On Saturday afternoon at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, located at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, the Philadelphia Stars took on the New Jersey Generals, with the winner advancing to the USFL Championship game. The Generals beat the Stars twice in the regular season, and would the third time be the charm.
Philadelphia dominated in the first half. Kicker Luis Aguilar made a 38-yard field goal, giving the Stars a 3-0 lead with 8:28 left in the first quarter. Quarterback Case Cookus was 10/20 for 133 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. Cookus was effective in the running game with four carries for 39 yards and one touchdown.
Stars’ cornerback Mazzi Wilkins picked off Luis Perez that went for 75 yards to the New Jersey’s 13-yard line. Two plays later, Cookus rushed for an eight-yard touchdown, making it 10-0 with 9:23 left in the second quarter. The Stars led 10-0 at halftime.
The third quarter was marred with injuries. Stars Quarterback Cookus took a shot that led to a Generals’ interception. Cookus had to head to the medical tent with what was later announced as a lower back injury.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t the only one to leave the game as running back Matt Colburn II (knee) and cornerback Channing Stribling (ankle) also left the game and didn’t return. Matt Colburn II had to be carried off the field, ending his day with seven carries for 29-yards and one catch for four yards. Backup quarterback K.J. Costello played the rest of the third quarter, going 2/2 for 42 yards. Cookus returned to the game in the fourth quarter after receiving treatment.
The injuries sustained by the Stars shifted momentum in favor of the Generals. Quarterback Luis Perez threw a 63-yard pass to Darrius Shepherd. Perez went 19/25 for 191 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions. The Generals got to the Stars’ one-yard line, and Darius Victor scored the touchdown, cutting the Stars lead 10-7. Philadelphia held on to a 10-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Stars reached the Generals’ eight-yard line but could not get it in the endzone, setting up a 26-yard field goal for Luis Aguilar. However, he missed it wide right. Then the Generals took over but could only move the ball to their own 25-yard line before punting it back to Philadelphia. The Stars’ offense stalled, and they punted the ball back to the Generals when KaVontae Turpin took it to the house for 78 yards, putting New Jersey up 14-10 with 10:30 left in the game.
The Stars responded on the kickoff when Maurice Alexander had a 45-yard return. Philadelphia’s offense drove it down to the Generals’ 11-yard line before stalling. Kicker Luis Aguilar made a 29-yard field goal making it a one-point game, 14-13.
Just when it looked like the Stars were heading home, a little magic happened. First, the Stars’ defense made a pivotal stop to force fourth down. Then, Stars’ returner Maurice Alexander turned on the jets during a punt return and ran it back for an 87-yard touchdown. The Stars went for a two-point conversion but failed, making it 19-14 with two minutes left. Generals head coach Mike Reilly couldn’t believe his special teams could not make the tackle.
The Stars’ defense needed to make one more stop. The Generals were in a two-minute drive. They were getting a chunk of yards little by little. However, Generals’ quarterback Luis Perez attempted to throw a pass to Alonzo Moore. Instead, it was intercepted by Amani Dennis, sealing the game, and the Stars beat the Generals on the third try 19-14. Credit goes to Adam Rodriguez for getting around the Generals’ right tackler and hitting Perez just as he was throwing the ball, leading to the interception.
Both defenses held their own in this game. As the numbers were pretty similar. The Stars’ defense allowed 285 yards, 76 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions, and three pass breakups. Meanwhile, the Generals’ defense allowed 286 yards, 53 tackles, two sacks, one interception, and five pass breakups.
The Stars will play the Birmingham Stallions next Sunday in the USFL Championship Game at 7:30 pm on FOX.
