USFL Week 8: New Jersey Generals top Pittsburgh Maulers
Week 8 of the USFL season kicked off Friday with a heated matchup between the Pittsburgh Maulers and the New Jersey Generals, who started strong on the way to their seventh-straight victory, 29-18.
The Generals improve to 7-1 on the season, while the Maulers fall to 1-7.
Here are the top plays from Friday's game.
New Jersey Generals 29, Pittsburgh Maulers 18
Generals strike first
New Jersey took advantage of its opening drive by grabbing a quick six points, courtesy of RB Darius Victor.
Generals' Darius Victor hammers in a two-yard TD
Bombs away!
Maulers QB Roland Rivers got things going early for his team in his first start for Pittsburgh.
Maulers answer
Pittsburgh fired back with a score of its own on the ensuing drive, thanks to the fancy footwork of Rivers.
Roland Rivers ties it up with a five-yard TD run
Double trouble
The Generals started the second quarter the same way they started the first — with a TD.
Darius Victor punches in his second TD of the night
Third time's the charm
The Generals came up with their third score of the night on a 24-yard TD pass from QB Luis Perez to WR KaVontae Turpin, good for a healthy double-digit lead.
KaVontae Turpin turns on the jets for a 24-yard receiving TD
Pulling away
New Jersey added three more points ahead of the half on a monster 50-yard field goal, good for a 23-7 lead.
Coming through!
The Generals' defense came out in full force in the second half. First, Dravon Askew-Henry took down Tre Walker on the kickoff return.
Sack!
Then, Generals tackle Toby Johnson took down Rivers with a huge sack.
Record-setting kick
The Maulers added three points to close out the third frame with a record-setting 61-yard field goal.
Maulers' Ramiz Ahmed drills a 61-yard FG to set a USFL record
New Jersey rolls
Victor punched in his third score of the night to extend the Generals' lead to 29-10 early in the fourth quarter.
Maulers make their move
The Maulers made a run for it late in the game, scoring midway through the final frame and adding a two-point conversion to keep things close, 29-18.
Alternative kickoff
Pittsburgh opted for an alternative onside kick — a unique USFL rule where a team can elect to go for it from fourth-and-12 from their own 33-yard line to earn possession.
Rivers found recent Maulers free-agent signee Jalen McCleskey for a gain of 18 yards to keep the ball, but it ended in a missed field goal, and things ended there.
