He made all five of his field goals, including a 50-yard kick as time expired to seal the victory. His strong performance helped head coach Kevin Sumlin earn his first win of the season.
Houston focused on running the ball early after struggling in Week One. The plan worked, but the team had trouble finishing drives. The Gamblers reached the red zone several times in the first half but only came away with two field goals.
Quarterback Sam Ehlinger was not available, and starter Dekkers left the game with an injury. Backup Nolan Henderson stepped in and gave the offense a boost. He used both his arm and legs to move the ball and keep drives alive.
The Stallions took a 7–6 lead before halftime after quarterback Matt Corral led a quick scoring drive. Birmingham added another touchdown in the third quarter to go up 14–6.
Houston kept fighting. Hoyland added more field goals to cut the lead, and running back Jalen White scored a key touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the Gamblers ahead 19–14.
Birmingham answered late with a rushing touchdown to take a 20–19 lead, but they missed the two-point try.
With less than two minutes left, Henderson led a clutch drive. On fourth down, he found Armani Rogers to keep the game alive.
That set up Hoyland’s game-winning kick as time expired.
Houston finished with over 400 yards of offense and showed big improvement from the week before.
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