 p.m. — The Panthers lost a member of their secondary early during Sunday's game. Warren Saba suffered a fractured forearm and will not return to the game.

End of first quarter: Gamblers 3, Panthers 0

1:31 p.m. — Patterson is under pressure again on third-and-11 and escapes it. He scrambles for a first down and the Panthers have the first goal-to-go opportunity of the day. Michigan ran the ball for three yards after that to bring the first quarter to an end.

1:29 p.m. — The Panthers are facing a third-and-11 with less than a minute left in the first quarter. Jeff Fisher calls a timeout and tells his team that they are "in good shape."

1:27 p.m. — Walker and Patterson are starting to get in a rhythm. Patterson uses his mobility to get outside of the pocket and hits Walker for a first-down gain. Walker did well to get both of his feet in bounds.

1:26 p.m. — Shea Patterson completes his second pass of the day, as he hits Joe Walker for a 15-yard gain that brings the ball to the Gamblers' 33-yard line. That's the Panthers' first, first-down of the day.

1:24 p.m. — The Gamblers can't get anything going on their third drive. Clayton Thorson was under pressure on third down and just missed hitting Tyler Palka for a gain. Michigan gets the ball again near midfield.

1:20 p.m. — The Panthers go three-and-out again. Patterson had an open man down the field, but linebacker Donald Payne knocked down the pass. Houston will get the ball back at their own 14-yard line.

1:18 p.m. — Michigan's second drive starts the same way as their first with a fumble. Shea Patterson is sacked and he drops the ball. He recovers it, but the Panthers are behind the chains at second-and-15.

1:17 p.m. — Cameron Scarlett has a nice return for the Panthers after a deep kick by the Gamblers. He brings it out to about midfield. Shea Patterson retakes the field looking to tie the game.

Score: Gamblers 3, Panthers 0

1:15 p.m. — FIELD GOAL. The Gamblers score the first points of the day, as Nick Vogel is good on a 37-yard field goal. Houston has a 3-0 lead just over halfway through the first quarter.

1:13 p.m. — Clayton Thorson nearly had a touchdown pass, but Panthers corner Tino Ellis broke up the pass at the goal-line. He almost had another completion, but Anthony Ratliff-Williams slipped on his break. That creates a fourth-down for the Gamblers.

1:11 p.m. — Mark Thompson has another first-down run. He generates 16 yards on second down and has 35 yards on his first three carries. Houston is nearing the red zone as they look to score the first points of the game.

1:09 p.m. — On third-and-4, Clayton Thorson completes a pass to JoJo Ward. First down, Gamblers, as they approach scoring range.

1:06 p.m. — It's a three-and-out for the Panthers. They ran the ball three times and gained a grand total of two yards. The Gamblers will get the ball back in great field position at the Michigan 46-yard line.

1:04 p.m. — The Panthers' first play from scrimmage is a run by Cameron Scarlett up the middle. He fumbles it after a big hit from Reggie Northrup, and quarterback Shea Patterson recovers it for a six-yard loss.

1:01 p.m. — Houston can't generate a second first-down on the drive. They stall out after a pop-pass sweep on third down and punt on fourth-and-6. The Panthers will get the ball for the first time at their own 11-yard line.

12:59 p.m. — Marc Thompson is off to a nice start. He takes the first two carries and generates a first down. The Gamblers are into Panthers territory at the 45-yard line.

12:57 p.m. — The Panthers kick-off to the Gamblers to start the game. Houston will start on offense at their own 37-yard line with Clayton Thorson at quarterback.

12:54 p.m. — The National Anthem has been performed and up next will be the coin toss. Kickoff of the USFL's second day is imminent.

12:40 p.m. — There is still light rain falling in Birmingham, but it appears that the thunderstorms have subsided... for now. According to Weather.com, it should be cloudy for the next five hours in Birmingham, but there is a chance of thunderstorms again beginning at 6 p.m. ET. 

12:35 p.m. — The players have officially taken the field for warm-ups. The NBC broadcast says that the game should start in about 20 minutes, so we're looking at a potential 12:55 p.m. ET start time.

12:29 p.m. — The NBC broadcast just announced that the players for each team would be taking the field "momentarily." They will need about 15-20 minutes to warm up, and after that, the game should be just about ready to begin. When adding in the pre-game ceremonies (National Anthem, etc.) it looks like we're heading for a start at just about 1 p.m. ET.

12:26 p.m. — The Gamblers and Panthers social media teams are having a good time during the rain delay. They challenged one another to an online game of Connect Four, which Houston ended up winning.

12:24 p.m. — Jac Collinsworth announces that the players are expected to take the field in 10 minutes or so. That should give the game a chance to start at or just before 1 p.m. ET.

12 p.m. ET — The USFL's second day will take some time to get started. We're currently in a weather delay, as there are thunderstorms in the Birmingham area.

What time are the USFL games today?

Below is the full schedule of USFL games for Sunday, April 17. The first game will kick off at noon ET while the last will begin at 9 p.m. ET.

All games will be available to watch on the Fox and NBC family of networks. You can also stream the contests with fuboTV, which offers a free trial.

Game Time (ET) TV channel
Houston Gamblers vs. Michigan Panthers Noon NBC, Peacock, fuboTV
Philadelphia Stars vs. New Orleans Breakers 5 p.m. USA, fuboTV
Tampa Bay Bandits vs. Pittsburgh Maulers 9 p.m. FS1, fuboTV

Jacob Camenker

Jacob Camenker Photo

Jacob Camenker first joined The Sporting News as a fantasy football intern in 2018 after his graduation from UMass. He became a full-time employee with TSN in 2021 and now serves as a senior content producer with a particular focus on the NFL. Jacob worked at NBC Sports Boston as a content producer from 2019 to 2021. He is an avid fan of the NFL Draft and ranked 10th in FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Accuracy metric in both 2021 and 2022.