DETROIT (Michigan News Source) – Just a half away from the UFL Championship Game, the Michigan Panthers gave up 28 unanswered points in the second half falling to the Birmingham Stallions, 31-18. Michigan had an 18-12 lead at the half before the Stallions shut them out in the third and fourth quarters.
“I thought we played well in the first half other than I wish we would have turned those field goals into six points as that would have made a difference for us,” said head coach Mike Nolan. “The third quarter went back and forth. We had plenty of opportunities to get the ball in the end zone and we just didn’t.”
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Michigan, who finishes with seven wins on the year in the USFL Conference side of the UFL, scored on their first five possessions. Of the five possessions, they kicked four field goals for an 18-3 lead. Birmingham’s last two possessions of the first half ended in points with a touchdown and field goal cutting the lead to sixth at the half, 18-12.
Birmingham scored in the third quarter on a pick-six to the game at 18 when Danny Etling’s pass was intercepted for a 48-yard touchdown by Daniel Isom. The last drive of the third quarter went 75-yards for Birmingham into the start of the fourth quarter. It took just five plays for Matt Corral to score finding Amari Rodgers from seven-yards out to take the lead, 24-18.
The final touchdown for Birmingham went 66-yards on nine plays taking five minutes off the clock after taking over the ball on a blocked field goal. Corral then found Rickey Person, Jr. to finish off the scoring on a 15-yard pass making it 31-18.
On the day for Michigan, Jake Bates was 4-of-7 in field goal attempts missing his final two being a 51-yarder and 44-yarder. His longest on the day was 53-yards in the first quarter.
Etling finished throwing for 182 yards going 18-for-29 with one touchdown and Nate McCarary ran for 62 yards on 11 rushes.
The seven wins improve on the four in year one under Nolan.
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