Pittsburgh Maulers’ lead slips away late in loss to Houston Gamblers
Share this post:
The Pittsburgh Maulers’ stingy defense held its own for much of Saturday’s USFL contest against the Houston Gamblers.
But one of the league’s top running backs proved too much to deny.
Mark Thompson scored on a 33-yard touchdown run with 4 minutes, 51 seconds to play to give the Gamblers a 20-19 victory over the Maulers (2-6) at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.
“It’s our run game,” Gamblers coach Curtis Johnson said on the USA broadcast. “Mark Thompson is phenomenal. … He ran it outstanding.
“It gave us a boost. … We just needed a big play, and Mark, he’s capable of doing that every time.”
LUCKY NUMBER 1️⃣3️⃣ @InMarkWeTrust's 33-yard TD gives us the lead! ????
????: @USANetwork pic.twitter.com/3tfAXRKymn
— Houston Gamblers (@USFLGamblers) June 3, 2023
Maulers kicker Chris Blewitt had a chance to answer on the ensuing drive but missed a 41-yard field-goal attempt to the right.
“I thought it was a very good performance by us. It came down to one kick at the end of the game, in a one-point game, and we didn’t make it,” Maulers coach Ray Horton said. “But I would do the same thing again, and I would have faith in Chris every single time. I never question if he’s going to make it or not. That’s a testament to him.”
IT'S NO GOOD!!!
????: @USANetwork pic.twitter.com/lcbamRznZc
— Houston Gamblers (@USFLGamblers) June 3, 2023
The Gamblers (5-3) then ran out the final 1 minutes, 50 seconds to secure the victory.
The Maulers started fast offensively as quarterback Troy Williams orchestrated a 10-play, 76-yard drive capped off by his 2-yard TD run.
TOUCHDOWN MAULERS! ⚒️@TroyWilliams_3 pic.twitter.com/T3GCWV5AKg
— Pittsburgh Maulers (@USFLMaulers) June 3, 2023
Blewitt booted field goals of 22 and 54 yards for a 13-0 lead.
Houston made it 13-6 just before halftime, when Thompson ran for a 23-yard score. Thompson leads the USFL with 13 touchdown runs this season.
Blewitt kicked a 33-yard field goal in the third quarter to make it 16-6, but Houston countered with a 14-yard TD pass from Kenji Bahar to Keke Chism to cut the deficit to 16-13.
Blewitt added a 53-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to put the Maulers ahead 19-13, setting up the Gamblers’ winning drive.
“I’m proud of these guys,” Horton said. “They played hard. They’ve been committed to one another. For us, it’s not good enough. All we care about is a win, not the statistics. We know we’re getting better, but that’s not what we play for. We play to win.”
Chris Blewitt's 53-yard field goal extends the lead to 13-19 ⚒️
????: @USANetwork pic.twitter.com/6nDZTdjww0
— Pittsburgh Maulers (@USFLMaulers) June 3, 2023
Bahar led the Gamblers with 146 passing yards. Thompson ran for 98 yards and two touchdowns.
Williams completed 20 of 26 passes for 214 yards for the Maulers.
The Maulers, who are in last place in the North Division, return to action at noon June 10 for a game against the Michigan Panthers (3-4) at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. It will be broadcast on Fox.