The Birmingham Stallions (3-1) visited TDECU Stadium on Saturday night against the Houston Roughnecks (1-3) in a USFL Conference matchup.
In the first quarter, Birmingham kicker Harrison Mevis made a 48-yard field goal to put the Stallions up 3-0 with 8:52 left. Later in the first quarter, Houston quarterback Nolan Henderson took a huge hit and left the game injured. He did not return to the game and Jalan McClendon took over at quarterback.
In the second quarter, Birmingham quarterback Matt Corral threw a short pass to Davion Davis for a 26-yard touchdown plus the two-point conversion to extend their lead 11-0 with 14:52 left. Houston started to make a comeback when running back Zaquandre White rushed up the middle for a four-yard touchdown plus getting the one-point conversion and it was now 11-7 Birmingham with 9:41 left.
Late in the second quarterback, Houston kicker Chris Blewitt made a 44-yard field goal and it was now 11-10 Birmingham with 1:29 left. Birmingham quarterback Matt Corral threw a deep pass to Deon Cain for a 50-yard touchdown for a 17-10 lead at halftime.
In the third quarter, Houston quarterback Jalen McClendon rushed for an 11-yard touchdown but they could not get the one-point conversion and Birmingham maintained a 17-16 lead with 3:10 left. Houston had a chance to take the lead with 41 seconds left but Chris Blewitt missed a 47-yard field goal.
In the fourth quarter, Birmingham quarterback Matt Corral injured his ribs and Case Cookus finished the game. Birmingham kicker Harrison Mevis made two field goals from 35 and 50 yards to give the Stallions a 23-16 win for their third straight win.
Birmingham had 358 yards of offense led by quarterback Matt Corral completing 14 of 25 passes (56%) for 195 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and 10 carries for 52 yards. Backup quarterback Case Cookus completed 1 of 2 passes (50%) for 36 yards.
Running back C.J. Marable had 11 carries for 47 yards, and Larry Rountree III had seven carries for 34 yards. Wide receiver Deon Cain led the receivers making three catches for 69 yards, and one touchdown, while Davion Davis made two catches for 62 yards and one touchdown.
Kicker Harrison Mevis made 3 of 3 field goals with a long of 50 yards. Birmingham’s defense made 71 tackles, eight tackles for loss, one sack, and three pass breakups.
Houston had 327 yards of offense led by quarterback Jalen McClendon completing 22 of 30 passes (73.3%) for 235 yards, five carries for 17 yards, and one touchdown. Starter Nolan Henderson completed 3 of 4 passes (75%) for 35 yards, and one carry for six yards.
Running back Zaquandre White had 11 carries for 16 yards and one touchdown, while Lorenzo Lingard had three carries for 14 yards. Wide receiver Justin Hall led the receivers making six catches for 59 yards, while Marcus Simms made one catch for 29 yards.
Kicker Chris Blewitt made 1 of 2 field goals with a long of 44 yards. Houston’s defense made 58 tackles, three tackles for loss, one interception, five pass breakups, and one forced fumble.
Next week, the Birmingham Stallions host the Memphis Showboats on Friday night at 8 pm on Fox, while the Houston Roughnecks visit the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday at 3 pm on ESPN. Purchase UFL tickets today on StubHub and Viagogo.
