The Birmingham Stallions control their own playoff destiny heading into Week 9. Winners of three straight games, Birmingham can officially punch its ticket to the postseason this weekend with a win over the Columbus Aviators and some help elsewhere around the league. Standing in their way is a desperate Columbus squad fighting to keep its season alive in the second half of a crucial home-and-home series.
Week 8 Recap
Neither team could muster up much of anything significant in the first half, which honestly makes my job recapping this game pretty easy. The two teams combined for two interceptions, four punts, and a missed field goal before halftime. The only points of the half came midway through the second quarter when Jonah Dalmas drilled a 48-yard field goal to give Columbus a 3-0 lead. That’s how the score would remain heading into the break.
Both teams traded possessions to start the second half before anything remotely interesting happened. On Birmingham’s second drive of the half, the Stallions finally found some momentum. They marched 53 yards on eight plays and eventually put up their first points of the game when Jordan Thomas hauled in a 29-yard touchdown pass from Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The extra point was good, giving Birmingham a 7-3 lead.
Thompson-Robinson finished the game 12-for-20 for 126 yards with one touchdown pass and one interception.
Late in the third quarter, the Aviators finally managed to string together a long drive. They chewed up nearly nine minutes of clock while moving just 45 yards, eventually setting themselves up for a 55-yard field goal attempt. However, things went horribly wrong for Columbus. Stephen Gilmore blocked the kick, scooped up the loose ball, and took it to the house for a massive momentum-shifting touchdown. Just like that, the Stallions suddenly held a 14-3 lead.
The score would remain 14-3 the rest of the way as the Stallions improved to 4-4 on the season. Meanwhile, Columbus dropped to 2-6 and now sits on the verge of being eliminated from playoff contention.
Stud of the Game
The entire Birmingham defense showed up in this one, but one man stood above the rest. Stephen Gilmore was everywhere. Not only did he help orchestrate the blocked field goal and return it for a touchdown, but he also recorded an interception along with four solo tackles. The Stallions defense has looked noticeably better over the last few weeks, and this game was a prime example of that growth.
Honorable mention goes to Tae Crowder who won Defensive Player of the Week.
Donkey of the Game
Columbus quarterback Jalen McClendon needed to be better with the team’s playoff hopes quickly fading away. He finished the game 20-for-31 for 150 yards and threw a pair of interceptions. Other than the lone field goal, there really wasn’t much for the Aviators to write home about offensively in this one. After all, the only thing worse than scoring three points is scoring 0-2 points (with one point only possible under Canadian rules).
Week 9 Preview
With only two weeks left in the 2026 season, this Week 9 matchup is more important than ever. The Stallions are set to face a familiar foe as they enter the second half of a home-and-home series with Columbus. The Aviators are now firmly in must-win territory and will likely need to be perfect over the final two weeks just to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Stallions have their fate in their own hands as they currently hold the tiebreaker over Louisville and sit in the final playoff spot. If Birmingham wins this week, combined with losses by Orlando, Louisville, and Houston, the Stallions will officially clinch a playoff berth.
Everything points toward Birmingham having the advantage heading into this rematch, but as my friend Ryan Koop from Canadian Football Countdown often says, “teams rarely sweep home-and-home series,” and he’s usually right. By this point, both teams are extremely familiar with one another and have likely identified every weakness on the opposite sideline. However, Birmingham has simply been dominant lately, riding a three-game winning streak, while Columbus enters having lost back-to-back games.
During this winning streak, the Stallions defense has allowed an average of just 12.3 points per game, a massive improvement from the 26 points per game they surrendered through the first five weeks of the season.
On the other side of the ball, Birmingham’s scoring average has remained relatively similar compared to the first half of the season. Still, with four starts now under his belt, Thompson-Robinson sits fifth in the league in passing yards with 869 and has thrown six touchdown passes. His presence seems to have rejuvenated this team, even if it hasn’t translated into explosive offensive numbers on the scoreboard just yet.
Power Rankings
- D.C Defenders (+1)
- Orlando Storm (+1)
- St. Louis Battlehawks (-2)
- Birmingham Stallions (-)
- Louisville Kings (+1)
- Houston Gamblers (+2)
- Columbus Aviators (-2)
- Dallas Renegades (-1)
When & Where to Watch
The rematch between the Columbus Aviators and Birmingham Stallions will be available live on ABC on Saturday, May 23 at 2:00 p.m. CT.
