The year began with a bang with the announcement of the merger between the USFL and XFL. After six chaotic months of birthing a new league and playing a full season, the moment has finally arrived. The UFL championship game will kick off at 5 pm ET in St. Louis, Missouri on Sunday between the XFL Conference champion San Antonio Brahmas (7-3) and the USFL Conference champion Birmingham Stallions (9-1).
San Antonio came in as a surprise to some but has been the more consistent team from the XFL Conference side. The Brahmas took down the mighty St. Louis Battlehawks 25-15 last week to win the XFL Conference title. Quarterback Chase Garbers' return made a difference in the offense. Their defense has consistently harassed quarterbacks all season and made Battlehawks signal caller A.J. McCarron’s life miserable last week.
The Stallions have been the class of the league and spring football over the last three seasons. Head coach Skip Holtz has built a winning culture at Birmingham, losing just four games in three seasons. UFL MVP Adrian Martinez has been dynamic all season, but it was Matt Corral who came to the rescue in the USFL Conference title as they beat the Michigan Panthers 31-18.
Birmingham and San Antonio played each other in Week 9, with the Brahmas snapping the Stallions’ 15-game winning streak with the 18-9 win. It’s the only time this season the Stallions’ offense was held under 20 points, and the nine points scored were the fewest in the Holtz era. San Antonio head coach Wade Phillips’ unit got a boost from running back Anthony McFarland, who had 82 rushing yards and a team-high six receptions for 34 yards in the win.
Game Information
Line: Stallions -3, O/U 42
Date/Location: Sunday, June 16, 2024, at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Missouri
Kickoff Time: 5:00 pm EST
Weather Forecast: N/A
TV/Streaming: Fox, Fox Sports App
Injury Report/Inactives
While the injury reports were not finalized, the inactives were released and San Antonio has some key players out. The Brahmas’ leading tackler Jordan Mosley will be out with a left shoulder injury. Defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman is also out with a left ankle injury that limited him in practice this week. Running back and return specialist Pooka Williams Jr. was on the inactive list, but not listed on the injury report.
— UFL Communications Department (@UFL_PR) June 15, 2024San Antonio Brahmas (vs Birmingham Stallions) #UFL Championship Inactives:
#6 CB Derrick Langford
#17 RB Pooka Williams Jr.
#23 S Jordan Mosley
#44 OLB Zach Morton
#50 T Julién Davenport
#80 WR Tavonn Salter
#92 DT Jaylen TwymanGame Center: https://t.co/9bfZkL4yfY pic.twitter.com/VdZFA7tTMF
Birmingham is out two key starting defensive backs with safety T.J. Carter and cornerback Mark Gilbert out. The Stallions will be rolling with just two running backs with Larry Rountree III placed on the inactive list.
— UFL Communications Department (@UFL_PR) June 15, 2024Birmingham Stallions (vs San Antonio Brahmas) #UFL Championship Inactives:
#7 S T.J. Carter
#18 WR Isaiah Zuber
#28 CB Mark Gilbert
#34 RB Larry Rountree III
#52 OLB Maalik Hall
#74 OL O’Shea Dugas
#95 DE DaMarcus MitchellGame Center: https://t.co/9bfZkL4yfY pic.twitter.com/8o5gX3nZ4w
Anthony Miller’s Keys to Victory
One obvious key for the Stallions will be to avoid another four-turnover game and protect the ball against one of the top defenses in the league. Martinez will get the start at quarterback, but Corral will get snaps as well, making it important to mix in QB runs with play-action bootlegs to get the quarterbacks on the run.
McFarland and receiver Jontre Kirklin must have at least 10-15 touches in this game for the Brahmas and get them into the open space. Garbers running the show helps San Antonio with limiting turnovers and throwing short to medium high-completion percentage passes. The defense must duplicate what they did to Birmingham by containing Martinez in the pocket and forcing them to third-and-long plays.
Anthony Miller’s Prediction
There’s no question that the Brahmas have been disrespected this season with only two players from the team making the All-UFL team. They will be underdogs in this game as they go up against one of the best spring football teams in recent memory. At the end of the day, Holtz taught his team how to win by being more disciplined and trusting the system for 60 minutes. This will be a close battle, but the Stallions have gone 31-4 for a reason. Birmingham is ready to complete the dynasty and bring home a third title to the shirtless Stallion fans.
Birmingham Stallions 26, San Antonio Brahmas 24
Mike Mitchell’s Prediction
There's no turning back now. I predicted before the season that the Birmingham Stallions would become the first outdoor pro football team to win three straight league championships since the CFL's Edmonton in the late 1970s/early '80s and the Vince Lombardi-led Green Bay Packers in the '60s.
Perhaps the Kansas City Chiefs are next. But for now, I like Birmingham to make history by exacting revenge against San Antonio. The only question is who Tom Brady will hand the game's MVP trophy to: Adrian Martinez or Matt Corral?
Birmingham Stallions 29, San Antonio Brahmas 22
Kacy Sager’s Prediction
The Brahmas played their most complete game of the season when it mattered most, dominating the Battlehawks in all three phases of the game last week to earn a spot in the title game. They've struggled with discipline throughout the year, so it was encouraging to see them stay locked in for four quarters.
Meanwhile, Birmingham has looked increasingly vulnerable over the past few weeks. I'm ready for one last round of Brahma drama, this time in the form of the first-ever UFL overtime finish.
San Antonio Brahmas 24, Birmingham Stallions 22 (OT)
You can find Anthony Miller on X at @ByAnthonyMiller, Mike Mitchell at @ByMikeMitchell and Kacy Sager at@THESagerbomb.
