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Xtreme debut McCullough's 124 yards, two TDs carry L.A.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -- Saladin McCullough rushed for 124 yards and scored two touchdowns in his first professional start as the Los Angeles Xtreme defeated the Birmingham Thunderbolts 35-26 on Sunday night. The win gave Los Angeles (4-2) sole possession of first place in the XFL West Division. Los Angeles quarterback Tommy Maddox completed 17 of 25 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns. His favorite target was Jeremaine Copeland, who had seven receptions for 82 yards and one touchdown. After the game, Maddox wanted to talk about the play of McCullough, who had been inactive for much of the season. "To be inactive all those weeks and play the way he did shows what he has as a player," Maddox said. "I felt Saladin and our offensive line were the keys to our win." The game changed leads five times before the Xtreme took the lead for good on a 19-yard, fourth-quarter field goal by Jose Cortez. The kick was set up by an interception by Errick Herrin. Los Angeles padded its lead over Birmingham (2-4) with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Maddox to Copeland with 1:45 to play. Maddox leads the XFL with 10 touchdown passes and 1,389 passing yards. Birmingham quarterback Casey Weldon had his best game of the year despite having to leave at the end of the third quarter with a wrist injury. He completed 16 of 21 passes for 300 yards and three touchdowns. "I liked our chances if I could have stayed in," Weldon said. Weldon never returned and neither did the Birmingham offense. Bolts backup quarterback Jay Barker -- a hometown favorite who quarterbacked Alabama to a national championship in 1992 -- threw two interceptions and completed only two of five passes for 9 yards. Los Angeles head coach Al Luginbill gambled by starting McCullough, who had played in only one other game this season. "I felt the passing game set up the running game," Lunginbill said. "But Saladin was able to provide some runs we haven't had earlier in the season." McCullough was a standout running back at Oregon in 1996 and 1997 but never got a chance in the professional ranks until now. "I felt this was my chance to show what I have as a player," McCullough said. "I woke up with my stomach hurting this morning. I felt nervous in the beginning but once it got going I was comfortable." Attendance at the game was reported as 11,197 on a pleasant early spring night in Birmingham.
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