Zach Smith finds Sal Cannella for the broad open Breakers TD
New Orleans quarterback Zach Smith finds tight finish Sal Cannella for a wide-open Breakers landing and the early lead within the second quarter.
Week 7 of the USFL season continued Saturday with a gripping additional time matchup between the New Orleans Breakers and the Michigan Panthers.
New Orleans improved to 5-2 on the season with a 31-27 victory over Michigan, which dropped to 1-6 general.
Elsewhere, the New Jersey Generals (6-1) turned the primary USFL workforce to clinch a postseason spot with a dramatic victory over the Tampa Bay Bandits (3-4) within the early window.
Listed below are the highest performs from Saturday’s late sport.
New Orleans Breakers 31, Michigan Panthers 27
All You Want Is Love
Josh Love made his first begin as a Panther on Saturday after Michigan launched quarterback Shea Patterson — the No. 1 general decide within the 2022 USFL Draft — who was scooped up by New Orleans off the waiver wire.
Not how NOLA drew it up
The Breakers fumbled the ball on their first drive of the sport when a trick play went incorrect.
Like to see it
On the following drive, Love moved the Panthers downfield with ease on this 32-yard bomb to Devin Ross.
Michigan settles for 3
The massive acquire led to a brief field goal to get the Panthers on the board first after the Breakers’ protection denied them on third-and-goal.
Sacked!
The Breakers’ protection continued to pour it on the Panthers as the primary quarter got here to an in depth.
Zack Assault
Backup QB Zach Smith entered the sport for Kyle Sloter within the second body and instantly made an influence.
Breakers on the board!
New Orleans took a 7-3 lead when tight finish Sal Cannella discovered the tip zone on a fast cross from Smith.
New Orleans quarterback Zach Smith finds tight finish Sal Cannella for a wide-open Breakers landing and the early lead within the second quarter.
Razzle Dazzle
Panthers TE La’Michael Pettway got here up with a wild catch from Love because the Panthers moved down the sphere.
With momentum on its facet, Michigan closed the hole with one other field goal late within the second quarter to make it a one-point sport.
One other one!
It did not keep a one-point sport for lengthy, nonetheless, because the Breakers marched down the sphere to increase their lead, 14-6, courtesy of WR Jonathan Adams.
Jonathan Adams secures a landing from Kyle Sloter to place the New Orleans Breakers forward of the Michigan Panthers.
It is good!
The Panthers acquired the ball again with one minute to spare, they usually actually made essentially the most of it.
First, Cameron Scarlett turned on the jets and broke off for a big 36-yard gain, which arrange a prolonged subject purpose try for Michigan.
Fortunately for the Panthers, Cole Murphy is on their roster. Murphy added one other subject purpose forward of the break, this time a whopping 60-yarder to make it a five-point sport on the break, 14-9.
The monster kick comes on the heels of him nailing a 56-yarder — the longest subject purpose of the season at the moment — in Week 6 that earned him Particular-Groups Participant of the Week.
Cole Murphy drills a 60-yarder to present Michigan a lift heading into halftime.
Again-and-forth battle
The Breakers opened the second-half scoring with a field goal of their very own, though not fairly as flashy. Murphy answered along with his fourth field goal of the evening to account for all 12 of the Panthers’ factors.
The Breakers held a 17-14 edge heading into the ultimate body, which the Panthers took management over early after New Orleans fumbled the punt return close to its personal purple zone.
Michigan’s first TD!
The Panthers took their first lead since early within the first quarter on a brief scamper from Stevie Scott, and a successful two-point conversion made it a three-point sport, 20-17.
Michigan scores a TD early within the fourth quarter to take the lead. The Panthers then added a two-point conversion on the brief cross to Lance Lenoir.
Making waves
The Breakers fired again on the next drive, capping off a 60-yard, four-play drive with six factors.
TD frenzy
Michigan answered with one other rating on the following drive to maintain issues shut. Reggie Corbin popped off for 29 yards to get the Panthers close to the purpose line, and Scarlett did the rest to regain the lead, 27-24.
Tips up their sleeve
The Panthers pulled out all of the stops within the last jiffy, like this trick play for the primary down.
Michigan acquired the ball again late within the body after New Orleans went three-and-out on the earlier drive, however they missed a subject purpose to depart the door open for the Breakers — they usually took benefit.
Tangled up
With lower than two minutes to spare, the Breakers kicked it into excessive gear on their last drive in regulation. And with one second (!) left on the clock, they tied the sport with a field goal to ship issues to additional time.
Stroll-off win in OT
In additional time, every workforce alternated a one-play possession from the 2-yard line with every rating being price two factors. Every workforce will get as much as three performs, however it solely took New Orleans two to seal the deal.
The Panthers’ first try got here up brief on a bad snap, whereas the Breakers discovered the tip zone with ease.
Michigan got here up brief once more on its second attempt, which allowed New Orleans to come back from behind and win the primary additional time sport of the inaugural season.
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