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The Michigan Panthers will have multiple goals Saturday when they face the Birmingham Stallions in the USFL Conference title game: win a playoff game for the first time in three seasons, make it to the inaugural UFL championship and get payback for last week’s last-second loss in the regular-season finale.
The Panthers and Stalions face off at 3 p.m. Saturday in Birmingham, Alabama. Michigan dropped its final game of the season at Birmingham last weekend despite taking a lead into the final minute. The Panthers are in the playoffs for the second consecutive season, improving to 7-3 this year from 4-6 last season in the USFL. (The USFL and XFL merged this season to form the UFL.)
“To finish the year the way we did was an improvement over last year,” head coach Mike Nolan said. “Naturally, winning a playoff game, getting to the championship and winning the championship would be another improvement. That’s the goal of our football team. We are certainly capable of that goal.”
THE FINALE: Jake Bates misses FG in Michigan Panthers’ 20-19 loss to Birmingham Stallions
To do that, Michigan must solve one of the few teams that puzzled them in 2024. Two of the Panthers’ three losses this season came at the hands of the Stallions, who are led by MVP favorite — and former Detroit Lions quarterback — Adrian Martinez powering the best offense in the league.
Both losses have come by a one-score margin: Birmingham handed Michigan its first loss, 20-13 in Week 2 at Ford Field, then triumphed over the Panthers at home on a 5-yard TD pass from Martinez to tight end Jace Sternberger to finish with the league’s best record, 9-1.
“As soon as the game ended, we were like, ‘OK, we know what we need to do, we’re going to get them back,” said Michigan running back Nate McCrary, a Muskegon native and Saginaw Valley State…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-panthers-ufl-playoff-preview-100127390.html
Author : Detroit Free Press
Publish date : 2024-06-07 10:01:27
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