USFL Championship: Philadelphia Stars vs. Birmingham Stallions set for 'a great football game'

Peter Holland Jr., The Repository
·3 min read
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Stars receiver Diondre Overton signals a first down in his team's win over the Generals in a USFL semifinal at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Saturday, June 25, 2022.
Stars receiver Diondre Overton signals a first down in his team's win over the Generals in a USFL semifinal at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Saturday, June 25, 2022.

They know their record makes them the underdog. They also know they've handled adversity and other challenges all season long.

So the Philadelphia Stars are quite comfortable entering the USFL championship game as the underdog Sunday night against the Birmingham Stallions.

"Our record is what it is, but we feel  ... any given time, particularly in pro football ... that any team can beat any team (on) any given day," Stars head coach Bart Andrus said.

The title game is 7:30 p.m., Sunday, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

The Stallions are 10-1 after winning last week's semifinal against the New Orleans Breakers. Birmingham won the South Division title.

Stars safety Ahmad Dixon celebrates a play during the USFL semifinal won by his team over the Generals at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Saturday, June 25, 2022.
Stars safety Ahmad Dixon celebrates a play during the USFL semifinal won by his team over the Generals at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Saturday, June 25, 2022.

The Stars finished second in the North Division after a 6-4 regular season, but knocked off their division champ, the New Jersey Generals, in the semifinals.

The Stars have dealt with multiple adversities all season. Injuries played a major part in that. It started with losing their starting quarterback, Bryan Scott, early in the season with a knee injury. The Stars were up and down before winning four of the last five regular-season games.

According to Andrus, the mindset for the Stars is responding and not reacting. What it means to him is that responding through adversity is positive while reacting to it could lead to a negative result.

"These guys have come a long way," Andrus said. "They fought with a lot of adversity. Every football team that I ever been associated with or been around ... always had to fight through adversity."

The Stars' next man up at QB, Case Cookus, accepted the challenge when his name was called after losing Scott. Cookus has thrown for 1,334 yards and 12 touchdowns in his nine games played.

Philadelphia Stars quarterback Case Cookus throws a pass in his team's USFL semifinal win over the New Jersey Generals at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, June 25, 2022.
Philadelphia Stars quarterback Case Cookus throws a pass in his team's USFL semifinal win over the New Jersey Generals at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, June 25, 2022.

His receivers never had an issue with chemistry. When Cookus replaced Scott, the first play he connected with receiver Jordan Suell on a post route.

"We got a bunch of playmakers that can break out with 50, 60 (yards), big touchdowns at any point," Cookus said. "I don't think there's not any time in a game where we get too down on ourselves. We stay up and focus on the plays at hand."

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Stallions cornerback Tae Hayes returns an interception during his team's USFL semifinal win over the Breakers at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Saturday , June 25, 2022.
Stallions cornerback Tae Hayes returns an interception during his team's USFL semifinal win over the Breakers at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Saturday , June 25, 2022.

The Birmingham Stallions have been the top team in the USFL, including winning eight straight before losing to the Houston Gamblers on June 11.

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Victor Bolden Jr. takes off for a touchdown for the Birmingham Stallions in their USFL semifinals win at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Saturday , June 25, 2022.
Victor Bolden Jr. takes off for a touchdown for the Birmingham Stallions in their USFL semifinals win at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Saturday , June 25, 2022.

"Our message for this game is we got to control what we need to control, and that is the product that goes between the lines," Stallions head coach Skip Holtz said.

The last time the Stallions played the Stars was on May 15. Birmingham beat them 31-17, dropping the Stars to 2-3. The Stars then won four straight to lock up a playoff spot before a loss to end the regular season. The Stallions plan on not underestimating the Stars and are aware of how far they have come since their last meeting.

"I think they are playing motivated football with a chip on their shoulders, inspiring football," Holtz said. "They are playing together as a team. They are doing all the positive things, so it has all the makings to be a great football game."

Philadelphia Stars receiver Chris Rowland runs for a gain in the fourth quarter with defense from New Jersey General's Dravon Askew-Henry during their playoff game at Tom Benson Stadium Saturday, June 25, 2022.
Philadelphia Stars receiver Chris Rowland runs for a gain in the fourth quarter with defense from New Jersey General's Dravon Askew-Henry during their playoff game at Tom Benson Stadium Saturday, June 25, 2022.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Birmingham Stallions, Philadelphia Stars play for USFL Championship