XFL Week 9: Chicago Enforcers vs NY Hitmen

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Kevin McDougal returned from a neck injury and threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Willy Tate with 1:41 to play to give the Chicago Enforcers a 23-18 victory over the New York-New Jersey Hitmen. McDougal also threw touchdown passes of 9 and 16 yards to Luke Leverson and linebacker Jamie Beasley preserved the Enforcers' fourth win in five games by intercepting a pass at the goal line with two seconds to play. Chicago did its best to give the game away, turning the ball over three times in the second half, highlighted by Joey Eloms 76-yard interception return that gave New York-New Jersey an 18-16 lead early in the third quarter.

That lead looked like it would stand until halfback Joe Aska fumbled at the New York-New Jersey 43 with 2:34 to play and Quincy Colemen recovered. A pass interference against Eloms on the next play moved the ball to the 22. McDougal, who sprained his neck being hit after throwing a third-quarter interception deep in Hitmen territory and missed two series, then found Tate all alone on the right sideline for a touchdown. Corte McGuffey, who made his first start for the injured Wally Richardson, drove the Hitmen to the Chicago 5 on the last possession. He hit Kirby Dar on a 15-yard pass and Anthony DiCosmo for 30. However, a holding penalty and an illegal forward pass set up a fourth-and-goal from the 20, and Beasley picked off the pass.

New York-New Jersey jumped to an 8-0 first-quarter lead when McDougal was called for a safety for grounding in the end zone and Aska scored on a 15-yard run. McDougal, who was 13 of 24 for 193, cut the lead to 8-6 with a 9-yard TD pass to Leverson. Chicago took a 9-8 lead on an 18-yard field goal by Andy Crosland. Leo Araguz gave New Jersey an 11-9 lead with a 28-yard field goal with 58 seconds left in the first half, but McDougal drove the Enforcers 75 yards in seven plays, with McDougal and Leverson combining on a 16-yard TD with six seconds left in the half. Chicago had a fourth-and-four at the New Jersey 30 when Eloms picked off McDougal on the right sideline and went all the way for a touchdown. Johnson finished with 103 yards rushing on 16 carries, but he also had a fumble at the Hitmen 2 in the fourth quarter.