Notes and quotes from the Houston Gamblers’ 27-20 victory over the Birmingham Stallions on Saturday at Protective Stadium …
HOW THEY SCORED
Houston (3-2) drew first blood at 1:06 of the first quarter, with Mark Thompson capping off a 10 play, 65-yard drive with a three-yard dash around right end.
UAB product Nick Vogel kicked the PAT, making it 7-0.
Birmingham (3-2) answered back on the next drive, thanks to a 47-yard field goal courtesy of Brandon Aubrey. The hosts went 43 plays on eight snaps before calling on their kicker to put three on the board.
The Stallions took the lead with 16 seconds remaining in the first half after traveling 91 yards on 11 plays. A 25-yard pass from Alex McGough to Jace Sternberger and a 15-yard McGough scramble helped set up the go-ahead score.
The clincher came when McGough connected with C.J. Marable on a one-yard TD pass.
Aubrey added the extra point, and the teams headed to the locker room with Birmingham on top, 10-7.
The Stallions lost the ball via fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half, giving the Gamblers a chance to tie or go ahead after taking possession. But Birmingham made a stop on a fourth-and-one call at its 12, ending the threat.
The home team’s offense thanked the defense with three more points, as Aubrey nailed a 49-yard field goal at 2:49 of the first.
The march covered 56 yards on 12 plays and extended the advantage to 13-7.
Back came Houston.
QB Terry Wilson hooked up with Anthony Ratliff-Williams on a 50-yard pitch and catch for a score, highlighting a six play, 71-yard drive at 14:52 of the fourth.
Vogel kicked the Gamblers to a 14-13 lead.
Birmingham had an opportunity to regain the edge on the next series, but Aubrey missed a 51-yard field goal at the 10:13 juncture.
Houston responded with its second touchdown drive of the game as Thompson hit paydirt on a two-yard scoot with just 3:21 showing on the fourth quarter clock.
The try for two failed, but an 11 play, 39-yard trek – aided by a pair of penalties – was good for a 20-13 lead.
The Stallions needed points quickly but found themselves facing a fourth-and-14 dilemma at their own 16. What looked to be a completed pass for a first down was overturned on replay, and that all but killed any comeback hopes.
Houston added insurance following the turnover on downs, with Thompson scoring from eight yards out at 1:42.
The kick was good, and the Gamblers were in charge, 27-13.
Birmingham added a consolation score on a McGough to La’Michael Pettway touchdown pass with 10 seconds remaining, cutting the deficit to 27-20 and providing a sliver of hope.
However, the Stallions attempted the fourth-and-12 onside play from their 33 but the ball was picked off, and that sealed the deal.
BIRMINGHAM COACH SKIP HOLTZ SAID …
“Overall, a frustrating day … a very frustrating day. I give Houston and Coach Johnson an awful lot of credit. They did the things they had to do to win the football game. We certainly had opportunities today if we could’ve capitalized on them.”
HOUSTON COACH CURTIS JOHNSON SAID …
“This team doesn’t quit. We’re not accustomed to going on the road and winning games, but this is two weeks in a row we’ve done that and we’re traveling well. The offense, defense, special teams … they practice awfully hard.”
STANDOUT STATS
Wilson was 9-14-0 for 117 yards and a passing TD, and added 42 more yards rushing for the winners.
Thompson ground out 80 yards on 16 carries and scored three times.
“We beat them toward the end of last year, so when we came into the game, we knew they weren’t untouchable … they weren’t invincible,” Thompson said. “We came out and played our brand football and did what we were supposed to do.”
McGough paced the Stallions with 71 rushing yards as well as a 24-38-1 passing line for 209 yards and two touchdowns. He had a hand in all but 36 of the Stallions’ total offensive yards even though he was knocked around quite a bit.
Rib pain was an issue when he decided to tuck and run.
“It’s not like a serious thing,” McGough said. “It’s just when I started to run, the deep breaths would hurt (my ribs). I can sit here and talk and it’s fine, it’s just when I have to fully breathe. But they’re all right.”
Free safety Christian McFarland and linebacker Elijah Sullivan were in on eight tackles each for Birmingham.
FUMBLE RULE
One of the USFL rule changes for 2023 concerns fumbles into the end zone. It states … “A ball fumbled forward from the field of play into the end zone and out of bounds will be returned to the spot of the fumble and the fumbling team retains possession.”
That tweak came in quite handy for the Gamblers. Thompson made a 17-yard run late in the first quarter but was popped hard, sending the ball rocketing forward into the end zone and out of bounds. Instead of Stallions ball, though, it went back to the offense.
Three plays later, Thompson carried the ball into the end zone, accounting for the first points of the day.
“I didn’t like that rule today,” Holtz joked. “I know it was just passed this year, and it was an example of the kind of year it’s been for us with the injuries and everything else. Like I said, some days you’re the windshield and some days you’re the bug.”
TODAY IN HISTORY
On this date in 1984 the Houston Gamblers routed the Pittsburgh Maulers, 47-26, behind Jim Kelly’s five touchdown passes.
Kelly finished the game 15-29-0 for 367 yards and tied the USFL record for most touchdown passes in a single game (that record, incidentally, had been set the night before by Memphis Showboats QB Walter Lewis).
NEXT UP
The modern Stallions play their first game somewhere other than Birmingham or Canton next Saturday when they travel to Detroit to face the Michigan Panthers, 23-7 losers to Pittsburgh today.
Game time is set for 3 p.m. CDT with FOX televising.
