On Sunday, March 30th, the Memphis Showboats kicked off the UFL season, hosting the Michigan Panthers at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Despite being down 20-12, the Showboats had a chance to pull off a thrilling come-from-behind victory with less than a minute to play.
When Panthers kicker B.T. Potter missed his second long field goal of the day, quarterback Troy Williams launched a beautiful 38-yard pass to Jonathan Adams. The next play could put the showboats in scoring position. Instead, the Panthers’ safety Kai Nacua came up with a crushing pick six and ran it back 80 yards to end the game 26-12.
Panthers Get On The Board First
With tight ends coach T.J. Vernieri calling the plays, Interim Head Coach Jim Turner’s Showboats took the field first. Following a scoreless first possession by the Showboats, the Panthers took the field with quarterback Bryce Perkins leading the charge. Launching a couple of quick passes to wide receiver Marcus Simms, including a 30-yard completion, the Panthers scored first with a 32-yard field goal by new kicker B.T. Potter.
Panthers Score First Touchdown
Perkins was at his best in the next series, scooping up a play fake dropped ball and running it two yards into the end zone for a touchdown. The one-point attempt was successful with Perkins being the ball carrier again, and it was 10-0 in favor of the Panthers.
Facing his former team for the first time, Memphis quarterback E.J. Perry struggled early on. Perry was intercepted by Panthers safety Arnold Tarpley after succumbing to pressure from Walter Palmore.
Troy Williams took over as quarterback for the Showboats early in the second quarter. Williams had a few nice passes to wide receiver Jonathan Adams and a first-down conversion to tight end Ryan Izzo. The Showboats got on the scoreboard in the second quarter with an impressive 50-yard field goal by kicker Matthew Coghlin.
Both teams’ defensive units stepped up, keeping the game close and competitive with a 10-3 score at the half. Michigan’s Kenny Willekes sacked Williams. Just before the half, the Showboats had a huge sack on Danny Etling by Jaylon Allen, forcing a third and long that resulted in another punt.
Despite the loss, there were several positive takeaways for a team with almost an entirely new roster and coaching staff. The Showboats held up well against one of the better teams in the league, keeping the score close enough almost to pull off a last-minute victory. Jarren Horton’s defense held tough and looked much improved over last year. Nasir Player pulled off two big stops. Zeke Vandenburgh had nine tackles.
Running back Deneric Prince showed a bit of flash late in the game with a big 17-yard run that led to another field goal from 45 yards by Coghlin, one of the best kickers in the UFL. Jonathan Adams stepped up as the number one receiver with several impressive catches and the Showboats’ 4th quarter touchdown.
For a team that has recently undergone so much change and upheaval, the Showboats should feel good about the way they fought back and kept the game within reach.
Next week, the Showboats will travel to Audi Field to take on the D.C. Defenders. The game will be Saturday, April 5th at 7:00 PM CT and televised on ABC.
