Defenders’ upset of Stallions headlines biggest storylines from UFL Week 1

Eric Williams

NFL Reporter

After dominating last season on their way to a third straight pro spring football championship title, it only took one week for the Birmingham Stallions to stub their toe.

[MORE: What is the UFL? Everything to know about the 2025 United Football League]

Led by interim head coach Shannon Harris, the DC Defenders sacked Birmingham quarterback Alex McGough for a 2-yard loss on third-and-21 from the Defenders’ 30-yard-line to seal an 18-11 victory at home. Harris, who took over after Reggie Barlow left to take over the helm at Tennessee State, earned his first victory as a head coach.

Stunned by the Defenders, the Stallions are under .500 for the first time since the return of the franchise three years ago and now have as many losses this season as they suffered during all of last year’s UFL championship title run.

The Defenders’ defense dominated one of the best offenses in the league. Led by longtime NFL defensive guru Gregg Williams’ aggressive blitzing scheme, the Defenders sacked McGough eight times, forced two turnovers and held the Stallions to just 138 total yards of offense.

McGough ran for 84 yards in his return to spring football but completed just 43.5% of his passes and posted a woeful 50.8 passer rating. The Defenders also kept the Stallions off the scoreboard for the entire second half. Linebacker Anthony Hines III led the way with six combined tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery.

“Our defense was outstanding,” Harris said after the game. “Any time you can contain these guys the way we did today — you’re talking about the three-time champs. We have a lot of respect for these guys.

“Coach (Skip) Holtz has done a good job with that organization. Hats off to those guys, but our guys wanted it more.”

The Defenders’ big win was the highlight of UFL Kickoff Weekend. Here’s a look at other storylines from Week 1:

Persistence pays off for Defenders WR Chris Rowland

An All-UFL selection as a returner last season, the cat-quick Rowland continued to build on his solid performance in 2024, taking on a larger role in the Defenders’ offense. Rowland totaled 107 all-purpose yards, including three catches for 40 yards on five targets. He also accounted for the game-winning score, hauling in a 4-yard out route for a touchdown at the end of the first half.

“We knew they were going to play soft on us and those underneath routes were going to be open,” Defenders quarterback Jordan Ta’amu said. “We just needed to take more of those.”

Ta’amu finished 17-of-37 for 211 passing yards, with the touchdown pass to Rowland and one interception. Receiver Ty Scott led the Defenders with five receptions for 61 receiving yards.

St. Louis Battlehawks rely on run game in victory over Houston Roughnecks

Considered one of the teams that could compete with the Stallions for this year’s UFL crown, St. Louis looked as good as advertised in a dominant 31-6 victory on the road on Friday.

The Battlehawks racked up a league-high 275 rushing yards on the ground. They were led by Jarveon Howard’s 116 rushing yards on 13 carries. All-UFL performer Jacob Saylors added 99 yards on 16 carries and another 47 receiving yards. Quarterback Manny Wilkins chipped in 43 rushing yards.

St. Lous was very balanced on offense. Starting in place of departed pocket passer AJ McCarron, Wilkins finished with 189 passing yards and was sacked just one time on the day.

“We finally found something here with our guys collectively,” Battlehawks head coach Anthony Becht said. “(Offensive coordinator) Phil McGeoghan [called] his first game. I’m really happy for him. I’m just proud of all the guys because they put a lot of work into it.”

QB Bryce Perkins stars in win for Michigan Panthers

Now in his second season with the Panthers, the former Los Angeles Rams backup finished 16-of-19 for 163 yards and a touchdown pass in a 26-12 victory over the Memphis Showboats. Perkins also ran for 15 yards, including a dynamic 4-yard run for a score in which he made four would-be tacklers miss on his way to the end zone.

Panthers safety Kai Nacua sealed the victory after picking off Memphis QB Troy Williams and running the ball back 80 yards for a touchdown.

Kalen Ballage posts big day, leads Arlington Renegades over San Antonio Brahmas

The Arizona State product broke a UFL record, cashing in on a 77-yard touchdown run on his way to 110 rushing yards on the day in a dominant 33-9 win on Saturday. His effort helped Arlington finish with 188 rushing yards in the victory.

The UFL’s leading passer last season, quarterback Luis Perez totaled 164 passing yards and no turnovers. Veteran De’Veon Smith aptly served as the short yardage running back, finishing with three touchdowns on three carries.

Arlington is off to a good start after finishing a disappointing 3-7 last season and going 0-5 in one-score games.

“You just want to get started on the right foot,” Renegades head coach Bob Stoops said. “Four of our first five games are at home, so you just want to take advantage of that.”

Matt McCrane executes a solid kicking performance in Week 1

Now in his second UFL season, the Defenders’ kicker took a positive step in the chase for the title of best UFL kicker, with Jake Bates now playing for the Detroit Lions. McCrane finished 4-of-4 in his team’s win, with a long of 53 yards.

Bates’ replacement with the Panthers, B.T. Potter, was not as fortunate. Potter finished 2-of-4 on field goals in his team’s victory over Memphis, missing both attempts from 50-plus yards.

Memphis kicker Matt Coghlin, who led the league in field goal percentage last year (94%), made both of his field goals from 45 and 50 yards. Birmingham’s new kicker, Harrison Mevis, showed off his strong leg, making his only field goal attempt from 53 yards.

San Antonio kicker Donald De La Haye made a 36-yarder in his return to the field after a season-ending neck injury but missed from 56 yards. St. Louis kicker Rodrigo Blankenship made two field goals from 33 and 48 yards.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him at @eric_d_williams.

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