The USFL South made a statement last weekend with a clean sweep of North Division opponents, but no team asserted itself more than the Houston Gamblers.
Behind Mark Thompson’s 134-yard, three touchdown rushing performance and quarterback Kenji Bahar throwing for 230 yards and two scores, Houston crushed Philadelphia, 41-16, on Saturday.
“We didn’t shoot ourselves in the foot like we have in other games,” Gamblers coach Curtis Johnson said after the victory. “We got our running back (Thompson) back, and he might be our good luck charm. When you have a dynamic back like Mark it opens up so much. He’s big, he’s fast, he’s physical … and the offensive line played well.”
Houston started the season 0-2 but won its second straight game in impressive fashion, rolling up 463 yards in total offense while limiting the Stars to 199.
Now 2-2, the high-scoring Gamblers are looking to continue their upward trajectory in the South against a Birmingham team (3-1) seeking its second consecutive victory.
“They’ve got a new staff and they’re starting to feel really comfortable,” Birmingham coach Skip Holtz said. “They’re getting more aggressive on defense with what they’re doing, and I think they’re playing with a lot of confidence right now. These last two wins, I think, have gone a long way for them and they play extremely hard.”
Holtz said one thing that stands out about Houston is the intensity of Johnson’s club.
“Curtis has done a great job with his team, and they’ve bought in to playing hard,” Holtz said. “They’re a talented team and they’re very aggressive with what they do defensively and offensively. They’ve got two quarterbacks (Bahar and Terry Wilson) that they’re not afraid to run, and they present some problems with what they do schematically.
“They’re gonna methodically control the ball moving down the field running the ball, and they’ve got some talent to make some big plays over the top. They’re scoring a lot of points, and I think they’re getting more and more comfortable week in and week out.”
For Saturday’s game the two-QB system will consist of Wilson and Montell Cozart; Bahar is on the inactive roster due to an ankle injury.
The Stallions are coming off a 24-20 victory over Pittsburgh in Canton, a game that saw the visitors struggle early but gut out a win late. The defense held Pittsburgh to field goals in four goal-to-go situations, allowing only one touchdown.
“Last week we were minus two in the turnover battle and made some uncharacteristic mistakes, and we pride ourselves on playing smart,” Holtz said. “And we didn’t play real smart last week, but we still found a way to win. I think that’s a testament to the confidence these players have in each other, and the support of the offense and defense trying to win as a team.
“I think last week was the ultimate team win.”
Birmingham quarterback Alex McGough leads the league in touchdowns (eight) and points (60), while Deon Cain is tops in all-purpose yards with 526. Cain also paces the USFL with 491 kick return yards, which includes two TD returns. He was named Week 4 Special Teams Player of the Week but will miss Saturday’s game due to illness.
McGough isn’t afraid to sacrifice his body to get extra yards, and knows the Gamblers will be coming after him and his teammates hard on Saturday.
“They have a lot of strengths,” McGough said. “They’re a team that doesn’t stay blocked, they rush to the ball, the whole team is flying around. They play with a lot of energy, a lot of grit, passion, you can see it on the field. So, we’re expecting a really intense game on offense, and we know that we’re gonna have to stay in blocks and really grind out yards and try to find ways to beat them, but just know that they’re going to be giving 100 percent on every single play. It doesn’t matter what quarter.”
Davion Davis led the receiving corps last weekend with 71 yards and a touchdown on eight catches. He’s also Birmingham’s season leader in receiving yards with 268.
The wideout is impressed by a Houston team that limited Philadelphia to just 155 passing yards and a 4.2-yards per catch average.
“They’re a very tough team, and their D-line is very talented,” Davis said. “They might be smaller, but they have a lot of dogs on the whole team and defense in general. Everybody claws around the ball. But their offense is well rounded, as well. They have a great quarterback.”
The game is set for 3 p.m. on Saturday at Protective Stadium with FOX providing TV coverage.
“I just want to keep watching these guys play, evolve and develop,” Holtz said of his charges. “I want to see these guys continue to grow. This is a great challenge, but we’re excited to be back home.”
PLAYER STATUS (via Stallions Twitter)
Transferred Player to Active Roster: CB Bryan Mills OLB Elijah Sullivan OG Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms WR Myron Mitchell DE Darrion Daniels
Transferred Player to Inactive Roster: ILB Rashad Smith DE Joe Ozougwu OL O’Shea Dugas WR Deon Cain
Transferred Player to Injured Reserve List: LB Scooby Wright
Game Status Report: DB JoJo Tillery: Out (B Ankles) DE Joe Jackson: Out (R Ankle) S Christian McFarland: Probable (R Hamstring, R Shoulder) TE La’Michael Pettway: Probable (L Foot) OL O’Shea Dugas: Probable (R Knee) CB Donnie Lewis II: Probable (R Hand) LB Scooby Wright: Out (L Calf) DB Brian Allen: Probable (L Shoulder) LB Rashad Smith: Questionable (L Ankle) WR Davion Davis: Probable (B Thighs) WR Adrian Hardy: Probable (R Knee) OL Matt Kaskey: Full Go (R Thumb) WR Deon Cain: Out (Illness)