NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The New Orleans Breakers are fresh off a 20-17 win over the New Jersey Generals (2-2) at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, on Sunday.
The Breakers once again relied on the USFL-leading arm of McLeod Bethel-Thompson and legs of Wes Hills to seal the hard-fought victory of the league’s best-rushing offense.
Bethel-Thompson, who entered his first season with the Breakers fresh off a Grey Cup win with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts, finished 26 of 37 for 270 yards passing, with one interception. His favorite target was again tight end Sage Surratt, who caught six passes for 94 yards.
Surratt leads the league in receiving yardage with 351.
“McLeod Bethel-Thompson played a heck of a football game yesterday,” Breakers head coach John DeFilippo told WGNO Sports. “We ask a lot of our quarterbacks, we do. We ask a lot of them and we expect a lot from them. And that being said, he expects a lot of himself.”
Hills finished with seven catches for 71 yards to go with is 88 yards off 26 carries on the ground. Despite not playing in the season-opener, Hills tops the league in rushing yardage and touchdowns with 389 yards and 8 TDs.
With the win, they remain the only unbeaten team in the USFL – one game ahead of South division rival Birmingham, who they defeated 45-31 in Week 3.
New Orleans faces the Memphis Showboats on Sunday.
Despite the 1-3 start, the Showboats are fresh off a 29-10 win over Michigan Panthers thanks in large part to Lafayette native and former Teurlings Catholic and Southeastern Lions quarterback Cole Kelley.
The 2021 Walter Payton Award winner completed 15 of 26 passes for 151 yards and rushed six times for 27 yards and two touchdowns.
“Well, what I know about Cole Kelly is he went right down the field on our defense a two-minute drive when we scrimmaged them,” said DeFilippo. “And we have our hands full on Sunday.”
Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. in Birmingham, Ala.
