The first USFL game had almost everything, including a winning last-minute touchdown. The result, courtesy of Stallions quarterback J’Mar Smith, gave Birmingham Stallions a 28-24 victory behind New Jersey Generals.
The two teams together scored 24 points in the fourth quarter, with Smith’s result coming after a 2-yard touchdown with 29 seconds to go. Smith’s touchdown came moments after the generals took the lead with a goal of 47 yards from Nick Rose with 1:54 until the end. Smith then led the stallions in a 59-yard winning streak as he recorded his first win of the 2022 USFL season. The generals lost despite winning a staggering 222 yards, including 98 yards and a quarterback De’Andre Johnson score.
Saturday’s game began with a bang as Generals quarterback Luis Perez hit Randy Sutherfield for a 48-yard win in the first game of the fight. The drive ended with Satterfield catching a 3-yard touchdown, despite receiving a nasty lick from a Stallion defender.
The stallions responded with their own big game, a 35-yard pass from Alex McGow to Osiris Mitchell less than four minutes after the game began. New Jersey regained the lead by taking advantage of Shalom Luani’s safe crossing early in the second quarter. Faced with a third-and-7 from the 13-yard line of the stallions, Perez rolled to the right before hitting the secret end of Braedon Bowman in the final goal area forward.
With a tie to three quarters, both teams scored touchdowns to start the fourth quarter. Johnson gave the generals a 10-yard lead just to get the stallions to answer less than four minutes later when Smith found Kerry Angelin’s secret for 28 yards. Rose then gave the generals a 24-21 lead before Smith completed a winning two-minute workout.
Here is a complete breakdown of what happened on Saturday night in Birmingham.
Why the Stallions won
The Birmingham attack has marked touchdowns in his last three possessions. Most of the damage was done by Smith, who started in the second half in place of McGowe, who was removed due to injury. After making 0 of 4 in the first half, Smith finished 11 of 17 passes for 156 yards in the second half. The stallions also received a big game from Mitchell, who finished the game with 96 yards in five assists.
Birmingham’s defense also came out with several timely stops. The generals threatened to increase their lead before halftime when midfielder Scooby Wright forced a touch of Perez, which was seized by the safety of Nate Holly. With a tie at the end of the fourth quarter, the stallion defense forced the generals to settle for a goal from the field after JoJo Tillery collided with Johnson two yards less than the first in the third and 10. Birmingham defense then imposed three incomplete passes in the last three games.
Why the generals lost
Two conceded goals certainly did not help the generals, who led for most of the match. Rose conceded a 47-yard goal in the final game of the first half. He then missed a 23-yard goal to start the second half.
Rose rewarded coach Mike Riley’s faith in him when he made his third attempt in less than two minutes. With that in mind, Riley may consider deciding not to do so in this situation, given how successful his attack on running football was. There was also the surprising disappearance of Perez, who tried just three passes in the second half after making 12 of 16 for 142 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.
The New Jersey defense, which played lights in the first half, simply had no answer for Smith, who led the Birmingham offensive with 80, 67 and 59-yard shots in the second half.
Turning point
The generals controlled the game after forcing stallions to snap early in the second half. New Jersey then drove 75 yards and was in a position to increase its lead before Rose missed her second goal of the game in so many drives. The Stallions’ attack seemed to wake up after Birmingham put together an 80-yard nine-game disc that was interrupted by a 3-yard CJ Marable binding touchdown match. Consecutive finishes from Smith to Mitchell for a combined 44 yards set the score.
Game of the game
Sutherfield’s catch is worth mentioning, but the game belongs to Smith, who finished his great second half by scoring the winning touchdown.
What next
The generals will face the Michigan Panthers next Saturday night. The stallions will face the Houston Gamblers next Sunday night.
This Sunday will feature a triple header of USFL action, starting with the Panthers against the Gamblers at noon. The New Orleans Breakers will face the Stars at 4 p.m., while the first weekend of the USFL will begin with a prime time match between the Tampa Bay Bandits and the Pittsburgh Maullers.
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