Category: Alternative Football

Despite everything the Birmingham Stallions have accomplished in 32 professional spring football games, the Houston Gamblers were the proverbial thorn in their side.

A head-scratching loss to the dice-rollers derailed what would’ve been a perfect season in the modern United States Football League’s debut, and last year the teams split their regular season clash.

Birmingham has suffered three defeats since starting play in April of 2022, and two of them have come against the club repping Texas’ largest city.

But now that the Gamblers have rebranded as the Roughnecks – and joined the Stallions in the United Football League – the thorn has been removed.

And so has another obstacle in Birmingham’s path to perfection.

Skip Holtz’s charges completed a season sweep of Houston (1-7) on Saturday at Protective Stadium, improving to 8-0 and notching their 15^th consecutive “W”  dating back to 2023 with a 35-28 victory.

“We talked about we weren’t going to take a week off, “Holtz said. “We’re not getting ready for somebody down the road, we’re trying to go 1-0 each week. That’s our approach. We treated this game like any other.”

Make no mistake about it, Curtis Johnson’s hard-luck team was a tough out. The ‘Necks played hard from wire-to-wire, looking a far sight better than they did in a 32-9 loss at Rice Stadium on April 27.

But after the Stallions turned a 15-14 lead into a 21-14 edge thanks to another patented, clock-beating drive to end the second quarter, they were able to keep Houston at arm’s length.

“This Birmingham team is a juggernaut,” Johnson said. “Before the season, we all knew they were the flagship team in this league. They’re good at every position … I don’t see a weakness. And Skip Holtz, I’m telling you, he’s the king of spring.”

The Roughnecks’ last real shot at an upset came with under five minutes to go in the game. Trailing 35-28, they started at their own 24 with a chance at a potential game-winning score.

But they ended up going backward, and were forced to punt the ball away with 2:50 to go.

At that point Job One for Birmingham was to run out the clock, and the UFL’s lone unbeaten team held the ball until there were only 14 ticks remaining.

However, a punt and penalty gave Houston the ball at its own 42, and the visitors passed their way to the Birmingham 24 with one second left.

A DeMarquis Gates sack of QB Reid Sinnett ended the threat – and the game.

And it didn’t come a moment too soon; Holtz’s team was plagued by turnovers and mental mistakes all night, making the coach as relieved as he was happy when the final horn sounded.

“Everybody wants to look at records, that they’re 1-7, but it doesn’t matter,” Holtz said. “You’ve still gotta put the ball on the tee … you’ve got to play the game. And if you have stupid penalties, you get a stop on third-and-one and you rip your helmet off – I don’t know why, but you rip your helmet off – and then get a 15-yard penalty at the end on a punt for grabbing somebody’s facemask … we certainly did not play a very clean game.”

Adrian Martinez overcame a shaky (well, shaky by his standards) start to finish 19-31-1 through the air for 173 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for two more scores and 44 yards.

He connected with 10 different receivers with Deon Cain, Amari Rodgers and Binjimin Victor all reaching the end zone.

Ricky Person Jr. led all rushers with 63 yards.

Although the defense gave up 311 yards, A.J. Thomas got a pick on the third play of the game – his second interception in as many weeks – Jordon Thomas forced a fumble, and Gates, Kyahva Tezino and Damon Lloyd were in on eight tackles each.

Sinnett and Nolan Henderson shared time behind center for Houston, with Sinnett going 6-13-1 for 99 yards and a touchdown and Henderson finishing 9-14-0 for 97 yards.

Keke Chism had 80 receiving yards on seven catches and Mark Thompson got two scores out of his 54 rushing yards.

“We won the first game (against Houston) and this game was much more entertaining than the first one,” Holtz said. “I thought they really did a nice job. They had a new plan, and it’s just nice to win against anybody because the teams are so evenly matched across the board, and that was through two drafts and free agency and everything that’s happened during the offseason.

“There’s a lot of talent that was dispersed to a lot of different teams, and everybody’s got talent. I want to applaud Coach Johnson and his team … they’ve just been snakebit this year.”

Scoring plays: Birmingham, Deon Cain, 9-yard reception from Adrian Martinez, 8:53 first quarter, 2-point conversion failed, Stallions 6, Roughnecks 0; Birmingham, Binjimin Victor, 12-yard reception from Martinez, 4:41 first quarter, 2-point conversion failed, Stallions 12, Roughnecks 0; Houston, Mark Thompson, 37-yard run, 2:58 first quarter, 2-point conversion pass from Nolan Henderson to Justin Hall, Stallions 12, Roughnecks 8; Birmingham, Ramiz Ahmed, 44-yard field goal, 14:15 second quarter, Stallions 15, Roughnecks 8; Houston, Thompson, 2-yard run, 1:56 second quarter, 2-point conversion failed, Stallions 15, Roughnecks 14; Birmingham, Martinez, 4-ard run, :07 second quarter, 2-point conversion failed, Stallions 21, Roughnecks 14; Birmingham, Amari Rodgers, 10-yard reception from Martinez, 9:58 third quarter, 1-point conversion pass from Martinez to Jordan Thomas, Stallions 28, Roughnecks 14; Houston, Henderson, 3-yard run, 4:22 third quarter, 2-point conversion failed, Stallions 28, Roughnecks 20; Birmingham, Martinez, 8-yard run, 1:24 third quarter, 1-point conversion run by Larry Roundtree III, Stallions 35, Roughnecks 20; Houston, Braedon Bowman, 2-yard pass from Reid Sinnett, 7:21 fourth quarter, 2-point conversion pass from Sinnett to Justin Hall, Stallions 35, Roughnecks 28.

Standout stat: 14. Number of points Birmingham scored off a pair of Houston turnovers. Ultimately, that proved to be the difference.

Chavis out of action: Birmingham defensive coordinator John Chavis is dealing with illness and didn’t make the trip from Arlington to Birmingham for Saturday’s game.

Secondary coach Corey Chamblin stepped in as DC for the night. The Birmingham native is in his second stint with the Stallions after previously serving on the 2022 staff.

Up next: Birmingham plays its final regular season road game of 2024 next Saturday, 2 p.m. CDT, when it faces the San Antonio Brahmas at the Alamodome.

The game will be televised on ABC.

OTD in 1984: The Birmingham Stallions of the original United States Football League routed the Chicago Blitz, 41-7, in front of 8,578 fans at Soldier Field.

Quarterback Cliff Stoudt threw for two touchdowns and 229 yards, and the winners also scored two defensive TDs. David Evans picked up a fumble and returned it five yards for a score in the first quarter, and later in the frame, Chuck Clanton tallied a pick-six on a 41-yard return of a Vince Evans pass.

The Stallions improved to 11-2 with the win.

The Birmingham Stallions (7-0) have not only locked up a playoff berth in the inaugural season of the United Football League, they already know who and when they’ll play in the USFL Conference championship – the Michigan Panthers at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 8.

Birmingham is coming off a 30-26 victory over St. Louis in what was, to date, the circuit’s marquee game.

The Houston Roughnecks (1-6), on the other hand, are going nowhere after Week 10 of the regular season wraps up.

Making matters worse, they were tantalizingly close to a major upset of San Antonio last weekend – leading 12-3 with 12:36 to play – only to fall 15-12 on a walk-off field goal.

Yet, while it would be easy to dismiss Saturday’s game between Birmingham and Houston at Protective Stadium as largely meaningless, it most certainly isn’t.

Not only are the Stallions seeking a perfect season (and their 15^th consecutive victory dating back to 2023), a win – coupled with a Michigan loss to Memphis – would secure a host spot in the conference title game. And, of course, both teams want to give their players more chances to get looks from the NFL.

“We have to get ready to do it all over again Saturday against what I think is a really good Houston football team,” Birmingham coach Skip Holtz said. “I know everybody wants to look at their record at 1-6, but when you look at it, especially the last three weeks, they’ve played San Antonio, who’s one of the better teams in the XFL Conference and tied for the first; they’ve played St. Louis, and actually gave up less points to them than we did, giving up 22; and they’ve played Arlington, who has one of the top offenses; and they played us.

“They’ve had four quality opponents over the last few weeks.”

The Stallions’ 32-9 win over the Roughnecks in Houston on April 27 was the worst loss of the season for Curtis Johnson’s team, which has been formidable on defense for much of the season.

They lead the UFL in both interception returns (with five for 176 yards, including a pick-six), and tackles for loss (40).

Offensive woes have plagued them from the start, however.

“Our defense has been outstanding,” Johnson said. “But we have too many unforced errors, especially on the offensive line, and when we get in the red zone, we’ve got to score touchdowns.”

Houston has played three quarterbacks this spring (Reid Sinnett, Jarrett Guarantano and Nolan Henderson) but they have yet to find consistency moving the ball through the air or on the ground. Sinnett will get the start on Saturday with Henderson backing him up.

Justin Hall is the Roughnecks’ top receiver with 352 yards and a touchdown, while T.J. Pledger IV has rushed for 208 yards and caught 15 passes for 91 more.

Pulling off an upset of the league’s only unbeaten team will be a tall order.

Birmingham’s Adrian Martinez has gone from a part-time starter at quarterback to an MVP candidate, leading the league in rushing yards and quickly climbing up the ladder in passing stats. He is second in the UFL in total offense with 1,589 yards.

And while Martinez tops the charts churning out yards on the ground, Ricky Person Jr. leads the way in rushing touchdowns with six.

“I know last year people liked to say I’m just a downhill runner, but I feel like I’m able to showcase my abilities in Skip’s offense,” Person said. “I want my quarterbacks to know they can throw to me out in space and I can make people miss, and catch the ball out of the backfield. But I can also run … I take a lot of pride in that.”

Birmingham is the only UFL club to have eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in rushing with 1,017 (145.3 yards per game).

The receiving corps also continues to be a strong suit of the two-time defending USFL champions, as the Stallions lead in yards per reception (14.3) and are second in most aerial TDs with 12.

Deon Cain has racked up 371 receiving yards and scored twice, with Jace Sternberger contributing 261 yards and two scores.

Holtz’s crew is No. 1 in total offense (2,652 yards), all-purpose yards (3,623) and scoring (201 points).

Birmingham has the best rushing defense in the UFL, allowing only two TDs and 376 yards down low. The unit is also first in the takeaway department with 13, while Carlos Davis continues to rule the sack brigade with six – all of them solo.

“It’s going to be a great challenge for us this week,” Holtz said. “We just have to put yesterday behind us, and tomorrow’s not here yet. We’ve got to focus on today and what we’ve got to do to get better as a football team so we’re playing our best ball at the end of the year when we get into the playoffs.”

Saturday’s game is set for 7 p.m. with TV coverage provided by ESPN2. The contest can be heard on ESPN XTra on SiriusXM.

It’s easy to think of Birmingham’s Adrian Martinez as a “running” quarterback. After all, the Stallions signal caller leads the United Football League in rushing yards with 387 – and averages 10.2 yards per tote.

Then again, if you ignore his passing, you’re ignoring one of his greatest strengths.

A stat line of 138-83-1 for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns is even more impressive considering he has rotated starting duties with Matt Corral this season.

But regardless of what he can do with his arm and legs, it’s what’s between his ears that makes it all possible. And in helping Birmingham roll to a 7-0 record, he’s demonstrated that his head is always in the game.

“Professionalism is the word that comes to mind,” Stallions coach Skip Holtz said of Martinez. “He’s five minutes early for meetings. He’s got his notebook and he’s got a pen in hand and he’s taking notes. He watches film and he’s asking the questions like, ‘Coach, when that guy goes here do we want to go there?’ I mean, he is a student of the game.

“He’s a total professional. He’s not a roller coaster guy. He doesn’t just ride the highs and hit the lows. He is very steady and consistent in his performance each and every week.”

Last Saturday’s 30-26 victory over St. Louis was a prime example.

He lit up the Battlehawks defense for 230 yards and three touchdowns through the air, and ran for a game-high 60 yards.

But when St. Louis moved ahead 20-23, he wasted no time getting the lead back. Martinez hit Kevin Austin Jr. on a 40-yard TD strike and connected with Jace Sternberger on a 1-point conversion to register the final points of the contest.

It was the second game in a row Martinez had utilized 10 different receivers.

“We have a very talented roster and a lot of guys who – at any given moment – can take the top off of the defense, whether they’re tight ends or outside guys,” Martinez said. “I think all of them have shown that spurt of being able to do that.

“I don’t want to try and force the ball, it’s like, ‘Hey, let’s just read this, let’s stay within the offense.’ Any of these guys can win their routes, whether it’s press man or zone coverage. I have a lot of confidence that those guys will do what they need to do.”

When talking stats, he’s always quick to credit the guys on the money end of this throws.

“I think that really speaks to the job that (Mike Jones) has done as the receivers coach, and also the talent we have in that room,” he said. “I think everyone’s capable of having big games, and as I’ve gotten more comfortable, and as everyone else has gotten more comfortable, in this offense, we’ve been able to share the ball. I think all those guys deserve a chance to show what they can do. And they can all do it well. I mean, they have the talent, so it’s just my job to get it to the open guy.”

It helps, too, that the entire roster has an “all-for-one” attitude.

“We run an efficient team and an efficient offense and (Holtz) does a great job with that,” Martinez said. “And especially in-game, we’re able to communicate at a very high level and make adjustments on the field and he’s not afraid to do it. Again, I think that just speaks to Skip and the quality coach that he is.”

Holtz adds that Martinez stays focused throughout the week as well as in games.

“He gets into a routine and he follows it, which I, as a coach, love, because I’m a routine guy,” Holtz said. “Like, we do this on Tuesdays and this on Wednesdays and this on Thursdays … he’s a routine player and a student of the game. And he’s just been very consistent. He’s protecting the football, he’s reading defenses, he’s making good decisions.”

Birmingham doesn’t release its depth chart until Thursday of game week, and Holtz has made it clear since the 2024 UFL campaign began that he wanted to utilize both Martinez and Corral.

And he has, although Martinez’s play has earned No. 9 the start for three consecutive weeks.

“Matt and I are going to continue to compete and I think any given week, it could be either one of us,” Martinez said. “So, for me, that’s been my mindset. And that’s part of being competitive and having two talented guys who want to get to the NFL.”

Birmingham – already playoff bound – plays its penultimate regular season home game Saturday night against the Houston Roughnecks.

The game is set for 7 o’clock and will be televised on ESPN2.