Bandits trounce Maulers behind Jordan Ta'amu, BJ Emmons

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The Tampa Bay Bandits wrapped up the first week of the United States Football League season with a rout of the Pittsburgh Maulers on Monday night 17-3.

Tampa Bay scored on their first possession of the game. Running back B.J. Emmons ran the ball into the end zone for a 3-yard score to cap off an 8-play, 68-yard drive.

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Jordan Ta'amu #10 of Tampa Bay Bandits passes the ball in the second quarter of the game against the Pittsburgh Maulers at Protective Stadium on April 18, 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama. (Carmen Mandato/USFL/Getty Images)

The Bandits would score again on a Jordan Ta’amu 3-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Lasley. The Bandits were up 17-0 on that point and would only allow the Maulers to score three points the rest of the way.

Ta’amu was 20-for-32 with 185 passing yards, a touchdown pass and two interceptions. Tight end Cheyenne O’Grady led Tampa Bay with eight catches for 86 yards. Lasley finished with three catches for 21 yards.

Emmons had 40 yards on the ground on 19 carries.

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Zac Dawe #95 of Tampa Bay Bandits at Protective Stadium sacks Josh Love #12 of Pittsburgh Maulers in the third quarter of the game on April 18, 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama. (Carmen Mandato/USFL/Getty Images)

Pittsburgh would have nine offensive plays that went for negative yards on offense and that would underscore their offensive struggles the entire night.

Josh Love and Kyle Lauletta split quarterback duties but neither could get any offense going. Love finished 9-for-16 with 121 passing yards. Lauletta was 2-for-10 with eight passing yards.

Garrett Groshek led the way for the Maulers in the rushing attack. He had 55 yards on 16 carries. Jeff Thomas had four catches for 43 yards.

The Bandits and Maulers were supposed to close out the first week on Sunday night but bad weather blowing through Birmingham, Alabama, forced the league to postpone the game on Monday night.

Tampa Bay’s win over Pittsburgh means that every team in the South Division has picked up a win this week. The New Orleans Breakers, Houston Gamblers and Birmingham Stallions all wrapped up a victory in the first couple of days of the season.

Head coach Kirby Wilson of Pittsburgh Maulers looks on in the third quarter of the game against the Tampa Bay Bandits at Protective Stadium on April 18, 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama. (Rob Carr/USFL/Getty Images)

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The Bandits will play the Breakers on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The Maulers will play the Philadelphia Stars at Noon ET on Saturday on FOX.