Michigan Panthers UFL Season Recap
The Michigan Panthers' 2025 UFL betting campaign was a season of resurgence, resilience, and ultimately, redemption that fell just short of a championship. Under the leadership of head coach Mike Nolan, the Panthers finished the regular season with 6-4 straight up and 4-6 against the spread records, good for second place in the USFL Conference. Behind a powerful run game, dynamic quarterback play, and a timely defense, Michigan put together one of the league's most well-rounded efforts.
Offensively, Michigan was led by Bryce Perkins, who returned from a late-season ankle injury to reclaim control of the offense. Before his injury, Perkins was the front-runner for league MVP and ultimately earned UFL Offensive Player of the Year honors. He finished the season with over 1,300 passing yards, nine touchdowns through the air, and added five rushing scores. Running backs Toa Taua and Nate McCrary anchored the league’s most efficient rushing attack, combining for over 1,000 yards on the ground and consistently setting the tone in early-game scripts.
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Michigan’s regular season was highlighted by key wins, including a road victory over Arlington and a dominant performance against the D.C. Defenders in Week 6, where they racked up over 400 yards of offense. The defense, while not elite, was opportunistic and excelled at forcing timely stops. That balance earned the Panthers a trip to the USFL Conference Championship Game, where they stunned the three-time defending champion Stallions, 44-29, in Birmingham. Perkins was sharp in the UFL odds upset, while Taua scored three rushing touchdowns and Malik Turner posted 99 yards and a score.
The championship game against D.C., however, exposed Michigan’s limitations even though it was announced heading into the match that Perkins had indeed been named the 2025 UFL MVP. After taking an early 13-6 lead, the Panthers were outscored 31-6 in the second quarter and never recovered. D.C. quarterback Jordan Ta’amu carved up the Michigan secondary for a UFL-record 390 passing yards. Despite four touchdown passes from Perkins and a record-setting 168-yard, three-touchdown performance from WR Malik Turner, Michigan fell 58-34, never coming close to covering the UFL spread in what became the highest-scoring game in UFL history.
Still, the Panthers exceeded preseason expectations. They opened the season as +650 longshots to win the title but emerged as a top-tier contender by year’s end. Perkins' emergence as an elite dual-threat QB, coupled with the breakout of Turner and the steadiness of Taua and McCrary in the backfield, gives Michigan a strong core moving forward. The team proved capable of both explosive offense and grinding out tough wins—two traits that bode well for their future.
Looking ahead to the 2026 UFL betting season, the Michigan Panthers are listed among the teams to beat. With a healthy Bryce Perkins, the return of key playmakers, and anticipated improvements on defense, Michigan will aim to finish the job and capture the franchise’s first UFL Championship. Oddsmakers at the crypto sportsbook have taken notice, installing the defending USFL Division champs +375 choices to bring home the title.
Michigan Panthers UFL Championship Game Recap
The Michigan Panthers (7-5, 5-7 ATS) came out strong in the 2025 UFL Championship Game, jumping out to a 13-6 lead after scoring on their first two possessions. Nate McCrary opened the scoring with a 35-yard touchdown run, and quarterback Bryce Perkins later connected with Siaosi Mariner for a 38-yard touchdown to close out the first quarter. However, the game quickly spiraled out of control in the second quarter, where Michigan was outscored 31-6 en route to absorbing an ugly 58-34 loss to the D.C. Defenders that never truly saw them in a position to cover the closing UFL spread as short neutral field favorites.
Michigan’s momentum was derailed by a second-quarter onslaught. A field goal and three quick touchdowns—two off turnovers, including a Xavier Malone fumble on a kickoff return—gave D.C. a commanding 31-13 lead. Although Perkins answered with a 71-yard strike to Malik Turner, D.C. immediately responded with a 73-yard touchdown to stretch the lead back to 37-19 at halftime. Perkins finished with 338 yards and four touchdowns (21-of-35 passing) but also threw an interception that led to another D.C. score. Turner was a bright spot, setting a UFL record with 168 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Despite a fourth-quarter rally by converting multiple 4th-and-12 attempts to hold onto the pigskin, Michigan couldn’t recover from the second-quarter collapse and went quietly into the night.
2025 Michigan Panthers Schedule & Scores
| WEEK |
DATE |
MATCHUP |
TIME (ET) |
RESULT |
RECORD |
| Week 1 |
March 30 |
at Memphis Showboats |
12:00 PM |
W 26-12 |
1-0 |
| Week 2 |
April 4 |
vs. Birmingham Stallions |
8:00 PM |
L 12-21 |
1-1 |
| Week 3 |
April 13 |
vs. San Antonio Brahmas |
12:00 PM |
W 26-23 |
2-1 |
| Week 4 |
April 18 |
vs. Memphis Showboats |
8:00 PM |
W 27-9 |
3-1 |
| Week 5 |
April 26 |
at St. Louis Battlehawks |
7:00 PM |
L 27-32 |
3-2 |
| Week 6 |
May 4 |
vs. D.C. Defenders |
12:00 PM |
W 38-14 |
4-2 |
| Week 7 |
May 10 |
at Arlington Renegades |
1:00 PM |
W 25-24 |
5-2 |
| Week 8 |
May 17 |
at Houston Roughnecks |
1:00 PM |
W 30-18 |
6-2 |
| Week 9 |
May 24 |
at Birmingham Stallions |
3:00 PM |
L 22-26 |
6-3 |
| Week 10 |
May 31 |
vs. Houston Roughnecks |
3:00 PM |
L 12-19 |
6-4 |
UFL Teams
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