After a crushing and underwhelming loss to the D.C. Defenders the Battlehawks are staying in the "Hub" and take on the Arlington Renegades. Both teams got off to 2-0 starts before falling in Week 3. The Battlehawks look to take sole ownership of 2nd place in the XFL conference, as St. Louis goes into their 3rd conference game.
Weather: Cloudy with rain ending in the afternoon. High near 75F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Location: Choctaw Stadium Arlington, Texas 12:30PM (ET) Kickoff April 19th, 2025 on ABC
Betting Odds Per Draftkings (April 18th):
Spread: Battlehawks -1
Moneyline: Battlehawks -115, Renegades -105
Over/Under: 39.5
Depth Chart:
Injury Report:
The Battlehawks will be with Hakeem Butler and Abdul Beecham once again this week. Starting Cornerback Bradon Sebastian was place on IR along with Chevan Cordeiro. Phil Hoskins who was limited this week is active and is questionable this week. EDGE Rusher Chris Garrett is Active and returns this week after missing the past Two weeks.
The Renegades will be without Tuzar Skipper who has been replaced by Taco Charlton who was recently signed this week. Skipper was released in lieu of the Charlton signing.
Inactives:
The Battlehawks have deactivated Kevon Latulas this week. Newly signed Avery Young will also be inactive this week. Myles Simms will be active in place of Brandon Sebastian.
The Renegades inactive will be the same as it was in Week 3.
Three Keys to Victory:
Surviving "Manny-Ball":
After spending the first Two weeks as one of the UFL's Top QBs, Week 3 saw Manny Wilkins ironically play similar to how he did against the Renegades in 2024. There is no doubt about Wilkins at this point. His arm strength is above average, his athleticism is elite, his chemistry with Jacob Saylors and Frank Darby unmatched. But as we saw last week sometimes that isn't enough. Wilkins has a boom or bust output over his Five starts with the Battlehawks, when it's good it's great, when it isn't it results in a 2:6 TD:INT ratio. If St. Louis can get comfortable and allow Wilkins to utilize some easy throws to settle him, the Battlehawks should see themselves with a victory this week.
Where did the Run Game Go:
The Battlehawks went into Week 3 as the UFL's most prolific rushing offense. Despite the loss, St. Louis still is the league's #1 Offense despite only rushing for 45 yards and passing for 148. MVP Frontrunner Jacob Saylors had only 1 rushing yard on 7 carries however, did manage to grab 7 receptions for 91 yards. At this point in the season Saint Louis has figured the formula on how to be successful, pound the rock and let the "Knights of Colombo" march. The Renegades however, will be no pushover as Arlington has allowed the UFL's least amount of rushing yards (221 on 56 carries) through the first 3 games of the season.
He's Not Mobile:
The Battlehawks remain 2nd in the league in sacks through 3 games with 7 (2.3/game). Despite playing mobile QBs like Nolan Henderson, Anthony Brown, Kellen Mond, and Jordan Ta'amu who routinely escape pressure, the Battleahwks front Seven will the elite but statuesque Luis Perez. Perez has never rushed for over 75 yards in a season and is much more known for his pocket presence than ability to take off. The Renegades Offense has allowed Six Sacks so far this season, and the Battlehawks bringing pressure from a rejuvenated Travis Feeney, Pita Taumoepenu, Carson Wells, and a healthy Chris Garrett, Saint Louis could feast this week making life very difficult for the "Spring King".
Final Thoughts:
For both teams this is a must win game as the 2025 UFL season is almost at its midway point. For the Battlehawks the gameplan is simple. Run the ball, control the line of scrimmage, and limit mistakes. While it may be simplistic it's the core elements of a successful football team. Though Arlington is extremely talented, I do believe the Battlehawks match up better ultimately. For Arlington to win it's going to take a big effort Sal Cannella finding a mismatch on a Linebacker and even that might not be enough. For me the Battlehawks get back on track with over 150 Rushing Yards, and 3 plus sacks enroute to a 31-23 victory, and back in playoff position.