Category: Alternative Football

Like most of the spring football circuits that have come before it, the United Football League has several unique rules – most of which are designed to add excitement to the game and provide a different product from the NFL and college ball.

With just three weeks of its inaugural season complete, you’d have a tough time finding an innovation that has provided more drama than the UFL’s fourth-and-12 onside kick option.

In week two, the San Antonio Brahmas used the scrimmage play to retain possession and ultimately turn a 19-8 deficit to the Memphis Showboats (with just 49 seconds to go, no less) into a wild 20-19 victory.

“You look at the onside kick in the NFL and there’s a one percent chance of making it,” San Antonio coach Wade Phillips said. “It’s not a play even worth looking at. But with fourth-and-12, you have a chance. It’s not a high-percentage play, now, but we executed it. We made a great play to make the first down.

“It keeps the game exciting and gives you the opportunity to make an ‘onside kick.’ The NFL is looking at a lot of rules we’re utilizing and they ought to look at that, too. It’s exciting, that’s for sure.”

Last weekend it was the DC Defenders’ turn, flipping the script on what appeared to be a certain loss to the Arlington Renegades and changing it into a stunning 29-28 victory thanks to a fourth-and-12 conversion that set up a game-winning field goal.

“We stayed in the fight,” DC coach Reggie Barlow said. “We had to get the fourth-and-12 and my man (quarterback Jordan Ta’amu) managed that well.”

Trailing 28-26, Ta’amu hit Ty Scott on a 19-yard gainer on the onside kick alternative to give the Defenders a fresh set of downs and chance to win.

“It’s crazy,” Ta’amu said. “Everything was just so surreal. It felt like a dream.”

DC comes to Birmingham this Saturday to take on the unbeaten Stallions at Protective Stadium. And while Skip Holtz’s club has had no need for such theatrics thus far, the coach is glad the play is available.

“What we have to do now when we practice every day, is practice the 1-point play from the two, the 2-point play from the five, and the 3-point play from the 10 … and I carry probably eight to 10 plays from the five-yard line, which is more than I’ve ever carried,” Holtz said. “But you also have to then practice a fourth-and-12 play.”

As Phillips said, it’s not a high-percentage option, but it’s far better than the awkward, rarely successful onside kick.

“As far as maintaining an onside kick, really, you’re hoping for a bounce,” Holtz said. “You’re hoping for a bounce or hoping for a fumble, or you’re hoping that they misjudge it and the ball takes a crazy bounce. Otherwise, you’re not going to get it.

“I like the excitement of a fourth-and-12 play and having the opportunity to continue your drive, especially when you’re trying to make the comeback.”

The roots of the rule date back to the Alliance of American Football, which played a partial season in 2019 before folding.

There were no kickoffs at all in the AAF, with offenses starting possession at their own 25-yard line. However, if a team trailed by 17 points or there were five or fewer minutes remaining in a game, it could attempt what was called an “onside conversion.”

Just like in the UFL, it was a fourth-and-12 play from the 28.

The option was also available following a safety, only the ball was placed down at the 18 in that instance.

Last year the XFL had a fourth-and-15 play from the 25 along with the traditional onside kick.

“We haven’t had to use it yet, fortunately, because we’ve had a lead,” Holtz said. “But it is something that we practice along with the (conversion plays) every day.”

Birmingham’s most decorated professional football team returned to Protective Stadium on Saturday in a new league.

The result?

Same as usual … another game, another victory.

The two-time defending United States Football League champions brought the United Football League to the Magic City for the first time and continued their winning ways, showing up the Memphis Showboats, 33-14, in front of 12,265 fans.

It was a game that was close for three quarters but one that always seemed just out of reach for John DeFilippo and his team.

Birmingham’s streak of Ws dating back to 2023 has reached 10 games, tying the Stallions with the 1974 World Football League champion Birmingham Americans for most consecutive victories by a city-branded team.

Skip Holtz’s charges improve to 3-0 and strengthen their hold atop the USFL Conference while the Showboats fall to 1-2.

“This process we talked about is just being as good as we can be,” Holtz said. “And I think there were an awful lot of positive things out there today on the field.”

Adrian Martinez showed fans the best version of his football self, finishing 18-28-0 through the air for 334 yards and two touchdowns. He also led his club’s ground attack with 44 yards and a score.

“I think he’s deserving of this opportunity,” Holtz said. “I think I’m in a very great situation as coach and I think we have two very good quarterbacks – three, and the other one (J’Mar Smith, third on the current depth chart) is 11-1 and won a championship.”

It was Martinez’ first start of 2024 and likely won’t be his last; Matt Corral, who was QB1 the first two weeks of the season, didn’t see action on Saturday.

“I’ve said the past two games whenever you can come out of the game and learn from a win instead of a loss, we’ll definitely take that,” Martinez said. “I’m fortunate to be around some great players, a great football coach, and there’s some mistakes I make, but we have a great team and so I have faith in what we do. What we preach is just keep going and I think I got stronger (as the game progressed) and just held the faith that we’d be able to continue to capitalize and put some more points on the board.”

Deon Cain had seven catches for 144 yards and Jace Sternberger had a touchdown to go with his four receptions and 73 yards.

“It was a team effort,” Cain said. “I just have to make sure I’m executing my job and the work speaks for itself.”

The defense turned in an outstanding performance for the third consecutive week. Aside from limiting Memphis to just one touchdown, the unit came through with eight sacks in holding the visitors to one TD on the night and 209 total yards – only 16 via the run.

Kyahva Tezino was in on 10 tackles with five solos while Carlton Davis, Jonathan Garvin and DaMarcus Mitchell each had two sacks.

“I think our defensive line has a chance to be pretty good … I’ve kind of come to that conclusion as we have to go against them every single day,” Holtz said. “I’ve been yelling at dudes every day at practice about our offensive line keeping our quarterback clean, so to speak, but when you have a chance to see them play other people, I think you see our D line can be really good.”

Case Cookus and Trey Williams split time at QB for the ‘Boats, with Cookus managing 139 yards and a TD.

Nine different receivers had catches but only Vinny Papale managed to find paydirt, that coming on a 23-yard scoring strike from Cookus in the first quarter.

“I’d like to congratulate Birmingham … they played a fantastic game,” DeFilippo said. “We had an overall hard time. They averaged 18 yards a completion and our red zone issues on offense continue to haunt us.”

Scoring plays: Birmingham, Jace Sternberger, 6-yard TD reception from Adrian Martinez, 5:36, first quarter, 2-point conversion failed, Stallions 6, Showboats 0; Memphis, Vinny Papale, 23-yard TD reception from Case Cookus, :56 first quarter, 1-point conversion failed, Showboats 6, Stallions 6; Birmingham, Marlon Williams, 41-yard TD reception from Martinez, :02 first quarter, 2-point conversion failed, Stallions 12, Showboats 6;  Memphis, Matt Goghlin, 57-yard field goal, 9:07 second quarter, Stallions 12, Showboats 9; Birmingham, Chris Blewitt, 22-yard field goal, 1:56 first quarter, Stallions 15, Showboats 9; Memphis, Goghlin, 34-yard field goal, :14 second quarter, Stallions 15, Showboats 12; Birmingham, Blewitt, 46-yard field goal, :00 second quarter, Stallions 18, Showboats 12; Birmingham, Blewitt, 43-yard field goal, 3:23, third quarter, Stallions 21, Showboats 12; Birmingham, Ricky Person Jr., 5-yard rush, 14:23, fourth quarter, 1-point conversion failed, Stallions 27, Showboats 12; Birmingham, Martinez, 11-yard rush, 8:28 fourth quarter, 1-point conversion failed, Stallions 33, Showboats 12; Memphis,team safety, 1:49, fourth quarter, Stallions 33, Showboats 14.

Standout stat: 424. Number of yards the Stallions rolled up on the night.

Next up: Birmingham plays its second home game of the season next Saturday when the DC Defenders come to Protective Stadium.

Kickoff is 6 p.m. CDT on FOX.

Better late than never: Saturday’s game with Memphis marked the latest a Birmingham-branded team in alternative football has made its regular season home debut.

The Birmingham Americans (World Football League), Birmingham Vulcans (WFL), Birmingham Stallions (original USFL), Birmingham Fire (World League of American Football), Birmingham Thunderbolts (original XFL), Birmingham Iron (Alliance of American Football) and modern Stallions (USFL) all opened their seasons at home.

The Birmingham Barracudas of the Canadian Football League played on the road at Winnipeg to start their 1995 campaign but played their second game of the season at Legion Field just four days later.

The UFL Stallions spent the first two weeks of the 2024 season on the road before finally competing in the friendly confines.

Sportsman of the Year Award: The UFL on Thursday announced the establishment of the Sportsman of the Year Award, a “distinguished honor that celebrates UFL player’s service off the field and excellence on the field.”

The Sportsman of the Year Award will be presented each season to one deserving player who exemplifies the “highest standards of athletic excellence and community engagement.” Nominees will be announced throughout the season and their work will be highlighted across the UFL’s content and social media platforms.  

“We are proud to continue with a tradition we started in the USFL,” Daryl Johnston, UFL executive vice president of football operations, said. “The Sportsman of the Year Award is a testament to the incredible athletes within our league who go above and beyond to make a difference in their communities. This award not only recognizes excellence on the field but also celebrates the profound impact that our players have off the field as role models and community leaders.”

The winner of the inaugural UFL Sportsman of the Year Award will be announced the week of the UFL Championship game in St. Louis.

OTD in 1985: The Birmingham Stallions of the original USFL defeated the Oakland Invaders, 20-17, in front of 44,500 fans at Legion Field.

The defense registered five sacks and picked off two passes. On offense, Joe Cribbs rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown and quarterback Cliff Stoudt added another score on the ground before exiting the game with an injured elbow.

The most recent pro football rivalry between Alabama’s Magic City and Tennessee’s Bluff City started in the modern United States Football League last season. It continues in the United Football League on Saturday at Protective Stadium, with the Birmingham Stallions hosting the Memphis Showboats at 6 p.m.

And while Birmingham (2-0) comes into its first UFL home clash following a hard-fought road win at Michigan – and owning a nine-game winning streak dating back to the 2023 USFL campaign – Memphis (1-1) suffered a stunning loss in its 2024 Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium debut last weekend.

The ’Boats led the San Antonio Brahmas, 19-8, with 49 seconds to play but ended up losing, 20-19.

“This week is a big game for us, and last week we let ‘em off the hook,” Memphis coach John DeFilippo said. “It was a disappointing game, obviously. Probably one of the most disappointing games I’ve been a part of. But our players have practiced really well this week, and have had good tempo.”

DeFilippo’s team will need to shake off its frustration against a club playing great defense and possessing an offense that seems just a step away from breaking out of its shell.

“It was great to get a win on the road,” Birmingham boss Skip Holtz said. “Any time you can get a win in professional sports, it’s a huge deal. But having the opportunity to play the first two games on the road and winning both … it was a great job by this football team.”

The defense came through with seven sacks last Sunday, and leads the UFL in total defense. Birmingham allows just 233.5 yards per game.

“We played really well on defense,” Holtz said. “Outside of the big play we gave up and a couple of personal fouls late in the game, I thought that our defense really played an excellent football game. It’s great to see them flying around, buzzing around, playing the way they are, especially for a guy like me with an offensive background.”

Carlos Davis, Lorenzo Burns and Chris Jackson lead the team with 10 tackles each, while Davis has three sacks for 22 backward yards – tops in the circuit.

The dual QB system of Adrian Martinez and Matt Corral has produced just one passing TD, but Martinez is the second leading rusher on the team behind C.J. Marable.

Marable has 121 yards and a touchdown, while Martinez – who will get the start on Saturday – has accounted for 117 yards and a score. Ricky Person Jr. has rushed for two touchdowns and is the only Stallion thus far to find the end zone more than once this season.

The receiving corps is led by Deon Cain, who had 96 yards and one paydirt reception.

“There’s frustration that we were not as productive in the red zone as we were week one,” Holtz said. “I’ve always used the analogy that getting the ball down inside the five and kicking a field goal would be like driving the green on a par-5 and then six-putting it for a double-bogey.

“We’ve got to be able to put that ball in the end zone.”

Despite those issues, Birmingham is atop the UFL in total offense with 349.5 yards per game.

“We have a lot of respect for them,” DeFilippo said. “They’ve won a lot of games and our coaching staff is very familiar with them from last year, having to play them three times when we were with the (New Orleans) Breakers.

“The number one thing we have to do is contain their two quarterbacks. They want to run the football and break contain. Special teams-wise, we have to be ready for the exotics that they bring, and we can’t be oh-for-six in the red zone. We have to score touchdowns.”

Case Cookus leads the Memphis offense, and comes into the rivalry game 40-71-1 passing for 398 yards and two touchdowns.

Cookus is also the team’s leading rusher with 77 yards, with Darius Victor close behind with 72 yards on 27 carries.

The ‘Boats have yet to score a rushing touchdown in 2024.

Jonathan Adams and Daewood Davis have 125 and 101 receiving yards, respectively.

Malik Lawal leads the defense with 10 tackles (eight solo), while T.J. Green has eight and Delrick Abrams, six.

This will mark the fourth meeting between teams coached by Holtz and DeFilippo.

“He’s a friend 363 days a year,” said the Memphis coach. “Coach Holtz and I are very close. He’s a guy I’ve respected personally for a long time. We were in the hub together last year so we were always talking – we went out to dinner a couple of times. I always hope the best for him and I know he feels the same way.

“It’s gonna be a great game on Saturday and I’m looking forward to it.”

While Holtz is hoping his team improves to 3-0, he also wants a big crowd on hand to see it.

The Stallions’ 2023 USFL championship banner will be unveiled and 2023 league MVP Alex McGough – now with the Green Bay Packers – will be on the field to help his former team celebrate.

Tonight, fans can visit with several of the Stallions players and Holtz from 5-6 p.m. at Ghost Train Brewing at the Stallions pre-game party and championship ring celebration.

The free event is open to the public, and there will be autographs, photos and giveaways. Holtz will be presenting players and coaching staff from the 2023 season with their championship rings.

“I’m excited to see the turnout,” Holtz said. “Not only are we coming back to Birmingham, but having the ring ceremony where I know our players are really excited about that opportunity. They worked really hard a year ago for that championship, and now to be able to be rewarded for some of the fruits of their labor is great.

“We’re going to have the opportunity to bring that second championship banner to Protective Stadium, and Alex McGough is coming to the game on Saturday. I’m really looking forward to having the opportunity to come back and be part of all that.”