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Inside the UFL

by Fran Stuchbury
June 12, 2025 - United Football League (UFL)


The Michigan Panthers and the D.C Defenders punched their tickets to the United Football League Championship with road victories in the conference championship games last week.

In the USFL Conference title game, Michigan defeated the defending champion Birmingham Stallions, 44-29, while the D.C Defenders took down the St. Louis Battlehawks, 36-18 in the XFL Conference Championship.

After losing seven straight games to the Stallions, five in the UFL and two in the USFL, Michigan finally broke through.

Quarterback Bryce Perkins, who had not played since week seven, did not show any rust, completing 20 of 25 passes for 238 yards and one touchdown, plus eight carries for 34 yards and another score.

A pair of impressive plays highlighted Perkins' day. With the Panthers up 21-17 in the third quarter but facing third down and 14 on the 36-yard line, Perkins avoided a sack and scrambled 29 yards for a huge first down. Toa Taua finished the drive with the second of his three rushing touchdowns to extend the lead to 28-17.

On Michigan's next possession, Perkins' short pass to wide receiver Malik Turner turned into a 76-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 34-17.

Meanwhile, the Birmingham Stallions were unable to get into a rhythm on offense. Quarterback J'Mar Smith struggled, completing four of ten passes for 104 and one touchdown but also tossed a costly interception returned by Panthers safety Kai Nacua 25-yards for a score to put the Stallions into a 21-6 hole in the second quarter.

Needing a spark, Coach Skip Holtz benched Smith and inserted Matt Corral who had not played since week four due to a hip injury. Corral connected on 12 of 25 throws for 147 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Birmingham went through more quarterbacks than any UFL team this season. Due to injuries, five different passers took snaps throughout the season: Alex McGough, Matt Corral, Case Cookus, Andrew Peasely and J'Mar Smith.

Michigan's ability to run the football allowed them to control the game. Thanks to Taua, Parkins and Matthew Colburn the Panthers ground out 144 rushing yards compared to 61 by Birmingham, helping them win the time of possession at 34:39 while the Stallions held the ball for 25:21.

Three turnovers, all interceptions, hampered Birmingham as Michigan lost the ball just once.

In the XFL Championship, the Defenders defense dominated the game.

In three previous games, the Battlehawks offensive surrendered just two sacks, but D.C. collected five Sunday. The Defenders also had nine tackles for loss, six pass breakups, one interception, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

St. Louis had averaged 144 rushing yards per game, but D.C. held them to only 83 on the ground.

Running backs Deon Jackson and Abram Smith combined for 174 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Jordan Ta'amu completed 18 of 26 passes for 204 yards, one touchdown that went for 42 yards for Seth Williams, and one interception.

Battlehawks quarterback Max Duggan struggled was benched at halftime with his team down 20-6. Brandon Silvers threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Hakeem Butler to cut the deficit to 26-12 but that's as close as they were able to get. For the second year in a row St Louis lost the conference championship at home.

2025 United Football League Championship

Saturday June 14, 2025 - D.C Defenders vs. Michigan Panthers, 8 pm est. ABC

The teams played in week six at Michigan with the Panthers winning the game 38-14.

When Perkins has been healthy, he's been a dominant player. Playing just seven games, he was named UFL Offensive Player of the Year.

Defenders quarterback Ta'amu has more starting experience but has struggled in big games.

Both teams have good rushing attacks. The Panthers were second in the UFL in average rushing yards per game with 127. Taua led the UFL in rushing touchdowns during the regular season with six and had another three in their playoff win. Colburn played last week over Nate McCrary after being activated off the injured list on May 12th.

The Defenders have a nice one-two punch with Jackson and Smith. Jackson led the team with 417 rushing yards. Smith topped the XFL with 788 rushing yards in 2023 but tore his ACL in 2024 and missed the season.

Siaosi Mariner and Malik Turner are Perkins favorite wide receiver targets. Mariner collected 527 receiving yards and Turner added 327 during the regular season. Tight end Gunnar Oakes made the All-UFL Team

For the Defenders, wide receiver Chris Rowland landed on the All-UFL Team, catching 42 passes for 522 yards and three touchdowns. Cornell Powell contributed 418 yards and seven touchdowns. Seth Williams caught a 42-yard touchdown pass in the playoff game.

The Panthers defense has two players on the All-UFL Team in cornerback Kedrick Whitehead and safety Arnold Tarpley.

The Defenders saw three players make the All-UFL team in defensive tackle Joe Wallace, linebacker Derick Roberson, and cornerback Deandre Baker. They've performed well in both games this year at St. Louis, the site of the title game.

Panthers kicker B.T. Potter connected on 11 of 16 field goal attempts with his longest from 56 yards. Defenders kicker Matt McCrane made 14 of 20 attempts with a long of 53 yards.

The head coaching battle features a long-time veteran of the game against a relative newcomer.

66-year-old Mike Nolan helms the Panthers after previously serving as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2005 until 2008. He has been Michigan's head coach since the 2023 USFL season. Nolan was UFL Head Coach of the Year in 2024 when he led the team to a 7-3 record.

At 44, Shannon Harris became interim head coach a week before this season began after Reggie Barlow left for Tennessee State. Harris was familiar with the team as their quarterbacks coach in 2023 and 2024. On Thursday, the UFL named Harris the 2025 Coach of the Year, while Offensive Coordinator Fred Kaiss had been named the 2025 UFL Assistant Coach of the Year.

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EXTRA POINTS

  • Sunday's Michigan Panthers at Birmingham Stallions broadcast on ABC totaled 1,100,000 viewers, and D.C Defenders matchup at St. Louis Battlehawks on FOX completed the weekend with 873,000 viewers.

  • Attendance at Sunday's Michigan Birmingham game was 10,928, while D.C. at St. Louis drew 27,589.

  • Michigan Panthers running back Toa Taua, the D.C. Defenders defense, and Michigan Panthers wide receiver Malik Turner were named the OurSports Central United Football League Offensive Player, Defensive Player and Unsung Hero of the Week, respectively, for the Conference Championship week of UFL season.

  • Teams went six-of-eleven on one-point conversion attempts from the two-yard line, two-of-six on two-point conversions from the five-yard line, and did not attempt a three-point conversion from the 10-yard line.

  • St. Louis Battlehawks linebacker Pita Taumoepenu has been named the 2025 UFL Defensive Player of the Year.

  • Road teams went 2-0 in the Conference Championships.
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