On Sunday afternoon from Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The Philadelphia Stars (5-3) punched their ticket to the playoffs in Canton, Ohio, with a 46-24 win over the Michigan Panthers (1-7).
Stars’ quarterback Case Cookus was cooking, going 20/26 for 247 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions, four carries for 118 yards, and one touchdown. Cookus’s first touchdown came in the first quarter. He scrambled out of the pocket and found an all-alone Marcus Colburn II for a 20-yard touchdown that put the Stars in the lead, 7-0.
On the Panthers first possession of the game, Paxton Lynch’s pass was intercepted by cornerback LaDarius Wiley. Then, the Stars added another touchdown with six minutes left in the first quarter on a 1-yard run by Marcus Colburn II, making it 14-0 Stars. Colburn had a terrific game, carrying the ball 16 times for 48 yards, one touchdown, three catches for 49 yards, and one touchdown. The Stars led 14-0 after one quarter.
In the second quarter, the Panthers made a comeback. Panthers’ quarterback Paxton Lynch rushed for a 1-yard touchdown, cutting the Stars lead 14-7. The Stars responded on their next possession. Stars’ quarterback Case Cookus threw his second touchdown on a five-yard pass to Jordan Suell, making it 21-7 Stars.
Those were the only points the Stars scored in the second quarter. The Panthers cut the Star’s lead 21-10 on a Cole Murphy 25-yard field goal. Then, the Panthers made it a three-point game just before halftime.
First, Panthers’ quarterback Paxton Lynch threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to tight-end La’Michael Pettway, followed by a successful two-point conversion to make it 21-18 Stars. The Stars took a knee to end the half up 21-18, with Michigan getting the ball to start the second half.
In the second half, the Stars dominated. Stars’ kicker Luis Aguilar made a 38-yard field goal with 6:44 left in the third quarter, putting the Stars up by six, 24-18. Then, the Stars’ defense created a turnover. Panthers’ quarterback, Paxton Lynch’s pass was intercepted by Channing Stribling. He stepped right in front of a Panthers’ receiver to make the interception. It was his sixth of the season, which leads the USFL.
The Stars’ offense took advantage of the turnover and scored a touchdown when Case Cookus threw his third touchdown of the game to Devin Gray for nine yards. They went for a two-point conversion and got it, extending the lead 32-18 with 25-seconds left of the third quarter.
The Panthers had the ball to start the fourth quarter. The Stars’ defense stopped them on fourth down, giving the ball back to the offense. The Stars added another touchdown. Stars’ quarterback Case Cookus threw a beautiful pass down the middle to tight end Pro Wells for a 51-yard touchdown with three Panthers players on him. The Star’s lead was now 39-18 with 11:12 left in the game.
When the Stars’ defense went back out, they created another turnover. It took a while for the turnover to come as the Panthers marched down to the Star’s one-yard line. Stars’ linebacker Gabriel Sewell Jr. stripped the ball away from Paxton Lynch, attempting a quarterback sneak, and recovered the ball.
The defense played a good game outside of the second quarter, giving up 340 yards, 78 tackles, two interceptions, and six pass breakups.
On the next possession for the Stars, they scored another touchdown. Stars’ quarterback Case Cookus was looking to throw the ball and instead took off running. He blew by three Panthers players and ran for a 79-yard touchdown. The extra point was good, and it was 46-18 with 5:04 left in the game.
The Panthers scored another touchdown late in the game when Paxton Lynch threw an 11-yard touchdown to Cameron Scarlett. They tried a three-point attempt, but Stars’ defensive tackle Cedrick Lattimore sacked Lynch. The score was 46-24 Stars.
The Panthers exercised an alternative kickoff by going for a 4th-and-12 play. However, they did not get it, and the Stars came out to take a knee to end the game. The Stars won the game 46-24 and will play the New Jersey Generals in Canton. However, the Stars have two more games left in the season, including a meeting with the Generals on the last week of the regular season.
The only complaint about this game was the officiating. The Panthers got away with a couple of penalties, including a no-call facemask when Jaquan Bailey yanked Case Cookus. Cookus was hot, but he got payback with his performance.
Panthers’ quarterback Paxton Lynch finished the afternoon 27/40 for 251 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, seven carries for 20-yards, and one touchdown, while tight end La’Michael Pettway led Michigan in receiving with seven catches for 97 yards and one touchdown. The Panthers’ defense allowed 417 yards, 59 tackles, three sacks, and one pass breakup.
Next Sunday, the Stars take on the Pittsburgh Maulers at 7:30 pm on FS1, while the Michigan Panthers battle the New Jersey Generals next Saturday at 1 pm on NBC. Tickets for both games can be purchased thanks to our friends at StubHub.
