The Michigan Panthers were left with their third and fourth quarterbacks on the road Sunday against the DC Defenders.
But it didn’t matter who was at Central Michigan as they battled the Defenders for a 22-9 victory. The Panthers move to 5-2 and can clinch a spot in the USFL division playoffs with one more win or a loss to the Houston Roughnecks, who are 1-5 heading into Sunday’s game.
Old State of Michigan Quarterback Brian Lewerke started, replacing Danny Etling, who is injured in his left hand. Lewerke handled quarterback duties on every other possession, splitting time with former Virginia and LA Rams quarterback Bryce Perkins. Perkins completed 11 of 13 passes for 116 yards, while Lewerke had 37 yards on 5 of 13 passes in roughly equal time.
The quick attack was the catalyst to support both defenders. Michigan rushed for a season-high 187 yards, led by Matthew Colburn II with 137 yards on 16 carries, while Wes Hills added 37 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. Perkins ran for 13 yards and Lewerke scrambled for a touchdown.
Michigan managed to dominate the time of possession thanks to the quick attack and the exit from the field on third down. The Panthers held the Defenders to just two third-down conversions and 226 total yards, giving up just one touchdown on a long pass on the first play of a first-quarter drive and a field goal late in the fourth quarter.
After taking the lead with two early touchdowns, Michigan continued to pound the ball and added a trio of Jake Bates field goals from 51, 40 and 22 yards to add security in the 13-point victory.
Tandem QB gets work done with the help of the ground game
The two signal-callers alternated possessions throughout the game, with Lewerke being the starter. It was the first professional football game for Lewerke, who is in his second season at Michigan since playing in the Spring League in 2021.
Lewerke attempted just one pass on the opening drive as the quick attack found its way straight away. Colburn had three carries for 82 yards, including a 53-yard gain, to set up Lewerke’s 7-yard touchdown run on the opening drive.
Perkins came in for the second possession, leading Michigan to another touchdown, this time from Wes Hills from a yard out. Perkins completed all three pass attempts for 31 yards on the drive, but failed on the conversion. DC responded with a 70-yard touchdown pass to Ty Scott on a slant to make it 13-6.
Lewerke’s second drive was originally a three-and-out, but a muffed punt gave Michigan the ball in field goal range, leading to a 51-yard strike by Jake Bates. Michigan’s offense got back on the field quickly with Perkins under center, who drove them from their own 8-yard line to the DC 15 before turning it over on downs. Michigan added another short shot from Bates before halftime to go up, 19-6.
Perkins started the second half to continue the alternating pattern. He led a drive inside the D.C. 10-yard line, but a false start and a sack on third down led to another Bates field goal, making it 22-6. Michigan finished the game with three punts and then ran out the clock. Michigan finished with 332 yards, including 258 in the first half, thanks to the rushing attack.
Defenders lose 2 QBs while Panthers defense remains strong
DC entered the game with its starting quarterback, Jordan Ta’amu, but left the game with just one healthy quarterback. Ta’amu was knocked out of the game after taking a big hit on a third-down sack by Breeland Speaks in the third quarter. On the following drive in D.C., backup quarterback Deondre François made three plays before leaving with a leg injury, leaving third-string Jalan McClendon as the only healthy quarterback to finish the game.
Ta’amu’s 70-yard touchdown was the Defenders’ only score until McClendon led a drive that ended with a field goal to start the fourth quarter to make it 22–9 Michigan with 11:09 left.
McClendon was unable to create anything on the final drive, which ended with a turnover on downs. The third-string quarterback finished with 43 yards on five completions. Ta’amu completed 10 of 14 passes for 127 yards before leaving with an injury. Michigan had three sacks, including one by former Spartan Kenny Willekes on the final possession, while safety Kai Nauca led the team with eight tackles.
This article originally appeared in the Detroit Free Press: Brian Lewerke and Bryce Perkins split time in Michigan Panthers’ 22-9 victory
