The St. Louis Battlehawks (1-0) took on the defending UFL Champion D.C. Defenders (0-1) on Saturday afternoon from The Dome at America’s Center. The last time these two teams played was in the XFL Conference Championship, where the Defenders beat the Battlehawks 36-18.
In the first quarter, D.C. kicker Matt McCrane made a 60-yard field goal to give the Defenders a 4-0 lead. Later, St. Louis kicker Tucker McCann made a 58-yard field goal. The Battlehawks trailed the Defenders 4-3.
Late in the first quarter, D.C. running back Deon Jackson scored a one-yard touchdown. The Defenders attempted a two-point conversion, but did not get it. The Defenders led the Battlehawks 10-3 heading into the second quarter.
In the second quarter, the only points scored were by St. Louis kicker Tucker McCann with a 27-yard field goal. The Battlehawks trailed the Defenders 10-6 at halftime.
In the third quarter, St. Louis found the endzone when quarterback Brandon Silvers threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tyler Neville. Tucker McCann made the extra point, and the Battlehawks took a 13-10 lead.
In the fourth quarter, St. Louis kicker Tucker McCann made a 25-yard field goal. The Battlehawks would go on to defeat the Defenders 16-10.
St. Louis had 238 yards on offense (198 yards passing, 66 yards rushing), 14 first downs, and the team was penalized one time. Quarterback Brandon Silvers completed 16 of 28 passes (57.1%) for 198 yards, one touchdown, and four carries for no yards. Running back Jarveon Howard had 11 carries for 45 yards and four catches for 24 yards.
Wide receiver Gary Jennings Jr. made one catch for 64 yards, while tight end Tyler Neville made one catch for 10 yards and one touchdown. The defense made 46 tackles, five tackles for loss, seven sacks, two interceptions, and two pass breakups.
D.C.’s offense had 153 yards (123 yards passing, 73 yards rushing), 10 first downs, and the team was penalized 11 times. Quarterback Jordan Ta’amu completed 9 of 16 passes (56.3%) for 123 yards, two interceptions, and five carries for 16 yards. Running back Deon Jackson had 17 carries for 57 yards and one rushing touchdown.
Wide receiver Seth Williams made three catches for 51 yards, while Ty Scott made two catches for 35 yards. The defense made 61 tackles, six tackles for loss, three sacks, and three pass breakups.
Next Friday, the D.C. Defenders visit the Columbus Aviators at 8 pm on Fox, while the St. Louis Battlehawks visit the Dallas Renegades on Tuesday at 8 pm on FS1.
