Week eight in the UFL continues this Saturday, with the St. Louis Battlehawks taking on the Birmingham Stallions in what’s a rematch of one of last year’s most exciting matchups.
Heading into this matchup, St. Louis has won three in a row, establishing themselves as one of the better franchises in the UFL once again. At 5-2, all they need is one more win and they essentially clinch a playoff berth.
On Birmingham’s side, they’ve found ways to win despite all of the quarterback chaos – and saw J’Mar Smith turn the block back to help finish a 19 point comeback against Houston this past weekend.
With both teams at 5-2, and home field advantage on the line for both teams, let’s take a look at what we can expect in this matchup.
Quarterback Play
St. Louis will once again roll with Max Duggan at quarterback, which is no surprise. Duggan has earned the right to be this team’s starter, and even though he still has plenty of growth to show, Max has gone 3-0 as the official starter with the Battlehawks.
Duggan isn’t going to necessarily beat teams with his arm, but his ability to create something out of nothing with his legs has been key. When he gets into a rhythm on the ground, Duggan is a better passer, and the game flows in a smoother light. Duggan is going to have to pass the ball a bit more this week, though, especially given Birmingham’s defensive success as of late up front.
Folks, it’s happening. J’Mar Smith is starting in a game for the first time since week one of the 2023 USFL season. Smith returned to the Stallions a couple of weeks ago, and had to jump into the game in the fourth quarter this weekend with Case Cookus being knocked out with injury.
J’Mar turned the clock back a few years, looking as poised and ready as ever. He pushed the ball downfield with ease, barreled over defenders with zero hesitation – and danced into the end zone like it was 2022 week one. Smith’s juice and energy he plays with alone is something that a lot of other signal callers don’t have, but it’ll be interesting to see how he plays after a team has had a full week to prepare for him.
Standout Playmakers
For the Battlehawks, they have to find a way to get Hakeem Butler going again. He was kept in check by Memphis this past week, with just one reception on the entire day. Memphis schemed him well, but it allowed for guys like Gary Jennings and Jahcour Pearson to see some more flight.
On the ground, Jacob Saylors was a problem all afternoon long for Birmingham a season ago. Jacob’s been a bit hit or miss this year, as he hasn’t had as many of the breakout games that we saw from him in 2024. That said, he’s one of the UFL’s leading backs for a reason, and is bound for a big game.
Jace Sternberger has slowly but surely been climbing back up the TE ranks in the UFL, scoring in consecutive weeks for the first time this year. Sternberger terrorized Houston’s linebackers last week, and has some favorable matchups once again in that department.
Ricky Person has been someone who’s impressed for Birmingham lately as well, doing a little bit of everything. He’s ran the ball well, worked his tail off in pass pro, and has made an impact coming out of the backfield too. His physical style of football is exactly what the Stallions will need to lean into against a Battlehawks defensive unit that hits hard.
Depth Chart
Some key notes from this week’s depth chart:
- The Birmingham Stallions are missing Amari Rodgers at WR, Cade Johnson active this week
- St. Louis will be missing DT’s Austin Faoliu and T.J. Pesefea, but Freedom Akinmoladun returns to that unit
- Nick Whiteside starts at CB for a second consecutive week after an impressive week seven performance
- Safety Avery Young is active for the Battlehawks for the first time this season
While the depth chart lists Case Cookus as QB2, we’re told that Andrew Peasley will actually be backing up J’Mar Smith this week. Additionally, EDGE rusher Max Roberts will be active this week, Delontae Scott is not playing.
Will St. Louis Contain The Run?
The St. Louis Battlehawks continue to take hits to their defensive line group. Austin Faoliu, who was playing at an All-UFL level, is missing his third consecutive game. T.J. Pesefea is also down with an injury, and will not be playing in this matchup.
That said, the backups have stepped up in a major way. Anthony Becht has preached all year long that the St. Louis Battlehawks depth is better this season, and he’s been proven true by guys like Isaiah Mack and Kyler Baugh. Mack was tremendous against Memphis this past weekend, with seven tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble.
In fact, according to PFF, St. Louis has the best run defense grades of anyone in the UFL, with an 85.9 grade in that category.
Anthony Becht has full confidence in this group heading into this week, with how guys have stepped up:
“We said it early in the season, we have a better team, and better depth. I’ve been banging my fist on the table to dress Isaiah and Kyler every week, it just wasn’t able to happen. Those guys have been so diligent in their work ethic, they know how to be a pro. I know they want to dress, and they’re mad at me for not making those decisions in their favor. But they’re some of the hardest working practice players they’ve had. Look at this last week, Isaiah had seven tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble…there’s no way a guy like that isn’t dressing this week. That’s unbelievable, and I’m proud of him.”
Birmingham: Finding An Identity
Truthfully, no team has gone through the turmoil that this Stallions squad has this season. They’ve now won games with five different quarterbacks – which is a spring football record, breaking what the Michigan Panthers did a season ago with four.
While the Stallions haven’t exactly figured out what their identity is yet, especially offensively, can you blame them? Between the nonstop hits they’ve taken with injuries on both sides of the ball, it’s been tough for them to get into a rhythm from week to week.
Now, J’Mar Smith will have to make his first start heading into a hostile St. Louis environment on Saturday. It’s a wild situation to be in, but if anyone’s got the confidence for it, it’s J’Mar. The Battlehawks have been preparing for him to start all week long, as Becht said earlier this week that J’Mar was “expected to be the starter”.
The x-factor in this matchup will be seeing how Smith can perform against arguably the top defense in the UFL, on the road, with a team actually preparing for him. Houston, clearly, wasn’t ready to face J’Mar last week. Can Smith play up to that level in this predicament? It remains to be seen, and it’s a big question mark heading into this weekend for Birmingham.
Looking At Last Season
When these teams faced off a year ago, you could make the argument that it was the game of the year. St. Louis and Birmingham went back and forth at Protective Stadium, in A.J. McCarron’s return to football in Alabama.
It was a late injury to A.J. McCarron that helped push Birmingham over the top, as Carlos Davis injured A.J.’s ankle, killing his mobility and forcing him to miss the next two weeks of action.
Early on in this affair, St. Louis was bringing the heat on Adrian Martinez, as Willie Harvey had two sacks in the first half alone. Birmingham was stuck in a rut a bit offensively, but when Holtz made some adjustments, they sprung to life. Adrian was able to use his legs a bit more fluidly, and got the ball out of his hands quicker.
We all remember Anthony Becht with his “slants, slants, slants!” dialogue during the game last year, and that was what hurt the Battlehawks. Ultimately, it was Kevin Austin’s late touchdown, followed up by Kyahva Tezino’s PBU, that won it for the Stallions in thrilling fashion, 30-26.
Coaching Matchup
St. Louis Battlehawks | Anthony Becht: Becht’s had to figure things out this year, without A.J. McCarron as his veteran signal caller. It hasn’t been the smoothest season by any means, but St. Louis is 5-2, and have rebounded after losing two straight from weeks 3-4. With their playoff fate in their own hands, Becht will have to find a way to win just one more game over the next three weeks.
Birmingham Stallions | Skip Holtz: Holtz is the king of spring, and he’s now added to his impressive resume by winning games with FIVE quarterbacks this year. Even though this Stallions organization has had no stability throughout the season, they’ve been able to lean into Coach Holtz and his staff through it all, and it’s why they continue to see success. With a 1-0 record against Anthony Becht so far, Holtz will now look to take him and his team down on the road in The Lou.
Anthony Becht, when asked about the Skip Holtz and how well his teams are coached, had this to say:
“Just from the outside looking in, they have an offense that is very player friendly. What they do, the calls they do, what they’re asking players to do, it’s very specific. It isn’t easy, but Skip makes it to where it isn’t a lengthy play call, and there’s certain reads where if the quarterbacks and wide receivers are on, they’ll be able to make those plays. They’re able to bring in quarterbacks, and have success in the system quickly, which I think is the biggest thing. They execute at a high level, too. Seeing Adrian Martinez last year and what he could do with his legs, kind of opened my eyes to what you need at the position.”
Final Thoughts
This has potential to be the game of the week, and hopefully the UFL hypes it up appropriately. Tim Brando will be on the call for FOX Sports, which is exciting news for football fans across the nation.
Both teams are pretty comfortably in the playoff race in their respective divisions, so this isn’t a “must-win” by any means for either organization. That said, at 5-2, no one wants to take the foot off the gas pedal at this point in the year, especially with home-field advantage potentially on the line.
The action all kicks off this Saturday on FOX, at 1pm ET.
Full roster breakdowns: St. Louis, Birmingham
What are your thoughts on this upcoming matchup between the St. Louis Battlehawks and Birmingham Stallions? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
