The New Orleans Breakers will have to keep pace with the Birmingham Stallions if they wish to win the USFL’s South Division, making Sunday’s matchup with the Houston Gamblers even more crucial. A win for the Breakers will keep New Orleans a game behind the Stallions — the league’s lone unbeaten team.
Houston, led by running back Mark Thompson, is looking to avenge a fourth quarter collapse against the Tampa Bay Bandits last week. Thompson entered Week 4 leading the USFL in rushing yards while Breakers’ wide receiver Johnnie Dixon led the league in receiving yards. This matchup features two of the best skill position players in the USFL.
A win by Houston puts the Gamblers in a three-way tie with New Orleans and Tampa Bay for the second and final playoff spot in the South division — so this game is big for them as well. This is the final game of the weekend in Week 4 of the USFL.
In Saturday’s games
Generals 21, Maulers 13: The New Jersey Generals (3-1) established themselves as the favorites in the North division, using an impressive quarterback performance from quarterbacks Luis Perez and D’Andre Johnson to beat the Pittsburgh Maulers. Perez went 11 of 14 for 102 yards while Johnson finished 9 of 10 for 98 yards and a touchdown in the victory.
Johnson, the league’s best running quarterback, was held to just 14 yards rushing. Darius Victor picked up the slack with 57 yards and a rushing touchdown while KaVontae Turpin also had 37 rushing yards and a score. New Jersey leads Philadelphia by one game in the North.
Stallions 16, Bandits 10: Birmingham remains the lone unbeaten team in the USFL, thanks to a dominant defensive performance in a victory over Tampa Bay. In a matchup between two of the league’s top teams, the Stallions defense held the Bandits to just 158 yards of offense — 36 in the second half.
Trailing 10-7 at halftime, two field goals by Brandon Aubrey in the third quarter were the only points the Stallions needed thanks to their dominant defense. The Stallions started slow in the game, but Alex McGough led Birmingham on a 17-play, 77-yard drive that took 9:04 off the clock to get them going in the second quarter. Birmingham took its first lead of the game thanks to McGough’s 1-yard touchdown run to put them up 7-3 with 1:21 left in the first half.
Tampa Bay’s lone touchdown was a Jordan Ta’amu pass to Rashard Davis for a 9-yard touchdown in the final minute of the first half that gave the Bandits a 10-7 lead. The five-play, 67-yard drive was the last gasp of offense for the Bandits.
Check out our live blog below to relive Saturday’s games and for the latest updates on Sunday’s action, and click on our USFL home page for league standings, schedule and more.
Friday
Philadelphia Stars 26, Michigan Panthers 25
Saturday
New Jersey Generals 21, Pittsburgh Maulers 13
Birmingham Stallions 16, Tampa Bay Bandits 10
Sunday
Houston Gamblers at New Orleans Breakers, 3 p.m. ET on NBC