Philadelphia Stars gain USFL Championship Game thanks to 87-yard punt return

Barry Werner
·2 min read
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It took 37 years but the Stars are back in the USFL Championship Game.

Philadelphia made the title game in 1984 and again in 1985 when the team was based in Baltimore.

On Saturday, the Philadelphia Stars got an 87-yard punt return in the fourth quarter and downed the New Jersey Generals, 21-19, to gain the title spot.

The Stars will play either the New Orleans Breakers or Birmingham Stallions, who meet in the second semifinal later in the day at Tom Benson Stadium in Canton, Oh, too.

The league saw one punt return for a TD in its regular season.

There were two in the fourth quarter as the Stars and Generals traded big plays.

The winning return was by Maurice Alexander Jr. He took a punt on a bounce and took off for paydirt with less than two minutes left.

Here is a drone cam replay of the TD:

Earlier in the quarter, league MVP KaVontae Turpin returned a punt 78 yards for six points to give New Jersey the lead.

That lead held up until Alexander’s game-winning play.

The Stars sealed the victory with a late interception.

The title game will also be played in Tom Benson Stadium on July 3. It can be seen on FOX Sports.