Defending champion Stallions' abrupt exit tops storylines from UFL playoffs
All good things must inevitably come to an end, and that's never been truer for the Birmingham Stallions. After three consecutive spring football championships, Skip Holtz's squad is out of the running for the 2025 UFL title after falling 44-29 to the Michigan Panthers in the USFL Conference Championship Game at Protective Stadium on Sunday.
"It's hard to lose, but it's with great respect that I say congratulations to Michigan," Holtz said. "It's with great pride that I say that I have really enjoyed coaching this football team and [watching] what this football team has been able to accomplish."
Sunday's win marked the first time in eight meetings that Panthers head coach Mike Nolan earned a win in a head-to-head matchup with Holtz. Even though his team got the win, Nolan said things are far from finished. "There's still work to be done," he said. "Our football team knows that. We're excited to have another week to play."
The Panthers will face the DC Defenders — who dominated the St. Louis Battlehawks by double digits, 36-18, in the XFL Conference Championship Game at The Dome at America's Center on Sunday — in Saturday's title game.
"We just didn't show up when we needed to show up," Battlehawks head coach Anthony Becht said about his team's loss after six consecutive wins to finish out the regular season. "DC really put it on us in all phases."
Here's a look at other storylines from conference championship weekend: It's Toa Taua time!
The Panthers entered Sunday's USFL Conference title game as the second-leading rushing team in the league, averaging 127 rushing yards a contest, and continued to assert their dominance on the ground in a decisive win over the Stallions, totaling 144 rushing yards. Taua was the catalyst, finishing with 85 yards and three touchdown runs.
Taua rightly gave credit to the Michigan offensive line, calling it "an example of resiliency," as he routinely broke into the second level of Birmingham's defense without being touched.
"When you can just walk into a touchdown untouched, that's nobody but them (the O-line)," he said. "I've just got to not be blind and see it. It was a great day collectively as an offense."
In his first action since missing three games due to an ankle injury, QB Bryce Perkins completed 20 of 25 passes for 238 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Perkins also rushed for 34 yards and a score.
Most importantly, Michigan finished with no turnovers, while Birmingham coughed up the ball twice — a 25-yard pick-six by Michigan safety Kai Nacua and lost a fumble. Battlehawks have no answer for Jordan Ta'amu & Co.
Despite being well-rested and prepared, Becht acknowledged his team was dominated in all facets of the game. The Battlehawks went into last week's contest knowing they had to slow down Defenders QB Ta'amu. However, they were never able to do so. The Ole Miss product went 18-for-26 for 204 yards, highlighted by a 38-yard touchdown to receiver Seth Williams midway through the first quarter to give the Defenders a lead that they would never relinquish.
"He really came out and executed on all cylinders," Becht said about Ta'amu. "He's a veteran in this league. He's still young. Just a hell of a performance by him."
Ta'amu's only blemish was a pick-six in the first half — his first interception in 128 passing attempts.
The Defenders were equally effective at moving the ball on the ground, as standout running back Deon Jackson rushed for 116 yards and two scores on 21 carries. The Defenders finished with 388 yards of total offense, scored on seven of 10 possessions and went 7-for-11 (63.6%) on third down. Holtz benches J'Mar Smith in favor of Matt Corral
The Stallions never found any real consistency at the most important position on the field this season, which is one of the biggest reasons they'll be watching the championship game from their couch for the first time in four years.
Holtz used five different players at quarterback and none started more than three games. Although Smith had played well entering the USFL title game, Holtz replaced the Louisiana Tech product after he threw a pick-six that put Birmingham down 20-6 late in the second quarter.
"[After the interception], I just said, 'You know what? We need a boost. We need a spark,'" Holtz said. "I put Matt in, and I thought he did a good job of getting us back in the football game."
Corral had not played since mid-April due to an abdominal injury. He went 12-for-25 for 147 yards and two scores, but he also threw an interception and lost a fumble. Smith went 4-for-10 passes for 102 yards, one touchdown and an interception before he was replaced.
Deon Cain led the Stallions with six receptions for 124 yards. Birmingham finished with just 61 yards on the ground. Defenders overcome adversity under Shannon Harris' leadership
With head coach Reggie Barlow and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams leaving at the start of the season, interim head coach Shannon Harris did a masterful job of leading his squad to the title game for the first time in team history.
The Defenders' offense rolled to 36 points against the top-ranked defense in the league on the road in a hostile environment at St. Louis. Greg Williams' son Blake Williams, serving as the defensive coordinator for the Defenders, held St. Louis to 240 yards and a 22.2% conversion rate on third down. The Defenders also finished with five sacks.
"It came down to us, we and ours — and that has been our motto the entire season," Harris said. "We're going to do this together. It's not a one-man show on any of this stuff. As a head coach, you get praise for it and you get a record put on you, but at the end of the day, it's us. We and ours."
These two teams will meet for the second time this season. The Panthers easily handled the Defenders in Week 6 of the regular season at Ford Field, 38-16. In that game, the Panthers rolled up 233 yards on the ground, including 99 yards from Taua and 90 from Perkins. Ta'amu went 19-for-36 passing for 259 yards and two touchdowns. Finishing with nine receptions for 144 yards and a touchdown, Chris Rowland was Ta'amu's favorite target.
If the Defenders want a shot at winning this one, however, they must do a better job of stopping the run.
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him at @eric_d_williams .
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily ! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience United Football League
recommended
Get more from United Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
The Brad Blizzard: Panthers star's love for desserts reaches a new level
For one day only: The Brad Blizzard, available at Dairy Queen. The snack story of the Stanley Cup playoffs — did Brad Marchand eat a Blizzard between periods of a playoff game or not? — reached its celebratory peak Friday. A Dairy Queen in Sunrise, Florida, where the Panthers play their home games, renamed the treat for the day in honor of the now two-time Stanley Cup winner. The Brad Blizzard was one of his favorites: the chocolate chip cookie dough flavor, though on Friday, the primary ingredient wasn't called chocolate chips but rather chocolate 'chirps' — a nod to the verbal jabs that hockey players give one another on the ice. 'I love seeing the excitement from everyone,' Marchand said while 'working' at the DQ for a little while, actually making the treats and handing them out to customers both inside the store and at the drive-thru window. 'These are moments that you love to appreciate.' Marchand was not having a Blizzard between periods of that game in the Eastern Conference final against Carolina — it was honey, but cameras captured Marchand enjoying something off a spoon and the story just took off from there — but Blizzardmania was born. Marchand and several of his teammates went to DQ on off days for the treats, including on the night before ending the Stanley Cup Final against Edmonton in Game 6. Marchand said they went before Game 6 for good luck. The Panthers won 5-1 a day later to take the Cup. 'It's incredible the moments that you look back on and at the time you don't really appreciate what they could mean at the end of the day,' Marchand told reporters Friday. 'The first time we kind of went as a group to Dairy Queen, we were just going for a walk. We wanted to walk off our dinner and have Dairy Queen for dessert and it became this huge organic moment in the playoffs. ... Those are the things you look back on and you have fun with.' It has been a nonstop party for the Panthers since winning the Cup, with trips to the famed Elbo Room bar to interact with fans, a team dinner at a Miami restaurant on Thursday night — one where tennis great Martina Navratilova, who just happened to be having dinner in the same spot, got to sip from the Cup — and a slew of other appearances. Marchand had 10 goals and 10 assists in the playoff run for the Panthers, who won the Cup for the second straight season. He was acquired at the trade deadline by Florida general manager and hockey operations president Bill Zito from rival Boston, and the tale of how Marchand — who was far from a fan favorite in Florida before the trade — became beloved by Panthers fans was one of the compelling stories of the postseason. Marchand and the Panthers will have their championship parade on Fort Lauderdale Beach on Sunday, and then free agency starts July 1. Marchand is a free agent, though he has indicated a willingness to remain in Florida and had a message for the Panthers during his DQ shift. 'Give me a contract,' he said.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
The Brad Blizzard: Panthers star's love for desserts reaches new level
For one day only: The Brad Blizzard, available at Dairy Queen. The snack story of the Stanley Cup playoffs — did Brad Marchand eat a Blizzard between periods of a playoff game or not? — reached its celebratory peak Friday. A Dairy Queen in Sunrise, Fla., where the Panthers play their home games, renamed the treat for the day in honour of the now two-time Stanley Cup winner. The Brad Blizzard was one of his favourites: the chocolate chip cookie dough flavour, though on Friday, the primary ingredient wasn't called chocolate chips but rather chocolate 'chirps' — a nod to the verbal jabs that hockey players give one another on the ice. 'I love seeing the excitement from everyone,' Marchand said while 'working' at the DQ for a little while, actually making the treats and handing them out to customers both inside the store and at the drive-thru window. 'These are moments that you love to appreciate.' Marchand was not having a Blizzard between periods of that game in the Eastern Conference final against Carolina — it was honey, but cameras captured Marchand enjoying something off a spoon and the story just took off from there — but Blizzardmania was born. Marchand and several of his teammates went to DQ on off days for the treats, including on the night before ending the Stanley Cup Final against Edmonton in Game 6. Marchand said they went before Game 6 for 'good luck.' The Panthers won 5-1 a day later to take the Cup. 'It's incredible the moments that you look back on and at the time you don't really appreciate what they could mean at the end of the day,' Marchand told reporters Friday. 'The first time we kind of went as a group to Dairy Queen, we were just going for a walk. We wanted to walk off our dinner and have Dairy Queen for dessert and it became this huge organic moment in the playoffs. … Those are the things you look back on and you have fun with.' It has been a non-stop party for the Panthers since winning the Cup, with trips to the famed Elbo Room bar to interact with fans, a team dinner at a Miami restaurant on Thursday night — one where tennis great Martina Navratilova, who just happened to be having dinner in the same spot, got to sip from the Cup — and a slew of other appearances. Marchand had 10 goals and 10 assists in the playoff run for the Panthers, who won the Cup for the second straight season. He was acquired at the trade deadline by Florida general manager and hockey operations president Bill Zito from rival Boston, and the tale of how Marchand — who was far from a fan favourite in Florida before the trade — became beloved by Panthers fans was one of the compelling stories of the post-season. Marchand and the Panthers will have their championship parade on Fort Lauderdale Beach on Sunday, and then free agency starts July 1. Marchand is a free agent, though he has indicated a willingness to remain in Florida and had a message for the Panthers during his DQ shift. 'Give me a contract,' he said. ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Mariners vs. Cubs Highlights
Detroit Tigers' 2025 Turnaround: Secrets to Their AL Dominance! Dive into the Detroit Tigers' incredible 2025 season with Big League Buzz! From a tough start in 2024 to the best team in the American League in 2025, we break down their transformation with Jason Beck. Discover the strategies, key players like Tarik Skubal, and bullpen challenges driving their 100-win pace. Don't miss the latest on injuries, trade deadline plans, and why Detroit is buzzing! Subscribe for more MLB insights! 15:35 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
