BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (May 12, 2024) – In a back-and-forth slugfest being dubbed the Game of the Year, Adrian Martinez and the undefeated Birmingham Stallions held off a late rally by A.J. McCarron’s St. Louis Battlehawks to prevail 30-26 in an absolute classic at Protective Stadium.

The two offensive juggernauts traded haymakers throughout, with the lead changing hands four times in the second half alone. But it was Martinez’s 40-yard scoring strike to Kevin Austin Jr. with 5:23 remaining that finally allowed Birmingham to seize control for good.

“That’s a heck of a ballclub over there,” said Stallions head coach Skip Holtz. “But our guys just wouldn’t be denied tonight. Adrian and the offense made the plays when it mattered most.”

Martinez was sensational yet again, throwing for 230 yards and 3 touchdowns while also leading Birmingham in rushing with 60 yards. Austin Jr. hauled in the go-ahead score en route to a 59-yard night, while Marlon Williams (41 yards) and Deon Cain (29 yards) also caught TD passes.

Not to be outdone, McCarron tossed for 161 yards and a score and saw running back Jacob Saylors record a historic performance. Saylors rushed for two touchdowns and caught another, becoming the first Battlehawk ever with multiple rushing TDs in one game.

St. Louis grabbed its first lead at 11-9 on Saylors’ 1-yard plunge in the second quarter, only for Martinez to hook up with Cain and Williams to put Birmingham back ahead 17-11 by halftime.

The second half was an all-out shootout, with the two teams combining for five lead changes. St. Louis surged ahead 20-17 and 26-23 on TD passes from McCarron to Saylors and another Saylors scoring run. But the Stallions had the final answer when Martinez and Austin struck for the decisive blow.

“Just a phenomenal football game all around,” said McCarron. “We knew it would take our absolute best to beat those guys, and we came up just a bit short. But we’ll learn from this.”

Special teams also played a key role, with St. Louis’ Andre Szmyt booting a franchise-record 61-yard field goal as the first half expired. Chris Garrett’s blocked punt late in the fourth nearly gave the Battlehawks one final chance.

With the pulsating win, Birmingham improved to 7-0 and gained crucial separation in the USFL standings. St. Louis, now 5-2, returns home to host the 3-4 DC Defenders next Sunday.

However it shakes out the rest of the way, this Game of the Year-caliber battle will surely be remembered as an instant classic.