The Birmingham Stallions rode into Ford Field with an eight-game winning streak dating back to last season (postseason included). Would they be able to continue this streak past week 2 of the 2024 UFL season?
Last season in the USFL, the Michigan Panthers only won one of their five games while playing at Ford Field. This season, they have already equaled that total by winning their opening game against the St. Louis Battlehawks. A win in this game would create a new high-water-mark for the Panthers at home.
Chris Blewitt kicked off 68 yards for Birmingham, and Marcus Simms returned the ball to the Michigan 27.
Michigan quarterback E.J. Perry handed to Wright for one yard, and on second down was sacked for a 6-yard loss. It was a bad series for Perry as his third down pass was tipped, but caught by center Noah Johnson who made 6 yards before leaving the field injured. The Panthers were forced to punt.
Birmingham returned the punt to their own 30, and quarterback Matt Corral started a Stallions drive. The Panthers defense was all over the Stallions and Corral went three-and-out.
The punt was returned to the Michigan 18-yard line. Perry came out throwing but was incomplete to Simms. A handoff to Wes Hills lost one yard, and then Perry threw an incomplete pass. Again, Michigan had to punt.
From his own 43-yard line, Corral handed to C.J. Marable for a 3-yard gain, and then handed to Marable again, this time for 18-yards up the middle and a first down. Another handoff to Marable gained 6 yards, and going back to Marable ended up with a 1-yard loss. Corral’s third down pass was incomplete, so the Stallions attempted a 34-yard Chris Blewitt field goal, which was good to make the score 3-0 for the Stallions.
Simms returned the Blewitt kickoff to the Michigan 36-yard line. E.J. Perry handed to Hills for a 3-yard gain, and then threw incomplete to Quinn. On third down, Perry hit Quinn for a 7-yard pass at the first down marker. On first down, Perry hit Ross for 12 yards, and then completed a pass to Marcus Simms for 12 yards up to the Birmingham 42-yard line.
Perry was sacked by Taco Charlton for a 7-yard loss, and then, on second down, ran the ball himself for 12-yards. An 8-yard catch by Simms moved the markers to the 26-yard line. Hills rushed for 2 yards, and then Perry passed incomplete to Nate McCrary.
At the end of the first quarter, the Stallions led 3-0.
Perry’s pass was intercepted at the line of scrimmage by A.J. Thomas and returned to the Birmingham 25. Adrian Martinez entered the game as the Stallions quarterback, and passed complete to Amari Rodgers for an 18-yard gain. After a 17-yard pass to Ricky Person, Martinez ran the ball 29-yards to the Michigan 13-yard line. After a 5-yard false start penalty, Martinez passed to Deon Cain for 6 yards, and then had his pass tipped, with the ball falling incomplete. On third down, the Panthers pressured Martinez and he was unable to complete a pass. The Stallions settled for a 30-yard Blewitt field goal to make the score 6-0 for Birmingham.
After the kickoff was returned to the Michigan 38, the Panthers started Danny Etling at quarterback. A handoff to Nate McCrary made 1-yard, and then Etling passed incomplete to Simms. On third down, Etling rushed to the first down marker and then fumbled the ball. The Stallions’ Kenny Robinson recovered the ball on the Michigan 35-yard line.
Martinez passed 7 yards to Brooks, and then handed to Speaks for a 2-yard loss. On third down, Martinez could not find a passing target and ran the ball himself for 11 yards and a first down. Martinez could not get another first down and the Stallions asked Chris Blewitt to kick a 38-yard field goal, making the score 9-0 for Birmingham.
After the kickoff, E.J. Perry started a drive on his own 23-yard line. After an incomplete pass and short run by Quinn, Perry passed deep to Marcus Simms for a 76-yard touchdown. The one-point conversion was good making the score 9-7 for Birmingham.
Jake Bates kicked off 60 yards, and Jennings returned the ball to the Birmingham 43-yard line. With Matt Corral back in at quarterback he handed to Marable for a 5-yard gain. From there, Corral threw two incomplete passes and the Stallions faced fourth down as the two-minute warning arrived.
Birmingham punted, and the Panthers receive the ball on a fair catch on the Michigan 9-yard line. Perry handed to Hills for a 3-yard run, and then passed incomplete to Simms. On third down, Perry ran for 1-yard before he was swarmed and tackled.
Brock Miller punted and the Stallions received the ball on the Michigan 43-yard line. Corral’s first pass was incomplete, and then, facing pressure, he connected to Marable for a 16-yard gain. A roughing the passer penalty tacked on 15 yards to put the ball on the Michigan 12 with 1:18 on the clock.
Corral scrambled 11 yards to the Michigan 1-yard line, and then handed to Brooks, but he lost a yard. A handoff to Ricky Person was good for a 2-yard run and the touchdown. The two-point conversion was good to make the score 17-7 for Birmingham.
Chris Blewitt kicked off, and Marcus Simms returned the ball to the Michigan 45-yard line. With 0:19 on the clock, Perry passed to Hills for 4-yards and then threw incomplete to Hills. Perry threw once more to Hills who brought the ball to the Birmingham 45-yard line.
With 0:02 remaining, the Panthers sent out Jake Bates to attempt a 62-yard field goal, and he made it, making the score 17-10 at halftime.
To start the second half, Bates kicked off 75 yards and Jennings returned the ball to the Birmingham 32-yard line. Martinez handed to Marable for a 1-yard gain, and then ran the ball himself for 12 yards and a first down. On first down, Martinez threw off his back foot as he was getting tackled and the ball fell incomplete. A 15-yard face masking penalty against the Panthers moved the markers to the Michigan 40-yard line.
Martinez passed to Cain for 9 yards and then a false start penalty pushed the Stallions back 5 yards. On third down, Martinez ran 6 yards for a first down. Martinez passed incomplete, and then handed to Marable for a 10-yard run putting the ball on the Michigan 3-yard line. Martinez rushed for a 2-yard gain, and then handed to Marable for no gain. On third down a bad snap caused Martinez to lose 2-yards. Chris Blewitt kicked a 20-yard field goal to make the score 20-10 for the Stallions.
After the kickoff, Perry started a Panthers drive on his own 36-yard line. He passed to Jordan Suell for 7 yards and then handed to Hills for a 1-yard gain. An unnecessary roughness penalty against the Stallion’s DeMarquis Gates moved the markers 15 yards. On third down, Perry only managed a 4-yard completion to Devin Gray and the Panthers called in Bates for a 53-yard field goal attempt, which he made. The score was now 20-13 for Birmingham.
Gary Jennings returned the Bates kickoff to the Birmingham 43-yard line. Martinez passed 1 yard to Williams, and then passed again to Williams, this time for a 14-yard gain. A handoff to Marable lost 2 yards, and then Martinez scrambled for 6-yards himself. On third and 6, Martinez was pressured and could not complete his pass. On fourth and 6, the Stallions took a delay of game penalty, and then asked Colby Wadman to punt.
The Panthers Devin Gray returned the punt to his own 15. Perry passed incomplete, and then connected to McCrary on a screen play for a 13-yard gain as the third quarter ended.
Perry handed to McCray for a 3-yard rush, and then passed to Quinn who made a 4-yard catch. Perry could not convert on third down and the Panthers were forced to punt.
Amari Rodgers returned the punt to the Birmingham 27. Matt Corral completed a 15-yard pass to Cain, and then passed incomplete to Jennings. A pass to Marable on the sideline was good for 13 yards and a first down. On first down, Corral was pressured and threw the ball away to avoid the sack. A swing pass to Frank Ginda was good for 8 yards after Ginda broke the initial tackle, and then Person rushed to the Michigan 24 for another first down.
Corral handed to Person for 3 yards, and then Corral carried the ball 12 yards to the Michigan 9-yard line. Corral pitched the ball back to Marable and he made 4 yards, and then a handoff to Marable lost 3 yards. On third down, Corral was nearly sacked, but he threw into the end zone only to be picked off by Keith Gipson Jr.
From his own 25-yard line, Perry passed to Hills for 3 yards and then another pass to Hills was good for 5 more yards. Perry could not convert on third down and the Panthers were forced to punt.
With 4:04 on the clock, Corral started a drive on his own 30. A run by Marable made 3 yards, and then another Marable run made 5 yards. On third down Corral kept the ball but he was just over 1 yard short of the first down. The Stallions decided to punt.
Devin Gray returned the punt to the Michigan 27. Perry threw to Suell for 5 yards as the two minute warning was called.
Perry was sacked for a 1-yard loss and then ran for the first down marker on third down. Birmingham’s Scooby Wright was penalized for a 15-yard personal foul on the tackle. On first down, Perry was sacked for an 8-yard loss, and then he threw incomplete. However, Taco Charlton was called for roughing the passer, resulting in a Michigan first down on the Birmingham 41-yard line.
With 1:18 remaining, Perry threw to Quinn for a 5-yard gain, and then completed a 9-yard pass, again to Quinn, but a false start penalty negated the pass. Perry passed complete to Cole Hikutini for 11 yards and then passed to Suell for 3 more yards. An 11 yard pass to Quinn was good for a first down on the Birmingham 17.
With 0:41 on the clock, Perry was sacked for a 5-yard loss, and then he passed incomplete to Devin Gray on the sideline. A 7-yard Perry run took the ball to the 15-yard line with 0:20 remaining. On fourth down Perry was pressured and sacked by Charlton.
The Stallions killed the remaining time. The final score was Birmingham Stallions 20, Michigan Panthers 13.
