Stallions run to 5-0 record with behind ‘blue collar’ effort.
APRIL 28, 2024 - BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
By Steve Irvine
Flash was not part of the game plan for Skip Holtz’s Birmingham Stallions offense on Saturday night against the Houston Roughnecks. In fact, Holtz said he chose a “blue collar, business-like approach.”
The visiting Stallions certainly got the job done with that style, beating Houston, 32-9, behind a running attack that produced a season-high in yards and rushing touchdowns.
Holtz’s offense rushed for 213 yards on 32 carries with two touchdown runs by Ricky Person Jr. and another by Larry Rountree III. Quarterback Adrian Martinez had a Stallions single-game high this season with 138 yards on nine carries.
Martinez threw for 155 yards on 11 of 20 passing with a touchdown pass to Jace Sternberger. The Stallions had at least three dropped passes, including one that would have been a 19-yard touchdown pass from Martinez to Deon Cain. But it was the running game that fueled the Stallions.
“I think with what they did, they gave up the quarterback run with all the man coverage they were playing,” Holtz said. “I thought Adrian did a real nice job of taking advantage of some of those opportunities.”
Speaking of opportunities, another important storyline was the performance of Rountree. The 5-foot-10, 210-pound running back left Missouri as the program’s all-time leading rusher and was a sixth-round NFL draft pick by the San Diego Chargers. He’s been on the Stallions roster since training camp but was inactive the first four games. On Saturday, with CJ Marable at home to take care of personal business, Rountree got his first shot in the UFL.
“When he came in here, really liked what he’s done, the way he’s played, the way he’s progressed, the unselfish attitude that he’s had,” Holtz said. “I think he’s getting better every week. I told him last week, ‘Look, I don’t know when you’re going to get your opportunity because CJ and Ricky are playing really well right now. But, when you get your opportunity be prepared to make the best of it.’”
Rountree sent an immediate message on Saturday night that he was prepared. On his first carry, went over left tackle, made a nice cut, broke a tackle and burst for a 30-yard gain before being shoved out of bounds. Later on the same drive, Rountree scored a touchdown on a 5-yard run. Overall, he gained 50 yards on nine carries.
“I think he’s ready for it,” Holtz said. “The only thing I didn’t know was how is he going to play under the lights. Is he going to go out and make mistakes? Is he going to miss a blitz pickup? Is he ready? You really don’t know until you see him out on the field. When he gets hit, is he going to hold onto the football?”
Rountree answered all those questions in a positive way and showed he can help moving forward.
For the Stallions, they are still the lone unbeaten team in the UFL at 5-0 and are carrying a 12-game winning streak dating back to last season. Holtz, who is in his third season with the Stallions, has a 26-3 record as the organization’s head coach.