Case Cookus #10 of the Memphis Showboats looks to throw the ball during the fourth quarter against the Houston Roughnecks at Rice Stadium on March 31, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Maria Lysaker/UFL/Getty Images)
Memphis Showboats at Houston Roughnecks
Sunday March 31, at 2:00 p.m. Central
Rice Stadium, Houston, TX
Attendance: 9,157
Broadcaster: ESPN
Announcers: Lowell Galindo (Play-by-play), Tom Luginbill (Analyst), Kayla Burton (Field Reporter), and Harry Douglas (Field analyst).
This game marked the first meeting between the Houston Roughnecks and the Memphis Showboats in UFL history. This also marked the third time John DeFilippo and Curtis Johnson squared off against each other as head coaches, having faced each other twice during the 2023 USFL season with DiFilippo and his New Orleans Breakers coming out on top each time.
The Memphis Showboats and Houston Roughnecks are looking for an early edge in the USFL Conference standings. This matchup is the only intra-conference matchup in the USFL Conference in Week One, so the winner will have early dibs on first place in the conference standings.
This game is scheduled to take place in venerable Rice Stadium, which has served as the home field for the Rice Owls since it opened in 1950. The Houston Oilers played their home games on campus from 1966-68, and six years later the stadium held Super Bowl VIII between the Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings, becoming one of only four on-campus venues to host the NFL’s championship game.
Houston’s J.J. Molson kicked off 78 yards to the Memphis 2-yard line and Williams returned the ball to the 35. Memphis quarterback Case Cookus came out throwing to Davis for a gain of 2 yards, and then a Houston offside penalty added 5-yards. After a short rush by Victor, Cookus passed 18 yards to Saxton, and passed to Vinny Papale.
On first and 10, Cookus passed incomplete, and then a handoff to Darius Victor lost one yard. Cookus then passed to Davis for 12 yards and a first down. Another pass to Davis made 3 yards, and then Cookus passed incomplete. He then ran 8 yards himself for a first down.
Victor ran for 1 yard, and then Cookus passed to Adams for a 17-yard gain to the Houston 13-yard line. A pass to Vinny Papale made 11 yards and put the ball on the Houston 2. Victor ran for no gain, and then Cookus was sacked for a 7-yard loss. On third down, he passed incomplete into the end zone and Memphis settled for a 17-yard Matt Coghlin field goal to open the scoring at 3-0.
Houston’s quarterback Jarrett Guarantano took over on his own 7-yard line and handed to T.J. Pledger for a 5-yard gain. Then, Guarantano passed complete Isiah Hennie at the Houston 12, but Hennie fumbled and Christian McFarland scooped the ball and scored a touchdown. The one-point conversion run by Darius Victor was stopped short, making the score 9-0 for Memphis.
After the kickoff, Guarantano took over on his own 39. He handed to Pledger for 2 yards and passed to Pledger up the middle for another 4 yards. An 11-yard pass to Keke Chism gave the Roughnecks a first down. Pledger ran for 1 yard, and then Guarantano threw it away after he was pressured. A 5-yard pass to Ratliff-Williams made it fourth and 4, and Houston unsuccessfully tried to catch Memphis in a false start penalty as the quarter ended.
At the end of the first quarter Memphis led 9-0.
Hunter Niswander punted 32 yards to the Memphis 11 and Elder made a fair catch. Houston drew a 5-yard penalty for an Ineligible Downfield Kick.
Case Cookus passed 8 yards to Davis, and then Victor made a good rush, but a holding penalty brought it back. A pass downfield drew a defensive pass interference penalty, which moved the markers to the Memphis 35. Victor ran for 3 yards and Cookus passed incomplete to the sideline. A holding penalty against Memphis brought the ball back 10 yards. Finally, a 32-yard pass to Sage Surratt moved the markers to the Houston 40.
Davis had a run with no gain, and then Victor caught a 9-yard pass. A 3-yard run by Victor moved the markers again. Cookus was pressured and overthrew Surratt in the end zone, and then another pass to the end zone drew a 15-yard defensive pass interference call which spotted the ball on the Houston 16. On the next play, Cookus was sacked for a 3-yard loss. Finally, an 11-yard pass to Papale at the back of the end zone was good for a touchdown. The one-point conversion failed, making the score 15-0 for the Showboats.
Guarantano took over on his own 31-yard line and handed to Evans for a 2-yard rush. On second down, a pass to Hennie was completed for 7 yards, and then Evans was good for a 3-yard rush and a first down. The play was reviewed as Evans looked to fumble, but the fumble was overturned.
Guarantano was sacked for a 7-yard loss, and then passed 12-yards to Ratliff-Williams on the Houston 40. Then, a 13-yard pass to Butler moved the chains. Guarantano passed over the middle to Kirk Merritt for 11 yards. On the next play, Guarantano was pressured and threw the ball away, but not before taking a big hit. Another pass to Merritt was incomplete just before the two minute warning.
Kicker J.J. Molson was called upon to kick a 55-yard field goal, and he was good, making the score 15-3 for Memphis.
After the kickoff, the Showboats returned the ball to their own 39-yard line. After Memphis drew a false start penalty, Cookus threw incomplete to Morris. Cookus completed a 3-yard pass to Victor and then was pressured and still delivered a 16-yard strike to Jonathan Adams. An incomplete pass was followed by a short pass to Victor that was converted into a 9-yard gain. Another incomplete pass made it fourth and one. With 0:19 on the clock, a 56-yard Coghlin field goal attempt was missed.
Guarantano ran one play and was sacked before halftime.
The score at halftime was 15-3 for the Memphis Showboats.
To start the second half, Coghlin kicked off 66 yards and Isiah Hennie returned the kickoff to the Houston 41.
Guarantano handed to Pledger for only one yard, and then took a false start penalty on second down. Pledger rushed for 4 yards, and Guarantano threw an incomplete pass. The Roughnecks were forced to punt. The Niswander punt was blocked by Render and recovered by Grayson.
Cookus handed to Victor and he was stopped for a 2-yard loss. Then, a Case Cookus pass was picked off by Reuben Foster and returned to the Houston 49-yard line. Reid Sinnett came in to replace Guarantano as quarterback and was sacked for a 3-yard loss. Sinnett could not get a first down and the Roughnecks were forced to punt.
Cookus managed one first down, but offensive penalties proved to be setbacks. Finally, he connected a 12-yard pass to Davis to move the chains. Houston’s defense stayed strong and sacked Cookus on the Memphis 48-yard line, and then a run by Victor was stopped for a 2-yard loss. On third down Cookus was almost picked off and the Showboats were forced to punt.
After the punt went into the end zone, and a Roughnecks holding penalty was tacked on, Houston started their drive on their own 15. Guarantano was back and he passed to Evans for a gain of 20, and then he passed to Bowman for 9 more yards. Guarantano kept the ball and ran for 22-yards to move the markers to the Memphis 32. A pass to Merritt was stopped for a 1-yard loss.
At the end of the third quarter Memphis led Houston 15-3.
Guarantano passed incomplete, and then completed a 10-yard pass to Pledger. The Roughnecks faced fourth and 1 on the Memphis 22, and took a timeout. Unfortunately, Guarantano took a false start penalty and the Roughnecks were forced to attempt a 45-yard field goal. J.J. Molson was good, making the score 15-6 for Memphis.
Guarantano accused the Showboats defense of simulated the cadence and saying “hut” before the ball was snapped. His complaints seem to fall on deaf ears.
Case Cookus started his drive on the Memphis 47, had his first pass batted down, and his second pass was caught by Victor for 5 yards. Another 5-yard pass to Papale gave Memphis a first down. A 10-yard strike to Adams moved the markers again. A beautiful throw to Lee Morris was not caught, a pass to Davis was caught out of bounds, and another pass was incomplete. Coghlin was brought in to attempt a 51-yard field goal, and he was good, making the score 18-6 for the Showboats.
The kickoff went out of bounds, and Houston took the ball at midfield. Guarantano completed a screen pass to Hall which was good for 17 yards, and then passed 10 yards to a wide own Bowman at the Memphis 23. Guarantano was pressured and found an outlet when he passed to Merritt for an 8-yard gain. Then, Guarantano was sacked and fumbled the ball. Dillon Faamatau recovered the ball for Memphis.
Cookus handed the ball to Victor and he fumbled, and the ball was recovered by Houston.
Guarantano passed to Merritt who ran the ball to pickup 15 yards. After a short run by Merritt, Guarantano ran the ball into the end zone to score a Roughnecks touchdown. On the three point conversion attempt Guarantano’s pass was incomplete, making the score 18-12 for Memphis.
With 5:29 remaining, the Roughnecks kicked off and Memphis returned the ball to their own 47. Cookus handed to Victor who made 1 yard and then left the field injured. A Davis catch picked up 5 yards and then Titus Swen caught a pass for just enough yards to make a first down.
Titius Swen ran for one yard, and then Cookus rushed, but was stopped after a 6-yard gain. A pass to Adams was incomplete and Memphis attempted a field goal that hit the uprights. Unfortunately, the Roughnecks were called on an offside penalty and Memphis was awarded a first down. Roughnecks head coach Curtis Johnson challenged the penalty and was unsuccessful.
At the two minute warning Memphis had second down and 13 on the Houston 34-yard line.
A holding penalty by Memphis hampered their drive, but Memphis was able to take plenty of time off the clock. On fourth and 20, with 0:48 remaining, Memphis punted the ball. Unfortunately, Hennie fumbled the punt and Memphis recovered the ball at the Houston 17.
Memphis ran out the clock to secure the win.
The final score was Memphis Showboats 18, Houston Roughnecks 12.
