USFL playoffs: ‘Special’ night for Skip Holtz as Stallions reach final

By RJ Young
FOX Sports College Football Writer

CANTON, Ohio — As Birmingham Stallions coach Skip Holtz was driving down the elevator, he was quietly taking within the phrases of his father Lou Holtz.

Lou underwent again surgical procedure earlier this yr, and that process saved him from touring to Birmingham to see his son coach the Stallions. That modified on Saturday. 

With the assistance of buddies, Lou was at Tom Benson Pro Football Hall of Fame Stadium to see his son coach as an expert — and win. 

Stallions, coach Skip Holtz rejoice reaching title recreation

The Birmingham Stallions defeated the New Orleans Breakers within the USFL playoffs and gave coach Skip Holtz a Gatorade tub after advancing to the championship recreation.

“That was particular,” Skip Holtz stated. “And it hasn’t occurred fairly often as a result of I used to be teaching when he was teaching clearly, however that was particular for my father and my mentor, a person I’ve an unbelievable quantity of respect for [to be here].”

In what wound up being an insurance coverage landing, Stallions quarterback J’Mar Smith rushed into the top zone to cement a 31-17 victory over the New Orleans Breakers to ship Holtz’s squad to the inaugural United States Football League Championship Game subsequent Sunday. 

In the media room at Tom Benson approaching midnight native time, Smith was nonetheless overcome with emotion over the truth that he and the Stallions are staying to play for another week. 

“I’m simply actually glad for Coach Holtz,” he stated, holding again tears. “I owe him a championship.” 

Smith completed 17 of 27 for 190 passing yards with two whole touchdowns as the Stallions performed the model of soccer that helped them start the season 9-0 earlier than struggling their first loss. They began sluggish however took care of the soccer, all whereas getting well timed performs on protection and particular groups. 

The win mirrored the workmanlike, steel-driving picture the Stallions have created for themselves in Birmingham, Alabama, a metropolis as famend for its once-thriving railroad business as the standard of soccer performed there.

Now, the Stallions will face the Philadelphia Stars at Tom Benson Pro Football Hall of Fame Stadium on July 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX. 

Related: Everything to know about Stars-Stallions

While Saturday’s night’s recreation ended with a 14-point margin, it did not at all times appear like the Stallions would draw back from Larry Fedora’s Breakers.

After Smith dropped the snap on the opening drive, kicker Brandon Aubrey was pressured to aim a protracted subject objective. He missed it. 

The Breakers took benefit of the break in serve and marched down the sphere with their trademark, up-tempo offense. 

Breakers offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone saved quarterback Kyle Sloter making quick, straightforward throws to start out, with a mixture of working again Jordan Ellis to maintain John Chavis’ Birmingham protection off steadiness. That combination led to New Orleans scoring first when Ellis walked into the top zone for a 7-0 lead.

Smith and the passing offense discovered a spark nearing the second quarter when New Orleans defensive coordinator John Tenuta opted to run man-coverage throughout the again finish, and Smith beat it with a toss to former Mississippi State wideout Osirus Mitchell to assist tie the rating at 7-7 with 14:55 left within the half. 

Out the Gate(s)

After Sloter made the choice to throw the ball as he was getting hit, linebacker DeMarquis “The Dentist” Gates waited for what felt like a full quarter for the ball to drop into his palms. He rolled backward end-over-end, stood up and hitched his wagon to a convoy being pulled by Stallions defenders as he galloped towards the top zone, ending his pick-six simply beside the Pro Football Hall of Fame — along with his floss decide between his enamel. 

Gates adopted up being the primary participant at Ole Miss to notch 100 tackles in a season since Patrick Willis, to being their first All-USFL participant as among the finest linebackers within the league.

DeMarquis Gates takes the interception to the home

Birmingham linebacker DeMarquis Gates takes the Kyle Sloter interception in for a Stallions landing.

Sloter, Cannella cling robust

Sloter would throw one different INT — giving him 13 in 11 weeks — however accomplished 22 of 40 for 327 passing yards and a TD, too. Not dangerous for a participant Fedora didn’t even assume was going to have the ability to bodily play in any respect in opposition to the Stallions.

Sloter performed a lot of the season with a strained groin that restricted his mobility. 

“For Kyle to even play this recreation, we actually didn’t count on it,” Fedora stated. “We didn’t. So, he gave us an opportunity. He’s a troublesome, robust man. He pulled it out. He was a warrior.”

Breakers tight finish Sal Cannella caught 12 passes for a single-game receiving report 154 yards and is believed to be one of a handful of players who will get an invitation to an NFL coaching camp later this summer time. 

The pick-six Sloter threw, nevertheless, and the heroics of Birmingham dynamo Victor Bolden proved an excessive amount of for the Breakers to beat. 

Related: Eight postseason players on NFL’s radar

Bolden ran it again

After the Breakers tied up the sport at 14-14 on a dynamic fourth-and-4, Bolden confirmed why he was the primary receiver chosen within the inaugural USFL Draft, and why Holtz described him as a person who was “three first-round picks in a single man.” 

Bolden took the Breakers’ kickoff again to the home for the primary particular groups TD of the sport, and the third special teams TD of the day. It was additionally the longest returned kick of the day at a whopping 90 yards, placing the Stallions forward 21-14.

Victor Bolden Jr. dashes 90 yards for a landing

Birmingham’s Victor Bolden Jr. grew to become the primary participant to return a kickoff for a landing this season.

“He deserves about 50 touches a recreation with the best way he performs the sport,” Holtz stated.

The rating got here so rapidly that Sloter and the New Orleans offense had one other alternative to attain with 47 seconds left within the half. 

But after a promising begin to the drive, through which Sloter linked with Anthony Jones for a 30-yard acquire, he got here out of a timeout and threw his second interception in as many quarters.

The Breakers channeled their inside Stallion within the third quarter after they completely milked a 17-play 74-yard drive that ate up 9:10 of the third quarter and got here away with three factors, closing the deficit to the common season South Division champs to 21-17. 

The Stallions answered with their very own subject objective to make their lead seven once more with simply over 12 minutes remaining within the recreation. Birmingham continued to eat clock within the fourth quarter, although, finally chewing away any time the Breakers might need left to get two TDs, even when that they had an opportunity to make use of the fourth-and-12 choice in lieu of an onside kick in the event that they scored.

“We referred to as the sport to get first downs,” Holtz stated.

Birmingham ate up 88 yards on 15 performs whereas utilizing 7:45 of the fourth quarter to do it. By the time the New Orleans protection bought off the sphere, the Breakers’ offense had simply 39 seconds left to play their final snaps within the shadow of the Hall of Fame. 

RJ Young is a nationwide faculty soccer author and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast “The No. 1 Ranked Show with RJ Young.” Follow him on Twitter at @RJ_Young, and subscribe to “The RJ Young Show” on YouTube. He just isn’t on a StepMill.