Week eight in the UFL continues this Saturday, with the St. Louis Battlehawks taking on the Birmingham Stallions in what’s a rematch of one of last year’s most exciting matchups.
Heading into this matchup, St. Louis has won three in a row, establishing themselves as one of the better franchises in the UFL once again. At 5-2, all they need is one more win and they essentially clinch a playoff berth.
On Birmingham’s side, they’ve found ways to win despite all of the quarterback chaos – and saw J’Mar Smith turn the block back to help finish a 19 point comeback against Houston this past weekend.
With both teams at 5-2, and home field advantage on the line for both teams, let’s take a look at what we can expect in this matchup.
Quarterback Play
St. Louis will once again roll with Max Duggan at quarterback, which is no surprise. Duggan has earned the right to be this team’s starter, and even though he still has plenty of growth to show, Max has gone 3-0 as the official starter with the Battlehawks.
Duggan isn’t going to necessarily beat teams with his arm, but his ability to create something out of nothing with his legs has been key. When he gets into a rhythm on the ground, Duggan is a better passer, and the game flows in a smoother light. Duggan is going to have to pass the ball a bit more this week, though, especially given Birmingham’s defensive success as of late up front.
Folks, it’s happening. J’Mar Smith is starting in a game for the first time since week one of the 2023 USFL season. Smith returned to the Stallions a couple of weeks ago, and had to jump into the game in the fourth quarter this weekend with Case Cookus being knocked out with injury.
J’Mar turned the clock back a few years, looking as…