USFL Playoffs 2022 score, highlights: Birmingham Stallions defeat New Orleans Breakers 31-17

By Jun 25, 2022, 10:55 PM EDT
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The Birmingham Stallions defeated the New Orleans Breakers 31-17 in the second of two 2022 USFL semifinal games from Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. The Breakers scored on their first drive of the game, and both teams combined for 28 points in the second quarter alone, but the Stallions were able to pull away late in the fourth quarter and secure a bid to the Championship.

RELATED: How to watch the 2022 USFL Playoffs: Dates, location, matchups, tv schedule, and live stream info.

The Stallions and head coach Skip Holtz had it working on all sides of the ball, with a passing touchdown, a rushing touchdown, a kick return touchdown, and two turnovers and a touchdown from their defense. Broadcast announcer and ex-NFL head coach Jason Garrett said of quarterback J’Mar Smith’s performance: he played at an “MVP” and “Championship” level.

Meanwhile, New Orleans quarterback Kyle Sloter threw for 327 passing yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He completed 22 passes on 40 attempts. Tight end Sal Canella had a connection going with Sloter all night, turning in 154 yards on 12 receptions.

The inaugural USFL Championship is now set, with Birmingham set to face head coach Bart Andrus and the Philadelphia Stars on Sunday, July 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET on Fox.

RELATED: USFL selects 25 players to be part of inaugural 2022 All-USFL team

Breakers vs. Stallions score, results, highlights

Final score: New Orleans Breakers 17, Birmingham Stallions 31

1st quarter, 7:33 (Breakers): J.Ellis rushed to BHAM End Zone for 1 yards. J.Ellis for 1 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

2nd quarter, 14:55 (Stallions): J.Smith pass deep right complete to NO 23. Catch made by O.Mitchell at NO 23. Gain of 23 yards. O.Mitchell for 23 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

2nd quarter, 12:05 (Stallions): K.Sloter pass INTERCEPTED at BHAM 29. Intercepted by D.Gates at BHAM 29. D.Gates for 71 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

2nd quarter, 1:15 (Breakers): K.Sloter pass complete to BHAM 35. Catch made by J.Ellis at BHAM 35. Gain of 35 yards. J.Ellis for 35 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

2nd quarter, 1:06 (Stallions): T.Bertolet kicks 65 yards from NO 25 to the BHAM 10. V.Bolden returns the kickoff. V.Bolden for 90 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

2nd quarter, 0:33 (Stallions): K.Sloter pass short left INTERCEPTED at BHAM 33. Intercepted by T.Hayes at BHAM 33. Tackled by L.Morris at BHAM 40.

3rd quarter, 4:39 (Breakers): T.Bertolet 23 yard field goal attempt is good.

4th quarter, 12:07 (Stallions): B.Aubrey 38 yard field goal attempt is good.

4th quarter, 0:45 (Stallions): J.Smith rushed up the middle to NO End Zone for 2 yards. J.Smith for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Breakers vs. Stallions score reaction and coverage

10:49 p.m. ET: Quarterback J’Mar Smith rushes 2 yards up the middle to ice the game!

9:28 p.m. ET: Kyle Sloter looks to march down the field and score before halftime but gets picked off for the second time of the night.

9:22 p.m. ET: Victor Bolden Jr. takes the kickoff all the way to the house and the Stallions answer right back!

9:19 p.m. ET: Breakers go for it on 4th down and Jordan Ellis catches the pass and runs the ball 35 yards to the end-zone!

9:09 p.m. ET: Sal Cannella makes the catch and tries to stretch for the first down but fumbles! Breakers fall back on the ball and retain possession.

8:47 p.m. ET: Kyle Sloter gets hit in the pocket and intercepted by Demarquis Gates who returns it all the way back for the pick six!

8:39 p.m. ET: J’Mar Smith hooks up with Osirus Mitchell to score the Stallions’ first points of the night!

8:30 p.m. ET: Osirus Mitchell hauls in a nice high-point catch and the Stallions convert on third down.

8:23 p.m. ET: Jordan Ellis finds the end-zone and the Breakers score on their first drive down the field!

8:19 p.m. ET: Quarterback Kyle Sloter keeps the drive alive with a nifty pass to move the chains.

8:15 p.m. ET: Taywan Taylor makes a spectacular one-handed grab to haul in the 27-yard gain!

7:45 p.m. ET: The 9-1 Birmingham Stallions go head-to-head against the New Orleans Breakers tonight for some 2022 USFL Playoff action!

RELATED: Scooby Wright, Stallions focus on what’s in front – not ahead

How to watch the New Orleans Breakers vs Birmingham Stallions:

  • When: Saturday, June 25 at 8:00 p.m. ET
  • Where: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, OH
  • Live Stream: NBC and Peacock

RELATED: 2022 USFL TV Schedule – Dates and times for the 10-week inaugural football season

2023 USFL Season Schedule: Dates, times, locations, new teams, playoff format, and more

By Mar 14, 2023, 11:50 AM EDT
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The 2023 USFL Season kicks off on Saturday, April 15 and Sunday, April 16 with four thrilling games. First, the Philadelphia Stars will take on the Memphis Showboats at 4:30 PM ET followed by a New Jersey Generals vs Birmingham Stallions match up at 7:30 PM ET. On Sunday, the Michigan Panthers will go head-to-head with the Houston Gamblers at noon, followed by a Pittsburgh Maulers vs New Orleans Breakers match up at 6:30 PM.

RELATED: 2023 USFL Draft order – Complete list of every pick from Round 1 through Round 10

Season 2 of the USFL features four host cities–Detroit, Memphis, Canton, and Birmingham. This is a significant change from last year when all 10-regular season games were contested in Birmingham, Alabama and playoff games took place in Canton, Ohio. Additionally, the 2023 season will also feature a new team. The Tampa Bay Bandits will now be called the Memphis Showboats. Memphis was one of the original teams featured in the first edition of the USFL.

See below for the full 2023 USFL Season Schedule as well as answers to any questions you may have before the upcoming season. Be sure to check back for the latest updates to the schedule.

RELATED: Control what you can control – How journey through the fire led Generals RB Darius Victor to the USFL

How many teams are in the USFL?

There are a total of 8 teams in the USFL that make up two divisions:

North Division:

  • Michigan Panthers
  • New Jersey Generals
  • Philadelphia Stars
  • Pittsburgh Maulers

South Division:

  • Birmingham Stallions
  • Houston Gamblers
  • New Orleans Breakers
  • Memphis Showboats

Where will games be contested during the 2023 USFL Season?

The 2023 USFL season will feature four host cities: Detroit, Memphis, Canton, Ohio and Birmingham, Alabama.

  • The New Jersey Generals and Pittsburgh Maulers will be hosted in Canton, Ohio at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
  • The Birmingham Stallions and New Orleans Breakers will be hosted in Birmingham at Protective Stadium.
  • The Michigan Panthers and Philadelphia Stars will be hosted in Detroit, Michigan at Ford Field.
  • The Memphis Showboats and Houston Gamblers will be hosted in Memphis, Tennessee at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.

RELATED: Just Keep Going – Stallions RB CJ Marable makes a policy of perseverance

How many weeks are in the USFL’s regular season?

There are 10 weeks in the regular season. Each team will go head-to-head with division rivals twice and face off against teams of the opposite division once.

How will 2023 USFL playoffs work?

After the 10 week regular season comes to a close, the top two teams from each division will go head-to-head in two playoff games in late June, with the winners advancing to the USFL Championship game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

2023 USFL Season Schedule:

*All times are listed as ET

WEEK 1

Saturday, April 15
Philadelphia at Memphis – 4:30 p.m. (FOX)
New Jersey at Birmingham – 7:30 p.m. (FOX)

Sunday, April 16
Michigan at Houston – 12 p.m. (NBC and Peacock)
Pittsburgh at New Orleans – 6:30 p.m. (FS1)

WEEK 2

Saturday, April 22
Houston at New Orleans – 12:30 p.m. (USA and Peacock)
Memphis at Birmingham – 7 p.m. (FOX)

Sunday, April 23
New Jersey at Pittsburgh – 12 p.m. (NBC and Peacock)
Michigan at Philadelphia – 7 p.m. (FS1)

WEEK 3

Saturday, April 29
New Orleans at Birmingham – 12:30 p.m. (USA and Peacock)
Memphis at Houston – 7 p.m. (FOX)

Sunday, April 30
Pittsburgh at Philadelphia – 12 p.m. (NBC and Peacock)
New Jersey at Michigan – 4 p.m. (FOX)

WEEK 4

Saturday, May 6 
Houston at Philadelphia – 1 p.m. (FOX)
Memphis at Michigan –  7:30 p.m. (NBC and Peacock)

Sunday, May 7
New Orleans at New Jersey – 3 p.m. (NBC and Peacock)
Birmingham at Pittsburgh – 6:30 p.m. (FS1)

WEEK 5

Saturday, May 13
Pittsburgh at Michigan – 12:30 p.m. (USA and Peacock)
Houston at Birmingham – 4 p.m. (FOX)

Sunday, May 14
New Jersey at Philadelphia – 12 p.m. (NBC and Peacock)
Memphis at New Orleans – 3 p.m. (FOX)

WEEK 6

Saturday, May 20
Pittsburgh at Memphis – 12:30 p.m. (USA and Peacock)
Birmingham at Michigan –  4 p.m. (FOX)

Sunday, May 21
New Orleans at Philadelphia – 12 p.m. (FS1)
New Jersey at Houston – 4 p.m. (FOX)

WEEK 7

Saturday, May 27
Birmingham at New Orleans –  4 p.m. (FOX)
Philadelphia at Pittsburgh – 9 p.m. (FS1)

Sunday, May 28
Houston at Memphis – 2 p.m. (USA and Peacock)
Michigan at New Jersey – 5:30 p.m. (FS1)

WEEK 8

Saturday, June 3
Houston at Pittsburgh – 12 p.m. (USA and Peacock)
Philadelphia at Birmingham – 3 p.m. (NBC and Peacock)

Sunday, June 4
Memphis at New Jersey – 1 p.m. (FOX)
Michigan at New Orleans – 4 p.m. (FOX)

WEEK 9

Saturday, June 10
Michigan at Pittsburgh – 12 p.m. (FOX)
New Orleans at Memphis – 3 p.m. (NBC and Peacock)

Sunday, June 11
Birmingham at Houston – 2 p.m. (NBC and Peacock)
Philadelphia at New Jersey – 7 p.m. (FOX)

WEEK 10

Saturday, June 17
Pittsburgh at New Jersey – 1 p.m. (USA and Peacock)
Birmingham at Memphis – 4 p.m. (FOX)

Sunday, June 18
New Orleans at Houston – 4 p.m. (FS1)
Philadelphia at Michigan – 7 p.m. (FOX)

RELATED: XFL, USFL to dump the worst rule in football

2023 USFL Draft order: Complete list of every pick from Round 1 through Round 10

By Feb 22, 2023, 6:09 PM EST
It's the Pittsburgh Maulers vs New Jersey Generals this Friday night on USA Network.
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As the USFL prepares for its second season, it reached a historic milestone by completing the 2023 USFL Draft. Eight teams selected a total of 80 eligible players across 10 rounds.

Out of over 3,000 eligible players, the first pick of the draft was Michigan State offensive tackle Jarrett Horst to the Michigan Panthers. The Panthers selected first because the winner of the Week 10 contest vs. the Pittsburgh Maulers decided the team that started the draft. The Panthers were victorious 33-21. The New Jersey Generals did not have a pick in the first round and their second and fifth-round picks were penalized because of “a violation of offseason roster management rules.” Instead, the Generals had its first pick shifted to the last pick of the entire draft in Round 10.

The USFL was founded in 1982. Since the USFL does not take place during the NFL season, it was intended to “try and fill the NFL-sized hole for fans when it begins play in the spring.” After its founding, the USFL ceased operations two seasons later in 1986. The 2023 season marks the first time since the beginning of the league that has had back-to-back seasons. Usually, spring leagues would host a 60-round selection draft, but USFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Daryl Johnston said that they are working to add more talent to each team’s roster, not rebuilding the eight teams.

The top 3 players selected in the draft were Horst, Incarnate Word quarterback Lindsey Scott Jr., and Appalachian State quarterback Chase Brice.

2023 USFL Draft

Round 1

  1. Michigan Panthers – Jarrett Horst, OT, Michigan State
  2. Pittsburgh Maulers – Lindsey Scott Jr., QB, Incarnate Word
  3. Houston Gamblers – Chase Brice, QB, Appalachian State
  4. Memphis Showboats – Mason Brooks, OT, Mississippi
  5. New Orleans Breakers – Tyler Scott, WR, Cincinnati
  6. Philadelphia Stars – Alfred Edwards III, OT, Utah State
  7. Birmingham Stallions – Kadeem Telfort, OT, UAB

Round 2

  1. Michigan Panthers – Tanner Morgan, QB, Michigan State
  2. Pittsburgh Maulers – Malik Hamm, DE, Lafayette
  3. Houston Gamblers – Justin Ford, CB, Montana
  4. Memphis Showboats – Isaiah Bolden, CB, Jackson State
  5. New Orleans Breakers – Noah Taylor, LB, Virginia
  6. Philadelphia Stars – Anderson Hardy, OT, Appalachian State
  7. Birmingham Stallions – Quinton Barrow, OT, Grand Valley State
  8. New Jersey Generals – Adrian Martinez, QB Kansas State

Round 3

  1. Michigan Panthers – Santrell Latham, LB, Southern Miss
  2. Pittsburgh Maulers – Tre’Quan Dorsey, OL, St. Francis
  3. Houston Gamblers – Joseph Fisher, OG, Shepard
  4. Memphis Showboats – Brevin Allen, DE, Campbell
  5. New Orleans Breakers – DJ Ivey, CB, Miami, Fla.
  6. Philadelphia Stars – Isaac Moore, OT, Temple
  7. Birmingham Stallions – Malik Cunningham, QB, Louisville
  8. New Jersey Generals – JJ Holloman, WR, Tennessee State

Round 4

  1. Michigan Panthers – DJ Scaife Jr., OL, Miami Fla.
  2. Pittsburgh Maulers – Ferlando Jordan, DB, SE Louisiana
  3. Houston Gamblers – Scott Matlock, DT, Boise State
  4. Memphis Showboats – Benny Sapp III, DB, Northern Iowa
  5. New Orleans Breakers – Keaton Mitchell, RB, East Carolina
  6. Philadelphia Stars – Truman Jones, DE, Harvard
  7. Birmingham Stallions – Derius Davis, WR, TCU
  8. New Jersey Generals – Victor Jones, DE, Akron

Round 5

  1. Michigan Panthers – Dashaun White, LB, Oklahoma
  2. Pittsburgh Maulers – Isaiah Land, DE, Florida A&M
  3. Houston Gamblers – Jeffrey Johnson, DT, Oklahoma
  4. Memphis Showboats – Michael Ezeiki, TE, UCLA
  5. New Orleans Breakers – Isaiah Moore, LB, NC State
  6. Philadelphia Stars – Earl Bostick Jr., OT, Kansas
  7. Birmingham Stallions – Zeke Vandenburgh, LB, Illinois State
  8. New Jersey Generals – De’Jahn Warren, CB, Jackson State

Round 6

  1. Michigan Panthers – Levi Russo-Bell, DE, Texas State
  2. Pittsburgh Maulers – Nash Jensen, OG, North Dakota State
  3. Houston Gamblers – Keenan Isaac, DB, Alabama State
  4. Memphis Showboats – Jerome Carvin, OL, Tennessee
  5. New Orleans Breakers – Dante Stills, DL, West Virginia
  6. New Jersey Generals – Derrick Tucker, DB, Texas Southern
  7. Philadelphia Stars – Jose Ramirez, DE, Eastern Michigan
  8. Birmingham Stallions – Colby Sorsdal, OT, William & Mary

Round 7

  1. Michigan Panthers – Gunnar Oakes, TE, Eastern Michigan
  2. Pittsburgh Maulers – Taylor Grimes, WR, Incarnate Word
  3. Houston Gamblers – Alex Jensen, OL, South Dakota
  4. Memphis Showboats – Nehemiah Shelton, CB, San Jose State
  5. New Orleans Breakers – Darius Hagans, RB, Virginia State
  6. New Jersey Generals – Jermaine McDaniel, DE, North Carolina A&T
  7. Philadelphia Stars – Demontrey Jacobs, OL, South Florida
  8. Birmingham Stallions – Grant Dubose, WR, Charlotte

Round 8

  1. Michigan Panthers – Andrew Farmer II, OLB, Lane College
  2. Pittsburgh Maulers – CJ Turner, WR, SE Louisiana
  3. Houston Gamblers – Brady Russell, TE, Colorado
  4. Memphis Showboats, Trea Shropshire, WR, UAB
  5. New Orleans Breakers – Jake Bobo, WR, UCLA
  6. New Jersey Generals – Adam Korsak, P, Rutgers
  7. Philadelphia Stars – Trey Botts, DL, Colorado State-Pueblo
  8. Birmingham Stallions – Mark Evans II, Ol, Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Round 9

  1. Michigan Panthers – Chim Okorafor, OT, Benedictine
  2. Pittsburgh Maulers – Jacob Slade, DT, Michigan State
  3. Houston Gamblers – Jason Taylor II, S, Oklahoma State
  4. Memphis Showboats – Silas Dzansi, OT, Virginia Tech
  5. New Orleans Breakers – Alex Palczewski, OT, Illinois
  6. New Jersey Generals – Jalen Holston, RB, Virginia Tech
  7. Philadelphia Stars – Destin Mack, CB, Citadel
  8. Birmingham Stallions – B.J. Thompson, DE, Stephen F. Austin

Round 10

  1. Michigan Panthers – Sidy Sow, OG, Eastern Michigan
  2. Pittsburgh Maulers – Ethan Evans, K, Wingate
  3. Houston Gamblers – Colby Reeder, LB, Iowa State
  4. Memphis Showboats – Antonio Fletcher, S, Southern Illinois
  5. New Orleans Breakers – Tyler Baker-Williams, CB, NC State
  6. New Jersey Generals – Nick Zecchino, LS, Purdue
  7. Philadelphia Stars – Dre Terry, LB, Alabama A&M
  8. Birmingham Stallions – Starling Thomas V, CB, UAB
  9. New Jersey Generals – Rey Estes, CB, Grambling State**