Saturday’s slate of UFL action kicks off early, as the Memphis Showboats host the Arlington Renegades in a battle between two teams who no longer have playoff hopes.
Heading into this affair, Memphis was fresh off of their second overtime win of the season – and interestingly enough, just their second win of the entire year. At 2-6, their postseason aspirations were long gone, but this team still has plenty of fight left in them to close things out.
Meanwhile, the Arlington Renegades were coming off arguably their most heartbreaking loss in franchise history. On the road in DC, with their playoff fate in the balance, Luis Perez threw an unnecessary interception on the final play of the game, sending them home with a 3-5 record.
Let’s take a look at what to expect in this Saturday clash, as Memphis looks to avenge a 47-23 blowout from a year ago.
Quarterback Play
The Memphis Showboats continue the trend of playing all three of their quarterbacks to close the year. Last week, it was Troy Williams – who threw for a measly 36 yards, but still got the win. This time around, it’ll be E.J. Perry getting the start, seeing his first true action since week four.
Perry is a spring veteran at this point, and has shown plenty of ups and downs throughout his career with Michigan and Memphis. This season, E.J.’s shown that he can run the ball at a high clip, but his decision making and accuracy has been an issue. For example, his two interceptions in a week three loss to Houston essentially sealed the team’s fate in that game. Splitting reps with Troy Williams wasn’t ideal, though, so we’ll see if he can stay on the field the entire afternoon in this one.
On Arlington’s side, Luis Perez once again gets the start, even though the Renegades are no longer playing for the postseason. Perez is coming off a 350 yard performance – the most yards he’s thrown for in a game since the AAF, in 2019. However, the writing is on the wall for Perez and the Renegades: they haven’t been able to get to the playoffs in two years. Is that Luis’ fault? No, not really. But to continue to play Luis, when Holton Ahlers and Luke Lehnen have been dying for an opportunity all season long, is a head-scratching move by Bob Stoops and Chuck Long.
Standout Playmakers
Tyler Vaughns is on one heck of a run right now in the UFL. In back to back weeks, he’s scored multiple touchdowns and has been a downfield threat – catching a ridiculous amount of 50-50 balls. His chemistry with Luis Perez is unmatched, and he’s accounted for some of Arlington’s biggest plays this season. He’ll be a problem all afternoon long for Memphis’ defensive unit.
Tony Jones, who joined Arlington a couple of weeks ago, is someone to keep an eye on. He’s got a lengthy NFL resume, and flashed potential in his UFL debut against DC. With some of the Showboats’ struggles slowing down the run, Tony could be in store for an impressive day if he gets reps.
The Renegades have had a tough time in the secondary as of late, meaning that physical receivers like Kai Locksley and Jonathan Adams are primed to play well. Locksley, in particular, has looked excellent in his action over the past couple of games as a starter. With Daewood Davis back in the mix as well, E.J. Perry should be throwing the ball at a high clip this weekend.
Depth Chart
Some notes from this week’s depth chart:
- CB Chris Claybrooks is inactive for Arlington, Carlton Johnson gets activated for the second time this year
- DE’s Durrell Johnson & Ikenna Enechukwu are active for Arlington
- WR Isiah Hennie is inactive for Memphis, Kwamie Lassiter II takes over on PR duties
- DeVere Levelston is listed as a DE this week, with two sacks on the year; replacing DaMarcus Mitchell who was released last week
The Arlington Renegades are without Adrian Ealy, who was placed on IR yesterday. Ealy’s been a big piece on their offensive line, but Alex Akingbulu will fill in on that end as he did a week ago.
Can Memphis Throw The Ball?
One of the big storylines heading into this game surrounds Memphis’ ability to throw the football, or lack thereof. Dresser Winn is the only quarterback who’s consistently proven that he can push the ball down the field, and even then, he hasn’t been perfectly accurate, as was evident in a week seven loss to St. Louis.
E.J. Perry now has a lot of pressure on his shoulders to produce. On paper, the odds are stacked in the Showboats favor. Arlington has struggled mightily in pass coverage the last few weeks, with Jordan Ta’amu throwing all over them a week ago.
The Renegades have a solid secondary, but even their best performers haven’t been consistent. Ajene Harris leads the UFL with three interceptions, but has also allowed 303 receiving yards (2nd most in the UFL), and two touchdowns (T-3rd). With Chris Claybrooks inactive, more pressure will be on guys like Steven Jones Jr. (295 yards, 3 TD’s allowed) this season.
However, the question remains: can E.J. make the right reads? He’s been so inconsistent throughout his spring career. He’s flashed potential at times, but Perry hasn’t proven that he can be the guy who can truly beat teams with his arm – with the exception of a playoff game two years ago in the USFL, against Pittsburgh.
His last snaps came in week six, when he replaced Dresser Winn for two plays on a scoring drive. Notably, Perry came in cold, and was high on a ball to Jonathan Adams – on a pass that easily could have been a touchdown. Memphis would proceed to kick a field goal, and lost the game by one point.
Needless to say, this might be E.J.’s last chance to prove that he can be a UFL starting quarterback. This year, he’s thrown just two touchdowns to five interceptions – a ratio that is rather unsettling for someone who came into this season with high expectations.
Luis Perez vs. Showboats Defense
Watching Luis Perez go up against this Showboats defense should be intriguing to watch. Perez is leading the UFL completing 70.4% of his pass attempts, as he’s one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the league. This is largely due to his ability to read defenses so quickly, and the camaraderie he has with Chuck Long, who’s been his OC the last three seasons.
He’ll have a tough task in front of him, having to throw against a Memphis defense that has been getting better and better each week. The Showboats have allowed the fewest passing yards in the UFL, giving up just 147.5 YPG in that category.
Luis Perez talked about that defense this week, and the troubles they present to Arlington’s offense:
“They have really good corners. 13 and 14 are really good. Their safeties are good as well. It’s going to be a good match. Like I said, their record doesn’t really show how good they are. We’re excited, and ready to hopefully put on a show.”
Speaking of #14, Mark Gilbert, Perez is very familiar with what he can do. In Arlington’s home opener last year against Birmingham, Luis threw an interception to Mark that effectively sealed the deal for the Stallions in that game.
Looking At Last Season
Considering how much different Memphis was a year ago, with an entirely different staff and mostly comprised of older players, it’s hard to take away much from that game.
It’s one that the Showboats want to forget, anyway. Arlington absolutely trounced them at home, as Luis Perez and De’Veon Smith had career days with the Renegades putting up 47 points in a 24-point blowout victory.
Luis Perez picked apart the Showboats defense a year ago, which is no surprise as they were the worst unit in the UFL that season. It’s a bit different this year, as the Showboats have vastly improved in almost every category under Jarren Horton.
You know it’s bad when De’Veon Smith rushes for over 100 yards and a couple scores, but that’s exactly what happened in week seven against Memphis last year. It wasn’t close from the first couple of drives, as self-inflicted wounds put the Showboats down 22-3 in the first half alone.
Coaching Matchup
Memphis Showboats | Jim Turner: Turner has two wins as a professional head coach, and both of them came in overtime. It’s been a tough year for Memphis has a whole, but they’ve continued to battle despite all of the adversity thrown their way. The players, coaches, and entire organization love what Turner brings to the table, with his hard nosed attitude and desire to win. Jim will look to avenge that loss against Arlington a year ago, as he was a part of the staff that lost to Bob Stoops & Co. that year.
Arlington Renegades | Bob Stoops: Stoops has got to be beyond frustrated with how this UFL season has gone once again. At 3-5, they’re bound to finish with at best, a .500 record once again. Every week, they find new ways to lose in heartbreaking fashion. Whether it’s the referees giving Michigan another opportunity, or Luis Perez throwing the game away for no reason, it’s been one of those seasons for Arlington.
Showboats HC Jim Turner commented on the upcoming game against the Renegades, and how he feels coming off their victory in the AlamoDome:
“Winning in San Antonio was a big deal for us, we were glad to get out of there with a win. It says a lot about the character of our team. I feel good defensively, offensively going into this game against Arlington. We’re going to play a heck of a team. Bob Stoops has done a great job everywhere he’s been, and they do a good job on both sides of the football. They’re going to be tough, they’re a tough team. The ball hasn’t always gone their way this year, but we realize that they’ll be one of the better teams we’ll play this season. Looking forward to the challenge.”
Final Thoughts
With playoffs out of the picture for both Arlington and Memphis, the focus shifts a bit to next season. While each team is playing to win, each staff will be analyzing their players at an even closer level, to see who might be worth bringing back for the 2026 UFL season.
Heading into this affair, the Arlington Renegades feel like the favorite given they’ve had a more consistent year across the board – but don’t count out the scrappy Showboats at home. They’ll be bringing the energy all afternoon.
The action all kicks off on Saturday, at 12pm ET on ABC.
Full roster breakdowns: Memphis, Arlington
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