The Vegas Vipers (2-6, 0-5) dropped their sixth game of the season, falling to the St. Louis Battlehawks, 21-17, in the first overtime game in the history of the XFL on Saturday at the Dome at America’s Center.
It looked good early and often for the Vipers as they led for the entirety of the game. The team jumped out to an 8-0 and limited the Battlehawks to only one possession in the first quarter. Vegas continued its trend by scoring on the team’s first or second possession when John Lovett ran it in from five yards out on the Vipers’ opening drive. Jalan McClendon found Martavis Bryant for the two-point conversion, giving Vegas the early lead.
After forcing a punt, Vegas took a very methodical approach the rest of the first quarter and used up the clock. The team opened the second quarter with a 23-yard field goal courtesy of new kicker Sam Sloman, who was acquired during the week.
Nearly four minutes later, St. Louis got on the board and converted its own two-point conversion to make the score 11-8. Near the end of the quarter, Vegas attempted a fake field goal but were unable to convert on the play and the teams went into halftime with the Vipers owning an 11-8 lead.
Following a scoreless third quarter, Vegas extended its lead when McClendon found Geronimo Allison for a 27-yard score but the team was not able to convert the two point conversion, giving the Vipers a nine point lead with 7:09 remaining in the game.
St. Louis answered by scoring on a fake punt which resulted in a in a 64-yard touchdown. The Battlehawks had a chance to end the game in regulation but settled for a field goal with 15 seconds on the clock, forcing the first overtime in XFL history.
During the overtime, Vegas got the first possession as the teams would trade two-point conversion attempts from the five-yard line. The Vipers looked to have scored to open the extra session, but it was ruled that Cam Sutton was stopped short of the goal line. St. Louis converted on its first attempt to take its first lead of the games and had the advantage in the best of three overtime scenario.
McClendon found Martavis Bryant during Vegas’ second attempt but the attempt was erased as Bryant was flagged for offensive pass interference. Following an unsportsmanlike penalty on the Vipers, the Battlehawks ran the ball in from two yards out, cementing the victory.
McClendon finished 13-of-23 for 159 yards and a score and rushed for a team-high 62 yards on 13 carries. Rod Smith also added 51 rushing yards on 13 carries. Allison led the team in receiving with 44 yards on two catches and a touchdown.
Vegas will continue its 2023 campaign with a game on April 15 at Houston. Kickoff is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. PT and the game will be televised on ABC.
