New QB A.J. McCarron threw two touchdown passes in the final 90 seconds to lead the St. Louis Battlehawks to a comeback victory over the San Antonio Brahmas. (Photo courtesy: XFL)
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis (1-0) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 18 |
| San Antonio (0-1) | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 15 |
DeMarcus Dixon
Staff Writer
SAN ANTONIO, TX — In what proved to be the most thrilling finish of the XFL’s 2023 opening weekend, the St. Louis Battlehawks scored 15 points in the final 90 seconds to come from behind and pull off an incredible 18-15 victory over the host San Antonio Brahmas, Sunday afternoon at The Alamadome.
The Battlehawks couldn’t get anything going for three-plus quarters, as San Antonio took a 15-3 lead with 3:02 left. But St. Louis rallied behind former NFL quarterback AJ McCarron, who shrugged off five sacks. He threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Hakeem Butler with 1:25 left, then hit Austin Proehl on a 10-yard, 3-point conversion to move the score to 15-12.
St. Louis went for a fourth-and-15 conversion in lieu of an onside kick, and McCarron found Proehl again, for an 18-yard gain, to retain possession.
Once the Battlehawks moved down the field, McCarron and Proehl hooked up for a third time — this time on a 14 yard completion — for the game-winning score with 16 seconds left to give St. Louis (1-0) an improbable win, that’s only possible in the XFL.
“You know, we just kept fighting and believing that we could get something going,” McCarron said. “We had trouble all day. Couldn’t get much done. But we knew we could do something if we just found a rhythm. And we got it at the end there.”
McCarron went 11-of-14 for 133 yards and two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. Proehl finished with four catches for 49 yards, the game-winning touchdown and the three-point conversion.
Defensively, safety Ben DeLuca and linebacker Willie Harvey led the Battlehawks with eight tackles apiece. LaCale London and Travis Feeney each had a quarterback sack, and Nate Meadors had an interception.
San Antonio (0-1) dominated most of the game, going up 15-3 thanks to a 4-yard touchdown pass from Jack Coan to Fred Brown in the fourth quarter and three field goals. Coan threw for 207 yards on 25-of-36 passing, with a touchdown and an interception, while former NFL running back Kalen Ballage rushed for 84 yards on 24 carries.
The Battlehawks will be back in action on Thursday, February 23, when they’ll travel to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Seattle Sea Dragons. That matchup will kickoff at 8 p.m., and will be televised nationally on FX.
| Qtr | Time | Scoring Play | STL | SA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 12:06 | SA – John Parker Romo 43 yd field goal | 0 | 3 |
| 2nd | 6:57 | STL – Donny Hageman 32 yd field goal | 3 | 3 |
| 3rd | 5:44 | SA – John Parker Romo 29 yd field goal | 3 | 6 |
| 4th | 10:42 | SA – Fred Brown 4 yd pass from Jack Coan (1-pt conversion failed) | 3 | 12 |
| 4th | 3:02 | SA – John Parker Romo 43 yd field goal | 3 | 15 |
| 4th | 1:25 | STL – Hakeem Butler 18 yd pass from A.J. McCarron (Austin Proehl 3-pt conversion pass from A.J. McCarron) | 12 | 15 |
| 4th | :16 | STL – Austin Proehl 14 yd pass from A.J. McCarron (1-pt conversion failed) | 18 | 15 |
| St. Louis Battlehawks Upcoming XFL Football Schedule |
| Thu., February 23 — at Seattle Sea Dragons — 8 pm (FX) |
| Sun., March 5 — at D.C. Defenders — 12 pm (FX) |
| Sun., March 12 — vs. Arlington Renegades — 3 pm (ESPN2) |
| Sat., March 18 — vs. D.C. Defenders — 6 pm (FX) |
| Sat., March 25 — at Vegas Vipers — 6 pm (FX) |
| Sat., April 1 — at Houston Roughnecks — 2 pm (ESPN2) |
| Sat., April 8 — vs. Vegas Vipers — 12 pm (ESPN) |
| Sun., April 16 — vs. Seattle Sea Dragons — 2 pm (ESPN) |
| Sat., April 22 — vs. Orlando Guardians — 11 am (ESPN) |
| All Battlehawks home games will be played at The Dome at America’s Center. |