Matthew McCrane #16 of the DC Defenders celebrates with his team after kicking the winning field goal during the fourth quarter against the Arlington Renegades at Choctaw Stadium on April 13, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/UFL/Getty Images)
D.C. Defenders (1-1) at Arlington Renegades (0-2)
Saturday, Apr. 13, at 1:00 PM ET (12:00 PM CT)
Choctaw Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Attendance: 8,411
Broadcaster: ESPN
Announcers: Jorge Sedano (Play-by-Play), Kirk Morrison (Analyst), Eric Mac Lain (Field Analyst), Ian Fitzsimmons (Field Reporter)
The D.C. Defenders were the visitors in Arlington facing the Renegades in what would be a rematch of last year’s XFL Championship.
The Defenders entered the game with a 1-1 record after picking up their first win of the season over the Houston Roughnecks, 23-18. Meanwhile, the Renegades were coming off a tough 27-24 loss to the St. Louis Battlehawks in a game that came down to a walk-off field goal.
The sparse crowd in Choctaw Stadium was enthusiastic and clearly enjoying the bright sunny day which was just made for football.
Defender’s Matthew McCrane kicked off and the ball was returned by Juwan Manigo to the Arlington 30-Yard line. Arlington quarterback Luis Perez handed to De’Veon Smith for a 3-yard gain and then flipped the ball to Manigo who was dropped for a 9-yard loss. On third down, Perez completed a 20-yard pass to Tyler Vaughns to move the chains. After a pass went incomplete, Perez completed a 6-yard pass to Vaughns and then went back to Vaughns for 5-yard pass and a first down on the D.C. 45.
After an incomplete pass, Perez passed to Seth Green for a 7-yard gain, and then passed long downfield for Isaiah Winstead, who almost had an outstanding catch. On fourth and 3, a pass to Vaughns was caught but he could not get both feet inbounds. The Renegades turned over the ball on downs.
D.C. quarterback Jordan Ta’amu took over on his own 38-yard line. After a false start penalty, Ta’amu rushed for one yard and then handed to Cam’Ron Harris for 4 yards. On third down, Ta’amu was pressured and nearly sacked, but he managed to pass downfield to Kelvin Harmon for a 23-yard gain and a first down.
On first down, Ta’amu passed incomplete, and then he was sacked for an 11-yard loss. A 12-yard catch by Harris was not good enough for a first down and the Defenders settled for a 54-yard Matthew McCrane field goal to make the score 3-0.
Manigo returned the kickoff to the Arlington 46-yard line. Perez passed to Sal Cannella but lost one yard, and then passed to Vaughns for a gain of 9. Backup quarterback Lindsey Scott tan 4 yards to move the sticks. Scott stayed in and passed short left to Vaughns for an 11-yard gain and another first down.
Perez came back in and handed to Leddie Brown for a 2-yard rush, and then passed to Brown for 6 more yards. Scott came in and ran 3 yards for another first down on the D.C. 20-yard line. Perez passed to Manigo for 2 yards and then handed to Brown for no gain.
At the end of the first quarter the score is 3-0 for D.C.
Perez floated a pass to Tyler Vaughns in the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown. On the two-point conversion attempt Lyndsey Scott was sacked, making the score 6-3 for Arlington.
Taylor Russolino kicked off 67 yards and Chris Rowland had a good return up to his own 39-yard line. Ta’amu handed to Harris for a 2-yard run and then passed incomplete to Harmon. On third down, Ta’amu scrambled for 7 yards but was short of the first down marker. The Defenders punted.
The Brooks punt went into the end zone for a touchback and Perez started his drive on the Arlington 25-yard line. Perez handed to Dae Dae Hunter for a 4-yard rush and then handed to Smith for another 4 yards. Another handoff to Smith made 3-yards and a first down, as he danced through a hole.
Perez passed incomplete to Vaughns, and then tossed to Deontay Burnett over the middle for 11 yards. Perez handed to Smith for 1 yard, and then had a false start penalty, losing 5 yards. On third and 14, Perez passed short to Vaughns, who flipped the ball to De’Veon Smith who ran for a first down on the D.C. 35-yard line.
On first down from the D.C. 35, Perez handed to Brown for 6 yards, and then handed to Brown again for another 6 yards and a first down. After a 5-yard false start penalty, Perez passed to Brown for a 5-yard gain, and then handed to Smith for another 5 yards. On third and 5, Perez passed 17-yards to a wide-open Payton in the end zone. On the two-point conversion attempt, Lindsay Scott scrambled and ran for the end zone, touching the ball on the pylon for the points. The score was now 14-3 for Arlington.
Ta’amu started his drive on the D.C. 45. He handed to Hagans, but an offensive holding penalty negated the play. Then, Ta’amu completed a 26-yard pass to Rowland to put the ball on the Arlington 39. A pass to Smith went incomplete, and then a too many men penalty pushed the Defenders back. A short pass to Scott was followed by a 17-yard run by Ta’amu to move the markers to the Arlington 17-yard line.
After the two-minute warning, Ta’amu rushed for 8 yards and then passed to Rowland for a 10-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion failed, making the score 14-9 for Arlington.
After the kickoff, Manigo returned the ball to the Arlington 20. Perez handed to Leddie Brown for a 14-yard gain, and then passed to Cannella for a loss of 2 yards. With 0:34 remaining, Perez passed incomplete, and then a short pass to Cannella was taken down the sideline 32 yards to the D.C. 36. A pass to Brown only made 2 yards, and then a long pass up the middle was nearly intercepted by Santos Ramirez. On third down, an offensive holding call negated a Brown run, and with 0:04 remaining Arlington felt they could not kick a field goal against a swirling wind. Perez threw incomplete to end the half.
At halftime the score was 14-9 for Arlington.
To start the second half, the Russolino kickoff went 72 yards and was returned by Vyncint Smith to the D.C. 39-yard line. Ta’amu rushed, but gained no yards. However, Arlington was penalized for unnecessary roughness. The drive finally stalled and the Defenders settled for a 58-yard McCrane field goal to make the score 14-12 for Arlington.
Matthew McCrane’s kickoff went 75 yards and was returned by Manigo to the Arlington 20. Perez handed to Smith for a no gain, and then handed once more to Smith, this time for 10 yards and a first down. A false start penalty set the Renegades back 5 yards, and then Perez handed to Smith for 8 yards. A pass to Green was incomplete and then Perez passed downfield to Vaughns for a 15-yard gain. De’Veon Smith rushed for 9 yards and then a defensive pass interference penalty gave the Renegades a first down on the D.C. 37 yard line.
Lindsey Scott came in and fumbled, and then recovered the ball, only to be sacked by the D.C. defense. Perez came back in and passed 22 yards to Vaughns on the D.C. 23. Another pass to Vaughns was incomplete, and then a handoff to Smith made a 5-yard gain. On third down, a pass to Cannella was incomplete and the Renegades settled for a 36-yard Russolino field goal to make the score 17-12 for Arlington.
The Russolino kickoff was fumbled by Smith, but was recovered and returned to the D.C. 10-yard line. Ta’amu passed 17-yards to Ellis, and then passed incomplete to Harmon. A Ta’amu run was good for 13 yards and then a toss to Ty Scott on the sideline gained 190 yards for the Arlington 27. A pass to Harmon in the end zone was incomplete, but D.C. head coach Reggie Barlow challenged the play for defensive pass interference. The challenge failed.
A handoff to Cam’Ron Harris was stuffed for a 2-yard gain, and then Perez swung a pass out to Harris for a 10-yard gain and a first down on the Arlington 14. Ta’amu passed incomplete to Smith in the end zone, and then threw again to the end zone, but Brandon Smith was ruled to have made the catch out of bounds. Upon review, the pass was deemed to be a touchdown as his elbow was inbounds. The two-point conversion failed, making the score 18-17 for D.C.
The McCrane kickoff went into the end zone for a touchback. Perez started on his own 25-yard line and handed to Hunter for a five-yard gain, and then handed to Brown for no gain as the quarter ended.
At the end of the third quarter D.C. led 18-17 over Arlington.
A false start penalty pushed the Renegades back 5 yards, and then on third and 10, Perez passed to Leddie Brown for a 23-yard gain to move the chains. A 13-yard pass to Payton put the ball on the D.C. 39. A pass to Sal Canella just past the first down marker, saw Canella fight for an 18-yard gain.
Perez passed incomplete to Cannella, and then handed to Brown who fought for 8 yards. Lindsey Scott came in and ran 13 yards right up the gut for the touchdown. The two-point conversion pass from Perez to Cannella was good, making the score 25-18 for Arlington.
Rowland returned the kickoff to the D.C. 28, and Ta’amu handed to Hagans for a 2-yard gain. A pass to Rowland was incomplete, and then Ta’amu tried to run but was tackled for only a 1-yard gain. The Defenders were forced to punt.
Arlington’s Luis Perez started his drive on his own 20-yard line. Perez passed to Manigo who ran up field for an 18-yard gain. A handoff to Smith was good for a 3-yard gain, and then a pass to Winstead made 12 yards up to the D.C. 46. Perez handed to Smith and he fought for 5 yards, and then went back to Smith for 2 yards more. On third and three, Perez could not connect with Payton on a long pass, and then could not complete to Burnett on fourth down. Arlington turned over the ball on downs.
Ta’amu chose to pass deep to Harmon which fell incomplete. However, a 15-yard defensive pass interference gave D.C. a first down. Arlington head coach Bob Stoops challenged the penalty, and he lost his challenge.
A handoff to Harris lost 2 yards, and then Ta’amu faced pressure and had to throw the ball away. On third and 12, a pass to Chris Rowland could not be caught. D.C. went for it on fourth down, and Ta’amu’s pass intended for Brandon Smith was batted away by Jamal Carter. D.C. turned over the ball on downs.
With 5:01 remaining, and Arlington on their own 48, Perez handed to Brown for a 3-yard gain. Another handoff to Brown made 3 more yards, and then Perez passed to Burnett for a 10-yard gain and a first down on the D.C. 36. A handoff to Brown lost one yard, and then another run by Brown gained 6 yards. On third and 5, Leddie Brown dropped a pass. On fourth down, Taylor Russolino attempted a 49-yard field goal, which was good to make the score 28-18 for the Renegades.
Chris Rowland returned the Russolino kickoff to the Arlington 35-yard line as the two-minute warning was announced.
Ta’amu passed incomplete to Rowland and then passed incomplete to Smith. However, a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty moved the ball to the Arlington 20. On first down, Ta’amu scrambled for 5 yards, and then a Cam’Ron Harris run was good for 4 more yards. A handoff to Harris moved the ball 10 yards to the 1-yard line and then a Harris 1-yard run was good for the Defenders touchdown. The two-point conversion attempt was good with a Jordan Ta’amu run into the end zone. The score was now 28-26 for Arlington.
With 0:48 remaining, the Defenders opted for a 4th and 12 play from their own 28-yard line. Ta’amu completed a 19-yard pass to Ty Scott for the first down, and then passed to Harmon for another 27 yards. A Harris run was good for a 1-yard gain.
With 0:04 on the clock, a delay of game penalty against D.C. pushed the ball back 5 yards. Matthew McCrane attempted a 49-yard field goal and made it.
The final score was D.C. Defenders 29, Arlington Renegades 28.
