- Copyright 2024 © CollegeFootballPoll.com
- About CFP / Contact
- Legal Statements
Birmingham and St. Louis set up their matchup for this Saturday by winning their games over the weekend. The contest among the XFL and USFL Conference leaders will take place in Birmingham at 4 PM eastern time on FOX.
Birmingham was a 39-21 winner at Memphis on Saturday to notch a 13th straight victory and improve to won its 13th straight game and improve to 27-3 all-time in USFL/UFL games. The Stallions won both USFL Championship games (2022, 2023).
Meanwhile, St. Louis took care of business with a 22-8 win at Memphis. The Showboats were the only home team that did not win this weekend after all of the home teams lost in Week 5. Memphis has lost 5 in-a-row after winning its opener, while St. Louis has won 5 straight after losing its opener.
St. Louis also opened up a one-game lead in the XFL Conference, thanks to San Antonio's 18-12 loss at DC as the Defenders got back to their winning ways at Audi Field. Last week, DC had a 10-game home winning streak go down in flames when St. Louis smacked them around 45-12.
Arlington remained winless with a 28-27 loss at Michigan as Jake Bates kicked a 42-yard walk-off game-winner. Bates also had a 60-yard field goal as time expired in the first half. Bates has now made three kicks this season from 60+ yards.
Bates and several other players in the UFL are likely to be picked up by various NFL teams after the UFL season is completed. The XFL and USFL had already established themselves as secondary pipelines to the NFL, prior to their merger for the 2024 season. The 2025 NFL Draft takes place next April.
This year's draft saw a record six quarterbacks taken with the first 12 picks, headed by Caleb Williams going No. 1 to the Chicago Bears to improve their odds of success in 2024.
Birmingham QB Adrian Martinez leads a list of UFL players who could find a spot on NFL rosters after the current season.
The league's attendance leader, St. Louis, saw its numbers rise slightly from 31,757 for its last previous home game in week 4, to 32,969 on Saturday.
The league's laggard in attendance, Memphis, saw its numbers fall to just 5,609.
DC saw its lowest attendance of the season at 14,303. That's 1,755 fewer than witnessed last week's blowout loss to St. Louis that ended the Defenders' 10-game home winning streak. DC has the highest percentage of capacity in attendance as the team plays in the 20,000-seat soccer venue of DC United.
Michigan drew 7,428 to Ford Field for the dramatic win by the home team over Arlington. That's almost 500 more than attended the last home game for the Panthers.
(Sunday at DC) DC 18, San Antonio 12 - DC (3-3) rebounded from a 45-12 loss to St. Louis at home a week ago by rallying in the 4th quarter to an 18-12 win over the visiting Renegades.
The Defenders saw a 6-3 halftime lead became a 9-all game heading in the 3rd, but they recaptured the lead at 12-9 with 12:59 to play on a 58-yard field goal from Matthew McCrane. That kick, however, was answered by San Antonio's 5-and-a-half minutes later when he knocked through a 40-yard kick.
The final points of the game came 5:07 to play on a 13-yard touchdown reception from Jordan Ta’Amu to receiver Kelvin Harmon, as the DC defense closed out the game.
The Defenders get a third straight home game next week when they entertain the Michigan Panthers and their kicking sensation, Jake Bates, on ESPN on Sunday at Noon (ET).
SEE: D.C. Celebrates Cinco De Mayo With A Comeback in the Fourth Quarter In A Low-scoring Affair
(Sunday at Michigan) Michigan 28, Arlington 27 - DETROIT, Michigan (May 5, 2024) – Jake Bates and his leg played hero once again for the Michigan Panthers, as he kicked a 42-yard game-winning field goal to defeat the Arlington Renegades 28-27 on Sunday at Ford Field. It is the first time this season the Panthers have won back-to-back games as they improved their home record to 3-1.
The Michigan defense held Arlington's Luis Perez to 180 yards through the air, but he still tossed a pair of TD passes.
Michigan jumped out to an early lead with a nine-yard touchdown pass from Danny Etling to Siaosi Mariner. That made it consecutive weeks with a touchdown on the Panthers opening drive. Wes Hills ran in the one-point attempt to lead 7-0. Both squads traded field goals in the first quarter, as Jake Bates nailed a 43-yard try near the end of the quarter, and Michigan led 10-3 after the first frame.
Arlington scored 14 unanswered in the second frame. The first score came on a 12-yard rush by Dae Dae Hunter and a Perez pass to Deontay Burnett on the two-point conversion. With less than a minute in the half, Perez went deep on third down and found JaVonta Payton for 31 yards to set up a 19-yard TD strike to Sal Cannella with just 29 seconds left before the break. The two-point attempt failed.
A 25-yard kick-off return, a 16-yard pass completion and a 7-yard rush all combined to set up Bate's 60-yard field goal as the clock ran out in the first half. Bates finished the game 5-for-5 and improved to 12-of-14 on the season, including 3-of-4 from 60+.
The third period began with Arlington's self destruction. Following the Renegades going 3-and-out, the Arlington defense let Michigan out of a hole with a 22-yard complete on 3rd-and-16. Two pass interference penalties helped Michigan move into field goal position and Arlington roughed the kicker. Alas, Michigan could not convert all the good fortune into a touchdown, but the drive did end on a Bates 28-yarr field goal.
Read the rest of the story at TheUFL.com.
SEE: Jake Bates Kicks Walk-Off Winner for Panthers in 28-27 Win Over Renegades
(Saturday at St. Louis) St. Louis 22, Houston 8 - The St. Louis Battlehawks delivered a decisive 22-8 victory Saturday over the Houston Roughnecks for the 32,969 fans in attendance at The Dome at America’s Center.
The Battlehawks (5-1) held the Roughnecks (1-5) scoreless through the first 46 minutes, 55 seconds of game time that established a franchise-record 77:02 scoreless streak that reached back to the second quarter of a 45-12 win May 28 in Week 5 at the D.C. Defenders. Houston RB Mark Thompson ended the streak with a 16-yard rushing touchdown with 13:05 left in the game, which narrowed St. Louis’ lead to 14-6.
The Roughnecks threatened to erase the rest of their deficit when they drove into Battlehawks territory with under 8 minutes to play in the fourth quarter. The St. Louis defense, however, forced a turnover on downs on 4th-and-6 when SS Kameron Kelly stopped WR Justin Hall at the St. Louis 33 yard line after a 5-yard reception with 4:59 left in the game.
The Battlehawks turned that stop into a touchdown in four plays. QB A.J. McCarron launched a 36-yard pass to WR Hakeem Butler for Butler’s second touchdown catch of the game with 3:06 left in the game. McCarron then found RB Jacob Saylors for a two-point conversion that gave St. Louis a 16-point lead. The Roughnecks’ final points came via a safety when P Sterling Hofrichter ran out the clock by running into the St. Louis end zone.
SEE: St. Louis Battlehawks Win Fifth Straight, Knock off Houston 22-8
(Saturday at Memphis) Birmingham 39, Memphis 21- The Birmingham Stallions defeated the Memphis Showboats 39-21 on the road for their sixth straight win of the 2024 season. The victory clinched a playoff berth for the Stallions as they pursue their third consecutive championship. Quarterback Adrian Martinez became the first in the league to throw four touchdown passes in a single game this season.
Martinez also leads the league as the only player with two games of more than 300 passing yards. In today's game, he completed 23 of 36 passes for 368 yards.
The Stallions' ground game gained 99 yards, with CJ Marable leading the effort with 31 yards on five carries. Ricky Person Jr. followed with 29 yards on 11 carries, scoring one touchdown. Person leads the league in rushing touchdowns this year with six. Martinez added 25 yards on five rushes.
The receiving corps powered the Stallions' offense. Kevin Austin Jr. recorded four receptions for 108 yards and one touchdown, including one 79 yard touchdown. Marlon Williams added two touchdowns with four receptions for 58 yards, while Deon Cain had two catches for 45 yards.
The Stallions' defense was dominant, recording three sacks and one interception. Kyahva Tezino led with seven tackles, including three solo. Nevelle Clark and Elijah Sullivan both finished with six tackles and five solo stops each.
SEE: Stallions Continue to Roll After Road Victory Over Showboats
XFL Conference
| Team | Won | Lost | Pct. | PF | PA | Home | Road | Conf. | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Battlehawks | 5 | 1 | .833 | 173 | 103 | 3-0 | 2-1 | 3-0 | W5 |
| San Antonio Brahmas | 4 | 2 | .667 | 127 | 104 | 2-1 | 2-1 | 2-2 | L1 |
| DC Defenders | 3 | 3 | .500 | 112 | 150 | 2-1 | 1-2 | 2-2 | W1 |
| Arlington Renegades | 0 | 6 | .000 | 117 | 153 | 0-3 | 0-3 | 0-3 | L6 |
USFL Conference
| Team | Won | Lost | Pct. | PF | PA | Home | Road | Conf. | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham Stallions | 6 | 0 | 1.000 | 171 | 89 | 2-0 | 4-0 | 4-0 | W6 |
| Michigan Panthers | 4 | 2 | .667 | 137 | 120 | 3-1 | 1-1 | 2-1 | W2 |
| Memphis Showboats | 1 | 5 | .167 | 107 | 171 | 0-3 | 1-2 | 1-3 | L5 |
| Houston Roughnecks | 1 | 5 | .167 | 84 | 138 | 1-2 | 0-3 | 0-3 | L2 |
Week 6 Results (Home Team in BOLD):
Saturday
Birmingham 39, Memphis 21
St. Louis 22, Houston 8
Sunday
Michigan 28, Arlington 27
DC 18, San Antonio 12
Week 7 Games
Memphis Showboats vs Arlington Renegades
Saturday, May 11 | 1:00 PM ET | Arlington, TX | Choctaw Stadium | ESPN | ESPN Xtra on SiriusXM
St. Louis Battlehawks vs Birmingham Stallions
Saturday, May 11 | 4:00 PM ET | Birmingham, AL | Protective Stadium | FOX | FOX Sports on SiriusXM
Michigan Panthers vs D.C. Defenders
Sunday, May 12 | 12:00 PM ET | Washington, D.C. | Audi Field | ESPN | ESPN Xtra on SiriusXM
San Antonio Brahmas vs Houston Roughnecks
Sunday, May 12 | 3:00 PM ET | Houston, TX | Rice Stadium | ESPN | ESPN Xtra on SiriusXM
*Check local listings for market regionalization