Michigan Panthers fall to the Birmingham Stallions 20-13

DETROIT, Michigan (April 7, 2024) – The Michigan Panthers fell to the Birmingham Stallions 20-13 on Sunday, April 7 at Ford Field. The Panthers move to 1-1 on the season while Birmingham (2-0) remains undefeated.

Birmingham broke the seal on their second drive with a 34-yard field goal by Chris Blewitt.

Stallions running back C.J. Marable had the biggest play of the drive with a 19-yard scamper to put Birmingham in field goal range.

Michigan marched into the red zone looking to respond but quarterback E.J. Perry threw an interception on the first play of the second quarter to safety A.J. Thomas at the
Stallions 13-yard line. Perry’s third interception of the season ended the promising drive.

Birmingham quickly got into Michigan territory with three consecutive plays over 15 yards.

Quarterback Adrian Martinez got Birmingham into the red zone with a 29-yard run. The Panthers defense held strong, forcing the Stallions to settle for another field goal to make it 6-0.

Danny Etling took over at QB for the Panthers on the ensuing possession but lost a fumble on a scramble three plays into the drive. Kenny Robinson Jr. scooped up the ball for Birmingham and returned it to Michigan’s 35-yard line.

Once again, Michigan locked down on defense. The Panthers secondary teamed up to break up a pass on third-down, forcing another Blewitt field goal.

Perry came back into the game for the Panthers and immediately connected with Marcus Simms deep on third down for a 76-yard touchdown. Perry then found tight end Cole Hikutini for the one-point conversion, making the score 9-7.

In the waning minutes of the half, Stallions quarterback Matt Corral got a pass off with pressure in his face to Marable for 16 yards. Breeland Speaks picked up a roughing the passer penalty on the play, pushing the Stallions into the red zone. Three plays later, running back Ricky Person Jr. found the endzone, jumping over the pile for Birmingham’s first touchdown of the game. Corral then connected with Kevin Austin Jr. for the two-point conversion and the Stallions took a 17-7 lead.

With less than 30 seconds left, the Panthers only needed four plays to get into field goal range for Jake Bates for a shot at points before halftime. Bates, who played hero for the Panthers in Week 1 with a 64-yard field goal, drilled a 62-yard field goal to end the first half on a positive note.

Both teams traded field goals in the third quarter. The Stallions added points right out of the half, capping a 12-play, 55-yard drive with a 20-yard Blewitt field goal, his fourth of the game. This put Birmingham up 10 halfway through the third quarter. Michigan responded quickly with another Bates field goal, this time an “easier” 52-yarder to keep it a one-score game.

The Stallions looked to extend their lead and put the game away, but after driving to Michigan’s nine-yard line, Corral threw an interception in the endzone to corner Keith Gipson Jr., the first takeaway of the season for the Panthers defense.

Michigan was unable to capitalize on the turnover, punting it back to Birmingham after three plays. However, they got the ball back with 2:25 remaining in the game. Defensive tackle T.J. Carter stopped Corral from gaining the first down, forcing Birmingham to punt.

Starting from their own 27-yard line, the Panthers started to move up the field.

Birmingham’s Carlos Davis had other plans, sacking Perry for a loss of 8. A roughing the passer penalty on the next play absolved the chunk lost, giving Michigan new life.

Perry was poised as Michigan moved into Birmingham territory. He completed passes to a plethora of weapons, with Trey Quinn, Jordan Suell, and Hikutini all tallying receptions on the drive.

Faced with a fourth-and-seven, the Panthers were unable to come up with the first down, sealing the game and the victory for Birmingham.

Perry was 20-of-33 on the day for 203 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The duo of Martinez and Corral of Birmingham completed 13-of-27 passes for 141 yards and one interception.

Perry was the leading rusher for the Panthers with 25 yards on 4 attempts. Martinez was the leading rusher for the Stallions with 65 yards on 8 attempts.

The leading receiver for Michigan was Quinn with 5 receptions for 27 yards. Simms led the team in receiving yards with 96. Marlon Williams caught 3 balls for 32 yards for Birmingham.

The Panthers (1-1) will host the Houston Roughnecks (0-1) next Sunday at Ford Field. Kick off is set for 12 PM ET. The Stallions (2-0) will host the Memphis Showboats (0-2) in their UFL home opener, kickoff scheduled for 6 PM CT.

POSTGAME NOTES

• Michigan kicker Jake Bates hit a second 60+ yard field goal in consecutive tries after kicking a 62-yard try as time expired in the first half against Birmingham.
• In the NFL, a kicker has hit back-to-back 60-yard field goals in back-to-back weeks only once (Brett Maher, Dallas Cowboys, Weeks 6-7 in 2019).
• Bates is now 3-for-3 on the season with fields coming from 64, 62 and 52 yards.
• E.J. Perry connected with Marcus Simms for a 76-yard touchdown for his first touchdown pass of the year and longest play from scrimmage this season for the Panthers.
• Keith Gibson Jr. recorded the first interception for the Panthers this season with an interception in the end zone in the fourth quarter.

HIGHLIGHTS

— with files from the Michigan Panthers