Pittsburgh Defeats Michigan, Will Play for USFL Championship at Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday

Photo by Al Kornspan

The Pittsburgh Maulers will play for the USFL Championship on Saturday as they defeated the Michigan Panthers in the North Division Championship Game, 31-27. 

Pittsburgh Mauler’s head coach Ray Horton, a former Cleveland Browns Defensive Coordinator and three time Super Bowl champion noted the Mauler’s excellence in the red zone against Michigan as a key reason they won.

“The things that kept us here is three of four in the red zone,” said Horton. “Hopefully this is the genesis of great things to come for the offense.”

 

In addition to Pittsburgh’s dominance in the red zone, Horton emphasized that the success the Maulers had in the two minute drill at the end of the game was based on their preparation.

“They grew up in a do or die situation, and this young man (Quarterback Troy Williams), just took his team all the way down the field,” said Horton. “That two minute drive that we had was almost identical to what we did in practice.”

The first half of the USFL North Division Championship game was a defensive battle. 

Both teams recorded field goals in the first quarter and the Maulers added a second quarter touchdown run by former University of Wisconsin football player, Garrett Groshek, to take a 10-3 lead into halftime.

The Michigan Panthers answered the Maulers second quarter touchdown with two third quarter touchdowns of their own.

 E.J. Perry, a former Ivy League quarterback at Brown, ran for a 6 yard touchdown with 6:59 left in the third quarter. 

Then, less than three minutes later, Perry connected with former West Virginia University receiver, Marcus Simms, for a 72-yard touchdown pass.

And just like that, the Panthers had a 17-10 lead over the Maulers.

Early in the 4th quarter, Pittsburgh tied the game at 17 when Bailey Gaither from San Jose State University scored from 4 yards out.

With 3:16 left in the game, former Pittsburgh Steelers kicker, Chis Blewitt made a 59-yard field goal to give the Maulers a 20-17 lead.

It did not take long for the Michigan Panthers to retake the lead, 24-20, as E.J. Perry  connected with former Washington Redskins and Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver, Trey Quinn.

With less than two minutes left in the game it looked like Pittsburgh was driving for the game winning touchdown.  

With 39 seconds left, Troy Williams from the University of Utah connected with former Tampa Bucs receiver Ishmael Hyman for a six yard touchdown as Pittsburgh took a 27-24 lead.

But Michigan was able to convert a field goal with no time left in the game to force overtime.

Pittsburgh scored 4 points on two, 2-point conversions in overtime to defeat Michigan, 31-27.

After going 1-9 last season, the Maulers now have a chance to become USFL champions.

They take on the defending 2022 USFL Champions, the Birmingham Stallions, at the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday night at 8pm in Canton, Ohio.