The St. Louis Battlehawks finished their road schedule with a 24-15 victory Sunday over the XFL
South-leading Houston Roughnecks in front of 12,013 fans at TDECU Stadium in Houston. The
victory moves St. Louis to an XFL-best 4-1 in away games and a 5-2 record, overall.
The Battlehawks took a 17-9 halftime lead into the fourth quarter, but Houston threatened to
tie the game when DB William Likely recovered a fumble and took it 35 yards for a touchdown
to close St. Louis’ advantage to two points with 10 minutes, 44 seconds left in regulation.
Houston attempted a two-point conversion to even the score, but DT LaCale London pressured
QB Cole McDonald into an incomplete pass to maintain the 17-15 lead.
The Battlehawks responded with an 11-play, 74-yard drive that culminated with a 10-yard
touchdown pass from QB A.J. McCarron to WR Darrius Shepherd. RB Brian Hill than converted a
one-point conversion on a 1-yard rush to give the St. Louis a nine-point lead with 3:54 to play.
The St. Louis defense limited Houston to no offensive touchdowns and 70 total yards in the
second half, including 21 passing yards.
St. Louis never trailed Sunday, although Houston had initially tied the game, 6-6, with a
touchdown on the third play of the second quarter. The Battlehawks then took the lead for
good with 8:22 left in the second quarter when McCarron found WR Hakeem Butler for a 5-yard
touchdown pass, which tied Butler for the league lead with five touchdown receptions for the
season. McCarron and Butler connected again on a 5-yard pass for a two-point conversion to
extend the lead to 14-6.
The teams then traded field goals late in the second quarter, including an XFL-record, 59-yard
field goal by St. Louis K Donny Hageman as time expired in the first half to give the Battlehawks
an eight-point lead into halftime.
WR Gary Jennings scored St. Louis’ first touchdown for the second straight week on a 14-yard
reception from McCarron to put the Battlehawks ahead 6-0 with 4:18 left in the first quarter.
The touchdown pass completed a season-high, 96-yard drive that began when DB Brandon
Sebastian made his first interception of the season to end Houston’s first offensive possession.