ARLINGTON, Texas – The Arlington Renegades (2-1) suffered their first loss of the season in a nail-biting game that came down to the wire, with a 10-9 defeat against Birmingham (2-1) at Protective Stadium on Friday.
The Arlington Renegades came out with high energy and aggression, making an early statement on Birmingham’s opening drive. Facing a potential three-and-out, Stallions quarterback Matt Corral was picked off by Renegades safety Joe Powell, his first interception of the season.
A costly 12-men-on-the-field penalty against Birmingham extended Arlington’s first offensive drive, ultimately setting up kicker Lucas Havrisik for a 27-yard field goal to put the Renegades on the board first.
The defense kept their foot on the gas. With the Stallions threatening deep in Renegades territory, defensive back Miles Dorn knocked the ball loose at the goal line, and cornerback Ajene Harris recovered it in the endzone for a touchback. Once again, stalling another Birmingham drive.
In the second quarter, Havrisik added on two more field goals—one from 32 yards and another from 20—capping off a drive that featured an 18-yard burst from running back Dae Dae Hunter and a 26-yard grab by tight end Sal Cannella. The Renegades took a 9-0 lead into the break.
Despite two first-half takeaways and dominant field position, Arlington was held out of the endzone, thanks to a resilient Stallions red zone defense. Still, the Renegades defense was the story of the half, holding Birmingham scoreless through four drives, forcing two turnovers and two punts.
Birmingham got on the board early in the third quarter with a 42-yard field goal to trim the lead to 9-3. From there, defensive pressure from both teams took over, with drives stalling on both sides and offense hard to come by.
Momentum shifted again early in the fourth quarter when Birmingham outside linebacker Kyahva Tezino forced a fumble, breathing life into the Stallions' offense. They slowly moved the ball down the field, but the Renegades stood tall, forcing a turnover on downs after a fourth-down stop.
After many costly penalties and official reviews in the fourth, with just 26 seconds remaining in regulation, the Stallions struck. Quarterback Matt Corral connected with wide receiver Cade Johnson for the game’s only touchdown. Corral followed it up by scrambling in for a successful one-point conversion, giving Birmingham a 10–9 lead.
The Renegades had one final chance to respond but were stopped on a desperation lateral attempt as time expired.
The Renegades (2-1) return home next Saturday (April 19th) to face the top-seeded XFL conference team, the St. Louis Battlehawks (2-0), on ABC at 11:30 a.m. CT.
POSTGAME NOTES
- For the third time this season, the Renegades have held an opponent to three points or less in the first half. The last time the Renegades held an opponent scoreless in the first half was on March 5, 2023, against the Orlando Guardians during the 2023 XFL season.
- This was the first time in franchise history that the Stallions have been shutout in a half at home.
- QB Luis Perez threw 208 passing yards, throwing completions to eight different players. He posted a 68-percent completion rate as he connected on 26-of-38 passes.
- P Marquette King has six punts marked inside the 20-yard line this season, with three being inside the 10-yard line. He has punted inside the 10-yard line at least once in every game this season.
- TE Sal Cannella led the team in offense this game with six receptions for 52 yards receiving.
- CB Ajene Harris led the defensive with nine total tackles, which included seven solo takedowns, and added a recovered fumble.
- S Joe Powell recorded his first interception of the 2025 season, his eighth career interception with the Renegades.