Battlehawks receiver Darrius Shepherd runs away from three San Antonio defenders during Sunday’s UFL playoff game at The Dome at America’s Center. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
| United Football League | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Antonio Brahmas (8-3) | 7 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 25 |
| St. Louis Battlehawks (7-4) | 0 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 15 |
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
ST. LOUIS, MO — The first home professional football playoff game played in St. Louis in 20 years didn’t go as anyone from St. Louis hoped it would.
The St. Louis Battlehawks, winners of the United Football League’s XFL regular season divisional championship, were hosting the San Antonio Brahmas, Sunday evening at The Dome at America’s Center, in a game that would determine which team would advance to next Sunday’s UFL championship game.
But it was the visiting Brahmas that looked like the tougher, more physical, and championship ready club, as they led from start to finish and defeated the Battlehawks, 25-15.
San Antonio will play USFL Division champion, Birmingham, in the UFL title game, next Sunday at 4 p.m. The game will be played in St. Louis. But that might cause an awkward situation because there doesn’t seem like much reason for anyone from St. Louis to go to the game if the Battlehawks won’t be playing in it.
A crowd of 30,237 watch on Sunday as the previously potent St. Louis offense was unable to generate much movement or momentum against the San Antonio defense. The Battlehawks were the highest scoring team in the UFL this past season, but were held to just nine points scored by its offense. The other six came on a fumble return for a touchdown scored by the defense.
The Brahmas, on the other hand, rushed for a season-best 213 yards and outgained the Battlehawks, 410 yards to 239. The San Antonio defense also sacked St. Louis quarterback A.J. McCarron four times and posted nine tackles for loss, which totaled 37 negative yards for the home team.
The Brahmas scored two early touchdowns to take a 13-0 lead and never looked back as the Battlehawks struggled to get moving throughout the game.
San Antonio went up 19-3 early in the third quarter, when running back Anthony McFarland broke free for a 69-yard touchdown run right through the heart of the St. Louis defense.
The Battlehawks responded with a seven-play, 60-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown pass from McCarron to tight end Jake Sutherland. That play brought the building back to life. Then after the kickoff, The Dome nearly exploded, as San Antonio fumbled a handoff on its next play and St. Louis’ Pita Taumoepenu picked it up and returned it for a 10 yard touchdown that pulled the Battlehawks to within 19-15.
St. Louis scored two touchdowns in just 14 seconds and the 30,000+ in the building were fired up.
Unfortunately, that was as close as the Battlehawks would get, as the Brahma defense settled down and refused to let St. Louis score again the rest of the game. Seven different Brahma defenders made stops in the St. Louis backfield. San Antonio’s defensive unit held St. Louis to 2-of-11 on third-down conversions.
McCarron was 19-of-29 for 179 yards and a touchdown for St. Louis. Jacob Saylors led the Battlehawks’ ground game with 79 yards on 14 carries. Elijah Lee racked up 12 total tackles, including eight solo stops, for the Battlehawk defense.
St. Louis finished its season with a 7-4 record.
SCORING SUMMARY
| Team | Qtr | Clock | Score | Type | Play | Drive | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SA | 1 | 4:21 | TD | PASS | Stevenson, Marquez 15 yd reception thrown by Garbers, Chase (1PT ATT RUSH by Morgan Ellison GOOD) | 3/20/1:23 | 0-7 |
| SA | 2 | 14:52 | TD | PASS | Smith, Justin 63 yd reception thrown by Garbers, Chase (1PT ATT RUSH by Morgan Ellison FAILED) | 5/77/2:23 | 0-13 |
| STL | 2 | 11:36 | FG | Szmyt, Andre 46 yd Field Goal | 6/33/3:16 | 3-13 | |
| SA | 3 | 10:08 | TD | RUSH | McFarland, Anthony 69 yd rush (2PT ATT PASS to Jontre Kirklin FAILED) | 1/69/00:09 | 3-19 |
| STL | 3 | 5:54 | TD | PASS | Sutherland, Jake 1 yd reception thrown by McCarron, A.J. (2PT ATT PASS caught by Hakeem Butler FAILED) | 7/60/4:14 | 9-19 |
| STL | 3 | 5:41 | TD | Taumoepenu, Pita (2PT ATT PASS to A.J. McCarron FAILED) | 1/-18/00:13 | 15-19 | |
| SA | 3 | 1:18 | FG | Santoso, Ryan 31 yd Field Goal | 8/62/4:23 | 15-22 | |
| SA | 4 | 1:56 | FG | Santoso, Ryan 45 yd Field Goal | 8/33/4:10 | 15-25 |