Battlehawks facing Roughnecks in 2025 UFL opener

The Battlehawks are considered to be the biggest threat to unseat the three-time reigning champion Birmingham Stallions atop the spring league. That’s despite the team moving on from veteran quarterback AJ McCarron during the offseason and pivoting to the less-proven duo of Manny Wilkins and Max Duggan at quarterback.

Meanwhile, the Roughnecks are looking to bounce back after a trying 2024 season during which they posted a league-worst 1-9 record. Coach CJ Johnson is hopeful running back Kirk Merritt will be able to stay healthy while the team’s quarterback duo of Anthony Brown and Nolan Henderson can provide Houston’s offense with a spark.

NFL fans who tune into Friday’s game will see plenty of familiar faces on the field. Notably, Damon Arnette, a 2020 first-round pick by the Las Vegas Raiders, and Rodrigo Blankenship, who kicked for the Indianapolis Colts for three seasons, will be in action for the Roughnecks and Battlehawks, respectively.

USA TODAY Sports will be tracking all the action from Houston as the UFL season kicks off. Follow the major updates and highlight plays from the game below. All times are Eastern.

Jacob Saylors stats today: Battlehawks RB rips off 25-yard run

Saylors has been rock-solid for the Battlehawks, and his first carry of the second half goes for a 25-yard gain. That’s his longest of the night, and gives him 125 scrimmage yards for the game.

Roughnecks go three-and-out to start second half

Houston’s first play out of the halftime locker room was a microcosm of their evening so far. Kirk Merritt took too long to take a read-option hand-off and was tackled for no gain after dancing around in the backfield. He had a marginal gain on second down before Anthony Brown and Keke Chism failed to connect on a third-down pass just beyond the sticks.

The Battlehawks will get the ball back looking to improve upon their 18-point lead.

Roughnecks halftime stats

The Roughnecks have gotten off to a slow start. Houston failed to score in the first half and gained just 48 total yards while logging 8:22 of possession.

Below are the notable first-half stats for the Roughnecks:

QB Anthony Brown: 5-of-10 passing, 21 passing yards, 2 interceptions; 1 carry, 20 rushing yards
RB Kirk Merritt: 3 carries, 4 yards; 2 catches, 5 yards
WR Justin Hall: 3 catches, 16 yards
CB Damon Arnette: 5 tackles, 1 sack

Battlehawks halftime stats

The Battlehawks are off to a strong start, as they outgained the Roughnecks 265-48 in the first half. Manny Wilkins, Jacob Saylors and Jahcour Pearson were the main sources of offense while Rodrigo Blankenship contributed a couple of field goals.

Below are the notable first-half stats for the Battlehawks:

QB Manny Wilkins: 13-of-17 passing, 167 passing yards; 6 carries, 39 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD
RB Jacob Saylors: 11 carries, 53 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD; 4 catches, 47 yards
WR Jahcour Pearson: 5 catches, 75 yards
S Qwynnterrio Cole: 2 tackles, 1 interception
S Lukas Denis: 2 tackles, 1 interception

Battlehawks notch another field goal heading into halftime

After Houston went three-and-out, the Battlehawks had 57 seconds to go 47 yards thanks to a great Jahcour Pearson punt return. St. Louis managed to get into scoring range but couldn’t quite punch it in despite taking a couple of shots into the end zone.

Blankenship made his 33-yard chip shot to give the Battlehawks an 18-point lead heading into halftime. Battlehawks 18, Roughnecks 0

UFL score update: Rodrigo Blankenship makes 48-yard field goal to extend Battlehawks lead

The Battlehawks decided to attempt a 48-yard field goal, but not before faking a trick-play sneak in an effort to draw Houston offsides on fourth-and-2. The Roughnecks didn’t budge, and the Battlehawks’ timeout didn’t bother Rodrigo Blankenship, who sneaked the kick inside the left upright to extend St. Louis’ lead. Battlehawks 15, Roughnecks 0

Battlehawks convert second consecutive third-and-18

Houston forced St. Louis into a second consecutive third-and-18. Once again, the Battlehawks converted, as the Roughnecks defense failed to line up properly before Manny Wilkins fired off a dump-off to Jahcour Pearson, who took the catch 30 yards downfield.

That puts St. Louis on the edge of field-goal range.

Jacob Saylors turns third-and-18 screen into first down

The Roughnecks finally had the Battlehawks moving backward after sniffing out a flea-flicker and drawing a holding penalty on Hakeem Butler. However, St. Louis dialed up a well-timed screen pass to Saylors, who ran through a couple of tackles and dove across the line to gain to give St. Louis another first down.

The Battlehawks are still on their own side of midfield, but they will not have to punt.

Anthony Brown throws second interception

Houston finally got some offensive momentum, picking up a couple of first downs, but Lukas Denis undercut a third-and-10 pass by Brown to intercept the first-year UFL quarterback for a second time.

Denis caught the ball on St. Louis’ 31-yard line and was downed there. The Battlehawks will begin their next drive there, looking to expand upon their 12-0 advantage.

Battlehawks score again on 1-yard Manny Wilkins QB sneak

St. Louis gets on the board again with a short run. This time, Wilkins finds his way into the end zone a play after converting a third-and-6 on a crisp 12-yard pass to Frank Darby near the front pylon. Darby couldn’t get the ball across the goal line, so Wilkins dove over it on the next play.

Once again, St. Louis failed to convert the two-point attempt, so Houston finds itself trailing by 12. Battlehawks 12, Roughnecks 0

End of first quarter: Battlehawks lead Roughnecks 6-0

The Battlehawks have a one-score lead, but they are threatening to score again. They have the ball at Houston’s 17-yard line and have ripped off several chunk plays to Jacob Saylors and Jahcour Pearson to kick-start their season.

St. Louis outgained Houston 156-10 over the first 15 minutes with new starting quarterback Manny Wilkins going a perfect 7-for-7 for 81 yards. Meanwhile, Saylors has 70 total yards and a score on 11 touches.

The Roughnecks possessed the ball for just 2:33 in the first quarter, so CJ Johnson’s squad will need to put together some longer drives in the second quarter as they look to compete with the Battlehawks. Houston has yet to convert a first down while St. Louis has nine.

Score update: Jacob Saylors scores 4-yard touchdown

The Battlehawks get on the board first, as their star running back Saylors found a seam in Houston’s defense and dove across the line for an easy score.

St. Louis tried to trick the Roughnecks on its ensuing two-point conversion, as it allowed receiver Jahcour Pearson to throw a pass on an end-around. He just overthrew his target, so the Battlehawks came away with just six points. Battlehawks 6, Roughnecks 0

Anthony Brown throws interception on first pass attempt

The Roughnecks weren’t able to capitalize on good field position. Houston ran the ball once with Kirk Merritt before Brown attempted the first pass of his UFL career. Battlehawks safety Qwynnterrio Cole was able to tip the ball to himself and come down with an interception.

Roughnecks get early fourth-and-inches stop

Manny Wilkins nearly scrambled for a first down on a third-and-13 play, but Houston stopped him 0.2 inches short of the first down, according to the UFL’s first-down measuring technology. St. Louis decided to go for it on fourth-and-inches, but the Roughnecks were able to bottle up Jarveon Howard to force a turnover on downs.

The Roughnecks will get the ball for the first time of the 2025 UFL season near midfield.

Battlehawks receive opening kickoff to begin 2025 UFL season

The UFL’s second season is underway. It begins with Houston kicker Chris Blewitt launching a kickoff to St. Louis’ Blake Jackson. He gets out to the 30-yard line, where the Battlehawks will get their season started.

Who is the Roughnecks starting quarterback?

Anthony Brown is presently listed as the Roughnecks starting quarterback, though Nolan Henderson, who played with the team last season, is also on the roster.

Brown went undrafted in 2022 after enjoying a solid college career playing for Boston College and Oregon. He landed with the Baltimore Ravens and made one start during the 2022 season. He completed just 44.9% of his passes for 309 yards with two interceptions.

Brown, 26, signed with the Roughnecks on Feb. 7 after spending the 2024 NFL season playing for the Las Vegas Raiders, Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals.

Who is the Battlehawks starting quarterback?

Manny Wilkins is listed as the Battlehawks starting quarterback for Week 1, though Max Duggan may also get some playing time at the position.

Wilkins, 29, is in his third season with the Battlehawks and is best known for posting a solid college career at Arizona State. He spent the 2019 season on the Green Bay Packers practice squad but was released in April 2020.

What happened to AJ McCarron?

McCarron started the last two seasons at quarterback for St. Louis. However, the former Alabama star and nine-year NFL quarterback wasn’t retained by the team entering the 2025 season.

‘I just felt like, for me, it was time to just give other players and opportunity to shine and use this platform just like AJ did,’ Becht told USA TODAY in a phone interview.

Who is the St. Louis Battlehawks coach?

Anthony Becht is coaching the Battlehawks in 2025. It marks his third season with the franchise, and he has posted a 14-6 record in his first two seasons.

Becht, 47, had a 10-season NFL career as a tight end, playing for the New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, St. Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs. He will be seeking his first playoff win as the Battlehawks head coach while breaking in a new starting quarterback.

Who is the Houston Roughnecks coach?

CJ Johnson is coaching the Roughnecks in 2025. It’s his third season in charge of the team, and he is hoping to help Houston bounce back after a 1-9 campaign in 2024.

Johnson, 63, was an NFL position coach for 12 years, mostly on Sean Payton’s staff with the New Orleans Saints. He also served as the head coach at Tulane from 2012-15, posting a 15-34 record during that stint.

Battlehawks vs. Roughnecks TV channel

TV channel: Fox

Fox will broadcast the UFL season open between the Battlehawks and Roughnecks. The network will share rights to UFL games with the ESPN family of networks this season, but Fox will broadcast most of the league’s Friday night games.

Fox’s top UFL broadcast team will be on the call for Friday’s game. Play-by-play announcer Curt Menefee and analyst Joel Klatt will be in the booth while Brock Huard will report from the sidelines.

Battlehawks vs. Roughnecks start time

Start time: 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT)
Location: John O’Quinn Field at TDECU Stadium, Houston, Texas

The Battlehawks vs. Roughnecks game will kick off at 8 p.m. ET on Friday. The game will be the first of four UFL contests to be played over the season’s opening weekend.

How to watch UFL: live stream

Live stream: Fubo

Cord cutters hoping to catch the UFL opener can turn to Fubo to live stream the game. Fubo carries Fox and the ESPN family of networks, meaning you can catch all of the UFL’s action for 2025 with the service.

Battlehawks vs. Roughnecks predictions, picks

Here’s how the USA TODAY Sports team feels the Battlehawks-Roughnecks game will go:

Jacob Camenker: Battlehawks 19, Roughnecks 17

Battlehawks vs. Roughnecks odds, moneyline, over/under

The Battlehawks are favorites to defeat the Roughnecks, according to the BetMGM UFL odds.

Spread: Battlehawks (-6)
Moneyline: Battlehawks (-275); Roughnecks (+225)
Over/under: 37.5

Where do the Roughnecks play?

Houston plays at John O’Quinn Field at TDECU Stadium, which is the home of the Houston Cougars. The stadium is set to be renamed “Space City Financial Stadium” beginning with the 2025 college season and has a capacity of 40,000 plus standing room.

What is the UFL?

The UFL is a spring football league that was created in 2024. The league formed after the USFL and XFL merged from two, separate eight-team leagues that competed head-to-head in the 2023 season into one eight-team league.

The UFL serves as a development ground for players on the NFL roster fringes and gives football fans a 12-week period of live games in the otherwise barren NFL offseason.

Who owns the UFL?

The UFL is a joint venture between Fox Sports, RedBird Capital Partners, Dany Garcia and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. Fox Sports, which originally invested in the USFL, owns 50% of the league; the other 50% is shared by the other three partners, according to Fox Sports’ website.

UFL teams 2025

The UFL will have eight teams in 2025. They are as follows:

Arlington Renegades
Birmingham Stallions
DC Defenders
Houston Roughnecks
Memphis Showboats
Michigan Panthers
San Antonio Brahmas
St. Louis Battlehawks

Birmingham, Houston, Memphis and Michigan will compete in the USFL conference while Arlington, DC, San Antonio and St. Louis will be part of the XFL conference.

UFL coaches 2025

The UFL originally returned seven of its eight coaches from the 2024 season to its second season. However, DC Defenders coach Reggie Barlow left the team to take Tennessee State’s head coaching job on eve of the season while the league’s lone new hire, Ken Whisenhunt of the Memphis Showboats, stepped away from his team for personal reasons.

Below are the coaches for the 2025 season:

Bob Stoops, Arlington Renegades
Skip Holtz, Birmingham Stallions
Shannon Harris, DC Defenders (interim)
CJ Johnson, Houston Roughnecks
Jim Turner, Memphis Showboats (interim)
Mike Nolan, Michigan Panthers
Wade Phillips, San Antonio Brahmas
Anthony Becht, St. Louis Battlehawks

Best UFL to NFL players

Plenty of spring-league players have gone on to have successful NFL careers. Here are some of the most recent success stories:

Brandon Aubrey, K, Dallas Cowboys
Jake Bates, K, Detroit Lions
KaVontae Turpin, WR/KR, Dallas Cowboys
Dondrea Tillman, EDGE, Denver Broncos
Jalen Redmond, DT, Minnesota Vikings
Jeremiah Pharms Jr., DT, New England Patriots
Adrian Martinez, QB, New York Jets

UFL Week 1 schedule

Below is a full look at the UFL’s Week 1 schedule:

Friday, March 28: St. Louis Battlehawks at Houston Roughnecks (8 p.m. ET)
Saturday, March 29: San Antonio Brahmas at Arlington Renegades (4 p.m. ET)
Sunday, March 30: Michigan Panthers at Memphis Showboats (Noon ET)
Sunday, March 30: Birmingham Stallions at DC Defenders (3 p.m. ET)

UFL championship odds 2025

Below is a look at the favorites to win the 2025 UFL championship, per BetMGM’s UFL odds.

Birmingham Stallions: +225
St. Louis Battlehawks: +375
D.C. Defenders: +600
San Antonio Brahmas: +600
Michigan Panthers: +650
Arlington Renegades: +1100
Memphis Showboats: +1400
Houston Roughnecks: +1800

Previous spring pro football league champions

Spring football has been played intermittently dating back to 1983. Below is a look at the teams to win spring football championships across the various leagues.

UFL

2024: Birmingham Stallions (over San Antonio Brahmas)

XFL

2023: Arlington Renegades (over D.C. Defenders)

USFL

2023: Birmingham Stallions (over Pittsburgh Maulers)

2022: Birmingham Stallions (over Philadelphia Stars)