Recap: BattleHawks 15, Renegades 9
ARLINGTON, Texas -- St. Louis BattleHawks (1-0) quarterback Jordan Ta'amu and the BattleHawks offense woke up in the second half to snatch the first road win in the XFL, 15-9, over the Dallas Renegades (0-1) at Globe Life Park.
ST. LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS 15, DALLAS RENEGADES 9
- Game Center
- Top Moments
- BattleHawks spoil Stoops' return
- This is the XFL Show: BattleHawks defense takes down Renegades
WATCH THIS
BattleHawks quarterback Jordan Ta'amu was responsible for most of the highlights. First, this touchdown toss:
And the run that got the BattleHawks into the red zone:
Talking about the win
"It was a struggle. Guys fought really hard. Defense played really well. Offense ran the ball when we needed to and that set the tone of the game and I think that carried through late in the game for us."
"It felt good to be back on the field. It felt good to finally tackle somebody. Everybody was flying to the ball and we found our (defensive) identity."
STAT OF THE GAME
The Renegades' meager third-down conversion percentage stalled drives despite quarterback Philip Nelson's odd day: He went 33-for-42 (78.6 percent) through the air but failed to challenge downfield, amassing just 209 yards and taking four sacks.
Meanwhile, St. Louis sustained drives much more effectively.
PEAK PERFORMANCES
BATTLEHAWKS
Ta'amu led the way for the BattleHawks with a combination on the air and the ground that kept Renegades defenders guessing most of the second half. The Ole Miss product completed 20 of his 27 passes, including a touchdown in the fourth quarter. He was also a threat with his legs, running for 77 yards on nine attempts.
BattleHawks running back Matt Jones ran for 85 yards on 21 carries, repeatedly taking chunks of yards out of the Dallas defense.
The BattleHawks defense showed up and showed out throughout the game on Sunday. Cornerback Darius Hillary had eight solo tackles and an assisted tackle for nine total tackles throughout the game. Not to be outdone, linebacker Terence Garvin had nine combined tackles and a sack.
RENEGADES
5-foot-11 wide receiver Flynn Nagel grabbed all 6 of his targets for 43 total yards, giving Nelson a checkdown option.
Kicker Austin MacGinnis was 3-for-3 on field goals, striking from 32, 42 and 23 yards. The Kentucky product was the sole source of Dallas scoring.
RENEGADES DISCUSS DEFEAT
"It was a tight game really the entire way and they made a few more plays than we did there at the end. Overall, I thought defensively we did a really great job keeping us in there, but I thought we gave up a couple of big plays."
"It was a great football environment. This is something new, a spring league. The fans came out and supported us and it was really exciting. We didn't win the game tonight, but we will get things better and find a way to win the next one."
BATTLEHAWKS-RENEGADES PHOTOS
Up Next: Week 2
- BattleHawks visit the Houston Roughnecks: Sunday, Feb. 16, 6 p.m. (FS1)
- Renegades hit the road at the Los Angeles Wildcats: Sunday, Feb. 16, 3 p.m. (ABC)