Stallions Find Minute Of Magic To Beat Renegades In Thrilling Finish

APRIL 12, 2025 - BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA

By Steve Irvine

Matt Corral and Cade Johnson provided the deciding points on Friday night in the Birmingham Stallions unlikely 10-9 UFL victory over the Arlington Renegades at Protective Stadium.

It was Johnson’s catch in the end zone that completed a 20-yard scoring toss from Corral with 26 seconds left to tie the game. Corral then worked his way into the end zone from two yards out to give the Stallions their only lead of the night.

Before all that happened, though, right guard Barry Wesley deserves an assist for a timely mistake. It was Wesley who moved early on 4th-and-6 from the Stallions 34-yard line. The on-the-field officials didn’t see the movement and the play continued. On the play, Corral floated a pass that was intercepted by Arlington cornerback Steven Jones Jr. at the Renegades 36-yard line. At that point, with 1:49 on the clock, the game appeared to be over.

However, replay officials reviewed the play to see if Wesley had moved early. The Stallions had new life after it was determined that Wesley left early. Stallions head coach Skip Holtz said it “may be one of the few penalties I appreciate this entire season.”

Arlington head coach Bob Stoops had a differing viewpoint of the critical call.

“You almost wonder why you aren’t able to decline that penalty,” Stoops said.

Stoops didn’t get that option but the Stallions still faced a 4th-and-11 with the game on the line. And Corral was in the midst of a frustrating evening.

Corral was asked afterward if it was tough bouncing back after thinking he had thrown the game-sealing interception.

“Yeah, especially when you haven't been hitting targets all day,” said Corral, who was 19-of-41 for 255 yards on the night.

But he threw a strike to Marlon Williams for 12 yards, moving the chains, and Corral followed with completions of 16 yards to Jordan Thomas and 10 yards to Davion Davis. Birmingham not only had life but they had a first down at the Renegades 33-yard line. The Stallions got a first down on an 8-yard scramble by Corral and a 5-yard run by CJ Marable. They scored the tying touchdown on the next play.

The Stallions then left it up to a defense that had kept them in the game from the outset. Arlington got one first down but was unable to get past midfield before the clock expired. On a night when little went right offensively, it was fitting the Birmingham defense preserved the win at the end.

“After the offensive performance at D.C., I told the defense, if they want to be a championship caliber team, they're going to have to do it on defense,” Holtz said of the reaction to the season-opening loss to the D.C. Defenders. “I said for two years, we've had the number one offense in this league, and the defense has kind of benefited from the offense-scoring points. We've got a lot of new faces on the offensive side of the ball. Where we are right now, we are way behind where we need to be (offensively) and we've got to keep getting better. If the defense wants to win, they've got to stand up and they've got to carry the load. And, oh my gosh, they have done that and more.”

The Stallions limited the Renegades to three first half field goals and then pitched a shutout in the second half. The Stallions got sacks from Ronnie Perkins, Bradlee Anae and Marvin Wilson, had seven tackles for loss and came up with a timely fourth quarter turnover on a forced fumble by Kyahva Tezino and recovery by Willie Yarbary. Linebacker Demarquis Gate had a team-high nine tackles and safety A.J. Thomas added eight tackles.

Birmingham hurt itself with 10 penalties for 78 yards and lost the chance at first half points when Jace Sternberger lost the football just before crossing the goal line on what should have been a 22-yard scoring reception late in the first quarter.

But the Stallions still found a way to win and extend the Protective Stadium winning streak to 11 games. The last Protective Stadium loss came to the Houston Gamblers on May 13, 2023.

“I keep saying it, it’s a testament to these players,” Holtz said. “They never doubted it. They just kept competing. They just kept fighting. And I've got to be honest. I mean, there might have been a little doubt (for me) if we were going to win when we threw the interception on fourth down and there was about a minute to go. There might have been a little bit of doubt at that point, but it was like, you know what? God's got a plan. If you ever want to make him laugh, just tell him the plan you've got for your own life.”