Breakers come back to beat Panthers in first USFL OT
By RJ Younger
FOX Sports activities Author
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Midway by way of the press convention, after taking questions from people inside Protecting Stadium, a name was put out to media members current by way of Zoom to ask their questions.
After an extended, awkward silence, New Orleans Breakers head coach Larry Fedora piped in from between gamers Kyle Sloter and Anthony Jones.
“They’re all in mattress,” Fedora joked.
The night time had been full.
After 54 factors scored in regulation, a 60-yard discipline purpose, 5 two-point conversion makes an attempt — together with one in regulation — a fumbled kick return and extra time, the Breakers felt lucky to stroll out of the media convention at 11:52 p.m. CT with a victory over the Michigan Panthers — to not point out an opportunity to remain within the struggle for considered one of two playoff spots on the finish of the inaugural USFL season.
However to get there, Sloter first needed to roll to his left, throw up a duck and hit wideout Jay Adams, who caught the go simply in time for the Breakers to name timeout with the clock exhibiting one second on the clock.
“The quarterback getting hit,” Fedora stated, “and when he was throwing it, the ball being floated up within the air — that was not deliberate by any means.”
Breakers defeat Panthers, 31-27 in USFL’s first OT thriller
The Breakers’ protection stopped the Panthers’ offense on two straight conversion makes an attempt whereas Anthony Jones and Kyle Sloter transformed for New Orleans.
That arrange New Orleans kicker Taylor Bertolet to nail a 26-yard discipline purpose as time expired to power extra time.
Underneath league guidelines, extra time consists of a best-of-three shootout from the 2-yard line. Every rating is value two factors. If one group goes up by 4 of their first two possessions, the sport ends.
If the groups stay tied after the best-of-three shootout, the interval instantly goes to sudden demise.
For the Panthers, who had possession first, their first try was forgettable, ending with a fumbled snap.
The Breakers scored on their first possession when Sloter discovered Jones open within the flat for the primary factors ever scored in a USFL extra time.
The Panthers missed once more on their second try, then Sloter bumped into the tip zone on a damaged play to safe a 31-27 win in extra time. He completed 15-for-24 for 182 yards with two TDs.
“I believe, simply as a competitor,” Sloter stated, “you search for these alternatives to assist your group win a sport, and we had some nice play calls there on the finish.”
Kyle Sloter’s passing helps Breakers edge Panthers in OT
Kyle Sloter threw for 182 yards and two touchdowns because the New Orleans Breakers held on to an exhilarating 31-29 OT win in opposition to the Michigan Panthers.
Patterson switches sides
It wasn’t sufficient that Panthers coach Jeff Fisher made the choice to launch quarterback Shea Patterson — the No. 1 general draft decide — earlier within the week. Patterson patrolled the sidelines for Larry Fedora’s Breakers doing every thing he might to attempt to inform the New Orleans protection what performs the Panthers have been trying to run.
It didn’t matter.
The Panthers almost earned their second win of the season behind the play of Patterson’s alternative, Josh Love. Love accomplished 18 of 36 passes for 173 yards.
“We acquired a lift on the quarterback place,” Fisher stated.
Love was steadied by an impressive speeding assault that featured working again Reggie Corbin dashing previous the century mark on the bottom.
Corbin leads the league in common yards per rush. He carried the ball 13 instances for 108 yards (8.3 yards per rush) whereas the Panthers’ offensive line rolled over the Breakers’ protection to permit Panther rushers to common higher than 5.5 yards per carry.
In a matchup that includes the highest go offense (Breakers) in opposition to the highest go protection (Panthers), the Breakers determined to function the run-game to begin earlier than hitting for a giant acquire on a display screen to working again Jordan Ellis. However an end-around hand-off to Adams ended up on the ground with Panther defensive finish JaQuan Bailey protecting it for the primary turnover of the sport.
Love selected to not look a present horse within the mouth and shortly discovered wideout Devin Ross down the center of the sector to place the Panthers right into a first-and-goal state of affairs for 33 yards.
The Breaker protection held up inside its 10-yard line, although, forcing the Panthers to kick a discipline purpose to go forward 3-0 with 6:07 left within the first quarter.
After a deliberate quarterback change for New Orleans, former Tulsa quarterback Zach Smith led the Breakers downfield on a 10-play scoring drive for the primary landing of the sport together with his first landing go within the USFL to a wide-open Sal Cannella.
He completed 5-for-8 for 46 yards with that passing TD.
With one minute left, Sloter, the starter, reentered the sport and led the Breakers down the sector for his or her second TD of the sport. Sloter discovered Adams on a top-shelf fade route to assist put the Breakers forward of the Panthers by a rating.
A(nother) record-setting discipline purpose
On the half, the Breakers held only a 14-9 lead after reigning USFL Particular Groups Participant of the Week Cole Murphy smashed a USFL file 60-yard discipline purpose because the clock hit zero for halftime.
“Only a nice kick,” Fisher stated.
Murphy was 4-for-5 on field-goal makes an attempt in opposition to the Breakers.
Murphy set the earlier USFL file for longest discipline purpose when he nailed a 56-yarder final week within the Panthers’ loss to Birmingham.
Cole Murphy drills a 60-YARD discipline purpose to offer Panthers a lift heading into halftime
Cole Murphy drills a 60-yard discipline purpose to offer Panthers a lift heading into halftime.
Late lead adjustments
Popping out of halftime, Breakers kicker Bertolet prolonged New Orleans’ led to 17-9 with three factors of his personal earlier than the Panthers started to place collectively their first sustainable drive of the second half.
The New Orleans protection bowed up at their very own 16-yard line and compelled Michigan to accept three another time on the finish of a 16-play drive. With the Breakers main 17-12 with 1:21 left within the third quarter, the Panthers had to be ok with preserving Fedora’s group inside a single rating.
Their optimism paid off. On the following kickoff, Taywan Taylor fumbled the ball on his kick return and the ball was recovered by Michigan contained in the Breakers’ half of the sector.
On the finish of the third quarter, the Panthers held the ball on the New Orleans seven-yard line with third-and-seven to go. Fullback Stevie Scott III later punched in for a TD and set the Panthers up for a go-ahead two-point conversion on a go from Like to Lance Lenoir with 14:20 left to play.
The Panthers led for the primary time since there have been six minutes left within the first quarter. The lead didn’t final lengthy.
Jones took a display screen from the Michigan 42-yard line and located paydirt to assist the Breakers retake a 24-20 lead with 12:12 left to play. However the Panthers wasted no time getting again on the board.
Breakers, Panthers rating on three straight drives in 4th
The New Orleans Breakers and Michigan Panthers began the fourth quarter off with a bang, scoring on three straight drives.
They rode Corbin into the crimson zone and took their second lead in 5 minutes when working again Cam Scarlett grew to become the second again to hurry for a TD for the Panthers on a seven-play drive lasting two minutes and 51 seconds.
Michigan was again on prime, 27-24, with 9:23 left to play. The Panther protection wouldn’t enable one other level scored — till the final second of regulation.
By the sport’s finish, Michigan had scored 11 factors off turnovers, and their 27-point complete was probably the most the Panthers have scored in a single sport all season.
The Panthers suffered yet one more heart-wrenching loss in a sport that they seemed like profitable.
RJ Younger is a nationwide school soccer author and analyst for FOX Sports activities and the host of the podcast “The No. 1 Ranked Show with RJ Young.” Observe him on Twitter at @RJ_Young, and subscribe to “The RJ Young Show” on YouTube. He isn’t on a StepMill.
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USFL – Breakers vs. Panthers – 5/29/2022
