Week 1 Recap
There wasn’t a better way to kick off the 2026 UFL season than with an all-Kentucky matchup. In true Kentucky fashion, this one came down to the wire and needed a photo finish to determine the winner of this less-than-pretty game.
Louisville opened the season with the ball and was moving it well before Kings quarterback Jason Bean let one fly that was bobbled by his receiver and picked off. Dyontae Johnson was the lucky recipient of the gift, giving the Stallions great field position to start their first drive of 2026.
Starting on the Louisville side of the field, it didn’t take long for Birmingham to capitalize. Snoop Conner punched it in from 5 yards out to give the Stallions an early 6-0 lead. Conner finished the day with 16 carries for 56 yards and the game’s first touchdown.
The Kings found their rhythm on their second drive, holding the ball for over six minutes and marching 72 yards. Lucky Johnson capped it off with a 12-yard touchdown reception from Bean. The one-point attempt was good, giving Louisville a 7-6 lead.
From there, it stayed a one-point game until 3:47 left in the second quarter, when Jonathan Garibay split the uprights to put the Stallions back in front by two.
Only down by two at halftime, the Kings needed a stop early and got it. Birmingham came up short on a bold 4th-and-20 attempt, shifting momentum to Louisville. Tanner Brown followed with a 37-yard field goal to give the Kings the lead.
The Stallions turned it over on downs again on their next drive, giving Louisville another opportunity and Brown delivered once more, this time from 20 yards out. With 4:38 remaining in the fourth, the Kings led 13-9.
But Birmingham had one more answer. Matt Corral led a composed drive and capped it off with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Justyn Ross. Ross only had two catches on the day, but none bigger than that one. The score held, and when the clock hit triple zeros, the Stallions escaped with a 15-13 win.
Stud of the Game
The former DC Defenders wideout wins Week 1 Stud of the Game with a standout performance. He hauled in 9 catches on 9 targets for 103 yards, with his longest grab going for 28 yards. Unfortunately, he didn’t find the end zone, but he was by far the difference-maker in this game. WELCOME TO THE STALLIONS, STUD!
Donkey of the Game
There are a few Donkeys of the Game that need to be discussed. We’ll break it down into subcategories: Donkey, Mule (horse mom + donkey dad), and Hinny (donkey mom + horse dad).
The Hinny of the Game goes to Louisville quarterback Jason Bean. He played well enough, throwing for 226 yards and adding 27 more with his legs, but two interceptions were costly. You need to do better than that to win in this league, Mr. Bean!
The Mule of the Game goes to whoever’s in charge of the work visas that forced Taylor Elgersma to be inactive. The Canadian-born quarterback’s eventual CFL debut is highly anticipated. His decision to go to the UFL over playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers is clearly tied to his NFL dreams. If he committed to a full CFL season, there’s no way he’d be able to leave for NFL training camps but the UFL’s spring setup supports that path. Being inactive isn’t what he wanted or needs.
Lastly and taking top honors as the Donkey of the Game goes to whoever picked the lime green colour for the Kings. YUCK.
Week 2 Preview
The now 1-0 Birmingham Stallions will risk it all against the 0-1 Houston Gamblers in Week 2.
The Gamblers gave up the most points (36) in the opening week against their state rival, the Dallas Renegades. Quarterback Hunter Dekkers played a relatively safe game, going 19-of-29 for 227 yards. He didn’t throw for any touchdowns, but he also avoided turnovers.
The issues came when Houston turned to Nolan Henderson. He went 3-of-9 for 34 yards with two interceptions. The first was a costly pick-six that put Houston behind early, while the second came in the second quarter and eventually led to a Dallas field goal.
Houston could have even more trouble, as Birmingham’s defense just got stronger with the return of Perrion Winfrey. He appeared in one game during his brief stint with the Dallas Cowboys, recording two tackles in a Week 16 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.
During his 2025 campaign with the Stallions, Winfrey recorded 17 tackles in 10 games and forced a fumble.
After just one game, there isn’t much that jumps off the page for Houston. They managed only 42 rushing yards as a team, and their leading receiver finished with just 60 yards.
Defensively, it wasn’t much better. Houston allowed 376 passing yards, 72 rushing yards, and 36 total points. There are plenty of holes for the Stallions to attack.
If Birmingham keeps converting at a 63% clip on third down and avoids 4th-and-longs, this could be a long day for Houston.
Both teams enter this week relatively healthy. The Stallions had four players listed on Wednesday’s injury report, most of whom were full participants. The lone exception was cornerback Steven Gilmore, who was limited due to a left groin injury. It’s unclear if Taylor Elgersma’s visa issue has been sorted.
For Houston, three players appeared on the injury report. Defensive end Christopher Allen did not participate due to a left knee injury. Offensive tackle Jalen McKenzie was limited with a concussion, while running back Marcus Major was also limited with a left shoulder injury.
The real question will be whether Birmingham’s 15-13 win over Louisville was a one-off or if the Stallions simply aren’t the wild horses they used to be.
Power Rankings (After Week 1)
- St. Louis Battlehawks (+2)
- Dallas Renegades (+2)
- Birmingham Stallions (-2)
- Orlando Storm (+2)
- Louisville Kings (+2)
- DC Defenders (-4)
- Columbus Aviators (-2)
- Houston Gamblers (-)
When & Where to Watch
The Stallions roll into Houston for a Sunday showdown, with kickoff set for 6:00 p.m. EDT on NFL Network.
