The Stallions Finally Found a Spark

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - May 7, 2026

By Steve Irvine

What does one win do for a team during a season that has been filled with frustration?

In the Birmingham Stallions case that one win – a 20-17 triumph at Orlando - could very well propel them toward one of the four playoff spots over the final four weeks of the UFL regular season. That begins with Saturday’s game against the Dallas Renegades, which is scheduled for a 7 p.m. kickoff at Protective Stadium, and continues with back-to-back games against the Columbus Aviators and a home game against the Houston Gamblers.

As of now, the Stallions are one of four teams with 2-4 records and tied at the bottom of the UFL standings. Above them are the DC Defenders (5-1), St. Louis Battlehawks (4-2), Orlando Storm (4-2) and Dallas (3-3). Birmingham has losses in its only game against DC and St. Louis and have split a pair with Orlando. A win this week would move the Stallions into a tie for the fourth and final playoff spot.

“We think if we win out, we'll be the three seed, so that's how we're viewing it.” Stallions head coach AJ McCarron said in his weekly call with the media. “I think the schedule lines up for that. Our biggest thing is worrying about the process, don't worry about the end result. Go out and be 1-0 each and every week. Focus on what we've got to do (and) pay attention to, be disciplined, eye discipline, assignment discipline, like every part of the word discipline and the game you can imagine. That's what we need to be and if we focus on that, do the right things, we'll be successful and achieve what we want. But we view it as if we win out, we're going to be the three seed and we get a chance to get our lick back on one of the teams that we lost to.”

The Stallions look to have turned a corner with quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson putting the spark back in the offense and the defense overcoming a rough outing in a loss to the DC Defenders to force three turnovers and allow the Orlando Storm just three second half points in the narrow Birmingham win. Perhaps it’s also what happened on the practice field during that time that created the optimistic outlook.

“I've gotten more strict for my sense if we false start we're running down and backs at the end of practice,” McCarron said. “We had five last week on the first day of practice. They ran five down and backs. They weren't happy. But second day, we only had one. Third day of practice, we had none. And then the game, we only ended up with one. So, I mean, that's the difference. When we get tired, we have to be able to have mental toughness to push through. That's why we're going full pads our first practice of the week. We made a change a couple weeks ago where that is a serious workload day. The leadership has bought into it and pushed everybody else and held them to a standard. That's the way it's got to be. The coach can only say so much. It's got to be player-led. And I think our leadership has done a really good job of that and everybody buying into it.”

For McCarron, as well as his staff, this whole season has been a process filled with learning. McCarron said his approach has evolved during training camp and the first six games of the season.

“I think it took time for us to figure out exactly how we wanted this thing from a sense of being held to a certain standard, trying not to be too much of a player's coach to where you allow guys to take advantage of it,” McCarron said. “I mean, listen, we find guys and they understand that if you don't practice well, you're not traveling. That's how we're doing it. I've changed my mindset on that and it's more hard-nosed than anything. Players understand either you buy in or if you don't want to be here, we'll get you out of here. I got plenty of cuts. It's nothing personal, but we're going to get the guys in that want to buy in and do it the right way. And if not, hey, we'll go our separate ways and I wish the best of luck to you.”