After winning the 2022 USFL championship, the Birmingham Stallions became the first team to qualify for the league’s 2023 playoffs on Sunday.

Birmingham’s 38-15 victory over the Houston Gamblers moved the Stallions to 7-2, the USFL’s best record, and clinched a postseason berth with one week remaining in the regular season.

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

The Stars had the opportunity on Sunday night to join the Stallions in the postseason again, but Philadelphia lost to the New Jersey Generals 37-33.

Entering Week 10, every team in the USFL North has a losing record, but two will go to playoffs, and every team in the USFL South has a winning record, but two will miss the postseason.

In the other Week 9 games:

· Pittsburgh intercepted Michigan Panthers quarterback Josh Love four times and blocked a punt in the Maulers’ 19-7 victory on Saturday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. The interceptions came at the Pittsburgh 15, 36 and 27 and the Michigan 46, and the Panthers also were stopped on downs in the Maulers’ end of the field twice in the fourth quarter.

· New Orleans gained only 170 yards, including just 64 passing yards, but the Breakers broke Memphis’ five-game winning streak by beating the Showboats 31-3 on Sunday at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis lost five turnovers – two fumbles and three interceptions. New Orleans linebacker Vontae Diggs returned an interception 29 yards for a touchdown, the Showboats lost a fumble at the Breakers 1-yard line and one of Memphis QB Cole Kelley’s interceptions came at the New Orleans 15.

· Philadelphia scored the final 17 points but couldn’t catch New Jersey in a 37-33 loss at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Generals running back Darius Victor ran for two touchdowns and threw a TD pass. The Stars had six red-zone possessions but came away with only two touchdowns from them. Philadelphia had four turnovers, including fumbles lost at the New Jersey 6-yard line and on the Stars’ final snap with 51 seconds to play.

Birmingham quarterback Alex McGough completed 13-of-21 passes for 208 yards with two touchdowns and one interception and ran for a touchdown against Houston at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.

The Gamblers had five possessions penetrate the Stallions 20-yard line, but Houston didn’t score a touchdown on any of them, coming away with four field goals and getting stopped on downs in the fourth quarter at the Birmingham 18.

The Stallions led 17-15 entering the final period. Birmingham got touchdown runs of 2 yards by running back C.J. Marable and 16 yards by McGough and a 32-yard TD fumble return by cornerback Matt Hankins to pull away in the fourth quarter.

The USFL semifinals will be held June 24 and 25 in Canton. New Orleans is in the driver’s seat to join Birmingham on the South side of the bracket by improving to 6-3 while Memphis and Houston dropped to 5-4. But the Showboats and Gamblers remain in playoff contention heading into the final week of the regular season.

In the North, the Stars and Generals are 4-5 and the Maulers and Panthers are 3-6. All four teams remain in playoff contention.

Players from Alabama high schools and colleges in the USFL’s Week 9 games included:

Pittsburgh Maulers 19, Michigan Panthers 7

· Maulers offensive lineman Xavier Dampeer (Auburn) was designated as a game-day inactive.

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

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

· Brodarious Hamm (Auburn) started at right offensive tackle for the Panthers.

· Panthers defensive tackle Garrett Marino (UAB) made six tackles, recorded one sack and registered two tackles for loss.

New Orleans Breakers 31, Memphis Showboats 3

· Breakers wide receiver Dee Anderson (Alabama A&M) did not record any stats.

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

· Breakers defensive tackle Connor Christian (Jacksonville State) recorded one sack.

· 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.

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

· Showboats safety T.J. Green (Sylacauga) made one tackle.

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

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

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

· Breakers linebacker Shaheed Salmon (Samford) made three tackles and forced a fumble that New Orleans recovered at its 1-yard line.

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

· Breakers wide receiver Eli Stove (Auburn) ran 29 yards for a touchdown and returned two kickoffs for 55 yards, including a 45-yarder. Stove scored the game’s final touchdown with 12:19 remaining.

· Showboats tight end Jay Jay Wilson (Auburn) had two receptions for 24 yards and lost one fumble.

Birmingham Stallions 38, Houston Gamblers 15

· Gamblers tight end Brandon Barnes (Russell County, Alabama State) did not record any stats.

· Tim Bonner (Demopolis) started at defensive tackle for the Gamblers.

· Gamblers safety Bydarrius Knighten (Auburn) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Stallions wide receiver Myron Mitchell (Jasper, UAB) had a 15-yard reception.

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

· Gamblers kicker Nick Vogel (UAB) made all his kicks, connecting on field goals of 47, 25, 36, 34 and 29 yards.

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

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

New Jersey Generals 37, Philadelphia Stars 33

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

· Generals tight end Braedon Bowman (South Alabama) had three receptions for 17 yards and one touchdown. Bowman caught a halfback pass from Victor for a 1-yard touchdown as New Jersey took a 17-10 lead with 6:19 left in the first half.

· Generals linebacker Jalen Choice (Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, Jacksonville State) was designated as a game-day inactive.

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

· Generals running back Kingston Davis (Prattville, UAB/Miles) gained 27 yards on four rushing attempts.

· General wide receiver Cam Echols-Luper (Auburn High) caught four passes for 13 yards, ran back four kickoffs for 145 yards and one touchdown and returned one punt for 1 yard. Echols-Luper returned the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown.

· Generals safety Trae Elston (Oxford) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Stars defensive tackle LaBryan Ray (James Clemens, Alabama) shared a sack.

· Generals tight end Wes Saxton (Hueytown, South Alabama) caught two passes for 17 yards and made a tackle on special teams.

· Generals defensive tackle Tyrone Truesdell (Auburn) made two tackles.

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

In the USFL’s Week 10 games:

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

· The Stallions and Showboats square off at 3 p.m. Saturday at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. FOX will televise the game.

· The Breakers and Gamblers play at 3 p.m. Sunday at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. FS1 will televise the game.

· The Stars and Panthers face off a 6 p.m. Sunday at Ford Field in Detroit. FOX will televise the game.

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