Adrian Martinez puts together complete game for Stallions

Before their home opener at Protective Stadium on Saturday night, the Birmingham Stallions unveiled a championship banner celebrating their 2023 USFL title after also winning the 2022 crown.

Then the Stallions played as though they intend to three-peat by downing the Memphis Showboats 33-14 to improve to 3-0. It would have been worse, but Birmingham failed on all four of its conversion attempts and Memphis got a safety on sack with 1:49 to play.

Birmingham coach Skip Holtz altered his quarterback strategy from the first two games, and Stallions QB Adrian Martinez responded by completing 18-of-28 passes for 344 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions and running for 44 yards and one touchdown on five carries.

Matt Corral started Birmingham’s first two games at quarterback, and Holtz had alternated the signal-callers two series at a time. Martinez went all the way against Memphis and directed the Stallions to points on seven of their first nine possessions.

“It was a decision made that it was going to be Adrian’s game,” Holtz said. “… I think he earned that during the course of the week. He had a great day on Wednesday, which was our work day with the short week. I thought he had a really productive day Wednesday, and I think he’s earned this opportunity.

“I’m in a great situation as a coach: I think we have two very good quarterbacks. I think we have three. The other one only went 11-1 and won a championship, so I can’t even take J’Mar (Smith) out of it.”

Martinez’s touchdown passes went to tight end Jace Sternberger from 6 yards out for the game’s opening points with 5:36 left in the first quarter and 41 yards to wide receiver Marlon Williams with two seconds left in the opening period. The former McGill-Toolen standout’s TD reception gave Birmingham a 12-6 lead.

Martinez had four other completions that gained more than 30 yards, perhaps none bigger than a 36-yard connection with wide receiver Deon Cain. The completion came after Memphis kicker Matt Coghlin’s field goal had cut the Stallions’ lead to 15-12 with 14 seconds left in the first half. Cain’s catch put Birmingham at the Memphis 28-yard line with two seconds remaining in the period, and Chris Blewitt made the last of his three field goals from 43 yards out as time ran out in the first half.

“Offensively we had a lot of big plays tonight,” Holtz said. “Made some great decisions. Made some big plays on the perimeter. None more than right before half, the play that gave us a field goal.”

Martinez also had completions for 40 yards to Cain, 35 yards to running back Ricky Person Jr. and 31 yards to Sternberger.

Cain had seven receptions for 144 yards in the game.

Martinez closed Birmingham’s scoring on an 11-yard run with 8:28 remaining. Person also ran for a fourth-quarter touchdown, scoring from 5 yards out with 14:23 to play.

“Whenever you can come out of a game and learn from a win instead of a loss, we’ll definitely take that,” Martinez said. “I’m fortunate to be around some great players, a great football coach, and there were some mistakes I made. But that’s why you have a great team, that’s why you have faith in what we do, what we preach and just keep going. I think I got stronger, just held the faith and we were able to capitalize and put some more points on the board.”

After recording seven sacks in last week’s 20-13 victory over the Michigan Panthers, the Stallions defense continued to meet at the quarterback with eight against Memphis, an onslaught that prompted the Showboats to pull starter Chase Cookus.

Nose tackle Carlos Davis and defensive ends Jonathan Garvin and DaMarcus Mitchell had two sacks apiece for Birmingham.

“I think our defensive line has a chance to be pretty good,” Holtz said. “I think we’ve come to that conclusion.”

Stallions cornerback Daniel Isom intercepted a pass, and linebacker Kyahva Tezino recorded his 10th tackle of the game by stopping Memphis running back Titus Swen at the Stallions 1-yard line on the final play.

Saturday night’s game was the first in the United Football League game in Birmingham for the Stallions. After Birmingham defeated the Pittsburgh Maulers 28-12 in last season’s USFL championship game on July 1, the USFL and the XFL merged into a single spring-football league, with each circuit contributing four teams. Quarterback Alex McGough, who threw four touchdown passes in the Stallions’ victory over the Maulers, accepted his championship ring on the field before Saturday night’s game. McGough is now with the NFL’s Green Bay Packers.

Announced attendance for the game was 12,265.

The Stallions play the D.C. Defenders at 6 p.m. CDT April 20 at Protective Stadium in Birmingham in their next game. FOX will televise the contest.

The Showboats dropped to 1-2. Memphis visits the St. Louis Battlehawks at 11:30 a.m. April 20. ABC will televise the game.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.