Defenders Roll over St. Louis in XFL Conference Title Game

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UFL D.C. Defenders

Defenders Roll over St. Louis in XFL Conference Title Game

June 8, 2025 - United Football League (UFL)
D.C. Defenders News Release


ST. LOUIS - Running back Deon Jackson and quarterback Jordan Ta'amu led the DC Defenders to a dominant 36-18 victory over the St. Louis Battlehawks in Sunday's XFL Conference Championship Game at The Dome at America's Center.

Jackson rushed for 109 and two touchdowns on 21 carries, while Ta'amu was 18-of-26 passing for 204 yards and one touchdown to help send the Defenders to the 2025 UFL Championship Game.

DC racked up 389 total yards to just 240 for St. Louis. The Defenders rolled up 187 yards on the ground, their highest rushing output of the season. Meanwhile, St. Louis entered the game with a league-best average of 144.4 rushing yards per game and was held to just 83. The DC defense added five sacks, nine tackles for loss and created two takeaways.

DC jumped on top 14-0 early. The Defenders opened the scoring on a 42-yard pass from Ta'amu to Seth Williams midway through the first quarter. Early in the second period, Jackson bowled in from two yards out. A pair of Defenders mistakes - a Ta'aumu interception and a pass interference penalty - led to St. Louis' first score, a 2-yard Jacob Saylors run, which made it 14-6 late in the first half.

But the Defenders continued rolling. DC added a pair of Matt McCrane field goals before the intermission and led 20-6 at the break.

The Defenders pushed their advantage to 26-6 midway through the third quarter when Abram Smith rumbled in from 2 yards out. The score was set up by a 32-yard completion from Ta'amu to Cornell Powell on a flea-flicker-type play.

Brandon Silvers came off the bench to replace St. Louis starting quarterback Max Duggan in the second half, leading the Battlehawks' best offensive possession and looking to give his team some life. Silvers capped a six-play, 67-yard drive with a 12-yard scoring strike to Hakeem Butler, pulling St. Louis back within striking distance, 26-12.

The DC offense refused to let the Battlehawks back in it. The Defenders answered with Jackson's second rushing TD of the game on the first play of the fourth quarter, pushing their advantage to 21 points, 33-12.

McCrane added his third field goal of the game midway through the fourth quarter to give DC its largest lead of the game, 36-12. Duggan added a rushing score for St. Louis with 2:12 remaining in the contest to account for the final score.

In addition to Jackson and Ta'amu, Cornell Powell hauled in four receptions for 57 yards. Defensively, DC was paced by Malik Fisher, who racked up two of the Defenders' sacks and forced a fumble.

Duggan, who re-entered the game after Silvers was injured on the third-quarter touchdown drive, finished 7of-14 passing for 105 yards and rushed for 33 yards and a score. Saylors ran for 45 yards on nine carries and a touchdown. Willie Harvey led the Battlehawks defense with 15 total tackles, which is the highest total in a UFL game this season.

DC advances to the UFL Championship Game, slated for Saturday, June 14 at The Dome At America's Center in St. Louis.

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United Football League Stories from June 8, 2025


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