Brand new turf. Sparkling new lights.
And the same crowd-pleasing result for the Battlehawks.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ bolted out to an early 17-point lead on the way to a 26-9 win over San Antonio in a United Football League contest in front of 32,115 at The Dome at America's Center on Sunday.
The Battlehawks won their seventh successive home regular-season contest. They are 11-2 in spring football at their downtown environs.
Running back Jacob Saylors ran for three scores and quarterback Manny Wilkins hit on 12 of 16 passes for 162 yards.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ (2-0) won in comfortable fashion for the second week in a row after a 31-6 triumph at Houston on March 28.
The Dome looked bright under the new amenities. The old faded turf from the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Rams days has been replaced by a softer, more easy-on-the eyes surface. Also, the dull lights have been switched out, giving the stadium a nifty glow.
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The team played like it appreciated the upgrades.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ scored on three of its first four possessions to take a 17-0 lead late in the second quarter.
It provided an early knockout punch by marching 70 yards on 12 plays with the second half kickoff to go up 23-3.
Saylors, an East Tennessee State University product, scored on runs of 1 and 20 yards in a span of eight minutes in the second quarter. He added a 5-yard run in the second half and finished with 46 yards on 11 carries.
The 29-year-old Wilkins ran the offense flawlessly without a turnover. He also rushed for 58 yards on nine carries and connected with seven different receivers.
Kicker Rodrigo Blankenship, a standout in the SEC at Georgia, drilled a 45-yard field goal to get the party started late in the first quarter.
Saylors pushed the lead to 11-0 with a 20-yard TD run around the right side. Wilkins set up the score by hitting Jarveon Howard with an 11-yard strike.
The Battlehawks put together another lengthy march to pump the lead to 17-0. Again, Wilkins highlighted the series with a 58-yard pass to Gary Jennings Jr. on the first play of the 78-yard drive.
The defense also made its presence felt all night, holding the Brahmas to a pair of three-and-outs over their first four possessions. The stop unit had four sacks, giving it seven on the season.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ cornerback Brandon Sebastian picked off a Kellen Mond pass midway though the third period to help the Battlehawks regain control after San Antonio had climbed to within 23-9.
The pick led to a 22-yard field goal by Blankenship.
The Battlehawks are off to a 2-0 start for the second time in the four-year history of the franchise. They also won their first two games in 2023.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ wide receiver Hakeem Butler missed the contest with a hamstring injury. Butler led the league with 652 yards receiving last season and was selected as the UFL Offensive Player of the Year.
Photos: Battlehawks win home opener 26-9 over San Antonio
Mark Engelhardt of Lake ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ greets ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Battlehawks players as they walk to the stadium cheered by fans before playing the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at The Dome at America’s Center. Engelhardt’s daughter made his costume with an embroidery machine and 3D printer.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Battlehawks head coach Anthony Becht leads his team in the tunnel before playing the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at The Dome at America’s Center.
Eric Sheets of Hazelwood tailgates with his nephews Kaden, left, and Kolten Sheets before the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Battlehawks play the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at The Dome at America’s Center.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Battlehawks quarterback Manny Wilkins runs onto the field with teammates before playing the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at The Dome at America’s Center.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Battlehawks fans await the start of the first home game against the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at The Dome at America’s Center.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Battlehawks running back Jacob Saylors scores the first touchdown of the game in the first quarter against the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday, April 6, 2025, at The Dome at America’s Center.
The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Battlehawks defense celebrates a third quarter interception by Brandon Sebastian against the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at The Dome at America’s Center.
Battlehawks quarterback Manny Wilkins, left, eludes San Antonio’s Corey Mayfield Jr. in the fourth quarter of his team’s 26-9 victory on Sunday, April 6, 2025, in the Dome at America’s Center.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Battlehawks running back Jacob Saylors signals his two-point conversion was good after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter against the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at The Dome at America’s Center.
A massive German chocolate cake with a cheesecake base anchors a tailgating table of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Battlehawks fans before the home opener against the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at The Dome at America’s Center.
Danielle Barnes, left, and Renay ‘Brahma Babe’ Peters dance under their tailgating tent before the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Battlehawks play the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at The Dome at America’s Center.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Battlehawks wide receiver Gary Jennings Jr. falls out of bounds after catching a deep pass in the first half against the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at The Dome at America’s Center.
Mark Engelhardt of Lake ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ greets ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Battlehawks cornerback Myles Jones during the players walk to the stadium before playing the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at The Dome at America’s Center. Engelhardt’s daughter made his costume with an embroidery machine and 3D printer.
Ryan Jones, right, of Wildwood, and James Thompson of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ cheer the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Battlehawks before playing the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at The Dome at America’s Center.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Battlehawks head coach Anthony Becht gets some water on the sidelines while playing the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at The Dome at America’s Center.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Battlehawks quarterback Manny Wilkins escapes the grasp of Rashod Berry of the San Antonio Brahmas during the first half on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at The Dome at America’s Center.
The Battlehawks’ Jacob Saylors cuts through the San Antonio defense on a touchdown run in the first quarter of a UFL game on Sunday, April 6, 2025, in the Dome at America’s Center.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Battlehawks wide receiver Denzel Mims is tackled by Jordan Mosley of the San Antonio Brahmas during the first half on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at The Dome at America’s Center.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Battlehawks running back Jacob Saylors runs for a first down in the first half against the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at The Dome at America’s Center.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Battlehawks quarterback Manny Wilkins celebrates a personal foul called after he was struck after running out of bounds against the San Antonio Brahmas during the first half on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at The Dome at America’s Center.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Battlehawks linebacker Pita Taumoepenu sacks San Antonio Brahmas quarterback Kellen Mond in the fourth quarter of a 26-9 Battlehawks victory on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at The Dome at America’s Center.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Battlehawks running back Jarveon Howard turns the corner in the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Brahmas before a 26-9 Battlehawks victory on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at The Dome at America’s Center.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Battlehawks running back Kevon Latulas gains yardage in the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Brahmas before a 26-9 Battlehawks victory on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at The Dome at America’s Center.
