The Birmingham Stallions threw down the gauntlet Saturday afternoon, making a convincing argument that not only was this team headed for the playoffs, but they intended to bring home the trophy for the third straight year. The seemingly unstoppable Stallions are now atop the league with a 6-0 record.
The Stallions offense was on fire today, scoring the most points in a single game by any UFL team this season. Stallions quarterback Adrian Martinez played like an NFL-caliber MVP, passing 23/36 for 368 yards and 4 touchdowns with no interceptions. He also rushed for an additional 25 yards.
Martinez showed he is more than just a one-trick pony who relies primarily on his legs to score as he fired one long bomb after another to his core receivers. Kevin Austin Jr., who had four receptions for 108 yards, caught a sensational 79-yard TD pass. Jordan Thomas had a great one-handed 33-yard catch downfield and Marlon Williams had 4 receptions for 58 yards with 2 TDs.
Stallions running back Ricky Person Jr. contributed another 11 carries for 29 yards with one touchdown and a single reception for four yards. C.J. Marable, back with the team after missing last week’s game for personal reasons, added another 31 yards on five carries with four passes for 12 yards.
The Stallions controlled both sides of the field, with the defense applying heavy pressure to Showboats’ quarterbacks, Case Cookus and Troy Williams throughout the afternoon. The defense had three sacks, including one from Kyahva Tezino who leads the team with seven. Stallions safety Kenny Robinson, Jr. came up with a costly interception from Troy Williams that resulted in another Birmingham touchdown pass to wide receiver Marlon Williams. In a scary moment, Stallions defensive standout Lorenzo Burns was taken off the field in an ambulance. There is no update on his injury status.
The Memphis Showboats, who desperately needed a win to stay in playoff contention and could have used the support of an enthusiastic home crowd, found themselves in front of a mostly empty home stadium with barely over 5,000 fans. Although Cookus had an early touchdown to TE Sage Surratt, the Showboats were kept out of the end zone until late in the game when Williams launched a 34-yard TD strike to Dee Anderson. Despite their 1-5 record, the team fought hard to stay in the game. The Showboats scored on a UFL league rarity, a successful three-point conversion when Williams went to Anderson again, with a 10-yard pass.
Another positive note for the Showboats was that the defense limited the ground game for the Stallions who rely heavily on Martinez’s mobility. Malik Lawal and Jarey Elder led the team in tackles with eight each and although they couldn’t prevent him from scoring through the air, they sacked Martinez twice. The Showboats have another opportunity to find their rhythm and get back on track next week when they face the Arlington Renegades at Choctaw Stadium.
Next week, the Stallions face their number one rival, the St. Louis Battlehawks, at home.
