In the first-ever United Football League game Saturday, the USFL champion Birmingham Stallions posted a 27-14 victory over the XFL champion Arlington Renegades at Arlington, Texas.
Matt Corral was 12-of-21 passing with 201 yards and a touchdown for the Stallions (1-0), while C.J. Marable had 67 yards rushing and a TD and Ricky Person Jr. added 31 yards on the ground with a score.
Luis Perez was 19-of-28 passing with 214 yards and a TD for the Renegades (0-1), connecting on a 51-yard scoring pass with Isaiah Winstead in the second quarter.
Corral hit Deon Cain on a 39-yard TD pass with three seconds remaining in the first half to tie the score at 11. Birmingham outscored Arlington 16-3 in the second half on Person and Marable rushing TDs to put away the victory.
The UFL launched this season as a merger between the USFL and the XFL with eight teams in the spring league.
The Stallions and Renegades are joined by the D.C. Defenders, Houston Roughnecks, Memphis Showboats, Michigan Panthers, San Antonio Brahmas and St. Louis Battlehawks.
Panthers 18, Battlehawks 16
Jake Bates kicked a 64-yard field goal with three seconds left, lifting host Michigan over St. Louis in Detroit in the season opener for both teams.
Bates’ game-winning kick came after St. Louis took a 16-15 lead with 49 seconds left on AJ McCarron’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Marcell Ateman.
For the Panthers, E.J. Perry was 12-of-24 passing for 176 yards and two interceptions but scored two rushing touchdowns. Wes Hills rushed for 85 yards on 11 carries.
McCarron completed 24 of 37 pass attempts for 216 yards and two touchdowns while Ateman caught six passes for 60 yards.
–Field Level Media
