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The Battlehawks wide receiver still yearns for those joyful meals at a famous eatery known for tossing around biscuits.

“Throwed rolls, they’re the best,� Jackson said of Lambert’s, an area staple.

Jackson, who started at quarterback while at SEMO, returned to his football and roll tossing days at the perfect time Saturday night.

The 5-foot-11-inch receiver connected with Hakeem Butler on a 67-yard scoring toss midway through the fourth quarter to propel ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ to a 32-27 win over Michigan in a thriller before 30,604 delirious fans at the Dome at America’s Center.

The Battlehawks (3-2) snapped a two-game losing streak and avoided the franchise’s first three-game skid.

Butler, the reigning UFL offensive player of the year, returned to the lineup for the first time since aggravating his hamstring on opening day. He hauled in two scoring tosses in a span of 5:53 in the fourth quarter to help the team rally twice from one-score deficits.

Quarterback Max Duggan, starting in a game for the first time in 838 days, ran for two scores and threw for another.

But Jackson and Butler combined on one of the biggest plays of the season to give the Battlehawks plenty of momentum as they head into the final five games of the regular season.

“What a game; that was a fun one,â€� ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ coach Anthony Becht said. “It’s fun for our team, it’s fun for our league. These elements help players raise the bar and take it to the next level.â€�

Jackson reveled at the opportunity to resurrect his throwing skills.

“I’ve played quarterback my whole life from little league all the way through college,� Jackson said. “Once you play that long, you never truly lose it. The opportunity came, and I just made the most of it.�

The teams battled back and forth all night long until Jackson hit Butler with a perfect toss for the game-winning score with 6:01 left in the final period.

The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ defense then dug in down the stretch, stopping Michigan (3-2) on downs at the Battlehawks’ 24-yard line in the final two minutes.

Jackson had been waiting all season long to bring back his quarterbacking skills. The right moment came with the hosts trailing 27-26 and the game on the line.

“We talked about it all week, it’s actually been (in the playbook) since training camp,� Jackson said. “I knew when the opportunity came, I was going to make the play.�

Butler was lobbying to use the trickeration throughout the night.

“I told (the coaches) at half to call the play,� Butler said. “We’ve worked in practice, completed it in practice. I had total confidence it would work.�

The wild contest featured seven lead changes.

Duggan, making his first start since leading TCU into the 2022 NCAA national championship game on Jan. 9, 2023, looked comfortable running the offense. He connected on 9 of 12 passes for 124 yards and also ran for 72 yards and two short scoring runs.

The 6-foot-1, 207-pounder scored on runs of 8 and 1 yard in the second quarter to send the Battlehawks out to a 17-6 lead.

“Guys were playing together, playing as a team,� Duggan said. “It hasn’t gone the way we’ve wanted it to for the last two weeks, but we came to practice ready to go. It was a battle all night long.�

Duggan connected with Butler on a 67-yard scoring toss early in the fourth quarter to put ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ up 26-21.

Michigan answered just over five minutes later to go up 27-26 on a 5-yard TD run by Toa Taua.

ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ offensive coordinator Phil McGeoghan then reached into his bag of tricks two plays later for the Jackson-to-Butler connection.

Sure-footed Battlehawks kicker Rodrigo Blankenship improved to 12 for 12 on the season with field goals of 44 and 28 yards.

ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ needed the win to stop the bleeding. The offense was somewhat stagnant in losses to the DC Defenders and Arlington Renegades, managing just 15 points in each contest.

Becht stressed the importance of winning the contest all week long. In a short 10-game schedule, any extended losing streak can prove fatal. He also lauded the support from the crowd.

“I want to say that to the fan base: That was incredible� Becht said. “Every third down, fourth down, that’s the experience we are trying to give our players.�

ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ will host Arlington in another key contest at 7 p.m. Friday.

“What else is there to do on a Friday night?� Becht asked. “Like I always say: Bring a friend.�