Stallions come from behind to win season finale against Michigan, 20-19

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - After trailing since early in the second quarter, the Stallions scored with just a minute left in the game to take a one-point win in the regular season finale against the Michigan Panthers Saturday.

Facing 4th and 7 from the Panthers’ 33-yard-line, Adrian Martinez completed an 18-yard pass to Kevin Austin, setting Birmingham up inside the redzone as the clock stopped to move the chains. Four plays later, Martinz found Jace Sternberger for a five-yard touchdown to tie the game at 19 each.

Opting for the 2-yard, one-point conversion attempt, Martinez threw to Marcus Baugh who fell to the goal line to give Birmingham a one-point lead.

Head coach Skip Holtz said after the game that despite not executing well through the game, he was proud of the resilience of his team to stay in the game.

“Nobody flinched on the sideline, nobody panicked, talked about making plays, and I thought they did a great job for that final drive to get the ball down to put the ball in the endzone,” Holtz told ESPN’s Cole Cubelic after the game. “I thought they did a really good job of executing. But, they just keep fighting, I’m proud of what they did.”

Martinez finished the day going 14-of-28 passing for 163 yards and the touchdown. The Stallions quarterback, who entered week 10 as the league’s leading rusher, only gained 41 yards on the ground Saturday.

Michigan (7-3) had a chance to win the game as time expired, but Jake Bates’ 53-yard field goal attempt went wide right after making two earlier in the day.

Birmingham (9-1) started the game by forcing the Panthers to go three-and-out with two incomplete passes and stopping a 9-yard run.

The Stallions needed just five plays to get on the board thanks to a 48-yard catch-and-run by Sternberger that nearly ended in disaster when the receiver had to recover his own fumble at the one-yard-line.

On the very next play, JC Marable ran in for the score to give Birmingham a 6-point lead after the two-point conversion failed.

After the strong opening series for Birmingham, Michigan put up 16 points with a 39-yard field goal by Bates, a 23-yard run by Danny Etling, and a 36-yard reception by Siaosi Mariner.

The Stallions were finally able to answer in the third quarter when C.J. Marable ran 20 yards for the endzone to cut the Panthers’ lead down to 16-13.

Marable led the team in rushing attempts Saturday with 56 yards and two scores on 10 carries. The Georgia-native also had 3 receptions for 29 yards.

The scoring drive was helped along by a pass interference call against Michigan on 3rd-and-9, one of 10 penalties called against the Panthers for a total of 80 yards lost.

Ahead by just three points, Bates hit a 44-yard field goal in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter to push Michigan’s lead to 19-16.

Much of the fourth quarter was both teams trading punts and possessions as time ticked away.

Birmingham took again with 3:18 left in the game and began marching down the field into Panthers territory. Michigan forced the Stallions to 4th-and-7 where Austin made the 18-yard catch to set the Stallions up for the go-ahead touchdown catch by Sternberger.

Next week will feel like déjà vu in the Magic City as the Stallions and Michigan will again meet in Protective Stadium, this time for the USFL Conference Championship.

“I think this was a prelude for what we have in store for next week,” Holtz said. “I think it’s going to be a heck of a battle again next week.”

Birmingham and Michigan kick off at 2 p.m. in Protective Stadium next Saturday for a shot to play in the inaugural UFL Championship Game.

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