Houston Gamblers Play Spoiler, Take Down Stallions In Birmingham

On Saturday, the lone game on the UFL’s slate was a big one. The Birmingham Stallions (4-5) hosted the Houston Gamblers (3-6), with a chance to stay alive in the playoff race.

Heading into this affair, Birmingham’s three game winning streak was snapped last week. They blew a late lead to the Columbus Aviators, who came back to take down the Stallions 36-29.

On the other hand, the Houston Gamblers were eliminated in a close loss to the St. Louis Battlehawks. They rested a few standout players in this outing, who had NFL tryouts lined up. Still, the team had plenty to play for – especially with athletes looking to get more quality tape.

Let’s take a look at what went down at Protective Stadium.

First Quarter

Houston opened up with possession of the football first. John Rhys Plumlee got the starting nod at QB for the Gamblers, as Hunter Dekkers reaggravated a shoulder injury last week. While he got them off to a fast start, a trick play resulted in Jontre Kirklin being picked off by Tre Norwood.

The Stallions weren’t able to do much with the takeaway, having to punt the ball right back to Houston. Rhys Plumlee’s mobility was on full display early, scrambling for a couple of key conversions to keep their drive alive. Houston would settle for a 33 yard field goal from John Hoyland, taking a 3-0 lead.

Birmingham’s opening series were incredibly ugly. Multiple penalties, and busts in protection, led to another punt. Malik Fisher got home for a sack on DTR, and then Birmingham had a delay of game – ending up in a 3rd and 20 situation. Heading into the second period, Houston led 3-0.

Second Quarter

More magic from JRP put Houston in scoring position, and they capitalized. Armani Rogers came down with an outstanding grab on third and long to keep the drive moving. Then, Marcus Major ran it in from a yard out, and the Gamblers went up 10-0.

It was beginning to go from bad to worse for Birmingham. Even with great field position at the 40 due to an illegal kickoff from Hoyland, they hardly moved the ball. Anders Carlson missed a 53 yard field goal, and it remained a 10-0 game. The Gamblers quickly took advantage of their field position, as Kirk Merritt broke free for a 44 yard gain.

A couple of plays later, and John Rhys Plumlee called his own number. He rushed for a 17 yard touchdown, and the Gamblers led 17-0.

The Stallions found all sorts of ways not to score. Even after a super challenge granted them a first down in the red zone, a false start – paired up with two sacks from Kenny Dyson – put Birmingham in a 4th and 30 situation, and they punted it away.

With one half of play in the books, the Gamblers were pitching a shutout – up 17-0.

Third Quarter

Down 17, Birmingham came out of the locker room just as flat as they were the last two quarters. They went three and out, punting it away. Houston was marching on their first possession of the second half, but then Plumlee made a mistake – throwing an interception to Alex Cook who housed it.

The response from Houston? A 72 yard rushing touchdown on the very next play. Marcus Major found a crease and blew right through the secondary, and the Gamblers went on top 23-7.

The remainder of the quarter was relatively stagnant. Both teams traded punts back and forth, unable to grab onto any sort of momentum.

With fifteen minutes left for Birmingham to play for their playoff hopes, they were down by 16.

Fourth Quarter

The Stallions finally put together a series, which gave the team – and fans – hope they could make a late push. Kyric McGowan, in his first action of the year, came alive at WR. He had a couple of receptions, including an outstanding touchdown grab to pull within 10.

Houston revived their offense a bit, putting together a drive that ate up the clock. With a little over six minutes left, Hoyland knocked through another field goal, giving Houston a 26-13 lead.

A.J. McCarron and this coaching staff would make a rather odd move. While they were backed up in their own territory, time was running out – and they decided to punt it away with less than four minutes to go. Essentially, waving their white flag.

That would be the last time that Birmingham touched the football. The Gamblers ran out the rest of the clock, holding on for the 26-13 win on the road. They completed the sweep, defeating Birmingham in week two and week ten.

Standout Playmakers

RB Marcus Major: Major had himself an afternoon. He had eight touches for 80 yards and two scores, as one of the focal points for Eric Price’s offense, with Marcus Yarns sitting out.

RB Kirk Merritt: While he only had three carries, Kirk Merritt made the most of them. He posted 54 yards rushing, and also had two receptions for 10 yards.

DE Malik Fisher: One of the UFL’s elite pass rushers had a solid finish to his 2026 campaign. Fisher posted four tackles, a sack, and two TFL’s in the win.

DE Kenny Dyson Jr.: Dyson was just as disruptive. He’s had a bit of an up and down year, but Dyson finished on an incredibly high note, with two sacks, to go with three tackles.

Birmingham

LB Tae Crowder: The veteran finished his 2026 UFL season leading both teams in total tackles on the day, with 11. Crowder was one of the few consistent pieces for Birmingham’s defense all year long.

Major Takeaways

This was a poor, uninspired way for the Birmingham Stallions to end the year at home. They had one more opportunity to keep their playoff hopes alive, and came up incredibly short. The Stallions had just 131 yards of offense, averaging 2.8 yards per play. They were 3-12 on third downs (25%), and didn’t even at tempt a fourth down conversion.

The team has been battered and bruised up front, missing four starting offensive linemen heading into this game. That said, they hardly adjusted their schemes offensively, and it showed. DTR was under heavy duress all afternoon. When he’s not in a rhythm, the Stallions lose all their magic and creativity from an offensive standpoint. Thompson-Robinson was sacked three times, and punted the ball on seven occasions in this game.

“That was a tough one. We were running out of players. We had five new O-Linemen, we had 10 personnel, we were actually in some 12 personnel. It was tough. The first two, or three drives, the headsets were going out. I think DTR had to call his own stuff…you live and you learn. It [losing] is part of it. Everything’s not going to be perfect. When we hit our groove, and started playing well, the injury bug popped up and started attacking us pretty bad. It’s tough.” – Stallions HC A.J. McCarron

Meanwhile, Birmingham’s defense couldn’t defend a toothpick the majority of this outing. A ton of credit needs to be given to Houston’s offensive line, who paved the way for a historic rushing performance. The Gamblers had 277 yards on the ground – a UFL record. Birmingham had a difficult time keeping John Rhys Plumlee contained, as well, as he rushed for 77 yards on just 10 carries.

“We talked about it earlier, all four of those running backs have been as good as any room has been in this league. Completely. Marcus Yarns, we gave him a break today. Having a healthy Kirk Merritt, he busted off some stuff. Some of the moves we made up front, with our O-Line, really helped.” – Gamblers HC Kevin Sumlin

Defensively, what a turnaround it was for Marvin Sanders’ group. They finished the year playing their best ball, and there’s a strong chance that several of these pieces end up in NFL camps because of how impressive they were, collectively, to end the year.

Final Thoughts

For the first time, ever, the Birmingham Stallions have finished with a losing record. This includes their three seasons in the 1980’s USFL. It’s in stark contrast to what Birmingham fans have come to expect over the years, under the Skip Holtz regime (three Championships, four playoff appearances). To only score six offensive points in an elimination game is, to be quite honest, an embarrassment to the culture that Holtz built.

Houston, without all of their quarterback injuries, certainly could have still been fighting for a playoff spot this week. This was a team that was filled with talent, but couldn’t put it together consistently due to the lack of stability at the QB spot.

The UFL continues today, as the DC Defenders host the Orlando Storm kicking off at 12pm ET.

What are your thoughts on this game between the Birmingham Stallions and Houston Gamblers? Which players impressed you? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!