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Week 8 of the UFL season got off to a fast start on Friday night, as the Orlando Storm took home their sixth straight win, defeating the Dallas Renegades on the road.
The action continued on Saturday when the Louisville Kings beat the DC Defenders in a close game, and then the Houston Gamblers defeated the St. Louis Battlehawks in the final game of the day.
Here’s a look at what’s left to come this weekend in the UFL:
- Columbus Aviators at Birmingham Stallions (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX)
Here are the results for Week 8:
Key players: Storm QB Jack Plummer (24 of 36 for 238 yards, two rushing touchdowns), WR Chris Rowland (nine receptions for 91 yards); Renegades QB Austin Reed (12 of 23 for 134 yards, two touchdowns, one interception), RB Ellis Merriweather (12 carries for 75 yards)
Game summary: The Orlando Storm defeated Dallas on the road 31-24 for their sixth consecutive victory and officially clinched their playoff berth. Led by quarterback Jack Plummer, the Storm racked up 367 yards of total offense in the victory. The first quarter began scoreless for Orlando, missing both field goal opportunities. Dallas got on the scoreboard first with its field goal in the first quarter, as well as a touchdown in the second when QB Austin Reed found WR Emmanuel Butler for a 3-yard touchdown. Plummer also found the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown that tied the score at 10-10 heading into the half.
The second half was when both offenses took off. Plummer added another score on the field to make the score 17-10. Dallas responded soon after, when Reed found tight end Seth Green for another touchdown in the air to tie things up. But Storm RB Jashaun Corbin responded and scored a touchdown to give Orlando a 24-17 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Both Orlando and Dallas traded a touchdown each until the final three minutes, when a crucial fourth-down interception by Dallas sealed their loss and knocked them out of playoff contention. The Storm find themselves perfectly in playoff position after their sixth consecutive victory.
Next: Orlando will host the DC Defenders for a showdown Friday night on FOX. Dallas will hit the road to face the Louisville Kings on Saturday afternoon on FOX.
Key players: Kings QB Chandler Rogers (11 of 20 for 143 yards, one touchdown pass); WR Isaiah Winstead (five catches for 92 yards, one touchdown); Defenders RB Xazavian Valladay (13 carries for 107 yards, one touchdown); RB Abram Smith (eight carries for 56 yards, one touchdown)
Game summary: This was a back and forth fight.
On the first play from scrimmage, DC quarterback Jordan Ta’amu connected with wide receiver Ty Scott for a 41-yard touchdown, but Tyler Hudson ran in the ensuing kickoff for a Louisville touchdown. The two teams would eventually play to a 17-17 tie at halftime, with the Kings getting three field goals from kicker Tanner Brown and the Defenders getting a field goal and a 21-yard rushing touchdown from Smith.
Louisville opened the second half with a field goal, which DC answered with a seven-play scoring drive that culminated with Valladay running for a 13-yard touchdown. The Kings then put together back-to-back touchdown drives: a rushing touchdown by James Robinson and a 24-yard pass from Rogers to Winstead. DC scored a touchdown in the final seconds and had a chance to tie the game, but missed a three-point conversion attempt and failed to convert an alternate kickoff on fourth-and-12 to retain possession; Louisville took a knee to end the game.
Next: Louisville will host the Dallas Renegades in a Sunday afternoon game on FOX. DC will travel to face the Orlando Storm in a Friday night showdown on FOX.
Key players: Gamblers QB Hunter Dekkers (15 of 22 for 155 yards, two touchdowns, one interception), WR Lawrence Keys III (three receptions for 60 yards, one touchdown); Battlehawks QB Luis Pérez (26 of 47 for 308 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions), RB Steven McBride (eight carries for 116 yards)
Game summary: The Houston Gamblers took home a big road win, defeating the St. Louis Battlehawks 23-16. St. Louis has now fallen to 5-3 on the season, but is still in good position heading into the playoffs. The Gamblers began to execute the offense, as quarterback Hunter Dekkers found WR Jontre Kirklin for a touchdown, and Kary Vincent Jr. added another with a pick-six in the first quarter. With another touchdown from WR Lawrence Keys III in the second quarter, the Gamblers went into halftime with a convincing 20-9 lead.
The Battlehawks struggled throughout the first half, with their pick six and zero touchdowns setting them back. However, their defense stepped in and made big plays to limit the Gamblers to just one field goal for the rest of the game. Despite QB Luis Perez’s pair of interceptions, he found WR Tyler Neville for a touchdown to cut the lead to 23-16, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Gamblers.
Next: The Battlehawks and Gamblers will play a rematch in Week 9, with Houston hosting on Sunday, May 24 on ESPN2.
