The final week of the UFL regular season has arrived, and while three playoff berths have already been secured, one postseason spot remains up for grabs. The Louisville Kings and Birmingham Stallions enter Week 10 locked in a battle for the league's final playoff position. The action got underway Friday night with the Dallas Renegades earning an impressive road victory over the St.
Louis Battlehawks. On Saturday, the Houston Gamblers took down the Birmingham Stallions, whose playoff hopes ended with the loss. Sunday began with a playoff preview as the Orlando Storm took care of DC Defenders, setting up a showdown next week.
Then the season finale featured the Louisville Kings taking down the Columbus Aviators will finish out the slate. With the weekend done, the UFL playoff field is set and the road to the championship officially begins. Here are the results from Week 10: Louisville Kings 42, Columbus Aviators 27 Key players: Kings QB N'Kosi Perry (8-of-13 for 89 yards, three touchdowns), RB Ian Wheeler (99 rushing yards and one touchdown), WR Isaiah Winstead (three receptions, 65 yards and one touchdown); Aviators QB Jalen Morton (14-of-38 for 221 yards, one touchdown, one interception), RB Toa Taua (70 rushing yards and one touchdown).
Game recap: The scoring started with a defensive touchdown as Eric Garror intercepted Morton and returned it for a touchdown. The Aviators, though, took a lead when Morton and Keke Chism connected for a 23-yard score. The two teams traded touchdowns over the next quarter, until the Kings ended the half on a 41-yard touchdown catch by Winstead, capping a combined 49-point first half.
Columbus answered with a pair of third-quarter field goals, but Louisville was the only team to score in the fourth quarter. Jaden Shirden rushed for a 17-yard touchdown and another one from four yards out for emphasis. Up next: The Kings will face the St.
Louis Battlehawks in the UFL playoffs Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on FOX. Orlando Storm 29, DC Defenders 23 Key players: Storm QB Jack Plummer (13-of-26 for 203 yards, three touchdowns), WR Cam Camper (three receptions for 93 yards, one touchdown); Defenders QB Jason Bean (13-of-28 for 165 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions and 116 rushing yards), WR Cornell Powell (five receptions, 70 yards).
Game recap: The Storm opened the scoring with a defensive touchdown as Mishael Powell picked off Bean and returned it for a touchdown. Orlando added to its lead early in the second quarter when Plummer and Camper connected for a 31-yard touchdown. The Defenders tied the game at 17 after a rushing touchdown from Xazavian Valladay and a converted two-point attempt.
Orlando scored on consecutive drives to take a commanding 12-point lead, on a 49-yard field goal from Michael Lantz. The Defenders added a touchdown with two seconds to go but it was merely a consolation. Up next: The Storm and Renegades will meet on Sunday, June 7 in the UFL playoffs.
Dallas Renegades 20, St. Louis Battlehawks 16 Key players: Renegades QB Austin Reed (15-of-26 for 162 yards, three touchdowns), WR Emmanuel Butler (three receptions for 38 yards, two touchdowns); Battlehawks QB Luis Perez (18-of-29 for 272 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions), DT Neil Farrell (seven total tackles, one sack, one tackle-for-loss). Game recap: Both teams started out hot, as St.
Louis opened the scoring with a 45-yard field goal on its first possession to take an early 3-0 lead. The Renegades responded shortly thereafter when quarterback Austin Reed connected with wide receiver Emmanuel Butler for a 17-yard touchdown, giving Dallas a 7-3 lead. Butler played a key role in the victory, finishing with three receptions for 38 yards and two touchdowns.
The Battlehawks struggled offensively for much of the night, finding the end zone just once on a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Luis Perez to wide receiver James Bostic in the third quarter. Perez finished the night with two interceptions and was sacked seven times in the loss. Up next: The Renegades close out the season with a 4-6 record, while the Battlehawks move on to the playoffs.
Houston Gamblers 26, Birmingham Stallions 13 Key players: Gamblers LB Malik Fisher (four tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss), RB Marcus Major (eight carries for eight yards, two touchdowns); Stallions QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson (13-of-27 for 112 yards, one touchdown), WR Kyric McGowan (two receptions for 23 yards, one touchdown). Game recap: The Gamblers took the lead first with a field goal, despite quarterback John Rhys Plumlee throwing an interception on the first drive of the game. After running back Marcus Major rushed for a Houston touchdown to open the second quarter of play, the Stallions were still scoreless after a missed field goal from 53-yards out.
Plumlee contributed another score on the ground for 11 yards to give the Gamblers a strong 17-0 lead heading into halftime. Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and the Stallions struggled through the day, as he finished with just one touchdown and 48.1% of his passes completed. Birmingham finally got on the scoreboard with a 30-yard pick six from safety Alex Cook to make it 17-7.
However, the Gamblers responded on the following drive, when Major took it to the house for a 72-yard touchdown to make it 23-7. The Stallions added one more touchdown with a 6-yard reception by wide receiver Kyric McGowan, but the Gamblers answered with a 46-yard field goal to seal the 26-13 win. Up next: Since neither team qualified for the playoffs, the Gamblers and the Stallions each closed out the season 4-6 overall.