Why a historic 15 game streak by the Birmingham Stallions might not happen again

The spring football world was talking about Saturday’s matchup that ended in history breaking. After watching the Arlington Renegades upset XFL Conference rivals St. Louis Battlehawks 36-22, everyone watched the most anticipated game of the weekend between the undefeated Birmingham Stallions and the San Antonio Brahmas.

While it was a game that never felt out of reach, it felt like San Antonio was the better team holding the lead for most of the game. Thanks to the return of quarterback Chase Garbers and a second straight performance from running back Anthony McFarland, as well as holding Birmingham to a season-low 278 yards of offense, the Brahmas pulled off the upset of the season by winning 18-9 in the face of the stallions.

The last time a writer or reporter wrote a Colts loss was last May 13th when they fell to the Houston Gamblers of the USFL, 27-20. At the time, that loss put Birmingham at 3-2 on the season, with many questioning whether the Stallions could return to form in 2022. They dispelled those doubts by winning every game the rest of the season, including the USFL Championship. The Stallions outscored the New Orleans Breakers and Pittsburgh Maulers in the playoffs 75-34.

Birmingham started the UFL season in dominant fashion, with four of their first six games being double-digit wins, which was the most in the league. Signs of a possible defeat have appeared in the last two games.

Starting with the match St. Louis Battlehawks, it was a slugfest with the best team in the XFL Conference, ending with the Stallions making a defensive stop at the end to hold on for the 30-26 win. The Stallions struggled defensively against the Houston Roughnecks the following week, allowing more than 300 yards and needed another late defensive stop to avoid the upset, winning 35-28.

So why is a 15-game winning streak unlikely to happen again if fans have already seen it?

The level of competition is simply better with the USFL and XFL combining forces. There isn’t much separation between the teams as fans have seen in the other two leagues.

In modern spring football history, starting with the XFL in 2001, no team has matched Birmingham’s winning streak. Playing only 10 regular season games and two postseason games makes that feat more difficult to accomplish.

If any team could do it, it would be the Stallions, as they are still up and down the most talented rosters in the UFL. But given the limited number of games and the level of parity in spring football, that accomplishment may not be seen for a long time.

You can watch Anthony Miller on X @ByAnthonyMiller.

Keep up to date with UFL on FanNation on Facebook and X.