The St. Louis Battlehawks provided a little April Fool’s Day fun last week by dusting off the relocation announcement the Rams made more than seven years ago, after a blue-and-yellow brick road of lies paved the way for a move to L.A. This Saturday, the Battlehawks gave the XFL some excitement in the form of a win in the league’s first overtime game of the season.
Quarterback Nick Tiano, playing for A.J. McCarron (shoulder), led St. Louis to a drive that tied the game at the end of regulation, thanks to a 34-yard field goal by Donny Hageman.
The Battlehawks won despite trailing 17-8 in the fourth quarter.
Before the kick that forced OT, there was a little controversy. A throw to the end zone by Tiano to receiver Marcell Ateman was broken up by an apparent act of interference. St. Louis coach Anthony Becht shared his opinion on the issue, into a hot mic live on ESPN.
“He fucking pulled his jersey!” Becht yelled. “That’s fucking egregious!”
Becht had already used his one opportunity to challenge any call, or he surely would have had Dean Blandino and company take a second look at the play.
Next came the field goal, and the game went to overtime.
The XFL uses a shootout format, with the two teams alternating two-point conversions from the five yard line, three times. Vegas failed on each of its first two attempts and St. Louis converted on both, making the third frame unnecessary and delivering a 21-17 win the hard way for St. Louis.
The walk-off came when running back Brian Hill ran the ball in.
Tiano completed 19 of 34 passes for 194 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and the first of the overtime two-point conversions. He added 51 rushing yards on eight attempts, including an Elwayesque helicopter effort on a two-point try in the second quarter, after Vegas had built an 11-0 lead.
The victory, before 35,167 Easter weekend fans in St. Louis, moved the Battlehawks to 6-2 on the season. It was a win the Battlehawks badly needed, in order to try to earn a playoff spot. Between the 6-1 D.C. Defenders, the Battlehawks, and the 5-2 Seattle Sea Dragons, two will play for the eventual XFL North division championship.
