Alex McGough threw for 310 yards and four touchdowns as the defending USFL champion Birmingham Stallions earned a berth in this year’s title game by blowing out the visiting New Orleans Breakers on Sunday night.
McGough, who completed 21 of 31 passes, also rushed for 84 yards and a score as the Stallions (9-2) won the South Division title and will face the North champion Pittsburgh Maulers (5-6) for the championship on Saturday night.
The Stallions scored on their first seven possessions and rattled off 33 straight points in one stretch, culminating in McGough’s 5-yard touchdown run with 6:15 left in the third quarter to swell their lead to 40-7.
Ricky Person Jr. rushed for 84 yards and CJ Marable added 72 yards and a touchdown. Davion Davis made two touchdown catches and finished with 75 yards receiving, and Josh Johnson and Jace Sternberger snagged one touchdown apiece.
Davis scored on a 36-yard pass play to widen Birmingham’s lead to 19-7 with 5:22 left in the second period, and his 5-yard touchdown reception made it 26-7 with 11 seconds remaining before halftime.
McLeod Bethel-Thompson went 26 of 50 passing for 273 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Breakers. Both picks came from Birmingham cornerback Brian Allen.
Sage Surratt had seven receptions for 50 yards and a score, and Jonathan Adams also made a scoring catch. Cyrus Habibi-Likio rushed for a touchdown for the Breakers (7-4).
The Stallions led 3-0 after Brandon Aubrey’s 41-yard field goal with 9:14 left in the first period. The Breakers came back and took the lead 7-3 with 5:08 to play in the quarter on Adams’ 4-yard catch.
Sternberger’s 17-yard scoring reception with 1:49 left in the first quarter put Birmingham back on top 9-7, and then the Stallions’ onslaught began.
–Field Level Media