2023 USFL Championship at a glance: Pittsburgh Maulers vs. Birmingham Stallions
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The Pittsburgh Maulers will try to complete their quest to go from worst to first when they meet the the Birmingham Stallions at 8 p.m. Saturday in the 2023 USFL Championship game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.
The game will be broadcast on NBC.
Here’s a breakdown on the matchup:
Pittsburgh Maulers (5-6)
How they got here: The Maulers defeated the Michigan Panthers, 31-27, last Saturday to claim the North Division championship. The back-and-forth contest was ultimately decided using the USFL’s “shootout” format in overtime where the Maulers converted twice from the 2-yard line, and stopped the Panthers on their first two attempts.
Head coach: Ray Horton, 1st season
• Horton played for the Bengals and Cowboys before spending 25 seasons as an assistant coach and coordinator in the NFL, including a stint as the Steelers secondary coach from 2004-10.
Statistical leaders: QB Troy Williams, 144-221, 1,414 passing yards, 6 TDs; 60 rushes, 341 rushing yards, 3 TDs
RB Madre London, 66 rushes, 254 yards, 1 TD
WR Isiah Hennie, 46 catches, 474 yards, 4 TDs; 17 punt returns, 297 yards
K Chris Blewitt, 21 of 25 field goals, 10 of 13 PATs, 73 points
Notable: The Maulers finished 1-9 last year as the USFL brought back a dormant league with eight teams that played all their games in a hub in Birmingham, Ala. … They won the North Division championship after going 4-6 in the regular season. They won a tiebreaker against Michigan and Philadelphia to earn one of the division’s two playoff berths and are riding a three-game winning streak. … The Maulers relied heavily on a stout defense, led by defensive coordinator/assistant head coach Jarren Horton, the head coach’s son. The unit led the USFL in takeaways (20) and was second in points allowed per game (17.2). They also limited Stallions QB Alex McGough to 157 yards in their regular-season meeting. … Representing the Maulers on the All-USFL team were linebacker Kyahva Tezino, cornerback Mark Gilbert, safety Tre Tarpley III (Central Catholic), kick returner Josh Simmons and punt returner Isiah Hennie.
Birmingham Stallions (9-2)
How they got here: Birmingham defeated the New Orleans Breakers, 47-22, to win the South Division championship Sunday night.
Head coach: Skip Holtz, second season
• The son of former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz, Skip Holtz previously was head coach for Louisiana Tech, South Florida, East Carolina and UConn at the collegiate level. He had a record of 152-121, including two conference titles and eight bowl victories.
Statistical leaders: QB Alex McGough, 180-267, 2,104 passing yards, 20 TDs; 70 rushes, 403 rushing yards, 5 TDs
WR Davion Davis, 39 catches, 575 yards, 4 TDs
TE Jace Sternberger, 33 catches, 517 yards, 7 TDs
RB CJ Marable, 118 rushes, 525 yards, 3 TDs
Notable: Birmingham won the 2022 USFL championship with a 33-30 win over the Philadelphia Stars. … The Stallions went 8-2 in the regular season, including a 24-20 victory over the Maulers. Deon Cain’s 91-yard kickoff return was the key play in the Week 4 win. … They have the league’s top offensive attack, averaging 28.7 points ad 332.6 yards per game. … The Stallions have won six straight games since losing to the Houston Gamblers, 27-20. … McGough was named to the All-USFL team, along with Sternberger, punter Colby Wadman and long snapper Ryan Langan.