Battlehawks QB A.J. McCarron has thrown five touchdown passes and no interceptions in three games this season. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
St. Louis Battlehawks – Gameday Info
Game No. 4 — Memphis Showboats (1-2) at St. Louis Battlehawks (2-1)
Date/Time – April 20, 2024 – 11:30 am
Location – The Dome at America’s Center — St. Louis, MO
Broadcast – ABC Sports/ESPN+
Radio – ESPN Xtra on Sirius XM
Live Stats – UFL Stats Broadcast
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
ST. LOUIS, MO — Week 4 of the United Football League season will begin with a highly anticipated matchup between the USFL Conference Memphis Showboats and the XFL Conference St. Louis Battlehawks at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis.
Memphis (1-2) won its season opener against Houston, but have lost two straight since against San Antonio and Birmingham, while St. Louis (2-1) has done the complete opposite. The Battlehawks lost their opener, on a last-second, record-breaking field goal against Michigan, but then won its next two in a pair of tense ballgames against Arlington and San Antonio.
Both the Battlehawks and Showboats had playoff aspirations heading into this season and with the season nearing the halfway mark, both teams need to stockpile wins to make sure they’ll be one of the four teams that makes it to the postseason.
Memphis is currently in third place in the USFL Conference, behind unbeaten Birmingham and 2-1 Michigan. St. Louis, on the other hand, is in a three-way tie for first place in the XFL Conference, with San Antonio and D.C.
A win on Saturday would set up a huge showdown for the Battlehawks against D.C., in the nation’s capital next week.
Players to Watch: The Battlehawks are led by QB A.J. McCarron, who last week, for the third straight game, produced two touchdowns and no turnovers. In St. Louis’ first two games, it was a pair of touchdown passes with no miscues. Last week, McCarron threw for a score and ran for another one to lead the Battlehawks to a 31-24 win.
McCarron is second in the UFL with five touchdown passes and leads the league with a 153.7 quarterback rating.
St. Louis also boasts one of the best receiving corps in the league. The Battlehawks have a trio of dynamite playmakers in Marcell Ateman, who leads the UFL in touchdown receptions, Hakeem Butler, who led the XFL in touchdown catches last year, and Darrius Shepherd, the league’s top return man, who was also the XFL’s Special Teams Player of the Year last year.
And the club might be getting another of its weapons back this week, as 2023 XFL receiving yards leader Jahcour Pearson returned to practice after suffering a knee injury in training camp.
Running back Jacob Saylors is also coming off a terrific game. He was inactive in Week 2, but returned to rush for a game-high 62 yards and a touchdown in last week’s win.
Memphis QB Case Cookus has also been having a fine season. He is sixth in the UFL in total offense, with 537 passing yards and 75 rushing yards.
Injuries have been an issue for the Showboats early in the season. Explosive two-way back Darius Victor has seen limited action due to an ankle injury. They’ve also had to shuffle around their offensive line some due to players being out.
Titus Swen stepped into Victor’s role last week and proved himself productive. He had five carries and four receptions for a total of 47 yards.
Memphis’ offense ranks second-to-last in total yards and points scored, but leads the league in total time of possession. The Showboat defense has also struggled some. They’ve given up a league-worst 243 passing yards and six passing touchdowns this season.
Up Next: The Battlehawks will be on the road for a huge conference showdown next week, when they’ll play the D.C. Defenders next Sunday at Audi Field. Kickoff is slated for 11 a.m., with the game being televised nationally on ESPN.
St. Louis’ next home game will be on two weeks, when the Battlehawks will host the Houston Roughnecks on Saturday, May 4. Kickoff that day will be at 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast on FOX.