When Brahmas’ kicker Ryan Santoso’s game-winning field goal attempt fluttered harmlessly wide left of the goalposts at The Dome at America’s Center on Saturday, the ramifications were immediately felt.
Kaws echoed from the rafters as 34,379 St. Louis partisans savored a nail-biting 13-12 victory that ensured St. Louis hosts the rematch with San Antonio for the XFL Conference title on Sunday night.
Battlehawks head coach Anthony Becht pumped his fists. Star wide receiver Hakeem Butler, who leaped high above the snapper and may have gotten a fingertip on Santoso’s kick, danced atop the benches. Quarterback A.J. McCarron was stoic, and he doffed a beanie cap for his helmet to take one more snap from victory formation.
Relieved UFL executives and accountants exhaled: the league’s bank account minted thousands of dollars more the moment pigskin hit the turf. For the first time in 19 years, St. Louis will entertain a professional football playoff game.
“Are the cameras running, right?” Becht asked at the postgame presser. “Anybody that lives in the City of St. Louis needs to show up for (Sunday’s) game, okay? Just incredibly blessed to have a fanbase that cares as much as the St. Louis fanbase does – you guys continue to show up. It is vital that St. Louis comes in droves. Bring one friend and this place is full.”
Both teams had already secured spots in the conference title game, with home field at stake in the regular season finale – a prize valuable enough for the ailing McCarron to return from a two-game absence.
IT’S NO GOOD
The 51-yard attempt is no good and the @XFLBattlehawks survive in St. Louis! pic.twitter.com/4JZYBABAKh
— United Football League (@TheUFL) June 1, 2024
Jontre Kirklin and San Antonio made him, and everyone in the Gateway City, sweat for it.
The Battlehawks appeared in control with 3 minutes and change to play after Andre Szmyt kicked a 38-yard field goal to give St. Louis a 13-6 lead. But the Brahmas quickly turned a sleepy affair into a thriller.
San Antonio took over at midfield and Kirklin beat cornerback Tim Harris for 16 yards and a first down. Then the former LSU Tiger streaked by Harris and safety Kameron Kelly for a 37-yard touchdown. Brahmas’ head coach Wade Phillips opted to try for a two-point conversion to take the lead.
St. Louis was staggered, and the jitters proved costly when Willie Harvey jumped offsides to move the two-point try from the 5-yard-line to the STL 2. Quinten Dormady relieved injured starting QB Chase Garbers and he found Kirklin again for a completion that narrowly broke the plane.
Dormady finished 15-for-27 for 188 yards and a touchdown. Kirklin made a game-high seven receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown.
The Dome was somber as it appeared St. Louis trailed 14-13 with 1:56 to go. But head coach Anthony Becht was getting an earful in his headset, and from McCarron on the sidelines. Brahmas tackle Julie’n Davenport wandered into the endzone blocking Harvey and was illegally downfield during the successful pass attempt.
“Upstairs, coordinators are kind of looking, (offensive coordinator Bruce Gradkowski) helps out when the defense is there, Donnie (Abraham) does the same on the offensive side,” Becht said.
“Time was there for us to look at it, we were able to see it – that was a big play for us, the defense got another chance to step up and redeem themselves and they did.”
Dormady’s pass on the second two-point try attempt was a step behind receiver Justin Smith, who got his hands on the ball but dropped it. With a minute to play, St. Louis clung to a 13-12 lead but the incredibly, the result remained in doubt.
The Battlehawks took just 45 seconds off the clock going three-and-out, and Dormady calmly shredded St. Louis for chunk gains. The Brahams needed four plays to move from their own 26-yard-line to the St. Louis 33, aided by a pair of defensive penalties, and gave Santoso a chance for the 51-yard game winning attempt.
“Listen, that’s pressure in that moment for that kicker,” Becht said. “I think the effort on special teams has been elite this year for our team, the guys care about it.”
Next week the same teams collide with a spot in the inaugural UFL Championship Game on the line. The Battlehawks are poised to shatter spring football attendance records with both playoff games played in The Dome. Expect the ‘Bring One Friend’ motto to be repeated as Sunday approaches.
“When you can play in front of your fans, you always get an advantage,” Harvey said. “A game of this magnitude next week, I’m pretty sure it will 20 plus thousand more fans.
The crowd on Saturday had plenty of time to settle in. After a mistake filled opening quarter, the Battlehawks snapped to life.
McCarron alluded pressure long enough for Steven Mitchell to find solitude along the endzone sideline, then delivered a 22-yard strike for St. Louis’ only touchdown of the game. McCarron knocked the rust off, going 10-for-24 for 115 yards, one touchdown and an interception.
Jake Sutherland willed his way over the goaline for the one-point conversion and the Battlehawks led 7-0 with 11:54 remaining before halftime.
Jacob Saylors and Wayne Gallman led the ground attack on a 13-play, 82-yard march on the Battlehawks next possession but St. Louis settled for a 32-yard field goal from Szmyt and a 10-0 advantage.
The Battlehawks’ defense and special teams play in the first half made a ten-point lead feel comfortable.
Kelly picked Garbers to end a threatening San Antonio drive in the first quarter. San Antonio took possession at their own 2-yard-line late in the quarter and Austin Faoliu punched the ball from Brahmas halfback Morgan Ellison on the second play of the series. Safety Dravon Askey-Henry pounced on it, but St. Louis squandered the good fortune when McCarron was intercepted by Teez Tabor.
Santoso tried a 59-yard field goal as the first half expired and Kemari Averett added another blocked kick to St. Louis’ special teams coordinator Kyle Caskey’s belt.
Andy Carroll
Andy Carroll is a freelance sports writer living in the Ozarks with his wife and four great kids. He loves St. Louis, toasted ravioli and minor league baseball. You can follow him on Twitter @carroll_sgf and Instagram @andycarroll505
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