Memphis Showboats vs. Birmingham Stallions | Week 10 Preview

Both the Memphis Showboats and Birmingham Stallions close out their UFL regular seasons facing off for a second time. It’s a game that doesn’t impact too much, with Birmingham and Memphis already having their postseason fates set.

Heading into this game, Birmingham was fresh off of a huge home win over Michigan, pushing them closer to locking up the #1 seed in the USFL Conference.

On the other hand, Memphis ran out of gas against Arlington at home, falling to 2-7. With one game to play, they’re hoping to improve upon the 2-8 record they featured a season ago.

Let’s take a look at what we can expect at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium on Sunday.

Quarterback Play

Memphis will be rolling with Dresser Winn at quarterback, as Jim Turner has made it clear that he believes Winn is the guy who can, no pun intended, help them win. It was Dresser who stepped in as the starter in week five against these very Stallions, throwing for 235 yards and a touchdown in the overtime win.

Dresser was benched for two weeks as Turner looked to get Troy Williams and E.J. Perry some flight at QB. Winn entered the second half against Arlington, but looked out of sync against a strong pass rush that had him rattled early. Dresser ended up throwing an interception in the loss, his second of the season.

Even then, Turner still has plenty of confidence in Winn, with no regrets of the decision to pull E.J. in the second half:

“Dresser is going to start, and play the game this Sunday. We just feel like Dresser is the guy who’s going to lead the team in the future, as of right now. Whatever that future is, it might not have me in it. So I have no idea what that is. But the way I see the world right now, Dresser would be the guy leading the team.”

The Stallions will continue to roll with J’Mar Smith at quarterback, but we can expect to see some snaps for Andrew Peasley as well. J’Mar has resurrected his pro career the past few weeks, playing like one of the top quarterbacks in the UFL. It’s a storyline that few saw coming, but everyone has embraced as the Stallions are back in the Championship conversation, despite all the QB instability.

Smith is fresh off winning Offensive Player of the Week, throwing for 307 yards and two touchdowns in their victory over Michigan this past weekend.

Standout Playmakers

For the Showboats, Kai Locksley has emerged as a strong target for each quarterback in Memphis the past few weeks. Once they moved off of Dee Anderson, Locksley stepped up, showcasing his impressive range and route running abilities. Look for Kai to receive plenty of attention in this one against some of Birmingham’s smaller defensive backs.

It feels like we’re due for one big game from Daewood Davis. He came back in week six, but has hardly been utilized as neither quarterback has been able to dial up the big play with Davis yet this year. Winn has missed him in a couple of deep balls, but with another week of practice under their belts, hopefully we see Daewood more involved this weekend.

For Birmingham, it’s been impressive to see how so many different players have stepped up when their names have been called upon. Deon Cain is putting together one of the most impressive seasons in recent spring ball history, continuing to be a highlight reel from week to week.

Amari Rodgers, Cade Johnson, and others have all been bright spots as well. Johnson’s been one of the most efficient receivers in the UFL, averaging just under 20 yards per catch – making one of the craziest circus receptions you’ll see in pro football this past weekend.

Depth Chart

A few key takeaways from this week’s depth chart:

• Birmingham is missing CB Shyheim Carter, edge rushers Bradlee Anae & Max Roberts, OT Alex Taylor, and RB C.J. Marable; all big losses for this group
• DE Steve Linton to make his UFL debut with the Stallions
• FS Ravarius Rivers set to debut for the Showboats, and is starting
• TE Thomas Burke, part of the 2025 NFL Draft Class, to play for Memphis

The Stallions will need to see some new faces step up on defense, especially up front on the D-Line. Meanwhile, the Showboats will see a couple of new faces make their debuts, with Rivers notably getting starting snaps at safety. He was spoken highly of by DC Jarren Horton in camp, before being cut and then brought back midway through the season.

Showboats Defensive Emphasis

The Memphis Showboats have consistently boasted one of the stronger defenses in the UFL this year, despite some ups and downs. They’ve dealt with injuries, odd releases (i.e. P.J. Hall), and some turnover on the roster – but have given their offense a chance in each and every game.

This past weekend, though, we saw a bit of a lapse defensively as Luis Perez torched this secondary in the second half. Deontay Burnett and Tyler Vaughns both broke free for touchdowns in man coverage situations.

For Jarren Horton and his unit, it’s imperative that they watch J’Mar Smith closely, and put bodies on him when he takes off from the pocket. Smith’s been tough to bring down since returning to the roster, and that was on full display against Michigan – as the Stallions converted 11 of 13 third down attempts, with Smith responsible for a few of those with his legs.

Looking At Week Five

In week five, it was a bit of a different scene for Birmingham. Case Cookus was the starting quarterback, playing the full game as the Stallions came up just short at home, in a 24-20 overtime loss.

The Stallions offense simply took too long to get things going. They also dealt with some rather unusual circumstances, as a long field goal attempt from Harrison Mevis resulted in a “kick six” from Isiah Hennie, putting Memphis on top 18-3 at halftime.

In his first action, Dresser Winn looked composed, and impressed the entire UFL scene. His decision making was on point, using his legs to extend plays and push the ball down field. Dee Anderson played a huge role in the win, catching the two point conversion in overtime to seal it – but he’s no longer with Memphis.

Birmingham probably feels like self-inflicted wounds hurt them more than anything in this one. The Stallions dropped four interceptions on the day – each of which would have been momentum changing plays had their DB’s found a way to hold onto the ball. Between those mistakes, and a wild over-time sequence that gifted the Showboats two points due to back to back penalties – the Stallions were still right in it until the very end.

Coaching Matchup

Birmingham Stallions | Skip Holtz: Holtz has been working wonders in Birmingham this season once again, winning games with five different quarterbacks. On top of that, he’s once again put this team in a position to win a Championship, with J’Mar Smith rolling as the team’s starting QB for the first time since the beginning of the 2023 USFL season. It’s been a wild ride, but now Skip has his eyes set on revenge against Memphis.

Memphis Showboats | Jim Turner: It’s been a rocky season for Turner and the Showboats, dealing with all sorts of organizational changes during the first half of the year. He’s managed these waters well, and even though the team hasn’t been winning games, they certainly feature more building blocks than they did a season ago.

Coach Turner commented to the media this week on some of the things they’ve focused on this week, preparing for Birmingham:

“We played Birmingham before, we know their team. They know us. There’s an advantage for both of us that way, which evens it out. We’ve been working on the rhythm on offense, getting the ball out on time, doing a great job in protection. Of course, we need to run the football. That’s a big thing for us, and we need to do a better job this week. That’s been the focus for us, and making our quarterback comfortable with everything that will be presented to him as well.”

Final Thoughts

It’s crazy to be saying this, but this matchup between Memphis and Birmingham will be the final regular season game of the UFL season. This year has flown by, and we’ve enjoyed covering every second of it.

Memphis and Birmingham have had two different stories this season in the UFL, but are closer than they seem. Considering the 24-20 thriller between these two earlier in the year, don’t be surprised if this one comes down to the wire once again.

The action all kicks off at 3pm ET, on FOX.

Full Roster Breakdowns: Birmingham, Memphis

What are your thoughts on this upcoming matchup between the Memphis Showboats and Birmingham Stallions? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!