USFL Playoffs top plays: Stallions push past Breakers

The USFL‘s inaugural postseason continued Saturday with the South’s top-seeded Birmingham Stallions taking on the No. 2 seed New Orleans Breakers in the second semifinal game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.

The Stallions, who have only lost one game all season, bounced a very competitive Breakers squad, 31-17. 

Earlier Saturday, the North’s top-seeded New Jersey Generals fell to the No. 2 seed Philadelphia Stars, 19-14.

The Stallions will join the Stars in the USFL Championship Game on Sunday, July 3 (7:30 p.m. ET, FOX). Tickets for the championship game are on sale at United States Football League (USFL) (hofvillage.com).

Here are the top plays from Saturday’s second game.

Birmingham Stallions 31, New Orleans Breakers 17

Off to a hot start

On its first drive of the game, New Orleans marched 58 yards on nine plays, ending with a 1-yard touchdown run by Jordan Ellis. 

Now it’s heating up

On the ensuing drive, Birmingham reached the end zone thanks to a 13-play, 72-yard drive orchestrated by J’Mar Smith. It ended with a 23-yard touchdown to Osirus Mitchell.

Birmingham has all the momentum

As New Orleans was in the midst of another impressive drive, quarterback Kyle Sloter, got hit on a pass attempt and was intercepted by DeMarquis Gates, who took it 70 yards for another Birmingham touchdown. 

Birmingham led 14-7 with 10:52 left in the second quarter. 

They gambled, and they hit the jackpot.

Taking a big chance before halftime, New Orleans went for it on fourth-and-4 from the Birmingham 35-yard line and Ellis did the rest of the work, taking it to the house and tying the score at 14-all before halftime. 

Not so fast

But Birmingham wanted the last laugh before the break. On the ensuing kickoff, Victor Bolden Jr. went 90 yards in 13 seconds to put the Stallions back n the lead, 21-14 with 53 seconds before halftime. 

New Orleans attempted to squeak in one last score in the remaining 53 seconds of the half, but Sloter threw an interception. With 23 seconds remaining, Birmingham couldn’t generate another score and went into halftime leading 21-14.

Eating up the clock

New Orleans got the ball to start the second half and kept it nearly the entire third quarter. After taking 10:25 off the clock, going 75 yards on 17 plays, Birmingham’s defense beefed up in the red zone, forcing the Breakers to kick a field goal. 

Birmingham led 21-17 with 4:35 left in the third. 

Birmingham returned the favor, marching down the field, but was unable to get six and had to settle for a field goal. Birmingham was up, 24-17 with 12:07 left in the game.

Sealed the deal

Just to put an exclamation point on the victory, Birmingham went on a 15-play, 88-yard drive that took up 7:45 on the clock, and Smith rushed up the middle for a 2-yard touchdown, putting the Stallions up 31-17.