Latest news with #UFL-best
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
St. Louis Battlehawks vs. DC Defenders where to watch: TV channel, start time, odds
St. Louis Battlehawks vs. DC Defenders where to watch: TV channel, start time, odds Show Caption Hide Caption Greg Olsen believes Travis Kelce 'controls how he leaves the game' Former NFL tight end Greg Olsen has high praise for Travis Kelce and shares when he believes Travis Kelce will eventually retire from the NFL. Sports Seriously The St. Louis Battlehawks came up short in their quest to make the UFL championship game last season. They lost to the San Antonio Brahmas in the XFL conference championship game, marking a disappointing end to their season. The Battlehawks will have another chance to get to the UFL title game in 2025. This time, they will have to make it through the DC Defenders as they face off for the second time in as many weeks. St. Louis and DC split their season series. The Defenders won the Week 2 matchup between the teams 27-15, while the Battlehawks won 13-8 in a Week 10 game that saw each team rest some of its key players, with playoff berths already secured. The Battlehawks sported the UFL's best scoring defense during the 2025 season, allowing just 16.3 points per game. They allowed 13 or fewer points in four of their final five games of the season, so the Jordan Ta'amu-led Defenders offense will have its work cut out for it. UFL PLAYOFFS: How to watch USFL, XFL conference championships in 2025 The good news for DC is that Ta'amu was one of the UFL's top quarterbacks last season. He completed 54.4% of his passes for 2,153 yards, 17 touchdowns and four interceptions while helping the Defenders average a league-best 246.5 passing yards per game. Meanwhile, the Battlehawks will rely more on their defense and Jacob Saylors-helmed ground game, which averaged a UFL-best 144.2 rushing yards per game, to carry them. If Saylors and Co. can have a big game, that would take pressure off former quarterback Max Duggan, who took over for St. Louis starter Manny Wilkins after he suffered a torn Achilles midway through the season. The Battlehawks figure to have an advantage in this game because they are playing at home. However, the Defenders were the lone team to beat St. Louis at The Dome at America's Center, so Shannon Harris' team should provide a challenge to Anthony Becht's squad. Here's what to know as the Battlehawks and Defenders square off in the XFL conference championship game. What time is Battlehawks vs. Defenders? Date : Sunday, June 8 : Sunday, June 8 Time : 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT) : 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT) Location: The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis, Missouri The St. Louis Battlehawks vs. DC Defenders XFL conference championship game will kick off at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 8 at The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis. St. Louis Battlehawks vs. DC Defenders odds The Battlehawks are small favorites over the Defenders in the XFL conference championship game, according to BetMGM. Here is a look at the spread, moneyline and point total for the contest: All odds as of Tuesday, June 3. Spread : Battlehawks (-3.5) : Battlehawks (-3.5) Moneyline : Battlehawks (-185) | Defenders (+150) : Battlehawks (-185) | Defenders (+150) Over/under: 46.5 What channel is Battlehawks vs. Defenders UFL playoff game? TV: Fox Battlehawks vs. Defenders live stream free UFL playoff schedule 2025 Conference championship games: Sunday, June 8 USFL conference championship : Birmingham Stallions vs. Michigan Panthers, 3 p.m., ABC : Birmingham Stallions vs. Michigan Panthers, 3 p.m., ABC XFL conference championship: St. Louis Battlehawks vs. DC Defenders, 6 p.m., Fox UFL championship game: Saturday, June 14
Fox Sports
02-06-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Battlehawks shining ahead of playoffs highlights UFL storylines from Week 10
St. Louis Battlehawks head coach Anthony Becht achieved the two biggest goals that he set before the start of the 2025 UFL season — make the playoffs and win home games. After finishing the regular season on a six-game winning streak and with a UFL-best 8-2 record, the Battlehawks won't have to leave the city of St. Louis as they continue their quest to win a championship. St. Louis hosts the DC Defenders on Sunday in the XFL Conference Championship Game on FOX, and the winner will compete for the UFL title against either the Birmingham Stallions or the Michigan Panthers , who will face off earlier in the day in the USFL Conference Championship Game. Both the XFL and UFL championships will take place at The Dome at America's Center. The Battlehawks averaged a league-best 30,000 fans at home games this season. "We're incredibly grateful to be in this position, and we're excited for next week's game in St. Louis," Becht said. Becht sat the majority of his starters, including QB Max Duggan and RB Jacob Saylors , in a narrow Week 10 victory over the Defenders. In the other postseason game, the defending champion Stallions host the Panthers. Birmingham crushed the Memphis Showboats on the road in Week 10, while the Panthers fell to the Houston Roughnecks at home. Elsewhere, the Arlington Renegades scratched back to the .500 mark with a win over the San Antonio Brahmas . Here's a look at other storylines from Week 10: It's the Tae Crowder show! Crowder led a Birmingham defense that forced two turnovers, totaled three sacks and held Memphis to 201 total yards in the final game of the regular season. The Stallions' standout linebacker was responsible for both takeaways, as he became the first player in UFL history to account for two pick-sixes in a single game. Birmingham's 46 points scored are the most the Stallions have scored in franchise history during the regular season. Crowder's first interception came off a tipped pass from defensive lineman Carlos Davis, with the Georgia product hauling in the deflection and weaving his way past the Showboats for a score. On the second pick for a score — this one from 75 yards — Crowder faked a pitch to teammate Chapelle Russell, fooling Memphis receiver Isiah Hennie and creating space for him to scoot into the end zone. "I feel like the coaches do a great job of working the turnover drills throughout the week," Crowder said. "And we're just flying around as a defense, and it paid off today." In their last home game of the season, the Panthers paid tribute to one of their star players from last season, handing out bobbleheads of Bates to the first 2,000 fans who attended their game against the Roughnecks. Bates went 17-for-22 on field goals for the Panthers last season. That included going 7-for-11 from at least 50 yards and 3-for-4 from 60-plus yards. His 64-yard, game-winning field goal last season is the longest in UFL history. The impressive performance earned him a job as kicker for the NFL's Detroit Lions, going 26-for-29 on field goals last season, with a long of 58 yards in his rookie season. "My life and my family's life [have] changed forever because of this league and this team giving me an opportunity to keep chasing a dream," Bates said about the UFL and the Panthers. "It's just so cool to see … the way the league has continued to grow. I'm going to be the biggest supporter of it forever because it did so much for me, and I'm so thankful for it." The Panthers' replacement for Bates this season is B.T. Potter. He is 11-for-16 on the year, with a long of 56 yards. Arlington QB Luis Perez finishes season as UFL passing leader With UFL MVP frontrunner and Defenders QB Jordan Ta'amu resting in Week 10 in preparation for the postseason, Perez overtook the Ole Miss product as the league's passing leader for a second straight season with a sizzling performance in a Week 10 win over the Brahmas. Perez went 26-for-32 (81%) for 283 yards. The San Diego native, not known for his running ability, also ran for a 7-yard touchdown. For the season, Perez totaled a league-high 2,298 passing yards, with nine touchdown passes and five interceptions. Perez led the UFL last season with 2,307 passing yards. Even with the big numbers, Perez still failed to get the Renegades into the playoffs for a second straight year. Arlington head coach Bob Stoops did not attend the game due to a leg injury suffered during practice this week. Renegades offensive coordinator Chuck Long served as interim head coach. Houston head coach C.J. Johnson got a suffocating performance from his defense to help the Roughnecks finish at the .500 mark to end the year. Houston forced four turnovers and held Michigan to 12 points defensively. Panthers head coach Mike Nolan didn't play starting QB Bryce Perkins, who's recovering from an ankle injury and working to get fully healthy for the playoffs. Instead, Nolan started third-stringer Rocky Lombardi and played backup Danny Etling. The Roughnecks finished tied with St. Louis for the league-lead in takeaways (17). J'Mar Smith appears to have seized the starting job for the Stallions, who are looking to earn a fourth consecutive pro spring football championship, with his stellar play over the past three weeks. He has completed 65% of his passes for 758 yards, six touchdowns and just one interception in three starts, two of those ending in victories for Birmingham. However, with Alex McGough (shoulder) and Matt Corral (abdomen) potentially making a healthy return next week and both ahead of Smith on the depth chart to start the year, Holtz will have options heading into the postseason. Andrew Peasley served as the backup for Smith and got some playing time in the second half, allowing Holtz to get a closer look at the overall depth of his QB room. Case Cookus was the No. 3, emergency QB over the weekend. "With the way the game got, it gave us an opportunity to put him (Peasley) in there and give him a little bit of game experience to be able to evaluate him a little bit," Holtz said. "We're getting ready to make some decisions on what that quarterback room is going to look like for the playoffs." 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
Fox Sports
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
UFL Week 7 By The Numbers: Jordan Ta'amu, Toa Taua make big statements
Week 7 of the 2025 UFL season was complete with three down-to-the-wire matchups. The DC Defenders , Michigan Panthers , Birmingham Stallions and St. Louis Battlehawks came out with wins, while the San Antonio Brahmas , Arlington Renegades , Houston Roughnecks and Memphis Showboats came up short. [MORE: What is the UFL? Everything to know about the 2025 United Football League ] Here are the numbers to know after Week 7. 1: After it appeared that Michigan's late comeback attempt had come up 1 yard short and ran out of time, officials ruled that head coach Mike Nolan called a timeout with one second left on the clock at the end of regulation. With the ball spotted on the 1-yard line and the Panthers down six points, standout running back Toa Taua powered in for the game-tying touchdown as time expired. Michigan then went back to Taua on the ensuing one-point conversion and the former Nevada player secured the walk-off 25-24 win for the road team. 3: The last-second loss by Arlington was the third time this season that they blew a lead in the final minute of the game. They also gave up late touchdowns to the Stallions and the Defenders to lose those contests. Renegades fans have to wonder what could've been if they had closed those games out. For now, Arlington holds a 3-4 record on the year and is two games outside the playoffs heading into the final three weeks of the regular season. 5: Birmingham has now used five different quarterbacks in seven weeks of action this season. On Sunday, J'Mar Smith became the fifth signal-caller to play for Birmingham after Case Cookus departed the game due to injury. Smith then led the Stallions to the go-ahead touchdown — a 1-yard score — in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter. 6: There are only six teams alive for a playoff spot this season. At 1-6, both San Antonio and Memphis were eliminated. 16: After going 2-for-2 in the win over Memphis on Sunday, St. Louis kicker Rodrigo Blankenship continued his perfect season and is now 16-for-16 on field goals this year. The former Georgia Bulldog is 5-for-5 on kicks from at least 50 yards out, with a long of 56 this season. 19: Defending champion Birmingham came back from a 19-point deficit vs. Houston — the largest comeback in UFL history. Trailing 25-6 late in the second quarter, the Stallions scored 27 unanswered points to pull off the win, 33-25. 250: QB Jordan Ta'amu went 19-for-24 for 278 yards and three touchdowns in the Defenders' win over the Brahmas on Friday. It was the fourth consecutive game that Ta'amu has thrown for at least 250 yards. The league's leading passer is now averaging exactly 250 passing yards per game this season to go with a UFL-best 14 passing scores. 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
Fox Sports
15-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
UFL Week 3 By The Numbers: Leon O'Neal Jr., Matt Corral shine bright
Week 3 of the 2025 UFL season featured plenty of highlights, standout performances, and incredible finishes. The Birmingham Stallions , Houston Roughnecks , Michigan Panthers and DC Defenders were victorious, while the Arlington Renegades , Memphis Showboats , San Antonio Brahmas and St. Louis Battlehawks came up empty-handed. Here are the numbers to know after Week 3. 1: Through three weeks, there's only one remaining undefeated team in the league: the Defenders, who knocked off the previously unbeaten Battlehawks by double digits, 27-15, on the road on Sunday. Interim head coach Shannon Harris was elevated to his role just one week before the season opener but has guided the team to a perfect start. The Defenders can match last year's win total for the entire season with a win at home vs. San Antonio this week. 2: It hasn't always been pretty for the defending champion Stallions this season, but their defense has allowed them to stay in games and find ways to win. Birmingham's defense has only allowed two touchdowns over three games and has been particularly impressive in the red zone. It held Arlington without a touchdown in four trips to the red zone on Friday and has only allowed just two touchdowns in 10 trips to the red zone all season — good for a UFL-best 20% touchdown rate allowed. 3: The first three games of Week 3 were decided by three points or fewer and came down to the final seconds. Birmingham kicked off the week with a last-minute 10-9 comeback win over Arlington before Houston held off Memphis' late rally for an 18-17 win on Saturday. Michigan defeated San Antonio on Sunday, 26-23, thanks to a final-minute go-ahead field goal. 4: Arlington will be kicking themselves after the one-point loss at Birmingham on Friday night. It's a familiar feeling for the group, as it's the fourth time since the start of last season that the Renegades have lost a game in the final 30 seconds after leading in the fourth quarter. 8: Houston picked up its first win of the season, snapping an eight-game losing streak which dated back to last season. The Roughnecks were led by their defense in the win, as safety Leon O'Neal's pick-six in the second half put them ahead before the unit stopped the Showboats' two-point attempt with 13 seconds left to seal the victory. 9: DC's defense was swarming against St Louis' high-powered attack, harassing Battlehawks QB Manny Wilkins to the tune of three sacks. It also delivered nine tackles for loss in the win. The Defenders stifled the Battlehawks' top-ranked ground game, holding them to just 45 rushing yards (2.8 yards per carry) in Sunday's tilt. 26: Birmingham only led for a grand total of 26 seconds against Arlington on Friday night, but it was the most important 26 seconds. Trailing 9-3 going into the final minute, Stallions QB Matt Corral connected with WR Cade Johnson for a 20-yard score before Corral ran in the one-point conversion to give the defending champs the win and improve to 2-1 on the season. 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 St. Louis Battlehawks DC Defenders recommended Get more from United Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
