Notes, quotes and numbers from Birmingham’s 47-22 victory over New Orleans in the USFL South Division championship game at Protective Stadium on Sunday …
HOW THEY SCORED
Brian Allen halted New Orleans (7-4) on the opening drive with an interception that gave Birmingham (9-2) first down at the Breakers’ 31.
The journey stalled at the 23, and Brandon Aubrey came in to try a 41-yard field goal.
The kick split the uprights, putting the Stallions in front, 3-0, at 9:14 of the first.
New Orleans responded with an impressive march, highlighted by McLeod Bethel-Thompson’s 32-yard pass to Dee Anderson and capped off when Bethel-Thompson hit Jonathan Adams on a four-yard TD connection at 5:08.
Matt Coghlin made it 7-3 with the extra point, putting the final touch on an eight play, 75-yard scoring trip.
Back came Birmingham.
Alex McGough got things started by hitting Jace Sternberger with a 32-yard pass to put the ball at the enemy 30, and C.J. Marable started moving the markers on the ground. At 1:49 of the first, McGough found Sternberger on a 17-yard touchdown strike, closing out a five play, 67-yard drive.
The PAT was off the mark, but it was 9-7.
Aubrey did, however, give the Stallions more points at 9:10 of the second quarter with his second 41-yard field goal of the day. That put the hosts on top, 12-7.
Birmingham did more than get a field goal on its next turn with the ball, venturing 61 yards on four plays and hitting paydirt when McGough found Davion Davis on a 36-yard TD pass 5:22 before halftime.
The kick was good and New Orleans was in trouble, trailing 19-7.
With time running down in the second quarter, the Stallions all but put the game away.
Starting at their own 12, they went 88 yards in 13 plays, topped by a McGough to Davis five-yard touchdown toss at the :11 mark.
The extra point was successful and Birmingham – having scored on all five of its drives – was in control, 26-7.
If there was any doubt left, it was erased in the opening drive of the third quarter.
Marable scored on a 17-yard scamper at 11:55 to close out a six play, 63-yard junket, and Aubrey’s point after inflated the cushion to 33-7.
Allen’s second pick of the night put the Stallions in good shape again with a first and 10 at the Breakers’ 40.
Five plays later McGough carried it in from the five at 6:15 of the third frame, and Aubrey’s point after made it a 40-7 laugher.
New Orleans managed its second TD of the night at 14:12 of the fourth quarter when Cyrus Habibi-Likio broke loose on a 27-yard scoring run. The try for a 3-point conversion failed, and the score stood at 40-13.
The drive covered 74 yards on four plays.
Birmingham got it back plus one when McGough and Josh Johnson combined on a 33-yard TD combo with 10:29 to play and Aubrey’s extra point made the score 47-13 – a new points record for the defending USFL champions.
That trek to the end zone took six plays and covered 78 yards.
The Breakers tacked on another consolation score at the 5:10 mark when Bethel-Thompson threw a six-yard TD pass to Sage Surratt to top off an 11 play, 75-yard march.
The try for three (a pass to Adams from the 10) worked, cutting the deficit to 47-22.
New Orleans then tried the fourth-and-12 onside scrimmage play from its 33 and converted it, and were on the march again.
The drive, however, died at the Stallions’ four.
BIRMINGHAM COACH SKIP HOLTZ SAID …
“I think we’ve got great character and great leadership in that locker room, and those guys have done an unbelievable job of putting their arms around some new players that have come in and made huge impacts for us. And that’s what makes this team so much fun. And that’s why I truly believe that we’re on a quest. We’re on a journey and certainly we’ve got some things that we still have yet to accomplish. But the relationships that we have built through this journey through the USFL will be relationships that will last us all for a lifetime. And our relationship with Birmingham is part of that.”
NEW ORLEANS COACH JOHN DEFILIPPO SAID …
“I learned a lot this year, and I just told our team I’m really looking forward to having an exit Zoom meeting with all of them to see where we can get better. I want their feedback … what can we do better with installation? How can we make this a more player friendly environment? I’m looking forward to self-scouting myself with things and taking time away for a week or so. Then I really want to start honing in on what we can do better as a coaching staff so this doesn’t happen again next year.”
STANDOUT STATS
McGough was 21-31-0 passing for 310 yards and four touchdowns, and rushed for 84 yards and a TD.
Davis had two touchdowns and 75 yards on five catches while Deon Cain caught eight balls for 74 yards and Sternberger and Johnson were each on the receiving end of McGough TD tosses.
Ricky Person rushed for 87 yards on 10 carries and Marable had 72 yards on 11 totes.
The Stallions set a club record for points and racked up 553 yards of total offense.
Allen had two interceptions to pace the defense.
“We like to play a lot of man, so I went back and watched my first two games looking at what we did and the certain formations and certain routes and certain guys in certain positions.
“Watching film, you know how to prepare the right way.”
Jerod Fernandez had 12 tackles for New Orleans (eight solo) and Jarey Elder added 11 (seven individual).
Bethel Thompson was 26-50-2 for 273 yards and two touchdowns.
GREAT CROWD
The USFL doesn’t release attendance figures and I’m horrible at guessing, but Birmingham football fans showed up in big numbers on Sunday. The home side was mostly full and across the way there were quite a few fans in the lower bowl as well – sitting in an area that’s usually all but empty.
“They were unbelievable,” Holtz said. “We came out and they were on both sides. I don’t know what those total numbers were tonight … I know maybe the threat of thunderstorms probably even kept some people away, but the fans were unbelievable. I mean, they’re loud, they’re into it. I love the ‘Giddy Up.’”
ALL-STAR QBS
McGough was named the league’s top quarterback earlier this week when the league announced its All-USFL Team. But here’s a fun fact: the Stallions also have the defending all-league signal caller on its roster.
Kyle Sloter, who led the circuit in passing yards and was two-time Offensive Player of the Week in 2022 while with the Breakers, made the All-USFL team a year ago. Currently, he is third on Birmingham’s depth chart behind McGough and Jalen Morton and has yet to be activated.
Sloter jumped to the XFL this season but was released by the eventual league champion Arlington Renegades in March. He signed with the Stallions after J’Mar Smith suffered a season-ending injury in the opener on April 15.
NEXT UP
Birmingham will meet the Pittsburgh Maulers (5-6) in the USFL Championship Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton next Saturday. Coverage on NBC begins at 7 p.m. CDT.