Author: Scott Adamson

Let’s be honest – the professional football history between the cities of Birmingham and New Orleans is neither long nor storied.

There were a pair of games between the two in 1984 during the second season of original United States Football League (plus a controlled scrimmage during the preseason), but the Breakers played in Boston in 1983 and Portland in 1985, so no yearly feud was established during the circuit’s three-year run.

And while the Ham had franchises in the World Football League, World League of American Football, Canadian Football League, XFL and Alliance of American Football, the Big Easy did not. Football power brokers were content with the NFL Saints.

But Stallions and Breakers players in the new USFL are doing their best to make sure Birmingham vs. New Orleans becomes a significant spring thing on the gridiron.

So far, so good.

Saturday’s 24-20 Stallions victory at Protective Stadium marked the fifth time the teams have played since the modern version of the league opened for business in 2022, making it the most frequent rivalry in the USFL’s young history.

Last year’s playoff clash has to be considered the biggest to date, of course, but the most recent slobber-knocker is solidly in second place.

It was a game that Birmingham looked to have well in hand – leading 24-9 late in the third quarter – only to see New Orleans come back with a chance to win at the end.

“What a great game, but we expected it would be,” Birmingham coach Skip Holtz said. “I thought it was a great game the first go-round. It was a one score game at 31-38 when they went down and scored to make it 45-31, but that was a great football game.

“This one had ups and downs and twists and turns, for sure. You thought it was going one way but then it goes another, and that’s what happens when two great football teams compete. Everybody wants to fight to the very end.”

There were hard hits, dropped balls, big plays … it was a great game for spectators, just like New Orleans’ 45-31 conquest was in Week Three.

It’s how a rivalry game should be.

“There’s no give-up on our football team,” New Orleans coach John DeFilippo said. “I’m proud of the way our guys fought the whole game. There were a lot of up and down moments. We’ll be disappointed tonight, but then it’s on to Michigan.”

During the inaugural season – in an effort to generate some added interest in the league – USFL officials decided to establish “official” rivalries.

Birmingham vs. Houston was dubbed the “Double Down Derby,” and New Orleans vs. the Tampa Bay Bandits was christened the “Breaker Bay Brawl.”

They made for nice alliterations. And the Stallions-Gamblers series is interesting in that Houston handed Birmingham its lone loss in 2022 and is the only team to hold a winning record over Holtz’s team (2-1).

Tampa Bay, on the other hand, has “relocated” to Memphis and revived the Showboats nickname. Not sure if anyone has coined “Boat Breaker Bash” yet, but I assume it’s available.

Anyway, last season Birmingham recorded 22-13, 10-9 and 31-17 victories over New Orleans on the way to a USFL championship, but lost this year’s first leg.

The Stallions hold an edge in all-time series wins, but each one has had high stakes.

The first ever meeting was a battle of unbeatens; the second saw Birmingham wrap up the USFL South; the third was a playoff game; the fourth featured two undefeated teams; and this one saw Birmingham (5-2) surge back to the top of the South Division (although they’ll drop to second if the Gamblers beat the Showboats on Sunday) while New Orleans (4-3) now finds itself on the outside looking in due to a three-game losing streak.

“This is where character shows up on a team, good or bad,” DeFilippo said. “And I know we have a lot of good character on this team. And I know we’ll bounce back and I know there’ll be no finger-pointing. It’s my job to make sure this team doesn’t splinter, and it’s easy to do in pro football when you’ve lost three in a row. But the Birmingham Stallions played a very good football game today.”

Geography has a lot to do with rivalries (the Breakers are spending their second consecutive season working and playing in Birmingham, so there’s that),  but sometimes they happen organically. And that seems to be how the Stallions vs. Breakers story is playing out.

I’m not sure what to call it – “Magic City/Crescent City Fracas” seems a bit wordy – but it’s most certainly a rivalry worth watching.

“You know it’s going to come down to the end,” Holtz said. “Both teams played hard, both teams put it all on the field. Our guys didn’t even want to come in for the celebration. They are spent … they put everything on that field. “This team … they want to win, they’ve grown accustomed to winning, they work to win, and I’m just really proud of the way they went out and the way they competed today.”

The Week Three matchup between the Birmingham Stallions and New Orleans Breakers was a memorable one for Skip Holtz’s team. Those memories, however, are hardly fond ones.

New Orleans rolled to a 45-31 victory, racking up 283 passing yards and 200 more on the ground while converting four of five red zone opportunities.

The result moved the Breakers to the top of the South Division, forcing Birmingham to play catch-up.

But much has changed since that April 29 clash.

The Breakers (4-2) still hold the tiebreaker over the Stallions (4-2), but the defending USFL champions have a chance to surge ahead when the teams face each other again on Saturday at Protective Stadium.

Birmingham is coming off a solid 27-13 road victory over the Michigan Panthers, while New Orleans has dropped two in a  row – the latest a 16-10 setback to Philadelphia.

Houston, meanwhile, is also 4-2 with a win over the Stallions, and the Gamblers play Memphis (3-3) on Saturday.

Translation: the margin for error is small.

“You’re looking at the standings right now, both in the North and the South, and every game has relevance,” Holtz said. “Every game matters. It’s still anybody’s game. To relate to NASCAR, it’s like the yellow flag dropped and we’ve got four laps to go right now, and everybody’s in a big pack. So, it’s gonna be interesting to see what the last four weeks are gonna hold here in the season.

“We know we have a big game with a New Orleans team that we lost to the first go-round. Our team is excited to play and especially on the defensive side of the ball show we’re a much better defense than the effort we put out before.”

Alex McGough earned Offensive Player of the Week honors thanks to his play against the Panthers. The signal caller was 19-24-0 for two touchdowns and 133 yards, registering a 117.5 passer rating.

He added 82 rushing yards on 11 totes, and added another score.

McGough leads the USFL in passing touchdowns (12) and points (90), and is making a strong case for USFL Most Valuable Player consideration.

“I think Alex continues to grow as a football player, and not just his talent, his skills,” Holtz said. “He has the same talent this year as last year, but he’s just a completely different leader. He’s an encourager in in the huddle … I told him I was most proud of him when he jumped up after a long run, tosses the ball to the official and starts clapping his hands, going around patting guys on the rear-end.

“He’s making throws, making runs, but the impact he’s having on the field is making everybody better around him right now.”

In the loss to the Breakers, McGough threw for 238 yards and two touchdowns. To prep for the rematch, the QB says he does more than just review that particular game.

“I think you look at that game and even the games we played against them last year, because they had a certain plan for us,” McGough said. “But you also study where they might have certain plans for other teams. So yeah, you take everything into consideration … just try to look at it all and get a big picture of what they’re trying to do.”

Despite totaling just 20 points over their last two games, the Breakers still feature the USFL’s top yardage makers through the skies and on the ground.

McLeod Bethel-Thompson has passed for a league-high 1,512 yards while receiver Sage Surratt leads the circuit with 411 receiving yards.

Wes Hills has an even 500 yards to top all USFL ballcarriers.

“We’ve gone from being able to do anything we want to not being able to do anything right the last two weeks,” New Orleans coach John DeFilippo said after his squad’s latest loss. “It’s my job to get this thing fixed, and I plan on doing that.”

Holtz said he’s game-planning for a team similar to the one they played in Week Three.

“We know what they’re capable of,” Holtz said. “You don’t know who was out for them, who was injured, who’s playing hobbled, what type of things happened to them the last three weeks. I’m looking at it like we’re gonna play the team that scored 45 points.

“We love the challenge. We can go back and look at some of the mistakes that we made, and we can do a better job for sure. They’re gonna make some plays, so we have to play together as a defensive unit and we have to shore some things up.”

The Stallions get Deon Cain back this week, and his 491 yards in kick returns and two runbacks are best in the league even though he’s missed two games.

And C.J. Marable hit the 100-yard rushing mark a week ago and reeled in a TD toss, giving opposing defenses something else to think about once the ball is snapped. With ZaQuandre White on the inactive roster, he could play an even more active role against New Orleans.

“The offensive line was able to make some holes for me to run, and I was able to make people miss and make lanes,” Marable said. “And that was a phenomenal pass Alex threw for the touchdown. Looking forward to doing more of that on Saturday.”

Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. with FOX televising.

PLAYER STATUS (via Stallions Twitter)

Transferred Player to Active Roster: CB Bryan Mills, RB Ricky Person Jr., LB Rashad Smith, OT Jahmir Ross-Johnson, WR Deon Cain, DE Darrion Daniels.

Transferred Player to Inactive Roster: RB ZaQuandre White, WR Austin Watkins, CB Donnie Lewis, LB Brody Buck, OT Darius Harper, DE Jordan Thompson.

Game status: DB Christian McFarland: Probable (R Hamstring, R Shoulder), DB JoJo Tillery: Probable (B Ankles), CB Donnie Lewis: Probable (R Hand), CB Brian Allen: Probable (L Shoulder), LB Rashad Smith: Probable (L Ankle), OL Cole Schneider: Probable (R Shoulder), WR Deon Cain: Probable (Illness), DE Joe Jackson: Questionable (R Ankle), LB Elijah Sullivan: Questionable (R Foot), CB Lorenzo Burns: Full Go (Illness), DL Willie Yarbary: Full Go (Illness), DE Jordan Thompson: Questionable (L Hamstring), OL Matt Kaskey: Full Go (R Thumb).

PLAYER STATUS (via Breakers Twitter)

Transferred Player to Active Roster: S Adonis Alexander, WR Jovon Durante, S Greg Eisworth, DE Justin Cates, OT Salesi Uhatafe.

Transferred Player to Inactive Roster: LB Zakoby McClain, FS Sidney McCloud, S Saquan Hampton, WR Dee Anderson.

Game status: S Jarey Elder: Probable (L Shoulder), OG Kirk Kelley: Probable (R Knee), WR Johnnie Dixon: Probable (L Quad), RB Wes Hills: Probable (R Low Leg) S Greg Eisworth: Questionable (Head), S Jamar Johnson: Out (R Hamstring), OLB Jordan Brailford: Out (Low Back), OL Jack Kramer: Probable (R Ankle), S Derrion Rakestraw: Probable (R Ankle), OL Marquis Lucas: Probable (R Ankle), CB Adonis Alexander: Full Go (L Hamstring, WR Dee Anderson: Out (L Groin), LB Shaheed Salmon: Full Go (R Wrist), CB Alex Thomas: Full Go (Dental).

As a defender on the soccer pitch, it was Brandon Aubrey’s job to halt attacks and prevent goals. And in 76 appearances with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, he did a masterful job of it, earning All-American, All-Atlantic Coast Conference and Academic All-American honors during his time in South Bend.

It was a natural progression for the athlete who began kicking round balls at a young age growing up in Plano, Texas, and excelling at the game.

“I started in rec leagues, like most kids do, and I found that I was pretty decent at it,” Aubrey said before Wednesday’s Birmingham Stallions practice session at Legion Field. “Then I got recruited to a local club team, the Dallas Texans, and played there from just about 10 all the way up until they moved me from the club team to the academy system.

“And I played travel soccer with the Texans from 16 to 18, traveling around the country, playing all the other academy teams and just enjoying it. At that point in high school, freshman year, they made us pick one sport, so I went with soccer.”

That led to his recruitment to Notre Dame, which he chose for both athletics and academics.

“South Bend really stood out to me as the best of both worlds with academics and soccer,” Aubrey said. “They were competitive every year and were moving to the ACC, which was the premier college soccer conference. I just really wanted to push myself and I thought that was the best platform.”

Playing the game at the professional level was the logical next step. After being drafted by Toronto FC of Major League Soccer, he played in 21 matches with their affiliate in 2017 – United Soccer League’s Toronto FC II – and 27 more a year later as a member of Bethlehem Steel, also a USL franchise.

More defending … more stopping goals instead of tallying them.

However, Aubrey found himself wanting something more – something different – and American football fit the bill. Thus, when he was signed by Birmingham’s entry in the new United States Football League in 2022, his job description changed dramatically.

Instead of preventing goals, his placekicker duties involve converting them (in the form of field goals).

Oh, and kicking extra points and pinning the opposition deep on kickoffs are also on his task list.

“I kind of burnt out of soccer,” Aubrey said. “Transitioning from an attacking player to a defensive player, I really wanted to do something where I could get out there and score some points. I’ve been watching football my whole life. I’ve loved football and obviously I would have kept playing football as a high schooler if I had the option. So, I just wanted to go out and see if I could make football work.”

The process of playing for a paycheck in another kind of football was a deliberate one. After leaving soccer and working as a software engineer with GM Financial, he ultimately decided a 9-to-5 desk job wasn’t what he wanted – at least not yet.

“I enjoyed my time there … everyone was great,” Aubrey explained. “But I realized quickly that I’m still young, my leg’s still working, and I’ve got to figure out a way to get back into professional sports.

“So, I took the ball to the field and started kicking, and I saw I had some talent at it. And then from there, it took me about two and a half years of going to one-on-one kicking coaches across the country and going through the circuit. Just really honing my craft before I got an opportunity here with the Stallions, which I’m very grateful for.”

So, how has the career switch worked out?

Well, Aubrey made the all-USFL team in the circuit’s inaugural season, and he remains a consistent performer in his second year with the club.

“He was a huge story a year ago because here’s a guy that never played a football game in college, and all of a sudden he’s out here kicking for us,” Birmingham head coach Skip Holtz said. “I go all the way back to when I talked to (former NFL kicker and kicking coach) John Carney and he’s telling me I should go with this guy, this guy … he names about five guys to pick in our kickers draft. And I said, ‘Those guys are great, but they’re all going to be gone because I picked last for kicker.’”

That’s when Aubrey’s name came up.

“He goes, ‘Well, I’ve got one guy and he’s gonna be a risk. But if he comes through, he can be as good as any of them,’” Holtz said. “But then he said, ‘How he’s going to handle it mentally, I just can’t answer that question for you right now.’ And of course, he was great last year, but he has been phenomenal for us this year.”

During 10 regular season games in 2022, Aubrey led all kickers with 76 points, hitting 18 of 22 field goal tries and 22 of 24 PATs.

In a 31-17 playoff win over New Orleans, Aubrey kicked a 38-yard field goal and made all his extra points. The 33-30 championship game victory over the Stars saw him connect on field goals of 42 and 28 yards and go three-of-four on points after.

His season-long performance was good enough to land a spot on the inaugural All-USFL Team.

This season, Aubrey has picked up where he left off.

Through six games he is eight-of-nine on 3-pointers and has made all 21 of his extra point tries.

He also has a league-best two touchbacks, which is quite a feat considering USFL kickoffs are made from the 20-yard line.

“He’s got great lift on the ball,” Holtz said. “I think he’s got an NFL leg. And I think he’s gonna continue to get better with every game that he plays and every bit of experience he gets, because the talent is certainly there and I think he has taken it to a whole ‘nother level this year.

“He has continually gotten better, and I’m really proud of the progress he’s made.”

Now that Aubrey has gone from a former USL player to a current USFL standout, he hopes to continue a career path that has him kicking oval balls instead of round ones.

“I would always come home from soccer practice and watch football, play fantasy football, all that sort of stuff to just keep in the loop with my family, who loves football,” Aubrey said.

“They enjoyed watching me play soccer, but they didn’t really enjoy watching soccer.”