Month: May 2024

With an average per game attendance of more than 35,000, the St. Louis Battlehawks clearly have the United Football League’s best fan base.

But the best football team?

That conversation still begins and ends with the Birmingham Stallions.

St. Louis (5-2) landed plenty of punches but Birmingham (7-0) absorbed them all, taking a 30-26 decision in front of 14,056 fans at Protective Stadium on Saturday. It was the fourteenth consecutive victory for Skip Holtz’s crew.

Leading 30-26 with :46 remaining, the Stallions suffered a blocked punt that gave the Battlehawks the ball at the home team’s 47.

The defense needed to hold on one final time and it did, stopping St. Louis on a fourth-and-2 play at the 39 with linebacker Kyahva Tezino breaking up A.J. McCarron’s pass with 11 ticks left on the clock.

“I thought it was a great game,” Holtz said. “It certainly wasn’t the cleanest game. We had a punt blocked and dropped a punt. And I could sit here and go through the little mistakes that drive you crazy.

“I don’t think we’ve got to play perfect, but we’ve got to play better than we did today.”

After falling behind briefly, Birmingham used a hurry-up drill late in the second quarter that ended in a touchdown – and a 17-11 lead.

The Battlehawks answered with Andre Szmyt’s 61-yard field goal to usher in halftime, and ultimately moved back in front, 20-17, in the third frame after the Stallions’ Isaiah Zuber muffed a punt to give the visitors the ball at the 11.

But with his side trailing by three, quarterback Adrian Martinez engineered another go-ahead march in the third, connecting with Marlon Williams to put the home team on top 23-20 with 12:23 to go in the fourth.

Back came the ‘Hawks, with Jacob Saylors scoring on a 7-yard scamper with half a quarter to play and putting Anthony Becht’s charges on the high side of a 26-23 score.

A Martinez-to-Kevin Austin Jr. pass covered 40 yards and ended up in the end zone, and the conversion had the Stallions in front 30-26 with 5:23 to play.

It was yet another clutch play involving Martinez, who certainly looks like QB1 right now.

He finished 21-33-0 for 230 yards and three touchdowns, and led all rushers with 60 yards on seven carries.

“I give a lot of credit to Skip and the culture that he’s built here,” Martinez said. “It was said that there’s been 50 percent turnover year in and year out from year one to year two to year three. There’s been a couple of things stay the same and one of those things is Skip, and I think he’s done a great job of building the culture and making sure that there’s a standard.

“I think a lot of guys bought into that, and that’s part of why you see the success on the field.”

Martinez hit 10 different receivers, with Williams racking up the most yards (59) on just three catches.

Tezino had four tackles and seven in all; A.J. Thomas picked off a pass; Dondrea Tillman and Jordan Thompson each had a sack; and the defense limited St. Louis to just 214 yards in total offense despite being plagued by injuries.

“I want to say there’s about seven or eight starters that are not on this football team right now, and we’re seven games into it,” Holtz said. “So, there’s a lot of new faces and every one of those (injured) guys we’ve talked about like DeMarquis Gates, JoJo (Tillery), Lorenzo (Burns) and Scooby (Wright) … those are leaders that have been on this team for two or three years.

“And so, to have (Tezino) out there with his level of play and his competitive nature and his attitude and the intangibles that he carries, he’s a leader.”

McCarron’s return to Alabama was spotty, as the former Crimson Tide standout was 19-32-1 for 161 yards and a touchdown.

Hakeem Butler managed seven catches for 89 yards and Saylors turned his 38 ground yards into a pair of TDs.

Qwynnterrio Cole led the Battlehawks’ defense with 12 total tackles, while Willie Harvey and Lakiem Williams added 10 and nine, respectively.

Chris Garrett blocked the final Birmingham punt.

Despite the setback, Becht was upbeat.

“We had a lead going into the fourth quarter, and we just ran out of time,” he said. “I give  credit to their defense for stopping us on four plays. We’ve got a lot of weapons and you know they’ve gotta stop us, too, and they did.

“We’ll see them again down the road and I’m excited about that. But you know, we’ve got to correct our mistakes and get better from it. We didn’t sign up for seven, eight wins a season, we signed up to get to the playoffs and do something.”

Scoring plays: Birmingham, C.J. Marable, 1-yard run, 6:32 first quarter, 2-point conversion failed, Stallions 6, Battlehawks 0; St. Louis, Andre Szmyt, 38-yard field goal, 13:43 second quarter, Stallions 6, Battlehawks 3; Birmingham, Ramiz Ahmed, 27-yard field goal, 5:08 second quarter, Stallions 9, Battlehawks 3; St. Louis, Jacob Saylors, 1-yard run, 2:06 second quarter, 2-point conversion (Saylors run), Battlehawks 11, Stallions 9; Birmingham, Deon Cain, 5-yard reception from Adrian Martinez, :11 second quarter, 2-point conversion (Marlon Williams run), Stallions 17, Battlehawks 11; St. Louis, Szmyt, 61-yard field goal, :00 second quarter, Stallions 17, Battlehawks 14; St. Louis, Saylors 8-yard reception from A.J. McCarron, 6:17 third quarter, 2-point conversion failed, Battlehawks 20, Stallions 17; Birmingham, Williams 4-yard reception from Martinez, 12:20 fourth quarter, 2-point conversion failed, Stallions 23, Battlehawks 20; St. Louis, Saylors, 7-yard run, 7:34 fourth quarter, 2-point conversion failed, Battlehawks 26, Stallions 23; Birmingham, Kevin Austin Jr. 40-yard reception from Martinez, 5:23 fourth quarter, 1-point conversion (Martinez to Jace Sternberger), Stallions 30, Battlehawks 26.

Standout stat: 214 … that’s the number of total yards amassed by St. Louis. The Battlehawks came into the game with the UFL’s top-rated scoring offense.

Up next: Birmingham continues its homestand with a rematch against the Houston Roughnecks next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN2.

The Stallions won the first meeting in Houston, 32-9.

OTD in 1975: The Birmingham Vulcans of the World Football League signed four members of the WFL champion Birmingham Americans – linebackers Mike Truax and Gary Champagne, defensive back Chris Arnold, and defensive end Jesse Wolf.

The WFL reorganized in 1975 and the Vulcans were a new and separate franchise from the Americans, which folded following the 1974 season.

OTD in 1982: The formation of the United States Football League was announced at the 21 Club in New York City. Birmingham was named one of the league’s original 12 franchises.

OTD in 1984: The Birmingham Stallions of the USFL defeated the Jacksonville Bulls, 43-20, in front of 29,500 fans at Legion Field.

Earl Gant scored two touchdowns and Cliff Stoudt went 14-22-1 through the air for 237 yards. The QB also ran for another score.

The win improved the Stallions to 10-2 and was the first game of the season the team played without Joe Cribbs, who was involved in a contract dispute with the Stallions. In the first 11 games of the season, Cribbs had amassed a USFL-best 1,105 yards.

OTD in 1985: The Stallions improved to 8-4 by defeating the Portland Breakers, 14-0, with 28,500 fans looking on at Legion Field.

There were 16 punts in the game and it was scoreless until four seconds left in the third quarter when Stoudt hit Ken Toler on a 15-yard TD pass.

Stoudt threw for another TD in the fourth quarter as the Birmingham defense registered the franchise’s first-ever shutout.

Much was made about the season-opening clash between the USFL champion Birmingham Stallions and XFL title-holder Arlington Renegades. And certainly, it was a good way to kick off the United Football League and showcase the merger that made it possible.

But Birmingham’s 27-14 victory on March 30 is old news now.

Saturday’s matchup between the USFL Conference-leading Stallions (6-0) and top XFL Conference club St. Louis Battlehawks (5-1) is spring football’s game of year – at least until the playoffs begin.

The contest is set for 3 p.m. at Protective Stadium with FOX providing TV coverage.

Birmingham – winners of 13 consecutive games dating back to the 2023 USFL campaign – is coming off a playoff-clinching 39-21 victory at Memphis, while St. Louis beat Houston, 22-8, for its fifth “W” in a row.

“The ultimate goal every week is to go out and win,” Stallions boss Skip Holtz said. “And it’s hard at any level, especially with the pressure on a professional level and the balance from a talent standpoint, so really proud of what the team was able to do and being 6-0.

“It makes this game even bigger. As I’ve told the team, every game you win means the next one gets bigger. That was something that I learned from my father. You’ve gotta keep winning. You’ve just gotta stay focused with where you are and make sure that you can put your best foot forward.”

It’s no surprise that the teams are at or near the top in most UFL offensive and defensive categories: St. Louis boasts the No. 1 offense and Birmingham’s defense is best in class heading into Week 7.

“I think Anthony Becht has done a great job with his football team,” Holtz said of his counterpart. “They were one of the best teams in the XFL last year from a record standpoint, and they’re one of the best teams this year. They’ve got a very well-known quarterback in A.J. McCarron, who the people in Alabama are very familiar with. They’ve got some weapons on the perimeter. I think when you look at offensive statistics, the two of us are in the top two in most of the offensive statistics, and they’re a big-play offense.

“They have some huge weapons and have got a really good running back. And you’ve got two of the best defenses in this league. I mean, it’s got all the makings to be a great game, not only record-wise but from a talent standpoint and statistical standpoint.”

Birmingham QB Adrian Martinez has gone 62-105-1 through the air for 971 yards and seven touchdowns. He also has 327 yards on the ground, the second-best rushing mark in the league. He’s slated to get his third consecutive start on Saturday.

Deon Cain leads the receiving corps with 21 catches for 342 yards and a TD, while Marlon Williams has 12 catches for 183 yards and three touchdowns. Jace Sternberger has scored twice while reeling in 12 passes for 236 yards.

Kevin Austin Jr. has also stepped up, and now has eight catches for 147 yards and a touchdown.

“Both Kevin and Marlon have been progressing,” Holtz said. “They’ve been getting better. They go to work every day and I keep using the blue-collar approach. Grab your hard hat, let’s go to work. Let’s get better today. You’re going to have your day, the ball is going to find you, we’ve just gotta keep getting better.”

Ricky Person Jr. and C.J. Marable have put up solid rushing numbers for Birmingham. Person has six touchdowns and 193 yards with Marable adding 191 yards and one trip to the end zone.

Linebacker Kyahva Tezino has 42 tackles (24 solo), nose tackle Carlos Davis boasts six sacks for 38 backward yards, and the defensive unit has six interceptions and seven forced fumbles.

“I see a lot of similarities in Birmingham and the way they play and their style and what Coach Skip Holtz says about his football team,” Becht said. “He has done a tremendous job in Birmingham since the time he’s been there. He has a great feel for his team. He’s 27-3, and those are aspiring numbers and things I’d love to get at as a coach. They continue to be the top-tier spring league football team in all phases.

“New season, new league, they’ve never played us and we’ve never played them, and it makes for a great matchup. It’s great for our league and great for our fans.”

McCarron is 135-199-2 for 1,306 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Hakeem Butler has caught 31 of his passes for 478 yards and five touchdowns, and Marcell Ateman has added three TDs and 208 yards.

“Hakeem is a big body and does a good job finding holes,” Becht said. “He’s a mismatch problem and a size problem and they beat him up – a lot of holding – he’s got to fight through a lot but once he does, he’s difficult one-on-one.”

Jacob Saylors paces the ground attack with 242 yards and a pair of scores.

On defense, linebacker Willie Harvey has 41 total tackles and 22 individual tackles, while defensive back Qwynnterrio Cole has added 34 (16) and a pick.

The St. Louis bruise crew has six INTs and four forced fumbles through 24 quarters.

“They’re all big games and that’s not coach-speak, because we treat every game individually like it’s a championship game,” Becht said. “We don’t look past, we don’t look ahead, we live in the moment. Our biggest opponent every single week is us, the Battlehawks.”

Heading into Saturday’s United Football League spotlight game between the Birmingham Stallions and St. Louis Battlehawks, here are some numbers to consider – Skip Holtz 303, Anthony Becht 16.

Those figures reflect the number of times the men who’ll lead their teams into action have been on the sidelines wearing the hat of a head coach.

Holtz logged a 152-121 record during 17 years as a college boss. He joined the new United States Football League in 2022 and never looked back, going 21-3 and leading Birmingham to back-to-back championships. Four teams from the USFL, including the Stallions, were folded into the UFL. His 2024 Birmingham team stands at 6-0.

Becht, on the other hand, got his first head coaching gig last year when St. Louis was one of the flagship franchises of XFL 3.0. He led the ‘Hawks to a 7-3 record and has them sitting at 5-1 in the new spring pro football circuit.

While Becht has proved to be a quick study, it makes sense that his and Holtz’s paths never crossed until the eight UFL teams convened in Arlington, Texas, last February.

“No, we hadn’t been together a lot,” Holtz said. “I mean, I spent my time in college and he spent his time in the NFL, so we had a little different path to get here.”

While Holtz’s playing days ended following his senior season at Notre Dame in 1986, Becht went on to have a fine NFL career after graduating from West Virginia in 1999.

The tight end played 12 years for five different teams, making the All-Rookie Team while suiting up for the New York Jets in 2000.

He finished his pass-catching/blocking days with 188 receptions for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Becht’s whistle-and-clipboard career began in 2019 when he coached tight ends for the San Diego Fleet of the ill-fated Alliance of American Football, and then got his first shot at the top job last year with the Battlehawks.

“I was not on their radar,” Becht told Tampa’s FOX 13 in March. “But, be determined in what you want to do. Twelve years in the (NFL), five organizations, seven different head coaches with two firings in between. I learned a lot of good and bad from the coaches I’ve been around.” 

One coach he gets to be around now is Holtz.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Skip Holtz,” Becht said on Monday. “He’s 27-3, he’s the crème de la crème of spring leagues. If you’re a coach that cares and wants to be a winner, you want to emulate that record – you want to be as good as they’ve been the last three seasons.”

Holtz said he’s become quite familiar with Becht over the late winter and spring.

“Where I really got an opportunity to be around him was when we scrimmaged each other during the preseason,” Holtz said. “The UFL had slated everybody to scrimmage somebody, and we got matched together. So, I spent a lot of time with him on the phone and I’ve talked to him a lot during the course of the season. I have great respect for him and I think he does an unbelievable job from a coaching standpoint.”

If past is prologue, the first regular season matchup between their teams should be a dandy.

Both sides are capable of big plays – and stopping big plays – and appear to be evenly matched across the board. Birmingham has the UFL’s No.1-ranked defense while St. Louis’ offense is No.1.

It’s just Week 7, but it would hardly be surprising to see these squads meet again on June 16 in St. Louis – site of the inaugural UFL Championship Game.

But, first things first.

Becht says he never looks ahead, so he isn’t looking past Saturday.

“Consistency matters if you want to be a good coach,” he said. “You can’t be a good coach one year and then the next year lay an egg. If you want to excel in this profession, you’ve got to show consistency.

“They play sound, aggressive football, they’re good on both sides, special teams are clean, they don’t make a lot of mistakes, and their quarterbacks make plays.”

The clash is set for 3 p.m. on FOX.