# 2022 Michigan Panthers season

The 2022 season was the Michigan Panthers' first season as a professional American football franchise. They played as charter members of the United States Football League, one of eight teams to compete in the league for the 2022 season. The Panthers technically played as a traveling team due to them playing at Protective Stadium and Legion Field. The Panthers were led by head coach Jeff Fisher, who also operated as the de facto general manager.

## Offseason
### Draft

The 2022 USFL draft was conducted entirely on social media. Draft selections by the Michigan Panthers were announced on their social media. The Panthers selected former Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson first overall. The Panthers also selected former Broncos quarterback Paxton Lynch, a first round draft pick in the NFL, in the twelfth round. Another notable player selected was wide receiver Jeff Badet, who played alongside Oklahoma and future Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield in his Heisman Trophy season.
2022 Michigan Panthers Draft :
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | Shea Patterson | QB | Michigan | |
| 2 | 8 | Adewale Adeoye | DE | Utah | |
| 3 | 1 | Cavon Walker | DE | Maryland | |
| 4 | 8 | Chase Deemor | DE | Central Washington | |
| 5 | 5 | Keith Williams | OT | Colorado State | |
| 6 | 4 | Teton Saltes | OT | New Mexico | |
| 7 | 5 | Joshua Dunlop | OT | UTSA | |
| 7 | 10 | Joshua Taylor | OT | Mississippi Valley State | Released before regular season. |
| 8 | 4 | Tino Ellis | CB | Maryland | |
| 9 | 5 | Jameson Houston | CB | Baylor | |
| 10 | 4 | Dominique Martin | CB | Tarleton State | |
| 11 | 5 | Jalin Burrel | CB | New Mexico | |
| 12 | 8 | Paxton Lynch | QB | Memphis | |
| 13 | 6 | Quincy Adeboyejo | WR | Ole Miss | |
| 14 | 3 | Lance Lenoir | WR | Western Illinois | |
| 15 | 6 | Jeff Badet | WR | Oklahoma | |
| 16 | 3 | Ray Bolden | WR | Stony Brook | |
| 18 | 3 | Orion Stewart | S | Baylor | |
| 19 | 6 | Kieron Williams | S | Nebraska | |
| 20 | 2 | Sean Richard Pollard | C | Clemson | |
| 21 | 7 | Justin Lorenz Hughes | ILB | Kansas City | |
| 21 | 11 | Taiwan Jones | ILB | Michigan State | Compensatory selection. |
| 22 | 8 | Marquel Harrell | OG | Auburn | |
| 23 | 1 | Daishawn Dixon | OG | San Diego State | |
| 24 | 1 | TJ Carter | DT | Kentucky | |
| 25 | 8 | Jaquan Bailey | DT | Iowa State | |
| 26 | 1 | Kyshonn Tyson | DT | Grand Valley State | |
| 27 | 4 | Stevie Scott III | RB | Indiana | |
| 28 | 5 | Reggie Corbin | RB | Illinois | |
| 29 | 5 | Terry Myrick | OLB | Eastern Michigan | |
| 30 | 4 | Frank Ginda | OLB | San Jose State | |
| 31 | 5 | Tre Threat | OLB | Jacksonville State | Released before regular season. |
| 33 | 6 | Michael Carrizosa | P | San Jose State | |
| 34 | 7 | Joseph Magnifico | TE | Memphis | |
| 34 | 11 | La'Michael Pettway | TE | Iowa State | Compensatory selection. |

### Supplemental draft

2022 Michigan Panthers Supplemental Draft :
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 8 | Warren Saba | DB | East Carolina |
| 2 | 1 | Maea Teuhema | OG | Southeastern Louisiana |
| 3 | 4 | Marcus Baugh | TE | Ohio State |
| 4 | 5 | Sean Williams | OLB | Navy |
| 5 | 3 | Cameron Scarlett | RB | Stanford |
| 6 | 6 | Connor Davis | TE | Stony Brook |
| 7 | 7 | Joseph Putu | CB | Florida |
| 8 | 2 | Devin Ross | WR | Colorado |
| 9 | 3 | Tejan Koroma | OG | BYU |
| 10 | 6 | Shane Griffin | LS | West Chester |

### Free agency

| Position | Player | Former team | Date |
| OG | Cordel Iwuagwu | Cleveland Browns | April 1 |
| DT | Walter Palmore | Carolina Panthers | April 1 |
| OT | Syrus Tuitele | Fresno State Bulldogs | April 12 |

## Personnel
### Final roster

The Panthers, like all other teams, had a 38-man active roster with a 7-man practice squad.

### Staff
## Schedule
### Regular season

The Panthers' 2022 schedule was announced on March 7. They opened the season against the Houston Gamblers.
| Week | Date | Time (ET) | Opponent | Result | Record | TV | Recap |
| 1 | April 17 | 12:50 p.m. | Houston Gamblers* | L 12–17 | 0–1 | NBC/Peacock | Recap |
| 2 | April 22 | 8:00 p.m. | New Jersey Generals | L 6–10 | 0–2 | USA | Recap |
| 3 | May 1 | 2:30 p.m. | Pittsburgh Maulers* | W 24–0 | 1–2 | USA | Recap |
| 4 | May 6 | 10:20 p.m. | Philadelphia Stars* | L 25–26 | 1–3 | FS1 | Recap |
| 5 | May 13 | 8:00 p.m. | Tampa Bay Bandits | L 20–27 | 1–4 | USA | Recap |
| 6 | May 21 | 7:30 p.m. | Birmingham Stallions | L 17–33 | 1–5 | NBC/Peacock | Recap |
| 7 | May 28 | 9:00 p.m. | New Orleans Breakers* | L 27–31 (OT) | 1–6 | FS1 | Recap |
| 8 | June 5 | 12:00 p.m. | Philadelphia Stars | L 24–46 | 1–7 | Fox | Recap |
| 9 | June 11 | 1:00 p.m. | New Jersey Generals* | L 23–25 | 1–8 | NBC/Peacock | Recap |
| 10 | June 19 | 12:00 p.m. | Pittsburgh Maulers | W 33–21 | 2–8 | USA | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. * mean that they host the game, since all eight teams play at the same stadium

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: at Houston Gamblers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Gamblers | 3 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 12 |
at Protective Stadium, Birmingham, Alabama
* Date: April 17
* Game time: 12:50 p.m. EST (delayed)
* Referee: Bryan Banks
* TV announcers (NBC/Peacock): Jac Collinsworth, Jason Garrett, Lewis Johnson
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Nick Vogel 37-yard field goal, 7:07. Houston 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 29 yards, 3:32.
Second quarter
HOU – Reggie Northrop 13-yard fumble return (Dalyn Dawkins rush), 15:00. Houston 11–0.
HOU – Isaiah Zuber 12-yard pass from Clayton Thorson (Dalyn Dawkins rush failed), 5:08. Houston 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 3:00.
Third quarter
MICH – Lance Lenoir 8-yard pass from Shea Patterson (Shea Patterson pass failed), 9:42. Houston 17–6. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 5:25.
Fourth quarter
MICH – Stevie Scott III 3-yard rush (Stevie Scott III rush failed), 10:20. Houston 17–12. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 4:01.
Top passers
HOU – Clayton Thorson – 9/17, 73 yards, TD, INT
MICH – Shea Patterson – 17/25, 192 yards, TD
Top rushers
HOU – Mark Thompson – 13 rushes, 71 yards
MICH – Stevie Scott III – 18 rushes, 72 yards, TD
Top receivers
HOU – JoJo Ward – 7 receptions, 48 yards
MICH – Lance Lenoir – 6 receptions, 71 yards, TD :
The Panthers started their season against the Houston Gamblers. The Gamblers scored the only points of the first quarter on a 37-yard field goal by Nick Vogel. In the first play of the second quarter, the Panthers were poised to score the first touchdown at 2nd & goal before a Shea Patterson fumble was returned 90 yards for a touchdown by Gamblers Reggie Northrop which, after a successful 2-point conversion, put the Panthers down 0–11. The Panthers forced a Gamblers 3 and out, and on the ensuing punt, returned the punt 40 yards for touchdown. However, an unnecessary roughness call on the Panthers negated the touchdown, putting them on their own 45 yard line. The Gamblers stretched out their lead with a 65-yard drive topped off by an Isaiah Zuber 12-yard touchdown reception, putting the Panthers down 0–17 after a failed 2-point conversion.
   We came out hot, on fire. We executed that first half. Second half, it got a little rocky. We had to get back, get our mindset right. A win is a win.
The Panthers came out strong after halftime, driving 74 yards downfield for a touchdown. However, they missed the 2-point conversion, keeping the Panthers down 2 scores and a 6–17 deficit. They had a chance to put the game within 1 score with a 43-yard field goal, but it was missed. In the fourth quarter, the Panthers drove downfield 66 yards for the touchdown, which included a clutch 4th and 6. They again missed a 2-point conversion to put the game within 3. The Panthers had a chance to take the lead with 5:12 remaining in the 4th, but failed to convert a 4th and 26 with 0:09 remaining, and turned it over on downs to lose 12–17.

#### Week 2: at New Jersey Generals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Generals | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
at Protective Stadium, Birmingham, Alabama
* Date: April 22
* Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST
* Referee: Duane Heydt
* TV announcers (USA): Paul Burmeister, Michael Robinson, Lewis Johnson
Game information :
First quarter
NJ – Nick Rose 21-yard field goal, 5:25. Generals 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 6:11.
Second quarter
MICH – Cameron Scarlett 4-yard rush (Michael Carrizosa kick failed), 13:39. Panthers 6–3. Drive: 3 plays, 20 yards, 1:07.
NJ – Darius Victor 1-yard rush (Nick Rose kick good), 1:57. Generals 10–6. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 6:27.
Top passers
NJ – Luis Perez – 13/19, 97 yards, INT
MICH – Shea Patterson – 14/29, 124 yards
Top rushers
NJ – Darius Victor – 11 rushes, 40 yards, TD
MICH – Stevie Scott III – 7 rushes, 25 yards
Top receivers
NJ – Darrius Shepherd – 5 receptions, 58 yards
MICH – Marcus Baugh – 3 receptions, 38 yards :
The Panthers played against their division rival New Jersey Generals to open Week 2. The Generals struck first on a 21-yard field goal to put the Panthers down 0–3. In the second quarter, Panthers safety Orion Stewart intercepted Luis Perez and brought it back to the Generals 20 yard line. The Panthers capitalized, scoring a touchdown three plays later, putting the Panthers up 6–3. After trading punts, the Generals drove downfield that was capped off by a Darius Victor 1 yard rush, putting the Panthers down 6–10.
   We've got to settle down at the quarterback spot. Offensively, we have an extra day this week, and we need it. We have got to figure out who we are and what we can do best, and focus in on those type of things.
The Panthers received the ball to start the second half. They drove downfield on a 15 play, 53 yard drive that ate up more than half the third quarter. On the Generals 21 yard line, the Panthers attempted a 39-yard field goal, but it was missed. In the fourth quarter, the Generals had a chance to go up 13–6, but they also missed a 34-yard field goal. Both teams failed to score in the fourth quarter, ending up in a 6–10 Panthers loss, dropping to 0–2.

#### Week 3: vs. Pittsburgh Maulers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Maulers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Panthers | 16 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 24 |
at Protective Stadium, Birmingham, Alabama
* Date: May 1
* Game time: 2:30 p.m. EST
* Referee: Larry Smith
* TV announcers (USA): Jac Collinsworth, Jason Garrett, Corey Robinson
The Panthers played against division rival Pittsburgh Maulers in week 3. The Panthers earned their first win with a 24–0 shutout against the Maulers. The Panthers scored two touchdowns in the first half, one coming off an opening drive touchdown capped off by a 2-point conversion to bring the Panthers to 8–0. After a muffed punt by the Maulers which set the Panthers up at the Maulers 5 yard line. Three plays later, starting quarterback Paxton Lynch rushed for 1 yard, bringing the Panthers to a 1 score lead at 16–0.
   We didn't throw it as well as we would have liked, but the passing game is complemented by the run game. Now I think people have respect for our run game.
The teams did not score for forty-six minutes. In the fourth quarter, the Panthers scored off a 63-yard touchdown drive with a successful 2-point conversion, bringing the score to 24–0 for the Panthers, which would be the final score.

#### Week 4: vs. Philadelphia Stars

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Stars | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Protective Stadium, Birmingham, Alabama
* Date: May 6
* Game time: 10:20 p.m. EST
* Referee: Bryan Banks
* TV announcers (FS1): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez, Brock Huard
The Panthers will play against division rival Philadelphia Stars.

### Standings

North Division :
| # | viewtalkedit | W | L | PCT | GB | DIV | PF | PA | STK |
| 1 | (y) New Jersey Generals | 9 | 1 | .900 | - | 6–0 | 232 | 182 | W9 |
| 2 | (x) Philadelphia Stars | 6 | 4 | .600 | 3 | 4–2 | 262 | 243 | L1 |
| 3 | (e) Michigan Panthers | 2 | 8 | .200 | 7 | 2–4 | 211 | 236 | W1 |
| 4 | (e) Pittsburgh Maulers | 1 | 9 | .100 | 8 | 0–6 | 147 | 243 | L5 |
| (x)–clinched playoff berth; (y)–clinched division; (e)–eliminated from playoff contention ||||||||||||

### Postseason

After the 2022 USFL season, the Panthers ended up with a 2–8 record, as they were able to get the 1st round pick and the 1st pick of every other round in the 2023 USFL draft after beating 1–9 Pittsburgh Maulers in week 10. Michigan was eliminated from playoff contention after a 46–24 loss against the Philadelphia Stars.