Who is the first quarterback in the relaunched XFL to lead his team to an overtime victory?
The former Baylor School and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga standout started for an injured AJ McCarron on Saturday afternoon and led the St. Louis Battlehawks to a 21-17 topping of the Vegas Vipers before 35,167 frenetic fans inside The Dome at America’s Center, which was known as the Trans World Dome and the Edward Jones Dome when it housed the NFL’s St. Louis Rams.
“This crowd is amazing,” a smiling Tiano said on the ESPN broadcast. “These St. Louis fans are awesome. My teammates and coaches showed me support all week, so I just wanted to get the job done for them.”
The 6-foot-4, 231-pounder completed 19 of 34 passes for 194 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in his first start, and he also rushed eight times for 51 yards and a 6.4-yard average. The XFL uses three alternating possessions in overtime, but the Battlehawks needed just two of them when Tiano connected with Hakeem Butler from 5 yards out on their first snap and used a Brian Hill 2-yard run for the win after St. Louis had stopped the Vipers for a second time.