| 2023 | |
| Type: | usflc |
| Visitor: | Pittsburgh Maulers |
| Visitor Abbr: | PIT |
| Visitor Coach: | Ray Horton |
| Visitor Record: | 4–6 |
| Home: | Birmingham Stallions |
| Home Abbr: | BHAM |
| Home Coach: | Skip Holtz |
| Home Record: | 8–2 |
| Visitor Qtr1: | 3 |
| Visitor Qtr2: | 6 |
| Visitor Qtr3: | 3 |
| Visitor Qtr4: | 0 |
| Home Qtr1: | 0 |
| Home Qtr2: | 14 |
| Home Qtr3: | 7 |
| Home Qtr4: | 7 |
| Date: | July 1, 2023 |
| Time: | 8:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4) |
| Stadium: | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium |
| City: | Canton, Ohio |
| Referee: | Larry Smith[1] |
| Attendance: | N/A |
| Mvp: | Deon Cain, Birmingham |
| Odds: | Birmingham by 7 |
| Anthem: | Dylan Scott |
| Network: | NBC & Peacock |
| Announcers: | Jac Collinsworth (play-by-play), Jason Garrett (analyst) and Zora Stephenson (sideline reporter) |
| Rating: | 0.7 (1.157 million viewers) (NBC) (1.2 million viewers) (Peacock)[2] [3] |
| Last: | 2022 |
The 2023 USFL championship game was an American football game that was played on July 1, 2023, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.[4] The contest determined the champion of the 2023 USFL season and was played between the Pittsburgh Maulers and the Birmingham Stallions, eventually crowning Birmingham the champion of the league for the second year in a row.
The game featured the number one defense in the league in Pittsburgh facing off against the number one offense in the league in Birmingham. After going up 3–0, the Maulers would fall after Alex McGough threw touchdown passes to Davion Davis and Deon Cain, the eventual MVP, and would never lead again. The Maulers would add additional field goals, though their continued lack of success on the offensive side of the ball would ultimately be the reason they lost the game. The Stallions eventually won the game 28-12 to repeat as USFL champions.
The two lowest-finishing teams from each division were excluded from participation in the playoffs. From the North Division, the New Jersey Generals were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention on June 17, and the Philadelphia Stars were eliminated from postseason contention on June 18. In the South Division, the Memphis Showboats were the first team ruled out of the postseason, on June 17, while the Houston Gamblers were eliminated from postseason contention on June 18.
The first semifinal game was held between the North Division first and second place teams, the Pittsburgh Maulers and the Michigan Panthers. The Maulers win in overtime 31–27 and clinch a berth in the championship game. The second semifinal game followed, which was contested by the Birmingham Stallions and the New Orleans Breakers. The Stallions clinched their championship game spot with a 47–22 win. With their playoff semifinal victories, the Stallions entered the USFL championship game 8–2, while the Maulers entered the USFL championship game 4–6.
See main article: 2023 Birmingham Stallions season. Birmingham Stallions finished their second overall season under head coach Skip Holtz, going 8–2 and advancing to their first playoff berth to the division title game against New Orleans Breakers.
See main article: 2023 Pittsburgh Maulers season. Pittsburgh Maulers finished their second overall season, and first under head coach Ray Horton, going 4–6 and advancing to their first playoff berth to the division title game against Michigan Panthers.
| Statistic | Pittsburgh | Birmingham | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total plays–net yards | 61–202 | 50–357 | |
| Rushing attempts–net yards | 17–98 | 23–150 | |
| Yards per rush | 5.8 | 6.5 | |
| Yards passing | 104 | 207 | |
| Pass completions–attempts | 24–38 | 18–25 | |
| Interceptions thrown | 0 | 0 | |
| Fumbles lost | 1 | 1 | |
| Time of possession | 33:51 | 26:09 |
| Maulers passing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24–37 | 143 | 0–0 | |||
| 0–1 | 0 | 0–0 | |||
| Maulers rushing | |||||
| Troy Williams | 4 | 38 | 0 | ||
| Garrett Groshek | 9 | 35 | 0 | ||
| Isiah Hennie | 1 | 13 | 0 | ||
| 2 | 7 | 0 | |||
| Duane Gary | 1 | 5 | 0 | ||
| Maulers receiving | |||||
| Isiah Hennie | 8 | 55 | 0 | ||
| 3 | 18 | 0 | |||
| Tre Walker | 2 | 18 | 0 | ||
| Mason Stokke | 3 | 16 | 0 | ||
| Garrett Groshek | 2 | 13 | 0 | ||
| 1 | 11 | 0 | |||
| Madre London | 3 | 9 | 0 | ||
| Matt Seybert | 1 | 6 | 0 | ||
| Josh Simmons | 1 | −3 | 0 | ||
| Stallions passing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18–25 | 243 | 4–0 | |||
| Stallions rushing | |||||
| Alex McGough | 9 | 64 | 0 | ||
| 8 | 48 | 0 | |||
| Ricky Person Jr. | 6 | 38 | 0 | ||
| Stallions receiving | |||||
| 4 | 70 | 3 | |||
| 3 | 65 | 0 | |||
| 3 | 55 | 1 | |||
| C. J. Marable | 4 | 25 | 0 | ||
| La'Michael Pettway | 3 | 25 | 0 | ||
| Josh Johnson | 1 | 3 | 0 | ||
Stallions wide receiver Deon Cain, previously named to the all-USFL team, was named the game's Most Valuable Player.
After the game, Fox officially announced that the league would return in April 2024, featuring the same eight teams that competed during the 2023 season.
The game was televised by NBC and Peacock.[6]
The USFL employed the help of DAZN for international streaming.[7]