San Antonio Brahmas Score 20 Points in the Fourth Quarter to Storm Back and Defeat Memphis 20-19

MEMPHIS,Tn. - After trailing by as much as 16 points, the San Antonio Brahmas (2-0, 1-0 XFL) mounted a fourth quarter comeback to snatch the victory over Memphis in front of 8,791 fans at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.

Chase Garbers, who led the UFL in passer rating after week 1,  rallied the Brahmas in the second half completing 70 percent of his passes for the second straight week. Garbers went 29-of-40 for 287 yards and tossed three touchdowns. Marquez Stevenson recorded the Brahmas first 100-yard receiving game of the season and added a touchdown. 

Tight end Cody Latimer’s eight catches for 91 yards paced the offense in the second half. Latimer caught the go-ahead touchdown with three seconds left in the game. Safety Jordan Mosley led the team with 10 tackles while outside linebacker Wyatt Ray led the defense with three tackles for loss.

Down 19-8 with just under a minute left, Jontre Kirklin hauled in a five-yard touchdown pass from Garbers to make it a 19-14 game. After a failed three-point conversion, the Brahmas elected to attempt a fourth and 12 for a chance to keep possession. Garbers converted on a 12-yard pass to Kirklin. With only 48 seconds left, Garbers marched the offense down the field. He hit Stevenson for two consecutive first downs and then connected with Justin Smith to get down to the 10-yard line. With three seconds left, Garbers connected with Latimer to give the Brahmas a 20-19 lead and stun the Memphis crowd.

Memphis opened the game with a nearly eight minute, 13-play drive that resulted in a touchdown when quarterback Case Cookus connected with receiver Daewood Davis for a two-yard score. The long opening drive was a preview of what was to come for the remainder of the first half. After scoring 20 points in the first half last week against the Defenders, the Brahmas were held scoreless in the first half and managed only one first down and 14 total yards. Memphis dominated the time of possession battle, holding the ball for 20:12 minutes in the first half compared to San Antonio’s 9:48. 

Despite the time of possession discrepancy, the Brahmas defense held steady following the opening drive and did not allow another touchdown for the rest of the game. While the Showboats managed two more trips to the red zone in the first half, the Brahmas defense ensured they only came away with three points each time. Memphis kicker Matt Coghlin knocked in a 23-yard field goal late in the first quarter and a 35-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to give Memphis a 13-0 lead going into halftime. 

Coghlin gave Memphis a 16-0 lead late in the third quarter after he knocked through a 22-yard field goal, but San Antonio finally got themselves on the board early in the fourth quarter when Garbers hit Stevenson for a 10-yard touchdown. John Lovett followed up the score by hauling in a five-yard catch for a two-point conversion to make it 16-8. 

Memphis drove down the field midway through the fourth quarter, but the Brahmas defense stood tall in the red zone once again and forced Memphis to settle for another 22-yard field goal.

San Antonio returns to the Alamodome for their next matchup against the St. Louis Battlehawks Sunday, Apr. 14 at 2 p.m. (CT) on ABC. Memphis will head to Birmingham to face the Stallions on Saturday Apr. 13 at 6 p.m. (CT) on FOX. 

POSTGAME NOTES

Final Score: San Antonio Brahmas 20, Memphis Showboats 19

Redzone Defense

Despite allowing a touchdown on the opening drive, the Brahmas defense settled in and did not allow a touchdown for the rest of the game. The Showboats drove the ball into the redzone four more times after their opening drive, but the Brahmas defense managed to hold them to field goals each time. Through two games, the Brahmas have only allowed one touchdown and are averaging 15.5 points allowed. 

Fourth Quarter Magic

All of San Antonio’s 20 points came in the fourth quarter. After being stifled much of the game, the Brahmas offense got it going in the fourth. Early in the fourth quarter, Marquez Stevenson caught the Brahmas first touchdown of the game and provided a spark for the offense. Later in the quarter, Chase Garbers marched the offense down the field and connected with receiver Jontre Kirklin for a five-yard touchdown. After a failed three-point conversion, the Brahmas trailed 19-14 but attempted a fourth and 12 to keep possession and converted. Garbers led the offense down the field and to the 10-yard line. With three seconds on the clock, Garbers connected with Cody Latimer for a 10-yard touchdown to take the first lead of the game. The Brahmas scored their last two touchdowns in a span of 48 seconds. 

Speedy Stevenson

Wide receiver Marquez Stevenson had the Brahmas first 100-yard receiving yard game of the season. Stevenson hauled in six catches for 103 yards and one touchdown. The touchdown was Stevenson’s first score of the season and served as the Brahmas first score of the game. Stevenson was also responsible for the Brahmas longest play of the game when he hauled in a 41-yard reception from quarterback Chase Garbers in the second quarter. 

The Big Three

Cody Latimer, Marquez Stevenson and Jontre Kirklin accounted for 247 of the Brahmas 287 receiving yards. Stevenson finished with six catches for 103 yards and a touchdown. Latimer finished with eight catches for 91 yards and a touchdown, and Kirklin had seven catches for 53 yards and a touchdown. 

Chase is on the Case

Brahmas quarterback Chase Garbers completed 29-of-40 passes (72.5%) for three touchdowns and one interception and finished the game with a QB rating of 152.5. The win marked Garbers second consecutive game with a passer rating over 150 and a completion percentage over 70 percent. All three of Garbers touchdown passes came in the fourth quarter. Through two games, Garbers has thrown for five touchdowns and 443 yards.