USFL Week 1: What to expect in Michigan Panthers vs. Houston Gamblers

Two coaches who are new to the USFL face off in the opening weekend, as the Houston Gamblers host the Michigan Panthers on Sunday at noon ET at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee.

Here’s a breakdown of this weekend’s opening season matchup.

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Houston Gamblers: What’s the game plan for new Panthers head coach Mike Nolan?

New Gamblers head coach Curtis Johnson said the season opener is hard to prepare for, having never faced new Michigan head coach Mike Nolan’s team. That makes it hard to anticipate the new personnel and schemes he’ll face on game day.

Nolan took over the Panthers this year after Jeff Fisher stepped down as head coach this offseason.

"It’s very difficult," Johnson said. "The schedule is what it is, but they don’t know what we’re doing, and we don’t know what they’re doing. I just think you have to be pretty generic in what you do. You don’t want to try all the trick stuff. Just play solid, simple football.

"I think if you can out-execute the other team, it will tell you more about your team. So, execution is paramount in this one."

Another concern for Johnson will be his team taking care of the football. The Gamblers gave the ball away 15 times last year.

"If we don’t turn the ball over, make mistakes and have a bunch of penalties, I think we can maintain and win some games," Johnson said. "We have a good enough offensive line that we’ll be able to run the ball and do some things, but the main thing is turnovers and penalties. That will kill us. We can’t have that."

Michigan Panthers: Who is the long-term answer at QB?

Josh Love returns for the Panthers this season.

The San Jose State product threw for 791 yards in the USFL last season while playing for the Pittsburgh Maulers and the Panthers, with four touchdowns and four interceptions.

However, the Panthers also brought in a new signal caller to add competition to the quarterback room in Carson Strong.

At 6-3 and 230 pounds, Strong is a big guy who can sling it. He completed 68% of his passes for 9,368 yards, with 74 touchdowns and 19 interceptions during his college career at Nevada. If Love struggles, perhaps Nolan goes to Strong early in the game.

The Panthers finished 2-8 last season and averaged 21.1 points per game, so generating some consistency on offense will be important.

Expect Michigan to also lean on running back Reggie Corbin to create some balance on offense. Corbin led Michigan in rushing with 519 yards in 2022, while Stevie Scott II added 310 yards on the ground.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

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