Generals vs. Stallions live score, updates, highlights from USFL Week 1 game

By | April 15, 2023
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The USFL is back in 2023, and its first premier matchup will look familiar to fans who tuned in to the first game of the 2022 season.

The reigning league champion Birmingham Stallions are playing host to the New Jersey Generals in a matchup of the USFL’s two best teams from last year’s regular season.

The Generals lost their opener to the Stallions in 2022 but closed the regular season on a nine-game winning streak. Mike Riley is back to coach New Jersey. While the team had to replace quarterback Luis Perez and reigning USFL MVP KaVontae Turpin, it still has reigning Offensive Player of the Year Darius Victor around to lead its offense.

MORE: Daryl Johnston explains biggest changes for USFL’s second season

The Stallions also went 9-1 in the regular season, and they won twice more in the playoffs, including a 33-30 victory over the Philadelphia Stars in the championship game. Skip Holtz is set to coach the team again, and quarterbacks J’Mar Smith and Alex McGough return along with running back Bo Scarbrough.

MORE: Teams, rosters, schedule & more to know about the 2023 USFL season

That continuity should make Birmingham a threat to repeat as champs, but the Stallions will get a tough test in their opener.

The Sporting News is tracking Generals vs. Stallions, which will cap the first day of the 2023 USFL season. Follow along for highlights and score updates.

MORE: Watch USFL games live with Fubo (free trial)

Generals vs. Stallions score

  1 2 3 4 F
Generals 0 10 – – –
Stallions 7 10 – – –

Generals vs. Stallions live updates, highlights from USFL opener

(All times Eastern.)

9:39 p.m. — The Generals have turned the ball over twice today, and they have been costly. The Stallions have scored touchdowns after each fumble and hold a 14-point lead in part because of that. Comparatively, the Generals turned their only takeaway into just three points despite getting the ball at the Birmingham 15-yard line after it.

Score: Stallions 24, Generals 10

9:37 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN. A few plays after the fumble, Alex McGough scrambles for 29 yards up the middle and into the end zone for a touchdown. A Brandon Aubrey extra points gives the Stallions a 14-point lead.

9:36 p.m. — FUMBLE. Dakota Prukop tried to keep the ball on zone read but it was jarred loose by the Stallions. Birmingham jumps on it and will get the ball at the New Jersey 40-yard line.

9:34 p.m. — New Jersey gets their drive started with a short Dakota Prukop pass and a nice run by DeMornay Pierson-El on a reverse. Pierson-El’s gain goes for 15 yards to get the ball to their own 41-yard line.

9:33 p.m. — The Generals will, in fact, get the ball at the 20-yard line after a touchback. Dakota Prukop will start the half at quarterback.

9:32 p.m. — Another look at the Jace Sternberger touchdown, this time from drone cam.

9:30 p.m. — McGough can’t get the Stallions a first down after a holding penalty backed his team up. The Generals get the stop and will get the ball back on either on their own 1-yard line or at the 20-yard line after a play that looked like a touchback.

9:27 p.m. — The Stallions have the ball on their own 41-yard line. Alex McGough is still in at quarterback and he throws an incompletion to start the half. Starting quarterback J’Mar Smith has two fingers on his non-throwing hand taped together, but he says it won’t impact him.

9:26 p.m. — An injury update on Marlon Williams: the Stallions receiver says that he has torn his Achilles. A blow for the Stallions’ offense, as Williams led the team with four targets.

9:25 p.m. — And here we come out of the half. Generals coach Mike Riley is saying that his team missed opportunities in the first half and that they will work to clean those up as the game proceeds.

9:17 p.m. — Here’s a fun stat: Birmingham scored on both its first and last pass of the first half. They did so with two different quarterbacks completing passes to two different receiver.

9:14 p.m. — The Stallions are not only winning at halftime, but they were one of the best second-half teams in the USFL last season. Skip Holtz’s second-half adjustments will certainly be worth watching as a result.

Halftime: Stallions 17, Generals 10

9:13 p.m. — The Generals pick up the kickoff and run time out on the return. Birmingham will enter halftime with a seven-point lead and will get the ball to begin the second half.

Score: Stallions 17, Generals 10

9:11 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN. Alex McGough checks into the game for J’Mar Smith and finds Jace Sternberger in the back of the end zone for a touchdown. Aubrey makes the extra point to give the Stallions a seven-point lead with four seconds left in the first half.

9:10 p.m. — Davion Davis makes something out of nothing on a reverse. He gains seven yards to put the Stallions on the Generals 6-yard line. They take a timeout with 10 seconds left and have one remaining.

9:08 p.m. — Williams catches a dump-off from Smith and manages to take it seven yards for a first down. However, he was injured on the non-contact play and hopped off without putting any weight on his left leg.

9:07 p.m. — J’Mar Smith nearly gets sacked by Toby Johnson on second down but manages to get it out to Marlon Williams. The receiver makes an incredible one-handed catch to complete an 8-yard gain. He gets out of bounds with 21 seconds left in the half.

9:06 p.m. — Birmingham dials up a screen on first down but Smith has to throw it into the ground. Second-and-10 with 28 seconds left in the half.

9:04 p.m. — The Generals are whistled for back-to-back penalties: a 12-men penalty and an offsides by Tyshun Render. The Stallions now have a first-and-10 from the Generals 23 with 32 seconds and three timeouts remaining in the half.

9:03 p.m. — Jace Sternberger makes a nice catch over the middle of the field and runs it to the New Jersey 33-yard line. They are nearing field goal range as the clock ticks under a minute left.

9:02 p.m. — A nice catch by Marlon Williams and a short run by J’Mar Smith give the Stallions a first down. They are at midfield with just over a minute left in the half.

9:01 p.m. — The Stallions are getting the ball back on their own 35-yard line after a solid return by Deon Cain. They have 1:44 and three timeouts to mount a tiebreaking drive before the half.

Score: Generals 10, Stallions 10

8:57 p.m. — FIELD GOAL. De’Andre Johnson couldn’t quite hit Braedon Bowman for a touchdown, placing it just in front of his tight end. The Generals attempt a 25-yard field goal as a result and Nick Sciba makes it to tie the game.

Two-minute warning: Stallions 10, Generals 7

8:54 p.m. — The Generals gain seven yards on the first two plays of their drive thanks to runs by De’Andre Johnson and Kingston Davis. That brings us to the two-minute warning with the Generals facing a key third-and-3 after the break.

8:52 p.m. — INTERCEPTION. J’Mar Smith was under pressure rolling out in his own end zone and he tried to throw it away. DJ Daniel of the Generals was able to reel it in and get both feet down. That gives the Generals the ball on Birmingham’s 15-yard line.

8:50 p.m. — The ruling of no touchdown will stand, as USFL head of officiating Mike Pereira explains. The Stallions take over inside of their own 1-yard line.

8:47 p.m. — TURNOVER ON DOWNS. The Generals go for it on fourth-and-goal and run a unique sweep play with De’Andre Johnson. The quarterback reached for the goal line through contact but was ruled down short of the line to gain. The play should be reviewed, as he may have been in.

8:46 p.m. — On third-and-goal from inside the 1-yard line, the Generals fail to get a score. De’Andre Johnson bobbles the snap and throws it away. That sets up a fourth-and-goal opportunity and the Generals offense is still on the field.

8:44 p.m. — The Generals’ running game is looking strong. Victor notches a 14-yard run to give the Generals a first-and-goal opportunity.

8:43 p.m. — De’Andre Johnson shows up in a big way on third-and-3. He sees nothing available through the air and uses his speed to take advantage of a lane up the middle. He takes it to the Birmingham 27-yard line and has put the Generals in position to answer the field goal.

8:42 p.m. — De’Andre Johnson is back in at quarterback for the Generals. He starts the drive by handing the ball to Darius Victor, who takes it for a gain of seven yards.

8:40 p.m. — Skip Holtz seems adamant that the Stallions need to run the ball better to find more success. We’ll see if that impacts his team’s play calling for the rest of the game.

Score: Stallions 10, Generals 7

8:37 p.m. — FIELD GOAL. The Stallions got to the 1-yard line with a couple of solid runs, but a bad snap by the center causes J’Mar Smith to dive on the ball at the 5-yard line. Birmingham settles for a 22-yard field goal attempt that Brandon Aubrey converts to give the Stallions a 10-7 lead.

8:36 p.m. — Dravon Askew-Henry is called for a face mask penalty after a short catch by Davion Davis. That puts the Stallions at the 8-yard line with a first-and-goal opportunity.

8:34 p.m. — J’Mar Smith is engineering a nice drive for the Stallions. He just found tight end Jace Sternberger for a gain of 20. That puts Birmingham on the New Jersey 25-yard line, threatening to score.

8:33 p.m. — A nice return by the Stallions puts the ball on their own 41-yard line. They follow that up with a 14-yard completion to Michael Dereus to get the ball to the New Jersey 45.

8:30 p.m. — Prukop has been a big-time difference-maker for the Generals since entering the game. He has completed all five of his passes for 44 yards and has added five yards and a touchdown on two carries. It will be interesting to see if Mike Riley gives him more snaps than De’Andre Johnson moving forward or continues with the rotation.

Score: Generals 7, Stallions 7

8:29 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN. Dakota Prukop takes the ball up the middle for a 2-yard touchdown run. A lane opened in front of him thanks to a jet-motion fake by Wes Saxton Jr. The extra point is good and the game is now tied.

8:27 p.m. — The Generals are in business, as Prukop completes a 16-yard pass to a wide-open Cam Echols-Luper. It’s now first and goal for New Jersey at the Birmingham 2-yard line.

8:26 p.m. — Dakota Prukop just had what may have been the most impressive 3-yard run of the day. He was able to hurdle linebacker Nate Holley in the backfield and nearly spun away from T.J. Carter before he was tackled.

8:25 p.m. — Kingston Davis continues to run the ball well in the season opener. He takes a handoff around the left side and turns it into an 11-yard gain. First down, Generals.

8:23 p.m. — The Birmingham fans seem to be having a good time at their season opener. Some are even out their celebrating Scooby Wright III, who became known for his “Sharkdog” celebration in 2022.

End of first quarter: Stallions 7, Generals 0

8:20 p.m. — Prukop appears to be sparking the New Jersey offense. He threw a solid 9-yard completion to Alonzo Moore and after a short run by Kingston Davis, he completed a screen pass to Cam Echols-Luper for a gain of 15. They are nearing field goal range and will look to answer the Stallions score in the second quarter.

8:18 p.m. — The Generals defense forces its first three-and-out of the day. They got some pressure on J’Mar Smith on second down and tackled Bo Scarbrough after a short gain on third-and-12. New Jersey will now get the ball back just shy of their own 40-yard line.

8:16 p.m. — Bo Scarbrough comes into the game for the first time, but he doesn’t go anywhere. Chris Orr tackles him for a 2-yard loss.

8:15 p.m. — The Stallions’ defense has been the best unit in the game so far. They have limited the Generals’ offense despite their opponent often having great field position. If Birmingham continues to defend the run like this, it could be a long night for New Jersey.

8:13 p.m. — Prukop completes his first pass to Davis and he picks up four yards. However, it doesn’t result in a first down after a false start penalty had backed them up to a third-and-7. The Generals punt again and it flies out of bounds just inside the 15-yard line.

8:11 p.m. — Kingston Davis is now in the game at running back, and he is running with a nice combination of speed and power. He generates eight yards on his first two carries to set up a third-and-2 for the Generals.

8:10 p.m. — The Generals have a new quarterback in the game. Dakota Prukop, a former Oregon quarterback who played in the CFL, is in to replace De’Andre Johnson. The Generals ran a two-quarterback system in 2023, so this arrangement isn’t a surprise.

8:06 p.m. — On a third-and-10, Smith makes a completion to Myron Mitchell who nearly gets a first down but comes up a yard short thanks to a nice tackle by Mike Bell Jr. of the Generals. Birmingham’s Colby Wadman comes on to punt and it is downed at the New Jersey 43-yard line.

8:04 p.m. — J’Mar Smith’s pass to Myron Mitchell falls incomplete, but the Generals are whistled for an obvious defensive hold. That gives the Stallions a first down.

8:03 p.m. — The Stallions start their second drive with a couple of running plays with Marlon Williams and CJ Marable. They gain five yards and now face a key third-and-5.

8:00 p.m. — Davion Davis of the Stallions caught the punt inside his own 5-yard line and only brought it out to the 6. So, Birmingham will be backed up to start its second drive of the season.

7:59 p.m. — The Generals can’t do anything despite the good field position. They go three-and-out, gaining just two yards on two runs and an incomplete pass.

7:57 p.m. — Cam Echols-Luper received the kick for the Generals and brought it back to the 35-yard line. However, a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty on Birmingham’s Brian Allen will put the ball at midfield. That gives them a good chance to answer the Stallions’ quick score.

7:54 p.m. — The Stallions also unveiled their championship banner for the 2022 season before their home opener. It’s pretty sharp — and big.

Score: Stallions 7, Generals 0

7:53 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN. J’Mar Smith’s first play of the season is a great one. He hits Austin Watkins for a 60-yard touchdown on the Stallions’ first offensive play of the season. Brandon Aubrey nails the extra point to give Birmingham an early 7-0 lead.

7:52 p.m. — FUMBLE. The Stallions defense picks up where it left off in 2022, as Nate Holley forces a fumble after a short completion to Generals tight end Braedon Bowman. The Stallions have the ball at their own 40-yard line.

7:51 p.m. — The Generals pick up a first down on third-and-1. Darius Victor carries it about four yards up the middle after Cam Echols-Luper got nine yards on second down. The Generals are just over the midfield stripe.

7:49 p.m. — De’Andre Johnson gets the start at quarterback for the Generals and he fades back to pass on the first play. Pressure from Jonathan Newsome disrupts the play and Johnson has to throw it away.

7:47 p.m. — And here we go. The Stallions are getting ready to kick it to the Generals as the reigning champions look to defeat New Jersey in the season opener once again.

7:39 p.m. — The Stars have defeated the Showboats 27-23. The start of the Generals vs. Stallions game should now be imminent.

7:33 p.m. — We’re at a third-and-4 in the Stars vs. Showboats game that could end up deciding it. Either way, it would seem that the Generals vs. Stallions game won’t start until the USFL’s first game concludes.

7:26 p.m. — The Stars vs. Showboats game in Memphis still has yet to wrap — there are about four minutes left in it — so it’s unclear exactly how that will impact the start time of Generals vs. Stallions, if at all. Either way, it won’t be long before the two teams square off.

7:16 p.m. — Both teams are getting their players pumped up ahead of the game with some speeches. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

6:59 p.m. — The Generals will be without a few more key players than the Stallions. Running back Trey Williams was a key part of the rotation alongside Darius Victor last year, but he will be out of action. Meanwhile, Kyle Lauletta appears to be the third-string quarterback behind De’Andre Johnson and Dakota Prukop.

6:53 p.m. — The Stallions have announced their inacitves for their opener. None are particularly surprising, though it’s notable that Thaddeus Moss, son of Randy, will not be playing in the contest.

6:45 p.m. — De’Andre Johnson is warming up before the game. It is expected that he will be the Generals’ starting quarterback with last year’s starter Luis Perez now playing in the XFL.

6:36 p.m. — Skip Holtz had one message to the Stallions social media team as he led his team into the stadium on Saturday. “Giddy up,” he says.

Generals vs. Stallions start time

  • Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET | 4:30 p.m. PT

The Generals will square off against the Stallions at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday in the second game of the 2023 USFL season. The game is a rematch of the 2022 season opener, in which Birmingham earned a come-from-behind 28-24 victory on a J’Mar Smith touchdown run with 29 seconds left.

The game will be played at the USFL’s Birmingham hub, which is home to the Stallions and the New Orleans Breakers. The Stallions will play their home games at Protective Stadium.

What channel is Generals vs. Stallions on today?

There are several ways for USFL fans to catch Generals vs. Stallions on Saturday. The game will air on Fox and can also be streamed with Fubo, which comes with a free trial. That will give cord-cutters and cable subscribers alike ways to watch the second game of the 2023 season.

USFL schedule 2023 Week 1

Saturday, April 15

Game Location Time (ET) TV channel
Philadelphia Stars vs. Memphis Showboats Memphis 4:30 p.m. Fox, Fubo
New Jersey Generals vs. Birmingham Stallions Birmingham 7:30 p.m. Fox, Fubo

Sunday, April 16

Game Location Time (ET) TV channel
Michigan Panthers vs. Houston Gamblers Memphis Noon NBC/Peacock, Fubo
Pittsburgh Maulers vs. New Orleans Breakers Birmingham 6:30 p.m. FS1, Fubo

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