A dramatic touchdown by Birmingham sent the game into overtime, but it didn’t save the Stallions from the Memphis Showboats’ upset attempt on Friday night at Protective Stadium.

Winless through the first four weeks of the United Football League season, Memphis upended Birmingham 24-20 in overtime to drop the Stallions to 3-2 for the 2025 campaign.

With quarterback Matt Corral sidelined by a midsection injury, Birmingham used its third starting quarterback of the season, and Case Cookus drove the Stallions 46 yards to tie the score at 20-20 with 25 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

Aided by a 20-yard punt return by Amari Rodgers to start the final series, Birmingham got a 6-yard touchdown pass from Cookus to wide receiver Marlon Williams followed by a 2-point conversion pass from Cookus to tight end Jace Sternberger to knot the score.

The UFL’s overtime format is a best-of-three rounds, with alternating plays from the 5-yard line. Getting the football to the goal line is worth 2 points.

Memphis’ first try failed, but Birmingham was called for defensive pass interference. On the do-over, Dresser Winn hit a 2-point pass. Two failed attempts by the Stallions sandwiched an incompletion by the Showboats, so when Winn connected with former Alabama A&M standout Dee Anderson in the end zone on Memphis’ third attempt, it put the game out of Birmingham’s reach.

Anderson also opened the scoring in the game by catching a 78-yard touchdown pass from Winn with 10:21 left in the first quarter.

Disaster struck the Stallions on the last play of the first half. Birmingham allowed Harrison Mevis to attempt a 63-yard field goal. It didn’t quite reach the uprights, and Memphis’ Isiah Hennie turned it into a kick-six with a 108-yard return for a touchdown as the Showboats grabbed a 17-3 halftime lead.

Cookus completed 15-of-33 passes for 145 yards with two touchdowns and one interception and ran six times for 83 yards.

Cookus got Birmingham’s second-half comeback started with a 33-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jordan Thomas with 10:49 left in the third quarter.

The interception also came in the third quarter, when safety Eli Walker picked off a throw into the Memphis end zone.

In his first action this season, Winn completed 17-of-29 passes for 235 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. Winn was not sacked. Cookus was sacked three times.

The Stallions return to the field at 4 p.m. CDT May 4 against the San Antonio Brahmas at Protective Stadium in Birmingham. FOX will televise the game.

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