The summary below is from Bryan DeArdo's article for CBS Sports.
I do not know who to credit for the images. The first of J'Mar Smith, was the "cover" image for the highlights package and the offensive line picture was shared by the USFL Twitter account uncredited.
The USFL's first game had just about everything, including a game-winning touchdown in the final minute. The score, courtesy of Stallions quarterback J'Mar Smith, gave the Birmingham Stallions a 28-24, come-from-behind win over the New Jersey Generals.
The two teams combined to score 24 points in the fourth quarter, with Smith's score coming on a 2-yard touchdown run with 29 seconds left. Smith's touchdown came moments after the Generals took the lead on Nick Rose's 47-yard field goal with 1:54 left. Smith then led the Stallions on a game-winning, 59-yard drive while recording the first win of the USFL's 2022 season. The Generals lost despite gaining a jaw-dropping 222 rushing yards that included 98 yards and a score from quarterback De'Andre Johnson.
Saturday's game started with a bang, with Generals quarterback Luis Perez hitting Randy Satterfield for a 48-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage. The drive ended with Satterfield catching a 3-yard touchdown despite taking a nasty lick from a Stallions defender.
The Stallions responded with a big play of their own, a 35-yard touchdown pass from Alex McGough to Osirus Mitchell less than four minutes into the game. New Jersey re-gained the lead by taking advantage of safety Shalom Luani's interception at the start of the second quarter. Facing a third-and-7 from the Stallions' 13-yard-line, Perez rolled to his right before hitting tight end Braedon Bowman in the end zone for the go-ahead score.
With the score tied through three quarters, both teams scored touchdowns to start the fourth quarter. Johnson gave the Generals the lead on a 10-yard run, only to have the Stallions respond less than four minutes later when Smith found tight end Cary Angeline for a 28-yard score. Rose then gave the Generals a 24-21 lead before Smith executed a game-winning two-minute drill.
Birmingham's offense scored touchdowns on its last three possessions. Most of the damage was done by Smith, who started in the second half in place of McGough, who was sidelined with an injury. After going 0 of 4 in the first half, Smith completed 11 of 17 passes for 156 yards in the second half. The Stallions also received a big game from Mitchell, who finished the game with 96 yards on five receptions.
Birmingham's defense also came up with a few timely stops. The Generals were threatening to add to their lead before halftime when linebacker Scooby Wright forced a fumble of Perez that was scooped up by safety Nate Holley. With the game tied late in the fourth quarter, the Stallions' defense forced the Generals to settle for a field goal after JoJo Tillery tackled Johnson two yards shy of the first down on third-and-10. Birmingham's defense then forced three incomplete passes on the game's final three plays.
I'll add to this if I come across additional coverage.
As fun as that game was, relief was probably the more prominent emotion after the game. It looked like it was on its way to getting sloppy real fast after the teams traded touchdowns in their first drives. I was concerned that their performances would turn into a clown show and that people would dismiss the league on the basis of one bad half of football, similarly to what happened with the original incarnation of the XFL. I'm very glad that a good first impression was made.
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