Gamblers Down Stallions In Final Seconds, drop Birmingham to 1-1
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - April 5, 2026
By Steve Irvine
HOUSTON, Texas (April 5, 2026) – Houston Gamblers kicker John Hoyland capped off a five-field goal night with a successful 50-yarder that provided the winning points in a 22-20 UFL victory over the Birmingham Stallions on Sunday at Shell Energy Stadium. For the Stallions, it was a particularly frustrating ending after failing to get off the field when they had the opportunity on the final drive.
“Tough loss,” Stallions head coach AJ McCarron said after his team fell to 1-1 on the season. “Too many self-inflicted wounds. (Quarterback Matt Corral) knows he’s got to take care of the ball, we can’t hurt ourselves. And then penalties on our part when it comes to critical times. We stop them on fourth (down), it would have been a holding and then we get a horse collar over there. Then the pass interference that they challenged on (Steven Gilmore). It’s on us, we got to clean those up.”
The game-winning drive came after the Stallions strung together a clutch drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by Anthony McFarland with 2:02 left in the game to give Birmingham a 20-19 lead. The 59-yard drive featured 51 yards passing by Corral on four completions. The touchdown was set up on a pass interference call in the end zone to place the ball at the 1-yard line. The Stallions attempted a two-point conversion pass but it sailed wide, leaving Birmingham with the one-point lead.
Houston’s ensuing possession looked to be over after four plays when quarterback Nolan Henderson threw an incompletion on 4th-and-6. However, the play was negated by a holding call on Houston and a horse collar penalty on Stallions linebacker Dyontae Johnson as Henderson was throwing the pass. Henderson ran for 14 yards on the following play but the play was overturned by a successful challenge from McCarron on a holding call forced by Stallions defensive lineman Amani Bledsoe. That set up a 4th-and-16 and Houston converted on a 29-yard pass from Henderson to Armani Rogers, giving the Gamblers a first down at the Stallions 47-yard line.
Once again, the Stallions forced another fourth down and they appeared to get off the field by forcing an incompletion. But Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin challenged that Gilmore interfered on the play. Sumlin won the challenge and the Gamblers (1-1) had a first down at the Stallions 38-yard line. After a 6-yard run, Hoyland came on to win the game.
It was an up-and-down game for Corral. The Stallions quarterback was 21-of-27 for 226 yards with touchdown passes to Deon Cain and Jaydon Mickens. But he also threw two interceptions. Cain, Mickens and Justyn Ross had five catches each.
Linebacker Tae Crowder led the defense with 11 tackles, Alex Cook had nine tackles, one tackle for loss and one pass breakup, Kyahva Tezino had seven tackles and forced a fumble in the red zone for the second consecutive game and Tre Norwood had eight tackles and the fumble recovery.
Notes
The Stallions forced a turnover on the opening series for the second consecutive game. It was also the second game in a row that Kyahva Tezino forced a red zone fumble that was recovered by a teammate. This time it was Tezino ending a promising opening drive for Houston by popping the ball free. Tre Norwood recovered at the Stallions 4-yard line.
The Stallions are 2-for-5 on fourth down plays over the first two weeks. The Stallions were 1-for-2 on fourth down on Sunday.
Matt Corral’s first interception of the season came with 13:03 left in the second quarter. Kerry Vincent intercepted Corral’s pass, marking the Stallions first giveaway of the season.
Matt Corral has more passing yards (433) in the first two games than any Birmingham quarterback since the Stallions began play in the spring league in 2022. J’Mar Smith had the previous high with 385 yards in the first two games of the 2022 season.
Starting tackle Armoni Taylor-Prioleau was hurt on the Stallions first drive of the game and did not return to the game. Taylor-Prioleau suffered a concussion. Noah Henderson took over at left tackle.
ATTENDANCE: 7,744
How It Happened
Second Quarter
5:54 - HOU | John Hoyland was successful on a 32-yard field goal attempt. The scoring drive lasted 13 plays and covered 44 yards. (3-0, Gamblers)
1:12 – HOU | John Hoyland was successful on a 37-yard field goal attempt. The scoring drive lasted eight plays and covered 48 yards. (6-0, Gamblers).
0:24 – BIR | Jaydon Mickens gets open in the end zone and hauls in a 6-yard touchdown pass from Matt Corral. Jonathan Garibaby added the extra point. The scoring drive lasted six plays and covered 60 yards. (7-6, Stallions).
Third Quarter
11:11 - BIR | Matt Corral connects with Deon Cain on a 12-yard touchdown play. Jonathan Garibay added the extra point. The scoring drive lasted seven plays and covered 63 yards. (14-6, Stallions).
7:12 – HOU | John Hoyland was successful on a 25-yard field goal. The scoring drive lasted nine plays and covered 61 yards. (14-9, Stallions)
Fourth Quarter
14:56 - HOU | John Hoyland was successful on a 23-yard field goal. The scoring drive was nine plays and covered 68 yards. (14-12, Stallions).
7:20 – HOU | Jalen White found the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown run to give Houston the lead. John Hoyland was successful on the extra point. The scoring drive lasted 14 plays and covered 57 yards. (19-14, Gamblers).
2:02 – BIR | Anthony McFarland squeezed into the end zone on a 1-yard touchdown run. The two-point pass attempt from Matt Corral to Jaydon Mickens was incomplete. The scoring drive lasted nine plays and covered 59 yards. (20-19, Stallions).
0:00 – HOU | John Hoyland was successful on a 50-yard field goal. The scoring drive lasted nine plays and covered 43 yards (22-20, Gamblers).
Up Next
The Stallions face the St. Louis Battlehawks at The Dome at America’s Center in what is the toughest home environment in the UFL.
The contest will be played on Sunday, April 12 at 2 p.m. and will be televised live on ABC.