USFL season finds ‘sweet spot’ in sports calendar
Executive Vice President Daryl Johnston shares expectations for the USFL season, reveals what makes the league unique on ‘Fox & Friends.’
The United States Football League concluded the second week of its inaugural season on Sunday. While the season is still early, it's becoming slightly clearer who the best teams and players are.
The Birmingham Stallions and the New Orleans Breakers, fresh off their mauling of the Tampa Bay Bandits on Sunday, are the USFL's only unbeaten teams. Meanwhile, the Michigan Panthers and Pittsburgh Maulers have yet to get in the win column.
Read below for a short recap of how the games played out.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
-
Scoreboard
![Jonathan Adams of New Orleans Breakers](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2022/04/1200/675/GettyImages-1393432798-copy.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Jonathan Adams of New Orleans Breakers misses the ball during the Tampa Bay Bandits game at Protective Stadium on April 24, 2022, in Birmingham, Alabama. (Tim Nwachukwu/USFL/Getty Images)
GENERALS 10, PANTHERS 6: The Generals were the first to score after relying heavily on their run game to get the ball down the field. The Panthers, led by quarterback Shea Patterson, made a late fourth-quarter push, but Patterson threw an incomplete pass to wide receiver La'Michael Pettway with just five seconds left on the clock, sealing Michigan’s fate.
STARS 30, MAULERS 23: Stars quarterback Bryan Scott connected with Maurice Alexander Jr. for a touchdown halfway through the fourth quarter. Scott scored three touchdowns in a game that saw several lead exchanges and the first-ever three-point conversion. Maulers cornerback Jaylon McClain-Sapp recovered a fumble for a 79-yard touchdown.
STALLIONS 33, GAMBLERS 28: Gamblers quarterback Clayton Thorson managed to get his team to within five points of the Stallions late in the fourth quarter, but Lorenzo Burns would intercept the ball with 1:13 left. The USFL’s highest-scoring game of the season thus far, saw the Stallions capitalize on a number of critical turnovers. Cornerback Brian Allen had a pick-six on the third play of the game to give Birmingham the early lead.
BREAKERS 34, BANDITS 3: New Orleans scored on their first possession of the game, with Kyle Sloter running the ball into the end zone for a 1-yard score to cap off an impressive 13-play, 77-yard drive. The Breakers were up 21-3 by halftime, and they didn't allow the Bandits to score any points for the rest of the game. It was the largest point differential in a USFL game this season.
-
USFL PROVIDES ‘ANOTHER AVENUE TO BRING PLAYERS IN,' BUCS GM SAYS
Standings
North Division
Generals (1-1)
Stars (1-1)
Panthers (0-2)
Maulers (0-2)
South Division
Breakers (2-0)
Stallions (2-0)
Gamblers (1-1)
Bandits (1-1)
-
Stat leaders through Week 2
Passing yards
![Kyle Sloter of the New Orleans Breakers](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2022/04/1200/675/GettyImages-1393435555-copy.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Kyle Sloter of the New Orleans Breakers looks to pass against the Tampa Bay Bandits at Protective Stadium on April 24, 2022, in Birmingham, Alabama. (Jamie Squire/USFL/Getty Images)
Bryan Scott (Stars) 474 yards
Kyle Sloter (Breakers) 416 yards
J'Mar Smith (Stallions) 385 yards
Passing touchdowns
![Bryan Scott of the Philadelphia Stars](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2022/04/1200/675/GettyImages-1393166112.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Bryan Scott of the Philadelphia Stars prepares to pass against the Pittsburgh Maulers at Protective Stadium on April 23, 2022, in Birmingham, Alabama. (Jamie Squire/USFL/Getty Images)
Bryan Scott (Stars) 4 touchdowns
J'Mar Smith (Stallions) 3 touchdowns
Clayton Thorson (Gamblers) 3 touchdowns
Rushing yards
Mark Thompson (Gamblers) 164 yards
Jordan Ellis (Breakers) 153 yards
Garrett Groshek (Maulers) 132 yards
Rushing touchdowns
C.J. Marable (Stallions) 2 touchdowns
T.J. Logan Jr. (Breakers) 2 touchdowns
J'Mar Smith (Stallions) 1 touchdown
Receptions
![Victor Bolden Jr. of the Birmingham Stallions](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2022/04/1200/675/GettyImages-1393236008-copy.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Victor Bolden Jr. of the Birmingham Stallions runs against the Houston Gamblers at Protective Stadium on April 23, 2022, in Birmingham, Alabama. (Jamie Squire/USFL/Getty Images)
Victor Bolden Jr. (Stallions) 12 catches
Bailey Gaither (Maulers) 10 catches
Cheyenne O'Grady (Bandits) 10 catches
Receiving yards
Bailey Gaither (Maulers) 159 yards
Osirus Mitchell (Stallions) 144 yards
Cheyenne O'Grady (Bandits) 107 yards
Receiving touchdowns
Osirus Mitchell (Stallions) 2 touchdowns
Maurice Alexander (Stars) 2 touchdowns
Isaiah Zuber (Gamblers) 2 touchdowns
Tackles
![Stevie Scott III of Michigan Panthers](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2022/04/1200/675/GettyImages-1391988817-copy.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Stevie Scott III of Michigan Panthers rushes against Donald Payne of Houston Gamblers at Protective Stadium on April 17, 2022, in Birmingham, Alabama. (Rob Carr/USFL/Getty Images)
Donald Payne (Gamblers) 33 tackles
Josh Banderas (Stars) 21 tackles
Kyahva Tezino (Maulers) 21 tackles
Sacks
Davin Bellamy (Breakers) 4 sacks
Carlo Kemp (Maulers) 2.5 sacks
Demarquis Gates (Stallions) 2 sacks
Interceptions
Lorenzo Burns (Stallions) 2 interceptions
Channing Stribling (Stars) 2 interceptions
Will Likely (Gamblers) 2 interceptions
-
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Week 2 schedule
April 30: Bandits vs. Gamblers (4 pm ET, FOX)
April 30: Stallions vs. Breakers (8 pm ET, FOX)
May 1: Maulers vs. Panthers (2:30 pm ET, USA)
May 1: Generals vs. Stars (8 pm ET, NBC/Peacock)