Michigan Panthers snap four-game skid with 25-22 win over New Jersey Generals

The Michigan Panthers are finally back in the win column.

After four consecutive losses, the Panthers showed grit in a back-and-forth contest, driven by quarterback Josh Love's ability to shake off his first-quarter struggles. He finished with 264 yards passing and three touchdowns as Michigan topped the New Jersey Generals, 25-22, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.

The Panthers slowly built a lead, then escaped their first road game in more than a month thanks to the Generals' inability to convert under the USFL's unique 3-point conversion rules. New Jersey was unsuccessful on three separate 3-point plays in the fourth quarter, all taken from 25 yards out.

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Searching for success

The Panthers couldn't get much of anything going early on. Both Love and Generals quarterback Kyle Lauletta struggled to hit their targets, overthrowing receivers on multiple occasions.

Cole Murphy was responsible for all the Panthers' points in the first half. The former Syracuse kicker hit a 27-yard field goal midway through the second quarter, then was called in with 4 seconds left to nail a 50-yard field goal and send the Panthers into halftime with a 6-3 lead.

The Panthers almost started the second half off with a bang: Kaden Davis reached the end zone on the kickoff, but the TD was called back due to a holding penalty.

They recovered quickly.

Love found Trey Quinn twice, the second pass resulting in a 22-yard touchdown. Murphy then missed his first kick of the day, shanking the extra point to the right.

The Generals answered back, marching downfield with ease. Quarterback De'Andre Johnson found Alonzo Moore in the end zone to quickly make it a two-point game. The score remained that way until the final quarter.

Finding a balance

Love and running back Reggie Corbin teamed up for a drive that combined arguably the most balanced performances rushing and passing. Panthers tight end Cole Hikutini finished it by splitting two defenders to find the end zone and come down with a perfectly timed pass from Love, extending the lead to 19-10.

The game came to a halt with just over eight minutes to play when Johnson received a blow to the head on helmet-to-helmet contact before hitting his head again on the Hall of Fame Stadium turf. Johnson was eventually carted off the field. He was seen moving his upper extremities and, according to the FS1 broadcast, was taken to a Canton hospital to be evaluated for a concussion.

Lauletta came in to finish the drive, resulting in a touchdown for the Generals. They attempted a 2-point conversion and appeared to be successful, but it was waived off on an ineligible receiver call. The Generals then decided to go for a 3-point conversion, from 25 yards out. They were unsuccessful on the first attempt, but a holding penalty on the Panthers gave them a second chance. Finally, on the third post-TD play, Lauletta's pass was thwarted by former Michigan State cornerback Josh Butler.

Joe Walker extended the lead for the Panthers, breaking through the defense and running 68 yards to the end zone, but Murphy missed the extra point, leaving the Generals a slim hope of a comeback.

The ensuing 65-yard drive made it a 3-point game again, but Lauletta's pass on the 3-point try was again unsuccessful. The Generals had one last chance, as they attempted to take advantage of the USFL's rule replacing the onside kick: a fourth-and-12 from their own 33-yard line. But Lauletta was unable to connect with former Nebraska wideout Alonzo Moore, and the Panthers got the ball. Six carries by Corbin later, for 30 yards, Love was finally able to take a knee, locking up Michigan's first win since April 23 — against the Philadelphia Stars, also in Canton — to improve to 3-4 on the season and take over second place in the North Division.

Next up for Michigan is a trip to Birmingham, Alabama, to take on the New Orleans Breakers at 4 p.m. June 4.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan Panthers snap skid with 25-22 win over New Jersey Generals