The Houston Gamblers (2-2) dominated the Philadelphia Stars (1-3) in a 41-16 victory at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Gamblers’ running back Mark Thompson had an outstanding performance with 134 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries, plus a reception for eight yards.
Houston’s quarterback Kenji Bahar completed 15 of 21 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions. Wide receivers Anthony Ratliff-Williams and Keke Chism were on the receiving end of Bahar’s touchdown passes, with Ratliff-Williams catching four passes for 55 yards and Chism securing two catches for 63 yards.
The Stars struggled to keep up throughout the game, with quarterback Case Cookus completing 24 of 36 passes for 189 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Running back Matt Colburn II scored Philadelphia’s lone rushing touchdown, accumulating 16 yards on six carries. Dexter Williams contributed with three carries for 12 yards and a receiving touchdown on two catches for 19 yards.
On the defensive side, the Gamblers recorded six sacks and one interception, with linebacker Tolson leading the team with nine tackles and 0.5 sacks. For the Stars, linebacker Alfieri registered eight tackles, while cornerback C Brown contributed seven tackles and one pass deflection.
Houston’s kicker Nick Vogel was perfect on extra points, going 5 for 5, while Philadelphia’s Luis Aguilar made one field goal from the 40-49 yard range and went 1 for 1 on extra points.
The Gamblers’ offense was unstoppable as they built a commanding 27-7 lead by halftime and extended it to 41-10 by the end of the third quarter. Philadelphia managed to add a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late.
With this victory, the Houston Gamblers improve to a 2-2 record, while the Philadelphia Stars’ struggles continue as they fall to 1-3.
USFL Box Score
