The Houston Gamblers (1-1) hosted the Birmingham Stallions (1-1) on Sunday night from Shell Energy Stadium.
The game was scoreless in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Houston kicker John Hoyland made a 32-yard field goal and a 37-yard field goal to give the Gamblers a 6-0 lead. Houston quarterback Hunter Dekkers injured his left shoulder in the second quarter and missed the rest of the game. Nolan Henderson was the new quarterback for Houston.
Late in the second quarter, Birmingham went on a six-play drive for 60 yards that ended when quarterback Matt Corral threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Jaydon Mickens. The Stallions took a 7-6 lead at halftime.
Birmingham got the ball to start the third quarter. Running back Anthony McFarland rushed for 21 yards to the 42-yard line. Six players later, Birmingham moved the ball to the 12-yard field before quarterback Matt Corral threw a touchdown pass to Deon Cain. Kicker Jonathan Garibay made the extra point for a 14-6 lead. Late in the third quarter, Houston kicker John Hoyland made a 26-yard field goal. The Gamblers trailed the Stallions 14-9 heading into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Houston kicker John Hoyland made a 24-yard field goal. The Gamblers trailed the Stallions 14-12. On the third play, Houston defensive back Carlton Johnson picked off Matt Corral to the 35-yard line. The offense went on a 14-play drive for 67 yards when Jalen White scored a three-yard touchdown for a 19-14 lead with 6:57 left in the game.
Late in the game, Birmingham’s offense went on a nine-play drive for 72 yards that ended with running back Anthony McFarland scoring a one-yard touchdown. They attempted a two-point conversion, but did not get it.
Houston’s offense moved the ball to the 32-yard line. Kicker John Hoyland kicked the game-winning 50-yard field goal, and the Gamblers beat the Stallions 22-19 for their first win of the season.
Houston’s offense had 407 yards (233 passing yards, 174 rushing yards), 26 first downs, and the team was penalized four times. Quarterback Hunter Dekkers completed 7 of 12 passes (58.3%) for 47 yards and two carries for 14 yards. Backup quarterback Nolan Henderson completed 15 of 23 passes (65.2%) for 186 yards and three carries for 23 yards.
Running back Jalen White had 26 carries for 82 yards, one rushing touchdown, and three catches for five yards. Wide receiver Jontre Kirklin made five catches for 85 yards, while Justin Hall made four catches for 59 yards. Kicker John Hoyland made five field goals. The defense made 44 tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, and three pass breakups.
Birmingham’s offense had 287 yards (226 passing yards, 62 rushing yards), 19 first downs, and the team was penalized nine times. Quarterback Matt Corral completed 21 of 27 passes (77.8%) for 226 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, and one carry for eight yards.
Running back Anthony McFarland had seven carries for 37 yards, one rushing touchdown, and one catch for 12 yards. Wide receiver Justyn Ross made five catches for 70 yards, while Jaydon Mickens made five catches for 63 yards and one touchdown, and Deon Cain made five catches for 40 yards and one touchdown. The defense made 78 tackles, five tackles for loss, five pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
Next Saturday, the Houston Gamblers visit the D.C. Defenders at 12 pm on ESPN, while the Birmingham Stallions visit the St. Louis Battlehawks on Sunday at 3 pm on ABC.
