Michigan Panthers Hold Off Memphis Showboats On The Road
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Michigan Panthers Hold Off Memphis Showboats On The Road

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To open up Sunday’s slate of UFL action, the Memphis Showboats hosted the Michigan Panthers in a USFL Conference showdown. It was an intriguing matchup, given the storylines surrounding both organizations.

Michigan comes into this opening game as a team with lofty expectations, having a 7-3 record a year ago – coming up just short in the playoffs against Birmingham. They took down Memphis twice last year, and are certainly confident in their abilities to do so once again.

For the Showboats, they had a wild hiccup to begin the year, with HC Ken Whisenhunt stepping down just six days before the opening game. With Jim Turner at the helm now, who has zero experience at HC or at coordinator, Memphis needed to make a statement early.

Let’s take a look at what went down in this matchup, as it ended up being less competitive than originally thought.

First Quarter

Memphis opened up with possession of the football, and the former Michigan Panthers starting QB E.J. Perry took the field. Michigan’s defense established themselves quickly, though, as Adonis Alexander punished Jonathan Adams on 3rd down, and Memphis had to punt it away.

Michigan’s offense got off to a much better start. Bryce Perkins came out as starting quarterback, and looked fantastic. Nate McCrary got it going on the ground early, and Marcus Simms broke loose for a 30 yard gain on a screen. A penalty forced Michigan to kick a field goal, though, and B.T. Potter knocked through the 32 yarder to make it 3-0.

A miscue for Memphis on the kick return set them up with horrible field position. Then, a penalty backed them up even further. Noah Dawkins, a veteran LB for Michigan, was flying around early – making plays and shutting down this drive.

Michigan once again put together an impressive drive. Bryce Perkins was finding his receivers in rhythm early, with Simms and Malik Turner stepping up. Bryce even decided to hurdle again – which certainly struck some fear into the hearts of fans watching – as he got hurt badly last year doing the same thing. Heading into quarter two, Michigan had momentum, knocking on the door of another score.

Second Quarter

The Perkins magic continued to start the second period. On 4th and goal, Bryce broke about five tackles, spinning his way into the end zone to make it 10-0.

Memphis rolled with Troy Williams to start the second quarter, which was expected as Perry and Troy split time. Williams looked very confident, as he found Jonathan Adams, Ryan Izzo, and Eli Stove for important gains. They got deep in the red zone – but a big sack from Kenny Willekes held them to a field goal. After the sack, plus a penalty, Matt Coghlin hit the 50 yard attempt to make it 10-3.

For whatever reason, Mike Nolan decided to stick Danny Etling into the game, despite the success that Perkins was having. Memphis’ defense was able to come up with an important stop, forcing a punt as the Showboats regained possession with a few minutes left in the half.

However, the Showboats put Perry back into the game – which was a confusing move. Under pressure, he attempted to throw it deep, but got hit. In turn, the ball fluttered into the air, and Arnold Tarpley III came away with the interception for the Panthers.

Memphis’ defense was sensational on the next drive, though. Jaylon Allen came up with a huge sack on Etling, and Michigan once again had to punt it away.

While it appeared that D.J. Miller came up with an interception for the Panthers, it ended up being ruled incomplete. Memphis had to punt it away, and we went into halftime with it being a 10-3 ballgame.

Third Quarter

Michigan opened up the second half with possession, but Memphis’ defense once again held up strong. Jarren Horton had his unit playing at a high level, which resulted in another punt from Michigan’s Seth Vernon.

Surprisingly, E.J. Perry came back into the game for Memphis. While the Showboats did get into scoring position, they were held to a field goal, as Dawkins came up with another big hit. Coghlin knocked through the 45 yarder, and it was a 10-6 ball game.

Michigan took their time on the ensuing drive. Despite some excellent defense from the Showboats, Perkins was able to chip away and pick up first downs by the skin of his teeth. After getting into scoring position, Perkins rolled out and found Samson Nacua, who made Amir Riep miss a tackle – and took it 25 yards to the house. Just like that, Michigan led 17-6 after Matt Colburn converted on the one point attempt.

Heading into the final period, Memphis had possession, but was about to punt after Troy Williams missed Isiah Hennie on an out route.

Fourth Quarter

What the Panthers were able to accomplish well in this game: holding the football. Their possessions were very long, wearing down a Showboats defense that was doing their best. Michigan put together another lengthy drive, which resulted in a 43 yard field goal from Potter to make it 20-6.

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The Showboats put Perry back into the game, and on 4th and 5, he was able to find Dee Anderson to move the chains. Deneric Prince also made an impact,breaking off a couple of big runs to put the Showboats inside the 10 yard line. A DPI on Alexander gave Memphis 1st and goal at the one yard line, with two minutes left. However, Mike Nolan used an incredible super challenge call to back up Memphis to the six, which helped at the break.

The Showboats would find a way to cash in, though. Perry found Jonathan Adams for the touchdown, and with a little less than two minutes left, it was 20-12.

Memphis attempted a 4th and 12 onsides pass to receive possession back, but Keni-H Lovely was able to break it up at the last second, despite Dee Anderson having the ball in his hands.

Things got really, really interesting down the stretch though. Michigan put Etling in at QB, and three straight runs to McCrary went nowhere. Then, a 50 yard field goal try from Potter was missed, and Memphis had the football with less than a minute to play.

Memphis decided to go back to Troy Williams, which was an interesting move. He scrambled and found Jonathan Adams for a big gain – giving the Showboats hope. But, then, he errantly tossed the ball under pressure, and Kai Nacua took it to the house 80 yards.

Michigan would go on to win this game, 26-12 on the road.

Standout Playmakers

QB Bryce Perkins: Perkins had an impressive day with the Panthers, completing 16 of 19 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown. His athleticism was on display all afternoon long, making it difficult for the Showboats to contain him defensively. Hopefully, Bryce will continue to be QB1 moving forward.

WR Samson Nacua: While Nacua isn’t a starter, he showed up big-time when Michigan needed him most. Samson had a 25 yard touchdown to put Michigan on top late, and they didn’t relent the lead following that score. Expect to see more of Samson moving forward.

LB Frank Ginda: Ginda, one of the mainstays in this Panthers defense, was spectacular. He led the way with 11 tackles, and 0.5 sacks – with six solo tackles.

CB Adonis Alexander: With his size and speed, Adonis Alexander emerged late as a key DB for Michigan last year. Today, he dominated, with five tackles and two PBU’s – taking on some of the toughest assignments of the day.

WR Jonathan Adams: Adams, once again, was stellar for the Showboats. He’ll be leading the way in that wide receiver core, and did so today with six receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown.

LB Zeke Vandenburgh: In his UFL debut, Zeke looked the part in Jarren Horton’s defense. He was versatile, lining up at multiple positions and making plays in coverage and as a pass rusher. Vandenburgh finished the game with nine tackles, and a TFL.

Major Takeaways

Let’s start with Memphis. Truthfully, they looked better than some would have expected – given the circumstances. With an interim HC with zero experience, and a first-time play caller in T.J. Vernieri, Memphis did manage the game relatively well. They were able to keep things close throughout most of the game.

Defensively, after a rocky start, the Showboats were able to put it together. Their “bend don’t break” mentality allowed them to keep things close, and some of the younger players showcased legitimate talent. As the season goes on and Memphis weathers this storm without their head coach, there is certainly promise for this team to grow. That said, it was a relatively ugly performance today: which wasn’t too shocking.

On Michigan’s side, it’s clear: Bryce Perkins should be QB1. The way he effortlessly moves in the pocket, eludes tacklers, and throws the ball down the field – the upside is endless with Bryce. It makes zero sense for this team to utilize Etling at this point. If they want to beat Birmingham, they have to make Bryce the true number one guy.

Defensively, the Panthers were flying around as expected. Collin Bauer has this unit looking elite once again, as they consistently shut down Memphis, even when they got into scoring position. The corners looked fast and physical, while mainstays such as Walter Palmore, Frank Ginda, and Noah Dawkins were making plays on every single drive. With a defense like this, the ceiling for Michigan is very high this season.

The UFL continues right after this game, with the DC Defenders taking on the Birmingham Stallions on ESPN.

What are your thoughts on this game between the Michigan Panthers and Memphis Showboats? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!

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