Breeland Speaks #57 of the Michigan Panthers celebrates a sack against the Houston Roughnecks in the game at Rice Stadium on May 26, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Maria Lysaker/UFL/Getty Images)
Michigan Panthers (6-2) at Houston Roughnecks (1-7)
Sunday May 26, 2024 1:30 PM CT (2:30 PM ET)
Rice Stadium, Houston, TX
Attendance: 6,527
Network: FOX
Announcers: Adam Amin (Play-by-play), Joel Klatt (Analyst), Jake Butt (Sideline Analyst)
The Houston Roughnecks and the Michigan Panthers faced off for the second time this season. The two teams previously met during Week 3 of this season, when Michigan beat Houston 34-20.
The Houston Roughnecks were out of playoff contention, while Michigan has qualified for the playoffs and will face the Birmingham Stallions in the USFL Conference championship game. A Michigan win would help them close the gap between themselves and the Stallions in the USFL Conference standings.
Houston’s J.J. Molson kicked off 77 yards and Michigan’s Terry Wright returned the ball to the 21-yard line. Michigan quarterback Danny Etling passed short left to Siaosi Mariner for a 9-yard gain, and then passed to Trey Quinn for 4 yards and a first down. A handoff to Colburn gained 4 yards, and then another handoff to Colburn lost 2 yards. On third and 8, Etling’s pass down field was nearly intercepted, and the Panthers were forced to punt.
The Brock Miller punt was returned by Keke Chism to the Houston 19. Houston quarterback Nolan Henderson handed to T.J. Pledger for a 5-yard gain, and then had a pass knocked down. On third down, Henderson was pressured but got a pass away to Chism that fell incomplete. The Roughnecks were forced to punt.
Etling passed downfield 20 yards to Devin Ross who was hit hard on the reception, but he hung onto the ball. Etling was pressured and nearly tackled, but he shovelled the ball forward to Colburn for no gain. A pass to Quinn gained 2 yards, and then on third and 8, a pass to Mariner gained 19 yards to the Houston 34.
Etling passed short right to Devin Gray for a 6-yard gain, and then handed to Colburn for a 9-yard run to mover the markers to the Houston 19. A handoff to Nate McCrary lost 3 yards, and then a pass to Mariner in the end zone was caught, but an offensive holding call negated the catch and moved the Panthers back 10 yards. A pass to Wright gained 11 yards, and then on third and 12, Cole Hikutini dropped a pass. The Panthers settled for a 39-yard Jake Bates field goal attempt which missed wide right.
Reid Sinnett came into the game at quarterback and handed to Mark Thompson who fumbled. The ball was recovered by Michigan’s Kenny Willekes on the Houston 16-yard line.
Etling kept the ball and scrambled for 8 yards, and then an Etling pass into the end zone was picked off by Houston’s Markel Roby. Upon review, the interception was negated. On third down, Etling handed to McCrary for a 5 yard run and a first down on the Houston 3. Another handoff to McCrary resulted in a 3-yard run and a Michigan touchdown. The one-point conversion failed, making the score 6-0 for Michigan.
Cyril Grayson returned the Bates kickoff to the Houston 34. Sinnett attempted a pass to Chism that fell incomplete, and then failed to complete a pass to Anthony Ratliff-Williams as the first quarter ended.
On third and 10, a defensive offside penalty gave the Roughnecks 5 yards, and then a 7-yard pass to Ratliff-Williams moved the chains. A handoff to Thompson was negated by an offensive illegal block penalty, and then a pass to Justin Hall gained 8 yards. A short pass to Hall was converted into a 17-yard gain to the Michigan 39, and then Sinnett was pressured and had to throw the ball away. A 15-yard strike to Emmanuel Butler moved the markers again.
Sinnett could not complete a pass to Ratliff-Williams, and then a handoff to Thompson only gained one yard. On third down, a pass to Chism gained 7 yards and the Roughnecks settled for a 39-yard Molson field goal which made the score 6-3 for Michigan.
Wright returned the Molson kickoff to the Michigan 31. Etling passed 3 yards to Devin Ross, and then a pass intended for Cole Hikutini fell incomplete. A pass to Colburn gained 10 yards to move the markers to the Michigan 34. Etling passed to Mariner for a 20-yard gain, and then passed short right to Colburn, but an offensive holding penalty moved the ball back 10 yards. Etling scrambled for 2 yards, and then his pass was intercepted by Houston’s D’Juan Hines.
After Houston was assessed a 15-yard illegal blindside block penalty received after the interception, the ball was placed on the Houston 30. Nolan Henderson came back in and kept the ball for an 8-yard rush, and then passed 7 yards to Justin Hall. A handoff to Thompson lost one yard, and then Henderson could not compete a pass to hall as the two-minute warning was announced.
On third down, Henderson was sacked for a 4-yard loss and the Roughnecks were forced to punt.
Wright returned the Quinn punt to the Michigan 24. Etling passed to Colburn, but the ball hit the turf, and then a handoff to Colburn gained 3 yards. On third and 7, Etling was pressured and delivered a pass to Colburn which he caught one-handed for a 6-yard gain. On fourth and 1, the Panthers punted.
The Miller punt was kicked into the end zone for a touchback, but an illegible player downfield penalty caused Miller to re-punt. The second punt was downed on the Houston 24.
With 0:26 on the clock, Henderson passed to Thompson for a 2-yard gain, and then Henderson’s pass was deflected by Breeland Speaks at the line of scrimmage. A handoff to Thompson gained 13 yards to the Houston 40 as the clock ran out.
At halftime, the score was Michigan 6, Houston 3.
To begin the second half, the Jake Bates kickoff was returned to the Houston 37 by Cyril Grayson. Noland Henderson handed to Thompson for no gain, and then passed short right to Justin Hall, who ran for a 63-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion failed, making the score 9-6 for Houston. Houston head coach C.J. Johnson challenged the conversion play for roughing the passer, and his challenged failed.
The Molson kickoff was returned by Wright to the Michigan 35. Bryce Perkins came in at quarterback and handed to Colburn for a 4-yard gain, and then a delay of game penalty pushed the Panthers back 5 yards. A pass to Mariner was good for 6 yards, and then on third and 5, Perkins was pressured and his pass was tipped in the air and intercepted by Markel Roby at the Michigan 26.
Henderson handed to Hall for a good gain, but an offensive holding call negated the run and pushed the Roughnecks back 10 yards. A pass intended for Braedon Bowman was knocked away by Kai Nacua, and then a pass to Butler drew a defensive pass interference penalty to give the Roughnecks a first down on the Michigan 20.
A handoff to Thompson gained 5 yards, and then Henderson kept the ball and ran for an 8-yard gain to the Michigan 7. A short pass to Hall resulted in a 7-yard touchdown. The one-point conversion was good with a short pass to Hall as he fought his way into the end zone, to make the score 16-6 for Houston. After the play, Michigan was assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
The Molson kickoff went into the end zone for a touchback. From his own 25-yard line, Perkins passed 10 yards to Ross for a first down, and an illegal helmet contact penalty tacked 15-yards on to the play. A run by Colburn was negated by an offensive holding penalty. Perkins passed to Quinn for a 7-yard gain, and then a pass intended for McCrary fell incomplete. On third and 13, Perkins kept the ball and scrambled for a 33-yard gain to the Houston 20.
Perkins faked the handoff and ran for 3 yards, and then passed to Mariner for a 13-yard gain to the Houston 4. Perkins tossed 4 yards to Trey Quinn in the end zone for a Michigan touchdown. The two-point conversion attempt failed, making the score 16-12 for Houston.
The Bates kickoff was returned by Ratliff-Williams to the Houston 40. Henderson handed to Thompson for a 3-yard gain, and then kept the ball and rushed for no gain. On third down, Henderson scrambled for a 12-yard gain and a first down. A handoff to Thompson lost 2-yards, and then Henderson’s pass to Bowman fell incomplete. A pass to Butler gained 33 yards for a first down on the Michigan 14.
Henderson rushed for 6 yards, and a Michigan face masking penalty put the ball on the Michigan 2. Mark Thompson rushed 2 yards for the Houston touchdown. The two-point conversion failed, making the score 22-12 for Houston.
The Molson kickoff was returned to the Michigan 37-yard line. Perkins was pressured and had to throw the ball away, and then a 13-yard pass to Mariner moved the markers as the third quarter ended.
Perkins passed 12 yards to McCrary, and then passed to Samson Nacua for a 13-yard gain to the Houston 25-yard line. A handoff to Colburn gained 5 yards, and then a 7-yard pass to Gray moved the sticks again. McCrary rushed for 5 yards, and then Perkins scrambled 11 yards up the middle for a Panthers touchdown. The one-point conversion was good on a short pass to Hikutini, to make the score 22-19 for Houston.
The Bates kickoff was returned to the Houston 28-yard line. Henderson completed a 7-yard pass and then threw an incompletion. On third and 3, Henderson kept the ball and scrambled for a first down. Henderson was pressured and attempted a pass but was penalized for an illegal forward pass. On second and 14, Henderson was sacked for a 9-yard loss. On third down, Henderson scrambled for only 9 yards and the Roughnecks were forced to punt.
The punt was bobbled by Wright, but he recovered the ball and was tackled on the Michigan 24. A 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty against Houston was tacked on. An 11-yard pass to Mariner moved the markers, and then a 20-yard pass to Ross moved the markers to the Houston 29.
Perkins handed to Colburn for a 2-yard run, and then Perkins was pressured and scrambled for 1 yard. An offensive holding penalty pushed the Panthers back 10 yards. A pass to Mariner was caught for a 4-yard gain, but was nearly intercepted. On third and 14, Perkins rushed all the way to the Houston 8-yard line.
Perkins handed to Colburn for a 3-yard gain, and then Perkins ran right for the Michigan touchdown. The one-point conversion was good on a pass to Hikutini, to make the score 26-22 for Michigan.
The Bates kickoff went into the end zone for a touchback. From his own 25-yard line, Henderson was pressured and had to throw the ball away, and then Henderson was sacked for a 7-yard loss. On third and 17, Henderson completed a pass to Chism which he converted to a 21-yard gain as the two-minute warning was announced.
Henderson took a low snap and passed incomplete, and then scrambled for a 2-yard gain. On third and 2, a handoff to Thompson gained 8 yards to the Michigan 44. Henderson’s pass attempt was batted down at the line of scrimmage. A pass to Hall gained 7 yards, and then Henderson ran 8 yards for a first down on the 29-yard line.
Henderson was pressured and threw the ball away. With 0:41 on the clock, Henderson was sacked for a 16-yard loss. On third and 26, an 8-yard pass to Chism was not good enough for a first down. On 4th and 14, Henderson could not complete a pass downfield.
With 0:04 remaining, Michigan ran out the clock.
The final score was Michigan Panthers 26, Houston Roughnecks 22.
