2023 Michigan Panthers season

The 2023 season was the Michigan Panthers second season in the United States Football League (USFL), their first playing at Ford Field and their first under head coach/general manager tandem of Mike Nolan and Steve Kazor. They improved upon their 2–8 record from the previous season and reached the playoffs where they lost to the Pittsburgh Maulers in the USFL North Division Championship Game in overtime.

During the 2022 season, the Panthers, and every team in the USFL, played in Birmingham, Alabama. Before the end of that season, the USFL announced plans to move into two or four hubs for teams to play in.^[1] In November, the USFL were reportedly exploring options of having a hub in Metro Detroit, with possible locations being the Eastern Michigan Eagles' Rynearson Stadium and the Detroit Lions' Ford Field.^[2] On January 26, the USFL chose Ford Field, with Rynearson Stadium to serve as their practice field. The previous iteration of the Michigan Panthers had them playing in the Pontiac Silverdome, which was also home to the Detroit Lions.^[3]

Prior to the draft order being complete, the Panthers played the Pittsburgh Maulers in the last week of the 2022 season. Both teams came into the game with a league worst 1–8 record. The USFL announced that the winner of the game would hold the first overall pick in the next years' draft, incentivizing the teams to win the game instead of tanking. The Panthers came out victorious 33–21.^[4]

The draft only included players that were 2023 draft eligible, contrasting with the 2022 draft, which was to build rosters. Also differing from the 2022 draft, players were not initially contracted with the USFL prior to the draft, meaning teams have to negotiate with players to retain their rights.^[5] No player signed with the team until April 12 when the Panthers signed their third-round draft pick, Santrell Latham.^[6]

With the first overall pick, the Panthers chose Jarrett Horst out of Michigan State. Horst already declared for the NFL draft in December 2022.^[7]

The Panthers, like all other teams, had a 38-man active roster with a 7-man practice squad.^[40]

On February 3, 2023, head coach Jeff Fisher stepped down to "spend more time with family". The Panthers named Mike Nolan as head coach.^[41]

Bold indicates divisional opponent.

The Panthers traveled to the Houston Gamblers for their season opener. The Panthers began the scoring with a Marcus Baugh 22-yard reception from Josh Love. The Gamblers responded with a long drive capped off with a 2-yard rushing touchdown from T.J. Pledger to tie the game at 6–6. The Panthers extended their lead with a 35-yard field goal from Cole Murphy before the Gamblers answered with a T.J. Pledger 2-yard rushing touchdown on the back of a muffed punt by the Panthers, closing out the first half with Houston up 13–9.

The second half began with a Panthers punt before Panthers cornerback William Saba intercepted Kenji Bahar to set the Panthers up 2-yards to score, which they capitalized off of with a Stevie Scott 2-yard run to put them in lead 16–13. The third quarter ended with a Houston fumble and a Michigan punt. In the fourth quarter, the Panthers drove the ball down the field, ending with a Trey Quinn 24-yard reception to put the Panthers ahead by 22–13. With Panthers defensive end Breeland Speaks forcing a fumble in the redzone, the Panthers quickly drove 82 yards down the field to score on a Joe Walker 34-yard reception to extend the Panthers' lead to 29–13, which would be the final score.

Panthers quarterback, Josh Love, set a USFL record for highest completion percentage in a game, with 90.0%. The Panthers defense forced four turnovers while defensive end Breeland Speaks produced three sacks and seven combined tackles along with the forced fumble.^[42] Both Love and Speaks received player of the week for their respective side of the ball.

In Week 2, the Panthers visited the Philadelphia Stars. The Stars kicked off the scoring with a Luis Aguilar 27-yard field goal to put the Stars up 3–0. The Panthers failed to answer on their first drive, driving down field for Cole Murphy to attempt a 47-yard field goal, but the ball hit the left upright and failed to cross. After trading punts, Stars kicker Aguilar attempted a 46-yard field goal, but it too failed to cross between the uprights. After getting the ball back, the Panthers quickly drove 64 yards down the field to score on a Josh Love 36-yard pass to tight end Cole Hikutini to go up 7–3. The teams went scoreless through 4 drives, which includes both the teams throwing interceptions and punting, before the Stars got the ball back with 1:56 remaining in the second quarter. However, with 1:01 left, Stars quarterback Case Cookus threw an interception, setting the Panthers up at Philadelphia's 27 yard line. They failed to convert, leading to a Cole Murphy 36-yard field goal to put the Panthers up 10–3 at halftime.

After the Panthers got the ball back to start the second half, quarterback Josh Love threw an interception. The Stars capitalized by driving down and scoring a touchdown with a Matt Colburn 1-yard rush to tie up the game 10–10. The Panthers responded by moving down the field and scoring on a 2-yard rush by Reggie Corbin to go up 17–10. After getting the ball back, the Stars produced a lurching drive that lasted a little over 14 minutes and took 12 plays. On a 4th & 1 at the Michigan 34, the Stars failed to convert after a dropped pass. The Panthers capitalized with a 52-yard rushing touchdown by Corbin on the third play of the ensuing drive, stretching their lead to 24–10, which would be the final score.

Panthers running back, Reggie Corbin, earning an Offensive Player of the Week nomination by rushing for 131 yards and two touchdown on 11 receptions. Along with Corbin, punter Kyle Kramer also earned a Special Teams Player of the Week nomination, going 3/3 on extra points and 1/2 on field goals.

In Week 3, the Panthers hosted their home opener against New Jersey Generals. To open the scoring, the Panthers drove 30 yards for Cole Murphy to kick a 45-yard field goal, which he made to put the Panthers up 3–0. The Generals responded with a 4 play drive that ended with a 51-yard pass from De'Andre Johnson to Darius Victor, which put the General ahead 7–3. The Panthers punted on their next possession, and the Generals wasted no time, with quarterback Johnson rushing 71 yards to set up the 9-yard rushing touchdown from Johnson to extend the Generals lead to 14–3. After another Panthers punt, the Generals orchestrated a 9 play, 81-yard drive ending in a 35-yard rushing touchdown from Victor on 4th & 1 to put the Generals up 21–3 going into the second quarter. After the Panthers turned the ball over on downs and the Generals punted, the Panthers orchestrated their own 9 play, 81-yard drive ending with a 28-yard pass from Carson Strong to wide receiver Trey Quinn to put the Panthers in a 10–21 deficit to end the first half.

To begin the second half, the Generals got the ball. However, the Panthers defense held them to a three-and-out and they punted. With the ball, the Panthers orchestrated a lurching 16 play, 61-yard drive that lasted a little over 9 minutes. The drive ended with a Cole Murphy 31-yard field goal to shorten the deficit to 13–21. After getting the ball back, the Generals struggled to earn a first down. On the third play of the drive, quarterback Johnson stepped up, but fumbled the ball for Walter Palmore to recover, the first turnover of the game. However, on the Panthers' ensuing drive, quarterback Josh Love threw an interception to D. J. Daniel. On the first play of the Generals' drive, Alonzo Moore caught a pass from De'Andre Johnson, taking it 72 yards to score, putting the Generals up 28–13, which would be the final score.

The Panthers defense let up 28 points, more than the first 2 weeks combined, while recording only one sack. Quarterback Josh Love also played poorly, throwing 48.4% completion percentage and one interception, culminating in a 42.5 passer rating. Also, despite passing the ball 31 times, he only threw for 101 yards.

In Week 4, the Panthers hosted the Memphis Showboats. With the Showboats getting the ball first, the Showboats exploded for a 69-yard kickoff return to set themselves up at the Panthers 32 yard line. However, they immediately stalled out, electing for Alex Kessman to kick a 54-yard field goal, which he made to give Memphis an early 3–0. The Panthers got the ball back, but also stalled out on a 3 & out, choosing to punt. The teams exchanged 3 & outs before Memphis started a drive nearing Panthers' territory. The Showboats lurched for 28 yards before electing to kick another field goal, which they made to go up 6–0. The Panthers answered by two back-to-back 10+ yard plays and were looking poised to answer with a score before quarterback Josh Love threw an interception while at the Memphis 16 yard line. With the new drive, the Showboats quickly rushed down 68 yards to score on a Cole Kelley 1-yard quarterback sneak to extend the Showboats' lead to 13–0. The Panthers answered by constructing a slow and methodical drive, taking 14 plays to get on the board with a 24-yard field goal from Cole Murphy. With the Panthers holding the Showboats to a 3 & out, they got back in position to score after moving the ball down the field to the Showboats' 21-yard line. However, Strong threw an interception, which ended their drive and the first half to leave the Panthers down 3–13.

The Panthers got the ball to start the second half. However, despite a 24-yard rush from Stevie Scott, the Panthers stalled out and punted. With the ball, the Showboats then began a 10 play, 53-yard drive that culminated in a Kessman 37-yard field goal to extend the Showboats' lead to 16–3. With an opportunity to answer, the Panthers began a 7-minute, 14-play drive that crossed over into the fourth quarter. On 2nd and goal from the Memphis 3 yard line, Love rolled out to his left and threw a touchdown pass to Joe Walker to put the Panthers in a one score deficit at 10–16. The Showboats answered with another grudging drive, moving the ball 13 times over nearly 8 minutes to put the ball into the endzone with a Kelley 1-yard rush to mount a 23–10 lead. The Panthers got the ball back with 5:08 left in the game, beginning at their own 35 yard line. After gaining a first down, quarterback Love stepped back to pass, but was sacked by Jeff McCulloch, who forced a fumble. McCulloch picked the ball up and strolled into the endzone, extending their mounting lead to 29–10. The Panthers would have an opportunity to answer with 3:37 left in the game, but the kickoff was fumbled by Joe Walker, effectively ending the game at a 10–29 loss.

In Week 5, the Panthers hosted the Pittsburgh Maulers. The Maulers received the ball first, but failed to get a drive going after gaining a first down, punting. On the return, the Panthers fielded the punt at the endzone then brought it back 74 yards before being tackled at the Pittsburgh 26 yard line. With the excellent field position, the Panthers took 5 plays to score a touchdown with a Josh Love pass to Cole Hikutini. After getting the ball back with a chance to respond, Maulers quarterback Troy Williams threw a pass that was tipped and ultimately intercepted, putting the Panthers on the Maulers 46 yard line. With their second drive in enemy territory, the Panthers failed to get anything going and punted. With the ball back, the Maulers began to trudge down the field. An explosive 31-yard pass by Williams put the Maulers at the Panthers 35 yard line. The Maulers would score on a Williams 5-yard pass to halfback Mason Stokke to even the score at 7–7. With a chance to respond, the Panthers drew up a 26-yard pass on 3rd & 10. However, on the next play, Panthers running back Reggie Corbin fumbled on the Panthers 41-yard line, which was recovered by the Maulers. On the first play of their ensuing drive, quarterback Williams threw 28-yards to Isiah Hennie, putting them at the 13 yard line. The Maulers would score on a 5-yard pass, extending their lead to 14–7. With yet another chance to respond, the Panthers drove down to the Maulers 28-yard line. However, Love threw an interception into the endzone which was brought to the 25-yard line on a touchback. Love was subsequently benched for Carson Strong. The first half ended with both teams punting, bringing the halftime score to 14–7 in favor of Pittsburgh.

Both teams traded punts to open the second half with a second Panthers punt bringing the Maulers to their own 22. They drove 74 yards in 8 plays, but stalled on Michigan's 4 yard line, electing to kick a 22-yard field goal which they made to go up 17–7. The Panthers took the ball into the fourth quarter, but fumbled on the first play of the fourth quarter. Both teams punted, and with Pittsburgh's fumble on the first play of their drive, the Panthers began on Pittsburgh's 24 yard line. However, the offense sputtered, taking 6 plays to drive 13 yards, to ultimately end up with an interception in the end zone that was brought back to Michigan's 24 yard line. On the Maulers ensuing drive, they took just four plays to score with a Troy Williams 13-yard rush to extend their lead to 23–7. The Panthers would get a chance to respond, but turned the ball over on downs, effectively solidifying their 7–23 loss.

The Panthers offense scored the fewest points since Week 2 of their debut season. Despite their poor performance, defensive lineman Breeland Speaks exploded for 2.5 sacks, sending his season total to 6.5. Also, outside linebacker Frank Ginda tied the modern Panthers season interception record.

In Week 6, the Panthers hosted the Birmingham Stallions. After getting the ball first, the Panthers moved the ball in short bursts, with a lurching drive that took them to the Stallions 27 yard line to score on a Cole Murphy 45-yard field goal to go up 3–0. With a chance to respond, the Stallions quickly drove downfield, only capturing a first down on a Alex McGough 28-yard rush. Their drive ended with a Brandon Aubrey 40-yard field goal. After a Panthers punt that made the Stallions begin their drive on their own 12-yard line, the Stallions offense orchestrated a 14 play drive that drove them into the second quarter. They would eventually score on a 25-yard field goal nearly 8 minutes after beginning the drive to take a 6–3 lead. The Panthers took an opportunity to respond, taking the ball all the way down to the Birmingham 30-yard line to attempt a 48-yard field goal, but Murphy missed the uprights, leaving the Panthers scoreless. The Stallions, picking the ball up where the Panthers lost it, wasted no time taking the ball 62 yards to score on an 18-yard pass to bring the Stallions lead to 13–3. The Panthers had a chance to respond with the final drive of the half, but, bringing the ball to the Birmingham 15 yard line, ran out of time as the first half expired.

Beginning the second half with the ball, the Stallions were unable to get anything going, and punted. With the ball at their own 23 yard line, the Panthers began what would be a 13 play, 77-yard drive that took up 7 minutes before quarterback Josh Love found tight end Cole Hikutini in the endzone to put the Panthers closer at a 10–13 deficit. With another drive stretching two quarters, the Stallions orchestrated an 11 play, 68-yard drive to end with Alex McGough finding running back C. J. Marable in the endzone to put them up 20–10. The Panthers failed to respond on their ensuing drive, going 3 and out, but a Stallions fumble on the first play of their drive would spark new hope in their offense, beginning their new drive at the Birmingham 27 yard line. However, despite a 16-yard gain bringing them to their 11-yard line, the offense would stall out, and the Panthers would settle for a field goal to bring them to a 13–20 deficit. The Panthers, needing a defensive stop, had the Stallions at 3rd and 1, poised for a 3 and out. However, the defense couldn't hold, allowing a 25-yard rush from C. J. Marable. The Stallions drive ended with an Alex McGough rushing touchdown, bringing the score to 27–13, which would be the final score.

In Week 7, the Panthers will visit the New Jersey Generals.