The USFL’s 2022 championship team has emerged in sole possession of the league’s South Division lead through seven weeks of regular-season play in 2023.

The Birmingham Stallions entered Week 7 of the 10-week regular-season tied with the New Orleans Breakers and Houston Gamblers for the South lead. But the Stallions beat the Breakers 24-20 as the stadium-mates squared off in Birmingham while the Gamblers lost to the Memphis Showboats 23-20.

In the USFL’s Week 7 games:

· Birmingham safety JoJo Tillery intercepted in the end zone a throw by quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson with New Orleans at the Stallions 38-yard line on the final play of a 24-20 victory over the Breakers on Saturday at Protective Stadium in Birmingham. Running back CJ Marable gained 86 yards on 17 rushing attempts and 52 yards on six receptions and quarterback Alex McGough passed for one touchdown and ran for another for the Stallions. New Orleans also lost a fumble at the Birmingham 30 and a muffed punt at its 24 and found the end zone on only one of its four red-zone possessions to lose despite outgaining the Stallions by 109 yards.

· Philadelphia quarterback Case Cookus threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns in the Stars’ 37-31 victory over the Pittsburgh Maulers on Saturday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. A 69-yard punt return by Isiah Hennie to the Philadelphia 1-yard line set up a Pittsburgh touchdown with 2:01 to play that cut the Stars’ lead to three points. But for the remainder of the game, the Maulers’ offensive snaps resulted in two sacks and two incompletions while Philadelphia added a field goal.

· Wide receiver Derrick Dillon turned a short pass into a 64-touchdown reception with 1:32 to play and former Sylacauga High School star T.J. Green sealed the victory with an interception at the Memphis 10-yard line with 11 seconds to play as the Showboats beat the Houston Gamblers 23-20 on Sunday at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis. Quarterback Cole Kelley threw two touchdown passes as the Showboats posted their fourth consecutive victory.

· Michigan running back Reggie Corbin ran five times for 30 yards and two first downs as the Panthers ran out the final 1:55 on their 25-22 victory over the New Jersey Generals on Sunday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. New Jersey quarterback Kyle Lauletta threw a 5-yard touchdown pass with 1:55 to play to cut Michigan’s lead to three points. But Lauletta’s next two passes were incompletions – on the 3-point conversion attempt and on the alternative onside-kick snap. Panthers quarterback Josh Love passed for 264 yards and three touchdowns and wide receiver Joe Walker had five receptions for 121 yards, including a 68-yard TD.

While Birmingham lifted its record to a league-best 5-2, the Breakers (with their third straight loss) and Gamblers fell to 4-3, the same record as the South’s other team, the Showboats, who posted their fourth consecutive victory.

In trying to win the South and the USFL for the second straight season, the Stallions have three teams currently at 4-3 left on their schedule. Birmingham hosts North Division leader Philadelphia on Saturday, then plays games in Memphis against the Gamblers on June 11 and Showboats on June 17 to close the regular season.

Philadelphia’s victory over Pittsburgh left the Stars one game ahead of the Panthers, with the Generals and Maulers at 2-5, in the North.

Players from Alabama high schools and colleges in the USFL’s Week 7 games included:

Birmingham Stallions 24, New Orleans Breakers 20

· Breakers wide receiver Dee Anderson (Alabama A&M) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Breakers defensive tackle Connor Christian (Jacksonville State) did not record any stats.

· 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) had a 14-yard reception.

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

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

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

· Breakers tight end Jared Scott (Jacksonville State) did not record any stats.

· Breakers wide receiver Eli Stove (Auburn) had a 9-yard run, returned five kickoffs for 87 yards and made a tackle on special teams.

· Stallions wide receiver Austin Watkins (UAB) was designated as a game-day inactive.

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

Philadelphia Stars 37, Pittsburgh Maulers 31

· Maulers offensive lineman Xavier Dampeer (Auburn) did not record any stats.

· Maulers linebacker Reuben Foster (Auburn High, Alabama) made seven tackles.

· Stars offensive tackle Antonio Garcia (Troy) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Maulers defensive back Sedevyn Gray (West Alabama) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Stars defensive tackle LaBryan Ray (James Clemens, Alabama) made four tackles, recorded two sacks and registered three tackles for loss.

Memphis Showboats 23, Houston Gamblers 20

· Gamblers tight end Brandon Barnes (Russell County, Alabama State) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Gamblers defensive end Tim Bonner (Demopolis) recovered a fumble at the Memphis 19-yard line with 2:29 to play. The turnover set up a Houston touchdown as the Gamblers grabbed a 20-16 lead with 1:49 remaining.

· Showboats defensive end Big Kat Bryant (Auburn) did not record any stats.

· Showboats wide receiver John Franklin III (Auburn) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Showboats running back Ezra Gray (Alabama State) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Showboats safety T.J. Green (Sylacauga) recorded a tackle for loss and broke up a pass in addition to his victory-sealing interception in his first game for Memphis.

· Gamblers kicker Nick Vogel (UAB) made field goals of 23 and 29 yards, had a 52-yard field-goal attempt blocked, connected on two extra points and recorded a tackle on special teams. The 29-yard field goal came on the final snap of the first half as Houston cut Memphis’ lead to 13-6.

· Showboats tight end Jay Jay Wilson (Auburn) made two tackles on special teams.

Michigan Panthers 25, New Jersey Generals 22

· Calvin Ashley (Auburn) started at right guard for the Generals.

· Generals tight end Braedon Bowman (South Alabama) caught a 7-yard pass and made one tackle on special teams.

· Generals linebacker Jalen Choice (Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, Jacksonville State) made one tackle and broke up one pass.

· Generals cornerback Blake Countess (Auburn) is on the injured list and not eligible to play.

· Generals running back Kingston Davis (Prattville, UAB/Miles) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Generals wide receiver Cam Echols-Luper (Auburn High) caught two passes for 43 yards and returned three punts for 14 yards.

· Generals safety Trae Elston (Oxford) made one tackle.

· Panthers offensive tackle Brodarious Hamm (Auburn) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Panthers defensive tackle Garrett Marino (UAB) made three tackles, recorded a tackle for loss and knocked down a pass.

· Generals tight end Wes Saxton (Hueytown, South Alabama) caught a 6-yard pass.

· Generals defensive tackle Tyrone Truesdell (Auburn) broke up a pass.

· Generals cornerback Christian Tutt (Auburn) made three tackles.

In the USFL’s Week 8 games:

· The Gamblers and Maulers meet at 11 a.m. CDT Saturday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. USA will televise the game.

· The Stars and Stallions square off at 2 p.m. Saturday at Protective Stadium in Birmingham. NBC will televise the game.

· The Showboats and Generals face off at noon Sunday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. FOX will televise the game.

· The Panthers and Breakers play at 3 p.m. Sunday at Protective Stadium. FOX will televise the game.

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