Thirty-nine years after the original USFL debuted, the new USFL returned on Saturday night. The Birmingham Stallions won the first of 40 regular-season games with a late touchdown, beating the New Jersey Generals 28-24 in a televised game by both NBC and Fox. After the Generals took a 24-21 lead with 1:49 to play, the possibility of overtime – and the USFL two-point penalty to resolve it – appeared. But the Stallions quickly found themselves not only on the pitch but also able to win the game with the rule, thanks to a foul with a face mask that gave Birmingham the ball in New Jersey 20, with 48 seconds left in the fourth quarter. . Five games later, General J’Mar Smith, who shared time with Alex McGough, ran two yards for the decisive score. New Jersey started the next ride at just 35, but did not go any further before time ran out. Smith completed 11 of 21 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown. He added 13 yards in three attempts. Birmingham receiver Osiros Mitchell caught five passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. For the Generals, General D’Andre Johnson (who shared time with key player Luis Perez) ran for 98 yards and a touchdown. He threw for 59 yards. Perez had 143 passing yards and two touchdowns. Generals receiver Randy Satterfield scored the first points of the new USFL with an opening touchdown slot. For the game, he caught five passes for 100 yards. The USFL continues on Sunday with three more games for the first week. It airs on NBC and Peacock at 12:00 p.m. ET, as the Michigan Panthers host the Houston Gamblers. All regular season games will be played in Birmingham.
