The Birmingham Stallions have never had a losing streak. In their first three seasons, the Stallions lost four times, falling in the ninth game of the 2022 season, the third and fifth games of the 2023 season and the ninth game of the 2024 season.

But Birmingham opened its 2025 United Football League campaign on Sunday with an 18-11 loss to the DC Defenders. The Stallions kick off Week 2 of the UFL schedule against the Michigan Panthers at 7 p.m. CDT Friday at Ford Field in Detroit. FOX will televise the game.

“The response that I got was exactly what I wanted,” Birmingham coach Skip Holtz said on Thursday about the team’s preparation for the Panthers. “It was one of frustration. It was one of get it straight. I thought there was a sense of urgency. I thought they were dialed in this week. I thought we had far and away our best week of practice. I think it was probably a good wakeup call that – you know what? – you can’t roll the ball out and beat anybody. …

“I think it was probably good for our football team. I don’t mind losing a game as long as we can grow from it, learn from it and we can get better. And as we go through this, I feel in the big picture of things this was probably something that was needed for everybody.”

Against the Defenders, the Birmingham offense managed to net only 138 yards.

“Offensively was probably our worst performance that we’ve had since I’ve been here in three years,” Holtz said. “I put up statistics for the team, for the players just of what we’ve done for the last two years, and the production was about half of our worst performance. This was far and away the worst performance we’ve had as an offense.”

Holtz has been a devotee of using multiple quarterbacks during his tenure with the Stallions. But Alex McGough remains on the top of Birmingham’s quarterback depth chart this week after completing 10-of-23 passes for 89 yards with one touchdown and one interception and running eight times for 84 yards in the season-opener.

“I felt like Alex had earned the starting job through 17 days of camp,” Holtz said, “and I didn’t think four quarters of football was enough to say, ‘Let’s yank him.’ I still believe in Alex. I believe in Matt (Corral). I think we have two really good quarterbacks, and we’re just going to have to see how this thing’s going to play out and see if Alex can get comfortable back playing quarterback and give us the best chance. And if not, then it’s going to be Matt’s turn.”

Corral started the Stallions’ first, second and fourth games last season, although Birmingham QB Adrian Martinez ended up winning the UFL MVP Award for the 2024 campaign.

McGough played on two USFL championship teams with the Stallions and earned that league’s MVP Award for the 2023 season. McGough left to spend two seasons with the NFL’s Green Bay Packers, who converted him to wide receiver.

“It was a great opportunity for him to learn,” Holtz said of Sunday’s loss. “He’s been playing receiver in Green Bay. He hadn’t played quarterback in a while, and he’s got to learn to throw the ball away and cut his losses. Punting is not a bad play. You can’t make everything happen. You’re not just going to run around back there and make a bunch of things happen. If it’s not there, if you can’t breach contain and make something happen – because he made a lot happen with his feet. He made some great rushing yards with his feet, so I don’t want to take that away from him. He’s just got to understand when it’s time to say, ‘No mas’ and throw the ball out of bounds and let’s go play another down.”

The Defenders sacked McGough eight times for 73 yards in losses. Seven of the sacks came in the second half. Birmingham reached the DC 19-yard line with 40 seconds to play. But back-to-back sacks on the Stallions’ final two snaps secured the victory for the Defenders and left Birmingham at 0-1 for the first time in the franchise’s history.

“I think the league has gotten better and better,” Holtz said. “I think our team’s more talented top to bottom. I also think everybody else is, too.”

Michigan opened its season with a 26-12 victory over the Memphis Showboats on Sunday.

“We’re going to have a great challenge (Friday) playing Michigan, who is playing really well right now,” Holtz said.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.