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UFL Memphis Showboats

Memphis Showboats Week 7 Game Notes

May 7, 2024 - United Football League (UFL)
Memphis Showboats News Release


The Memphis Showboats and Arlington Renegades will both be looking to stop losing streaks when they clash at Choctaw Stadium Saturday. Memphis has lost five in a row since an opening day victory over Houston, while Arlington is still searching for its first victory this season.

The Renegades have lost three games on field goals as time expired or with less than five seconds left. The average margin of defeat in the Renegades' six losses is just six points. Four of their six losses saw them within one score at the gun.

Arlington quarterback Luis Perez leads the UFL in passing yards, throwing for 1,330 yards. Only A.J. McCarron (STL) and Jordan Ta'amu (DC) have also hit the 1,000-yard plateau this season. The Renegades boast the No. 2 total offense in the UFL, while Memphis is No. 8. Arlington and Memphis are Nos. 7 and 8 in scoring defense, respectively.

Saturday's game is slated for a Noon CT kickoff and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

The Memphis radio broadcast will be heard on News Talk 98.9, with Eli Savoie, Russell Copeland and Tyler Springs on the call.

LAST WEEK

A heavy rain shower, two first-quarter Michigan Panthers touchdowns and a Memphis turnover all put a damper on the start the game for the Showboats, who dropped a 35-18 decision.

Memphis fell behind 13-0 after one quarter on a pair of rushing touchdowns, sandwiched around a fumble on a strip sack of Troy Williams. Michigan extended its lead to 19-0 late in the half.

Williams then found a streaking Daewood Davis down the left sideline. The 82-yard scoring strike was the longest of the season so far in the UFL to make it 19-6.

Michigan opened the second half with a TD to go up 25-6. But Memphis wouldn't go away quietly.

The Showboats recovered a muffed punt at the Panthers' 7-yard line, leading to a Williams-to- Jonathan Adams touchdown pass. The Showboats then drove 75 yards in 10 plays, capped by a 4-yard TD pass from Williams to Sage Surratt. It was a 1-possession game heading into the fourth, 25-18.

But the Panthers answered on the first possession of the final frame. Wes Hills rushed for a 14-yard touchdown to give his team a 32-18 edge.

TRIPLE TD TROY

Troy Williams stepped in for a banged-up Case Cookus at quarterback in Week 5 against Michigan and performed admirably. He threw three touchdown passes, including a UFL-long 82-yarder to Daewood Davis in the second quarter.

Williams' three TD passes in that game tie for the second-best mark for single-game scoring strikes in the UFL. Adrian Martinez (BIR) passed for 4 TDs last week.

RUNNING BACK NOTEBOOK

- Darius Victor is the No. 10 rusher in the UFL. He has tallied 173 yards on 60 carries with 1 touchdown this season. Victor is averaging 28.8 yards per game and 2.9 yards per carry this season.

- Titus Swen and Darius Victor have an interesting shared background. Both were refugees of Civil War-torn Liberia in their youth. Both found their way to the U.S., picked up football, became running backs and now share the same locker room with the Showboats.

- Cyrus Habibi-Likio joined the team prior to the Week 4 matchup at St. Louis and has seen plenty of action the last three weeks. The Boise State product, who also played at Oregon, saw his first carry of the season last week vs. Birmingham, a 2-yard run vs. the Stallions.

- Titus Swen has 15 carries for 25 yards this season. But he has seen a large role on special teams. Swen has taken over as the top kick returner for the Showboats and is averaging 26.2 yards per return, with a long of 37.

QUARTERBACK NOTEBOOK

- Case Cookus was a two-year starter for the Philadelphia Stars. Josh Love started nine games for the Michigan Panthers last season. Troy Williams started eight games for the Pittsburgh Maulers last season. No other UFL team can boast that amount of USFL/XFL starting experience among its top three quarterbacks.

- Cookus ranked No. 2 in the USFL in passing yards last season, throwing for 2,433 yards, while playing for the Philadelphia Stars. He also passed for 14 touchdowns, which ranked No. 3 in the league.

- Williams was one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the USFL last season. He passed for 1,414 yards and six touchdowns, while rushing for 341 yards and three scores for the Pittsburgh Maulers. Williams made his first 2024 start last week against Michigan, going 19-of-37 for 248 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

- Love passed for 1,556 yards and 13 touchdowns with 13 interceptions for the Michigan Panthers last season.

VITO'S VITAE

Darius Victor was the 2022 USFL Offensive Player of the Year, an All-USFL selection and led the league in rushing touchdowns. He rushed for 477 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022 for the New Jersey Generals. While his touchdown total went down in 2023, he rushed for 551 yards last season and his yards per carry was up nearly one full yard. In 2022, he averaged 4.54 yards per carry and that average increased to 5.51 last season.

DAEWOOD = DA MAN

Daewood Davis put up one of the top highlights of Week 5 in the United Football League. Quarterback Troy Williams found him streaking down the left sideline against Michigan and Davis did the rest, going 82 yards for a score. It was the longest touchdown and play from scrimmage so far this season in the UFL.

He added a team-best five receptions for a team-high 43 yards vs. Birmingham last week.

Davis currently ranks No. 8 in the league in receiving yards with 274 and No. 4 in receptions with 28.

WIDE RECEIVER NOTEBOOK

- Vinny Papale is one of just six UFL receivers with three touchdowns this season. Look for him in the end zone this weekend. The Showboats have played three road games this season and Papale has a touchdown catch in each of Memphis' games away from Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.

- Jonathan Adams ranked No. 6 in the USFL in receiving yards last season, playing under John DeFilippo with the New Orleans Breakers. Adams hauled in 41 receptions for 511 yards and 2 touchdowns.

- Papale was the Showboats' leading receiver last season, catching 33 balls for 345 yards and three scores. He was also an All-USFL selection as a Special Teams Player.

And yes, if you recognize his name, his father is Vince Papale, the subject of the movie Invincible.

TIGHT END NOTEBOOK

- Surratt was the top-ranked tight end in the USFL in both receptions and receiving yards last season. He hauled in 50 receptions for 552 yards. His reception total was No. 2 in the league among all receivers, while his receiving yards ranked No. 3 among all receivers. He did all that under John DeFilippo with the Breakers.

- Jay Jay Wilson returns to the Showboats after catching 16 balls for 170 yards and a score last season.

- Wes Saxton comes to the Showboats after playing for the New Jersey Generals in both 2022 and 2023. Saxton missed the last two games with an injury. He returned from injury and tallied an 11-yard reception last week vs. Birmingham.

- Saxton iced the victory for the Showboats vs. Houston in Week 1, recovering a muffed punt, allowing Memphis to run out the clock and secure the win.

OFFENSIVE LINE NOTEBOOK

- Jarron Jones returns to the Showboats as a two-time All-USFL selection for the franchise. He earned that honor with the Tampa Bay Bandits in 2022, before the franchise became the Memphis Showboats.

- Jared Thomas was a 2022 All-USFL selection with New Orleans and played for the XFL Seattle Sea Dragons last season.

- Terry Poole got the start at left tackle in Week 1 at Houston, but has since been released. Larry Tunstall took over the left tackle spot the next three weeks. Marcus Tatum took over at left tackle the last two weeks with Tunstall injured.

- Darrin Paulo has started all six games at left guard. Thomas has held down the center spot, Jarron Jones (tackle) has manned the right tackle position. Jordan McCray has started the last four contests at right guard.

SURE-HANDED SURRATT

Tight end Sage Surratt is No. 4 in the UFL among tight ends with 175 yards receiving on 17 receptions. Surratt scored his first touchdown of the season in Week 5 vs. Michigan.

DEFENSIVE LINE NOTEBOOK

- John Atkins Sr. returns to the Showboats this season. He was a 2023 All-USFL selection, recording 29 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Atkins has been with the franchise since 2022, when it was the Tampa Bay Bandits.

- Daylon Mack is No. 2 on the Memphis defensive line with 11 total tackles this season. Seven of his stops have been solo tackles.

- P.J. Hall is the only Showboats' defensive lineman to score a tackle for-loss so far this season. Hall has two stops behind the line of scrimmage, including a sack in the Week 5 matchup vs. Michigan.

BIG JOHN LEADS THE D-LINE

Defensive tackle John Atkins Sr. is the anchor for the Showboats' defensive line.

Atkins leads all Memphis defensive linemen in total tackles with 13. He has also recovered a fumble this season.

MALIK MAKES A MARK

Despite being listed as a backup on the depth chart, Malik Lawal sees a great deal of action at his inside linebacker position and he's making the most of it. Lawal leads the team in total tackles with 35, including 24 solo stops.

Lawal has also tallied two tackles for-loss and forced a fumble for Memphis. He tied for the team lead with eight tackles last week vs. Birmingham.

SECONDARY NOTEBOOK

- Green returns to the Memphis secondary. He tallied 21 tackles last season and his lone interception of the season secured a win over Houston on May 28, 2023. He recorded a team-best 6 solo stops (7 total) with 2 tackles for-loss in Week 2 vs. San Antonio.

- Quenton Meeks returns to the 'Boats after posting 21 stops and 1 INT last year. He played for both New Orleans and Tampa Bay in the USFL's 2022 season. Meeks returned an interception 42 yards at St. Louis in Week 4.

- D.J. Daniel returned to the Showboats' defensive backs room two weeks ago. He was signed after being released just prior to the season. Daniel recorded two solo tackles in each of his two games back with Memphis.

- Delrick Abrams ranks No. 2 on the team in total tackles with 29 (22 solo).

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTEBOOK

- Matt Coghlin made 18-of-19 field goal attempts last season for New Orleans. He was 6-of-6 from 40-49 yards and did not miss a field goal of less than 50 yards. He is now 11-of-12 this season and still has not missed from less than 50. Coghlin buried a career-best 57-yarder in Week 3 at Birmingham.

- Matthew White averaged 44.9 yards per punt last season for the Breakers, ranking No. 4 in the USFL. He currently ranks No. 5 in the UFL with an average of 43.0 yards per punt. His 66-yarder in Week 3 at Birmingham is the longest of the UFL season.

- Head coach John DeFilippo is very familiar with his specialists. The Showboats' new head coach brought his kicker, punter and long snapper over with him from the New Orleans Breakers. Coghlin handles the placekicking duties, while White punts and holds for placekicks. Turner Bernard is the long snapper.

O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN(S)!

The Showboats have announced their captains for the 2024 season, as determined by a team vote. The 2024 Memphis Showboats captains are:

- DL John Atkins Sr.

- QB Case Cookus

- DB Jarey Elder

- RB Darius Victor

- P Matt White

LINEBACKER NOTEBOOK

- Lawal's 35 total tackles have him tied for No. 9 on the United Football League's total tackles chart.

- Outside linebacker Greg Reaves is tied for No. 8 in the UFL and leads the Showboats with 3.5 sacks. Reaves had two sacks, including a strip sack for a turnover against Houston in Week 1. He got back on the board with another sack vs. Michigan in Week 5.

- T.J. Neal topped the stat sheet for the Showboats defense in Week 1 with four solo stops and added a team-best six last in Week 5 as well. Neal has been with the franchise for three seasons now, including time with the Tampa Bay Bandits in 2022.

- Outside linebackers Maximillian Roberts and Jordan Ferguson each have three sacks this season.

GREEN WITH ENVY

T.J. Green recorded the first Memphis sack of the season by a defensive back last week vs. Michigan. He tallied seven total tackles vs. the Stallions, No. 2 on the team.

For the season, he ranks No. 5 on the team with 25 total tackles.

TALKING TURNOVERS

The Showboats were No. 1 in the United Football League in takeaways prior to last week's game, but did not create a takeaway vs. Birmingham and are now tied for No. 2 with eight. On the flip side, Memphis is also leading the league in giveaways with 12 for a -4 turnover margin that ranks No. 8 in the league. The Showboats lost two fumbles and threw an interception last week vs. Birmingham.

WHAT'S THE CONVERSION RATE?

While the Memphis offense has struggled, the Showboats are still No. 4 in the league in third-down conversions. Memphis has converted 29-of-71 third downs (40.8 percent). Defensively, the 'Boats are struggling to get off the field, ranking last in third- down conversion defense at 49.3 percent (33-of-67).

ROSTER MOVES

Memphis made a change in the secondary a couple weeks ago. Christian McFarland was waived and D.J. Daniel was added to the roster. Daniel was with the Showboats in training camp. He played for the New Jersey Generals in the 2022 and 2023 USFL seasons and was a 2023 All-USFL selection.

The Showboats announced a pair of roster moves prior to the Week 4 game in St. Louis. Memphis waived tackle Terry Poole and running back Trey Williams. Memphis then added running back Cyrus Habibi-Likio and tackle Marcus Tatum.

PAPER OR PLASTIC?

The Showboats' defense currently ranks No. 4 in the UFL in sacks. Memphis has gotten to the quarterback 13 times this season. Only Birmingham (21), San Antonio (18) and Michigan (14) have more sacks this season.

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING

Memphis converted the first 3-point conversion in UFL history last week vs. Birmingham on a Troy Williams-to-Dee Anderson pass. The league is 1-of-3 on 3-point conversions this season.

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