The Birmingham Stallions (3-4) hosted the Dallas Renegades (3-4) on Saturday night from Protective Stadium.
In the first quarter, Dallas had the ball on the 41-yard line. On the second play, quarterback Austin Reed threw a 14-yard pass to Greg Ward to the 45-yard line. Dallas moved the ball to the one-yard line, where running back Ellis Merriweather scored the touchdown for a 7-0 lead. The drive took 15 plays for 60 yards.
After Dallas’s defense stopped Birmingham, the offense had the ball for the rest of the first quarter. They reached the 40-yard line to begin the second quarter with a 7-0 lead.
In the second quarter, Dallas reached the one-yard line, but an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Renegades backed them to the 16-yard line. Kicker Colton Theaker made a 35-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead to conclude a 15-play drive for 65 yards.
Birmingham’s offense started to get going. On the third play, quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson threw a short pass to Jaydon Mickens for 14 yards to the 44-yard line. Six plays later, Thompson-Robinson threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to Daewood Davis. The Stallions trailed the Renegades 10-7 at halftime. The drive took eight plays for 71 yards.
In the third quarter, both teams were able to move the ball, but every possession resulted in a punt. There were no points scored, and the Renegades led the Stallions 10-7 heading into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Birmingham quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson threw an 18-yard pass to Jabre Barber to the 23-yard line. Four plays later, kicker Anders Carlson made a 40-yard field goal, and the game was tied 10-10. The drive took eight plays for 38 yards.
On the kickoff, Dallas returner Ajene Harris ran for 43 yards to the 46-yard line. The offense moved the ball to the 15-yard line. On the next play, running back Ellis Merriweather followed his right guard to score a 15-yard touchdown. The Renegades led 17-10. The drive took seven plays for 46 yards.
On the kickoff, Birmingham returner Deon Cain returned the ball for 40 yards to the 43-yard line. On the fourth play, quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson threw a 17-yard pass to Jaydon Mickens to the 24-yard line. Three plays later, the two would connect for an 18-yard touchdown. The game was tied 17-17, and the drive took seven plays for 57 yards.
In the final seconds, Dallas kicker Colton Theaker attempted a 53-yard field goal. The field goal was blocked by Jayden Peevy, and the game went to overtime.
In overtime, Dallas went first and failed to score a two-point conversion. Birmingham was next. Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson rushed in for the two-point conversion to give the Stallions a 19-17 lead. Birmingham defensive lineman Isaac Ukwu sacked Austin Reed to prevent a two-point conversion. Birmingham was next.
They ended the game when Thompson-Robinson threw the ball to Jaydon Mickens for two points. The Stallions defeated the Renegades 21-17 for their second straight win, and they keep their playoff hopes alive. For the Renegades, this was their fourth straight loss after starting the season 3-0.
Birmingham’s offense had 230 yards (159 passing yards, 71 rushing yards), 13 first downs, 1 for 1 in the redzone, and the team was penalized eight times. Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson completed 12 of 26 passes (46.2%) for 159 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and one carry for four yards. Running back Tyrion Davis-Price had 12 carries for 45 yards.
Wide receiver Jaydon Mickens made six catches for 82 yards and one touchdown, while Daewood Davis made one catch for 46 yards and one touchdown. The defense made 78 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks, and seven pass breakups.
Dallas had 282 yards on offense (166 passing yards, 130 rushing yards), 21 first downs, 2 for 3 in the redzone, and the team was penalized five times. Quarterback Austin Reed completed 25 of 37 passes (67.6%) for 166 yards and two carries for 10 yards. Running back Ellis Merriweather had 14 carries for 38 yards, two rushing touchdowns, and five catches for 33 yards, while Dae Dae Hunter had 11 carries for 43 yards.
Wide receiver Greg Ward made four catches for 35 yards, and Baylor Cupp made four catches for 25 yards. The defense made 39 tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, one interception, and three pass breakups.
Next Friday, the Dallas Renegades host the Orlando Storm at 8 pm on Fox, while the Birmingham Stallions host the Columbus Aviators on Sunday at 1 pm on Fox.
