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With 10 minutes to play, the Philadelphia Stars led the game for the USFL title by three points. Driven by a touchdown run led by reserve quarterback Alex McGough and a six-pointer from linebacker Scooby Wright, the Birmingham Stallions turned around and came away with the win, 33-30.
Both teams lost their starting quarterbacks due to injury during. Stallion quarterback J’Mar Chase came out with ramps. Stars head coach Case Cookus suffered a fibula fracture in a third play, while Philly clung on to a 23-20 lead.
A couple of touchdowns in the fourth quarter put Birmingham up by 10. The Stars responded with a touchdown. They opted for a fourth and 12th play in an attempt to maintain possession. The effort just failed, with the pass landing incomplete.
Birmingham had yet to run out of time. Facing fourth place in Philadelphia with less than a minute to play, coach Skip Holtz opted to clear. The Stallions barely missed the opportunity to drop the ball near the goal line, giving the Stars a first defeat at 20. Two plays later, however, another interception sealed the victory for the Stallions.
Birmingham finished the year 11-1. The Stars went 7-5, including the postseason.
Victor Bolden, with six catches for 64 yards and a touchdown, was named MVP of the championship game.
The match was played in front of a remarkably large crowd in Guangzhou. Fox has announced that the USFL will return next April for a second season, with the same eight teams competing in 2022.