UFL Week 1: Highlights, game recaps, top players

UFL Week 1: Highlights, game recaps, top players،

The United Football League, the result of a merger between the XFL and USFL, kicked off Saturday, as the UFL opened its 10-week season with two games pitting former XFL teams against former teams of the USFL.

Saturday began with the champions of each league facing off in Arlington, Texas, with the two-time defending USFL champions the Birmingham Stallions prevailing over the defending XFL champions the Arlington Renegades. Saturday's action continues at Ford Field in Detroit, as the Michigan Panthers host AJ McCarron and the St. Louis Battlehawks.

ESPN will broadcast Sunday's action, starting with the San Antonio Brahmas hosting the DC Defenders at noon ET. Action tips off at 3 p.m. ET in Houston, as the Houston Roughnecks take on the Memphis Showboats.

Saturday matches

Stallions quarterback Matt Corral, a former Ole Miss star and 2022 third-round pick of the Carolina Panthers, threw for 201 yards on 12-of-21 passing and delivered a beautiful 39-yard touchdown pass to Deon Cain just before half-time to lead Birmingham. to victory in the battle of the reigning champions.

In case you were wondering who the real Champions were 😏🐎

It’s a W Stallions 🔥 #GiddyUp pic.twitter.com/ePHGHFPc7G

– CHAMPIONSTALLIONS B2B 🏆🏆 (@USFLStallions) March 30, 2024

The Corral-Cain touchdown allowed the Stallions (1-0) to tie the Renegades at 11-11 with three seconds remaining in the first half. The Stallions continued their momentum in the second half with short touchdown runs from Ricky Person Jr. and CJ Marable. Marable led all rushers with 67 rushing yards to go along with his touchdown run for Birmingham, which is now 22-3 over the past two seasons.

Arlington (0-1) got into the end zone first, as Luis Perez hit Isaiah Winstead on a 51-yard touchdown pass with 9:01 left in the second quarter to give the Renegades an 11-year lead. 3. Perez threw for a total of 214 yards on 19-of-28 passing, but threw a costly fourth-quarter interception to Birmingham cornerback Mark Gilbert to sabotage a comeback attempt.