The Columbus Aviators bullied the Dallas Renegades 28-14, earning their first UFL win of the season in front of another strong crowd.
The Columbus Aviators came into tonight’s game 0-3, looking for their first victory of the season. Head Coach Tedd Ginn Jr. said earlier in the week that “we have to bring the energy.” In front of 8,729 fans, the Aviators secured their first victory of the season, 28-14.
Columbus won the toss and deferred to the second half. The Renegades took the opening drive right down the field in seven plays, covering 68 yards. Dallas used great balance on the ground and finished the drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Austin Reed to Drake Stoops.
Columbus took their opening drive right down the field, then later stalled after an illegal formation penalty, and Quarterback Jalan McClendon took an 11-yard sack that took them out of field goal range. They turned the ball over on downs after a McClendon hit Alize Mack for a 14-yard pass on 4th and 25, giving the Renegades possession on their own 30-yard line.
After the Columbus defense forced a three-and-out and Antwane Wells muffed the punt a couple of times, Antwane Wells took it 36 yards to the Dallas 30-yard line. After a Dallas defensive holding penalty in the end zone, the Aviators answered with a score of their own on a 1-yard touchdown run by ZaQuandre White, and the PAT was good, tying the game at 7-7.
The Dallas quarterback, Austin Reed, hit Tyler Vaughns on a 7-yard touchdown. A 40-yard scramble by Reed, who also picked up two crucial third downs that set up the score.
Columbus answered right before half to make the score 14-14, which was set up by an overturned pass interference call on 4th and 8 with 56 seconds left, followed by a fantastic acrobatic grab by Keke Chism.
Columbus took the opening drive all the way for a touchdown, taking 4:41 off the clock on 8 plays for 63 yards. Jayden McClendon scrambled for 5 yards, then fumbled in the endzone, which was recovered by Alize Mack for the score, giving them their first lead of the game, 21-14.
After Columbus forced two defensive stops late in the third quarter with 1:35 on the clock, the Aviators got the ball inside the 5-yard line and bullied their way down the field, taking an 18-play, 97-yard drive that burned 10:02 off the clock. 17 of those plays were on the ground, totaling 89 yards, which included a 2-yard rushing touchdown by Toa Taua to cap it.
The Columbus Aviators secured their first victory of the season. They rushed for 202 yards as a team, with running back John Lovett leading the way with 80 yards. Columbus’s defense shut down the Renegades’ offense in the second quarter by not allowing them to reach the end zone. The 28-14 victory was sealed by an interception by Smoke Monday with 1:46 left on the clock.
