Eric Williams
NFL Reporter
Now you see him, now you don’t.
Michigan Panthers quarterback Bryce Perkins‘ elusiveness as a runner was on full display in his team’s runaway 38-14 win over the visiting DC Defenders last weekend. Last week, I said that Defenders quarterback Jordan Ta’amu had emerged as the best player in the UFL, but I think it’s fair to say that Perkins is giving him a run for his money.
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Perkins completed 13 of 18 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions. He also ran nine times for 76 yards and another score. Perkins had two particularly impressive scrambles — one that resulted in a 35-yard touchdown pass to tight end Cole Hikutini and the other a 5-yard scramble for a score — where he eluded a handful of would-be tacklers.
Perkins even had a no-look pass for a 5-yard touchdown to wideout Malik Turner. Perkins said that the throw was an homage to Matthew Stafford, who he shared a quarterback room with during the Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl run.
“You kind of always play with the no-look in practice,” Perkins said postgame. “And when I was with Matthew Stafford, his no-look was something serious. I always said if I get a shot, I’m going to try and do it in a game.
“I’m just making plays out there, and having fun with it, too.”
On the other side, Defenders receiver Chris Rowland finished with nine catches for 144 yards and a score in the loss. The Panthers improved to 4-2 with the victory, while the Defenders dropped to 4-2.
In other UFL Week 6 action, the Birmingham Stallions upped their record to 4-2 with a convincing 26-3 victory over the visiting San Antonio Brahmas (1-5) to remain tied with the Panthers for the top spot in the USFL Conference.
The St. Louis Battlehawks (4-2) moved into a tie for first place in the XFL Conference with the Defenders with a 12-6 win over the Arlington Renegades (3-3) in the first game of the weekend. And the Houston Roughnecks (3-3) held on for a narrow 21-20 home victory over the Memphis Showboats (1-5).
Here’s a look at other storylines from Week 6:
Roughnecks improve to .500 mark with win over Showboats
Winners of three of its past four games, Houston moved into playoff contention with a one-point win at home over Memphis. What’s more, the win pushed the Roughnecks to the .500 mark for the first time this season.
Led by a menacing defense, Houston forced two Memphis turnovers and blocked a punt, turning those miscues into 13 points.
Linebacker J.T. Tyler led Houston with nine tackles, while cornerback JaQuan Sheppard added six tackles and an interception. Offensively, Houston quarterback Jalan McClendon completed his first nine passes and finished 20-of-28 passing for 149 yards and a score.
Trailing 14-10, the Roughnecks grabbed the momentum in the third quarter. First, Sheppard intercepted Memphis quarterback Dresser Winn when he baited the UT Martin product into a poor throw. Chris Blewitt made a 35-yard field goal to cut the Showboats’ lead to 14-13.
On the ensuing possession, Winn was sacked on a blitz by cornerback Armani Marsh. The crushing hit popped the ball loose. Pass rusher T.J. Franklin scooped it up and returned it 40 yards for a score, giving the Roughnecks all the points they needed for the win.
Battlehawks tame Renegades in XFL Conference clash
St. Louis earned redemption from a 15-point loss to the Renegades in Arlington earlier this season in Week 4.
Penalties and sloppy play led to Arlington’s demise on the road, as the Battlehawks held off the Renegades in front of a rowdy crowd at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis.
The Renegades finished with 11 accepted penalties for 69 yards, including three for false starts, as the crowd had a direct impact on the game. Four of the 11 penalties were on left guard Marcus Minor.
Battlehawks quarterback Max Duggan helped create big plays with his legs and arm. Duggan finished with 54 rushing yards and found star receiver Hakeem Butler on a fade route for the lone touchdown of the game, a 30-yard score.
But the star for the Battlehawks was their defense, as they forced four turnovers and held the Renegades to 212 total yards. Defensive end Pita Taumaepenu led St. Louis with four combined tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
St. Louis’ Rodrigo Blankenship finished with field goals of 49 and 53 yards and is perfect on the year (14-for-14).
Renegades running back Kalen Ballage suffered an injured shoulder in the second half and had to leave the game.
Panthers RB Toa Taua goes ‘Beast Mode’
Taua, who was cut during training camp due to injuries before being brought back during the season, has emerged as the go-to back for the Panthers.
In Michigan’s Week 6 victory, the Nevada product finished with a game-high 94 yards and a score. Fellow running back Nate McCrary totaled 45 rushing yards and a score, as the Panthers grounded out 213 rushing yards.
For the season, Taua is fourth in the league in rushing yards (233) and tied for first in rushing touchdowns (four), even though he has just played in four of six possible games. Michigan re-signed Taua when starter Matt Colburn was placed on IR in April.
“Taua today motivated a lot of players on our team,” Panthers head coach Mike Nolan said. “Just seeing those guys run so hard and playing with so much heart.”
Stallions hit their stride with win over Brahmas
In a rematch of last season’s UFL title game, Birmingham got back on the winning track by defeating San Antonio to rebound from a disappointing overtime loss to Memphis in Week 5.
The Stallions were led by their defense, with Birmingham holding San Antonio to 178 yards and without a single third-down conversion. The Stallions also forced three turnovers and sacked the Brahmas three times.
Linebackers Chapelle Russell, DeMarquis Gates and Kyahva Tezino led Birmingham with five tackles each, while defensive end Ronnie Perkins totaled two sacks.
Making his second start this season, quarterback Case Cookus finished 16-of-22 passing for 166 yards and two touchdowns. Andrew Peasley also got some playing time, going 5-for-8 for 79 yards. However, Peasley suffered a potential knee injury and will have an MRI on Monday for further evaluation.
The Stallions have dealt with a rash of injuries at quarterback, but head coach Skip Holtz said his team is hopeful about getting starter Alex McGough (shoulder) back in two weeks.
Brahmas searching for answers as offense scuffles
San Antonio played their third quarterback in six games, as Kevin Hogan got his first start of the season in place of Kellen Mond. While Hogan was more effective at pushing the ball downfield — with chunk plays of 56 and 45 yards to wideout Justin Smith and a head-scratching dropped pass for a long touchdown to receiver Jontre Kirklin — the Brahmas still could not get going offensively.
San Antonio has not scored a touchdown in two straight games and have scored a league-low 71 points this season. It also lost its most explosive playmaker when running back Anthony McFarland left the game with a shoulder injury.
Hogan, making his first start in eight years, finished 17-of-26 passing for 179 yards and an interception. Even though his team sits last in the XFL Conference, the Stanford product said the Brahmas are still motivated to play well.
“There’s still a lot of season left,” Hogan said. “It’s an opportunity for all of us. So, you have the wrong attitude if you think this season is shot. There’s so much room for growth personally and as a team, playing for each other and helping each other out.
“We have a short week coming up, and it’s an opportunity to take a hard look at what happened today, especially offensively.”
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him at @eric_d_williams.
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