The beer snake witnessed its first loss on Sunday as an 80-yard touchdown pass from quarterback AJ McCarron to wide receiver Hakeem Butler broke open the St. Louis Battlehawks’ 45-12 victory over the D.C. Defenders at Audi Field in Washington.

Dating to the XFL’s aborted 2020 season, D.C. had not lost a home game until Sunday. Audi Field, where the beer snake is a tradition in the end-zone bleachers, had been the scene of 10 straight victories for the Defenders – three in 2020, six in 2023 and one this season.

“Just a huge win for this team,” St. Louis coach Anthony Becht said. “All three phases played their butts off today, man. … When you can go out and play great defense, great offense and great special teams against a team that, quite frankly, has had our number.”

St. Louis scored four fourth-quarter touchdowns as the Defenders’ possessions in the final period ended with a fumble, a fourth-down failure, an interception, a fourth-down failure and a blocked punt.

After the Battlehawks defense held on a fourth-and-2 run with 9:12 remaining, McCarron connected with Butler on the longest play in the United Football League this season and the longest in franchise history to send St. Louis galloping toward its fourth win in a row by the largest margin in Battlehawks’ history.

The final score might have been even more lopsided, but after St. Louis came away with two interceptions and a blocked punt in the first quarter, the Battlehawks offense could get only field goals in the rest of the half after McCarron started the scoring with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Butler with 8:07 left in the opening period.

Consequently, St. Louis led only 17-12 at halftime.

After a strip sack of D.C. quarterback Jordan Ta’amu opened the fourth quarter, the Battlehawks needed to move only 36 yards to stretch their lead to 26-12 on running back Wayne Gallman II’s score from 1 yard out. After the 80-yard touchdown, St. Louis took possession on the D.C. 9 on linebacker Mike Rose’s interception, and running back Jacob Saylors swept into the end zone on the next snap.

On Gallman’s touchdown, St. Louis had its third offensive-line injury of the game, and with only two reserves, the Battlehawks had to cobble together their line with ailing players for the rest of the game.

“We thought we had to slide one of my tight ends down to play tackle, and we didn’t flinch,” Becht said. “Now, he flinched when I told him that.”

After Saylors’ touchdown, McCarron took a seat. Backup Manny Wilkins Jr. finished the game and got a 5-yard touchdown run with 36 seconds to play.

“It’s like pulling teeth trying to get AJ out of the game,” Becht said, “but I’m glad I get to make that decision ultimately. But he’s just such a competitor.”

The former Alabama All-American completed 14-of-24 passes for 213 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions on Sunday.

“AJ, toughing it out, man,” Becht said. “He took some big hits today. The guy’s a warrior. This is why he came back – for this game, for the goals we’re trying to reach this season.”

St. Louis is tied for the lead in the XFL Conference at 4-1 with the San Antonio Brahmas. The Battlehawks defeated San Antonio 31-24 on April 14.

St. Louis plays the visiting Houston Roughnecks at 2 p.m. CDT Saturday at the Dome at America’s Center. FOX will televise the game.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.