WHERE THERE'S A HILLS, THERE'S A WAY

- Mike Mueller, Senior Editor

The Michigan Panthers improved to 3-2 on the year after their 35-18 victory on Sunday over the Memphis Showboats.

The Panthers wanted this game in the worst way. They knew it wasn’t going to be an easy task though, as starting QB EJ Perry was placed on the Injured Reserve list after a hamstring injury took him out of the week 4 game in San Antonio. The Panthers turned to QB Danny Etling, but it was the defense and the running game that stole the show. 

On the opening drive, last year’s DPOY Breeland Speaks got a strip sack on Showboats QB Troy Williams, and the Panthers quickly capitalized. RB Wes Hills proved he was all-in for this game, as he made a leaping dive on the drive, and then pounded the ball into the end zone from the two yard line for his first touchdown on the season. WR Siaosi Mariner caught the one point conversion, and Michigan rushed out to a 7-0 lead.

This was crucial for the Panthers, as they had started slow in each of their first four games. Head Coach Mike Nolan stressed in the mid-week press conference that a quick start was going to be critical for the team’s success and he was right. 

The Panthers dominated most of the first half, making huge plays on both sides of the ball. The Panthers got their second sack of the game on the very next drive when DT Walter Palmore brought Williams down and Memphis was forced to punt again. 

The Panthers scored their second touchdown on a Matthew Colburn run, and as the first quarter came to a close, the Panthers led 13-0. Through four games, Michigan had only put up 3 points in the first quarter, so the two touchdowns to start this game were exactly the change of pace this team was looking for. 

In the second quarter, CB Adonis Alexander came up with an impressive interception, but the Panthers weren’t able to take advantage as K Jake Bates missed a 62 yard field goal attempt, his first miss of the season. That gave the Showboats great field possession, but as they were nearing the end zone, the Panthers came up with their third turnover of the game, this time it was a fumble recovery by LB Noah Dawkins who took the ball back the other way and nearly scored, being brought down at the Memphis 5 yard line. 

The Panthers got their 3rd touchdown of the first half as Wes Hills pounded the ball three straight times and finally broke the goal line.

It looked like Michigan was going to take a 19-0 lead into halftime, but a questionable coverage call by Panthers DC Collin Bauer allowed Memphis WR Daewood Davis to break an 86 yard catch-and-run touchdown, the longest in UFL history, and Memphis was able to close the gap to 19-6. 

Not wanting momentum to get away from them, the Panthers opened the third quarter with a fantastic drive. Facing a 3rd and 2, Siaosi Mariner came up with another clutch catch, allowing the Panthers to extend their drive. On the very next play, Etling hit TE Cole Hikutini on a beautiful 48 yard throw, setting the Panthers up with first and goal yet again. Michigan wasted no time as Etling did his best EJ Perry impression, and scrambled in for the touchdown. The Panthers led the Showboats 25-6.

If you’ve been watching all season, you know that no lead is safe in the UFL, and that was true for this game as well. The Panthers defense, who has played solid all year, had a few uncharacteristic penalties and blown coverages over the next two Showboats possessions. In very short order, Memphis was able to score two touchdowns and narrow the lead to 25-18. 

In perhaps the most important drive of the game, the Panthers put together a 6 play drive at the beginning of the fourth quarter, which was highlighted by two big catches from star WR Marcus Simms, and Wes Hills finding the end zone for the third time.

Now Memphis was in desperation mode, and this is perhaps the most dangerous secondary in the UFL to try to force a big play against. Troy Williams made a throw into tight coverage and SS Kai Nacua came up with his 3rd interception in as many games. A short field goal by Jake Bates made the game 35-18. However, a 17 point lead is still only 2 scores in the UFL, and with five minutes still left in the game, the Showboats weren’t ready to concede just yet.

Facing a 4th and 12, Memphis came up with a huge conversion, but Coach Nolan, spurred on by Coach Bauer, challenged that the Showboats were actually offsides; a call that can not be challenged in the NFL. Fortunately for the Panthers, this isn’t the NFL, and in the UFL that is absolutely challengeable. The call was reversed and now Memphis was facing a 4th and 17. 

This time, the Panthers defense came up with the stop, and were able to put the game away, closing it out 35-18 and putting themselves squarely in the driver’s seat for a playoff spot. 

Aside from a few bad plays, the Panthers did a phenomenal job all game long. Danny Etling stepped into the starting QB spot nicely, going 14-21 for 175 yards, including 4 completions to Mariner, who continues to find larger roles in this offense with each ensuing game. More impressive than the stat line was Etling’s ability to be a “field general” throughout the game. He made a few impressive throws, but what was more impressive was his decision making ability, and standing tall in the pocket, making accurate throws when the defense was bearing down on him.

The defense put in another phenomenal performance, with 7 sacks, two interceptions, and two fumble recoveries. They played hard and fast and were all over the field. Outside of a couple bad penalties and one bad coverage call, it was another fantastic outing for this group. 

Speaks and Nacua will get the headlines, which they deserve, but special mention needs to go to CB Nate Brooks, who played a shutdown corner role all game long. In the mid-week press conference, Brooks was hard on himself, saying he had a bad performance against San Antonio and needed to step up this week and be a playmaker for his team. There’s no doubt the coaches and his fellow players were thrilled with his bounce-back performance this week. 

However, the story of this contest was Michigan’s running game. They combined for 160 yards (12.5 YPC average) and 5 touchdowns. That’s what was missing from this team in the first four games of the season. The defense is solid, the passing game can make big plays, the QB’s can scramble, but the traditional ground game was practically non-existent. Whether that’s the fault of the play caller, the offensive line, or the running backs themselves, it doesn’t matter, because if the Panthers continue this kind of rushing dominance, they aren’t going to miss EJ Perry too much. 

This is going to be critical for Michigan moving forward. The Panthers are a team who are at their best when they can play deliberate and methodical. If they win the time of possession, the turnover battle, and the ground game, other teams are going to have to start trying to force big plays, and that is not a winning formula against the Panthers secondary. They will need to continue to execute this game plan for the rest of the season, and if they do so, they can beat any team in the league, even the seemingly unbeatable Birmingham Stallions. Remember: where there’s a Hills, there’s a way.

Next week, the Panthers (3-2) will be in Detroit to take on the Arlington Renegades (0-5). That game will take place on Sunday, May 5 at 1:00 PM EST on FOX.

The Showboats (1-4) return home to face the Birmingham Stallions (5-0). That game will take place on Saturday, May 4 at 12:00 PM EST on ABC.