St. Louis Defeats D.C. 13-8

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UFL D.C. Defenders

St. Louis Defeats D.C. 13-8

May 31, 2025 - United Football League (UFL)
D.C. Defenders News Release


WASHINGTON, D.C. - The St. Louis Battlehawks (8-2) defeated the D.C. Defenders (6-4) 13-8 in a rainy matchup at Audi Field on Friday.

The Battlehawks wasted no time making their presence felt in a rain-soaked showdown against the DC Defenders. St. Louis came out firing, with quarterback AJ McCarron connecting on a deep ball to wideout Hakeem Butler that immediately pushed them into enemy territory. From there, running back Jarveon Howard punched in a one-yard touchdown to cap off the opening drive and give the Battlehawks an early 7-0 advantage.

DC looked poised to respond after a strong kickoff return put them near midfield, but St. Louis' defense dug in and forced a quick three-and-out. Before either team could settle in, the skies opened, and a rain delay with ten minutes left in the first quarter paused the action.

When play resumed, the Defenders quickly flipped the momentum. A perfectly placed punt pinned the Battlehawks deep in their own end zone. On third down, DC's Andre Mintze broke through for a strip-sack that resulted in a safety, putting the Defenders on the board at 7-2.

The weather continued to wreak havoc in the second quarter, with slippery conditions leading to fumbles and missed opportunities. St. Louis managed to steady themselves first, moving the ball efficiently and tacking on a field goal to extend their lead to 10-2. The Battlehawks' defense then took advantage of a DC fumble to regain possession, setting up another scoring drive that ended with a second field goal and a 13-2 lead heading into halftime.

DC came out of the break with renewed energy. The Defenders' offense began to find its rhythm, methodically driving down the field. But just as they were closing in on points, a missed field goal kept them off the scoreboard. On their next possession, DC's defense stepped up with a key fourth-down stop, giving their offense another chance to shift momentum. Quarterback Mike DiLiello delivered with a gutsy fourth-down run to keep the drive alive, but a second missed field goal again left points off the board.

With the clock ticking in the fourth quarter, DC put together its most complete drive of the night. Mixing short passes and tough runs, the Defenders clawed their way inside the five-yard line before DiLiello found wide receiver Seth Williams for a touchdown to pull within five. The score cut the Battlehawks' lead to 13-8.

DC's defense did their part to give their offense another shot. But despite a valiant effort to keep St. Louis off the field, the clock ultimately ran out on the Defenders' comeback hopes. The Battlehawks held strong and walked away with the 13-8 victory.

The Defenders (6-4) go on the road for the XFL Conference Championship game in a rematch against the St. Louis Battlehawks (8-2), Sunday, June 8th, on FOX at 6 p.m. ET.

NOTES

This is the second matchup this season between these two teams. The last time they played, St. Louis defeated D.C. by a 27-15 score.

This matchup is a preview of the XFL Conference Championship game next week at The Dome at America's Center.

With the win, St. Louis is named the regular-season XFL conference champion.

This game recorded the first safety in UFL history.

WR Seth Green would lead the team in offense, recording four receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown.

QB Mike DiLiello went 18-26 (69%) for 142 yards and a touchdown, while also adding to the run game, finishing with 10 carries for 60 yards.

LB Shayne Simon and CB Trey Dean III would be the sparkplugs for D.C's defense. Leading the defense, Simon recorded eight tackles, while Dean III finished with seven tackles, including one tackle for loss.

Check out the D.C. Defenders Statistics



United Football League Stories from May 31, 2025


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