Birmingham Stallions cement dynasty status with dominant run to UFL crown

By defeating the San Antonio Brahmas, the XFL Conference champions, with a 25-0 victory in the UFL Championship Game on Sunday, the Birmingham Stallions have solidified their dynasty. Skip Holtz’s team now stands alongside Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers (1965-1967) and Hugh Campbell’s Edmonton Elks (Eskimos, 1978-1982) as the only professional football teams to clinch three consecutive titles. This achievement puts Holtz in a position that Bill Belichick failed to reach with the New England Patriots and that Andy Reid will strive for with the Kansas City Chiefs in the upcoming season.

Over three years, the Stallions have achieved a remarkable 32-4 record, never experiencing more than two defeats in a season. Throughout this period, Holtz has nurtured two league MVPs and has helped several players transition to the NFL, such as Brandon Aubrey, the First Team All-Pro kicker for the Dallas Cowboys.

Alongside general manager Zach Potter, Holtz has constructed a team composed of college standouts who faced setbacks in various NFL training camps, endured roster cuts, and navigated the challenges of professional football’s limited opportunities. They sought out players driven both by a desire to win and to reclaim their place in the NFL.

“They’re not necessarily at rock bottom, I don’t see it that way,” Potter remarked. “I view it as another obstacle; adversity these guys have to conquer. Our approach is to acquire talent that we believe other teams will find hard to obtain.”

This talent was showcased on Father’s Day at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis. The Brahmas entered with the UFL’s top-ranked defense in points allowed, conceding more than 20 points only once — in a 31-24 Week 3 loss to the St. Louis BattleHawks, whom they defeated in the XFL championship game. However, by the end of the third quarter, they had yielded 22 points and failed to score themselves.

The Stallions’ defense thwarted the Brahmas on their first six possessions. By halftime, the Stallions had registered four consecutive scoreless quarters, complemented by effective offensive play.

After a scoreless opening quarter, a 44-yard run by former North Carolina State running back Ricky Person set up the game’s first touchdown, as UFL MVP and former Kansas State quarterback Adrian Martinez connected with former Big 12 rival Gary Jennings of West Virginia in the end zone.

Surprisingly, a Stallions team known for its offensive prowess in the UFL this season, and over the past two years in the legacy USFL, found success by emphasizing a style of play reminiscent of the Brahmas’ journey to the UFL title game: a strong rushing game and elite defense. They maintained this approach into the third quarter, with Martinez scoring his second touchdown within the first four minutes.

The Stallions’ defense effectively contained the Brahmas’ offense by pressuring quarterback Chase Garbers to throw towards the sidelines instead of down the middle, an area where the Michigan Panthers had exploited the Stallions in previous games.

The Brahmas struggled when forced off their usual game plan, evident as they managed just 31 rushing yards in the first half, a stark contrast to their performance the previous week when they rushed for over 200 yards in the XFL title game.

With the Stallions leading 16-0 and 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter, they capitalized on a forced fumble and scored on their third consecutive possession, advancing downfield behind a dominant offensive line.

San Antonio coach Wade Phillips expressed frustration by tossing his headset after his defense allowed a quarterback sneak for the third touchdown. At that point, it seemed challenging for San Antonio to mount a comeback against a team that had never lost in the playoffs under Holtz.

Winning a title is significant, but asserting absolute dominance in the UFL is another level entirely: The USFL champions defeated the XFL champions both at the beginning and the end of the season. This commands respect.