By: Trey Colbeck
I guess you can argue whether both defenses played great or both offenses played like cow pie, but the final score was close to what I predicted last week in “The Shakedown“. Arlington certainly did not look the same as they had in the first two weeks of the season, and the Birmingham defense kept them to only nine points. The game came down to a very late touchdown that propelled the Stallions to their second win in a row, and they now sit atop the standings in the USFL Conference at 2-1.
Recap
Neither team produced much on their opening drives, but Arlington started finding minor success late in the first quarter. After picking off Matt Corral, the Renegades would open the scoring with a 27-yard field goal by Havrisik. The next drive for the Stallions would end in the goal-line fumble by Sternberger. Havrisik would cap the subsequent drive off for Arlington with a 33-yard field goal. The first quarter ended at 6-0 in favor of the road team.
For the most part, the second quarter saw both teams trade the ball back and forth until Arlington’s Havrisik added 3 more with 1:12 left in the half. Finally, the Stallions got something going, as they would get into field goal range for Harrison Harris. The ball soared from 42 yards out to make it a one-score game, 9-3.
Neither team would do much else until the final drive of the game. Starting at their 30-yard line with only 2:09 left in the game, the Stallions would score the go-ahead touchdown with :26 seconds left on the game clock. Cade Johnston was on the receiving end of the 20-yard TD throw from Corral, and Corral himself would run it into the end zone for the point after.
Stud of the Game
His passing percentage is atrocious at 46%, but Matt Corral was still able to pass for 255 yards and throw for the game-winning touchdown to Johnson at the end of the game. He spread the ball around as he completed a pass to eight different receivers. He also completed that HUGE pass to Williams on 4th-and-11 that kept his team alive late in the fourth. The most important stat to me is WINS, and Corral is 2-0 as the Stallions starter this season. It doesn’t matter if he’s completing 46% of passes if he’s finding ways to win.
Donkey of the Game
It’s hard to choose a single player on Arlington’s defense, so I think they all deserve to be donkeys after that late drive. You keep the defending champs scoreless at the half and only allow 3 points through 58 minutes of the game, only to allow your opponents to march the field and score the late winner. Not only did you let them score, but you hand them 4th-and-11 with JUST enough to move the chains. I expected better out of the Renegades’ defense.
An honorable mention has to go to someone I’ve been very disappointed in early this season, Jace Sternberger. You CANNOT lose the ball on the goalline like that! The game would have been completely different if they had scored there. The late-game heroics might not have been needed. I was high on him being a pivotal part of the Stallions’ offense, but he has been quiet early on this season. Since Corral stepped onto the field at QB, however, it seems Sternberger is being targeted more. He can be the difference each week, and he almost was a big reason his team lost the game. I still wouldn’t be shocked if I’m naming him Stud of the Game very soon.
Injury Update
The Stallions had three players miss practice on Monday. Mario Goodrich and Cole Schnieder both missed due to ankle injuries, while Jarron Jones was out due to an injury to his ribs. The remaining names on the list were limited or full participants. It seems like the Birmingham injury list is getting short, which is important as the season continues.
Power Rankings After Week 3
- D.C. Defenders (+2)
- Birmingham Stallions (+2)
- Arlington Renegades (-1)
- Michigan Panthers (+1)
- St. Louis Battlehawks (-4)
- Houston Roughnecks (+2)
- Memphis Showboats (-1)
- San Antonio Brahmas (-1)
Up Next
The Stallions will look to make it three in a row on Saturday, April 19th against the Houston Roughnecks. Houston is coming off their first win of the season, which came against the winless Memphis Showboats. Houston had lost to St. Louis and Arlington before finally picking up the win last week. This is an important division match-up for both teams. If Birmingham manages to lose, they could fall to third in the conference (if Michigan beats Memphis). The Stallions and Roughnecks game is on Fox and will kick off at 7:00 p.m. ET.