WATCH: “He’ll be getting a call soon” – UFL kicker Jake Bates drills a 64-yard game-winning field goal in first attempt since high school for Michigan Panthers, fans react

Jake Bates wins the game for Michigan with a monstrous kick.

WATCH: “He’ll be getting a call soon” – UFL kicker Jake Bates drills a 64-yard game-winning field goal in first attempt since high school for Michigan Panthers, fans react

Michigan's Jake Bates scores a 64-yard field goal on UFL Day 1 (Image via IMAGO)

Ford Field is where kickers come alive. On Saturday night, the UFL took its first strides in Detroit as the Michigan Panthers upended the St. Louis Battlehawks with a wild 64-yard field goal from Jake Bates.

St. Louis took a 3-0 lead in the first half. Both sides combined for only 10 points in the first three quarters but the fourth quarter is where things got interesting. 

With 5 seconds to go until the final whistle, the Battlehawks led the game 16-15. The referee awarded the Panthers a field goal, but it was 10 yards longer than the average striking distance. 

Jake Bates stepped in and dispatched an accurate 64-yard field goal to secure an all-important opening-day victory for the Panthers. Bates; monstrous kick instigated wild reactions on social media too.

After the game, Bates told FOX Sports that he was waiting for the opportunity.

I prepared for this moment. When you have a lot of faith in your guys, man, nothing is impossible with God. He has risen. Easter weekend, man. It's a really special feeling.
Jake Bates said.

It was a monumental moment for Bates, who was close to joining the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2023. The Texans decided against giving him a contract even after scoring two points in preseason.

What is the identity of Jake Bates, who scored a 64-yard field goal for the Michigan Panthers in the UFL?

Jake Bates played soccer before transitioning into a kicker and playing three years of college football. He had earned an All-District first-team nod, starting at Tomball High School in Texas. Afterward, he played an additional two years at Central Arkansas.

WATCH: "He'll be getting a call soon" - UFL kicker Jake Bates drills a 64-yard game-winning field goal in first attempt since high school for Michigan Panthers, fans react
UFL, Michigan Panthers kicker Jake Bates (Image via ESPN)

However, in 2020, he switched to football following a transfer to Texas, joining Texas Tech. But he did not stay there for long, making a move once more and agreeing to play for the University of Arkansas football team, the Razorbacks. There, he earned first-team All-SEC honors as a “kickoff specialist.”

Even though Jake Bates now holds the longest field goal ever scored in the UFL, he could not beat the record holder. Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker currently holds that accolade with 66 yards in 2021.

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