Pittsburgh Maulers fall to 0-4 when comeback bid falls short against New Jersey

Trailing by eight points in the final two minutes against the New Jersey Generals on Saturday afternoon, the Pittsburgh Maulers were on the verge of trying one of the USFL’s signature innovations.

If the Maulers scored, coach Kirby Wilson needed to decide whether to go for the tie with a traditional two-point conversion from the 2-yard line or go for the win with a three-point conversion from the 10.

The world might never know which way Wilson would have gone.

Kyle Lauletta’s pass intended for Branden Mack on a fourth-and-3 play from the New Jersey 40 fell incomplete, and the Maulers fell to 0-4 with a 21-13 loss to the Generals.

Lauletta was 15 for 32 for 169 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions, and the running game produced 91 yards on 21 carries as the Maulers continued to struggle on offense.

Tre Walker had a big day in the passing game, catching nine passes for 110 yards. Garrett Groschek ran 14 times for 37 yards and a touchdown. Madre London had four carries for 43 yards.

Generals quarterbacks Luis Perez and De’Andre Johnson combined to go 20 for 24 for 200 yards and a touchdown. J’Mon Moore had three catches for 104 yards and a first-quarter score that left the Maulers trailing for most of the game.

Moore slipped behind the Maulers defense and caught a 62-yard touchdown from Johnson on a play-action pass with 3:10 left in the first quarter to make it 7-0.

Early in the second quarter, a defensive stop and a poor punt gave the Maulers good field position at the New Jersey 45. The Maulers only managed 17 yards on the drive, but it was enough to put Ramiz Ahmed in position to make a 47-yard field goal to make it 7-3.

The Generals responded with a methodical 15-play, 75-yard drive. When KaVontae Turpin scored from 7 yards, they were in front 14-3.

The Maulers, however, scored before halftime to stay in the game.

An apparent 50-yard touchdown from Lauletta to Walker was called back because of an illegal blindside block, but the Maulers recovered to march 72 yards on 10 plays. Groschek scored from the 1 with 24 seconds to go before halftime.

The most critical play might have been the kickoff to open the second half. Cam Echols-Luper returned it 53 yards to the Maulers’ 34. Seven plays later, Darius Victor scored from 4 yards to make it 21-10.

Ahmed made his second field goal, a 39-yarder, with 9:46 left in the fourth quarter, but the Maulers got no closer.

At 3-1, the Generals lead the North Division. The Maulers, the league’s only winless team, have been outscored 92-39 in four games. They’ll look for their first win when they face the 1-2 Houston Gamblers at 4 p.m. next Sunday.