Pittsburgh Maulers, New Jersey Generals each seek first 2023 USFL win in Canton debut
Two football teams seeking consistency make their Canton debut Sunday when Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium hosts its first USFL regular-season game.
The Maulers and Generals, who both are calling Canton home this season, meet each other at 1 p.m. Sunday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Both teams enter Week 2 having lost their opener.
The Breakers were 22-15 winners over the Maulers last Saturday. The Maulers got touchdowns from their defense and special teams, but went 0-for-3 scoring TDs offensively in the red zone. They gained just 156 total yards and turned the ball over on downs inside the 1.
“When you are four downs inside the 1, you have to produce,” Maulers head coach Ray Horton said. “You just do. And when you are kicking inside from inside the 25, you got to produce. Those were the plays we left on the table that we had to make if we want to win.”
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As for the Generals, they also couldn’t get their offense going last Sunday in a 27-10 loss to the Stallions, the defending champs.
Generals head coach Mike Riley said inconsistencies led to their offensive woes, including at quarterback. DeAndre Johnson only completed four of his 13 passes for 29 yards, while Dakota Prukop was 13-of-17 and for 148 yards. Riley also mentioned their missed opportunities. Their only touchdown came in the second quarter on a 2-yard run by Prukop.
“Obviously, we have a lot of inconsistency,” Riley said. “We particularly showed it in the red zone where we had some chances to score points and we did not. It made a difference in how the game played out.”
Maulers vs. Generals, a potential USFL rivalry
Because the Maulers and the Generals share facilities at the Hall of Fame Village, there are always encounters with one another. There is mutual respect, but there also is a lot of trash talking.
“Just to see those guys every day, just to say that we beat you and vice-versa, it's added extra motivation,” Generals running back Darius Victor said. "So, let the best team win.”
The Maulers will be the home team this weekend. Both teams are in the same division. A year ago, the Generals defeated the Maulers twice during their 9-1 regular season.
“There are bragging rights inside the building? Probably,” Horton said. “But we want to win even if they are our neighbors or across the country. We want to win no matter where they are from.”
While Horton will experience this division rivalry first hand on Sunday, Riley knows exactly what he is up against.
“I was in the league a year ago, and I realize that the most important thing about it is that they are in our division,” Riley said. “So, they are in our way as far as playoffs are concerned.”
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Both teams went toe-to-toe with each other during training camp last month at Massillon’s indoor practice facility. Riley knows the Maulers’ aggressive defense and thinks their defensive linemen are the key to their success.
“They were very good last year and they looked very good this year,” Riley said. “Those guys are physical and tough to run against. They have good pass rushers. I think they might have one of the better defensive lines in the league, and I thought that a year ago. That’s a great foundation for them to start with. That’s a lot for us to deal with in order for us to run the ball effectively and throw the ball effectively. Their defensive line can literally mess up the game and so we have to do a great job against those guys.”
USFL Players of the Week
The USFL released its Week 1 Players of the Week — Panthers QB Josh Love, Panthers defensive end Breeland Speaks and Breakers kicker Matthew Coghlin.
Love and Speaks helped the Panthers beat the Gamblers 29-13. Love completed 90% of his passes for 215 yards and three touchdowns. Speaks made three sacks, seven tackles and forced a fumble. Coghlin nailed five field goals, including a 51-yarder, in the win over the Maulers.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: USFL's Pittsburgh Maulers, New Jersey Generals set for Canton debut
