Inside the Article
The Michigan Panthers are going home. Just moments ago, the Panthers came up just short of taking care of business in the USFL North Division Championship game losing to the Pittsburgh Maulers by a score of 31-27.
Michigan Panthers lose heartbreaker in USFL North Division Championship Game
After trailing for the second week in a row, the Panthers once again showed that they have no quit as they came from behind against the Maulers. Panthers quarterback E.J. Perry led the way for the Panthers as he completed 23-of-38 passes for 370 yards and two touchdowns to go along with one interception. Perry also rushed the ball seven times for 22 yards and a touchdown.
E.J. Perry takes matters into his own hands
Following an amazing 59-yard field goal by Maulers’ kicker Chris Blewitt, the Panthers trailed 20-17 with 3:15 left in the fourth quarter. That’s when Perry took things into his own hands by hitting Trey Quinn for a 55-yard touchdown to give the Panthers the lead with just 2:04 remaining in the game.
Maulers refuse to go without a fight
Rather than accept their demise, the Maulers proceeded to drive all the way down the field before scoring on fourth-and-goal play to take the 27-24 lead with under a minute remaining in the game. The scoring play came when Maulers quarterback Troy Williams connected with wide receiver Ishmael Hyman for a six-yard touchdown with just 39 seconds remaining.
One kick for overtime
Perry had 39 seconds to get the Panthers into field goal position and that is exactly what he did before Panthers kicker Cole Murphy drilled a 47-yard kick to send the game to overtime. Check it out.
Key Points
- The Panthers got down early before coming back to take the lead on multiple occasions
- When all was said and done, the Maulers got the last laugh
- The Panthers came up one game short of the USFL Championship Game.
Overtime proves to be too much for the Panthers
In overtime, see the rules here, the Maulers successfully converted their first two conversion attempts, while the Panthers failed on both tries. When all was said and done, the Maulers advanced to the USFL Championship Game with a 31-27 win.
