The Houston Roughnecks will host the Michigan Panthers in what is a crucial USFL Conference showdown this weekend. This will be the first meeting between the two organizations this UFL season, and one that will determine the future of these teams and their playoff hopes.
On one side, the Houston Roughnecks are now 3-4, after blowing a 19 point lead to the Stallions last week. Houston had a golden opportunity to put themselves in the postseason conversation, but now hold onto slimmer hope with three games left to play.
Michigan, on the other hand, escaped Arlington with a ridiculous win at the very last second, literally. This team has been trending upwards the last few weeks with Bryce Perkins as QB1, but there’s still plenty to improve upon.
With the Panthers sitting at 5-2, and Houston at 3-4 – this one has a ton of importance for Houston, looking to stay alive. Let’s take a look at what we can expect in this one.
Quarterback Play
At quarterback, the Houston Roughnecks have seen Jalan McClendon emerge as an absolute stud in Eric Price’s offense. He’s been tremendous, and even though they didn’t close out this past week like they would have liked, McClendon still performed at a high level.
Jalan’s cool and poised temperament has given Houston’s offense an entirely new identity. His ability to stretch the field with his arm talent – making all the throws – is something we haven’t seen out of the Roughnecks in a long time. You could argue that McClendon is the best arm talent that Houston has had since P.J. Walker back in the day.
Bryce Perkins has been a Godsend for this Michigan Panthers offense. Where would they be without him? It’s hard to say. With Perkins playing at an MVP level, the Panthers have become one of the most exciting teams to watch in the UFL, as Bryce continues to find new ways to drop our jaws with each and every week.
Perkins wasn’t perfectly accurate last week against Arlington, with a couple of throws that he certainly wants back. Bryce also lost a fumble on a handoff exchange with Toa Taua – but those are things that can be corrected in practice, and hopefully won’t happen again for Michigan’s sake.
Standout Playmakers
The Roughnecks have a loaded WR room, and even though Marcus Simms isn’t active, look out for their playmakers across the board. Justin Hall had a field day the last time he played the Panthers, while guys like Emmanuel Butler, Keke Chism, and Lawrence Keys have stepped up all season long as reliable targets for McClendon.
ZaQuandre White has been outstanding on the ground for this Houston offense. He’s burst onto the scene as one of the better backs in the UFL, after being released from two organizations over the past couple of years. White’s first quarter explosives gave Houston a major advantage over Birmingham to begin that game.
On Michigan’s side, they’re seeing the return of Matt Colburn to the backfield, which is big news. Pair that up with the heroics and hard nosed running of a guy like Toa Taua, and one can imagine that Michigan will be running the football hard this weekend.
Siaosi Mariner continues to impress, alongside Malik Turner who have essentially shared WR1 duties since Marcus Simms left. Turner had back-to-back big plays in the win this weekend, with a touchdown and a three point conversion late to tie things up.
Depth Chart
Some key notes and takeaways from this week’s depth chart:
- Michigan doesn’t see too many changes, outside of Frank Ginda’s absence; Donavan Mutin now starting at LB
- DT Benning Potoa’e makes his UFL debut after being signed this week by Michigan
- Houston is gutted with injuries/inactive on defense: DE Tashawn Bower, DB Keenan Isaac, & DB Armani Marsh all inactive
- Due to Houston’s injuries, DE Rashod Berry & DB Ja’Quan Sheppard get their first starts
- RB Kirk Merritt returns to action, which is big for Houston’s backfield
One of the strangest pieces to the puzzle: WR Marcus Simms is inactive. He was acquired via trade from the Michigan Panthers by the Houston Roughnecks, but has seen limited action all season long since then. We expected Simms to be active in this one – but he will not see the field, which is a shame.
Can Houston Slow Down The Run?
The Michigan Panthers have one of the top ground games in the entire UFL right now. Toa Taua, Nate McCrary, and of course Bryce Perkins have run the heck out of the football over the past several weeks. It all starts in the trenches, with the quality offensive line play up front. Tim Holt has his unit as locked in as ever, with Ryan Nelson, Jake Burton, Cohl Cabral, and others all primed for career years.
Houston has had a tough time slowing down the run as of late, especially in their loss to Birmingham this week. Even when they had a comfortable lead early, Birmingham was productive on the ground. The Stallions rushed for 142 yards on 33 carries, averaging 4.4 YPC.
According to PFF, Houston has the second worst rush defense in the UFL. Meanwhile, the Michigan Panthers have by far the best run game of any team (83.9 grade via PFF), and the top run blocking grades (72.9).
If Houston can’t find a way to slow Michigan’s ground game down, they’re in for some serious trouble this week. Injuries to their linebackers certainly won’t help, as Marvin Moody will miss this game due to injury.
Looking At Last Season
Last year, Michigan and Houston faced off twice, with their first matchup much earlier in the year. In week three, Houston took the trip up north to face off in Detroit – and Michigan ended up dominating at home.
In that game, Houston’s inability to finish drives, and create big plays consistently, hurt them. Michigan saw Matt Colburn and E.J. Perry go off on the ground, as the Panthers’ O-Line, while E.J. was very efficient through the air completing 16 of 19 pass attempts. Houston’s defense played soft too much of the time. Interestingly enough, this game was when we started to see flashes of what Siaosi Mariner was capable of.
The Roughnecks, in both weeks three and nine, found ways to shoot themselves in the foot. In week three, a blocked punt set Michigan up with excellent field position, and momentum, in that opening half. Later on in the year, Houston played a more complete game, but still had issues with self-inflicted wounds.
Up front, it was Michigan’s defensive line that dominated week nine, as Breeland Speaks got to Houston’s quarterbacks multiple times. Even though the Roughnecks rallied and took a lead, it wasn’t enough as they let it slip away to Bryce Perkins, who came into the game in the second half, leading the comeback. Too often, Houston’s defense allowed Bryce to extend plays with his legs – something we’ve seen UFL defenses do all year long in 2025.
Michigan would win both affairs: 34-20, 26-22.
Coaching Matchup
Mike Nolan | Michigan Panthers: In his coaching career in the UFL, Mike Nolan has yet to lose to C.J. Johnson. The two go way back, having been in the NFL together with the New Orleans Saints. Nolan has a ton of respect for C.J., commending his coaching consistently the last few seasons. In three matchups, though, Mike has gotten the best of C.J. every time. Nolan’s Panthers are playing some of their best football right now, sitting at 5-2.
C.J. Johnson | Houston Roughnecks: The Roughnecks have looked like a much better team so far this UFL season, despite some of the self inflicted wounds that haunt them. C.J. Johnson has improved in year three, but still can’t get this team over the hump. Blowing a 19 point lead to Birmingham was a brutal blow this past weekend – and now he has to try to top the Michigan Panthers for the first time in franchise history.
Panthers Coach Mike Nolan gave his thoughts on the upcoming matchup against Houston:
“They need a win to stay in the race for the playoffs, we need a win to get into the playoffs. So it’s a very important game for both teams. Last year, they were a tough team to play. I remember the time we went down to Houston late in the season, it was a hot day, like it’s going to be this time, and they were ahead of us most of the ball game and we came back and won. They’re a good team, and about a month ago they got back on track and have played very well since then. We got our hands full trying to beat them, C.J. is an excellent coach.”
Final Thoughts
This should be an exciting game across the board, between two USFL conference teams who boast potent offenses. Michigan runs the ball really well, and features the explosives of an MVP candidate in Bryce Perkins. Meanwhile, Houston’s secondary is one of the best units in the UFL, and Jalan McClendon has been very efficient as he’s grown as a starting QB the last few weeks.
Houston cannot afford to lose this one at home. With a loss, they would be eliminated from UFL postseason contention.
The action all kicks off on Saturday, at 1pm ET on FOX.
Full Roster Breakdowns: Houston, Michigan
What are your thoughts on this upcoming UFL matchup between the Michigan Panthers and Houston Roughnecks? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
