Category: UFL

Stallions, Defenders close out Week 2 with wins

Check out what happened in Sunday’s UFL games in Week 2.

Week 2 of the UFL season wrapped up on Sunday with two games. In the first, the Birmingham Stallions remained undefeated, while the D.C. Defenders picked up their first win of the year.

What happened?

Stallions 20, Panthers 13

Birmingham kicker Chris Blewitt made four field goals to give the Stallions a 2-0 start. They outgained Michigan 305-202 but were 2-for-10 on third down. Defensively, they sacked Panthers quarterbacks seven times, three by Taco Charlton.

Defenders 23, Roughnecks 18

Houston dropped to 0-2 on Sunday.

The Defenders scored 11 fourth-quarter points and won after entering the final frame down six.

Former Cardinals quarterback Jarrett Gurantano was benched by the Roughnecks after going 3-for-8 passing for 23 yards. Former Cardinals running back T.J. Pledger led the Roughnecks with 47 rushing yards on 11 attempts.

Jordan Ta’amu threw two touchdown passes for the Defenders in the win.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

 

DC Defenders defeat Houston Roughnecks for first UFL win

The Defenders pick up their first UFL win on Sunday.

The D.C. Defenders returned home to Audi Field on Sunday to host the Houston Roughnecks in UFL Week 2 action. After a disappointing Week 1 loss to the San Antonio Brahmas, the Defenders won their first UFL game with a 23-18 win over the Roughnecks.

Dating back to their time in the XFL, the Defenders have won 10 consecutive games at Audi Field.

Quarterback Jordan Ta’amu completed a 17-yard touchdown to wide receiver Ty Scott with around six minutes remaining to give D.C. a 21-18 lead. The Defenders went for the two-point conversion and succeeded when Ta’amu found tight end Alex Ellis to extend their lead to 23-18.

The Roughnecks had another opportunity to win the game, but the D.C. defense shut down Houston, allowing only 18 yards on six plays to ensure the victory.

Ta’amu completed 16 of 32 passes for 212 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Next up for the Defenders are the Arlington Renegades next week in Texas. It’s a rematch of the 2023 XFL championship, where the Renegades pulled off a big upset over the Defenders.

In case you were wondering, the beer snake is alive and well at Audi Field.

UFL’s Jake Bates nails two more long-distance field goals

Jake Bates is the long0distance kicker in the UFL

And for an encore …

Jake Bates gave the Michigan Panthers a win in UFL Week One with a 64-yard field goal despite it being his first field-goal attempt since high school.

The former Arkansas kicking specialist was back at it again in Week 2.

His kicking foe for Birmingham Chris Blewitt was having a day, himself, going 4-for-4 as the game was in the fourth quarter.

Brahmas stun Showboats with two late TDs in UFL play

The Brahmas overcame a 16-0 deficit to stun the Showboats

The San Antonio Brahmas improved to 2-0 in the UFL with a dramatic, 20-19, victory over the Memphis Showboats on Saturday.

With less than a minute left and trailing 16-8, Chase Garber threw a TD pass to Jontre Kirklin.

The three-point attempt failed and San Antonio trailed 16-14.

However, the Brahmas used a UFL rule that allows teams to choose a fourth-and-12 play rather than attempting an onside kick.

The pass play was successful and it set up Garber finding Cody Latimer with three seconds left to give San Antonio the victory

Former Washington linebacker Reuben Foster shines in UFL debut

Reuben Foster shines in UFL debut.

Reuben Foster was once a can’t miss-prospect. A star linebacker at the University of Alabama, Foster was a first-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers.

Unfortunately, things didn’t work out for Foster in San Francisco, as Foster battled some off-field issues and was released in November 2018.

Washington, badly needing linebacker help, claimed Foster on waivers. Then-Washington president/general manager Bruce Allen took heat for the move as Foster was released by the 49ers due to a domestic violence arrest.

However, Washington stated it had done homework on Allen, with several of his former teammates on the roster, including Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, they felt comfortable with Foster’s character. Foster was eventually cleared of the charges and the NFL reinstated him to Washington’s roster.

Big things were expected of Foster, who had drawn praise from his coaches and teammates, but in May 2019, his NFL career changed forever. In an offseason practice, Foster tore his ACL and LCL. He spent the following two seasons on Washington’s roster but would never play in a game.

In January 2024, Foster was selected by the Houston Roughnecks in the UFL draft. The United Football League was a new spring league combined of former XFL and USFL teams.

On Sunday, Foster made his UFL debut, recording six tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery.

What a performance from Foster.

There was a scary moment late when Foster went down with an apparent injury. Afterward, it appeared that Foster was fine.

Next week, Foster returns to the DMV when the Roughnecks face the D.C. Defenders at Audi Field.

Defenders lose to Brahmas in UFL debut

The Defenders drop their UFL opener.

The D.C. Defenders were one of the XFL’s top teams when it was revealed the XFL and USFL would merge in 2024 into a new league called the United Football League (UFL).

The Defenders, the Arlington Renegades, the St. Louis Battlehawks, the San Antonio Brahmas, and the Houston Roughnecks are five of the eight teams in the UFL that transferred over from the XFL.

On Saturday, the UFL debuted with two games. On Sunday, there were two mores, one of which featured the Defenders against the Brahmas. D.C. was 9-1 in 2023 — the XFL’s final season — before losing in the championship game.

Unfortunately for the Defenders, this season didn’t begin as well as their final XFL season, as San Antonio dominated D.C. 27-12 in a battle of former XFL teams.

San Antonio quarterback Chase Garbers was excellent, completing 19 of 25 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns in the win. The University of California graduate spent parts of two seasons with the Raiders on their practice squad and offseason roster.

For the Defenders, quarterback Jordan Ta’amu returned for another year. Ta’amu completed 25 of 45 passes for 235 yards and an interception. He was with D.C. last season and has had multiple NFL stints on offseason rosters.

The Defenders did not score a touchdown, and kicker Matt McCrane connected on four field goals in the loss. McCrane booted field goals of 50, 34, 48 and 28 yards.

The Defenders return home to Audi Field next week and host the Roughnecks in another battle of former XFL teams. The Roughnecks also dropped their UFL debut.

Wild UFL drive ends in interception by San Antonio Brahmas

A wild sequence in the UFL wound up with a San Antonio touchdown

A fourth-quarter drive Sunday in the game between the DC Defenders and San Antonio Brahmas had something for everyone.

The Defenders had first-and-goal and thought they had a touchdown.

However, the play was reviewed thanks to a super challenge by Wade Phillips.

On the play, the Defenders’ Jean Delance spat at a Brahmas player.

Delance was ejected for the flagrant personal foul and was found to be the person who committed the false start.

Then, San Antonio committed a personal foul for taunting and gave the Defenders another first-and-goal.

It didn’t pay as Jordan Ta’amu threw an interception that was returned 89 yards by Darius Phillips. The return set up a touchdown that gave the Brahmas a 27-12 lead after the PAT

The chaotic drive:

1st and 8 on SA8J.Ta’amu steps back to pass. J.Ta’amu pass incomplete short left intended for A.Ellis (N.Wieland). [11:25]

Timeout #1 by DC. [10:43]

2nd and 8 on SA8J.Ta’amu pass short middle complete to SA End Zone. Catch made by K.Coutee at SA End Zone. Gain of 8 yards. K.Coutee for 8 yards, TOUCHDOWN. The Replay Official reviewed the runner broke the plane and the play was overturned. PENALTY on DC-J.Delance, False Start, 5 yards, accepted. No Play. PENALTY on DC-J.Delance, Personal Foul / Offense, 15 yards, accepted. No Play. [10:43]

2nd and 28 on SA28J.Ta’amu FUMBLES (aborted). Fumble RECOVERED by DC-J.Ta’amu at SA 28. J.Ta’amu pass short right complete to SA 28. Catch made by B.Moore-McKinney at SA 28. Gain of -1 yards. Pushed out of bounds by D.Phillips at SA 29. PENALTY on SA-B.Thompson, Taunting / Defense, 15 yards, accepted. [10:39]

1st and 14 on SA14C.Harris rushed right guard to SA 11 for 3 yards. Tackled by C.Patton at SA 11. [10:34]

2nd and 11 on SA11D.Francois steps back to pass. D.Francois sacked at SA 13 for -2 yards (C.Patton) [9:55]

3rd and 14 on SA14J.Ta’amu pass INTERCEPTED at SA 6. Intercepted by D.Phillips at SA 6. Tackled by K.Harmon at DC 5. [9:05]

Punter Brad Wing throws TD pass to lineman Alex Mollette for THICC-Six in UFL

A wild trick play turns into a UFL TD for the San Antonio Brahmas

The UFL had a 64-yard field goal on Saturday. On Sunday, the San Antonio Brahmas used trickeration for a wild touchdown.

Punter Brad Wing threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to offensive lineman Alex Mollette as the first half of the San Antonio Brahmas-DC Defenders game was concluding.

Wing had thrown one pass in the NFL and it was intercepted. He said during the broadcast Mollette was not primary option on the play.

The Brahmas led 20-9 at the break.

Jake Bates joins Justin Tucker in Ford Field kicking history

Jake Bates has something in common with Ravens great Justin Tucker

It must be something about Ford Field.

Jake Bates kicked a 64-yard field goal on Saturday to give the Michigan Panthers an 18-16 victory over the St. Louis Battlehawks in UFL play.

If long field goals at the venue sound familiar, that would be because Justin Tucker nailed a 66-yard field goal to give the Baltimore Ravens a victory over the Detroit Lions there in 2021.

Tucker’s feat … or foot.

UFL kicker Jake Bates made football history with jaw-dropping 64-yard FG, his first since high school

Jake Bates is HIM.

Former Arkansas kicker Jake Bates made his first field goal since high school as a member of the UFL. Lucky for him, the attempt also made history.

The Michigan Panthers kicker nailed a mind-boggling 64-yard kick to lift his team over the St. Louis Battlehawks, 18-16, on Saturday at Ford Field, making UFL history on its first day of gameday operation.

Bates joins elite company. Only two kickers in NFL history have ever hit an attempt from 64 yards or more: Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker (66 yards, 2021, also at Ford Field) and former Denver Broncos kicker Matt Prater (64 yards, 2013).

It was also the second of two attempts made from 64 yards out for Bates, who got iced on his first attempt and still made the game-winning kick from that far out, per CBS Sports’ John Breech.

We’re guessing Bates is going to get a call up to the NFL pretty soon, as he’s already accomplished something few kickers ever have in professional football. Not bad for your first make since high school.

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