HOUSTON (May 13, 2024) – Ryan Santoso drilled a 51-yard field goal as time expired and the San Antonio Brahmas overcame four turnovers to stun the Houston Roughnecks 15-12 in a sloppy yet dramatic intrastate battle at Rice Stadium.

After the Roughnecks took a 12-3 lead into the fourth quarter on the strength of four J.J. Molson field goals, including a booming 62-yarder, the Brahmas finally found their groove on offense.

Backup quarterback Kevin Hogan, who took over for a struggling Quinten Dormady, led an 8-play, 75-yard drive capped by John Lovett’s 1-yard TD plunge to make it 12-9 with 2:42 remaining. Hogan then hit Cody Latimer for the game-tying 3-point conversion.

The wild final sequence began when Bryce Thompson jarred the ball loose from Houston’s Reggie Roberson on the ensuing kickoff. Teez Tabor pounced on the fumble at the Roughnecks’ 42, setting the stage for Santoso’s heroics.

“I’ve been working on those situations in practice every day,” said Santoso. “When it came down to it, I just zoned in and knocked it through.”

The win was a long time coming for San Antonio (5-2), which saw two first-half drives stall inside the Houston 10 due to turnovers. Dormady was intercepted by Colby Richardson and also lost a fumble on a Chris Odom strip-sack.

Houston (1-6) failed to take advantage of those early miscues, however, as its offensive struggles continued. Roughnecks QB Jarrett Guarantano went just 11-of-18 for 121 yards, with receiver Justin Hall’s 69 yards leading the way.

San Antonio’s defensive dominance, led by seven tackles apiece from Mykal Walker and Eric Henderson, kept the game within reach until Hogan sparked the late comeback.

“Our defense has carried us all year, and they did it again today,” said Brahmas head coach Jed Hughes. “Kevin gave us that shot of adrenaline when we needed it most.”

In a matchup of former XFL rivals, it was ex-Roughnecks coach Wade Phillips getting the best of his former team by guiding the Brahmas to their biggest win of the season so far.

San Antonio heads home to host the 1-6 Arlington Renegades next Sunday, while Houston hits the road to take on the undefeated Birmingham Stallions.