The Michigan Panthers prevailed over the Philadelphia Stars in a hard-fought battle at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. The Panthers improved to 2-0 after a thrilling 24-10 victory, while the Stars dropped to 1-1.
The game began with the Stars taking an early lead, scoring a field goal in the first quarter. However, the Panthers rallied back in the second quarter, scoring 10 unanswered points. The Stars responded with a touchdown in the third quarter, but the Panthers dominated the remainder of the game, adding another touchdown in the third quarter and a final one in the fourth.
Michigan Panthers quarterback Josh Love finished the game with 15 completions on 30 attempts for 174 yards, throwing one touchdown pass and two interceptions. Reggie Corbin shined as the Panthers’ running back, racking up 131 rushing yards on 11 carries and scoring two touchdowns. Tight end Cole Hikutini also had a solid game, hauling in three catches for 56 yards and a touchdown.
On the other side of the ball, Philadelphia Stars quarterback Case Cookus completed 29 of 45 passes for 280 yards but threw two interceptions and had two fumbles. Running back Matt Colburn II led the Stars’ rushing attack with 23 yards on nine carries and scored the team’s only touchdown.
The Panthers’ defense was instrumental in the win, led by linebacker Frank Ginda, who recorded 10 tackles and an interception. Defensive back Monteze Ballard also contributed with nine tackles and an interception. The Stars’ defense was spearheaded by linebacker Penei Sewell Jr., who notched eight tackles, while defensive back C Brown added six tackles and two pass deflections.
Panthers kicker Cole Murphy was successful on one field goal attempt from 30-39 yards and converted all three extra-point attempts. Stars kicker Luis Aguilar made one field goal from 20-29 yards and converted his only extra-point attempt.
With their victory, the Michigan Panthers will look to continue their winning streak, while the Philadelphia Stars will aim to bounce back in their next game.
USFL Box Score
Ken Granito
April 24, 2023 at 2:28 am
I am not saying that the Panthers weren’t the better team tonight and I am not saying they were given the game, but to me it appears the league puts too much power in one man’s hands. I love the communication, but when Mike Pereira picks up a flag that was correctly thrown,by saying he was hit with a forearm and was a runner, when the replay CLEARLY shows a helmet leading blow to the head, I look at the league and wonder what they are truly trying to accomplish. Later they miss a clear personal foul roughing the passer penalty when the Panthers hit Case Cookus well after the play was over. Furthermore the way the Panthers hit, it was not like they were giving them the benefit of the doubt as the Panthers were borderline illegal all night. The last play where Breeland Speaks grabs Case Cookus around the neck and rolls him over was clearly an attempt to inflict pain if not injure. The USFL has a good number of players and I am not saying they should call ghost fouls, but to overlook this stuff just so the Panthers could be 2-0 while opening their new stadium is not good enough. We need our stars to be able to play and robbing Case Cookus of his ability to play should not be dictated by the officials. Literally, I ask you to call what you see and not what you pre-meditated. Remember you advertised real football, not real NFL football.