USFL playoffs are set: Everything to know on Generals-Stars, Stallions-Breakers
After 10 fun-filled weeks of the USFL's inaugural regular season, the playoffs are set.
The New Orleans Breakers will be the No. 2 seed in the South, joining Birmingham, which earned the No. 1 seed by virtue of its 9-1 record. In the North, top-seeded New Jersey joins No. 2 seed Philadelphia.
The playoffs, which will be held at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, begin with the semifinals on Saturday, June 25. Here is the schedule:
Stars vs. Generals: 3 p.m. ET on FOX.
Breakers vs. Stallions: 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
The winners will then play in the USFL Championship Game on Sunday, July 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX. Tickets for the USFL playoffs and championship games are on sale at United States Football League (USFL) (hofvillage.com).
Here are the key things to know about the semifinal matchups.
North matchup: No. 1 New Jersey Generals vs. No. 2 Philadelphia Stars
Records: Generals, 9-1; Stars, 6-4.
Current streak: Generals, W9; Stars, L1.
Head-to-head: The Generals beat the Stars twice, 24-16 in Week 3 and 26-23 in Week 10.
Points for/against: Generals, 232-182; Stars, 262-243.
Leading passer: Generals, Luis Perez (1,200 yards on 71.7% completions, nine touchdowns, one interception); Stars, Case Cookus (1,334 yards on 62.5%, 12 TDs, five INTs).
This browser does not support the Video element.
New Jersey Generals quarterback Luis Perez connected with Darrius Shepherd for a go-ahead touchdown over the Michigan Panthers on Saturday.
Leading rusher: Generals, Trey Williams (579 yards, 4.9 yards per carry, two TDs); Stars, Matthew Colburn (457 yards, 4.5 YPC, eight TDs).
Leading receiver: Generals, KaVontae Turpin (540 yards, 12.3 yards per reception, four TDs); Stars, Bug Howard (371 yards, 12.4 YPR, four TDs).
Leading tackler: Generals, Dravon Askew-Henry, S (39 tackles, two INTs); Stars, Jordan Moore, LB (60 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks).
Other notables: Turpin is not only a dangerous receiver but also difficult to corral on kick returns. He leads the league in punt return average (15.3) and is the only player to return one for a touchdown this season. … Darius Victor (nine) and Colburn (eight) have scored the most rushing touchdowns in the league. … Cookus has compiled his passing numbers in only six starts. He started the season as Philly's backup behind Bryan Scott, taking over the job after Scott was injured. … Philly DB Channing Stribling leads the league in interceptions (seven).
South matchup: No. 1 Birmingham Stallions vs. No. 2 New Orleans Breakers
Records: Stallions, 9-1; Breakers 6-4.
Current streak: Stallions, W1; Breakers, L1.
Head-to-head: The Stallions swept the season series with the Breakers, winning 22-13 in Week 3 and 10-9 in Week 8.
Points for/against: Stallions, 234-169; Breakers, 196-164.
This browser does not support the Video element.
Kyle Sloter has tried out for 26 different NFL teams and talks about what it's actually like inside of NFL camps and takes that knowledge with him to the USFL and to the New Orleans Breakers.
Leading passer: Stallions, J'Mar Smith (1,573 yards on 54.8% completions, 10 TDs, six INTs); Breakers, Kyle Sloter (1,798 yards on 57.7% completions, nine TDs, 11 INTs).
Leading rusher: Stallions, CJ Marable (401 yards, 3.9 YPC, five TDs); Breakers, Jordan Ellis (596 yards, 4.0 YPC, four TDs).
Leading receiver: Stallions, Marlon Williams (474 yards, 14.8 YPR, four TDs); Breakers, Jonathan Adams (406 yards, 13.1 YPR, three TDs).
Leading tackler: Stallions, DeMarquis Gates, LB (62 total tackles, 11 TFL, 6.5 sacks); Breakers, Vontae Diggs, LB (75 total tackles, seven TFL, two sacks).
This browser does not support the Video element.
Bo Scarbrough became a leader immediate upon joining the Stallions midseason. He talks about the mindset he goes into every game with and what he learned as a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Other notables: Sloter has shown a knack for making clutch plays and his passing total is tops in the league, but his 11 interceptions are also the second-most in the league. … Marable's rushing numbers have taken a hit since the Stallions signed Bo Scarbrough midseason. Scarbrough has rushed for 352 yards in six games (five starts). … Gates leads the league in tackles for loss, with 11.