The Birmingham Stallions spoiled A.J. McCarron’s Alabama homecoming by defeating his St. Louis Battlehawks 30-26 on Saturday.
The game was a back-and-forth affair from start to finish. The two teams exchanged the lead six times before the Stallions took their final lead with a long touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter. The teams played in front of a crowd of 14,056 fans, a new Stallions attendance record.
McCarron, the starting quarterback for the Battlehawks, played his first game in the state of Alabama since he was the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback as a senior in 2013. He finished the game 19-for-32 passing with 161 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He also added two scrambles for 24 rushing yards.
Here are some more takeaways from the Birmingham Stallions’ (7-0) victory over the St. Louis Battlehawks (6-2):
McCarron was shaky to start the game. He threw two incompletions in a three-and-out opening drive then missed a 3rd-and-12 throw that wound up in the arms of Stallions safety A.J. Thomas.
Birmingham was able to capitalize on the turnover thanks to some long runs by running back C.J. Marable and quarterback Adrian Martinez. After successfully challenging that there was pass interference in the end zone on a pass intended for receiver Deon Cain, the Stallions punched it in from a yard out with Marable.
The Stallions failed the ensuing two-point conversion, so the score stood at 6-0. A field goal by each team made it 9-3 with about five minutes left in the first half. McCarron then led a 59-yard touchdown drive highlighted by a 44-yard pass to receiver Hakeem Butler that set up St. Louis inside the 10-yard line. Running back Jacob Saylors finished the drive with a touchdown on 4th-and-1 and gave the Battlehawks their first lead at 11-9 when he ran in the two-point conversion.
