Three weeks into its first season, the United Football League has only one undefeated team. And maybe it shouldn’t be surprising the 3-0 record belongs to the Birmingham Stallions.

Since reappearing with the USFL revival in 2022, the Stallions have posted a 24-3 record, with the victories including two USFL Championship games. Birmingham has won 10 consecutive games since a 27-20 setback against the Houston Gamblers on May 13, 2023.

To get to 4-0 on Saturday, the Stallions don’t need to think about being 3-0, Birmingham coach Skip Holtz said.

“Really proud of this football team and what they were able to accomplish,” Holtz said. “The challenge that we have presented to our football team is just to stay in the now. Let’s stay focused on what’s important now and what we have to do to try to find a way to win, and that is just staying in the moment. And it comes down to what we have to do each day.

“We have to focus on today. When we put together a game plan for the week, it becomes Sunday through Thursday. What are we trying to get done on Sunday? We’re trying to flush our bodies with a lift and get the film done. Monday’s a day off for recovery. Tuesday’s a work day for first downs. Wednesday’s a work day for third downs. Polish it all up on Thursday. Travel on Friday and then play the game on Saturday. So we’re just trying to keep them focused on what we need to do, maybe not looking at what we’ve accomplished, but at the same time trying not to look too far into the future because we have a D.C. Defenders team coming in this week.”

The Defenders had the best regular-season record in the XFL in 2023 at 9-1. D.C. inexplicably lost its Week 7 game 37-36 to the Orlando Guardians, the worst team in the league. The Defenders also were upset in the XFL Championship Game, when the Arlington Renegades scored a 35-26 victory on the same day as the Stallions’ most recent loss.

Birmingham and D.C. are now league rivals after they survived the merger of the USFL and XFL into the UFL.

“They had the best record in the XFL last year,” Holtz said. “They return a lot of starters off last year’s team. Jordan Ta’amu is their quarterback, who is a very talented individual from Ole Miss. They can score a lot of points. They have scored a lot of points and right now they’re tied for first place in the XFL Division (at 2-1), and so we’ve got a real challenge coming in this weekend. We’re excited that we have the opportunity to play them at home.”

The Stallions have shown something this season that likely has Ta’amu’s attention. Birmingham has recorded 17 sacks in 2024. No other team’s defense has more than nine this season.

“That group has been unbelievable,” Holtz said. “We have 17 sacks in three games. Last year, we had 17 all year. …

“I think that’s two things. I think with the limited number of sacks and pressures we had a year ago, we really went hard in the offseason. Out of our top eight players, I think there’s only two players from a year ago. I think the addition of guys like (Jonathan) Garvin, DeMarcus Mitchell, Taco Charlton, Marvin Wilson inside, Carlos Davis, I just think some of those guys, along with Jordan Thompson and (Dondrea) Tillman, those guys have done a great job for us. They’ve wreaked havoc.

“I think the addition of (coach) Bill Johnson with the defensive line, he’s done a great job. He’s been a long-time NFL coach, he’s won two Super Bowls, he’s won a national championship in college. I think he’s done a great job of getting the most out of those talented guys.”

The Defenders and Stallions square off at 6 p.m. CDT Saturday at Protective Stadium in Birmingham. FOX will televise the game.

The contest will be a homecoming for D.C. coach Reggie Barlow.

A prep standout at Sidney Lanier in Montgomery, Barlow was a 1,000-yard receiver as a senior at Alabama State. A fourth-round draft choice of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1996, Barlow spent eight seasons as an NFL wide receiver. He remains the Jaguars’ career leader in punt-return yards.

After starting his coaching career as Alabama State’s quarterbacks coach, Barlow became the Hornets’ head coach in 2007. In eight seasons as Alabama State’s coach, Barlow guided the Hornets to a 49-42 overall record and a 38-28 mark in SWAC regular-season play.

“I think Reggie Barlow does a great job with that team,” Holtz said. “They were 10-2 last year, and he was the Coach of the Year. They are 2-1 this year, so it’s got all the makings of another great atmosphere, another great environment, and we’re just trying to get done what we need to get done to bring the best product to Protective Stadium on Saturday night that we can.”

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