Quarterback Jordan Ta’amu threw for 308 yards and three touchdowns as DC rallied for a 37-33 victory over the Arlington Renegades on Sunday that left the Defenders as the only team with fewer than two losses five weeks into the United Football League season.

In Week 5’s other games:

• The Memphis Showboats earned their first victory of the season by beating the Birmingham Stallions 24-20 in the UFL’s first overtime game on Friday night. Birmingham tied the game with a touchdown pass and 2-point conversion throw by quarterback Case Cookus with 25 seconds left in the fourth quarter. But Dresser Winn threw a 2-point pass and got another 2 for taking a roughing-the-passer penalty in overtime, while the Stallions failed to score in the extra period.
• Wide receiver Blake Jackson connected with wide receiver Hakeem Butler as a trick play resulted in a 57-yard touchdown pass with 6:01 to play and produced the final of four fourth-quarter lead changes in the St. Louis Battlehawks’ 32-27 victory over the Michigan Panthers on Saturday. Butler also caught a 67-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Max Duggan as St. Louis took a 26-21 lead with 11:54 remaining. Duggan ran for 70 yards and two touchdowns in his first start of the season. Michigan QB Bryce Perkins threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns and running back Toa Taua rushed for 74 yards and two touchdowns.
• The Houston Roughnecks limited the San Antonio Brahmas to 118 yards in a 27-3 victory on Sunday. San Antonio quarterbacks completed 10-of-24 passes for 64 yards with two interceptions and lost 23 yards on four sacks. Roughnecks cornerback Rayshad Williams returned one of the interceptions 68 yards for a touchdown.  

DC came back from a 33-22 deficit in the fourth quarter of an XFL showdown against the Renegades.

Running back Deon Jackson converted a fourth-and-1 snap with a 2-yard carry during an 11-play, 65-yard drive that ended with a 2-yard touchdown run and 2-point conversion pass by Ta’amu with 7:05 to play.

Ta’amu had a 23-yard completion to wide receiver Braylon Sanders on third-and-5 and a 7-yard run on third-and-1 as the Defenders moved 46 yards in seven plays to take the lead on Jackson’s 2-yard touchdown run, with Ta’amu’s 1-yard conversion run setting the final score with 57 seconds to play.

The Renegades’ final possession ended when quarterback Luis Perez’s pass from the DC 31-yard line was intercepted by safety Josh Proctor in the end zone with 10 seconds left.

Perez’s 268 passing yards included a 63-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Deontay Burnett to open the scoring.

The outcome lifted the Defenders to a 4-1 record while dropping Arlington to 3-2.

Seventeen players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field during Week 5 games:

Memphis Showboats 24, Birmingham Stallions 20 (OT)

Showboats wide receiver Dee Anderson (Alabama A&M) had four receptions for 93 yards and one touchdown. Anderson opened the scoring with a 78-yard touchdown pass from Winn with 10:21 left in the first quarter. Anderson also caught a 2-point pass in overtime that ended the game.

Deonte Brown (Austin, Alabama) started at right guard for the Stallions.

Stallions cornerback Shyheim Carter (Alabama) made four tackles in his first action of the season.

Eric Garror (McGill-Toolen) started at cornerback for the Showboats. Garror made two tackles, broke up two passes and returned a kickoff 37 yards.

Stallions guard Lachavious Simmons (Selma) did not record any stats.

Showboats wide receiver Eli Stove (Auburn) was designated as a game-day inactive.

Stallions wide receiver Austin Watkins (UAB) had a 4-yard reception.

Stallions wide receiver Marlon Williams (McGill-Toolen) caught a 6-yard touchdown pass with 25 seconds left in the fourth quarter to pull Birmingham within two points of the lead.

Showboats tight end Jay Jay Wilson (Auburn) did not record any stats.

St. Louis Battlehawks 32, Michigan Panthers 27

Panthers offensive tackle Cam Carter (Minor) was designated as a game-day inactive.

Panthers outside linebacker De’Gabriel Floyd (Alabama A&M) is on the injured list and not eligible to play.

Garrett Marino (UAB) started at defensive tackle for the Panthers. Marino made three tackles.

Panthers defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth (Murphy) was designated as a game-day inactive. Stallworth signed with Michigan on Thursday.

DC Defenders 37, Arlington Renegades 33

Defenders long snapper/tight end Trae Barry (Spanish Fort, Jacksonville State) handled the snaps on three punts and three field-goal attempts and made a special-teams tackle.

Defenders offensive lineman Gunner Britton (Auburn) did not record any stats.

Sal Cannella (Auburn) started at tight end for the Renegades. Cannella had six receptions for 23 yards. Cannella also caught a 2-point conversion pass.

Tykeem Doss (Aliceville) started at left guard for the Defenders.

Renegades defensive lineman DaVonte Lambert (Auburn) was designated as a game-day inactive.

Houston Roughnecks 27, San Antonio Brahmas 3

Roughnecks middle linebacker Christopher Allen (Alabama) made two tackles and shared a sack.

Roughnecks defensive tackle Shakel Brown (Troy) was designated as a game-day inactive.

Keenan Isaac (Midfield, Alabama State) started at cornerback for the Roughnecks. Isaac did not record any stats.

Roughnecks center Avery Jones (Auburn) did not record any stats.

Roughnecks punter Mike Rivers (Troy) averaged 46.0 yards on three punts. Rivers had a 45-yard punt returned 9 yards to the San Antonio 28-yard line, a 47-yarder returned 5 yards to the San Antonio 10 and 46-yarder returned 21 yards to the Houston 45.

In Week 6, the UFL schedule includes (with all times Central):

• The Renegades (3-2) and Battlehawks (3-2) play at 7 p.m. Friday at the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis. FOX will televise the game.
• The Showboats (1-4) and Roughnecks (2-3) play at 11 a.m. Saturday at TDECU Stadium in Houston. ABC will televise the game.
• The Defenders (4-1) and Panthers (3-2) play at 11 a.m. Sunday at Ford Field in Detroit. ESPN2 will televise the game.
• The Brahmas (1-4) and Stallions (3-2) play at 3 p.m. Sunday at Protective Stadium in Birmingham. FOX will televise the game.

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