Stallions route Bandits in final game of regular season

By WVUA 23 Sports Reporter Drew Pavan

The Birmingham Stallions held off the Tampa Bay Bandits 21-18 on Saturday to wrap up the regular season with a 9-1 record.

The Stallions already clinched the No.1 seed in the South Division before the win.

Birmingham running back CJ Marable scored the go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter with a 12-yard run to push the Stallion lead to 21-12.

The Bandits had an answer for the Stallions, going on a 12-play, 62-yard scoring drive. That brought Tampa within by three but was unable to score on the ensuing three-point attempt, which inevitably decided the game.

Tampa had one more late push toward the end of the game, but the Birmingham defense sealed the victory with a big fourth down stop with less than a minute remaining.

Birmingham will play the New Orleans Breakers in the USFL playoff semifinals at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday at 7 p.m. on NBC.