In the second quarter of his first game since Oct. 18, 2018, Pittsburgh Maulers linebacker Reuben Foster forced a fumble that a teammate recovered in the end zone for a touchdown on Sunday.

“I’m ready, sir,” the former Alabama All-American said in a sideline interview during the FS1 telecast after making the big play. “It’s a blessing. Four years out of this game. It was horrible. It was real bad, to be honest, but I persevered. God helped me to see it through.”

Foster’s forced fumble allowed the Maulers to take a three-point lead against New Orleans with 8:21 left in the first half, but the Breakers posted a 22-15 victory on Sunday night at Protective Stadium in Birmingham.

In the other USFL games on the opening weekend of the season:

· Quarterback Case Cookus threw for three touchdowns and Philadelphia stopped the Memphis Showboats on downs at the Stars 39-yard line with 34 seconds to play in a 27-23 victory on Saturday in Memphis.

· After Birmingham starting quarterback J’Mar Smith dislocated a finger late in the second quarter, Alex McGough threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jace Sternberger with four seconds left in the first half to break a tie, then ran 29 yards for the first points of the second half in the Stallions’ 27-10 victory over the New Jersey Generals on Saturday night in Birmingham. The victory came with a cost for Birmingham. Former McGill-Toolen standout Marlon Williams, who finished third in the USFL in receiving yards last season, tore his left Achilles tendon in the first half, the Stallions announced.

· Leading by four points at halftime, the Houston Gamblers lost turnovers on four of their five second-half possessions as the Michigan Panthers scored the final 20 points in their 29-13 victory on Sunday in Memphis. Michigan quarterback Josh Love threw three touchdown passes, and wide receiver Joe Walker had six receptions for 105 yards and one touchdown.

An NFL first-round pick and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-Rookie team for the 2017 season, Foster’s football future changed on May 20, 2019, when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament and lateral collateral ligament in his left knee during an offseason practice. He spent two seasons on Washington’s injured reserve before being out of the game the past two seasons.

Foster led the Maulers with 12 tackles, including 10 solo stops, on Sunday.

With New Orleans back up on its 1-yard line, Foster knocked the football away from running back Anthony Jones, and linebacker Kyahva Tezino recovered it as Pittsburgh took a 9-6 lead with 8:21 left in the first half.

Pittsburgh wide receive Isiah Hennie tied the score with an 82-yard punt return with 4:32 left to play, but Nathan Hierlihy missed the point-after-touchdown.

Hierlihy then booted the kickoff out of bounds to give the Breakers possession at the 50-yard line. Four completions and a run by quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson picked up all but 3 of the yards to the end zone as a touchdown toss and PAT gave New Orleans its winning margin with 1:08 to play.

Bethel-Thompson threw for 302 yards while Pittsburgh’s two QBs – James Morgan and Troy Williams — completed only 10-of-27 passes for 81 yards.

During Week 1 of the USFL season, 30 players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field:

Philadelphia Stars 27, Memphis Showboats 23

· Showboats defensive end Big Kat Bryant (Auburn) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Showboats wide receiver John Franklin III (Auburn) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Stars offensive tackle Colby Ragland (UAB) did not record any stats.

· Showboats tight end Jay Jay Wilson (Auburn) caught two passes for 5 yards.

Birmingham Stallions 27, New Jersey Generals 10

· The Generals’ Calvin Ashley (Auburn) started at right guard.

· Generals tight end Braedon Bowman (South Alabama) caught three passes for 40 yards and lost a fumble.

· Generals linebacker Jalen Choice (Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, Jacksonville State) did not record any stats.

· Generals cornerback Blake Countess (Auburn) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Generals running back Kingston Davis (Prattville, UAB/Miles) ran eight times for 36 yards and caught a 4-yard pass.

· Generals defensive back Trae Elston (Oxford) made two tackles.

· Stallions safety T.J. Green (Sylacauga) made five tackles.

· Stallions wide receiver Myron Mitchell (Jasper, UAB) caught two passes for 17 yards.

· Generals wide receiver Randy Satterfield (Jemison, West Alabama) caught three passes for 34 yards and made a tackle on special teams.

· Generals tight end Wes Saxton (Hueytown, South Alabama) did not record any stats.

· Stallions running back Bo Scarbrough (Northridge, Alabama) had two carries that netted minus-1 yard and caught a 5-yard pass.

· Generals defensive tackle Tyrone Truesdell (Auburn) made one tackle.

· Generals cornerback Christian Tutt (Auburn) did not record any stats.

· Stallions wide receiver Austin Watkins (UAB) caught a 61-yard touchdown pass on Birmingham’s first snap of the game.

RELATED: FORMER UAB RECEIVER SCORES ON STALLIONS’ FIRST SNAP OF THE SEASON

· Stallions wide receiver Marlon Williams (McGill-Toolen) had three receptions for 23 yards and two carries for 5 yards when he got hurt.

Michigan Panthers 29, Houston Gamblers 13

· Gamblers tight end Brandon Barnes (Russell County, Alabama State) had a 6-yard reception.

· Gamblers defensive end Tim Bonner (Demopolis) did not record any stats.

· Panthers offensive tackle Brodarious Hamm (Auburn) did not record any stats.

· Gamblers safety Bydarrius Knighten (Auburn) made two tackles.

· Panthers defensive tackle Garrett Marino (UAB) made two tackles.

· Gamblers kicker Nick Vogel (UAB) made one of his two extra-point attempts.

New Orleans Breakers 22, Pittsburgh Steelers 15

· Breakers right end Justin Alexander-Johnson (Hoover) did not record any stats.

· Breakers wide receiver Dee Anderson (Alabama A&M) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Breakers defensive tackle Connor Christian (Jacksonville State) made two tackles.

· Maulers center Xavier Dampeer (Auburn) did not record any stats.

· Maulers linebacker Reuben Foster (Auburn High, Alabama) led Pittsburgh with 12 tackles and forced a fumble.

· Breakers quarterback Aqeel Glass (Alabama A&M) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Breakers running back Ezra Gray (Alabama State) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Maulers defensive back Sedevyn Gray (West Alabama) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Breakers guard Kirk Kelley (Troy) did not record any stats.

· Breakers linebacker Zakoby McClain (Auburn) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Breakers guard Steven Rowzee (Troy) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Breakers linebacker Shaheed Salmon (Samford) did not record any stats.

· Breakers tight end Jared Scott (Jacksonville State) did not record any stats.

· Breakers wide receiver Eli Stove (Auburn) caught a 23-yard pass.

On Saturday at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, the Gamblers play the Breakers at 11:30 a.m. CDT and the Showboats play the Stallions at 6 p.m. USA will televise the first game, and FOX will carry the second.

On Sunday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, the Generals and Maulers meet at noon and the Panthers and Stars play at 6 p.m. NBC and Peacock will televise the first game, and FS1 will carry the second.

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