The San Antonio Brahmas allowed just 13 points in their regular season finale against the St. Louis Battlehawks, but it wasn't enough. Wade Phillips raised the bar in Sunday's XFL Conference championship game.
The Brahmas' defense limited a potent Battlehawks offense to only nine points in the win, jumping out to a sizable early lead and holding on when two quick scores by St. Louis threatened to flip the game upside down.
San Antonio didn't build its reputation on its offense this season, but the unit was able to put together a handful of big plays on Sunday. After Marquez Stevenson scored a wide-open touchdown to put the Brahmas on the board, Justin Smith skewered the Battlehawks' defense for a 63-yard score.
While St. Louis' defense was able to tighten the screws ahead of halftime, Anthony McFarland ripped off a 69-yard run early in the third quarter to extend the Brahmas' lead to 16.
The Battlehawks battled. They cut their deficit to four in the third quarter with the help of a scoop-and-score, but an offense led by a hobbled A.J. McCarron wasn't able to gather much momentum the rest of the way.
Phillips and the Brahmas will face the Birmingham Stallions in the UFL Championship Game next Sunday, taking on a team that made a habit of toying with opposing defenses but couldn't crack San Antonio's unit in the regular season. That was the Stallions' only loss of the year— the Brahmas are now hoping to make it two on Sunday.
MORE: Watch UFL playoff games live with Fubo (free trial)
The Sporting News is tracking live scoring updates and highlights from Sunday's UFL playoff game between the Brahmas and Battlehawks. Check out all of the key moments you might have missed.
Brahmas vs. Battlehawks final score
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brahmas | 7 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 25 |
| Battlehawks | 0 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 15 |
Brahmas vs. Battlehawks results,highlights from UFL playoff game
(All times Eastern).
Final: Brahmas 25, Battlehawks 15
10:14 p.m. —The Battlehawks forgo the field goal altogether and never find the end zone. That's it! The Brahmas avenge last week's loss and secure their spot in the UFL Championship against the Birmingham Stallions.
10:11 p.m. —McCarron finds Shepherd for a first down with 21 seconds left, and the Battlehawks have to start thinking about the field goal soon. As a reminder, this game would be over if not for the UFL's rule allowing teams to attempt a long offensive play rather than an onside kick to regain possession of the ball.
10:08 p.m. —The Battlehawks are down to 70 seconds to work with after Hakeem Butler sees a would-be first down knocked right out of his hands.
10:06 p.m. —McCarron is nearly intercepted downfield...
Brahmas 25, Battlehawks 15
10:02 p.m. FIELD GOAL —The Battlehawks bend, but don't break. The problem? San Antonio makes a field to extend the lead to 10 and force St. Louis to need a mini-miracle with 1:50 remaining. The Brahmas are thrilled to take all of that time off the clock on that drive.
9:52 p.m. —The Battlehawks are forced to attempt a field goal, and it MISSES. Andre Szmyt had made his last 13 attempts. Now all of the pressure shifts back to St. Louis' defense as time starts to wind down.
9:50 p.m. —Darrius Shepherd does some excellent work after the catch and goes 38 yards to jumpstart the Battlehawks' drive. St. Louis is in this.
9:46 p.m. —St. Louis comes up with a huge third down stop again, forcing a loss of yardage to erase any decision the Brahmas would've had to make about going for it. The Battlehawks will get the ball down by seven with nine minutes remaining.
9:42 p.m. —The Battlehawks don't get very far, and now Chase Garbers will have a chance to make this a two-possession game again if he can guide the Brahmas down the field.
End of third quarter: Brahmas 22, Battlehawks 15
9:34 p.m. —San Antonio is forced to settle for a field goal. That's a win for the Battlehawks by keeping it a one-possession game, but the Brahmas have to be happy to just stop the bleeding.
9:25 p.m. —The Brahmas steal some momentum back with a big-time run by Lovett to quickly enter the red zone.
Brahmas 19, Battlehawks 15
9:21 p.m. —Well, now the Brahmas are in dangerous territory. A scoop-and-score puts six more points on the board for the Battlehawks, and this is suddenly a four-point game with the St. Louis crowd as loud as it's been all day.
Brahmas 19, Battlehawks 9
9:19 p.m. —Replay determines Butler's second foot was not in on the two-point try, so this is still a 10-point lead for the Brahmas.
9:14 p.m. TOUCHDOWN —Officials say Jake Sutherland fumbled when he lost the ball at the goal line, but the call is overturned: Sutherland was a runner and crossed the goal line for a touchdown. The Battlehawks are back in this after a two-point conversion.
9:11 p.m. —Woah! Hakeem Butler comes through with a one-handed grab just outside the end zone on 4th & 5. That was a wild play.
HAKEEM BUTLER 😮💨#kakaw pic.twitter.com/dwo0eSUEH5
— St. Louis Battlehawks (@XFLBattlehawks) June 10, 2024
9:10 p.m. —The running game backfires as St. Louis loses significant yardage on a 3rd & 1. They'll go for it.
9:08 p.m. —Jacob Saylors busts through the Brahmas' defense with a bruising 24-yard run. The Battlehawks have enough time left to still run the ball, and they seem to be committed to the run right now.
Brahmas 19, Battlehawks 3
9:03 p.m. TOUCHDOWN —Anthony McFarland blazes down the field for a 69-yard Brahmas touchdown! Another big play for this Brahmas offense, with McFarland largely untouched, and San Antonio's lead might also be untouched the rest of the way.
— United Football League (@TheUFL) June 10, 202469-YARD TOUCHDOWN 😤
Anthony McFarland with the longest touchdown run of the season 👏 @XFLBrahmas pic.twitter.com/45Vg4BlwF7
8:58 p.m. —A personal foul backs up St. Louis to its own 2-yard line. Asking McCarron to go 98 yards on a bad ankle is probably a stretch.
8:55 p.m. —The Battlehawks' defense has had its share of issues but is starting to find some traction against the Brahmas. They quickly get San Antonio's offense off the field and give a hobbled McCarron a chance.
8:54 p.m. —McCarron is warming up, looking to get back into the game when the Battlehawks get the ball back. San Antonio, meanwhile, faces an early third down on its possession.
End of first half: Brahmas 13, Battlehawks 3
8:39 p.m. —McCarron is now up and walking around after an apparent ankle injury. That's the end of the half, with the Brahmas up by 10.
AJ McCarron was able to walk off the field on his own after sustaining an apparent injury on the last play of the half pic.twitter.com/Igb8NSnQYe
— United Football League (@TheUFL) June 10, 2024
8:37 p.m. —The Battlehawks got the ball back and unsuccessfully decided to try for an unlikely chance at points, and it cost them: McCarron is down on the field in pain.
8:33 p.m. —The Brahmas are just looking to get into field goal range at this point, one yard shy of the 50 with less than 40 seconds remaining.
8:23 p.m. —The Battlehawks are able to get the ball back, but their drive goes backwards with a sack of McCarron. San Antonio will be getting the ball again, looking to run out the remainder of the half.
8:14 p.m. —Oh man. San Antonio tries to draw the Battlehawks offsides on 4th & 1, and that's exactly what happens. The Brahmas are gifted a first down to keep the drive alive.
8:12 p.m. —The Battlehawks come up with a huge stop, at least for now, as Lovett is stopped short on 3rd & 1. The Brahmas have a decision to make here, not far from midfield.
Brahmas 13, Battlehawks 3
8:05 p.m. FIELD GOAL —Butler's non-catch stands as called, and the Battlehawks are forced to settle for three with a field goal by former Syracuse kicker Andre Szmyt.
8:03 p.m. —Wow, Hakeem Butler makes what appears to be a spectacular juggling catch mere yards before the end zone and believes he has a touchdown, but officials wave it off. This will be tough to overturn.
8:00 p.m. —The Battlehawks are finally getting some breaks with a nice return and a neutral-zone infraction by San Antonio.
Brahmas 13, Battlehawks 0
7:57 p.m. TOUCHDOWN —Wow! Justin Smith goes totally untouched after the catch and goes 63 yards for the touchdown. The Brahmas couldn't have made that look any easier. St. Louis is in serious trouble early on, down 13-0.
HE GONE 💨@Justoo_ with 6 for the @XFLBrahmas 👏 pic.twitter.com/Tji2UAbkc1
— United Football League (@TheUFL) June 9, 2024
End of first quarter: Brahmas 7, Battlehawks 0
7:54 p.m. —The Brahmas are approaching midfield at the end of the first quarter, hoping to sustain the success they've had against St. Louis' defense so far.
7:48 p.m. —The Battlehawks' potent offense is still having a hard time cracking this Brahmas defense, and San Antonio will get the ball back looking to go up two possessions.
Brahmas 7, Battlehawks 0
7:38 p.m. TOUCHDOWN —Chase Garbers finds Marquez Stevenson for the wide-open touchdown! The Brahmas avenge their mistake and strike first.
— San Antonio Brahmas (@XFLBrahmas) June 9, 2024Marquez Stevenson is HIM 😤
We are on the board FIRST!!!pic.twitter.com/owwafa2KMc
7:36 p.m. FUMBLE —The Battlehawks pick up a first down, but they follow it up with a massive mistake as tee*z Tabor recovers a fumble for San Antonio. The Brahmas' offense retakes the field with great field position.
— San Antonio Brahmas (@XFLBrahmas) June 9, 2024WE GET IT RIGHT BACK! 😤
We recover the fumble and are in business! pic.twitter.com/3waAq7YTXo
7:31 p.m. INTERCEPTION —Kameron Kelly comes up with the interception in the end zone and instantly ends the Brahmas' scoring threat! What a huge turn at the end of an otherwise ugly drive for St. Louis' defense.
7:29 p.m. —Now Kirklin takes the Brahmas inside the 6-yard line.
7:25 p.m. —Three plays, three first downs for the Brahmas as Kirklin goes for 23 yards and sets up this typically sluggish San Antonio offense.
7:24 p.m. —Jontre Kirklin quiets the crowd by hauling in a short pass on third down and extending San Antonio's drive. John Lovett immediately follows it up with a 12-yard run to take the Brahmas to about midfield.
We LOVE A BIG RUN! 😤 pic.twitter.com/kelb9MzYxo
— San Antonio Brahmas (@XFLBrahmas) June 9, 2024
7:20 p.m. —The Battlehawks go three-and-out, but this one isn't exactly on the Brahmas defense. Two of McCarron's passes are dropped, including a third-down pass that went through the hands of Hakeem Butler.
7:18 p.m. —A.J. McCarron and the Battlehawks offense will get this thing started, looking to make a statement against a high-flying Brahmas defense after struggling a week ago.
7:10 p.m. —Rams legend Torry Holt is on the field delivering the game ball ahead of kickoff.
6:15 p.m. —A nice showing for the Battlehawks as they enter The Dome.
pullin’ up to the playoffs 😤#kakaw | @BudSelect pic.twitter.com/iv8kA3tAix
— St. Louis Battlehawks (@XFLBattlehawks) June 9, 2024
What channel is Brahmas vs. Battlehawks on today?
- TV Channel:Fox
- Live stream:Fubo
Saturday's UFL playoff game between the Brahmas and Battlehawks will be broadcast on Fox.
The action can be streamed withFubo, which comes with a free trial for new subscribers.
UFL playoff bracket
USFL Conference championship
Saturday, June 8
| Matchup | Time (ET) | Location | TV | Live stream |
| Birmingham Stallions 31, Michigan Panthers 18 | 3 p.m. | Birmingham | ABC | ESPN+,Fubo |
| San Antonio Brahmas vs. St. Louis Battlehawks | 7 p.m. | St. Louis | Fox | Fubo |
Sunday, June 16
| Matchup | Time (ET) | Location | TV | Live stream |
| Birmingham Stallions vs. TBD | 5 p.m. | St. Louis | Fox | Fubo |
