Orlando Storm Bring The Boom, Take Down Renegades At Fort Hood

The UFL kicked off week eight on Friday night, as the Dallas Renegades hosted the Orlando Storm in what was a unique setting in Fort Hood.

With Dallas unable to use Toyota Stadium for their final home game, the United Football League was able to lock in with the U.S. Army base down there to host a matchup at Phantom Warrior Stadium.

This was a crucial game for Dallas, having lost four in a row. Meanwhile, Orlando was hoping to keep pace with the best in the UFL between DC and St. Louis. It was bound to be an intense matchup – so let’s take a look at what went down tonight.

First Quarter

The Dallas Renegades received the opening kick, but weren’t able to produce much. Isaiah Mack came through with a sack on third down, and Dallas punted it away.

Orlando couldn’t capitalize. After a big play from Chris Rowland, they kicked a 51 yard field goal, but with some windy conditions at Fort Hood, the Storm came up empty handed.

A couple of positive plays for the Renegades put them in a scoring position. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t score a touchdown with Denzel Mims dropping a ball in the end zone, but Colton Theaker connected from 31 yards out to make it 3-0.

The Storm just could not get points on the board. Another large chunk play from Rowland set them up in scoring position, but Lantz hooked a 52 yarder, and it remained a 3-0 ball game.

Second Quarter

Austin Reed and the Renegades put together an excellent drive. Reed used his legs to extend the possession, and found Emmanuel Butler on a thread for a touchdown pass, despite heavy coverage from Brandon Sebastian. Just like that, Dallas led 10-0.

Orlando needed a response, and they put one together. Plummer drove the ball down the field, finding Cam Camper for a large gain. They couldn’t score seven, but Michael Lantz connected from 43 yards out, and it was 10-3.

Defensively, Donnie Abraham’s unit would make some plays. Pheldarius Payne got home to Reed on third down, forcing a punt. K.J Hamler ripped off a strong return, setting up Orlando in excellent field position.

Each team was making the most of their possessions. The time ticked down quickly, as Orlando took up the majority of the rest of the half with their next drive. Jack Plummer was effective again, and called his own number on the QB dive to make it 10-10.

Third Quarter

We got some fireworks to open up the second half. Jack Plummer called his own number again, this time on a 71 yard touchdown scamper – the longest rushing score of the UFL season.

Dallas would put together a tremendous possession of their own. Austin Reed was in command, evading pressure – and found an open Seth Green on a scramble drill for a score.

The Orlando Storm have struggled to put together long drives that ended in touchdowns as of late, but that wouldn’t be the case tonight. Jack Plummer dialed it up against Dallas’ defense again, with a time-consuming possession which ended in a rushing score for Jashaun Corbin.

Heading into the final fifteen minutes, Dallas had the ball, and they were marching.

Fourth Quarter

It was a rough night for Denzel Mims. He dropped a touchdown earlier, and then had another dart from Reed go right off his hands. An offensive penalty put Dallas behind the sticks at 3rd and 15, and then after converting on 4th and 17 – a massive penalty pushed the back even further, and they turned it over on downs.

Orlando took full advantage of the short field. With Dallas dinged up on their defensive line, they were finally able to run the football effectively. K.J. Hamler took an end around to the house and the Storm took a 31-17 lead.

Dallas wouldn’t go away quietly. Austin Reed put the team on his shoulders, and with some help from Ellis Merriweather, the Renegades were in scoring position. On 4th and 6, Reed found Emmanuel Butler on a dart in the end zone, and it was 31-24.

Dallas got themselves a huge defensive stop, at long last. Plummer had a couple of miscommunications with his receivers, and the Storm punted it away.

Disappointingly for Austin Reed, he wouldn’t be helped by his receivers once again. TE Baylor Cupp dropped a ball that was right in his hands – and Deion Jennings picked it off on the tip drill.

That would be the ball game. Orlando converted on a couple of first downs with Jashaun Corbin – punching the first ticket to the playoffs in the UFL.

Standout Playmakers

QB Jack Plummer: Plummer did it all for Orlando in this win. He threw for 238 yards, and added 70 yards on the ground, to go with two rushing scores. His precise decision making was a key factor in the win.

“Jack did a heck of a job today. He’s been fantastic. No turnovers, credit to him. It’s easy to go back there and feel the pressure, and then you force something. But he puts a lot of trust in our receivers…we’re very deep.” – Anthony Becht

WR Chris Rowland: Rowland is the “YAC King”, with nine receptions for 91 yards on just nine targets. He had 56 yards after the catch.

WR Cam Camper: On third downs, Cam Camper has been very reliable for Orlando. He had three receptions for 54 yards tonight.

LB DeQuan Jackson: After being signed just a couple of weeks ago, DeQuan Jackson led the Storm with six tackles.

DT Isaiah Mack: The veteran set the tone early with a sack, and maintained with his foot on the gas pedal all night long. Isaiah had six tackles, a sack, and two tackles for loss.

Dallas

RB Ellis Merriweather: Merriweather was impactful for the Renegades again. He really came alive, with 12 carries for 76 yards – averaging over six yards per carry.

WR Emmanuel Butler: Butler had three receptions – two of which went for touchdowns. He was outstanding in the red zone, a trend that has lasted all season long.

Major Takeaways

The Orlando Storm came alive in the second half, and showed exactly just how good they can be. Offensively, it was a very clean game – not turning the ball over once. This is the second straight week they’ve been able to accomplish that. Their offensive line has been playing excellent football lately, too, not allowing a single sack.

“Four minute offense at the end of the game, Corbin is in there. Dotson had a couple big runs in the fourth quarter. We got guys going in and maximizing what they do. When it mattered in the end, they did what they had to do. Have to shout out this offensive line, these guys have done a hell of a job getting better every week. We put a lot on these guys. We want to give them a real pro experience. Kudos to those guys for their fight.” – Storm HC Anthony Becht

Third downs were also a sweet spot for Orlando. Thanks to Chris Rowland and Cam Camper, plus the protection from the O-Line, they converted on 11 of 16 attempts. An offensive masterclass from Colin Thompson, Marc Colombo, and this entire offense. Defensively, they’d love to be cleaner – but this is a group that is missing several week one starters. They are battered with injury at the moment.

Another week, another disappointing loss for Dallas. The Renegades just cannot get out of their own way. Tonight, it was drops that killed them. Rick Neuheisel emphasized this in the post-game presser. Denzel Mims had two of them, and then Baylor Cupp let one go right off his mitts – which was picked off – on their final drive. It was the Renegades’ only turnover of the game.

“We’re missing consistency. We dropped passes, you can’t drop passes. It’s not just one guy. My gut,since I know these guys, they want so desperately to help the team that you have a desperation complex. You’re trying so hard, that you forget to do the most natural thing, which is to just catch it and go.” – Rick Neuheisel

Dallas wasn’t able to play Tashawn Bower in this game, and they saw Willie Taylor go down early. Missing their two top pass rushers was a recipe for disaster, which came to fruition in the second half. Dallas couldn’t generate any pressure, which allowed Plummer to just sit back and dissect the secondary with all the time he had. The Renegades are a sinking ship, and they’ve got only two games to correct course.

Final Thoughts

Anthony Becht and the Orlando Storm are the first team to clinch a UFL playoff spot this season. At 6-2, they’re trending towards earning a home playoff game – if they can get some help with losses for DC and St. Louis. Orlando plays DC twice to end the season.

Dallas, on the other hand, now needs a lot of help. They have lost five straight, with losses to Birmingham and Louisville who are neck and neck with Dallas in the postseason race. After such a strong start to the year, it has been nothing but disappointment for Rick Neuheisel ever since.

The UFL continues tomorrow, with a double header on ABC. The action kicks off at 12pm ET, between the Louisville Kings and DC Defenders.

What are your thoughts on this game between the Dallas Renegades and Orlando Storm? Which players impressed you? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation Discord!