The XFL lost in its head-to-head primetime ratings battle with the NCAA basketball tournament, which turned in a 6.4 for the same time slot as the XFL.

XFL ratings have dropped steadily after the new league drew a 10.3 for its first week. The following weeks saw the ratings drop to 5.1, 3.8, 2.9 and 2.7. Then, the rating rose one-tenth of a point last week to 2.8 before another big drop in week seven.

On the Field...

Saturday's action started quickly for Las Vegas, as Jamel Williams started the scoring for the Outlaws by returning a fumble 99 yards for a touchdown. The Birmingham Thunderbolts cut the lead in half with Brad Palazzo's 38-yard field goal at the end of the first quarter.

Las Vegas took a 12-3 lead early in the second quarter on a 19-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ryan Clement, after a 10-play drive that covered 69 yards.

With just under three minutes left in the first half, Eric Sloan picked off a Clement pass and returned it 70 yards for a touchdown, making the score at halftime, 12-9 in favor of the Outlaws.

The Thunderbolts started the second half by recovering a Clement fumble on the three-yard line, but had to settle for a field goal to tie the game. The Outlaws scored the next 22 points, with their defense closing out the game's scoring on Chris Bayne's 45-yard interception return.

Saturday's other game featured a fantastic finish. Wally Richardson threw a one-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Zola Davis with nine seconds left, giving the New York/New Jersey Hitmen a 16-15 victory over the Memphis Maniax.

Wally Richardson was 22-of-35 for 195 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception for the Hitmen, while Jim Druckenmiller was held to 10-of-26 for just 89 yards for the Maniax.

In Sunday's early game, the Los Angeles Xtreme blew out Orlando, 31-6, ending the Rage's six-game winning streak. Tommy Maddox, who was 19-of-25 for 199 yards, passed for two touchdowns and rushed for a third.

Two Damon Gibson punt returns set up both of the Xtreme's first-quarter scores. The first, a 51-yarder, set up a 29-yard field goal by Jose Cortez. The second, a 34-yard return, resulted in a three-yard quarterback sneak, three plays later.

Orlando also lost starting quarterback Jeff Brohm for the rest of the regular season with a separated shoulder. Brohm, who was 5-of-10 for 46 yards, was injured on a sack by Los Angeles linebacker Juan Long. Brian Kuklick replaced Brohm, completing 17 of 24 passes for 224 yards but was intercepted three times.

In the nightcap, the Chicago Enforcers picked up their second win of the year by holding off a late rally by San Francisco. The Demons trailed by 19 points in the second half, but a big comeback was stopped with less than a minute left in the game on an interception by Dorian Brew.