BY RALPH VENTRE
Philadelphia Stars receiver Chris Rowland makes his debut on the weekly Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Fabulous Five as a result of his Week 8 contributions.
After helping the Stars clinch a USFL playoff berth this past weekend, Rowland joins four other repeat honorees, including his quarterback Case Cookus, in the Talking Pigskin spotlight.
Every week of the USFL season, Talking Pigskin highlights five prime performers who played college ball in the FCS.
QB Case Cookus, Philadelphia Stars (Northern Arizona)
Captain Cookus was cooking with gas in Week 8. The former Northern Arizona Lumberjack passed for four touchdowns and ran 79 yards for a fifth score in a 46-24 triumph over the Michigan Panthers.
Cookus, who threw for a school-record 12,082 yards during his NAU career, went 20-of-26 passing for 247 yards for a 145.4 Quarterback Rating against the Jeff Fisher-coached Panthers. He added 118 yards on the ground.
His fourth TD pass was a beauty. Keeping his eyes downfield and stepping up away from pressure, Cookus launched a rainbow from his own 45-yard line and it landed right in Pro Wells’ bread basket at the goal line. It went down as a 51-yard scoring strike in the box score, giving the Stars a 39-18 lead at the time.
Cookus, the 2015 Stats Perform Jerry Rice Award winner, has accounted for 10 touchdown passes to only three interceptions while completing 65.4 percent of pass attempts since taking over starting signal-caller duties for the injured Bryan Scott.
LB Donald Payne, Houston Gamblers (Stetson)
Payne remains atop the USFL leader board in n total tackles (96). Despite being on the short end of a 13-3 decision in Week 8, the former Stetson Hatter made a team-high 11 stops for a Houston Gamblers defense that allowed only 212 yards.
Payne, who played parts of three NFL seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, was credited with seven solo tackles as the Gamblers limited Tampa Bay to 3.5 yards per play. The former three-time Pioneer Football League Defensive Player of the Year has produced double-digit tackle totals in five of eight USFL games.
WR Chris Rowland, Philadelphia Stars (Tennessee State)
The 2019 Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year contributed to the Philadelphia Stars’ Week 8 victory on multiple fronts. Rowland made plays in the run game, in the pass game and on special teams.
The 5-foot-8 burner, who initially signed a UDFA contract with the Atlanta Falcons following the 2020 NFL Draft, caught both of his targets in the 46-28 win over Michigan. In addition to 28 receiving yards, Rowland rushed three times for 25 yards. Manning the gunner position for Philadelphia’s coverage team, he also made three special teams tackles.
S JoJo Tillery, Birmingham Stallions (Wofford)
Tillery was a leader for a defensive effort that silenced Kyle Sloter and the New Orleans Breakers, allowing the Birmingham Stallions to win for the eighth straight week. The former Wofford Terrier, who logged 51 career appearances for the SoCon member, made eight tackles in Birmingham’s 10-9 victory over the Breakers.
Tillery leads the 8-and-0 Stallions in tackling with 49 total stops, including 37 solo takedowns.
RB Darius Victor, New Jersey Generals (Towson Tigers)
Maybe we should call him TD Darius! The former Towson Tiger reached the end zone three times during New Jersey’s Week 8 win.
Victor, who leads the USFL with nine touchdowns this season, gained 106 yards from scrimmage in the Generals’ 29-18 triumph over the Pittsburgh Maulers.
Known for his “thick thighs,” the stout, hard-running ball-carrier rushed for 87 yards on 17 attempts. Victor, who won the 2013 Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year award, also made one reception for 19 yards.
TALKING PIGSKIN 