The Houston Roughnecks met the Birmingham Stallions for the first time in the UFL. This was the third time Roughnecks head coach C.J. Johnson and Stallions head coach Skip Holtz met as head coaches; they met twice last year during the 2023 USFL season and split the series 1-1.
This was a big game for the Roughnecks, as a win would make them 2-3 and put them in the running for a playoff spot in the USFL Conference, but a loss would make them 1-5 and further away from a playoff berth. A loss for the Birmingham Stallions would make them 4-1, but they would still be in first place in the USFL Conference.
J.J. Molson kicked off for Houston and Gary Jennings returned the ball to the Birmingham 28-yard line. Birmingham quarterback Adrian Martinez handed to Ricky Person for a 6-yard gain, and then Martinez ran the ball himself for 15-yards, going out of bounds near midfield.
Martinez completed a pass to Kevin Austin for 9 yards, and then handed to Person for a 6-yard gain to move the markers. Another handoff to Person lost 4 yards, and then Martinez passed incomplete to Austin. On third down Martinez scrambled 31-yards to the Houston 9-yard line.
A handoff to Person was good for 3 yards, and then another run by Person gained zero yards. On third and goal from the Houston 6, a false start penalty set the Stallions back 5 yards. A Houston “hands to the face” penalty gave Birmingham a first down on the Houston 6. Martinez handed to Person who into the corner of the end zone for a touchdown. The two-point conversion attempt failed, making the score 6-0 for Birmingham.
Isiah Hennie returned the Ahmed kickoff all the way to the Birmingham 43-yard line. Houston quarterback Reid Sinnett handed to T.J. Pledger for a 2-yard gain, and then handed again to Pledger for 3 more yards. On third and 5, Sinnett passed to Keke Chism for 8 yards and a first down. A handoff to Mark Thompson gained 1 yard, and then Sinnett passed 8 yards to Justin Hall. A handoff to Pledger gained zero yards, leaving the Roughnecks facing fourth down and 1 on the Birmingham 21-yard line. Sinnett kept the ball and was stopped short of the first down, turning the ball over on downs.
A Houston neutral zone infraction spotted Birmingham 5 yards, and them Martinez handed to Person, who lost 5 yards. Martinez passed to Person for a 3-yard gain, but the Stallions were called for holding, pushing the ball back 10 yards. On second and 20, Martinez passed to Person for 7 yards, and then Martinez was sacked for a 6-yard loss. The Stallions were forced to punt.
Justin Hall returned the Drue Chrisman punt to the Houston 47. Sinnett passed to Thompson for no gain, and then passed to Hall for a 4-yard gain. A 12-yard pass to a wide open Cyril Grayson moved the markers to the Birmingham 36-yard line. Sinnett passed to Hall for 15-yards, and then passed to Hennie for 4 more yards as the first quarter ended.
With 2nd and 6 on the Birmingham 17, Sinnett passed incomplete to both Braeden Bowman, and then Emmanuel Butler. The Roughnecks settled for a 36-yard Molson field goal to make the score 6-3 for Birmingham.
Jennings returned the Molson kickoff to the Birmingham 33. Martinez handed to Larry Rountree who ran for 30 yards. Martinez passed incomplete to Deon Cain, and then passed again to Cain for an 11-yard gain to the Houston 26-yard line. A handoff to Rountree lost 2 yards, and then a pass to Jordan Thomas was good for 21 yards. A handoff to Rountree made 2 yards, and then another handoff to Rountree was taken into the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion failed, making the score 12-3 for Birmingham.
The Ahmed kickoff went 73 yards and the ball was bobbled and put out of bounds by Hennie at the Houston 7. Sinnett passed 5 yards to Hall, and then handed to Pledger for a 1-yard gain. Another pass to Pledger lost 2 yards, and the Roughnecks were forced to punt.
The punt was fielded at midfield and returned to the Houston 40 by Amari Rodgers. Sinnett passed to Rodgers for 17 yards, and then passed downfield to Jace Sternberger for a 27-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion failed, making the score 18-3 for Birmingham.
The Ahmed kickoff went into the end zone for a touchback, giving Houston the ball on their own 25-yard line. Sinnett pitched the ball to Bowman for a 4-yard gain, and then passed 23 yards to Chism just past midfield. A pass to Hall gained 12 yards, and then Sinnett was sacked for a 3-yard loss. A pass to Hall went incomplete, and then on third and 13, Sinnett was intercepted by J.J. Tillery, who returned the ball all the way to the Houston 21-yard line before he suddenly stopped running while holding his hamstring.
Martinez handed to Person for a 5-yard gain, and then handed again to Person for 6 yards and a first down. Martinez rushed for 8-yards to the Houston 3-yard line, and then handed to Person who gained 1 yard. On third and 1, Person was handed the ball for his second rushing touchdown of the game. The two-point conversion succeeded with a Martinez 5-yard rush, making the score 16-3 for Birmingham as the two minute warning was announced.
The Ahmed kickoff again went into the end zone for a touchback, giving Houston the ball on their own 25-yard line. Sinnett passed 10 yards to Pledger, and then 11 yards to Chism. A pass intended for Hall was incomplete, and then a pass to Butler was good for 5 yards. On third and 6, Sinnett scrambled for a 5-yard gain to midfield. On fourth and 1, Sinnett passed to Hall who made the first down.
With 1:04 remaining, Sinnett was hit, but passed incomplete to the sideline. A pass to Anthony Ratlif-Williams gained 5 yards, and then an 11-yard pass to Thompson moved the markers to the Birmingham 27. Sinnett made a 33-yard pass to Chism who was well covered, but he made a one-handed catch for a touchdown. Upon review, the touchdown was nullified and the ball was placed on the 1 yard line. Sinnett handed to Bowman for a 1-yard run and the Roughnecks first touchdown of the game. The two-point conversion failed, making the score 26-9 for Birmingham.
The Molson kickoff went 60 yards and was returned by Jennings to midfield. With 0:07 remaining, Martinez passed to Cain for a 9-yard gain, and then Ramiz Ahmed attempted a 59-yard field goal , but he missed wide left.
At halftime, the score was 26-9 for Birmingham.
To begin the second half, Ahmed kicked off 77 yards and Ratliff-Williams returned the ball to the Houston 35-yard line. Sinnett passed to Ratliff-Williams for 7 yards and then handed to Thompson who gained 3 yards, taking the ball near the first down marker. Sinnett passed 3 yards to Thompson, who moved the markers. A handoff to Pledger gained 3 yards, and then Sinnett scrambled, but was stopped for a 1-yard loss. On third and 6, Sinnett’s pass was tipped, and fell incomplete. The Roughnecks were forced to punt.
The Hunter Niswander punt was returned by Rodgers to the Birmingham 22. Martinez kept the ball and ran 31 yards to the Houston 48-yard line. A handoff to Rountree gained 2-yards, and then Martinez ran again for 12 yards for a first down on the Houston 34.
A handoff to Rountree gained 1 yard, and then Martinez passed incomplete to Sternberger. A 13-yard pass to Cain moved the markers to the Houston 20. Martinez ran for 1 yard, and then passed incomplete, intended for Cain in the end zone. On third and 9, a pass to Rountree fell incomplete, and the Stallions settled for a 37-yard field goal to make the score 29-9 for Birmingham.
Ratliff-Williams returned the Ahmed kickoff to the Houston 32. Sinnett completed a 4-yard pass to Chism, and then passed to Chism again but was incomplete. On third and 6, a pass to Thompson could not be caught, and the Roughnecks had gone three-and-out. They were forced to punt.
The Niswander punt was returned by Rodgers to the Birmingham 40. A Houston offside penalty gave Birmingham a free play and a 5-yard gain. Martinez handed to Person, but he gained zero yards, and then a pass to Marlon Williams gained 8 yards and a first down. An illegal blindside block by the Stallions pushed them back 15 yards. On 1st and 25, Martinez passed 19 yards to Sternberger, and then a handoff to Person gained 3 yards. On third and 3, Adrian Martinez ran 35 yards to the Houston 6-yard line. Houston head coach Curtis Johnson challenged the play for Birmingham offensive holding, and the challenge failed.
Martinez handed to Person who lost 5 yards as the third quarter ended. The score at the end of the third quarter was 29-9 for Birmingham.
Martinez passed incomplete to Williams in the end zone, and then could not connect a pass to Sternberger at the goal line. The Stallions settled for a 27-yard Ahmed field goal, making the score 32-9 for Birmingham.
Ahmed kicked off and Ratliff-Williams fumbled the kick, but recovered the fumble on his own 14 and returned the ball to the Houston 40-yard line. Sinnett passed 2 yards to Hall, and then passed again to Hall for 7 more yards. On third and 1, a handoff to Pledger was good for 6 yards and a first down.
Sinnett passed incomplete intended for Ratliff-Williams, but a 15-yard defensive pass interference penalty moved the chains. Sinnett passed 11 yards to Chism, and then could not complete a pass to Ratliff-Williams. A defensive holding penalty against Birmingham gave the Roughnecks 5 yards. A 3-yard pass to Pledger moved the markers to the Birmingham 11-yard line, and then Sinnett passed incomplete, intended for Hall. On 3rd and 7, Sinnett could not complete his pass, and then on fourth and 7, Sinnett completed a 6-yard pass to Hall which was short of the first down.
Martinez could not complete a pass to Rodgers, and then rushed for 6-yards to the Birmingham 11. On third down, Martinez could not complete a pass to Cain, and the Stallions were forced to punt.
Hall returned the Chrisman punt to the Houston 44-yard line. With backup quarterback Nolan Henderson in at quarterback, he passed 4 yards to Chism, and then passed incomplete, but Birmingham was penalized 5 yards for illegal contact on a receiver. Henderson passed to Hall for a 4-yard gain, and then handed to Thompson for a 5-yard run. Another handoff to Thompson made 3 yards and moved the chains.
Henderson completed a pass to Hall for a 27-yard gain on the Birmingham 7, and then a Henderson pass to the end zone was intercepted by Nevelle Clarke who was tackled in the end zone.
From his own 25-yard line, Martinez handed to Rountree for a 6-yard gain, and then was sacked for a 4-yard loss as the two-minute warning was announced.
Martinez passed 14 yards to Williams, and then rushed for a 1-yard gain. As the clock ran down, Birmingham kept the ball on the ground and were able to run out the clock.
The final score was Birmingham Stallions 32, Houston Roughnecks 9.
