Today was do-or-die for the Birmingham Stallions. They entered the game 1-4, the worst record in the UFL. A win could slot them in a five way tie for fifth with a record of 2-4, while a loss would effectively eliminate them from the playoffs. As if the stakes weren’t high enough, this pivotal game was against the Orlando Storm. One of the best teams in the league, the team Stallions QB1 Dorian Thompson-Robinson was traded from, and the team that shutout Birmingham in their home opener two weeks ago.
The Stallions opened the game on a 14-0 run and forced three turnovers, two of which occurred in the redzone. This was a team playing with a new life, due largely in part to Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
DTR made it well known that he’s a starting quarterback in this league, both in how he played and how he talked. He went 19 for 27 with 271 passing yards, 12 rushing yards, and one touchdown. He also was smiling and chirping the opposing Storm players at any given chance.
Birmingham’s offense was operating on a higher level today than it had all season. Thompson-Robinson’s first throw of the day was a 56-yard bomb to Jaydon Mickens to get into the redzone, where Snoop Conner was able to punch it in to get Birmingham on the board first. On their second drive the Stallions drove down the field again and a defender splitting pass to Justyn Ross put the Stallions up 14-0.
The Stallions weren’t able to make it back into the endzone after that first quarter, but former Auburn kicker Anders Carlson was able to notch a 38- and 48-yard field goal that kept the Stallions on top throughout the whole game.
The defensive issues plaguing the Stallions for the past few weeks were still present, but they looked relatively improved. The constant penalties have shrunk immensely which helped the defense actually close out drives. The Stallions defense also won in high pressure moments. The aforementioned red zone fumble recoveries were major, but the high pressure stops were present too. The final drive by the Storm was played perfectly by the Stallions with a major pass break up by Isaac Ukwu and a 3rd and 2 stop that forced a punt. The secondary was still burnt on multiple big plays, but the effective offense allowed the team to bounce back instead of falling into an unwinnable hole.
After the four game losing streak of the past few weeks, many were ready to write this season and AJ McCarron’s head coaching tenure off. But McCarron has steadied the ship, at least for the moment, with this major win. Birmingham sits just outside of the playoff line and can seize a spot next week. Birmingham will be back home playing the 3-3 Dallas Renegades on Saturday. A win against them would switch the two in the standings and give Birmingham momentum heading towards a relatively easy remaining schedule. Only time will tell if the Stallions can pull it off, but the future is brighter than it has been in a good few weeks for the team.
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