Birmingham Stallions Vs. Michigan Panthers

Likewise, it’s the final week of the UFL season. Things kick off this Saturday with the Birmingham Stallions hosting the Michigan Panthers in what is a USFL Conference Championship preview.

We are ready for this!!@USFLPanthers vs. @USFLStallions Saturday at 2pm ET/1pm CT on ESPN 📺

🎟️: https://t.co/4x4TAf9aVN pic.twitter.com/Ac5Zk5SeEJ

— United Football League (@TheUFL) May 29, 2024

Heading into this deal, the Panthers are rolling. They have won five games in a row, which is the team’s longest winning streak since their return in 2022. Michigan finds a way to get things done late in games, coming back late against Houston on the road.

Meanwhile, the Birmingham Stallions just lost their first game in over a year. They scored just nine points, the fewest for any game Birmingham have played since their return.

With these teams playing each other in back-to-back weeks, let’s take a look at what we can expect this weekend.

He plays quarterback

To be honest, the quarterbacks are an unknown heading into this game. The depth chart, which will be released tonight, will help provide more clarity. For Birmingham, we’d expect Adrian Martinez to start again, especially given some of his struggles a week ago.

INTERCEPTED

The @XFLBrahmas bring out the stallions to seal the W 😱😱 pic.twitter.com/KqW8ACqLnI

— United Football League (@TheUFL) May 25, 2024

Martinez has consistently been one of the best players in the UFL, but he looked a little vulnerable last week against a stout San Antonio defense. He completed just 56 percent of his passes Saturday. Adrian will have to try to bounce back and it won’t be easy given Michigan’s defensive success this year.

While Danny Etling started last weekend against Houston, it was Bryce Perkins who lifted the Panthers to victory. Since joining the organization a few weeks ago, Bryce has looked like the quarterback with the most potential.

QB Bryce Perkins in the second half:

12/15 (80%)
121 yards passing
79 yards rushing
3 Total TDs

Perkins brought @USFLPanthers back from a double-digit deficit in this second half. Should Michigan play him as QB1 in the playoffs? #UFL pic.twitter.com/p5edCKVbvR

— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) May 26, 2024

Mike Nolan plans to use two quarterbacks this weekend, though, so Etling and Perkins are expected to both play. It remains to be seen who will start.

Outstanding Game Makers

Offensively, these two organizations have some of the best talent in the UFL. Now, it will be intriguing to see if they are all active as neither team will want to risk injury to their stars.

That said, Michigan has found a way to continue to find offensive production despite the injuries. Matt Colburn had his best spring football season in recent memory, stepping up in the absence of Wes Hills. Additionally, Marcus Simms has been outstanding – and Siaosi Mariner has proven to be a reliable WR2 in OC Marcel Bellefeuille’s system.

“The one #UFL it was extremely important … it lit a fire in me.”@USFLPanthers WR Siaosi Mariner has been a revelation for Michigan’s offense. @SdotGatsby was not with the team during Training Camp – signing before week two.

Since then, he has taken the impressive playbook… pic.twitter.com/QFUX0l0YUC

— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) May 28, 2024

For the stallions, they have to start the ground game again. Ricky Person Jr. had seven carries for -1 yard against San Antonio and CJ Marable had just two touches. Birmingham has arguably the most depth in the league at every position, so they should rebound effectively.

Despite the loss, Jace Sternberger had a field day:

7 Catches
110 meters
1 TD

The reliable one @USFLStallions TE continues to show why he belongs in the All-UFL conversation at the tight end position. Made countless clutch plays for Birmingham today. #UFL pic.twitter.com/nzFF1dQfGf

— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) May 25, 2024

One player that can really help this organization reach another level is TE Jace Sternberger. This is a guy who should see at least 5-8 targets a game. His seven catches for 110 yards and a score led all receivers on both teams last Saturday.

Comparing statistics

While the Birmingham Stallions are statistically at the top of the rankings, the Michigan Panthers aren’t too far behind. These teams match up well against each other and we would expect this game to go all the way in Birmingham:

• Stallions average 361.3 yards per game (first), Panthers at 298.1 (fourth)
• Birmingham averages 27.2 points per game (second), Panthers at 23.9 (third)
• Michigan gives up 267.6 yards per game (fourth), Stallions 252.3 (first)
• Birmingham leads UFL with 17, Michigan has 11 (T-5th)

We look at two of the top rushing offenses in the UFL. Birmingham obviously has Adrian Martinez, who leads the league in rushing yards, and the team is averaging 138.2 rushing yards per game (first). Michigan is not far behind in second with 124.2 rushing yards per game. The Panthers recently lost Wes Hills – so they will need production from others like Nate McCrary to make up for it.

See also

Looking back at week two

When these two franchises faced off in week two, they were still figuring out their identity. The Stallions, for example, were determined to play both quarterbacks at the time. Matt Corral and Adrian Martinez split and it was Martinez who looked like the better signal caller in that game.

With Adrian Martinez getting the start for @USFLStallions this week, he wanted to take a closer look at some from week two #UFL movie:

– Unlike week one (when he got injured), he thought Adrian looked more comfortable and his decision-making was much better.
– Obviously… pic.twitter.com/c9MkTlqOWx

— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) April 12, 2024

In fact, Matt Corral almost allowed the Panthers to get back into it late, throwing an interception to Keith Gipson Jr. The game itself was more of a defensive affair, with Michigan’s defense folding but not broke – holding the Stallions to four field goals.

As for the Panthers, EJ Perry had an up and down performance. He hit Marcus Simms for a 76-yard touchdown, but other than that, Michigan looked weak offensively.

PERRY TO SIMMS FOR A 76 YARD LANDING ‼️🐾 pic.twitter.com/meKMK5BH7e

— United Football League (@TheUFL) April 7, 2024

Fast forward to week ten and the Panthers are a well oiled machine offensively. They’ve been tremendous lately, seeing consistent production from all of their playmakers. Birmingham’s defense has taken a step back the past two weeks without John Chavis – who is no longer in the squad – so this is a story to monitor closely.

Coaching Matchup

Michigan Panthers | Mike Nolan: Nolan is in his second season with the Michigan Panthers and honestly should be in the running with Skip Holtz for the UFL Coach of the Year award. For all the struggles Michigan has faced from an injury perspective, they still find ways to win football games – and it all starts with Nolan and his staff. Mike is currently 0-2 against Holtz in his spring football career, so he will look to get one back this weekend.

Coach Nolan spoke to the media this week about this game and the approach you have to take as a coach playing a team in past weeks:

“The injury situation with our football team … hopefully we’ll get something back. By the same token, I’m asking myself “do I want them back now or do I want to wait until next week to get them back?”. Of course, this game is important to us for a lot of personal reasons, I would say as much. We all know whether we win the division or not we’re going back to Birmingham but we want to win regardless. As for who will be playing, we won’t know that for sure until later in the week.”

Birmingham Stallions | Skip Holtz: For the first time in over a year, Skip Holtz had to figure out how to respond to a loss. After sitting out the San Antonio showdown, Holtz said it was “a big wake-up call” for the team. With back-to-back games against Michigan, it will be interesting to see how Skip approaches things. Want to give away your entire game plan in a rather meaningless game this week?

Final thoughts

It’s an interesting scenario for the UFL – and these teams – to find themselves in. Birmingham and Michigan will play twice in a row, the first game means next to nothing in the grand scheme of things.

The Stallions haven’t necessarily locked up their division title, as the Panthers can clinch that title with a blowout win this weekend. With that in mind, even if Michigan wins the title, Birmingham will host the USFL Conference Championship due to a conflict at Ford Field.

The Birmingham Stallions will host the Michigan Panthers at 2:00 PM ET this Saturday on ESPN.

Full roster breakdowns: Birmingham, Michigan

What are your thoughts on this upcoming matchup between Birmingham and Michigan? Which team needs to win this week to make it two in a row? Let us know in the comments below or join the conversation on Discord!