Every single game in week five is crucial, and this one is no different. The Orlando Storm (4-0) will host the St. Louis Battlehawks (2-2), as Anthony Becht faces off against the team that he built for the very first time.
Heading into this affair, the Storm are on a roll. They’re the only undefeated team left in the UFL. Their wins have been quite convincing, albeit the overall records of their opponents (combined 3-9). Even with that being said, Orlando si currently the team to beat.
St. Louis has been off to a back and forth start during the Ricky Proehl era. They’ve flashed legitimate talent, and do appear to be one of the better teams in the league at times. However, dropping under the .500 mark halfway through the season would be a tough pill to swallow with how competitive this league is.
Let’s take a look at what we can expect on Saturday night.
Quarterback Play
Even though the Battlehawks just traded for legendary QB Luis Perez, they will be rolling with Harrison Frost. Frost took over midway through week three, leading the Battlehawks to a comeback victory over the Birmingham Stallions. His upside was on display right away, showcasing his deep ball – and ability to use his wheels to produce.
Proehl and A.J. Smith are both very high on what he brings to the table, displaying their loyalty to Harrison heading into week five and beyond. Frost’s accuracy has been an issue (29% completion in this last game alone), but he’s got the arm strength and raw potential to be a serviceable signal caller in this league.
“Obviously, Luis has had a lot of success in this league. But, this league is also for guys who are trying to get in the NFL. Luis is obviously a proven veteran, he won a Championship in 2023 with Dallas, I remember watching him have a lot of success. But, the Harrison I saw in the fourth quarter a couple weeks ago…we believe in Harrison. We want to help him develop and get an opportunity. As for right now, Frost is our starter.” – Battlehawks HC Ricky Proehl
For Orlando, they will continue to trot out Jack Plummer. He’s been the most efficient quarterback in the UFL to date. Jack is a true leader when he’s on the football field. Every play isn’t perfect, but he does the little things right. For example, on his lone touchdown pass against Birmingham, he told Tre Stewart exactly who to block on the blitz – allowing Plummer just enough time to find a wide open Cam Camper for the score. Plummer’s got mobility that isn’t talked about enough, too.
Standout Playmakers
The Battlehawks need to continue to feed Hakeem Butler. He only had three targets last week, but two of them turned into magical, massive plays – which kept St. Louis in the game. Hakeem was notched at 22.3mph during his 68 yard touchdown, the fastest of any player in the UFL this season.
Kevon Latulas is also developing into a true RB1 for St. Louis. We’ll see a solid balance between him and Jarveon Howard (who, also flashed with a 50 yard run vs. DC). Latulas, though, just has something special about him. His stiff arm on Deontay Anderson during his rushing score on Saturday displayed exactly the type of difference maker he can be.
Orlando is a bit banged up, but showed that they have true depth at the wide receiver and running back position the last couple of weeks. Cam Camper posted 44 yards and a score in his debut, while Tre Stewart has filled in quite well while Elijah Dotson has nursed an injury.
Keep an eye on Orlando’s tight ends this week. Anthony Becht was adamant about getting these guys more targets, noting how all three of them have legitimate potential to assist in the passing game. Orlando has focused on running the football early, but Shawn Bowman and Steven Stilianos have strong hands, decent route running abilities – and big frames for Jack to throw to.
The Injury Report
The Battlehawks will be a bit banged up in their secondary. Safety/LB A.J. Thomas is trending towards being out with a left knee injury, and Luq Barcoo is on pace to miss his second straight game. Both of these players are key pieces to Corey Chamblin’s defense, so it would be a shame if they are unavailable. WR Frank Darby is also not expected to dress, inactive for a third matchup in a row.
Orlando’s injury report looks clean. The only scar is K.J. Hamler, who is still nursing those hamstring injuries. As we said last week, though, Storm fans need not to worry. Elijhah Badger, Chris Rowland, and Cam Camper have it under control in that department.
Depth Chart Notes
This section will be updated when the league drops the depth chart.
When Will Orlando’s Offense Click?
Over the past few weeks, even though the Storm are 4-0, it has felt as if we haven’t truly seen the full potential of this offense come to life. They’re averaging 306 yards per game – the most of any team in the UFL. On top of that, they’re averaging a respectable 21.8 points per game, third in the UFL.
With that so, has it truly seemed like we’ve seen their offense dominate? Not really. And, that should scare the entire league. Orlando is 4-0, while still allowing 44 QB pressures (4th in the UFL). The offensive line has been a point of concern early, as they have yet to find a unit that plays the cohesive football that we’re used to seeing with Marc Colombo at the helm.
There is too much talent on this roster for Orlando to be going three and out on multiple possessions per game. Colin Thompson is a young play-caller, so there are some kinks he is working through, which is understandable. However, with just six weeks left to play in the regular season, there needs to be a bit more consistency to truly be Championship contenders.
“There’s a lot of parity in this league. I’d like to think, that at 4-0 we’re dominating the league, but we haven’t played our best game yet. It excites me, that I can say that, but the good thing about it is that our guys fight. They feed into it. We take that responsibility in every phase of the game. Offensively, you’ll turn on the film and find stuff that’s next level. And, we also see stuff that we can control and be better at. We want more, because we desire to be the best. We want to achieve at a level, that quite frankly, we’re not at yet. We’re not there yet, because it hasn’t been complete. But we’ve made the right plays when needed.” – Storm HC Anthony Becht
St. Louis’ Explosives
The Battlehawks have been the kings of explosions to begin the year. They’ve struggled to consistently put drives together, but big plays are what have kept them in games, or pushed them to victory. Hakeem Butler’s heroics cannot be understated, and they’ve also gotten some splashy moments from Corey Chamblin’s defense – such as Jordan Williams’ pick six against Birmingham.
Similar to Orlando, the Battlehawks are still waiting to be fully unleashed as an offense. They’re averaging 249.3 yards per game – dead last in the UFL. From a scoring perspective, they’re putting up an even 21 points per outing, 4th in the league. It’s an interesting trend, yet goes to show how their points have been scored – big plays.
The primary issue has been their inability to punch the ball into the end zone during their red zone appearances. St. Louis is 31% on their opportunities inside the 20, which is another statistic that has them ranked last in the league. Again, it’s some of these explosive plays that is keeping them relevant. For an A.J. Smith offense, this is something that needs to show improvement before it comes back to bite them.
Anthony Becht vs. St. Louis
The St. Louis Battlehawks were built, and battle tested, by Anthony Becht. He served as the team’s Head Coach for three seasons, leading the Battlehawks to two playoff appearances and consecutive XFL Conference Championships. Anthony had an impressive 22-8 regular season record with the franchise.
Now, he’ll get to go up against a bunch of players he is very familiar with. While the Battlehawks run a different scheme than they did while Anthony was the Head Coach, he hopes that his familiarity with some of those players gives Orlando an edge on Saturday.
On top of that, Becht is facing off against one of this coaching prodigies. Ricky Proehl was on Anthony’s staff during the 2023 XFL season. Without Becht hiring Ricky that year, the connection may have never been made for Proehl to make a return two years later as St. Louis’ Head Coach.
“They play smart, physical football. That’s what Becht preaches on both sides of the ball.” – Battlehawks HC Ricky Proehl
Coaching Matchup
Orlando Storm, Anthony Becht: Becht has Orlando in a tremendous spot to begin the year. Those familiar with his coaching style are not in the slightest surprised by this. Anthony has embraced spring football, and in return, spring football has embraced him. The Storm are well on their way to the playoffs, and potentially a Championship if they continue to trend upward in all three phases.
St. Louis Battlehawks, Ricky Proehl: It isn’t easy to become a Head Coach for the first time, especially when you’ve spent two years away from the game. Ricky has done an excellent job so far with St. Louis, and even though there’s plenty for him to learn about the position, Proehl looks the part. He’s a natural leader, and a strong decision maker to boot.
Final Thoughts
Without a doubt, this game is going to be an exciting one. It should come down to the wire, as these two teams are relatively evenly matched across the board. Orlando has plenty of momentum, and with their return home, should be positioned as the favorite in this matchup. That said, St. Louis will absolutely make it a dogfight.
The action kicks off this Saturday night, at 7pm ET on ESPN. You can secure your tickets for the game here.
Full Roster Breakdowns: Orlando, St. Louis
What are your thoughts on this upcoming matchup between the St. Louis Battlehawks and Orlando Storm? Who do you think will win? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
