A.J. McCarron set a season high passing 420 yards.
APRIL 22, 2023 – The St. Louis Battlehawks erupted with the most prolific offensive performance in XFL history with a 53-28 victory Saturday over the Orlando Guardians with 33,034 fans in attendance for the regular-season finale at The Dome at America’s Center.
St. Louis (7-3) scored an XFL-record 53 points against Orlando (1-9) with a season-high 493 yards of total offense. QB A.J. McCarron threw for a season-high 420 yards with a season-high six touchdown passes and no interceptions. Two of McCarron’s touchdown passes went to WR Hakeem Butler, who amassed a season-high 164 receiving yards, the most by a Battlehawks receiver this season.
The Battlehawks scored a touchdown on each of their first four possessions of the second half to turn a 25-20 halftime lead into their final 25-point advantage. McCarron connected with WR Steven Mitchell Jr. for two touchdowns and a two-point conversion after halftime. McCarron’s second touchdown pass to Butler was a 66-yard score, that marked the team’s longest play from scrimmage of the season. A 4-yard touchdown pass to WR Darrius Shepherd with 10:55 to play in the fourth quarter gave St. Louis a 45-20 lead before both teams scored eight points in the final six minutes.
The Battlehawks also posted their highest-scoring quarter of the season with 22 points in the second, but the teams traded the lead four times within the quarter. RB Kareem Walker first scored on a 1-yard rush that put the Battlehawks in front, 9-6, with 12:27 left in the second quarter after DB Brandon Sebastian made his first of two interceptions. A touchdown on a fake punt gave the Guardians back the lead, 12-9, with 9:35 left before halftime. The Battlehawks then moved back in front, 17-12, when McCarron connected with Butler on a 7-yard touchdown pass and WR Marcell Ateman for a 5-yard, two-point conversion.
The Guardians scored a touchdown and two-point conversion to jump ahead, 20-17, with 6:19left in the first half before McCarron hit TE Jake Sutherland with a 5-yard touchdown pass and Butler two-point conversion to finish the drive with a 25-20 lead at the half.
Orlando scored the first touchdown of the game, but St. Louis responded with a 35-yard field goal from K Donny Hageman with 2:25 to play in the first quarter to cut the deficit in half, 6-3.
The outcome of the Seattle Sea Dragons’ home game at 6 p.m. CT Sunday against the Vegas Vipers will determine the Battlehawks’ playoff fate. That contest will be televised on ESPN2.
Postgame Notes
The Battlehawks scored an XFL-record 53 points and compiled a season-high 493 total yards of offense.
WR Hakeem Butler amassed a season-high 164 receiving yards, the most by a Battlehawks receiver this season, and tied his season high in catches with nine.
Butler also caught two touchdown passes and leads the league with eight TD catches.
QB A.J. McCarron set season highs in passing yards (420), touchdown passes (six) and completions (28). He leads the league with 24 touchdown passes for the season and finished the regular season with a 24-6 touchdown-interception ratio.
WR Steven Mitchell Jr. caught a season-high two touchdown passes and set season highs with four receptions and 72 receiving yards.
WR Darrius Shepherd hauled in a season-high 96 receiving yards and his sixth touchdown in his last seven games.
LB Travis Feeney registered his team-leading ninth tackle for loss.
DB Lavert Hill had team-high eight tackles, including a season-high 3 tackles for loss, tying LB Carson Wells (Week 5 vs. D.C.) for the most TFL by a Battlehawks player in a game this season.
DT Elorm Lumor had a season-high 2.0 sacks, the most by a Battlehawks player this season.
DB Brandon Sebastian intercepted a season-high two passes to match DB Lavert Hill (Week 6 at Vegas) for the most in a game this season.
DB Lukas Denis made his second interception of the season and second in as many games.
The Battlehawks scored 22 points in the second quarter, their most in a single quarter this season.
With 33,042 fans in attendance, the Battlehawks have hosted the five largest crowds in XFL history in their five home games this season. The averaged 35,104 fans for the season.
