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Week 8 of the UFL season got off to a fast start Friday night, as the Orlando Storm earned their sixth straight victory by defeating the Dallas Renegades on the road.
The action continued on Saturday when the Louisville Kings defeated the DC Defenders in a close game, then the Houston Gamblers toppled the St. Louis Battlehawks in the final game of the day.
Here’s a preview of what awaits us this weekend at 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 for 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 beat Dallas on the road 31-24 for their sixth straight victory and officially clinched their playoff spot. Led by quarterback Jack Plummer, the Storm racked up 367 total yards of offense in the victory. The first quarter started scoreless for Orlando, missing both field goal opportunities. Dallas hit the scoreboard first with its field goal in the first quarter, as well as a touchdown in the second when quarterback Austin Reed found WR Emmanuel Butler for a 3-yard touchdown. Plummer also found the end zone for a 1-yard rushing touchdown to tie the score at 10-10 before halftime.
It was in the second half that both attacks took off. Plummer added another score on the floor to make it 17-10. Dallas responded shortly after, when Reed found tight end Seth Green for another touchdown through the air to tie things up. But Storm RB Jashaun Corbin responded and rushed in a touchdown for Orlando to take a 24-17 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Orlando and Dallas traded a touchdown each until the final three minutes, when a crucial Dallas interception on fourth down sealed their defeat and eliminated them from the playoffs. The Storm are perfectly in playoff position after their sixth straight victory.
To be continued: Orlando will host the DC Defenders for a Friday night game on FOX. Dallas will hit the road to face the Louisville Kings Saturday afternoon on FOX.
Key players: Kings quarterback Chandler Rogers (11 of 20 for 143 yards, one passing touchdown); WR Isaiah Winstead (five receptions 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 one 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 the ensuing kickoff for a Louisville touchdown. The two teams would end up playing tied 17-17 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 responded with a seven-play score that was capped by Valladay rushing for a 13-yard touchdown. Then the Kings put together back-to-back touchdown drives: a goal-line rushing score from James Robinson and a 24-yard pass from Rogers to Winstead. DC got a touchdown in the final seconds and had a chance to tie the game, but failed in a three-point conversion attempt and did not convert a fourth-and-12 alternate kickoff to maintain possession; Louisville took a knee to end the game.
To be continued: Louisville will host the Dallas Renegades in a game Sunday afternoon on FOX. DC will travel to take on the Orlando Storm in a Friday night showdown on FOX.
Key players: Gamblers QB Hunter Dekkers (15-for-22 for 155 yards, two touchdowns, one interception), WR Lawrence Keys III (three receptions for 60 yards, one touchdown); Battlehawks QB Luis Perez (26 for 47 for 308 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions), RB Steven McBride (eight carries for 116 yards)
Game Summary: The Houston Gamblers picked up a huge road win, beating the St. Louis Battlehawks 23-16. St. Louis has now dropped to 5-3 on the season, but is still in a good position heading into the playoffs. The Gamblers took over on offense, when 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 run from WR Lawrence Keys III in the second quarter, the Gamblers entered the half with a convincing 20-9 lead.
The Battlehawks struggled throughout the first half, with their six and zero touchdowns putting them back. However, their defense stepped up and made huge plays to limit the Gamblers to one field goal the rest of the game. Despite QB Luis Perez’s two interceptions, he found WR Tyler Neville for a touchdown to cut the lead to 23-16, but it wasn’t enough to top the Gamblers.
To be continued: The Battlehawks and Gamblers will play a rematch in Week 9, with Houston on Sunday, May 24 on ESPN2.
