Week nine of the UFL continued today, with what was an intriguing matchup between two of the league’s best. The San Antonio Brahmas took on the undefeated Birmingham Stallions at the AlamoDome, for the first meeting between these two teams in franchise history.
Heading into this affair, the San Antonio Brahmas had just clinched a playoff spot last week. They’ve been dealing with quite a few injuries this season, but are 6-2 and looking to lock up home field advantage for the XFL Conference Championship.
Meanwhile, the Stallions continue to roll through their opponents. It’s been another familiar tale this season in the UFL: Skip Holtz simply doesn’t lose. The Brahmas are confident they can take them down, though, as Wade Phillips believes his team is capable of competing.
Brahmas Head Coach Wade Phillips wants the smoke 😤 Let’s do it 💯#UFL x #GiddyUp 🐎 pic.twitter.com/pDTb0mlsse
— State of the Stallions (@SOTStallions) May 24, 2024
Let’s take a look at what went down today in San Antonio.
First Quarter
The San Antonio Brahmas received the football first. Phillips opted to go with Quinten Dormady this week, despite Garbers being back on the roster.
Their first drive looked fantastic. Anthony McFarland and Morgan Ellison got to work right away, putting the Brahmas in a position to score. However, DeMarquis Gates came off the edge unblocked, forcing a fumble on Dormady. Taco Charlton recovered, and the Stallions took over.
FUMBLE!#GiddyUp pic.twitter.com/LeUWPbPVn2
— B2B CHAMPIONSTALLIONS 🏆🏆 (@USFLStallions) May 25, 2024
Birmingham wasn’t able to get off to a fast start offensively, which is a first. A couple of dropped passes put them in a hole, and a sack from Zach Morton led to a punt from Colby Wadman.
This led to some trickery for the Brahmas. Offensive Coordinator A.J. Smith loves the double forward pass. We saw him do it a year ago with Houston – and he pulled it off once again. Jontre Kirklin…