Jacob Saylors had 145 yards of total offense and scored a touchdown in the Battlehawks’ win over Houston, Friday night. (Photo courtesy: UFL.com)
| United Football League | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Battlehawks (1-0) | 6 | 12 | 0 | 13 | 31 |
| Houston Roughnecks (0-1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
Jason Barnes
Special to the Editor
HOUSTON, TX — The St. Louis Battlehawks began the 2025 United Football League season with a mighty bang, as it ran roughshod over the host Houston Roughnecks for a 31-6 win, in the UFL season opener for both teams, Friday night at TDECU Stadium.
The 25 point margin ties the largest margin of victory in Battlehawks history, matching the 25 point margin over Orlando in Week 10 of 2023. St. Louis recorded 460 total yards, the second most for a single game in UFL history, trailing Birmingham’s 466 total yards at Memphis in Week 6 of 2024. The team also logged 273 rushing yards, a new UFL record, surpassing Birmingham’s 213 in Week 5 of 2024 at Houston.
Battlehawks RB Jacob Saylors had 145 total yards and scored a touchdown in Friday night’s win over Houston. (Photo courtesy: UFL.com)
Battlehawks’ running backs Jarveon Howard and Jacob Saylors both had big nights for their club. Howard finished with a game-high 115 rushings yards on 13 carries, including a back-breaking 74-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Saylors had 145 total yards (98 rushing, 47 receiving) and a touchdown of his own as well.
Quarterback Manny Wilkins completed 17-of-22 passes for 189 yard, rushed for 43 yards, and scored St. Louis’ other two touchdowns on short runs, as the Battlehawks built a 31-0 lead.
Houston finished the night with just 160 yards of total offense, as the St. Louis defense dominated the action when the Roughnecks had the ball.
Battlehawks safety Qwynnterrio Cole started the season off with an interception on Houston’s first pass attempt of the season. That gave St. Louis the ball in dynamite field position and helped set up its first score of the season, which came on a 4-yard run by Saylors. The Battlehawks went for two, but didn’t get it, and led 6-0.
St. Louis (1-0) added to its lead early in the second quarter, when it drove 84 yards on nine plays, capped by a 1-yard touchdown run by Wilkins to make the score 12-0.
New Battlehawks kicker Rodrigo Blankenship made a pair of field goals in the second quarter to go into halftime with an 18-0 lead.
Jahcour Pearson makes a catch for the Battlehawks between two Houston Roughnecks defenders in Friday night’s game. (Photo courtesy: UFL.com)
The second half was more of the same, with the Battlehawks simply dominating the Roughnecks on both sides of the ball.
Wilkins scored on another 1-yard run early in the fourth quarter to make the score 24-0, and Howard put the game away with his highlight reel 74-yard burst for his first score as a UFL player.
Houston scored its only touchdown, late in the fourth, on a 5-yard pass from Nolan Henderson to Justin Hall.
The St. Louis Battlehawks earned their first win of 2025 by defeating the Houston Renegades, Friday night. (Photo courtesy: UFL.com)
Houston (0-1) scored its first and only touchdown of the contest with a 5-yard pass to WR Justin Hall in the fourth quarter. Following the touchdown, Houston elected to take the ball on 4th and 12 to retain possession. The four play drive resulted in a loss of 13 yards, turning the ball back over to St. Louis.
The Battlehawks will back in action, next Sunday, April 6, when they’ll host their 2025 home opener at The Dome at America’s Center against the San Antonio Brahmas. Kickoff for that game is set for 5:30 p.m., and the game will be televised on FS1.
Scoring Summary
| Team | Qtr | Time | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STL | 1 | 4:44 | J. Saylors rushed right guard for 4 yards. TOUCHDOWN… 2-pt conversion attempt failed. | 6-0 |
| STL | 2 | 13:16 | M. Wilkins rushed up the middle for 1 yards. TOUCHDOWN… 2-pt conversion attempt failed. | 12-0 |
| STL | 2 | 2:00 | R. Blankenship 48 yard field goal | 15-0 |
| STL | 2 | 00:03 | R. Blankenship 33 yard field goal | 18-0 |
| STL | 4 | 13:35 | M. Wilkins rushed left end for 1 yards. TOUCHDOWN… 1-pt conversion attempt failed. | 24-0 |
| STL | 4 | 6:34 | J. Howard rushed right guard for 74 yards. TOUCHDOWN… M. Duggan 1-pt run. | 31-0 |
| HOU | 4 | 2:29 | N.Henderson pass short right complete. Catch made by J.Hall for 5 yards. TOUCHDOWN… 2-pt conversion attempt failed. | 31-6 |
2025 ST. LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 28, 2025 (Friday) | 7 p.m. | Away | Houston Roughnecks | TDECU Stadium |  | W 31-6 (1-0) |
| April 6, 2025 (Sunday) | 5:30 p.m. | Home | San Antonio Brahmas | The Dome at America’s Center |  | |
| April 13, 2025 (Sunday) | 2 p.m. | Home | DC Defenders | The Dome at America’s Center |  | |
| April 19, 2025 (Saturday) | 11 a.m. | Away | Arlington Renegades | Choctaw Stadium | | |
| April 26, 2025 (Saturday) | 6 p.m. | Home | Michigan Panthers | The Dome at America’s Center |  | |
| May 2, 2025 (Friday) | 7 p.m. | Home | Arlington Renegades | The Dome at America’s Center | | |
| May 11, 2025 (Sunday) | 2 p.m. | Away | Memphis Showboats | Liberty Stadium | | |
| May 17, 2025 (Saturday) | 12 p.m. | Home | Birmingham Stallions | The Dome at America’s Center | | |
| May 23, 2025 (Friday) | 7 p.m. | Home | San Antonio Brahmas | The Dome at America’s Center | | |
| May 30, 2025 (Friday) | 7 p.m. | Away | DC Defenders | Audi Field | |