D.C. Defenders top St. Louis Battlehawks in UFL playoffs, 36-18
For the second straight year, the St. Louis Battlehawks were one home playoff win away from the UFL championship, which again will be played in St. Louis.
For the second straight year, the Battlehawks fell short of qualifying for the title game.
The D.C. Defenders upended the Battlehawks on Sunday, 36-18, for the XFL Conference berth in next weekend's UFL Championship.
A crowd of 27,548 showed up for the playoff game.
Quarterback Jordan Ta'amu completed 18 of 26 passes for 204 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Running back Deon Jackson racked up 110 rushing yards on 21 carries, with a pair of touchdowns.
St. Louis never led. Instead, D.C. scored the first two touchdowns and systematically pulled away.
The two teams had split their regular-season series, with the Defenders winning in St. Louis and losing at home. They'll now have a chance to win for the fourth time in St. Louis this year, in the UFL Championship against the Michigan Panthers.
St. Louis had an 8-2 regular-season record, best in the league. The Defenders finished the regular season at 6-4.
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Fox Sports
15 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Defending champion Stallions' abrupt exit tops storylines from UFL playoffs
All good things must inevitably come to an end, and that's never been truer for the Birmingham Stallions. After three consecutive spring football championships, Skip Holtz's squad is out of the running for the 2025 UFL title after falling 44-29 to the Michigan Panthers in the USFL Conference Championship Game at Protective Stadium on Sunday. "It's hard to lose, but it's with great respect that I say congratulations to Michigan," Holtz said. "It's with great pride that I say that I have really enjoyed coaching this football team and [watching] what this football team has been able to accomplish." Sunday's win marked the first time in eight meetings that Panthers head coach Mike Nolan earned a win in a head-to-head matchup with Holtz. Even though his team got the win, Nolan said things are far from finished. "There's still work to be done," he said. "Our football team knows that. We're excited to have another week to play." The Panthers will face the DC Defenders — who dominated the St. Louis Battlehawks by double digits, 36-18, in the XFL Conference Championship Game at The Dome at America's Center on Sunday — in Saturday's title game. "We just didn't show up when we needed to show up," Battlehawks head coach Anthony Becht said about his team's loss after six consecutive wins to finish out the regular season. "DC really put it on us in all phases." Here's a look at other storylines from conference championship weekend: It's Toa Taua time! The Panthers entered Sunday's USFL Conference title game as the second-leading rushing team in the league, averaging 127 rushing yards a contest, and continued to assert their dominance on the ground in a decisive win over the Stallions, totaling 144 rushing yards. Taua was the catalyst, finishing with 85 yards and three touchdown runs. Taua rightly gave credit to the Michigan offensive line, calling it "an example of resiliency," as he routinely broke into the second level of Birmingham's defense without being touched. "When you can just walk into a touchdown untouched, that's nobody but them (the O-line)," he said. "I've just got to not be blind and see it. It was a great day collectively as an offense." In his first action since missing three games due to an ankle injury, QB Bryce Perkins completed 20 of 25 passes for 238 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Perkins also rushed for 34 yards and a score. Most importantly, Michigan finished with no turnovers, while Birmingham coughed up the ball twice — a 25-yard pick-six by Michigan safety Kai Nacua and lost a fumble. Battlehawks have no answer for Jordan Ta'amu & Co. Despite being well-rested and prepared, Becht acknowledged his team was dominated in all facets of the game. The Battlehawks went into last week's contest knowing they had to slow down Defenders QB Ta'amu. However, they were never able to do so. The Ole Miss product went 18-for-26 for 204 yards, highlighted by a 38-yard touchdown to receiver Seth Williams midway through the first quarter to give the Defenders a lead that they would never relinquish. "He really came out and executed on all cylinders," Becht said about Ta'amu. "He's a veteran in this league. He's still young. Just a hell of a performance by him." Ta'amu's only blemish was a pick-six in the first half — his first interception in 128 passing attempts. The Defenders were equally effective at moving the ball on the ground, as standout running back Deon Jackson rushed for 116 yards and two scores on 21 carries. The Defenders finished with 388 yards of total offense, scored on seven of 10 possessions and went 7-for-11 (63.6%) on third down. Holtz benches J'Mar Smith in favor of Matt Corral The Stallions never found any real consistency at the most important position on the field this season, which is one of the biggest reasons they'll be watching the championship game from their couch for the first time in four years. Holtz used five different players at quarterback and none started more than three games. Although Smith had played well entering the USFL title game, Holtz replaced the Louisiana Tech product after he threw a pick-six that put Birmingham down 20-6 late in the second quarter. "[After the interception], I just said, 'You know what? We need a boost. We need a spark,'" Holtz said. "I put Matt in, and I thought he did a good job of getting us back in the football game." Corral had not played since mid-April due to an abdominal injury. He went 12-for-25 for 147 yards and two scores, but he also threw an interception and lost a fumble. Smith went 4-for-10 passes for 102 yards, one touchdown and an interception before he was replaced. Deon Cain led the Stallions with six receptions for 124 yards. Birmingham finished with just 61 yards on the ground. Defenders overcome adversity under Shannon Harris' leadership With head coach Reggie Barlow and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams leaving at the start of the season, interim head coach Shannon Harris did a masterful job of leading his squad to the title game for the first time in team history. The Defenders' offense rolled to 36 points against the top-ranked defense in the league on the road in a hostile environment at St. Louis. Greg Williams' son Blake Williams, serving as the defensive coordinator for the Defenders, held St. Louis to 240 yards and a 22.2% conversion rate on third down. The Defenders also finished with five sacks. "It came down to us, we and ours — and that has been our motto the entire season," Harris said. "We're going to do this together. It's not a one-man show on any of this stuff. As a head coach, you get praise for it and you get a record put on you, but at the end of the day, it's us. We and ours." These two teams will meet for the second time this season. The Panthers easily handled the Defenders in Week 6 of the regular season at Ford Field, 38-16. In that game, the Panthers rolled up 233 yards on the ground, including 99 yards from Taua and 90 from Perkins. Ta'amu went 19-for-36 passing for 259 yards and two touchdowns. Finishing with nine receptions for 144 yards and a touchdown, Chris Rowland was Ta'amu's favorite target. If the Defenders want a shot at winning this one, however, they must do a better job of stopping the run. Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him at @eric_d_williams . Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily ! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience United Football League recommended Get more from United Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
USA Today
18 hours ago
- USA Today
Deon Cain shines in the Birmingham Stallions playoff loss to the Michigan Panthers
Deon Cain shines in the Birmingham Stallions playoff loss to the Michigan Panthers The UFL playoff semifinals delivered a rare sight on Sunday — a postseason loss for the Birmingham Stallions — but it wasn't due to a lack of effort from former Clemson wideout Deon Cain. Cain hauled in six receptions for 124 yards in Birmingham's 44-29 loss to the Michigan Panthers, who were powered by another Clemson alum in kicker BT Potter. Potter nailed a 36-yard field goal and has now made 12 of 17 attempts this season, helping send Michigan to the UFL Championship on June 14 in St. Louis (8 p.m., ABC). Cain, meanwhile, capped off a standout campaign that earned him All-UFL honors. He led the league in receiving yards per game (57.1) and yards per catch (17.7), finishing third in total receiving yards (514). He also ranked second in all-purpose yards (935), thanks to 421 kick return yards. Between spring league stops, Cain has spent time with several NFL teams, including the Eagles, Bills, and Panthers. Michigan will face the DC Defenders in the title game after DC took down St. Louis 36-18. Former Clemson receiver Cornell Powell played a key role, catching four passes for 57 yards and converting a two-point attempt. Powell led the UFL during the regular season with seven receiving touchdowns. Also making an impact in the Stallions' loss was Amari Rodgers, who averaged 20.5 yards on four kickoff returns. The defeat marked Birmingham's first postseason loss since spring football's reboot in 2022, snapping a dominant run that included every USFL title and the inaugural UFL regular season crown. Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions
Fox Sports
19 hours ago
- Fox Sports
UFL Playoffs By The Numbers: Michigan RB Toa Taua dazzles with hat trick
The 2025 UFL postseason was thrilling, and just two teams remain — the Michigan Panthers and the DC Defenders . The Panthers took down the defending champion Birmingham Stallions in the USFL Conference Championship Game on Sunday, 44-29, followed by the Defenders pulling out a 36-18 win over the powerhouse St. Louis Battlehawks in the XFL Conference Championship Game. Here are the numbers to know ahead of the upcoming UFL title game on Saturday: 2: St. Louis finished the regular season with the best record in the league but saw its championship hopes dashed in the conference title game for the second consecutive season. Road teams went 2-for-2 this weekend. 3: After leading the league in rushing touchdowns in the regular season with six, Michigan RB Toa Taua kept it rolling in the playoffs with 85 rushing yards and a season-high three scores in the Panthers' double-digit win in Birmingham. 4: Birmingham's quest for a fourth consecutive spring football title under head coach Skip Holtz — Birmingham had won back-to-back USFL titles in 2022 and 2023 before taking the inaugural UFL crown last year — came to an end on Sunday. The loss also snapped a seven-game winning streak against Michigan that dated back to 2022. 5: The Defenders' defense dominated up front in the upset over the Battlehawks. The Defenders had five sacks and nine tackles for loss in the win, as head coach Blake Williams' group controlled the game from start to finish. 15: While it came in a losing effort, Battlehawks All-UFL linebacker Willie Harvey stuffed the stat sheet against the Defenders with 15 total tackles — the most by any player in a single game this season — and a sack. 24: The Panthers will take on the Defenders in the 2025 UFL Championship Game on Saturday. The two teams met in Week 6 of the regular season, with the Panthers handing the Defenders their worst loss of the year, 38-14, in Detroit. 44: The 44 points scored by Michigan were the most Birmingham has allowed in a UFL game and the second most it has allowed in four years of spring football; the defunct New Orleans Breakers scored 45 against the Stallions in 2023. 73: Michigan and Birmingham's 73 combined points is the most (regular or postseason) in a game in UFL history. 100: St. Louis' offense this season was predicated on its run game. It finished the regular season averaging a league-best 144 rushing yards per game. However, DC was the one team that figured out how to stop it, as it was the only team to hold the Battlehawks under 100 rushing yards in a game. What's more, the Defenders did it twice — in their Week 3 win in St. Louis and the playoff win on Sunday. 272: After sitting out the final three games of the regular season with an ankle injury, Panthers All-UFL QB Bryce Perkins showed no ill effects in the win over Birmingham. He completed 80% of his passes (20 of 25) and had 272 total yards of offense to go with two total touchdowns. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily ! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience United Football League recommended Get more from United Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
