by Canton, Ohio: Despite a disappointing 2-6 start to the season, the New Jersey Generals were still clinging to playoff hope. They found themselves just two games back of the division leading Philadelphia Stars, and had the opportunity to gain crucial ground in a week 9 matchup from Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
The Generals came in with the league’s leading rushing attack, led by former Towson University standout Darius Victor. Countering that was a struggling passing game, with a quarterback room marred by injury early in the season. The Generals sat just above the bottom of the league in passing yardage, and dead last in turnover margin.
On the other side, Philadelphia had been airing the ball out all season. After leading the Stars to a championship appearance last year, quarterback Case Cookus picked right up where he left off. He’s tossed 10 touchdowns so far, and racked up just under 1,800 yards through the air. And his favorite target? None other than former Cleveland Brown’s first round selection Corey Coleman.
New Jersey showed they were hungry right out of the gate, as Cam Echols-Luper weaved through the defense to run back the opening kickoff for six. The extra point from Nick Skiba gave the Generals a 7-0 lead with just 11 seconds off the clock.
Not wanting to fall behind early, the Stars came out ready to respond. Despite some consistent pressure from the General’s front seven, Case Cookus continually escaped the pocket and used his legs to help march the team down the field. He capped of the drive with a 6 yard slant to an uncovered Corey Coleman for the score. Lirim Hajrullahu booted the PAT to tie things up at 7-7.
The first time the Generals’ offense saw the field, it was business as usual. Led by a healthy dose ground and pound from Darius Victor, they methodically drove down the field deep into Stars’ territory. Quarterback De’Andre Johnson had a chance to cap off the drive with a touchdown, but overthrew his intended man in the endzone on third and long. New Jersey settled for a field goal to take back the lead, ending the first quarter with a 10-7 lead.
Heading into the second, the Stars offensive line continued to struggle. Cookus rarely had the time to establish himself in the pocket, and took a vicious sack from linebacker Chris Orr at the start of the next drive. Cookus made the most of it though, as a 30 yard scramble up the middle put Philly right back in the redzone. After a tough sequence where teams traded penalties five times in just six plays, Philly finally capped off the drive with a short field goal. The game was knotted at 10 early in the second quarter.
Not to be outdone, New Jersey’s offense came back out swinging right away. After successfully establishing the run on a series of options and jet sweeps, Darrell Stewart Jr. made a spectacular 43 yard comeback catch on an underthrown ball by Johnson. Capitalizing on their momentum, the Generals went deep into the playbook for a running back pass from Darius Victor to tight end Braedon Bowman. Generals went back on top, 17-10.
Philadelphia nearly tied the game yet again, as a series of penalties and short passes from Cookus took the Stars all the way down to New Jersey’s 5 yard line. However, an untimely fumble from running back Darnell Holland gave possession right back to the Generals with just over two minutes to go in the half.
The Generals were forced to play conservatively with their backs against their own endzone, and for the first time this game failed to score on their possession. A beautiful 57 yard punt was quickly forgotten about, as Corey Coleman found a seam on the right sideline and ran the kick back into Generals territory with just 22 seconds left until halftime. This helped set up a 46 yard field goal from Hajrullahu, and cut the lead down to 17-13 heading into the half.
Philly had a chance to keep the momentum in their favor, as they opened up the third quarter with the ball. The offense was slow to get going however, and once again seemed unsettled thanks to New Jersey’s stout defensive front. It took only five plays for possession to flip back to the Generals.
Smelling blood in the water, New Jersey came out looking for a big play. They didn’t have to wait long, as Johnson connected with Stewart Jr. deep up the left sideline on the first play of the drive. The 56 yard gain put New Jersey well into the redzone, eventually allowing Darius Victor to plow up the middle for a 5 yard touchdown run. After a missed extra point, the Generals found themselves up 23-13 early in the 3rd.
Starting to feel the pressure, the Stars looked to gain ground quickly. The drive started off hot, as Cookus connected with his go-to target Coleman on a 37 yard post route. This brought Philly all the way down to the Generals’ 6 yard line, but the offense stalled from there. A sack and two incomplete shots to the endzone quickly ended the drive, and resulted in just 3 points for the Stars. Generals held the lead, 23-16.
Getting back to their roots, New Jersey spent most of the next drive pounding the ball up the middle. Seemingly lulling the defense into a trance, the Generals waited for the perfect time to pull out a trick play once again. What looked like a reverse quickly revealed itself to be a passing play, as Cam Echols-Luper stopped in his tracks to throw a dime to quarterback De’Andre Johnson. This took them right up to Philly’s goal line, and another punch in by Darius Victor put New Jersey up 30-16.
Just two plays into the following drive, the Stars lost their second fumble of the game. Taking a 14 point lead into the 4th quarter, the Generals continued to go to the ground game. Trey Williams put yet another dagger into Philly’s hopes, as he scampered to the outside for a 24 yard touchdown run. Generals 37, Stars 16.
Philly was able to respond quickly, as the passing attack finally seemed to come alive. Cookus connected with Terry Wright for a 26 yard strike over the middle to pull the Stars within 14. The Generals tried to get aggressive once their offense took over, going for it on a fourth down attempt in Stars’ territory. The gamble didn’t pay off however, giving Philly the ball back with a chance to climb back into the fight.
Generals’ corner Christian Tutt continued to struggle covering Corey Coleman, and picked up his third pass interference penalty to help jumpstart the Stars’ drive. A short touchdown pass to Diondre Overton and a PAT from Hajrullahu got the Stars back within one score, 37-30. Suddenly, the pressure began to mount on New Jersey.
The cracks started to show right away, as Echols-Luper nearly fumbled away the ensuing kickoff. To make matters worse, a holding penalty on the same play forced the Generals to start the drive on their own 12 yard line. With four minutes to go, New Jersey only managed to shave off sixty seconds and went three-and-out. The Stars’ defense held strong, and the Stars took over on their own 40 yard line.
With the game on the line, Case Cookus started to play hero ball. He picked his spots, methodically carving up the Generals’ secondary. Cookus looked unstoppable while pushing the team into the redzone, but that’s exactly where the heat wore off. Three incomplete passes and a holding penalty stopped Philly dead in their tracks, and they elected to kick a field goal with just 1:39 left to play. They still trailed New Jersey 37-33.
With time running out, Philadelphia attempted the USFL’s version of the onside kick: one attempt at a play, needing to gain 15 yards to stay alive. A pass interference call was once again a saving grace for the Stars, giving them a fresh set of downs and a chance to win the game.
After only a short gain on three attempts, it all came down to 4th and 7 at midfield. Cookus dropped back to look for a man deep, locked on to his target, and wound up to throw.
One. Second. Too Late.
Defensive end Hercules Mata’afa made his way around the edge, and grabbed Cookus’ arm just before it came forward. The ball came loose, and Mata’afa was able to jump on top of it. A strip sack to secure the win for New Jersey.
From there, it was victory formation time for the Generals. A single knee from Johnson, and the game was over. New Jersey hung on for the upset, 37-33.
The win moves New Jersey to 3-6 on the year, and keeps them in the playoff hunt heading into the final week of the season. Philadelphia goes to 4-5, but despite the losing record they still hold the USFL North Division lead. They control their own destiny, as a win against the Michigan Panthers next week will secure their second straight division title.
Player of the Game: New Jersey Generals RB Darius Victor – 11 carries, 51 yards, 2 TDs, 1 pass TD.
Honorable Mention: Philadelphia Stars QB Case Cookus – 25/40 passing, 263 yards, 3 Pass TDs, 59 rush yards.
