Brass Edge Outlaws in Superdome Shootout, 43–41

In a wild Sunday showdown inside the Superdome, the New Orleans Brass outlasted the Oklahoma Outlaws 43–41 in one of the most thrilling games of the young USFL season. The two teams combined for over 1,000 yards of total offense and 12 touchdowns in a back-and-forth affair that wasn’t settled until the final seconds ticked away. Rusty Hilger turned in a career performance for the Brass, throwing for 342 yards and five touchdowns on just 26 attempts, including four scores in the second half to fuel the comeback.

Oklahoma held multiple double-digit leads throughout the game behind a stellar effort from Rick Johnson, who passed for 422 yards and three touchdowns and added two more scores on the ground. Al Williams was unstoppable, hauling in 11 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns—including a dramatic 62-yard strike with just over a minute left to pull the Outlaws within two. But despite Johnson’s heroics and a 537-yard day by the Oklahoma offense, two costly interceptions and a missed red zone opportunity proved too much to overcome.

New Orleans’ offense responded to every challenge, with Hilger connecting repeatedly with Bill Happel (7 catches, 176 yards, 3 TDs) and Jamie Harris (2 TDs) in critical moments. A gutsy 27-yard touchdown to Harris with 4:06 remaining proved to be the game-winner, giving the Brass just enough cushion to survive Oklahoma’s final surge. With the win, the Brass improve to 1–2 and reinsert themselves into the Southern Division race, while the Outlaws fall to 2–2 in heartbreaking fashion.