Sunday’s slate of UFL action kicked off at Ford Field, with the Michigan Panthers taking on the DC Defenders in what was a clash of two of the league’s best.
Heading into this one, the Panthers were coming off of a tough loss on the road to the St. Louis Battlehawks. It was a game they felt they could win, but came up just short, 32-27.
Meanwhile, the DC Defenders were riding the coattails of a double digit comeback on the road against Arlington, improving to 4-1. They were searching for revenge against Michigan, as they lost to the Panthers at home last season, 22-9.
DC wasn’t ready for the smack in the face they received from Michigan today, though. Let’s take a look at what went down, as the Panthers absolutely dominated en route to a 38-14 victory.
First Quarter
The game opened up with a very strange sequence of events for the DC Defenders. They got into scoring range, and on 4th and 1, committed a penalty which resulted in a field goal attempt. Matt McCrane’s kick was blocked – but offsides gave DC another down. The weird thing here is that Garrett Marino was charged with unnecessary roughness, but it could not be enforced because offsides is a “dead ball penalty”.
With it once again being 4th and 1, DC decided to go for it. This time, Garrett Marino stuffed Deon Jackson up the middle, and the Panthers got a defensive stop.
Michigan’s offense would come out swinging. Despite starting at their own five yard line, the Panthers set the tone early, with their offensive line play. Bryce Perkins was in a rhythm from the very first snap, as Michigan pushed the ball down the field with ease.
Big completions to Malik Turner and Jaylon Moore set up the Panthers in the red zone, and then the drive was finished off by Toa Taua with a one yard rushing score. Perkins rushed for the PAT, and Michigan led 7-0.
Second Quarter
As the second period got underway, DC was finding their stride as an offense. They have a great first drive, but unfortunate penalties/circumstances kept them scoreless. This time around, the Defenders capitalized. A deep ball to Ben Bresnahan set them up in scoring position, and then Jordan Ta’amu dropped a dime to Braylon Sanders for a score to make it 7-6.
The rest of the 2Q was all Michigan. Even though DC got a stop and forced a punt, their offense sputtered. Mika Tafua came up with a huge sack on Ta’amu, and the Defenders sent it right back.
This is where the Perkins magic really got going. On a play that looked dead in the water as DC got to Perkins in the pocket, he somehow managed to stay upright and fire the ball down field to Cole Hikutini, who waltzed in for a touchdown.
DC could not get anything going on their end. Ta’amu and his accuracy issues were on display, as the Defenders went three and out, punting it away again. Paxton Brooks completely shanked the punt, and Michigan had the ball on the 34 yard line of DC. The Panthers couldn’t fully take advantage, settling for a field goal to make it 17-6.
Heading into halftime, the Panthers held a strong 11 point advantage over DC, dominating across the board in the second quarter.
Third Quarter
DC had zero answers for Bryce Perkins, as they could not find a way to tackle or bring him down. After the Panthers were put in a backed up situation due to penalties, Perkins still found a way to escape – rushing for 31 yards on 3rd and 20.
Nate McCrary did the rest, rushing for 20 yards and a touchdown on his next two carries. DC’s disciple defensively was lacking – as Perkins was knocked out of the game after his scramble. It was obvious that Michigan would run the ball, yet DC still couldn’t provide answers for it.
On the PAT, Bryce Perkins continued to flash his unbelievable skillset. He threw a no-look pass to Malik Turner, putting the Panthers up 24-6.
With things turning desperate quickly, DC made something happen. Jordan Ta’amu unleashed a 65 yard deep ball to Chris Rowland, who walked into the end zone for six. A two point conversion to Briley Moore was successful, and it was 24-14.
The lack of discipline continued to bite the Defenders, though. Michigan scored a touchdown which was called back, due to OPI. After the Panthers settled for a field goal, Deontay Anderson decided to jump the center on the kick, which was a penalty.
Michigan capitalized, as Bryce Perkins danced around the tackling attempts from DC – tightroping the sidelines for another rushing touchdown.
Fourth Quarter
DC was running out of gas at this point. They had to punt it away again, with Abram Smith struggling to get it going on the ground. Michigan finally stalled out offensively, though, giving DC one more chance to try to get back into it down 16.
Ta’amu tried to go back to Rowland on two deep balls, but both were inaccurate, and the Defenders decided to punt – despite it being midway through the 4Q.
That would be the final nail in the coffin for DC. Michigan continued to chip away at their defense, converting on third downs and choking out the Defenders with their offensive line push. Bryce found Malik Turner for another touchdown, and a successful two point conversation made it 38-14.
That would just about do it from Ford Field. Down 24, DC didn’t have much to work with, and time expired as the Michigan Panthers walked all over DC on their home turf, 38-14.
Standout Playmakers
QB Bryce Perkins: Perkins was a one man wrecking crew for Michigan, as he continues to look like the runaway favorite at MVP in the UFL. He threw for 188 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 96 yards and a score – without turning the ball over at all. DC had zero answers for Bryce in this one.
RB Toa Taua: Taua is one of the best stories in the UFL. He was cut by the team in camp, but came back due to injury, and has been outstanding. Taua ran all over DC’s defense today, with 19 carries for 94 yards and a touchdown. Toa’s been tremendous for Michigan.
TE Cole Hikutini: Hikutini finally had a breakout game, something we’ve been waiting to see all year long. Cole had three catches for 63 yards and a touchdown, showing up down the field for Bryce on multiple clutch plays.
LB Frank Ginda: Ginda was a tackling machine…who would’ve seen that coming? Ginda led the Panthers with 11 tackles, and also added a TFL to his final tally.
DB D.J. Miller Jr.: Miller had a good bounce back game after struggling a bit against St. Louis. He had three tackles and two PBU’s on the day, keeping DC’s receivers in check for most of the outing.
WR Chris Rowland: Rowland was a menace today for DC, no surprise. He had nine catches for 144 yards and a TD, while adding over 50 return yards to his final stat sheet (198 All-Purpose Yards). Rowland has been performing at an All-UFL level this season.
DE Kyle Phillips: DC struggled to do much of anything right defensively, but Kyle Phillips impressed with six tackles and a team-high three TFL’s.
Key Takeaways
The Michigan Panthers absolutely dogwalked the DC Defenders today at home. The trenches were dominated by Michigan, as they established the ground game early, and did not relent.
The Panthers had one of the best offensive performances that we’ve ever seen in spring football today. They finished the day with:
- 401 Total Yards (213 rushing)
- 38 Points (UFL season high, Michigan Panthers franchise record)
- 4/4 in the red zone
- 4/7 on third downs
- 7.2 Yards Per Play
OC Marcel Bellefeuille and this entire offensive staff deserves a ton of credit for the job they did in this game, scheming DC’s defense, and taking advantage of their poor discipline.
“Marcel has done an outstanding job. I think Marcel would say the same thing, our offense has some great weapons. Our receiving core is very stout. They do a great job. We’ve got three tight ends now, who can all play. The honest thing to say is that Marcel is calling some really good plays, and he has some really good players calling those plays. But we have to be honest, some of the things that Bryce did today are not on the call sheet. Bryce did a great job. But, Marcel without question has been outstanding – he’s a very good coach and we’re happy to have him.” – HC Mike Nolan
The Panthers did an excellent job of keeping pressure on DC in this one. Their offense didn’t get complacent or comfortable, continuing to push the ball down the field and grow their lead in the second half.
RB Toa Taua was someone that Coach Nolan highlighted as someone who brought energy to the sidelines in today’s game. Taua commented on it post-game, stressing how important it was for Michigan to stay focused:
“Like we were saying earlier, you’re never really out of a game. Especially with no extra points, it’s crazy. You have to keep your foot on the gas pedal, no matter what the score is. No matter what quarter it is. You have to keep applying pressure, and making sure everyone’s body language is right. You can’t get too comfortable.”
DC could not get out of their own way in this game. Jordan Ta’amu and the offense showed signs of life, and honestly didn’t play terrible. It was the inexcusable mistakes, and strange calls/penalties, that kept them out of the end zone.
For example, on their opening drive to not score any points was a huge swing and a miss. They could have jumped to a six point advantage, but because they couldn’t accept the unnecessary roughness penalty, Michigan stood them up on 4th and 1. Then, Deontay Anderson foolishly leaping over the snapper on the late field goal attempt resulted in Michigan taking a 30-14 lead, as opposed to 27-14, or 24-14 if B.T. missed.
For Head Coach Shannon Harris, he was displeased with their defensive performance – specifically, their tackling. DC could not get Michigan’s ball carriers down throughout the entire afternoon, which killed their momentum throughout multiple drives.
“It goes back to guys reading their keys, and being disciplined with their eyes. At the end of the day, it’s all about tackling. That’s the second week, like you’ve said, that we’ve had poor tackling. The scheme itself is where it needs to be. It comes down to executing it now. That’s the part for us, is getting back to getting the ball back on the turf. Getting ready to tackle. Offensively, we let them get too comfortable. They got to do whatever they wanted to do, because we didn’t sustain drives the way we needed to.”
The Defenders will have to go back to the drawing board, as they’ve allowed 30+ points in their last two games, and now sit at 4-2.
Final Thoughts
Mike Nolan and his Michigan Panthers are on fire. Bryce Perkins finally being named QB1 should have been executed a long time ago, but now that he’s officially got the keys, he’s ready to be MVP of the UFL. The Panthers picking up a dominant win not just puts them in Championship conversations, but keeps them ahead of the Roughnecks in the USFL Conference – which is massive as Houston won two in a row.
The DC Defenders are now deadlocked with the St. Louis Battlehawks at 4-2 in the XFL Conference, with a one game advantage over the 3-3 Arlington Renegades. DC does have head-to-head wins over both organizations.
What are your thoughts on today’s game between the Michigan Panthers and DC Defenders? Which UFL players impressed you? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
