In a historic clash marking the inaugural game of the newly amalgamated United Football League, the reigning back-to-back USFL champions, the Birmingham Stallions, made a resounding statement as they triumphed over the Arlington Renegades, 2023 champions of the XFL, with a final score of 27-14.
Making his first career start as a Stallion, Matt Corral opened the matchup utilizing the passing game. Corral finished the game 201 passing yards, 25 rushing yards and one touchdown. Adrian Martinez also made a strong appearance, showing off his rushing capability just before sustaining an injury. He finished with 52 rushing yards on three attempts, with a long of 20 yards.
C.J. Marable and Ricky Person Jr. each chipped in a touchdown for the Stallions offense. Marable led the offense in rushing attempts with 18 rushes totaling 67 yards. Person Jr. rushed for 31 yards with eight attempts.
Seven different receivers caught passes in an impressive debut of the Stallions passing game. Deon Cain finished with three receptions, 66 receiving yards, and one touchdown. Binjimen Victor had two receptions for 37 receiving yards. Running back C.J. Marable also finished with two receptions and 36 receiving yards. Altogether, the receiving core tallied 227 total yards of offense.
A strong defensive front kept the Renegades at bay on their home turf. Kyahva Tezino led the defense with six tackles. Chris Jackson followed closely with five tackles and Carlos Davis finished with five tackles including one sack. The defense as a whole totaled 48 tackles with two sacks and held the Renegades to 59 rushing yards.
Shared from UFL
Farrah Sanders
Photos from Keith Higgs
