USFL Week 9 highlights: New Orleans Breakers rout Memphis Showboats
Week 9 of the USFL season is in full swing, and we've got you covered with all the action from start to finish!
The New Orleans Breakers and Memphis Showboats closed out Saturday's slate, as New Orleans dominated the Showboats, 31-3. Both teams entered Week 9 at 5-3, but they also play in a loaded South Division in which all four teams entered the weekend either 5-3 or 6-2.
Earlier, the Pittsburgh Maulers (3-6) picked up their first win since Week 5 after taking down the Michigan Panthers (3-6) in Canton, Ohio.
Here are the top moments!
FINAL: New Orleans Breakers 31, Memphis Showboats 3
Loose ball!
The Breakers were able to force a fumble in the game's opening minutes to set them up in Showboats territory before kicking a field goal to take a 3-0 lead.
Over the (Wes) Hills and into the end zone
Wes Hills took an inside handoff and ran right up the guy for a one-yard score to give the Breakers a 10-0 lead in the first quarter.
What the heck just happened?
A bad snap on a Showboats' third-and-6 was just the start of one of the most chaotic plays of the USFL season. Showboats QB Cole Kelley ran back to the ball after it went through his legs. Once he got possession, he decided to launch it downfield in hopes of getting the first down. But his pass was batted before it ended up in the hands of Breakers LB Vontae Diggs, who turned the interception into a touchdown to give his team a 17-0 lead in the first quarter.
Weather delay
Not long after the Breakers went up 17-0, the game entered a weather delay with 1:20 left in the first quarter due to lightning. The USFL stated it still hopes to finish the game on Saturday.
How to stay focused during a long weather delay
With the weather delay lasting at least two hours long, Breakers QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson shared how he's keeping loose and focused on the game.
Return to play soon!
The weather delay will end, and both teams will resume play around 6:30 p.m. ET.
Game on!
The Showboats are ready to go after the three-hour weather delay.
Breakers breaking the Showboats' offense
Memphis finally had an opportunity to get into the end zone late in the first half. But a third-down sack by New Orleans forced it to settle for three points, making it a 17-3 game.
Showboats stripped of the ball
The Showboats were on the doorstep of the end zone to make it a one-score game in the final moments of the first half. But Juwan Washington fumbled the ball and the Breakers recovered, allowing New Orleans to keep its 17-3 lead going into halftime.
Fourth-and-sack
Looking to generate any positive plays on offense, the Showboats decided to go for it on fourth-and-10 from the Breakers' 37-yard-line. The decision didn't pay off as Anree Saint-Amour came up with the big sack.
Breakers breaking it open
New Orleans made it a three-score game late in the third when Bethel-Thompson found Jonathan Adams over the middle for a three-yard touchdown, extending its lead to 24-3.
It's a rout
On the eighth play of the ensuing possession, Kelly's pass was intercepted by Breakers safety James Wiggins, who reeled in the pick off a deflection.
While the Breakers went three-and-out off the turnover, the Showboats proceeded to turn it over on downs. Two plays later, Eli Stove thundered his way around the Memphis defense on a jet sweep for a 29-yard touchdown, giving the Breakers a four-score lead.
He's at it again!
Just minutes after hauling in an interception, Wiggins came up with another pick. This time around, he pulled the ball into his chest with one hand before running it back to the Showboats' 40-yard line. The Breakers then ran out the clock.
Setting the stage
The Breakers were the best team in the league to open the season, starting off with a 4-0 record before losing three in a row. But New Orleans found its way back in the win column in Week 8, surviving Michigan's comeback bid.
On the other side, the Showboats' season has been just about the opposite. Memphis was 0-3 to start the season but has won its past five games, giving it an opportunity to make the playoffs.
The Breakers are ready to get rolling in Memphis.
The Showboats, meanwhile, are ready to defend their home field.
