In the first 2024 home game for the Birmingham Stallions they welcomed the Memphis Showboats to Protective Stadium for an evening of football. The Stallions were unbeaten on two road games this season and the Memphis Showboats were looking to get back in the win column after a disappointing home field loss against San Antonio.
In 2023, as the head coach of the New Orleans Breakers, Showboats head coach John DeFilippo was 1-1 against Holtz in USFL regular season action. If you include the playoffs, he was 1-2 against Holtz. In this game DeFilippo had the chance to even the record.
The Stallion’s Chris Blewitt kicked off 72 yards and Trey Williams returned the ball to the Memphis 36. On his first play, Memphis quarterback Case Cookus was sacked for a 3-yard loss. On second down, Cookus handed to Titus Swen and he was tackled for no yards. On third down, Cookus was sacked a second time and the Showboats were forced to punt.
The punt was returned to the Birmingham 29-yard line and Stallions quarterback Adrian Martinez passed incomplete on first down. After another incomplete pass, Martinez completed a pass to Jace Sternberger for a gain of 22 yards. A handoff to C.J. Marable gained 2 yards, and then Martinez passed incomplete, intended for Williams. On third down, Martinez kept the ball and ran 23 yards to the Memphis 19-yard line.
Martinez was pressured, but still managed to complete a pass to Marable for a 4-yard gain. A handoff to Marable was good for 6 yards and a first down at the Memphis 6-yard line. Another handoff to Marable was stuffed for no gain, and then Martinez passed incomplete, intended for Kevin Austin. On third down, Martinez’s pass was tipped and the ball fell into the bands of receiver Jace Sternberger for a Stallions touchdown. The two-point conversion was also tipped, and this time it was caught by the Showboats. The score was now 6-0 for Birmingham.
Trey Williams returned the kickoff to the Memphis 39-yard line. Case Cookus was sacked for a 7-yard loss and he came up holding his left knee. On second down, Cookus got the ball out quickly and completed a 6-yard pass to Sage Surratt, however Cookus threw the ball incomplete on third down. The Showboats were forced to punt.
Amari Rodgers returned the punt to the Birmingham 26-yard line. Martinez completed a 9-yard pass to Deon Cain, and then fumbled on second down. Memphis’s John Atkins recovered the ball on the Birmingham 41.
Cookus passed 5 yards to Adams, and then completed an 8-yard pass to Surratt. A pass to Daewood Davis was incomplete, and then a 23-yard pass to Vinny Papale was good for a touchdown. The one point conversion failed, and the score was now tied 6-6.
Coughlin’s first kickoff was called back due to a penalty. Coughlin’s second kickoff went 64 yards and Isaiah Zuber returned the ball to the Birmingham 49-yard line. Martinez handed to Ricky Person for a 10-yard gain, and then passed deep to Marlon Williams for a 41-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion was unsuccessful, making the score 12-6 for Birmingham.
Adams returned the Blewitt kickoff to the Memphis 36-yard line as the first quarter ended.
Case Cookus passed 9 yards to Davis, and then handed to Darius Victor for 1 yard and a first down. Cookus completed a 4-yard pass to Davis, and then handed to Victor who flipped it back to Cookus. Cookus had to scramble and barely got one yard. On third and five, Cookus could not find a target and ran out of bounds for a one-yard gain at mid field. A 10-yard penalty against Memphis was accepted, giving them third and 15. Cookus passed 16 yards to Adams for a first down.
Cookus passed incomplete, and then a handoff to Victor lost 3 yards. A pass to Victor was good for a 9-yard gain, but short of a first down. Coughlin attempted a 57-yard field goal, which was good, making the score 12-9 for Birmingham.
Zuber returned the kickoff to the Birmingham 38. Martinez completed a pass to Sternberger, but the play was negated by an illegal shift penalty against the Stallions. Martinez passed to Sternberger again, this time for a 14-yard gain, and then handed to Person for a 7-yard run and a first down on the Memphis 46. A pass to Person gained 3 yards, and then a handoff to Person made 2 more yards. On third and 2, Martinez pitched the ball to Person and he ran to the first down marker at the Memphis 36.
A pass to Sternberger was incomplete, and then an 11-yard pass to Cain moved the chains. Martinez could not complete a pass to Person, and then completed a 16-yard pass to Benjamin Victor on the Memphis 9-yard line. A handoff to Person made 1 yard, and then another handoff to Person made 3 more yards. On third and 5, Martinez scrambled for 1 yard to the Memphis 4-yard line as the two-minute warning was announced.
The Stallions opted for a Chris Blewitt 22-yard field goal to make the score 15-9 for Birmingham.
The kickoff was returned to the Memphis 29-yard line. Cookus threw a 4-yard pass to Victor, and then was pressured and had to throw the ball away. A ten yard holding penalty pushed the Showboats back. Cookus threw 10 yards to Adams, and then passed 7 yards to Adams for the first down.
Cookus passed deep to Surratt for 24 yards on the Birmingham 35-yard line, and then passed incomplete intended for Davis. Another pass to Davis was incomplete, and then on third and 10, a pass to Morris drew a defensive pass interference call which gave the Showboats a first down.
Cookus completed a 7-yard pass to Papale, and then went back to Papale but was incomplete. On third and 3, Cookus was incomplete to Adams, and then Memphis opted to attempt a 34-yard Coughlin field goal, which was good. The score was now 15-12 for Birmingham.
After the kickoff, with 0:07 remaining Martinez had the ball on his own 36-yard line. He completed a 37-yard pass to Cain, which put the Stallions in field goal range. Chris Blewitt kicked a 46-yard field goal, to make the score 18-12 for Birmingham at halftime.
Coughlin kicked off 71 yards to start the second half, and Zuber returned the ball to the Birmingham 32-yard line. Martinez was pressured and managed to pass 23 yards to Cain, and then he handed to Marable for a 6-yard gain. Another handoff to Marable was good for 3 more yards, and then Marable rushed for 2 yards to move the markers.
Martinez passed down field to Cain and the ball fell incomplete, however, offsetting penalties cause the down to be replayed. A handoff to Marable lost 2 yards, and then Martinez was sacked for a 9-yard loss. On third and 21, Martinez threw incomplete to Cain. The Stallions were forced to punt.
The Showboats took the punt via a fair catch on their own 10-yard line. Cookus handed to Daewood Davis for a 2-yard gain, but Surratt was called for a 10-yard holding infraction. Titus Swen rushed for 3 yards and then Cookus was hit hard in the end zone, which knocked the ball loose. An offside penalty against Birmingham negated the play. On third and 7, Cookus was sacked for a fourth time this game. The Showboats were forced to punt.
Amari Rodgers returned the punt past midfield, but a blocking infraction brought the ball back to the Birmingham 45-yard line. Martinez passed 45-yards for Sternberger, and then handed to Marable for a 1-yard gain. Martinez kept the ball and scrambled for 9 yards to move the chains.
A handoff to Marable lost 1 yard, and then a Martinez keeper was stopped without any gain. Martinez passed incomplete to Victor, and Chris Blewit kicked a 43-yard field goal to make the score 21-12 for Birmingham.
Blewitt kicked off 70 yards, and Williams returned the ball to the Memphis 37-yard line. Case Cookus handed to Williams for 1 yard, and then passed to Adams for 7 yards. On third down, Cookus was sacked for a 9-yard loss, and the Showboats were forced to punt.
Rodgers returned the punt to the Birmingham 25-yard line. Martinez passed 35 yards to Ricky Person on the sideline, and then handed to Person for a 5-yard gain. Martinez connected with Austin for a 10-yard gain as the third quarter ended.
Martinez passed 20 yards to Cain, and then handed to Person, who ran 5 yards into the end zone for the touchdown. The one-point conversion attempt failed, making the score 27-12 for Birmingham.
The kickoff was returned to the Memphis 29-yard line. A 10-yard penalty brought the ball back. Troy Williams was brought in as the Showboats quarterback. Williams handed to Swen for a 3-yard gain, and then handed to Swen again, but he lost a yard. Then, Williams passed 5 yards to Adams for a first down.
Williams was pressured and threw the ball out of bounds, and then he was sacked on the line of scrimmage. On third and 10, Williams was sacked for 4-yard loss. An offensive holding penalty was declined and the Showboats were forced to punt.
Amari Rodgers returned the punt to the Birmingham 39-yard line. A pass to Marable was good for a 5-yard gain, and then a deep pass to Cain moved the ball 40 yards to the Memphis 16-yard line. A pass intended for Sternberger was nearly intercepted, and then a 5-yard pass to Cain put the ball on the Memphis 11. Martinez kept the ball and ran 11 yards for the Stallions touchdown. The one-point conversion failed, making the score 33-12 for Birmingham.
The kickoff was returned by Trey Williams to the Memphis 19-yard line. Troy Williams passed incomplete to Trey Williams, and then passed to Victor for a 13-yard gain. A pass to Swen was good for 8 yards, and another pass to Swen made 6 more yards to move the chains. Williams went to Swen again for 7 yards, and then passed to Papale for 8 yards and another first down on the Birmingham 41.
Williams completed an 8-yard pass to Morris, and then Williams rushed for a first down. Williams was sacked for a 6-yard loss, and then he threw incomplete to Adams. Williams could not connect on third down, and was picked off by Daniel Isom on fourth down.
The ball was spotted on the Birmingham 2-yard line. Martinez handed to Person for a 10-yard gain as the two minute warning was announced.
Martinez could not complete a pass on first down, and was sacked for a safety on second down. The score was now 33-14 for Birmingham.
The Wadham kickoff was returned to the Memphis 38-yard line. Williams passed to Swen for 5 yards, and then passed to Dee Anderson for a 13-yard gain. A pass to Anderson in the flats was good for a 14-yard gain, and then a pass to Swen was good for 17 yards to the Birmingham 13-yard line.
With 0:32 remaining, Williams passed to Anderson in the end zone, and the ball fell incomplete. However, a defensive pass interference penalty gave Memphis a first and 10 on the Birmingham 2-yard line. Titus Swen attempted to punch the ball into the end zone, but he was ruled short as time ran out.
The final score was Birmingham Stallions 33, Memphis Showboats 14.
