Roughnecks at Showboats: One team will earn first win in UFL Week 3

One team will collect its first win of the 2025 UFL season when the Memphis Showboats host the Houston Roughnecks on Saturday at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee.

The Roughnecks head up to the Home of the Blues for their first conference game of the year. The Showboats look to even their record in the USFL conference after a Week 1 loss against the Michigan Panthers.

Saturday’s game is scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. CT kickoff and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. Deportes Nation will broadcast the game in Spanish on DeportesNation.com and our mobile app.

Showboats Showdown – The Showboats and Memphis Wrestling team up for Showboats Showdown where the gridiron meets the squared circle for an electrifying “only in Memphis” experience.

Storylines:

• Houston Roughnecks DB Rayshad Williams is a native of Memphis, Tennessee and graduate of Whitehaven High School.
• This will be the first matchup between Curtis “C.J.” Johnson and Ken Whisenhunt as head coaches. The last time the two met was during Week 2 of the 2019 NFL preseason where Johnson, the wide recievers coach of the New Orleans Saints, came out on top 19-17 over the Los Angeles Chargers, of which Whisenhunt was the offensive coordinator. The two coaches combine for 67 years of coaching experience at the FBS and professional levels of football.
• The Week 3 matchup at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium will be the first time the Roughnecks travel to Memphis since the final week of the 2024 regular season. The Roughnecks fell 19-12 in the season finale for as Memphis secured the first overall pick of the 2024 UFL College Draft.

Houston Roughnecks (0-2, 0-0 USFL)

The Houston Roughnecks seek to rebound off back-to-back losses to start the year.

The team lost its season opener at home 31-6 against St. Louis Battlehawks before falling 11-9 at state rivals Arlington Renegades last Sunday.

Despite the Week 2 loss to the Arlington Renegades, the Houston Roughnecks’ defensive performance stood out above the rest. Leon O’Neal Jr., native of Cypress, Texas, had his best performance in a Roughnecks uniform during the matchup against their North Texas rivals. The former Texas A&M Aggie totaled 13 tackles to go along with his sack and forced fumble.

Wide receiver Justin Hall has been a key contributor of the Houston Roughnecks offense heading into his second season with the team. Hall leads the team in receptions (7) and receiving yards (55). The former Ball State standout also led the Roughnecks in receiving yards (603), touchdown receptions (3), and total receptions (56) during the 2024 UFL season.

Memphis Showboats (0-2, 0-1 USFL)

Memphis is coming off two straight games where they held the ball in the fourth quarter with a chance to tie or win the game, but came up just short.

The Showboats rotated quarterbacks E.J. Perry and Troy Williams in the season opener. Ken Whisenhunt elected to go with Perry against D.C. Defenders last week.