THIS GIVEN SUNDAY — UFL WK10: KINGS GRAB FINAL BERTH
The United Football League playoff picture is complete after a dramatic final weekend of the regular season that saw the Louisville Kings clinch the sole remaining postseason berth while the Birmingham Stallions were eliminated despite entering Week 10 still in control of their own destiny.
With the Orlando Storm, DC Defenders and St. Louis Battlehawks already assured of playoff football, attention centred on the race between Louisville and Birmingham, while Sunday’s meeting between Orlando and DC served as a preview of next weekend’s postseason rematch.
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Houston Gamblers 26 @ 13 Birmingham Stallions
The decisive blow in the playoff race arrived on Saturday in Birmingham as Houston rushed for a UFL single-game record 277 yards and eliminated the hometown Stallions from playoff contention with a dominant 26-13 victory at Protective Stadium.
Kevin Sumlin’s side came out aggressively from the opening snap, even attempting a trick play on its first possession. Although Jontre Kirklin’s pass was intercepted by Tre Norwood, Houston quickly recovered and took control as QB John Rhys Plumlee repeatedly extended plays with his mobility, helping set up an early John Hoyland field goal before Marcus Major powered in from one yard out for a 10-0 lead.
Houston’s defense was equally dominant. Malik Fisher recorded his seventh sack of the season and Kenny Dyson added consecutive takedowns late in the first half as Birmingham managed just 52 total yards before the break. The Gamblers then extended the lead to 17-0 when Kirk Merritt broke loose for a 43-yard run before Plumlee scored on an 11-yard keeper.
Birmingham finally found life in the third quarter thanks to Alex Cook. Playing with a club on his hand after a broken thumb earlier in the season, Cook intercepted Plumlee and returned the ball 70 yards for a touchdown, stiff-arming the Houston quarterback on his way to the endzone. The score cut the deficit to 17-7 and gave the Stallions renewed hope — but the response was immediate.
On Houston’s next possession, Major exploded through the line and raced 72 yards for the longest rushing touchdown in the UFL this season. Any momentum Birmingham had generated disappeared instantly. Although Dorian Thompson-Robinson and the Stallions eventually reached the endzone when Kyric McGowan hauled in a six-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, Houston answered with a Hoyland field goal and never looked threatened.
Major led the record-setting rushing attack with 80 yards, while Plumlee added 77, Jalen White contributed 66 and Merritt chipped in 54. Fisher finished with a sack and two tackles for loss, while Dyson added two sacks.
The defeat ended Birmingham’s playoff hopes despite a historic individual performance from Tae Crowder, who broke the UFL single-season tackles record and finished the year with 83 tackles. Houston, meanwhile, closed the season 4-6, but secured Louisville’s playoff place before the Kings even took the field on Sunday.
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Louisville Kings 42 @ 27 Columbus Aviators
Already assured of a playoff berth following Birmingham’s defeat, the Kings showed no signs of easing off as they powered past the Columbus Aviators 42-27 to secure a fourth consecutive victory.
The game exploded into life immediately as, on the very first offensive snap, Eric Garror intercepted Jalen Morton and returned the ball for a touchdown. Columbus responded with Jonah Dalmas drilling a 58-yard field goal before Morton connected with Keke Chism for a 23-yard touchdown after a forced fumble on the ensuing kickoff gave the Aviators excellent field position. Louisville answered through Chandler Rogers, who scored on a 16-yard run-pass option keeper to restore the lead, but the intensity boiled over moments later when a post-touchdown altercation resulted in the ejection of Cameron Dantzler.
Dalmas then produced one of the moments of the UFL season. After already converting from 58 yards, he connected from 61 yards away for a four-point field goal, tying the game and recording the longest field goal of the UFL season. With Louisville opting to protect its postseason-bound starter, erstwhile European league favourite N’Kosi Perry took over at quarterback for the second quarter and helped settle the Kings. Ian Wheeler’s three-yard touchdown run restored the lead before Toa Taua answered with a one-yard score for Columbus.
The defining sequence, however, arrived just before half-time. Facing third-and-15, Perry launched a deep ball into double coverage that Isaiah Winstead somehow secured for a 48-yard gain. Two plays later, Winstead topped that effort with a spectacular one-handed touchdown catch, sending Louisville into half-time with a 28-21 advantage.
Dalmas continued his remarkable afternoon in the second half, adding field goals from 49 and 51 yards to cut Louisville’s lead to a single point at 28-27. He later narrowly missed from 60 yards, and it was a miss that proved pivotal as Louisville finally delivered the knockout blow in the fourth quarter. Mike DiLiello led a scoring drive before Jaden Shirden burst through for a 17-yard touchdown. After the Kings defense then forced a turnover on downs, Wheeler ripped off a 61-yard run to set up another Shirden score.
The Kings finished with 205 rushing yards for the second consecutive week and surpassed 40 points for the second time this season. They also became just the second team in UFL history to score at least 30 points in four consecutive games as they finished the regular season at 6-4.
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Dallas Renegades 20 @ 16 St Louis Battlehawks
The weekend opened at The Dome at America’s Center, where Austin Reed threw three touchdown passes and the Dallas defense produced one of its most dominant performances of the season to defeat Louisville’s playoff opponent 20-16.
The game marked Battlehawks’ QB Luis Perez’s first start against his former team, but it was Dallas that seized control early. After Ramiz Ahmed opened the scoring with a 45-yard field goal, Ajene Harris ripped the ball from Blake Jackson and Kevin Strong recovered, setting up Reed’s first touchdown pass. Facing third-and-10, Reed escaped pressure and found Emanuel Butler for a 17-yard score and a 7-3 lead. Perez responded with explosive plays to Hakeem Butler and Steven McBride, but St. Louis repeatedly failed to finish drives. Ahmed added a short field goal and later missed from 40 yards after another promising possession stalled.
Dallas took advantage. Reed converted a crucial third-and-long to Seth Green before finding Greg Ward Jr for 27 yards. Moments later, Tyler Vaughns made a leaping touchdown grab, his seventh touchdown reception of the season, tying the UFL single-season record.
The Battlehawks finally broke through in the third quarter when Perez engineered a 71-yard drive capped by a touchdown pass to James Bostic, tying the game at 13-13, and Ahmed’s 46-yard field goal later gave St. Louis a 16-13 advantage, but it was Reed who delivered when it mattered most.
A 21-yard sideline catch by Vaughns sparked an 11-play, 69-yard drive before Reed found Emanuel Butler in the back corner of the end zone for the decisive touchdown. The score was Butler’s seventh touchdown reception of the season, tying Vaughns for the league record. Dallas’ defense then slammed the door as Demarcus Mitchell and Kevin Strong led a relentless pass rush that recorded seven sacks, ten tackles for loss and three takeaways. Mitchell and Strong each finished with two sacks as the Renegades matched the UFL season-high sack total and closed a 4-6 season with a statement victory that hinted at what might have been after opening undefeated through three games.
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Orlando Storm 29 @ 23 DC Defenders
The final game of the regular season featured two teams who will be sick of the sight of each other as it doubled as a preview of next weekend’s playoff match-up, just a week after the Storm and Defenders met for the first time.
Orlando’s victory secured the top seed and completed an 8-2 campaign but it was the Defenders, who handed Jason Bean his first start of the season, who initially looked the sharper side. Matt McCrane opened the scoring with a field goal after Brandon Smith stopped Jashaun Corbin on fourth down, while Derick Roberson later forced a fumble that Kai Gray recovered.
Orlando’s defense, however, repeatedly came up with game-changing plays. After Bean had moved DC into scoring position, Mishael Powell intercepted a pass near the goal line and returned it 92 yards for a touchdown, giving the Storm a 7-3 lead despite their offensive struggles. DC, meanwhile, continued to move the ball as Cornell Powell repeatedly generated explosive plays and Ty Scott contributed a 57-yard kick return, helping McCrane kick three first-half field goals. However, despite being outgained 218-91 and failing to score an offensive touchdown, Orlando still somehow led 10-9 at half-time.
The Storm offense finally awakened in the second half. Jack Plummer found Elijah Badger for 24 yards before connecting with Chris Rowland on a 31-yard touchdown pass. DC answered through a 48-yard Bean run and a 12-yard touchdown by Xazavian Valladay, with Deon Jackson converting the two-point attempt to tie the game at 17-17, before Orlando seized complete control.
Jake Browning pinned the Defenders at their own two-yard line before Jerome Kapp blocked a punt out of the end zone for a safety. Moments later, Plummer found Cam Camper, who turned a third-and-eight completion into a 74-yard touchdown. The avalanche continued when Darien Butler forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, setting up a 49-yard Michael Lantz field goal and a 29-17 advantage.
DC mounted one final response through Briley Moore, but Orlando held firm. Plummer finished with 203 passing yards and two touchdowns, while Kana’i Mauga recorded nine tackles, a tackle for loss and two pass breakups. Nate Brooks added an interception and four pass breakups. For the Defenders, Bean rushed for 116 yards as part of a 219-yard rushing day for DC, but three turnovers and a 3-for-12 performance on third down ultimately proved too much to overcome.
The victory secured Orlando the top seed and set up a third consecutive meeting with the Defenders, this time with a place in the United Bowl at stake.
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The United Bowl semi-finals take place this coming weekend, with the Orlando Storm hosting DC and Louisville travelling to The Dome at America’s Centre to take on the Battlehawks.