The Stuttgart Surge completed a remarkable three-year transformation under head coach Jordan Neuman, overcoming an early deficit to defeat the Vienna Vikings 24-17 in a tense European League of Football Championship Game, capturing their maiden title before a raucous home crowd of 36,000 at MHP Arena.
Vikings strike early, Surge claw back
The Vienna Vikings, determined to avenge their 2024 championship loss, dominated the opening quarter. Quarterback Ben Holmes orchestrated a 10-play drive capped by a 4th-and-10 touchdown pass to Reece Horn, followed by a 45-yard Dennis Tasic field goal after Nikolaus Huszar intercepted Reilly Hennessey. Trailing 10-0, the Surge responded with Hennessey threading a 14-yard scoring strike to Louis Geyer, but Vienna’s Karri Pajarinen countered with a physical 12-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 17-7. Stuttgart’s defense then ignited, sacking Holmes twice to force a punt. A meticulous 10-play drive before halftime culminated in Hennessey’s second TD connection with Geyer, narrowing the gap to 17-14.
Photo: Jonas Wicker
Defensive grind sets stage for Geyer’s heroics
The third quarter became a tactical stalemate until Stuttgart running back Tomiwa Oyewo broke loose on a 63-yard screen pass, setting up a game-tying 39-yard field goal. Vienna threatened to reclaim momentum when Holmes hit tight end Florian Bierbaumer for a diving 27-yard gain and converted a 4th-down sneak. However, Surge defensive back Mitch Fettig intercepted Holmes in the end zone, preserving the 17-17 tie. Early in the fourth, Vienna’s Divine Buckrham returned the favor with a leaping pick of Hennessey, but the Surge defense held firm.
Hennessey then delivered his defining moment, evading pressure to find Geyer on a 21-yard corner route for the receiver’s third touchdown—a franchise-record performance that put Stuttgart ahead 24-17 with 7:40 remaining. Geyer finished with 9 receptions for 132 yards, his chemistry with Hennessey (15/26, 232 yards, 3 TD) proving unstoppable in critical moments.
Final stand seals franchise turnaround
Facing a desperate Vikings offense, the Surge defense rose to the occasion. Defensive end Aaron Ellis sacked Holmes on third down, forcing a 4th-and-18 heave that fell incomplete. A Vienna offsides penalty gifted Stuttgart a fresh set of downs, bleeding the clock to 51 seconds. Holmes’ final drive reached midfield, but his lateral attempt to Yannick Mayr was snuffed out by linebacker Silas Nacita, sealing the Surge’s historic victory.
Photo: Hannes Jirgal
Legacy cemented
The triumph marked the culmination of Stuttgart’s rebuild from an 0-12 season in 2022. Under Neuman’s leadership, the team embraced a physical identity: the defense held Vienna to 108 rushing yards (71 from Pajarinen) and harassed Holmes into a 17/30, 215-yard outing. Offensively, Hennessey’s poise under pressure (3 TD passes, 2 INT) and Geyer’s clutch playmaking offset three turnovers.
For Vienna, the loss marked a second consecutive finals defeat after their 2022 championship victory, underscoring their status as perennial contenders despite falling short. The Surge, meanwhile, celebrated a legacy-defining win—a testament to resilience, homegrown talent like Geyer, and Hennessey’s redemption arc after near-retirement. As fireworks lit the Stuttgart sky, the once-downtrodden franchise etched its name among Europe’s gridiron elite.