Birmingham Defeats Louisville 15-13 in UFL Opener
After weeks of anticipation, the UFL returned to the sports stage. The Birmingham Stallions came from behind to defeat the Louisville Kings 15-13. The energy was electric at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky for the 2026 United Football League Opener and the debut of the Louisville Kings. Throughout the game, the energy was high, and there were exciting moments, but ultimately, the home team did not have enough in the tank to win their debut.
Offenses Go in Fits and Starts
Stallions’ Head Coach AJ McCarron started off his coaching career with a comeback win in a fourth quarter that delivered excitement that matched the energy the game started with. McCarron said in a postgame interview, “I have a resilient bunch in that locker room. The way they played for each other, I’m super proud.” McCarron is no stranger to spring success, as he was a dynamic spring ball player with the St. Louis Battlehawks, but coaching is a whole new adventure.
As with many UFL early-season contests, the offenses looked out of sorts and it felt, at times, like a preseason contest. Throughout the history of spring football, teams start slow offensively due to the lack of reps and institutional knowledge. Learning a new system brings with it a learning curve, and the Stallions and Kings are no exceptions to the rule.
This one was a low-scoring affair with plenty of points left on the table. From bad offensive reads to missed kicks, this game saw no shortage of abandoned points. As the season progresses, these two teams will look drastically different offensively.
Defensively, both teams were stout, but Birmingham managed to force three turnovers, and that may have been the difference. They only managed six points off of three turnovers, but the fumble and interception closed out the half and game respectively.
Louisville was able to get penetration and contain the big plays for Birmingham, but they struggled to make stops and were eventually worn down. The Stallions managed to have four of their six drives (excluding the short end of half and end of game drives) last 10+ plays and consume a minimum of six and a half minutes. Louisville only managed to sustain two drives of 10+ plays, and only one drive lasted longer than six minutes.
Stallions Lead the Way
Quarterback Matt Corral was clinical for the Stallions as he completed 21/30 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown. His 70% completion percentage helped the Stallions move up and down the field, largely thanks to receiver Jaydon Mickens. Corral targeted Mickens nine times, and Mickens hauled in all nine targets for 103 yards. He was consistently open in big moments, and Corral capitalized on them.
Mickens is a veteran receiver and embodies the seasoned nature of the Stallions’ receiver room. At 31 years old, Mickens is no stranger to pro football and is no stranger to spring football either. Last season, he was third in yards and catches on the DC Defenders. His crafty route running and sure hands have made him a reliable target for Corral and is likely to be a hot commodity on the waiver wire. Especially since no other Birmingham receiver cracked 30 yards.
Birmingham utilized their veteran receiver corps to create a comfortable safety net for Corral. Add in the beginnings of a one-two punch in the backfield with Snoop Conner and Anthony McFarland Jr, and the Stallions offense has something brewing. Conner finished with 18 total touches for 69 yards and a rushing touchdown. McFarland finished with 13 touches for 39 yards. Both were about the same on the ground, but Conner had a few more touches to boost his bottom line.
Kicker Jonathan Garibay may have had the worst game out of all the Birmingham players. Garibay missed a field goal and both of his extra point attempts.
Bright Spots for Louisville
For Louisville, they relied heavily on UFL veteran Lucky Jackson as he was targeted eight times throughout the contest for six catches, 73 yards, and a touchdown. Jackson worked all levels of the field and was also able to move the ball after the catch. Jackson’s big-play ability will be a huge benefit for Louisville as the season progresses.
Quarterback Jason Bean was able to consistently extend plays with his legs and was looking for big plays all day. This was ultimately his undoing as he forced two ill-advised throws that were picked off. Additionally, he struggled to operate efficiently in the passing game as he only completed 52% of his passes for 226 yards. He did throw a touchdown, but two picks dragged his effort down. Bean also paced Louisville with 27 yards on the ground.
Louisville did manage to spread the ball around and hit some big plays to receivers other than Jackson. Isaiah Winstead and Tarik Black both made big plays and were involved in the passing offense. Winstead was targeted five times, caught two, and generated 60 receiving yards. Black caught three of five targets for 59 yards.
It also seems like the Kings want to have tight end Zach Davidson be involved in the passing game as he was targeted four times. He only pulled in two of those targets, but if he can maintain a respectable 15% target share, he may be a tight end to roster.
Kings’ kicker Tanner Brown went 2/2 on his field goal attempts and converted his only extra point attempt as well.
What’s Ahead
Louisville falls to 0-1 with this loss and will head on the road to Orlando next Saturday for a showdown with the Storm. Head Coach Chris Redman needs to figure out how to get more out of his offense. Bean showed some flashes at quarterback, but Redman needs to settle him down. If he can do that, the Kings have enough receiving weapons to make teams pay. Additionally, Redman needs to go back to the drawing board in the run game. If your quarterback is your leading rusher, that is okay. BUT, if he is your leading rusher with 27 yards, that is unacceptable. With some patience out of Bean, the Kings should see the offense improve in Week 2.
Birmingham starts off 1-0 and heads to Houston for a matchup with the Gamblers next Sunday. Similarly to Louisville, Coach AJ McCarron needs to get in the lab and figure out how to get more out of his offense. The defense in Birmingham looked good, but someone other than Mickens needs to get open. Deon Cain and Justyn Ross each got five targets, but only hauled in two catches. As the season continues, defenses will key in on Mickens, and someone else has to step up, or else the Stallions risk becoming a one-trick pony. The one-two punch of Conners and McFarland looks like the start of something solid on the ground. Oh, and they should definitely look for a new kicker.