ARLINGTON, Texas — For three quarters, this one looked like routine Renegade business clock control, balanced offense, and a defense that hits like it carries personal grudges. But in the UFL (and, apparently, in Arlington weather), routine never lasts long. The Dallas Renegades survived a furious late rally from the Columbus Aviators to escape with a 28–23 win, a game that swung from dominance to disaster to downright chaos before the final whistle.

First Quarter: Haley Starts Hot, but Dallas Finds Its Footing

Columbus head coach decided to start with the ball, and boy, did that gamble pay off early. Quarterback Jalan McClendon orchestrated a crisp opening drive that felt like something straight out of a playbook fantasy — quick reads, smart tempo, zero wasted motion. The payoff came when McClendon threaded a laser to John Lovett for the touchdown that silenced Choctaw Stadium’s normally rowdy crowd.

But that silence didn’t last. On Dallas’s first possession, Austin Reed and his offense sputtered — three snaps, one punt, no rhythm. The Renegades’ early frustrations met a wall of Aviator confidence, but momentum, as ever, is seasonal in Texas. When Columbus kicker Ryan Coe whiffed on a 50-yarder, the emotional tide began to shift.

Second Quarter: Chaos, Turnovers, and a Pick-Six Party

Dallas’s offense, quiet in the opening fifteen minutes, found its groove behind Reed and tailback Dae Dae Hunter. The pair carved through the Aviators’ front seven, setting up a dart of a touchdown pass to Deontay Burnett, their underrated zone-beater and resident sparkplug.

Then came DaMarcus Mitchell, the man reborn. After bouncing around the league and two prior cuts, Mitchell forced a fumble that sent Columbus spiraling backward — a single defensive act that said, “No, not in our house.”

The exchange of turnovers continued, setting the stage for one of the game’s biggest moments. With the Aviators clinging to a 10–7 lead off a 52-yard Coe redemption bomb, McClendon forced a ball to the outside, where Shaun Wade jumped the route like he’d seen it in a dream. Instead of going down, Wade lateraled to Ajene Harris, who sprinted untouched for a momentum-killing touchdown.

It was a vintage Renegades sequence: aggressive, audacious, and a little ridiculous. Halftime hit with Dallas up 14–10, and Columbus staring at the jumbotron like it had just seen a ghost.

Third Quarter: Dallas Dials Up the Pain

The Renegades opened the third quarter like a team that had been waiting all season to deliver a statement drive. Reed took them 80 yards in nine minutes — a symphony of run-pass balance capped by a one-yard touchdown dive from Hunter. It wasn’t flashy, but it was brutally efficient. Dallas led 21–10, and the Aviators looked winded.

Columbus’s woes only deepened when McClendon’s deep shot on 3rd-and-19 turned into a turnover in the hands of Tra Fluellen, one of the smartest safeties in the UFL this year. Two plays later, Reed threaded a lethal strike to Emmanuel Butler under tight coverage .

That touchdown made it 28–10. But Columbus kept its eyes open.

Fourth Quarter Madness: The Aviators Refuse to Die

Todd Haley’s Aviators play football like a guy who hates boring endings. Down 18, McClendon went into gunslinger mode. A big gain to Antwane Wells Jr., who’s emerging as the team’s explosive play magnet, set up another Lovett touchdown run to make it 28–17. Suddenly, Dallas looked mortal.

And when Dallas started stalling two fourth quarter drives ending in punts the door creaked open. McClendon pushed through. A perfectly timed screen turned into a 30-yard sprint by Wells, followed by a quick strike touchdown to the same receiver. The scoreboard blinked 28–23.

With under a minute left, Haley dialed up one last miracle attempt: a 4th-and-12 with the season’s swagger on the line. McClendon dropped back, scanning. But this time, Dallas’s front didn’t blink. Kalen Deloach crashed through the line like a missile, and Kevin Strong cleaned up the sack that iced the game.

Key Performers: The Names Behind the Chaos

Austin Reed (DAL) – Another steady night under center: efficient reads, two touchdown passes, and veteran-level management in bad conditions. Dallas doesn’t need him to be flashy — just effective, and he was.
Dae Dae Hunter (DAL) – The heartbeat of this Renegades offense. His short-yardage power complements Reed’s arm perfectly, and his nine-minute drive control in the third quarter was textbook clock domination.
DaMarcus Mitchell (DAL) – The defensive equalizer. His forced fumble turned momentum around and set the tone for Dallas’s pass rush the rest of the night.
Jalan McClendon (COL) – The Aviators’ fighter pilot. Even with two picks, he stayed aggressive and engineered a near-miracle comeback. His chemistry with Antwane Wells Jr. gives Columbus real weaponry moving forward.
John Lovett (COL) – The quiet grinder, punching in two touchdowns and keeping the Aviators balanced even as McClendon went deep-hunting.

The Turning Point

It’s tempting to point to the pick-six, but the real dagger came in the third quarter on that 9-minute Dallas drive. It wasn’t about flash; it was about control. That possession choked any rhythm Columbus had left and gave the Renegades a buffer too big to erase completely. It turned momentum into dominance.

What It Means

For Dallas, this was a “prove-it” game — prove that their defense isn’t just gritty but opportunistic, prove that Reed can be a steady hand in crunch time, and prove they can close. They did all three. Sitting near the playoff bubble, this kind of grind-it-out victory over a dangerous Aviators squad signals composure heading into the stretch run.

For Columbus, there’s heartbreak, but not hopelessness. The Haley offense clicked when it had to, McClendon showed mental toughness after a brutal third-quarter interception, and their young weapons — Wells, Lovett, White — are showing signs of real chemistry. Clean up the turnovers, and this game’s ending flips entirely.

Dallas Renegades Survive Late Surge to Beat Columbus Aviators 28–23