Week 4 of the UFL kicked off with the St. Louis Battlehawks defeating the Memphis Showboats on Saturday in an inter-conference battle with a budding geographic rivalry.
Memphis kept it close for three quarters, but the home team pulled away late in front of a raucous crowd, with quarterback AJ McCarron contributing two of his three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter.
Here are the highlights!
It's all St. Louis in the fourth quarter, as AJ McCarron stepped up in the pocket to hit Jahcour Pearson in the far end of the end zone in what might be the dagger in this one. That score was set up by a 57-yard run from Jacob Saylors to give him over 100 on the day.
The Memphis quarterback appeared to injure his shoulder on this strip-sack and exited the game, replaced by fellow USFL veteran Troy Williams.
With his family watching from the stands, Battlehawks quarterback AJ McCarron orchestrated a long drive to open the fourth quarter with his second touchdown pass of the game.
St. Louis retook the lead on another impressive field goal from Andre Szmyt, this one just clearing the left upright.
St. Louis fans are making a difference in their enclosed home stadium, baiting the Memphis into committing a key false-start penalty that forced the Showboats to settle for a game-tying field goal instead of a touchdown.
It was the Showboats' turn to make a game-changing interception, as Quenton Meeks picked off A.J. McCarron to give Memphis a chance to take the lead before halftime.
Memphis is right back in this one thanks to this incredible touchdown run from Darius Victor, who had defenders bouncing off him as he dove towards the end zone. A two-point conversion brought the Showboats back within a field goal.
NFL veteran running back Wayne Gallman has his first UFL touchdown, a two-yard score to put the Battlehawks up by two posessions late in the first quarter.
After another great pick return put Memphis in St. Louis territory, Michigan's Lavert Hill honored his alma mater's spring game by flipping the field by intercepting Case Cookus and returning the ball to set up the Battlehawks' offense with another short field.
A monster return from Darrius Shepherd set up A.J. McCarron & Co. deep in Showboats territory, and the Battlehawks took advantage as Jacob Saylors scampered to the end zone on a short pass from McCarron.
After a rough Week 3 performance in which he took eight sacks, Showboats quarterback and USFL veteran Case Cookus clamly orchestrated a stellar opening drive despite a raucous St. Louis crowd, finding Vinny Papale on a crossing route for the game's first touchdown.
A solid first drive for St. Louis stalled in Memphis territory, but Andre Szmyt calmy nailed a 54-yard field goal to continue UFL kickers' stellar play this season.
