XFL Arlington Renegades

Arlington Renegades Game Notes - Week 5 at San Antonio Brahmas

Published on March 16, 2023 under XFL (XFL)
Arlington Renegades News Release


SERIES NOTES: Sunday will mark the first-ever meeting between the Renegades and Brahmas, who were introduced as one of the new XFL franchises for 2023. The XFL South division foes are scheduled to meet next week on Sunday, March 26 at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington. This marks the only occurrence of XFL teams meeting on back-to-back weeks during the 2023 regular season.

WEEK 4 RECAP

The Arlington Renegades (2-2) dropped a 24-11 road decision to the St. Louis Battlehawks (3-1) on Sunday at The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis. The game was played in front of an XFL-record 38,310 fans for the Battlehawks' home opener.

Arlington scored on a 37-yard field goal by K Taylor Russolino in the second quarter, and on a 1-yard rush by RB De'Veon Smith in the fourth. That touchdown was followed by a 2-point conversion that featured a trick-play pass by Smith to TE Sal Cannella to cut the deficit to 17-11 with 12:40 left. St. Louis scored on their next possession on a 25-yard pass from QB A.J. McCarron to TE Hakeem Butler to extend the lead and provide the final margin.

The Renegades defense, which entered Week 4 tied for the XFL lead with 8 turnovers, earned a takeaway for a fourth straight game as DB Joe Powell picked off McCarron in the second quarter. On offense, Arlington turned the ball over a season-high 4 times - all by QB Kyle Sloter. He finished 23-for-39 for 205 yards and 3 interceptions, and also lost a fumble.

Additional notes:

- The 13-point margin marked the largest for any Arlington game this season (win or loss).

- Arlington is 2-0 at home and 0-2 on the road entering Week 5.

- The Renegades (2-2) enter Week 5 in second place in the XFL South division behind the Houston Roughnecks (4-0) and ahead of the San Antonio Brahmas (1-3) and Orlando Guardians (0-4).

- The Renegades would be in the playoffs if the season ended today, as the top 2 teams in each division will advance to the XFL Semifinals following the 10-game regular season.

PUTTING THE 'D' IN DEFENSE

Despite allowing a season-high 24 points in Sunday's loss at St. Louis, the Renegades defense forced a turnover for a fourth straight game as former Battlehawks DB Joe Powell picked off St. Louis QB A.J. McCarron in the second quarter. Powell's 33-yard return put the Renegades in solid field position, and the next possession resulted in a 37-yard FG by K Taylor Russolino.

- Arlington's 9 turnovers rank T3rd in the XFL and are T1st among XFL South teams: St. Louis (12), D.C. (10), Arlington (9), Houston (9).

- Through 4 weeks, the Renegades have scored 36 of their 57 total points off turnovers.

GAME TIME CHANGE

Though clocks moved ahead one hour this past weekend with the beginning of Daylight Saving Time, the XFL clocks are moving back one hour on Sunday as the original 9 p.m. CT start time for Arlington vs. San Antonio at Alamodome has been adjusted to 8 p.m. CT.

The XFL and ESPN announced that change on Monday, in addition to 3 other game time changes for Week 7 that do not affect Arlington contests.

HOUSE OF PAYNE

Arlington Renegades LB Donald Payne (31 tackles) is the XFL's leading tackler heading into Week 5, with San Antonio LB Jordan Williams (29), St. Louis LB Willie Harvey (28), Houston LB Emmanuel Ellerbee (28), and Vegas DB Deontay Anderson (26) rounding out the top 5. Payne is coming off a big game against St. Louis on Sunday, as he racked up 12 tackles - most by any Renegade in a single game this season.

- Payne continues to be one of the top tacklers in spring football of late, as he came to the XFL after leading the USFL with 117 tackles for the Houston Gamblers in 2022.

- A three-time All-American at Stetson, Payne finished his college career as the third-leading tackler in Division I (FCS/FBS) history with 538 tackles.

FAMILY AFFAIR

This weekend will mark somewhat of a family reunion for Arlington Renegades codefensive coordinator Tim Lewis and his family. Tim's brother, Will, is Director of Player Personnel for the San Antonio Brahmas and a longtime NFL executive that had a hand in creating the Seattle Seahawks "Legion of Boom" when he was Vice President of Football Operations from 2010-12. Tim's nephew, Ryan (son of Will), plays defensive back for the Brahmas. Interestingly, Lewis' cousin is former NFL safety and current ESPN broadcaster Louis Riddick.

- Tim Lewis also crossed paths with Brahmas head coach Hines Ward during their time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, as Lewis served as defensive backs coach (1995-99) and defensive coordinator (2000-03) during Ward's tenure as a player (1998-2011).

REMEMBER THE ALAMO-DOME

The Renegades travel to the Alamodome for this Sunday's bout with the Brahmas, which will mark head coach Bob Stoops' first game in the venue since coming out of retirement in an interim capacity to lead the Oklahoma Sooners to a 47-32 win over the Oregon Ducks in the Valero Alamo Bowl on December 29, 2021. In that game, Oklahoma QB Caleb Williams threw for 3 touchdowns, RB Kennedy Brooks (142 yards, 3 TDs) was named game MVP, and Stoops' son Drake caught a touchdown pass. It marked the first time in Valero Alamo Bowl history for two interim head coaches to lead their respective teams, as Stoops led the way for Oklahoma after the departure of Lincoln Riley (to USC) and Bryan McClendon led the way for Oregon after the departure of Mario Cristobal (to Miami).

- Stoops is 2-0 all-time as a head coach at the Alamodome. In addition to the Alamo Bowl win, his #9 Sooners defeated #1 Missouri by a 38-17 margin in the 2007 Big 12 Football Championship played in San Antonio.

THE KICK IS GOOD

Arlington K Taylor Russolino is 5-for-6 on FG attempts this season, ranking T3rd in the XFL in successful field goals: D.C.'s Matthew McCrane (7), San Antonio's Parker Romo (6), Russolino / Seattle's Dominik Eberle (5). Including his time spent with St. Louis in 2020 - when he went 9-for-10 in FG attempts - Russolino has now converted 14 of 16 (87.5%) of his FG attempts in the XFL.

DID WE JUST BECOME BEST FRIENDS?

Arlington TE Sal Cannella has enjoyed a strong start to the 2023 season, hauling in 22 catches for 181 yards through 4 weeks. Cannella enters Week 5 among XFL leaders in receptions (3rd), targets (T5th, 28), and receiving yards (10th). Among tight ends, he is among the league leaders in catches (1st), receiving yards (2nd), and targets (2nd). The only tight end currently edging him out is Orlando's Cody Latimer (212 yds., 29 targets).

- Cannella and QB Kyle Sloter have a connection dating to last summer when both played for the New Orleans Breakers of the USFL. Cannella and Sloter were both named to the AllUSFL team, and Cannella led all tight ends in the league in receiving yards.

- Cannella has carried the bulk of the receiving load for Arlington through 4 games, accounting for 22 of the team's 75 catches (29.3%) and 181 of 621 receiving yards (29.1%).

DOWN TO THE WIRE

After the early going of the XFL season featured many exciting and close finishes, with 9 of 12 games through 3 weeks decided by one possession (9 points or less), Week 4 featured games with margins of 13 points (STL over ARL), 14 points (D.C. over LV), and 28 points (HOU over ORL). The unique XFL rules, of course, allow for as many as 9 points to be scored on one possession (6 points for touchdown + up to 3 points on extra-point play).

Three of four Arlington games have been decided by 9 points or fewer, with both Renegades wins coming by either one (10-9 vs. Orlando in Week 3) or two (22-20 vs. Vegas in Week 1) points.

ST. LOUIS SOUTH?

The 2023 Arlington Renegades have a number of connections to the 2020 St. Louis Battlehawks from XFL 2.0. Members of the current coaching staff that worked for St. Louis in 2020, with their former role listed in parenthesis: co-offensive coordinator Jonathan Hayes (head coach), co-offensive coordinator Chuck Long (offensive coordinator & quarterbacks coach), co-defensive coordinator Jay Hayes (defensive coordinator), co-defensive coordinator Tim Lewis (defensive backs coach), quality control coach Michael George (asst. to head coach / asst. defensive line coach). Current Renegades players that played for St. Louis in 2020: DL Will Clarke, OL Brian Folkerts (St. Louis-area native & graduate of Hazelwood Central HS), DB Will Hill, P Marquette King, DL Davonte Lambert, DB Joe Powell, and K Taylor Russolino.

SOME EXPERIENCE NECESSARY

As with all XFL teams, the Arlington Renegades roster consists of players with extensive professional experience, including time spent at the sport's highest level in the NFL. Of the 51 players on the team's season-opening roster, 25 had appeared in at least one NFL game. Those 25 players have a total of 506 games of NFL experience. Leading the way for Arlington is former All-Pro P Marquette King with 84 games of NFL experience, while LB Will Clarke (53), CB Cre'von LeBlanc (52), and DB Will Hill (50) have each eclipsed the halfcentury mark in games played at the NFL level.

THE BAND IS BACK TOGETHER

Arlington Renegades head coach Bob Stoops and co-offensive coordinators Jonathan Hayes and Chuck Long all played college football together in 1982 at the University of Iowa under legendary head coach Hayden Fry. The trio were teammates on the Hawkeyes' 1982 Rose Bowl team, and Stoops was later part of the Iowa coaching staff while Hayes concluded his playing career. Hayes served as the tight ends/special teams coach for Stoops at OU from 1999-2002. Long was a coach for the Sooners from 2000-05, as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator.

BROTHERLY LOVE

Brothers Jonathan Hayes (co-offensive coordinator) and Jay Hayes (co-defensive coordinator) will serve as Renegades play-callers for their respective units in 2023. The pair are reunited after coaching together with St. Louis during the 2020 XFL season, with Jonathan as head coach and Jay as defensive coordinator. They also coached together from 2003-15 as assistants on the Cincinnati Bengals staff under head coach Marvin Lewis.

LET ME CHECK MY SCHEDULE

The Arlington Renegades will play 10 regular season games during the 2023 XFL season. The team will play six games against division foes - Houston, Orlando, and San Antonio (one home, one road) - and four games against non-division opponents - D.C., St. Louis, Seattle, and Vegas. Below are a few scheduling nuggets:

- Arlington will take part in home openers during Week 1 (at home) and Week 4 (at St. Louis)

- Seven of the team's 10 games will be played in Texas (5 home, 2 road)

- Each of the team's 10 games will played in the Central or Eastern time zones

- Arlington will travel outside of the state of Texas just once (Week 4 at St. Louis) in the season's first seven weeks

RENEGADES IN THE COMMUNITY

The Renegades are committed to being a positive force and constant presence in the community. Below are some of the recent community events and appearances that the team has taken part in:

- Jan. 14: Girl Scouts of Texas and Oklahoma - Cookie Distribution Event

- Jan. 16: MLK Day / National Day of Service - Volunteering at Mission Arlington (players), meal delivery to needy families in partnership with Prince Lebanese Grill and Park Place Mercedes (Bob Stoops)

- Jan. 28: Renegades Open Practice / Bob Stoops Q&A / Player Autograph Session - 1,000+ fans in attendance

- Feb. 11: "Meet the Team" fan event at The Parks Mall in Arlington

- Feb. 17: Scottish Rite for Children hospital visit; Bob Stoops Ticketstock appearance

- March 4: Player Engagement Event at Main Event Entertainment in Grand Prairie, TX

WELCOME TO ARLINGTON - THE HUB CITY

On July 25, 2022, the XFL announced the selection of the City of Arlington, Texas as its new football operations Hub, signing a three-year agreement that provides a centralized performance facility and multiple practice venues for preseason and in-week training for the League's eight teams. This hybrid Hub model provides players access to full-time, onsite support from coaches and athletic training staff, while still developing team affinity and community relations within their local markets. The Hub also serve as a content creation center, giving the league, its teams and its players an opportunity to build personal brands and engage with fans through social media, in-person events and other media platforms, tapping into the worldwide expertise and reach of XFL Owners, Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson, and RedBird Capital Partners.

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