USFL opener: Birmingham Stallions beat New Jersey Generals in closing seconds

The New Jersey Generals now have something in common with the Giants and Jets — finding a way to lose.

The Generals dropped a heartbreaking 28-24 loss to the Birmingham Stallions on Saturday night at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Ala., the first game of the newly-revamped USFL.

Nick Rose, who missed two field goals earlier in the game, hit a 47-yarder with 1:54 left to give the Generals a 24-21 lead.

But that was enough time for Birmingham to put together a game-winning 59-yard drive, capped off by a 2-yard touchdown run by Stallions quarterback J’Mar Smith with 29 seconds left.

“It feels good, I can’t stop smiling,” Smith told Fox’s Brock Huard after the game. “It’s a great feeling … being out here is a great opportunity with the USFL. I’m just very thankful.”

It was a tough loss for the Generals, who dominated on the ground. They rushed for an impressive 222 rushing yards. They ran the ball 24 consecutive times at one point.

New Jersey used two quarterbacks. Luis Perez — who threw the first touchdown in the revived league’s history on a 2-yard score to Randy Satterfield in the first quarter. — threw the ball more, going 13-for-19 for 143 yards and two touchdowns passes. De’Andre Johnson, the other quarterback, went 3-for-8 for 59 yards from the air, but rushed for 98 yards and a score.

Opening weekend action for the USFL — which debuted its helmet cam on Saturday — continues Sunday with three games starting at 12 p.m. Eastern.