The D.C. Defenders (2-1) visited Choctaw Stadium in front of 8,411 fans on Saturday afternoon against the Arlington Renegades (0-3) in a rematch of the 2023 XFL Championship game.
D.C. had 259 yards on offense. Quarterback Jordan Ta’amu completed 11 of 24 passes (46%) for 188 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and nine carries for 53 yards. In the second quarter, Ta’amu threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Chris Rowland which made it 14-9 Arlington. In the third quarter, Ta’amu threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Smith which gave them an 18-17 lead.
Running back Cam’ron Harris led the rushers with nine carries for 27 yards, one touchdown, and two catches for 22 yards. In the fourth quarter, Harris scored a one-yard touchdown plus converting a two-point play which cut Arlington’s lead down to 28-26 with 48 seconds left in the game. The rushers finished the afternoon with 19 carries for 82 yards, and one touchdown.
Wide receiver Ty Scott led the receivers with three catches for 48 yards, while Kelvin Harmon made two catches for 51 yards. The receivers finished the day with 11 catches for 188 yards and two touchdowns.
D.C.’s defense finished the day with 81 tackles led by Michael Joseph with 8 tackles (6 solo, 2 assists), one tackle for loss, and one pass breakup. The rest of the defense made one sack, tackles for loss, five pass breakups, and one forced fumble. Kicker Matthew McCrane made three field goals, including the game-winner for 49 yards. His longest field goal of the day was 58 yards.
Arlington had 419 yards on offense. Quarterback Luis Perez completed 24 of 40 passes (60%) for 290 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. Perez’s touchdowns happened in the first half. In the first quarter, Perez threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Vaughns for a 6-3 lead, and in the second quarter threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to J.P. Payton for a 14-3 lead.
Backup quarterback Lindsey Scott Jr. completed one pass for 11 yards, three carries for 20 yards, and one touchdown. Scott Jr.’s rushing touchdown happened in the third quarter for 13 yards making it 25-18 Arlington.
Running back De’Veon Smith led the rushers with 14 carries for 63 yards. The rushers finished the afternoon with 30 carries for 123 yards, and one touchdown. Wide receiver Tyler Vaughns led the receivers with nine catches for 109 yards and one touchdown. The receivers finished the afternoon with 25 catches for 301 yards and two touchdowns.
Arlington’s defense made 45 tackles led by Jamal Carter with 8 tackles (4 solo, 4 assists) and one pass breakup. The rest of the defense made two tackles for loss, one sack, and one pass breakup. Arlington kicker Taylor Russolino made two field goals with a long of 49 yards.
Next weekend, the D.C. Defenders visit the Birmingham Stallions on Saturday at 7 pm on FOX, while the Arlington Renegades visit the Houston Roughnecks at 2 pm on FS1. Subscribe to Fubo to watch all of the 2024 UFL Season and tickets for the game are available today on StubHub and Viagogo.
