USFL Week 4: Philadelphia Stars defeat Michigan Panthers in nailbiter
Week 4 of the United States Football League got underway with some Friday night action in Birmingham, Ala.
The Michigan Panthers played host to the Philadelphia Stars in a matchup that came down to the kickers. In the final seconds of regulation, the Panthers missed what would have been a game-winning field goal, and the Stars walked away with a one-point victory.
Here are the top plays.
Philadelphia Stars 26, Michigan Panthers 25
After kickoff was delayed 20 minutes, Matt Mengel gave the Stars a 3-0 lead with an opening-drive field goal.
Usually, the Michigan defense gets the attention, but the first quarter belonged to Philadelphia. Channing Stribling kept the Panthers scoreless on their first drive when he picked off Shea Patterson in the end zone on 2nd and 4.
Case Cookus dropped the perfect pass into the hands of Devin Gray to open the second quarter and extend the Stars' lead to 10-0.
And then he broke down the play on camera!
iPad Breakdown: Case Cookus connects with Devin Gray
MIchael Carrizosa split the uprights to shrink the deficit to 10-3. The field goal was his first make of the season.
Patterson scrambled on third-and-6 for his first rushing touchdown of the year and brought the Panthers within one.
Just when it seemed like Cookus was leading another scoring drive, a miscommunication between the quarterback and his receiver results in Sean Williams' first USFL interception.
Reggie Corbin took full advantage of the turnover and busted out an 88-yard touchdown run to eclipse the 100-yard rushing mark for the game and give Michigan a 17-10 lead.
Michigan's Reggie Corbin breaks off longest run of season
After a Jordan Moore interception with 37 seconds remaining in the first half, the Stars were able to tie the game on a 41-yard touchdown pass from Cookus to Diondre Overton.
Mengel put the Stars up 20-17 with a 44-yard field goal midway through the third, and he let the Michigan sideline know they couldn't rattle him.
He added a 30-yarder a short while later to make it 23-17, and that was the score through three quarters.
But the Panthers stayed on the prowl in the final quarter, with Patterson finding Joe Walker in the end zone. Michigan then completed a 2-point conversion to take the lead, 25-23.
After the Stars answered right back with a go-ahead field goal, it all came down to Panthers kicker Carrizosa, who unfortunately had his 21-yard attempt bounce off the upright. Philly got the win and moved to 2-2.
