St. Louis Battlehawks Outlast Panthers In UFL Primetime Thriller

Week five in the UFL continued on Saturday night, as the St. Louis Battlehawks hosted the Michigan Panthers in primetime. With St. Louis sitting at 2-2, and the Panthers at 3-1, this was set to be a heavyweight battle in the UFL.

Heading into this game, the Battlehawks were reeling. They lost two in a row, and saw their starting QB go down with injury in the early moments against Arlington. With the game being back at home, though, they were banking on that fan energy to get back on track – and hoping that Max Duggan could settle in as QB1.

Meanwhile, the Michigan Panthers were winners of two straight, finding a rhythm at home in their two wins over San Antonio and Memphis. They were looking to keep pace with Birmingham in the USFL Conference, heading into a hostile environment in St. Louis.

Let’s take a look at what went down at The Dome, as it was an exciting matchup from start to finish.

First Quarter

Michigan opened up with possession of the football, but could not get much going to begin the game. They punted it away, and St. Louis got right to work. Duggan used his legs early to make some magic happen, and Rodrigo Blankenship knocked through a 44 yard field goal.

Bryce Perkins and the Panthers came alive on their next drive. Perkins found an array of receivers as they moved down the field swiftly – and it was all capped off with Gunnar Oakes finding paydirt on an RPO that Perkins pulled.

Michigan’s defense also did their job early, forcing St. Louis into a punt after Kenny Willekes came up with a sack. Heading into the next period, Michigan held a 6-3 advantage.

Second Quarter

On the Panthers next possession, Perkins would make a mistake – taking a big sack from Lukas Denis instead of throwing the ball away.

Toa Taua got them into a 4th and short scenario though, and Mike Nolan decided to be a bit risky early on, going for it – but Mike Rose stuffed Malik Turner short, and the Battlehawks took over.

Max Duggan’s legs would prove to be a problem for the Panthers. They could not find a way to slow him down, as Duggan took off time and time again, picking up chunk yardage. He eventually ran it in from a yard out, and the Battlehawks went up 9-6.

Weirdly enough, Mike Nolan decided to put Danny Etling into the game, despite Bryce Perkins being 11/12 for 100 yards at the time. Etling completed a pass to Samson Nacua who broke off for a big gain – but ultimately he stepped out of bounds after picking up 19 yards, and not 50.

The joys would be short lived for Etling, though. On 2nd and 20, following penalties, Danny overthrew his intended target, and was picked off by Kameron Kelly.

St. Louis would take advantage of the turnover. Max Duggan ran it in for another score, and just like that it was a 17-6 ball game as the two point attempt to Jake Sutherland was successful.

Heading into the half, the Battlehawks held a strong 17-6 advantage at home.

Third Quarter

With all of that momentum, St. Louis came out of the half swinging. They marched down the field smoothly – but Michigan’s defense would hold up in the red zone, and Blankenship would hit on another short field goal attempt.

Then, we saw the beauty of Bryce Perkins at work. Nate McCrary put together an impressive drive with some big gains, while Perkins picked apart the Battlehawks secondary.

Bryce would then drop an absolute dime to Malik Turner in the back of the end zone, who beat Myles Jones in coverage.

A two point attempt to Cole Hikutini was successful, and it was 20-14 late in the third quarter.

St. Louis got into a bit of a rut offensively in the third quarter, punting it away. With one period left, the Battlehawks held a six point lead – but Michigan was knocking on the door.

Fourth Quarter

Michigan opened up the fourth quarter with a bang. Siaosi Mariner broke open for a deep completion, setting up the Panthers in great field position.

This set up a rushing touchdown for Toa Taua – and after a one point try from Nate McCrary was successful, the Panthers regained the lead, 21-20.

Here is where things got a bit crazy at The Dome. Max Duggan found Hakeem Butler just two plays later in stride for a 67 yard touchdown – as he broke D.J. Miller’s ankles on his way for his first TD of the year.

Danny Etling had to come back into the game for Perkins, who suffered a tough hit from Travis Feeney – who was called for roughing the passer. That penalty gave Michigan life, as Mariner made another tremendous catch down the sidelines to put the team in scoring position.

Michigan would capitalize, with Toa Taua once again finding his way into the end zone. With several minutes left to play, the Panthers were on top 27-26.

If you thought the excitement ended there – you’d be dead wrong. The Battlehawks pulled out all the stops, calling a trick play. Blake Jackson took a pitch and unleashed a deep ball to Hakeem Butler, who reeled it in for another touchdown, and just like that St. Louis was back on top.

With one crack left at it, Michigan was marching down the field – but a penalty put them in a 4th and long situation. Perkins escaped the pocket and completed a pass to Malik Turner, but he was stood up right before the first down marker by Lukas Denis – and the Battlehawks would hold on.

In what was no doubt the UFL’s most exciting game of the year, St. Louis came away with a crucial 32-27 win at home.

Standout Playmakers

QB Max Duggan: Duggan was incredibly efficient today, completing 9 of his 12 pass attempts for 124 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, he was unstoppable, rushing for 70 yards and two scores. Michigan had few answers for his poised attack today on both fronts.

WR Hakeem Butler: Hakeem The Dream is back, and boy did St. Louis miss him. Butler had just two catches on four targets – but both receptions were touchdowns, on explosive plays. His fourth quarter explosion helped lift this team to victory when they needed it desperately.

LB Willie Harvey Jr.: Harvey continues to be an integral piece to Donnie Abraham’s defense, leading the team with nine tackles tonight. His efforts don’t always go noticed, but they’re incredibly important to the success of this football team.

QB Bryce Perkins: Michigan’s signal caller played his heart out, and once again looks like an MVP candidate. He completed 21 of 25 attempts for 235 yards and two touchdowns – dicing up St. Louis’ secondary all night long. Perkins needs some help from his defense, and this coaching staff, for Michigan to win more football games.

WR’s Siaosi Mariner & Malik Turner: The two headed attack of Mariner and Turner has proven that Michigan does not need Marcus Simms to be productive through the air. They combined for 14 receptions that went for 182 yards and a score in this one.

Key Takeaways

First and foremost: this was, without question, the best game of the year in the UFL. One could argue that this was the top UFL game in league history. The atmosphere, quality of play, and intensity on both sides was incredible. The fans were engaged the whole time, and the outcome wasn’t decided until the final moments of action.

For the St. Louis Battlehawks, this was an incredibly resilient win. They had their backs up against a wall after losing two straight, but found a way to win at home – and were able to stay above the .500 mark. With how tight the XFL Conference is shaping up to be, this was a must-win, and they delivered.

Not everything was perfect, though. Their defense gave up 400 yards, and allowed seven of 11 third down attempts to be converted. Bryce Perkins got whatever he wanted throughout most of the night, while Toa Taua pounded away on the ground. It did not help that Austin Faoliu went down with injury midway through the game – as his presence was notable in the run defense of this unit. Despite the defensive struggles, they did get two fourth down stops – which ultimately won them the game.

Michigan is such a good football team, but continue to haunt themselves with little mistakes. It starts with coaching. Under no circumstances should Danny Etling have entered that game when Bryce was fully healthy. His interception was a massive turning point late in the first half, which allowed for St. Louis to take a 20-6 lead.

Additionally, the crowd noise certainly got to Michigan as a whole. They had ten penalties on the night – including three false starts, and a delay of game. This was the first time they had to play in St. Louis, and it proved to be a bit difficult for them throughout the night. Honestly, the only person who wasn’t rattled on Michigan’s side of things was Bryce Perkins, who was as calm and collected as ever. The Panthers outplayed the Battlehawks in multiple areas, but failed to score more points – which at the end of the day, is what actually matters.

“They have a great fanbase, and they did an excellent job. I believe we had only one illegal procedure…oh, it was three, forgive me. Anyhow, they have a good crew here and make a lot of noise, and it was exciting. Honestly, I think it motivated both teams. The guys love to play with the crowds, and things like that, but it’s pretty electric here.” – Panthers HC Mike Nolan

Final Thoughts

The St. Louis Battlehawks now improve to 3-2, and while they are still the 3rd seed no matter the outcome in DC vs. Arlington on Sunday, they’re one step closer to being back in the playoff race.

Meanwhile, the Michigan Panthers still sit comfortably in the second seed in the USFL Conference – but they missed out on a golden opportunity to go 4-1, taking the #1 seed at the halfway point of the year.

Week five of the UFL continues tomorrow, with a double header on ESPN between the XFL Conference.

What are your thoughts on this matchup between the St. Louis Battlehawks and Michigan Panthers? Which UFL players impressed you? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!