After completely dominating the San Antonio Brahmas for most of the game, the Memphis Showboats lost an absolute heartbreaker with 3 seconds left on the clock. What should have been a decisive win for the Showboats turned into a last-minute stunner. San Antonio didn’t even get on the scoreboard until the fourth quarter, but after scoring 20 unanswered points, they pulled ahead to win 20-19 with three seconds remaining in the game.
The game started in a promising manner for the Showboats. Despite their 1-0 start after defeating the Roughnecks last week, Memphis was considered an underdog to the undefeated Brahmas, who entered the game ranked number two in the league. But someone forgot to deliver the memo to Head Coach John DeFilippo, whose team came out ready to rumble.
The Showboats picked up where they left off last week with quarterback Case Cookus leading the offense with poise and confidence. Although the “Chef’s” performance lacked the chemistry and synchronicity he displayed last week with his receivers, Cookus carefully controlled the time of possession with several extended drives. Once again, he demonstrated his superior ability to run the football and was the team’s leading rusher with 58 yards on 9 attempts compared to RB Darius Victor’s 56 yards on 17 attempts.
Memphis Scoring Summary
After Cookus scored his lone TD on a gorgeous 23-yard pass to Daewood Davis early in the game followed by a 1-point conversion, he was later unable to convert on multiple scoring opportunities and the team had to settle for field goals. Kicker, Matt Coughlin was perfect on the afternoon connecting on four field goals, two from the 22-yard line, one from the 23-yard line, and his longest of the day, the 35-yard line.
Cookus finished the afternoon 17/31 for 194 yards with 1 TD and no interceptions. Daewood Davis was his top receiver with 6 receptions for 58 yards. Although the Showboats benefitted from a dreadful penalty-riddled performance by the San Antonio defense, there were too many goal-line plays that should have resulted in TDs rather than field goals.
A Late Start For The Brahmas
After a thoroughly inept start that saw the Brahmas punt or fumble on every possession, Chase Garbers and the offense suddenly came to life in the 4th quarter. Garbers had the ball well into Showboats’ territory within the closing seconds of the third quarter. As the 4th quarter began, he threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Marquez Stevenson which put the Brahmas on the board. Garbers then connected on a two-point conversion to John Lovett to bring the score to 16-8 and put the game within reach for the Brahmas. After Cookus recovered a fumbled Showboats handoff, the offense settled for a field goal as Coughlin connected on his 4th kick of the day bringing the score to 19-8.
The Showboats’ defense kept up the pressure when the Brahmas looked to be in scoring position on the Memphis 13-yard line, and Delrick Abrams had a beautifully timed interception of Garbers. Once again, the Showboats appeared in control and sensing victory.
Unfortunately, with just over three minutes remaining on the clock, it was all San Antonio. Garbers and the Brahmas went to work and produced two more touchdowns. Jontre Kirklin scored on a 5-yard TD from Garbers with 48 seconds left in the game. Taking advantage of the UFL’s unique 4th and 12 onside kick alternative, the Brahmas converted, and Cody Latimer caught a 10-yard pass from Garbers making the score 20-19 with 3 seconds remaining in the game. Chase Garbers finished 29/40 for 287 yards with three TDs and one INT.
While it was a heartbreaking end to a hard-fought game for the Showboats, there were some positives to take away. Cookus is proving to be a dual threat at quarterback with his ability to control the pace of the game, spread the ball around to multiple receivers, and gain yardage with his well-timed rushing plays. Coughlin is a reliable and steady kicker who can be counted on to deliver. The defense applied pressure all afternoon and showed they could disrupt and shut down one of the best offenses in the league. The Showboat defense also won the turnover battle with 1 interception and a fumble recovery.
Next week, the Showboats face the Birmingham Stallions on the road. After coming this close to defeating the number two ranked Brahmas, perhaps this talented Memphis team will draw upon this loss as motivation and beat the number-one team in the league.
