Last year, the Michigan Panthers were the darlings of the UFL in its debut outing.
Boasting playmakers in all three phases of the game, the Panthers had legitimate hopes of claiming a championship in 2024 – but would have their season ended by the league’s dynastic franchise (and eventual three-peat champs), the Birmingham Stallions.
But don’t expect that bitter taste to stop the Panthers, once again led by head coach Mike Nolan, from building on the strength of a returning personnel core that enters the 2025 season with the benefit of another training camp together. Even with the team’s breakout player from a season ago, Jake Bates, now playing for the Detroit Lions.
There’s another noteworthy absence that the Panthers are adjusting to this year – and it was on full display during the team’s Week 1 road matchup against the Memphis Showboats.
EJ Perry, who entered last season as Michigan’s starting quarterback (but only appeared in four games due to suffering an injury), now finds himself under center for the Showboats. Memphis’ struggles last season are well-documented. After producing a disappointing 2-8 record, both head coach John DeFilippo and general manager Dennis Polian stepped down, and starting quarterback Case Cookus would eventually depart to join the Stallions.
The start of the season for Memphis hasn’t faired much better. Less than a week before the team’s matchup with the Panthers, the Showboats’ new head coach, Ken Whisenhunt, announced he was taking a leave of absence for personal reasons. In his place, Memphis elevated offense line coach Jim Turner to acting head coach.
Meanwhile, the Panthers’ continuity provided a visible contrast to the tumult of their Week 1 opponent. Even with Bates and Perry no longer in tow, Michigan had a full offseason to further establish its offensive identity under OC Marcel Bellefeuille, with QBs Bryce Perkins and Danny Etling both returning to the team and prepared to operate as a committee. But on Sunday, it was Perkins who dazzled and took the reins of leading man in his first start for the Panthers. The former Los Angeles Ram left little to be desired in the Panthers’ 26-12 victory in Memphis – both in terms of his decision-making and athleticism.
Last season, Perkins led Michigan’s QBs in completion percentage (79%) and yards per attempt (9.0), and he picked up right where he left off with his expanded role to lead the Panthers’ offense in their first outing of 2025. Against the Showboats, Bryce led all QBs in Week 1 in the previously mentioned statistical categories, going 16-19 from the field for 163 yards and two touchdowns (one in the air and one on the ground).
As composed as the 28-year-old passer looked throwing in rhythm from the pocket – a feat made possible by the Panthers’ enviable stable of pass catchers, which returns the likes of Marcus Simms, Saiosi Mariner, Cole Hikutini, and Samson Nacua, it was the former Virginia Cavaliers’ ability to produce big plays with his legs that stole the show in Memphis. With the Panthers looking to go up two scores early in the second quarter, Perkins made the play of the game on a 4th & Goal from the Showboats’ 2-yard line, where his contact balance allowed him to shed three would-be tacklers en route to the goal line to give Michigan a 10-0 lead.
“He makes a quarterback’s job easy by just allowing us to go out there and make our reads,” Perkins said postgame about the position his OC puts the Panthers’ QBs in to go out and make a play. “[If] we make our reads, there should be a throw or a run that’s always available to us.”
The Panthers found the endzone three times in the victory over Memphis, with the last score turning the tide of a would-be comeback and ultimately shutting the door on the home team. The Showboats experimented with a QB committee of their own, as EJ Perry shared snaps with returning backup Troy Williams. Similar to Perkins, Williams’ athletic traits add an extra factor that defenses have to account for, allowing him to make bigger plays both through the air and on the ground. With just under a minute left and trailing by one possession (after a Panthers’ missed FG from 50 yards out), Williams returned to the field in a final effort to get Memphis into the endzone.
The drive couldn’t have started out much better for the rallying Showboats. On the opening play from their own 40, Williams streaked out of the pocket, connecting with receiver Jonathan Adams midfield for a 38 yard completion that brought the ball to the Panthers’ 22. But on the very next play, Williams doesn’t feel the pressure coming until it’s too late. With Michigan’s Ron’Dell Carter chasing him out of the pocket, Williams rolls to his right and heaves a duck that’s high of the intended receiver – and ripe for the picking by Panthers’ safety Kai Nacua. With his brother Samson scoring the team’s only receiving touchdown of the day, Kai showed no hesitation to drive the nail in the coffin, returning the interception 80 yards for the game-ending pick-six.
“We go through situations like this every day in practice,” Nacua said of his interception to seal the game. “Last year, I know on my side, it was kind of giving up a couple big plays that we needed to close out the game. So I just focused in on that last drive and wanted to make a play for my team.”
The Michigan Panthers will look to keep their winning ways on track in the team’s home opener this Friday as they welcome the defending champs, the Birmingham Stallions, in a primetime matchup.
Final score: Panthers 26, Showboats 12
