J'Mar Smith finding his groove headlines top UFL storylines from Week 9
With his team on their fourth starting quarterback, Birmingham Stallions head coach Skip Holtz may have lucked into his most productive option at the position in J'Mar Smith.
The Louisiana Tech product is heating up when the Stallions need him most — at the end of the regular season and heading into the playoffs. Smith went 22-for-31 for a season-high 307 yards and two touchdowns in Birmingham's 26-22 victory over the visiting Michigan Panthers on Saturday in what was a preview of the USFL Conference title game.
Smith connected with 10 different pass catchers. He also helped Birmingham finish an impressive 11-of-13 on third down, which included converting six plays on the money down of third-and-7 or longer.
"You try and stay out of third and long situations because you get behind the chains, and they can do anything they want defensively," Smith said. "But a couple of guys made some great plays. You get the ball into their hands, and they made the first down or went and scored touchdowns, and that's what happened.
"It's all credit to those skill guys — the O-line and the running backs — to go out there to make it happen, and Coach Holtz giving us the job to go out and execute."
The Stallions averaged 20.6 points a game through the first seven games of the year, but they've averaged 27 points a contest in the past two games that Smith has started at QB.
With the win, the Stallions improved to 6-3 on the season with one game left, while the Panthers dropped to 6-3.
In the XFL Conference, the St. Louis Battlehawks (7-2) continued their winning ways, topping the San Antonio Brahmas (1-8) by double digits, 39-13, for the team's league-leading fifth win in a row. The 39 points was a season-high for St. Louis.
The Arlington Renegades (4-5) got back on the winning track with a 30-12 victory over the Memphis Showboats (2-7) in a game delayed three hours by thunderstorms. In the final game of the weekend, the Houston Roughnecks (4-5) stunned the DC Defenders (6-3) in a down-to-the-wire thriller, 24-21.
Here's a look at other storylines from Week 9: Proud dad moment: CB Micah Abraham scores TD in first game for Battlehawks
Signed two weeks ago, Abraham immediately made his presence felt in his first action for St. Louis. The son of former NFL cornerback and St. Louis defensive coordinator Donnie Abraham, the Marshall product forced a fumble and returned it 70 yards for a touchdown.
"I was happy for him when he scored on that touchdown," Battlehawks head coach Anthony Brecht said. "Donnie was really serious. He was like, 'Hey Coach, we got to keep going.' But how exciting is that? I have a son who plays football, and it's so rewarding to see your kids (be successful.) His mom was here, so I'm really proud of him."
Becht said Abraham played around 20 plays in his debut, finishing with four combined tackles — highlighted by tracking down Brahmas RB Jaden Shirden on an 86-yard kickoff return and saving a score at the end of the first half.
"We're going to need him," Becht said. "We only have four corners, and we're rolling with these guys. We're not going to find someone else to help us at this point." Brahmas missing Wade Phillips on defense
San Antonio interim head coach Payton Pardee has done a commendable job of keeping the Brahmas together and putting a competitive team on the field with Phillips stepping away earlier this season due to health concerns.
However, the Brahmas have missed the longtime defensive guru's presence on the field.
During last year's run to the UFL title game, San Antonio had one of the top defenses in the league. The Brahmas held opponents to a league-best 15.3 points per game and led the league in sacks (32.0) in 2024. This season, the Brahmas are giving up a league-worst 22.3 points per game and have notched a league-low 12.0 sacks.
"It's tackling, technique and knowing our assignment and executing that with the proper technique," Pardee said, when asked about his team's defensive struggles. "I believe in the guys that we have in this locker room, and I know we can improve."
While San Antonio has struggled on defense, running back Jashaun Corbin has been a revelation. He finished with 85 rushing yards and a touchdown in the loss in Week 9 and has collected 337 rushing yards over his past three games.
In his first start in four games, QB Kellen Mond was efficient, going 14-for-26 for 103 yards, with no touchdowns and no interceptions. The Brahmas also had two dropped touchdown passes which would have improved Mond's numbers. Renegades' Marquette King executes heads-up fake punt
With his team up 9-6 on the road at Memphis, King took advantage of an overaggressive rush from the Showboats, faking the punt and taking off down the sideline for a 37-yard run and a first down. The quick thinking by King led to a 40-yard field goal from kicker Lucas Havrisik.
"That was Marquette being Marquette," Arlington head coach Bob Stoops said. "He felt the rush, and he's got great experience. He felt they were a little overzealous when they were coming from the side, and he pulled it down. He's a great athlete. He can run. He makes a guy miss him, and he picks up a huge first down."
The Pro Football Hall of Famer was on the sideline during the Defenders vs. Roughnecks contest in Houston over the weekend to show his support for DC receiver Javon Antonio. Owens said he spent a lot of time with Antonio at Colorado and has served as a mentor for him. Antonio finished with two receptions for 24 yards on three targets.
Owens said the UFL offers a good opportunity for young players to develop and try to reach the next level. "They've just got to take it one day at a time," he added. "Don't take it for granted to be where they are, and give themselves the best opportunity, just by going out there and making plays. This is where it starts."
Meanwhile, Cornell Powell had another strong performance for the Defenders, finishing with eight receptions for 104 yards and two scores.
With head coach and offensive guru Ken Whisenhunt stepping down earlier this season for personal reasons, the Showboats have struggled offensively under interim head coach Jim Turner.
Memphis has averaged 15.4 points per game and a league-low 85 rushing yards a contest. Turner has started E.J. Perry, Troy Williams and Dresser Winn at quarterback but has yet to find consistency at the position. He'll turn to Winn as the starter for the final game of the regular season.
"I would say it's just continuity on offense," Turner said when asked about his team's struggles on offense. "I've put the team in these situations a little bit. I'm probably the main problem offensively, because I've done so many different things at quarterback. … I think it's just continuity. It's just playing together better and finding a way to get across the goal line. To score instead of kicking."
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him at @eric_d_williams .
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