BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (April 25, 2025) – The Memphis Showboats earned their first win of the season in dramatic fashion Friday night, defeating the Birmingham Stallions 24-20 in an overtime shootout at Protective Stadium.
Memphis (1-4) snapped Birmingham’s (3-2) two-year home win streak and handed the defending UFL champions their first at-home loss since 2023.
In the UFL’s overtime format – three alternating 2-point conversion attempts per team – the Shwoboats struck first, aided by back-to-back Birmingham penalties. Memphis stopped the Stallions on their opening try, and after both teams came up empty on their second attempts, Dresser Winn connected with Dee Anderson on a successful third attempt, securing the victory for the ’Boats.
Winn, making his first start in nearly 900 days dating back to his time at UT-Martin, finished 17-of-29 for 235 yards and a touchdown. He opened the game with a strike to Anderson for a 78-yard TD, giving Memphis an early 8-0 lead after a successful 2-point run by Jalen Jackson. Matt Coghlin added a 32-yard field goal to make it 11-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Birmingham trailed 11-3 late in the first half and looked to cut into the deficit with a long field goal on the last play of the half. But the kick fell short. Isaiah Hennie, who was back deep in case of a short kick, hauled in 8 yards deep in the end zone. Hennie set up his blockers, made a couple Stallions miss as he raced down the Memphis sideline for a 108-yard Kick Six to put the Showboats on top 17-3 at halftime.
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?! 🤯🤯🤯
— UFLonFOX (@UFLonFOX) April 26, 2025
The first kick-six of the UFL belongs to @iwh_v 💪 pic.twitter.com/4NDqpaY2TC
Former Showboats QB Case Cookus led Birmingham back in the second half with a 33-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Thomas early in the third quarter. Mevis added another field goal early in the fourth to close the gap 17-12. Coghlin answered with a 37-yard field goal to put Memphis on top 20-12. But Cookus tied the game in the final minute with a 6-yard TD pass to Marlon Williams and a successful 2-point conversion to Jace Sternberger, sending the game to overtime tied at 20.
Steele Chambers led the Showboats defense with a game-high 10 tackles (seven solo), his fourth game this season as the team’s top tackler. Memphis recorded three sacks – one each from P.J. Hall, Izayah Green-May and Nasir Player. Eli Walker added the team’s first interception of the season at the Memphis 1-yard line, thwarting a Birmingham scoring threat.
Cookus was 15-of-33 for 145 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He also led the Stallions in rushing yards, with 83 on six carries.
The Memphis Showboats remain on the road next week, traveling to Houston to face the Roughnecks on Saturday, May 3. Kickoff is set for 11:00 a.m. CT at TDECU Stadium.
Memphis Showboats Postgame Notes
Offense
- Dee Anderson’s 78-yard touchdown reception from Winn was the longest play of the season in the UFL.
- Dresser Winn started his first game as QB for the Showboats, and led the team to its first victory of the season against the Birmingham Stallions. He went 17-of-29 for 235 yards, one touchdown and two passes for successful 2-point conversions.
- Deneric Prince led Memphis’ running attack, carrying it 12 times for 59 yards.
Defense
- Steele Chambers was once again the Showboats top defender with 10 total tackles, seven solo, including one TFL. He has been in double digits for tackles in 4 of 5 games.
- Eli Walker recorded the Showboats first interception – and first takeaway – of the season.
- Nasir Player, P.J. Hall and Izayah Green-May all recorded sacks for Memphis as well as TFLs.
Special Teams
- Isiah Hennie pulled off an enormous 108-yard Kick Six off of a spoiled Stallions field goal attempt. It was a UFL record for longest play of any kind since the inception of the league.
- Hennie’s Kick Six was the second in Showboats franchise history. Derrick Dillon returned a missed field goal 109 yards for a TD on the last play of the first half vs. the Pittsburgh Maulers on May 23, 2023 in the USFL.
- Matt Coghlin was 2-for-3 on his field goal attempts. He was good from 32 and 37 yards. His lone miss was a 57-yarder on the last play of regulation that would have won the game.