UFL | Brahmas Hand Birmingham First defeat in 18-9 Affair

SAN ANTONIO, TX – San Antonio entered the week as the UFL’s top-scoring defense, with the UFL’s top-scoring offense headed to the Alamo City. Saturday in the Alamodome, the top-scoring defense did something no other UFL team has been able to do this season — hold unbeaten Birmingham to under 10 points.

The Brahmas (7-2) used a pressure defense and quarterback Chase Garbers recovered as San Antonio snapped the Birmingham Stallions’ (8-1) 15-game winning streak, 18-9, in front of 11,839 fans in the Alamodome. San Antonio wore yellow Alamo jerseys as a sentiment to military personnel in the “Hats Off to the Heroes” game.

Garbers, who was placed on injured reserve after suffering a left wrist injury against the St. Louis in Week 3, he completed 70 percent of his passes, going 16 of 23 for 139 yards.

San Antonio’s double-head tandem of running backs Anthony McFarland Jr. and Morgan Ellison sparked the offense. McFarland posted his second straight game with 100-plus yards and Ellison scored his first two touchdowns of the season.

The Stallions had a chance to tie the game with under two minutes left and down by nine, but Brahmas cornerback Teez Tabor picked off quarterback Adrian Martinez at the San Antonio 1-yard line to seal the game.

The Brahmas got into their bag of tricks in the first quarter for the game’s first touchdown on a 36-yard pass from Jontre Kirklin to Justin Smith. It’s Kirklin’s second touchdown pass in as many years. The one-point conversion was unsuccessful, but San Antonio broke the seal and led 6-0.

Brahmas linebacker Zach Morton, making his season debut, was active early with a sack on Adrian Martinez. Morton crashed Martinez with Garrett Nelson. The Brahmas defense did not allow a single point in the first quarter.

Birmingham scored its first points of the game on a 34-yard Ramiz Ahmed field goal early in the second quarter to cut San Antonio’s lead in half, 6–3.

Garbers settled in after a few drives with a 34-yard pass to Kirklin to get into the red zone. Ellison capped the game with a one-yard touchdown run to make it a 12-3 game.

Garbers found his rhythm near halftime, leading the Brahmas down the field with 62 yards passing. Ryan Santoso went in for the 53-yard attempt, but the kick was deflected by the left post. San Antonio held on to a nine-point lead before halftime. The three points is the fewest points Birmingham has scored in a first half in franchise history.

The Stallions started the third quarter with a 48-yard play from Martinez to Jace Sternberger to the San Antonio six-yard line. Despite a nine-yard tackle for loss by AJ Hendy on the very next play, Birmingham found the end zone soon after with a 15-yard touchdown run to Sternberger. The two-point attempt was no good, and the score went 12-9 in favor of San Antonio.

Brahmas linebacker Delontae Scott tallied his second sack of the team and fourth of the season late in the third quarter. Scott helped the defense force a three-and-out on Birmingham to keep separation on the scoreboard heading into the final frame.

McFarland Jr. opened the fourth quarter with a 17-yard run into Birmingham territory. Two plays later, McFarland Jr. broke out for another big 15-yard gain. The Brahmas running back picked up where he left off last week, making big plays on offense.

Ellison picked up his second touchdown of the game with a nine-yard score. The one point attempt was no good, making it an 18-9 game. After entering the game without a touchdown this season, Ellison tallied his first two when it counted.

Garbers completed 16 of 23 passes for 139 yards. Dormady completed 3 of 4 passes for 44 yards. Martinez completed 18 of 32 passes for 211 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

McFarland Jr. was the team’s leading rusher with 82 yards on 15 attempts. Martinez was the leading rusher for the Stallions with 56 yards on five attempts.

Kirklin had four receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown. McFarland Jr. tallied six catches for 34 yards. Sternberger caught seven balls for 110 yards and a touchdown for Birmingham.

The Brahmas (7-2) will wrap up their regular season slate next week on the road against St. Louis Battlehawks (6-3) at the Dome at America’s Center. Kickoff is set for 3pm CT on FOX. The winner will host the XFL Conference Championship. The Gunners (8-1) will host the Michigan Panthers (6-2) on Saturday at 1:00 pm CT.

Recap: The San Antonio Brahmas handed the Birmingham Bears their first loss of the season, snapping their 15-game winning streak from last season. Cornerback Teez Tabor sealed the game with an interception of Stallions quarterback Adrian Martinez in the red zone to deny a potential comeback. Quarterback Chase Garbers entered the game midway through the first quarter and played the rest of the game, leading San Antonio to victory with a home playoff berth.

Welcome back Chase Garbers!

After missing the past five weeks with an injury, quarterback Chase Garbers returned to action for the first time since Week 3. Garbers completed 16 of 23 passes for 139 yards in the win. Despite not starting, Garbers played most of the game.

Defense, defense

San Antonio’s defense led the UFL in scoring before the Birmingham game. The Brahmas were able to slow down the UFL’s top offense, limiting them to a season-low nine points and just 278 yards of total offense. UFL leading tackler Jordan Mosley led the way with a team-high eight tackles and added a tackle for loss. The Brahmas recorded three sacks and five tackles for loss.

Ellison at Endzone

Brahmas running back Morgan Ellison saw an increased workload with the absence of John Lovett and did not disappoint. Ellison not only carried the ball 12 times for 30 yards, but also scored two touchdowns. The scores were Ellison’s first and second of the season and proved pivotal in the tight game.

Jontre Kirklin with the arm

Wide receiver Jontre Kirklin, San Antonio’s leader in receiving yards, made a big play with his arm in the first quarter with a 36-yard touchdown pass to Justin Smith. It’s Kirklin’s second touchdown pass in as many years. Kirklin joins teammate Brad Wing as the only non-quarterbacks in the league with a passing touchdown this season. Kirklin also finished the game with 66 yards receiving.

Zach Morton’s Brahmas debut

Linebacker Zach Morton made his debut with the Brahmas in Week 9, recording his first sack on Birmingham’s first offensive play. Morton finished the game with 0.5 sacks and three total tackles.

Next Man Up

Cody Latimer left the game early after finishing with 25 yards in the first quarter. In his absence, San Antonio’s other pass catchers have stepped up. Four Brahmas had four or more catches on the day, including Justin Smith, who had four catches for 56 yards and a touchdown.

Present: 11,839