Nashville, Albany host surging challengers in AF1 semifinals

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Top-seeded Nashville and defending champion Albany enter the Arena Football One semifinals rested, at home and one victory from a rematch in the Arena Crown championship game.

Michigan and Minnesota arrive with momentum.

The fifth-seeded Arsenal have won five consecutive games after defeating Kentucky 70-36 in the quarterfinals. The third-seeded Monsters have won four straight after beating Washington 48-32.

Minnesota plays at Albany at 4 p.m. EDT Saturday at MVP Arena. Michigan visits Nashville at 3 p.m. CDT Sunday at F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville. Both games will be televised nationally by VICE TV.

No. 3 Minnesota at No. 2 Albany

Minnesota returns to the site of its most decisive loss.

Albany defeated the Monsters 50-23 in the April 11 season opener, outscoring them 29-6 after halftime. Joshua Kulka threw five touchdown passes, Duane Brown scored three times and the Firebirds intercepted Ja’Vonte Johnson twice.

Minnesota has since developed a more physical offense and a defense capable of creating pressure without relying heavily on blitzes. The Monsters won their final three regular-season games against Kentucky, Washington and Beaumont, then controlled most of their quarterfinal rematch with Washington.

Johnson completed 12 of 25 passes for 138 yards, six touchdowns and one interception Sunday. Jarvai Flowers caught three passes for 68 yards and two touchdowns, then recovered a kickoff off the rebound screen and returned it for another score. Chei Hill had two sacks and a safety.

Johnson finished the regular season with 1,836 passing yards, 43 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. His 46.5% completion rate and interception total are Minnesota’s primary offensive concerns. He also rushed for 83 yards and five touchdowns.

Flowers leads Minnesota’s current receivers with league season totals of 48 catches for 735 yards and 14 touchdowns. Shiloh Flanagan had 40 receptions for 389 yards and eight scores, while LeDarian McAllister finished with 26 catches for 338 yards and nine touchdowns.

The Monsters also led AF1 in rushing. Shannon Brooks gained 237 yards on 53 carries despite playing only seven games before a neck injury. Claude Davis added 142 yards and six touchdowns.

Minnesota’s defensive strength begins with Hill, who had nine regular-season sacks, and defensive back Delvon Randall, who intercepted seven passes and made 56 solo tackles. Their ability to pressure Albany’s quarterback and create short fields will be critical.

Albany counters with two proven quarterbacks and the league’s deepest receiving group.

Sam Castronova, the 2025 AF1 most valuable player, passed for 1,698 yards and 38 touchdowns in six regular-season games. His 283 passing yards per game led the league. Kulka went 5-0 as Albany’s starter and threw for 311 yards and six touchdowns in a 57-54 loss to Nashville in the regular-season finale.

Darien Townsend finished with 988 receiving yards and led AF1 with 24 touchdown receptions and 144 points. Tyrese Chambers caught 16 touchdown passes and had 10 receptions for 114 yards and three scores against Nashville. Isiah Scott and Agiye Hall give either Albany quarterback additional experienced targets.

The Firebirds scored 652 points, second only to Nashville, but lost three of their final four games after an 8-0 start. Michigan forced four Castronova turnovers in ending Albany’s 20-game AF1 winning streak, and Nashville scored 135 points in two victories over the Firebirds.

Special teams have been another problem. Nashville’s Malik Honeycutt returned three kickoffs for touchdowns against Albany, and Beaumont returned two for scores in the Firebirds’ next game. Flowers showed against Washington that Minnesota can exploit the same area.

Albany also changed its offensive line this week, releasing veteran Isaiah Hardy and signing Ryan Johnson. The Firebirds did not place Hardy on injured reserve or publicly attribute the transaction to an injury. Johnson must be incorporated quickly against Minnesota’s pass rush.

Linebacker Drew Singleton leads Albany’s defense. He set an AF1 single-season record with 89 solo tackles, 24 more than any other player. Defensive lineman Morris Joseph Jr. added eight sacks.

Minnesota must limit Johnson’s turnovers and create points through defense or special teams. Albany must protect its quarterback, prevent explosive returns and force the Monsters to sustain drives.

No. 5 Michigan at No. 1 Nashville

Michigan has become AF1’s hottest team after finishing the regular season 6-6.

The Arsenal defeated Albany, Minnesota, Washington and Oceanside by a combined score of 203-136 before overwhelming Kentucky in the quarterfinals. The Barrels led 36-33 at halftime, but Michigan scored 37 unanswered points and shut out Kentucky in the second half.

Malik Henry completed 20 of 28 passes for 273 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions. He finished the regular season with 2,700 yards, a league-leading 59 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions.

Henry has three productive receivers. Daniel Williams III caught 77 passes for 829 yards and 20 touchdowns. Jairus Grissom had 64 receptions for 807 yards and 19 scores. Trevante Long added 54 catches for 425 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Michigan’s defense has improved during the winning streak. Michael White had nine regular-season sacks, Chris Fitzgerald finished with seven, and Berdale Robins and Isaiah McFarland intercepted five passes apiece.

The defense remains Michigan’s principal weakness. The Arsenal averaged 44.1 points during the regular season but allowed 43.5, frequently forcing Henry to win high-scoring games.

Nashville exploited that weakness twice.

The Kats defeated Michigan 78-40 in the season opener and won the rematch 68-51. Nashville quarterback Tyler Kulka completed 14 of 18 passes for 258 yards and six touchdowns in the first meeting, while Henry threw three interceptions and was sacked twice.

Nashville finished 11-1, won its final nine games and outscored opponents 735-434. The Kats averaged 61.3 points and went 7-0 at home.

Kulka led AF1 with 2,835 passing yards and 2,817 total offensive yards. His 56 touchdown passes ranked second behind Henry.

Malik Honeycutt led the league with 1,047 receiving yards and averaged 95.2 per game. He caught 19 touchdown passes and also contributed at defensive back and return specialist. Kendyl Williams averaged two touchdowns per game, while Desmond Maxwell led AF1 with 12 rushing scores.

Kicker Kyle Kaplan gives Nashville a significant special-teams advantage. He scored 131 points and can change possession value with deuces. Kaplan made four deuces and seven extra points in Nashville’s three-point victory at Albany.

Defensive lineman Jaquan Artis had 10 sacks. Derrick Jones made 65 solo tackles, and Omari Alexander intercepted seven passes.

Nashville’s weakness is its pass defense against elite offenses. Albany scored 69 and 54 points in its two losses to the Kats, and Michigan scored 51 in their second meeting.

Michigan must protect Henry and avoid the turnovers that decided the first game. Nashville must pressure him, control special teams and prevent the Arsenal’s three receivers from creating another shootout.