Running back Jacob Saylors was inactive for the Ƶ Battlehawks’ second game of the season after rushing for 7 yards in the opener.
Receiver Hakeem Butler didn’t leave a huge mark on the first two games either, making five catches and playing a supporting role.
Both emerged Sunday to further reflect the growing depth of offensive weapons as the Battlehawks beat previously undefeated San Antonio 31-24 in the Alamodome.
Saylors rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown, and Butler had six catches for 87 yards and a touchdown, contributing to an attack that scored points on six of seven drives in the United Football League contest.
“We left a lot on the field the first two weeks,” Battlehawks coach Anthony Becht said. “I could start seeing it turn. The engine starts picking up a little, and the timing is there.”
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The Battlehawks have won their past two games after a stunning opening loss on a 64-yard field goal. Little clicked in that game, leaving them short on the scoreboard despite a late rally.
That momentum has continued under the guidance of quarterback A.J. McCarron, who effectively countered the San Antonio defense with a short passing game that set up three touchdowns and three field goals by Andre Szmyt.
Despite having less total yardage and fewer first downs and being dominated in time of possession, the Battlehawks scored early and often, taking a quick lead they never surrendered.
“I wouldn’t say this is a coming-out game for me,” Butler said. “I think our team is super-dynamic. We have a lot of talent. We have talent you haven’t even seen yet.”
The defense came up big on San Antonio’s final drive after the Brahmas got within striking distance with a touchdown with 2:10 remaining. The Battlehawks went three and out but stopped San Antonio on downs at the Ƶ 44.
The Battlehawks took a similar offensive path last season after a slow start but might be clicking sooner a year later. The Brahmas surrendered 31 points combined in their first two games before Sunday.
McCarron continued his praise of offensive coordinator Bruce Gradkowski, who is a former NFL quarterback.
“We’re playing better and better on offense,” McCarron said. “We’re finding our identity. Bruce is awesome and calling a hell of a game. We have a feel as a group for what he’s going to call in certain situations. It’s great communication all around.”
With the defense limiting the Battlehawks’ deep threats, McCarron chipped away and passed for 152 yards with a 20-yard TD connection with Butler. McCarron scored the game’s first points on a 10-yard run into open space up the middle.
The Battlehawks converted five of nine third-down plays and the only fourth-down attempt they made. When Becht opted not to be overly aggressive, he put the ball on the foot of Szmyt, who connected from 44, 54 and 46 yards.
Saylors capped the scoring with a 19-yard run in the fourth quarter before the Battlehawks made key defensive stops.
The only things that bothered Becht were two overzealous penalties that helped San Antonio score points. Lakiem Williams had a late hit on QB Chase Garbers as he ran out of bounds on a third-and-14 play. T.J. Pesefea was called for roughing the passer on second down. The drives ended with a field goal and touchdown.
“It (angers me) because we talked about that. We don’t want to be that team,” Becht said. “I thought the one on the sideline was close. T.J. hit him late. If we’re going to get to the quarterback, we have to beat our guy and get there on time. We took both guys out. We hold them to a standard. But they both made bigger plays throughout the game.”
McCarron completed passes to eight targets. He entered the game completing 65% of his passes and improved on that by going 19 for 27.
One completion was to Saylors, who added a run of 25 yards to his scoring run.
“He didn’t deserve not to be dressed last week,” Becht said. “But we want to give our guys a chance to bounce back. I was impressed by some key runs. He’s hard to find in the hole. We were running the ball well inside, and he bounced a couple outside. We had a heart to heart talk about what was going on when he didn’t dress. I told him to keep focused and keep working.”