The Birmingham Stallions had the best record in the USFL during the regular season at 8-2. They backed that up by playing like the best team in the league on Sunday night in a 47-22 victory over the New Orleans Breakers. But to be the USFL’s best team for the 2023 season officially, the Stallions need to win one more time on Saturday.

Birmingham’s one-sided win over New Orleans gave the Stallions the South Division’s spot in the USFL Championship Game. Birmingham will seek its second straight league title when the Stallions square off against the Pittsburgh Maulers at 7 p.m. CDT Saturday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. NBC will televise the game.

Birmingham defeated the Philadelphia Stars 33-30 in last season’s USFL Championship Game.

After posting a 4-6 regular-season record, Pittsburgh reached this year’s title contest by beating the Michigan Panthers 31-27 in overtime on Saturday night.

Six players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field during the Breakers-Stallions game at Protective Stadium in Birmingham:

· Breakers wide receiver Dee Anderson (Alabama A&M) had three receptions for 64 yards, including a 32-yarder.

· Breakers defensive tackle Connor Christian (Jacksonville State) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Breakers quarterback Aqeel Glass (Alabama A&M) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Kirk Kelley (Troy) started at left guard for the Breakers.

· Breakers linebacker Zakoby McClain (Auburn) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Stallions wide receiver Myron Mitchell (Jasper, UAB) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Stallions wide receiver Peyton Ramzy (Bessemer Academy, Tuskegee) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Breakers guard Steven Rowzee (Troy) did not record any stats.

· Breakers linebacker Shaheed Salmon (Samford) made two tackles.

· Stallions running back Bo Scarbrough (Northridge, Alabama) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Breakers tight end Jared Scott (Jacksonville State) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Wide receiver Eli Stove (Auburn) caught a 14-yard pass and returned two kickoffs for 15 yards.

· Stallions wide receiver Austin Watkins (UAB) did not record any stats.

· Stallions wide receiver Marlon Williams (McGill-Toolen) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

Sunday night’s playoff game matched the teams that had the best regular-season records and the two clubs based in Birmingham. After going 7-3 in the regular season, the Breakers played their seventh game at Protective Stadium this year, the same number as the Stallions. Three of those games were New Orleans-Birmingham matchups.

On Sunday night, the Stallions scored on their first seven possessions, building a 40-7 lead before Birmingham running back Ricky Person Jr. lost a fumble with 26 seconds left in the third quarter.

Birmingham rolled up 553 yards as quarterback Alex McGough completed 21-of-31 passes for 310 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions and ran for 84 yards and one touchdown on eight carries.

Wide receiver Davion Davis had five receptions for 75 yards and two touchdowns, and tight end Jace Sternberger and wide receiver Josh Johnson also caught touchdown passes.

The Stallions ran for 245 yards on 30 carries, with Person gaining 84 yards on 10 rushing attempts and C.J. Marable going for 72 yards and one touchdown on 11 carries.

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