Pittsburgh Maulers Host Houston Gamblers Saturday at Noon ET on USA Network and Peacock; Arizona Cardinals QB Colt McCoy Serves as Game Analyst
NBC Sports and FOX Sports to Present All 43 USFL Games Live During 2023 Season
STAMFORD, Conn. – June 1, 2023 – NBC Sports presents a 2023 Week 8 USFL doubleheader this weekend, headlined by the South Division-leading Birmingham Stallions (5-2) hosting the North Division-leading Philadelphia Stars (4-3) this Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock from Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Ala.
The Stallions defeated the New Orleans Breakers, 24-20, last week to move into sole possession of first place in the South Division. Quarterback Alex McGough, a seventh-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in the 2018 NFL Draft, threw for 176 yards and a score to boost his league-leading touchdown pass total to 13. Running back C.J. Marable, who is fourth in the USFL in rushing yards (380), had 138 total yards (86 rushing, 52 receiving). Tight end Jace Sternberger, a third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft who played two seasons for the Green Bay Packers, had two receptions for 28 yards and a touchdown, while TE Thaddeus Moss, son of NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss, had a 10-yard reception.
Quarterback Case Cookus, second in the league in passing yards (1,520) and fourth in passing touchdowns (seven), led the Stars past the Pittsburgh Maulers (37-31) last week with 235 passing yards and two touchdowns. Corey Coleman, who was a consensus All-American at Baylor in 2015 and spent time with the Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, New York Giants, and Kansas City Chiefs, had four receptions for 75 yards and a score. Coleman, a 2016 NFL first-round pick, ranks second in the league in receiving yards (409).
NBC Sports’ Jac Collinsworth (play-by-play), Super Bowl-winning fullback Michael Robinson (analyst), and Zora Stephenson (sideline reporter) will call the Stars-Stallions matchup on NBC and Peacock.
The Houston Gamblers (4-3) take on the Pittsburgh Maulers (2-5) on Saturday at Noon ET on USA Network and Peacock from Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. Current Arizona Cardinals QB and 12-year NFL veteran Colt McCoy will serve as analyst for the second consecutive weekend.
The Gamblers, led by head coach Curtis Johnson, who was the wide receivers coach for the New Orleans Saints team that won Super Bowl XLIV, narrowly fell to the Memphis Showboats last week (23-20). Running back Mark Thompson, third in the league in rushing yards (416), led Houston with 59 total yards (42 rushing, 17 receiving) and two scores, while TE Josh Pederson added five receptions for 93 yards.
The Maulers fell to the Stars, 37-31, last week. Linebacker Kyahva Tezino, who leads the league in tackles (77), had 15 tackles while 2017 NFL first round pick Reuben Foster, who played for the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Commanders, added seven. Wide receiver Josh Simmons has excelled on special teams, with 683 kick return yards – tops in the USFL by more than 100 yards.
NBC Sports’ Paul Burmeister (play-by-play), Colt McCoy (analyst), and Caroline Pineda (sideline reporter) will call the Gamblers-Maulers matchup on USA Network and Peacock.
NBC Sports and FOX Sports, the USFL’s official media partners, will combine to present all 43 games live during the 2023 season. 2023 features 29 games on the NBC and FOX broadcast networks, which is a six-game increase from the league’s inaugural season. NBC Sports will present 18 games across NBC and Peacock (11) and USA Network and Peacock (7). FOX Sports will carry 25 games split between FOX (18) and FS1 (7). Click here for a comprehensive season schedule.
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