UFL 2024: Playoffs by the numbers
The inaugural UFL playoffs were one for the books!
Newly minted MVP Adrian Martinez and the Birmingham Stallions kicked things off by beating the Michigan Panthers by double digits in Saturday's USFL Conference Championship Game, 31-18, after trailing by 15 points in the first half.
On Sunday, the San Antonio Brahmas stunned the St. Louis Battlehawks, 25-15, on the road in the XFL title game. These two will face off against one another in the highly anticipated UFL Championship Game on FOX on June 16.
Here are the numbers to know ahead of this weekend's title game.
7: It had been seven weeks since Birmingham QB Matt Corral had last taken a snap in Week 4, but he came off the bench to replace Adrian Martinez and led the offense on two touchdown drives late in the third quarter of the Stallions' tilt.
8: The number of turnovers in the USFL Conference title game, with Birmingham and Michigan both coughing up the ball four times. Six of those eight turnovers came in the third quarter, including three in a five-play span.
10: Corey Chamblin, who took over late in the season after John Chavis left the team due to a health issue, and his Stallions defense held the Panthers to zero points on their final 10 drives of the game. Birmingham's defense also accounted for a crucial score, courtesy of a pick-six that tied the game in the third quarter.
15: The Stallions trailed 18-3 in the second quarter of the USFL title game, and it looked like their quest for a third consecutive spring championship title was coming to an end. They turned things around by scoring the final 28 points of the game. That 15-point deficit was the largest that Birmingham had faced at any point in the last three spring seasons.
22: Birmingham has an opportunity to avenge their only loss of the regular season against San Antonio on Sunday. The Stallions will also be going for a historic three-peat. The last franchise to win three straight titles in the NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL was when the Los Angeles Lakers accomplished the feat 22 years ago in 2002.
31: The Brahmas’ top-ranked defense has played the two best scoring offenses in the UFL for the past three weeks — Birmingham in Week 9, followed by St. Louis in Week 10 and again in the XFL Championship Game. San Antonio has only allowed a total of 31 offensive points over those three games.
50: Michigan's star kicker Jake Bates put the Panthers up 18-3 with his fourth field goal of the first half, but his ensuing kickoff went out of bounds and was placed at the 50-yard line. Stallions QB Martinez then hit tight end Jordan Thomas for a touchdown on the next play to ignite the Stallions' comeback.
69: San Antonio RB Anthony McFarland’s 69-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter of Sunday's game was the longest run by any player in the UFL this season. After missing four weeks with a shoulder injury, McFarland has been a major asset late in the season. The former Maryland Terrapin is averaging 123.7 total yards per game in his three appearances since returning in Week 8.
111: An area of concern for Birmingham is penalties. On Saturday, the Stallions racked up 11 penalties for 111 yards against the Panthers — both numbers were their worst in past three spring seasons.
213: With John Lovett and McFarland in action in the San Antonio backfield, the Brahmas' run game was at its best in the playoffs, averaging over 6.0 yards per carry and totaling 213 yards on the ground. This marked the first time the team had gone over 200 rushing yards all season.
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