The Sacramento Mountain Lions dropped their United Football League debut and season opener 27-10 to the Hartford Colonials today at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn. The teams battled it out in front of more than 14,000 fans.

The Colonials kept the Mountain Lions at bay until the final seven minutes of the game when quarterback Daunte Culpepper completed a five-yard pass to Joe West, and the team scored its first touchdown of the season to cap on a 12-play, 73-yard drive.

Culpepper completed 21 of 40 passes for 174 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

The Colonials went into halftime with a 20-0 lead and added another touchdown in the third quarter to seal the win. The 27 points established a new franchise record for the Colonials, besting their former record of 13 points.

Mountain Lions’ running back Cory Ross led the team with 22 yards on 14 carries, while Rod Windsor led in receiving with five catches for 55 yards

The Mountain Lions will play their first home game of the season at Hornet Stadium Saturday against the Florida Tuskers. The team will host a pregame Fan Fest at 5 p.m. with the game starting at 8 p.m.

Cassie Kolias can be reached at [email protected]