
he Houston Roughnecks managed to hold on to their lead in a tightly contested game against the Vegas Vipers, winning 28-21 at TCECU Stadium. With an official attendance of 10,967 fans, the Roughnecks improved their record to 6-3, while the Vipers fell to a disappointing 2-7. With the win, the Roughnecks clinch the South Division and will host the South Division playoff game in Houston on April 29th.
Results
Team | 1st quarter | 2nd quarter | 3rd quarter | 4th quarter | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
VGS | 6 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 21 |
HOU | 0 | 6 | 13 | 9 | 28 |
The Roughnecks started slowly, trailing 6-0 after the first quarter but managed to score six points in the second quarter, narrowing the Vipers’ lead to 12-6 at halftime. Houston came out strong after the break, scoring 13 points in the third quarter and another nine in the final quarter to seal the victory. The Vipers put up a valiant effort, scoring nine points in the fourth quarter, but ultimately fell short.
Houston’s rushing game was a major factor in the win, with Max Borghi and Brycen Alleyne both finding the endzone. Borghi finished with 74 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, while Alleyne contributed 42 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. The Roughnecks’ defense also played a key role in the game, with linebacker Emmanuel Ellerbee leading the team with 11 tackles, including 6 solo tackles and 0.5 sacks.
Vegas Vipers quarterback Jalan McClendon had a solid performance, completing 27 of 37 passes for 249 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. However, he also lost a fumble, which proved costly. The Vipers’ rushing attack was led by John Lovett, who carried the ball nine times for 46 yards and a touchdown, with an impressive average of 5.1 yards per carry.
In the receiving department, John Lovett topped the Vipers with 63 yards on four receptions, while Geronimo Allison caught six passes for 60 yards. For the Roughnecks, Justin Smith led with 26 receiving yards on two catches.
Special teams played a role in the game as well, with Vipers kicker Sam Sloman going 1 for 2 on field goal attempts, with a long of 53 yards, while Roughnecks kicker Austin Jones was perfect, hitting his only field goal attempt from 28 yards out.
The Vipers will look to bounce back from this loss in their next game, while the Roughnecks will aim to continue their winning ways and solidify their position in the standings.
Top of the Division 🔜 Host the South Division Championship.
— XFL (@XFL2023) April 15, 2023
Looks like we’ll be back in Houston on April 29th 💥🏟️
Tickets on sale Tuesday at 1pm CT#XFL | #DivisionChampions pic.twitter.com/tEm2eiJQEP
XFL Box Score
VGS
Player | Position | Pass. CMP | Pass. ATT | Pass. YDS | Pass. TD | Pass. INT | Rush. ATT | Rush. YDS | Rush. TD | Rec. Targets | Rec. YDS | Rec. | Rec. TD |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jalan McClendon | QB | 27 | 37 | 249 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Brian Burt | RB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
John Lovett | RB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 46 | 1 | 0 | 63 | 4 | 0 |
Rod Smith | RB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Brandon Dillon | TE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
Cam Sutton | TE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 0 |
Sean Price | TE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
Cinque Sweeting | WR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 22 | 4 | 1 |
Geronimo Allison | WR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 60 | 6 | 0 |
Jeff Badet | WR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 43 | 4 | 0 |
Martavis Bryant | WR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 0 |
Mathew Sexton | WR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 29 | 3 | 0 |
Total | 27 | 37 | 249 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 96 | 1 | 31 | 249 | 27 | 2 |
HOU
Player | Position | Pass. CMP | Pass. ATT | Pass. YDS | Pass. TD | Pass. INT | Rush. ATT | Rush. YDS | Rush. TD | Rec. Targets | Rec. YDS | Rec. | Rec. TD |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brandon Silvers | QB | 16 | 27 | 105 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cole McDonald | QB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Brycen Alleyne | RB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 42 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 2 | 0 |
Jeremy Cox | RB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Max Borghi | RB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 74 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
Garrett Owens | TE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 23 | 4 | 0 |
Ben Putman | WR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cedric Byrd | WR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 0 |
Deontay Burnett | WR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
Justin Smith | WR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 26 | 2 | 0 |
Travell Harris | WR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 18 | 3 | 0 |
Total | 16 | 27 | 105 | 0 | 2 | 26 | 132 | 2 | 27 | 105 | 16 | 0 |
📢 Attention XFL News Hub community! We've got a quick 30-second survey and we need your thoughts. Your feedback will help us to bring you the XFL content you love even better. Just click the link in the description below to get started. Thanks for being a part of our team!
Unleash the Action: Sign up for XFL Insider and Fuel Your Passion for Football!
Related
Mark is the founder and editor of XFL News Hub. The site was started in January of 2018, within days of the announced return of the XFL. Contact him directly by emailing mark.perry@xflnewshub.com

XFL News Alerts

Houston Roughnecks
XFL 2023: Houston Roughnecks Season Recap, Final Thoughts

San Antonio Brahmas
XFL Alums Ben DiNucci, Jacques Patrick Set for Success with Broncos

Arlington Renegades
XFL 2023 Playoff TV Ratings On ESPN

Seattle Sea Dragons
Seattle Sea Dragons QB Ben DiNucci Signs With Denver Broncos
XFL 2023 Season Attendance Recap: The Ups and Downs
Latest Podcast
-
XFL Podcast
/ 1 week agoXFL News Hubs Mike Mitchell Recaps 2023 Season, Talks Whats Coming in 2024
We talk with XFL Insider Mike Michell on the 3 things we like and...
By Mark Perry