Category: Alternative Football

On January 20, 2022, I was sitting on my futon and furiously hammering out a story about the Birmingham Stallions’ new head football coach … Gene Chizik.

Remember that?

His name had been leaked earlier – along with some other men who would be part of the reimagined United States Football League – and I was hardly excited.

Yes, he had won a national championship at Auburn, but he was also notorious for shielding his players from the press. Maybe he’d be different as a pro coach but maybe he wouldn’t, and that had me worried that covering Birmingham’s latest alt-football team would be a challenge.

But as we quickly learned, Chizik wasn’t named head coach of the Stallions, instead accepting a job as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach for defense at the University of North Carolina.

However, almost as soon as the Chizik hire was nixed, Skip Holtz got the nod.

“I’m thrilled to be coaching in the USFL and I can’t wait to get started,” Holtz said via a USFL press release. “The opportunity to build a new league from scratch, with the support we have, is unique. I’m also really excited about having the chance to build something in Birmingham, a city that I know will embrace the USFL and the Stallions.”

I met that news with a shrug.

My points of reference were that he was Lou Holtz’s son and had spent the previous nine seasons as head coach at Louisiana Tech. As a UAB grad and UAB fan, I was morally obligated to despise the Bulldogs – at least when it came to athletic competition. So, to have a guy that led them for nearly a decade take over a team that would play in the Blazers’ home stadium was just … off-putting.

Then, on January 31, I went to his news conference at Protective Stadium and started warming to him. If nothing else, he talked a good game.

“You look at the draft and when training camp starts and you wake up thinking, ‘I’ve got to do that and I’ve got to do that and I’ve got to do that,’” Holtz said. “But that’s all part of the excitement and the energy and the fun of what we’re building.”

All that was less than two and half years ago but man, it seems like ancient history now.

And after two USFL championships, 30 victories, a transition to the United Football League and another banner year in the Ham, I can’t imagine anyone else but Holtz running the show.

What he’s accomplished in the latest incarnation of spring pro football is phenomenal, and he’s done it with good humor and class.

I asked him on Tuesday to look back on his decision to try something new.

“You know, I had just been fired from Louisiana Tech and I was frustrated,” Holtz said. “I felt like we had a lot of success there as we went to seven bowl games in a row and won six of them in a row … we had a lot of success for a program that had never been to back-to-back bowls. So, when I got fired, I felt like it was unfair and felt like it was unjust. I had to have my little pity party.”

With 151 victories on his resume, it was only a matter of time before someone came looking for him. That someone was Brian Woods, who would become president of the new USFL.

“I got a phone call from Brian Woods, who asked me if I was down at our beach house down in Florida,” Holtz said. “Then he asked me if I would come meet with him in Orlando because he wanted to talk to me about an opportunity.”

That opportunity was to take the reins of one of the new teams that would usher in the USFL’s 2022 season.

“I felt like I needed a fresh start,” Holtz explained. “I felt like I needed something new, and I always say when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. I was ready to get out of the college game and when I sat down and met with Brian, he sold me on it. I loved the idea and the business plan that FOX (Sports) had put together.

“I came out of lunch and I called my wife and she said, ‘How’d your interview go?’ And I said, ‘I took it.’ She said, ‘You did what?’ and I said, ‘I took the job … I’m going to be a coach in the spring league.’ She goes, ‘What team? and I said, “I don’t know. He didn’t tell me. He said he’d figure that out later.’”

Fortunately for Birmingham gridiron fans, that team was the Stallions.

Holtz and general manager Zach Potter have worked together to create quite a product, one built from the bottom up and molded into the best in the “offseason” gridiron business.

Just think about it … when all the coaches in the USFL assembled in Birmingham for the initial draft, they all had the same pool to draw from. They all shared similar information, and the scales were not weighted in favor of one team or the next.

Holtz promptly put together the best club in the USFL’s first year, then the best in its second, and – so far – the best in the UFL’s inaugural campaign.
But it’s not like he’s had the same guys year after year … or even game after game.

In leagues like the UFL (and the USFL and XFL before it), there’s going to be massive turnover. Some guys will get NFL shots, others will go to Canada, and a few will see seasons and/or careers end due to injury.

But through it all, Holtz’s teams have been able to maintain a remarkable level of excellence.

“It has been probably one of the best jobs I’ve ever had,” he said. “Definitely one of the most enjoyable jobs that I’ve ever had. Working with these young men, helping them grow and develop … the thing that I love about coaching is the development. And you’ve got a group of young men that are in this league because they want to play football.

“They’re not prima donnas. They want film. Everybody makes the same money and all they want is to get better. ‘Coach, help me get better. What do I got to do? How do I do this?’ They’re asking questions. When my wife and I look back at getting fired by Louisiana Tech, we see it as a blessing.”

Ruston’s loss has been the Magic City’s gain, and here we are again, with the 9-1 Stallions boasting the best record in the UFL, and playing the Michigan Panthers (7-3) on Saturday in the UFL Conference Championship.

Will the dynasty last forever?

No dynasty does.

It could end Saturday at Protective Stadium, or eight days later at The Dome in St. Louis in the UFL Championship Game.

Then again, it could extend into 2025, in which case pundits will wonder if Birmingham can turn a three-peat into a four-peat.

Regardless, Holtz has proven time and time again just what an outstanding coach he is.

He might not have been the Stallions’ first choice, but he’s shown he is absolutely the best choice.

Birmingham is lucky to have him.

The undercard is done.

Up next is the main event.

Birmingham defeated Michigan, 20-19, at Protective Stadium on Saturday, officially winning the USFL Conference of the United Football League’s inaugural season.

Panthers’ kicker Jake Bates – he of 64-yard field goal fame – pushed a 53-yard effort wide right on the game’s final play, meaning Skip Holtz’s team dodged what would’ve been their first-ever losing streak.

That miss followed a 12-play, 54-yard march by the Stallions that ended with Adrian Martinez hitting Jace Sternberger on a 5-yard TD toss with 59 seconds remaining.

Martinez’s 1-point conversion pass to Marcus Baugh gave the hosts the lead; they trailed 16-6 at halftime.

Birmingham (9-1, 6-0) improves to 4-0 against Michigan (7-3, 4-2) in modern-era spring football, taking both 2024 regular season matchups.

Yet for the winners, there’s no time to celebrate and for the losers, no need to mourn. Once the teams fly back to Arlington, Texas, to the UFL hub, memories of this one will quickly fade.

Their rematch next Saturday here is the one that determines which team plays for the UFL Championship and which one packs it in for the year.

“We do it again next week, and it’ll be it’ll be another good one,” Holtz said. “I mean, these two teams have done that twice. First time was a 20-13 game with them having the ball in the fourth quarter and our defense got a stop, and the same thing happened in this one.

“I’m really proud of our team and how they competed. We certainly didn’t execute very well today as an offense. I thought our defense made some great adjustments in the second half, holding them to three points. But offensively, it was a lot like last week (and 18-9 loss to San Antonio) and we’ve really got to take a hard look at just being consistent with what we do.”

Martinez went the distance and was sacked five times, but came up big when he had to. He was 14-28-0 passing for 163 yards and a TD, and still managed to scramble for 41 additional yards.

Holtz said the team needs to figure out a way to get Sternberger the ball more.

The tight end had just two catches, but they were crucial.

“That’s the beauty of this league … it’s all about opportunity,” Sternberger said. “So, it’s a pride thing. You do want to win and you want to be dominant, but the tape doesn’t lie and what you put out on tape is your resume. And so that’s what I told the guys in the huddle. I said I don’t care if we were playing a Birmingham high school, it’s gonna be televised and it’s a resume day, and every week we have the 1-0 mentality.”

C.J. Marable sparked Birmingham’s ground attack with 56 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries.

Defensively, Damon Lloyd had seven solo tackles and nine overall for the victors.

Michigan outgained Birmingham, 324-223, and came tantalizingly close to winning despite  missing several players due to injury.

Danny Etling was solid behind center, with a stat line of 16-31-0 for 195 yards and a TD through the air, and 36 rushing yards.

After getting just 47 ground yards in their first meeting with the Stallions, the Panthers netted 135 on Saturday.

Siaosi Mariner had seven receptions for 110 yards.

Javin White was a monster for Michigan’s “D,” registering two sacks, six individual tackles and two tackles for loss.

Former UAB standout Garrett Marino, Bryce Torneden and Breeland Speaks joined the sack party as well.

“We played good defense and had some big plays and sacks in the ballgame, which were nice especially on a quarterback like Martinez,” Panthers coach Mike Nolan said. “He’s likely to be Player of the Year for the league. So, there were some good things to come from the game that hopefully we can build on for next week.

“We come right back, obviously, and play them again, and we’re excited for the opportunity.”

Scoring plays: Birmingham, C.J. Marable, 1-yard run, 10:46 first quarter, 2-point conversion failed, Stallions 6, Panthers 0; Michigan, Jake Bates, 39-yard field goal, time 7:03 first quarter, Stallions 6, Panthers 3; Michigan, Danny Etling, 23-yard run, 13:40 second quarter, 1-point conversion run by Toa Taua, Panthers 10, Stallions 6; Michigan, Siaosi Mariner, 46-yard reception from Etling, 6:21 second quarter, 1-point conversion failed, Panthers 16, Stallions 6; Birmingham, C.J. Marable, 20-yard run, 11:56 third quarter, 1-point conversion run by Adrain Martinez, Panthers 16, Stallions 13; Michigan, Bates, 44-yard field goal, 13:49 fourth quarter, Panthers 19, Stallions 13; Birmingham, Jace Sternberger, 5-yard reception from Martinez, :59 fourth quarter, 1-point conversion reception by Marcus Baugh from Martinez, Stallions 20, Panthers 19.

Standout stat: 5. The number of times Birmingham QB Adrian Martinez was sacked.

Next up: The Stallions play the Panthers again next Saturday at Protective Stadium, this time with a trip to the UFL Championship Game on the line. The game is set for 2 p.m. CDT and will be televised on ABC.

Not done yet: News of Scooby Wright’s retirement has been greatly exaggerated.

After suffering a neck injury that ended his 2024 season, the Birmingham Stallions linebacker was placed on IR and implied he was retiring when he tweeted out a photo of his cleats hanging on the crossbar of a goal post.

“I was just upset in the moment, because that’s when I found out I was going to be going home,” Wright said on Saturday. “It is what it is … just some frustration.”

Wright says previous injuries compounded the latest one, and how well it heals will determine if he can make it back on the field in 2025.

“I’ve been playing football since I was 21, and now I’m 29,” he said. “It’s kind of like I have a black belt in football. It’s hard to be away and I want to stay involved.”

If his days on the gridiron are over, though, he already has options moving forward.

“Back in 2021 I went through the Fire Academy and got my firefighter certification,” he said. “All my certifications are in California, so I would do that there. I’ve also done some TV work back in Arizona working on the sidelines.”

He adds that Birmingham will always be a special place to him, regardless.

“I loved being in Birmingham … I personally hated being in Arlington,” he said. “It just didn’t feel the same because I loved being around the community here and being involved in it. If I can come back and play for Birmingham next year, I hope the team will be back here instead of Arlington.”

Attendance: Officially, it was listed as 7,133, but that must have reflected tickets sold because there were no more than 4,000 people in the stands.

OTD in 1974: The Birmingham Americans of the World Football League signed Jim Mitchell, the starting tight end for the Atlanta Falcons, to a multi-year contract set to begin in 1975. Mitchell led the Falcons in receiving in 1973 with 32 catches for 420 yards.

OTD in 1991: The Birmingham Fire of the World League of American Football fell to the Barcelona Dragons, 10-3, in the WLAF playoffs. A crowd of 37,590 showed up at Legion Field for the clash, which saw the hosts get their only points off Win Lyle’s 28-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

Birmingham finished the season with a 5-6 record.

So, what’s to make of Saturday’s Week 10 clash between the Birmingham Stallions (8-1, 5-0) and Michigan Panthers (7-2, 4-1) at Protective Stadium?

The object of the game is to win, of course, but the win that matters most comes on June 8. That’s when they play again – at the same venue – with the USFL Conference Championship and a trip to the United Football League’s title showdown in St. Louis on the line.

Do you rest starters?

Do you shut down your offense?

Do you treat the game like an exhibition, even though the best way for UFL players to get a shot at the NFL is to never take a day off?

If you listen to Michigan coach Mike Nolan, there’s plenty to play for this Saturday as well as the next. As for who’ll play, however, well … who knows?

All teams are dealing with injuries, but the Panthers have been inundated with them.

“Hopefully we get some (injured players) back, but I kind of wonder … do I want them back now, or do I want to wait till next week to get them back?” Nolan said. “Things like that are the kind of the decisions we’re in the process of making. Naturally, this game is important to us for a lot of personal reasons, I would say as much as anything because obviously you want to win the division.

“We all know that whether we win it or not, we’re still going back to Birmingham. So, a little bit of that plays into it.”

The Stallions clinch the division with a victory, or a loss by 21 points or fewer.

While the Panthers are coming off their fifth straight victory, the Stallions are trying to rebound from their first UFL loss – an 18-9 setback to the San Antonio Brahmas last Saturday. It snapped a 15-game winning streak dating back to the 2023 USFL season and was also the first time Skip Holtz’s team has been held to single digits in its nearly three season history.

Holtz said his charges are angry about the defeat, and have no intention of going through the motions in Saturday’s first leg of the Michigan series.

To get back on track, though, they have to fix some things.

“San Antonio has got a really good defense and did a really nice job, but I think we had three drops in the first quarter,” he said. “We ended up with four on the day. We just did not execute very cleanly, which was one of the frustrations that I had. It was just very hard to get momentum going … we weren’t very consistent as an offensive football team.

“But probably one of my biggest frustrations that came out of this game was the personal fouls. We ended up with four of them.”

Birmingham and Michigan met in Week 2 at Ford Field in Detroit with the Stallions taking a 20-13 victory. The winners rolled up 161 rushing yards in the that game, but since then the Panthers have become one of the best teams in the league at stopping the run.

If you look at that game for clues about this one, you won’t find many.

“They’ve changed quite a bit,” Holtz said. “They’ve changed philosophies. Offensively, they’ve become much more open. They started running their quarterback much more after our game. They had an injury to their starter, their backup went in last week, and he’s very athletic. They started running him a lot more, doing the zone read … they’ve gone away from a traditional professional offense.”

Since E.J. Perry went down for the season with injury, Bryce Perkins has stepped up for Michigan. In last week’s come-from-behind, 26-22 victory over Houston, the former University of Virginia record-setter went 12-15-1 for 121 yards and a touchdown.

Backup Danny Etling was 12-18-1 for 110 more yards.

“I think a lot of credit obviously goes to Bryce and his work ethic,” Nolan said. “He’s continued to work hard and he’s an exciting player to watch. He can extend plays, which is always important in our league and any league, for that matter, with the quarterback position, especially when the play breaks down.”

Birmingham has been led by Adrian Martinez, who is the league’s leading MVP candidate. He continues to top the UFL in rushing yards (487) and is third in passing, with a stat line that shows 120-201-3 for 1,586 yards and 14 TDs.

But before he won the starting job, he split time with Matt Corral, and it would hardly be surprising if the former Ole Miss star sees plenty of playing time on Saturday.

Running back Larry Roundtree III, tackle Armani Taylor-Prioleau, linebacker Elijah Sullivan, cornerback Mark Gilbert and kicker Chris Blewitt have been activated by the Stallions, while linebacker DeMarquis Gates, running back Ricky Person Jr., defensive back Nevelle Clarke and offensive lineman O’Shea Dugas have been placed on the inactive roster.

Ramiz Ahmed, who filled in for Blewitt during his absence, was waived on Tuesday.

Birmingham leads the league in total yards (3,252) and rushing yards (1,244), while Michigan is No. 1 in rushing TDs at 18.

Defensively, the Stallions and Panthers are 1-2 against the run and near the middle of the pack defending the pass.

On paper, it looks to be a fairly even match, but a mysterious one in that who plays and for how long is anyone’s guess.

Regardless of the lineups, Holtz – and Nolan – want their teams to come out of the fracas as healthy as possible.

“I think one of the things I probably didn’t take into account is the wear and tear that travel takes on your football team in this league,” Holtz said. “Something that I have never done before is where you’re on the road for nine straight weeks (traveling from the Arlington, Texas, hub). As the year’s gone on, I’ve kind of gone to just shoulder pads on Tuesday and shorts on Wednesday. But this week, we took them out of pads completely. We’ve got to coach little things in the details at this point.”

Saturday’s game is set for 1 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN and listened to on ESPN Xtra on SiriusXM.