UFL

Houston at Birmingham: Roughnecks Stick Around, But Martinez Leads Stallions to Another Win

The Birmingham Stallions won their 15th-straight game dating back to last season with a Week 8 victory over the Houston Roughnecks.

Kacy Sager

Mar 30, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; Birmingham Stallions head coach Skip Holtz talks to his team
Mar 30, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; Birmingham Stallions head coach Skip Holtz talks to his team / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
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BIRMINGHAM, AL — Houston managed to make a game of it late, but the Stallions held off the visiting Roughnecks thanks to a five-touchdown performance from MVP frontrunner Adrian Martinez for a 35-28 victory at Protective Stadium.

Birmingham surged to a quick 12-0 lead with his first two scores after AJ Thomas came down with his third pick of the season. Touchdown passes to Deon Cain (9 yards) and Binjimen Victor (12 yards) bookended a Houston three-and-out, the latter of which was set up by Amari Rodgers’s return into Roughneck territory.

Houston made it on the board shortly after with the first of Mark Thompson’s two touchdown runs, a 37-yarder set up by a beauty of a block from Justin Hall, who caught the ensuing two-point pass.

Ramiz Ahmed connected on a 45-yard field goal for Birmingham to start the second quarter before J.J. Molson missed a 51-yarder for Houston. Donal Rutledge Jr. got the ball back for the Roughneck offense moments later when he picked off Martinez, however, and Thompson found the end zone again to cap an 11-play, 74-yard drive and bring the score to 15-14.

Birmingham responded with an 11-play drive of its own, only needing 1:49 to march down the field for a Martinez rushing score as the half came to a close. The Stallions then took a 28-14 lead with Martinez’s 10-yarder to Rodgers to start the third.

Backup QB Nolan Henderson led a 10-play Houston drive that ended in his first touchdown of the season before an 8-yard trip to the end zone by Martinez and Larry Rountree III’s one-point run gave the Stallions their largest lead of the game (35-20) moments later.

Houston’s next drive ended on the 11th play when Henderson fumbled, but Rountree coughed it up on the next play to set up Reid Sinnett’s scoring strike to Braedon Bowman and two-point pass to Hall.

After the Birmingham defense forced a three-and-out on Houston’s next possession, the Stallions punted as well, giving the Roughnecks one more shot with 0:14 on the clock. Sinnett completed a pair of passes to Keke Chism for a combined 34 yards before DeMarquis Gates sacked Sinnett on the game’s final play to seal the win.

Now, some notes following the Stallions's Week 8 victory

Martinez is Ridiculous

He finished 19-of-31 for three passing touchdowns to go with six carries for 44 yards and two scores on the ground. His five total touchdowns broke the league single-game record he set in Week 6 against Memphis.

Martinez connected with 10 different receivers Saturday night, none for more than 30 yards.

Not Birmingham's Cleanest Game

After just one turnover in the previous three games, the Stallions offense lost the ball twice in Week 8. They nearly lost it a third time when Jimmy Moreland punched out the ball from Cain’s arms, but Rountree recovered. Birmingham will need to tighten things up to keep its win streak going through the final two weeks.

Schedule Ahead

The Stallions can wrap up home-field advantage in the postseason next week against San Antonio before they see Michigan in back-to-back matchups. Birmingham closes its regular season at home against the Panthers, and the teams will square off again in the USFL Conference championship game on Saturday, June 8th at 3 p.m. on ABC.

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Kacy Sager
KACY SAGER

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