HomeSportsStars lean on Case Cookus-Corey Coleman connection in comeback win over Maulers...

Stars lean on Case Cookus-Corey Coleman connection in comeback win over Maulers – UnlistedNews

CANTON, Ohio — All Corey Coleman wanted was a chance.

Late in the third quarter with his team trailing, Philadelphia Stars quarterback Case Cookus called Coleman’s number and made a big, game-changing play.

After a missed 54-yard field goal by Pittsburgh Maulers kicker Chris Blewitt, Cookus found Coleman wide open for a 56-yard throw and touchdown reception, Philadelphia’s longest play of the year, giving the Stars lead for good at 37-31 on Saturday night at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

With the win, the Stars earned their third straight win, improving to 4-3 on the year atop the North Division. The Maulers fell to 2-5.

The play was Coleman’s second TD of the year. He got loose from Pittsburgh cornerback Keith Gibson Jr. in the press coverage at the line of scrimmage. After Gibson’s knockdown, Coleman pitched Maulers safety Eli Walker to the pylon.

Highlights: Cookus, Coleman lead the way for stars

Highlights: Cookus, Coleman lead the way for stars

“I went up to Case and the coach (head coach Bart Andrus) and said, ‘We’re going on the left side,'” Coleman said. “That’s just the confidence they have in me. We called the play. We made it and we got the band together.”

The former NFL first-round pick out of Baylor finished with four receptions for 75 yards, while fellow Philadelphia receiver Devin Gray also added four receptions for 75 yards.

Cookus finished 18 of 30 passing for 235 yards with two touchdowns. However, Cookus threw his eighth interception of his season in seven games. He only had five interceptions during the regular season last year.

Entering Saturday’s contest, both teams had struggled to put points on the board, but combined for 44 points in the first half alone. The Maulers scored on four of their first five possessions in the first half, but were held to just one touchdown in the second.

The Stars entered Saturday’s contest for the last time in the USFL on the ground, but relied on the running game to create balance and move the ball. Philadelphia also played fast from the start, using the tempo to keep one of the Maulers, one of the best defenses in the USFL, off balance.

The Stars entered Saturday’s contest having not scored a touchdown in two games, settling on 11 field goals in 19 drives. But running back Matthew Colburn II had 83 yards on 20 carries and two rushing touchdowns.

Colburn, Philadelphia’s leading rusher last season, entered Saturday’s contest with just 169 rushing yards in six games.

“Early in the season we started a little hard in terms of the running game,” Colburn said. “But I think we’ve gotten better every week. We’ve been focused on our tasks and we’ve been focused on our technique — everything you have to have to have a successful running game. And we’re getting into a really good grove right now.”

Pittsburgh quarterback Troy Williams led the Maulers offensively, finishing 18 of 28 for 145 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Williams also rushed the Maulers with 48 yards.

Receiver Isiah Hennie had a 17-yard TD reception and a late 69-yard punt return that set up a 1-yard TD run by Garrett Groshek with 2:01 remaining in the game, cutting Philadelphia’s lead to 34- 31.

The Maulers went for the fourth-and-12 conversion play, but Williams was sacked by Stars running back Adam Rodriguez. Williams was sacked five times.

Aguilar added a 38-yard field goal for the final score. Horton lamented that the Maulers missed a 58-yard field goal by Blewitt because Pittsburgh was called for a delay in the game, which would have meant the Maulers only needed a field goal late on to tie the game.

Pittsburgh finished with seven accepted penalties for 50 yards and totaled 17 penalties for 140 yards in the past two games.

“I have to make my team more disciplined,” Horton said. “It’s not them, it’s me. I told the team that I apologize for the number of penalties we had. That’s a reflection on me.”

Simmons proves to be an asset on returns

Kick returner Joshua Simmons had an impressive night for Pittsburgh on special teams. Simmons had an impressive 88-yard kickoff return for a score in the first quarter that put the Maulers up 14-10.

And late in the first half, Simmons smartly drove out of bounds before bunting down the kickoff at the 8-yard line that could have stayed in bounds. Instead, Lirim Hajrullahu’s shot was ruled out and the Maulers got the ball at midfield.

The Maulers moved the ball to the Philadelphia 31-yard line and Blewitt kicked a 49-yard field goal to put Pittsburgh up 24-20 at halftime.

In the second half, Simmons had another big return, but Samuel Akem stripped him of the ball, and Amani Dennis recovered the fumble and returned the ball to the Pittsburgh 48-yard line.

But Simmons was rescued when Cookus threw an interception to Pittsburgh defensive back Arnold Tarpley III in the end zone.

injury update

Philadelphia Stars receiver Terry Wright had to leave the game due to tightness. Early on, Wright had two big returns to put the Stars in good field position to start the game, one for 58 and one for 48 yards.

Cookus also left the game in the first half after he appeared to be out of breath, falling on the ball after Pittsburgh linebacker Kyahva Tezino tripped him. Cookus returned to the field on the next drive.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

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