Matthew Colburn’s 3-yard touchdown run with 7:12 remaining proved to be the game-winner as the Michigan Panthers held off a spirited comeback attempt from the Memphis Showboats to earn a 24-18 victory Saturday at Ford Field.

The Panthers looked in control early, taking an 18-6 lead into halftime behind touchdown strikes from quarterbacks Brian Lewerke and Bryce Perkins. But the Showboats refused to go quietly.

Memphis starter Case Cookus exited with an injury early in the third quarter. That opened the door for former Panther Josh Love to provide an incredible spark off the bench against his former team.

Love engineered a quick scoring drive capped by a 14-yard TD pass to Daewood Davis to pull within 18-15. After a missed Jake Bates field goal, Matt Coghlin’s 37-yard field goal early in the fourth knotted it at 18-18.

But the Panthers had the final answer. Colburn ripped off 32 yards on the ensuing drive before powering in from 3 yards out to put Michigan ahead for good at 24-18.

“That was just a hard-nosed football drive when we needed it most,” said Panthers head coach Jeff Fisher. “Matthew set the tone running physically and our offense followed his lead.”

The Panthers’ defensive front stepped up late, recording four total sacks including two on Memphis’ final possession to seal the victory. Colburn finished with a game-high 93 rushing yards and two scores.

Love acquitted himself well in relief of Cookus, going 9-of-12 for 56 yards and the TD to Davis, who had 86 receiving yards and two scores himself. But the Showboats could never regain the lead after a blazing start.

“I was just ready for the opportunity,” Love said. “Proud of how we battled back but credit to Michigan – they made a few more plays than we did today.”

With the win, Michigan improved to 6-2 on the season and is now tied with St. Louis for the XFL Conference lead. Memphis, meanwhile, fell to 1-7 despite the gritty performance.

Up next, the Panthers hit the road to take on the 1-7 Houston Roughnecks next Saturday, while the Showboats return home to host the 3-5 DC Defenders.

QB Battle From Start to Finish
The quarterback duel was high-level from the outset, beginning with Lewerke’s 20-yard scoring strike to Cole Hikutini just 2:59 into the game to put Michigan up 6-0. But Cookus came right back, hitting Davis for a 65-yard touchdown bomb on Memphis’ first play from scrimmage to tie it.

That set the tone for a back-and-forth affair that featured four lead changes and plenty of big plays through the air. Perkins and Lewerke combined for 188 yards and two touchdowns for the Panthers, while Cookus and Love totaled 235 yards, three scores and an interception for the Showboats.

In the end, Michigan was able to lean on Colburn and the ground game down the stretch to grind out the hard-fought victory. But both teams received huge contributions from their quarterback rooms in an entertaining duel in the Motor City.