Even a timeout that erased a beautiful 64-yard field goal was insufficient to stop Michigan Panthers kicker Jake Bates in his United Football League debut against the St. Louis Battlehawks.
The kickoff specialist, who had never attempted a field goal in college, split the uprights with three seconds left to take Michigan to an 18-16 victory Saturday at Ford Field, stopping the Battlehawks’ fourth-quarter revival.
St. Louis coach Anthony Becht attempted to ice Bates on his first attempt, calling a timeout just as he gave a glimpse of what was to come by easily finishing his practice run with plenty of time to spare.
“That kid made two 64-yard field goals in a row,” Becht told reporters. “We did that last year against a team, and they did it to us today.”
With less than a minute remaining, the Battlehawks took the lead when A.J. McCarron completed a 5-yard touchdown pass to Marcell Ateman on fourth down and added a one-point conversion.
Before the series began, Michigan coach Mike Nolan told his offense that all they needed to do was get to the 40 to give Bates a shot. When the Panthers faced fourth-and-10 at the 46, Nolan called on his kicker, who had previously played football at Texas State and Arkansas after spending two years on Central Arkansas’ soccer squad.
The last time the Battlehawks were seen in 2023, McCarron led them to 53 points, putting a scoring record in the books to end their time in the XFL. Their arrival in the UFL was met with considerably more resistance.
“Big picture, all three phases didn’t mesh well and that’s on me,” Becht said. “The goal of training camp was to start fast and try to do some things to get us going. It wasn’t good enough across the board. We have to be more affirmative in the run game to give ourselves a little bit of a chance.”
The Battlehawks had 261 total yards, struggled to protect McCarron and had a lethargic running game that contributed to a failed fourth-down attempt in the second half.
There were blown first downs due to dropped passes. McCarron overthrew a wide-open receiver for a potential score in the first half. He hit a lineman in the back of the head with a pass attempt.
Nevertheless, his experience helped the Battlehawks score two fourth-quarter touchdowns to position themselves for a win. He completed 24 of 37 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns.
Tight end Jake Sutherland caught a 5-yard touchdown pass, and Marcel Ateman had one of the same distance with 49 seconds remaining. Sutherland then caught a one-point conversion pass for a 16-15 lead.
Ateman kept the Battlehawks afloat as much as anyone. The receiver had six catches for 60 yards, including a key fourth-down reception between two defenders to set up his go-ahead touchdown. But there were times the passing game was out of sync.
“They played us a little different,” McCarron said. “We didn’t get in much of a rhythm early, but right before the half we went a little uptempo and got a rhythm. Then the second half we started slow again. When we needed it most, we put drives together. We just have to be better next week.”
The Battlehawks started slow last season also, scoring 18 points in a season-opening win. After that they scored 20 or more points in eight of the last nine games.
The Panthers were led by quarterback E.J. Perry, who played collegiately at Brown. He ran for two touchdowns, and Wes Hills rolled up 85 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, the Battlehawks had 62 rushing yards.
“Give their defensive line credit,” Becht said. “Michigan has big, strong guys, and you know where they’re going to be every snap. They’re not trying to trick you. We didn’t break that big run to get a spark. Their defensive line set the tone through the game and made us one-sided.”
Moving the ball was a struggle for both teams from the outset as the 3-0 halftime score would attest. McCarron started the game 2-for-5 with a couple of drops and an overthrow on what would have been an early touchdown.
He finally got the Battlehawks moving on the final drive of the half after three punts. Starting at the 5-yard line, McCarron moved the offense to the 18-yard line, and Andre Szmyt hit a 36-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.
The Panthers had one good scoring chance when they used a 42-yard pass to reach the Battlehawks’ 6. But a deflected pass ended up in the hands of Qwynnterrio Cole in the end zone to end the threat.
