St. Louis Late Comeback Falls Short, Drops to 1-1
UFL St. Louis Battlehawks

St. Louis Late Comeback Falls Short, Drops to 1-1

Published on April 8, 2026 under United Football League (UFL)
St. Louis Battlehawks News Release


FRISCO, TX - For the second consecutive week, the Renegades had a field day on offense. Austin Reed and Tyler Vaughns were in sync all night, as Vaughns delivered a career performance.

Vaughns broke a UFL single-game regular season record with 11 receptions for 146 yards.

Against Week One's top defense, nothing fazed first-year quarterback Austin Reed, who came out firing. He led the Renegades down the field in just six plays, covering 68 yards and finishing in the end zone. Tyler Vaughns hauled in three receptions for 36 yards on the drive, including the score, and his big night was just getting started.

The teams then traded field goals, giving Dallas a 9-3 lead after one.

Although Dallas didn't run the ball particularly well overall, a 50-yard burst from Dae Dae Hunter helped set up Reed's second touchdown of the game. On second-and-goal from the 12, Reed swung it out to Greg Ward, who broke a tackle and fought his way into the end zone. Ward has now found pay dirt in back-to-back weeks.

Dallas' defense was a major storyline, holding St. Louis to just three points in the first half as the Renegades took a 17-3 lead into the break.

Early in the second half, Reed made his first real mistake of the night, throwing an interception to AJ Thomas that set the Battlehawks up at the Dallas 31-yard line. Still, the Renegades defense kept Brandon Silvers in check, forcing St. Louis to settle for a 45-yard field goal from Tucker McCann.

The fourth quarter turned into the highest-scoring frame of the game. Reed capped a 15-play, 76-yard drive by finding Vaughns in the end zone for the second time, extending Dallas' lead to 24-6.

St. Louis responded with a late push. Brandon Silvers engineered a 12-play, 65-yard drive that ended with a Tyler Neville touchdown on fourth-and-goal. It marked Neville's second touchdown in as many games, as he continues to emerge as a reliable target.

The Battlehawks then converted the first three-point conversion of the season. Silvers went to his big-bodied receiver Hakeem Butler, who outmuscled defenders to cut the deficit to nine, making it a one-possession game in the UFL.

After the defense forced a quick three-and-out, Silvers had a chance to keep the momentum going but was unable to capitalize, turning it over on downs.

Reed then put the game away, taking a shot downfield and connecting with Vaughns for a third touchdown. Vaughns high-pointed the ball perfectly for the 30-yard score, putting the finishing touches on a dominant night.

After allowing seven sacks in Week One, Dallas' offensive line responded in a big way, keeping St. Louis off Reed entirely and not surrendering a single sack.

With that protection, Reed finished with 240 passing yards and four touchdowns, while Vaughns totaled 11 receptions for 146 yards and three scores. Vaughns now has four touchdowns on the season, matching his total from all of last year.

St. Louis returns to The Dome to face Birmingham on Sunday at 3:00 PM ET on ABC.

Check out the St. Louis Battlehawks Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



United Football League Stories from April 8, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central