AJ McCarron completes 35 passes in Battlehawks’ victory (2024)

St. Louis quarterback AJ McCarron had a league-best 35 completions as the Battlehawks defeated the Memphis Showboats 32-17 in the opening game of Week 4 of the United Football League’s inaugural season on Saturday.

McCarron completed 35-of-45 passes for 222 yards with three touchdowns and one interception, connected on a 2-point conversion throw and ran for 23 yards on four carries. Ten players caught passes for St. Louis.

The former Alabama All-American threw two touchdown passes to account for the second-half points as the Battlehawks defense throttled the Showboats after halftime before 31,757 fans at the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis.

“I though AJ played a really good game,” St. Louis coach Anthony Becht said. “Managed everything well. Used his legs again appropriately, which was huge in this game and really is a difference-maker. And, I think, in the red zone, going 4-for-4 (on scoring opportunities).”

Memphis had two first downs after halftime and lost starting quarterback Case Cookus to an injury on the Showboats’ second series of the second half.

The Battlehawks outgained Memphis 355 yards to 127 in the game. The Showboats were 1-of-8 on third down and 0-of-2 on fourth down. St. Louis converted 9 of its 15 third-down snaps.

“Second half, just really liked the way our team came out at halftime,” Becht said. “Our defense held them to zero points in the second half. Just a phenomenal job.”

After their only punt of the game on their first possession of the second half, the Battlehawks started stretching their 20-17 hafltime lead by overcoming a holding penalty and a block-below-the-waist penalty to complete a 10-play, 71-yard drive with McCarron’s 7-yard touchdown toss to tight end Jake Sutherland with 14:15 to play.

A four-play, 67-yard drive featured a 57-yard run by St. Louis running back Jacob Saylors, the longest in the UFL this season. McCarron capped the series with an 8-yard touchdown throw to wide receiver Jahcour Pearson.

“It’s kind of crazy,” McCarron said. “Teams probably two or three weeks in a row have played us completely different from what they’ve shown on film playing everybody else. Now listen, we had a plan of we felt like we could spread it out and throw it and be successful. It’s just that teams are, for whatever reason, playing us different than what they’re doing on film and trying to keep everything underneath and making us sustain drives. We’re doing a good job of that.

“When teams play us with a bunch of two-high, it also allows us to run the ball effectively, which is why Jacob rushed for, what, I think (103) yards. I’m just proud of the guys being able to adjust.”

Saylors also caught McCarron’s first TD pass as he scored from 11 yards out with 7:18 left in the first quarter.

The XFL’s leading receiver last season with the Seattle Sea Dragons, Pearson missed the Battlehawks’ first three games with an injury. He had 10 receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown in his St. Louis debut.

Pearson also lost a fumble after a reception in the second half, McCarron threw his first interception of the season and kicker Andre Szmyt missed a 45-yard field-goal attempt. Szmyt also connected from 54 yards on St. Louis’ first series and 47 yards on its final series of the first half.

At 3-1, the Battlehawks will be at least tied for the XFL Conference lead through four weeks of UFL play. St. Louis plays the D.C. Defenders at 11 a.m. CDT April 28 at Audi Field in Washington in its next game. ESPN will televise the contest.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at@AMarkG1.