THIS GIVEN SUNDAY – UFL WK4: AVIATORS STUN DALLAS
Week 4 of the 2026 UFL season delivered its first major shake-up, as Columbus and Louisville both broke into the win column — with the Aviators producing the result of the season by handing previously unbeaten Dallas its first loss.
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Dallas Renegades 14 @ 28 Columbus Aviators
Just a week after the first fixture between the sides had seen Dallas extend its record to 3-0, Columbus stunned the Renegades 28-14 in the reverse, controlling the game on both sides of the ball and outgaining Dallas on the ground in a disciplined performance. Jalan McClendon (126 yards, TD) managed the game efficiently, while John Lovett powered the offense with 80 rushing yards. A defensive touchdown and a late interception sealed it, capping a statement win that snapped Dallas’ 3-0 start.
Columbus established control on the ground by setting a UFL single-game record with 47 rushing attempts and finishing with 202 yards. The Aviators’ defining moment came in the fourth quarter, when they authored an eight-play, 97-yard touchdown drive that consumed 9:59. Lovett powered the possession, accounting for 62 of his 80 rushing yards on the drive as Columbus ran the ball 17 times to extend its lead.
Dallas struck early through Austin Reed’s touchdown pass to Drake Stoops, but Columbus quickly settled into its rhythm with Zaquandre White’s short touchdown and a spectacular Keke Chism grab tying the game at half-time. The Aviators then took control after the break. McClendon inadvertently sparked the go-ahead score, fumbling at the Dallas one-yard line only for Alize Mack to recover the ball in the end zone. From there, Columbus dominated possession and an 18-play, 97-yard drive capped by Toa Taua proved decisive, before Smoke Monday’s late interception sealed a statement victory.
I can’t do nothing but credit what they’ve been doing since day one,” embattled head coach Ted Ginn Jr commented. “Our record never gave us an opportunity to see who we are, but this victory has given us the opportunity to see who we are.”
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Louisville Kings 24 @ 22 Houston Gamblers
Louisville opened the weekend with its own breakthrough, edging Houston 24-22 in overtime for its first victory of the season. The Kings built a 16-6 half-time lead behind Tanner Brown’s long-range kicking and a one-yard rushing score from James Robinson — their first on the ground this year — before holding their nerve late to close out a tight finish on the road.
After what was the second straight overtime game for Louisville after last week’s 29-27 loss to Orlando, first-year head coach Chris Redman called the victory as special for the city and organisation. The game featured a major impact from both kickers. Despite missing for the first time all season, Brown tied a UFL record with five successful field goals, including a 48-yarder that tied the game at 22-22 with 10:05 remaining, but opposite number John Hoyland missed the opportunity to restore Houston’s lead after skewing a 38-yard attempt with 0:57 left, sending the game to overtime.
“I am so proud of these guys, they have worked so hard all year,” Redman said. It wasn’t pretty at times, but they didn’t give up, and maybe the football gods were with us tonight.”
In the second round of overtime, quarterback Jason Bean connected with tight end Tre’ McKitty on a five-yard touchdown pass, before Louisville’s defense sealed the win by forcing two holding penalties on Houston who, behind then arm of quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, had surged in the third quarter with touchdowns on two drives, including a 68-yard scoring run by Marcus Yarns, who finished with 111 yards on eight carries.
Brown led the Kings offense with field goals of 59 — a career-long — 58 and 52 yards as the teams combined for eight field goals in 10 attempts, with each kicker hitting three from 50 yards or longer, another UFL record. Running back James Robinson scored Louisville’s only regulation touchdown on a one-yard run early in the second quarter, the team’s first rushing touchdown of the season.
Bean, meanwhile, would not be a King for much longer, traded to the DC Defenders on Sunday in exchange for fellow QB Mike DiLiello. Back-up Chandler Rogers will be under center for Louisville in this week’s game against Dallas.
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St Louis Battlehawks 22 @ 28 DC Defenders
In Washington, DC reinforced its resurgence with a 28-22 win over St. Louis in a tightly contested match-up. Jordan Ta’amu led the way with 204 passing yards, two touchdowns and 61 rushing yards, while kicker Matt McCrane remained perfect, including a 56-yarder. A late red-zone interception halted the Battlehawks’ comeback bid and secured the Defenders’ second straight win.
St. Louis got on the board first after a 51-yard field goal from kicker Tucker McCann, but the Defenders marched down the field on a near six-minute scoring drive as Ta’amu found wide receiver Keke Coutee for a 14-yard touchdown and a 7-3 lead that would last through the first period. Wide receiver Hakeem Butler then opened up the second quarter by turning a short pass from QB Harrison Frost into a massive 75-yard touchdown, giving St. Louis their last lead of the game and making it 9-7 after McCann missed the extra point.
A couple of costly penalties gave the Defenders a chance to extend their lead, as Ta’amu found wide receiver Ty Scott for a touchdown, making it a 17-9 ball game, but a PI call against DC allowed the Battlehawks to set up a final scoring attempt of the game. Frost found Butler in between four defenders for a gain of 34 but instead of the clock running out before the Battlehawks could spike it, a defensive offsides allowed McCann to kick the 26-yard field goal and bring the Battlehawks within five points at the half.
A crucial sack from cornerback Nevelle Clarke forced the Defenders to settle for a field goal at the end of a long drive to start the third quarter, and McCrane put the Defenders up 20-12. The Battlehawks were unable to reply, as DC promptly sacked Frost in the endzone for a safety, building a ten-point lead for the reigning champions.
No one got back on the board until the fourth quarter, where McCrane added another field goal to his tally, making it 25-12 DC, but the Battlehawks responded with a 65-yard scoring drive that culminated with running back Kevon Latulas stiff-arming a defender to stomp into the endzone for a seven-yard score and make it a 25-19 game. Both teams would add field goals, sealing the 28-22 final score.
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Orlando Storm 16 @ 0 Birmingham Stallions
Orlando remained the league’s only unbeaten side, improving to 4-0 with a controlled 16-0 shutout of Birmingham in the Stallions first home game of the year. Jack Plummer guided a methodical offense, while the Storm defense dominated throughout, forcing repeated stops as the Stallions failed to establish any rhythm in the league’s first shutout of the season.
Orlando’s defense set the tone from the outset, before Plummer opened the scoring with a third-down touchdown to Cam Camper after a key 36-yard strike to Elijhah Badger, then added 182 passing yards without a turnover. Michael Lantz contributed three field goals, including a two-minute drill effort before half-time.
Birmingham never found rhythm, managing just 107 first-half yards and finishing 1-for-13 on third down, with only 36 rushing yards. Kyahva Tezino led a suffocating Storm defense with 10 tackles as Orlando secured the UFL’s first shutout since the 2024 championship game.
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While, four weeks in, the early UFL hierarchy is taking shape, no team should feel comfortable, no record safe.