Pittsburgh scored on both its overtime snaps, Michigan scored on neither of its and the Maulers’ 31-27 victory over the Panthers on Saturday night decided the North Division’s representative in the USFL Championship Game.

Pittsburgh will play the winner of Sunday night’s game between the Birmingham Stallions and New Orleans Breakers in the league title game for the 2023 season. If the Maulers win the championship, they’ll complete the season with a .500 record.

RELATED: PRO PLAYOFF FOOTBALL BACK IN BIRMINGHAM ON SUNDAY NIGHT

Three players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field during the Panthers-Maulers game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio:

· Maulers offensive lineman Xavier Dampeer (Auburn) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Maulers linebacker Reuben Foster (Auburn High, Alabama) made four tackles and recorded one tackle for loss.

· Maulers defensive back Sedevyn Gray (West Alabama) did not record any stats.

· Panthers offensive tackle Brodarious Hamm (Auburn) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Panthers defensive tackle Garrett Marino (UAB) made five tackles and recorded one tackle for loss.

The North Division title game featured three touchdowns (with one – and nearly another — nullified by a penalty) and a field goal in the final 124 seconds of the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime at 27-27.

Chris Blewitt’s 59-yard field goal put Pittsburgh in front 20-17 with 3:16 left in regulation. But Michigan quarterback E.J. Perry answered with three straight completions, including a 55-yarder for a touchdown to wide receiver Trey Quinn with 2:04 remaining in the fourth quarter. Panthers right tackle Joshua Dunlop was called for a facemask on the play, which would have nullified the TD, but the penalty was overturned on review.

Pittsburgh had a touchdown nullified by a false-start penalty with 50 seconds left in the fourth quarter. But quarterback Trey Williams rescued the Maulers with a 6-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Ishmael Hyman on fourth-and-goal with 39 seconds to play in the fourth quarter.

Michigan responded by moving 38 yards in six plays to give Cole Murphy an opportunity to send the game into overtime, which he did with a 47-yard field goal as time ran out in the period.

The USFL’s overtime is a best-of-three matchup of alternating plays from the 2-yard line.

Williams connected with fullback Mason Stokke for the first score and ran into the end zone for the second as the Maulers went first in each round.

Michigan responded with a fumble by running back Stevie Scott III as he was about to cross the goal line on its first chance (and even though the Panthers recovered the loose football in the end zone, overtime rules call for the play to return to the spot of the fumble).

Michigan had an illegal-shift penalty on its second attempt, pushing the Panthers’ must-make attempt back to the 7-yard line. Maulers defensive lineman Olive Sagapoulu ended the game when he knocked away Perry’s pass even though he had his back to the quarterback.

Williams completed 23-of-40 passes for 203 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in the game.

Perry completed 23-of-38 passes for 370 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, with his TDs covering 72 and 55 yards. Quinn had five receptions for 104 yards and one touchdown.

The Breakers and Stallions will square off at 6 p.m. CDT Sunday at Protective Stadium in Birmingham. FOX will televise the game.

The USFL Championship Game is set for 7 p.m. July 1 in Canton.

Birmingham and New Orleans, at 8-2 and 7-3, respectively, carry the league’s best regular-season records into their postseason meeting. The Maulers qualified for the playoffs with a 4-6 mark.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.