Panthers’ defense dominates at Memphis

The Michigan Panthers thoroughly dominated on the road on Sunday, leaving Memphis, Tennessee, with a 35-18 win over the Showboats in Week 5 of the inaugural UFL season.

The Michigan defense forced four turnovers and had seven sacks, three by Breeland Sparks, while allowing only 41 rushing yards. Kai Nacua and Adonis Alexander each had an interception.

Wes Hills had 82 yards rushing and three touchdowns as Michigan had 160 total yards on the ground. Quarterback Danny Etling, filling in E.J. Perry, who was placed on injured reserve after last week’s game, went 14-for-21 for 175 yards and a rushing touchdown.

The Panthers improved to 3-2 on the season and sit in second place in the USFL Conference, two games behind undefeated Birmingham. The top two teams in the conference play in the league semifinal.

The Panthers stormed out of the gates, scoring touchdowns on their first two possessions. The first came after Michigan ended Memphis’ first drive with a Speaks sack fumble that was recovered by Garrett Marino at the Showboats’ 40-yard line. Seven plays later, Hills rumbled in from 2 yards out. Siaosi Mariner caught a one-point conversion for a 7-0 lead.

After a forcing a punt on the ensuing drive, the Panthers then marched 75 yards over 10 plays, capped by a Matthew Colburn II 35-yard TD run to take a 13-0 lead near the end of the first quarter.

Then late in the second quarter, the Panthers got another turnover, when Taylor forced a fumble during a Daewood Davis catch-and-run. Dawkins recovered and returned it 81-yard down the left sideline to the Memphis 5-yard line. Hills finished the possession with a1-yard run, giving Michigan a 19-0 lead.

Memphis got on the scoreboard on an 82-yard touchdown pass to Davis (six catches, 101 yards), but Michigan answered early in the second half. On the opening possession of the third quarter, the Panthers went 65 yards on five plays, as Etling’s 3yard QB keeper made it 25-6.

The Showboats scored twice on short TD passes in the third quarter to cut the lead to 25-18, but the Panthers took back control of the game with Hills’ third touchdown of the game, a 14-yard run with 12:31 to go in the game.

The lone blemish on the scoresheet for the Panthers was Jake Bates. The hero of the Week 1 win and went 1-for-3 on field goal attempts, although the misses were from 58 and 62 yards. He made a 30-yarder with 5:08 remaining.

The Panthers return home next week, hosting Arlington at 1 p.m. May 5 at Ford Field (Fox).