DC Defenders Win UFL Championship
Image courtesy of theufl.com
By Griffin Cappiello
While DC football fans wait for the NFL offseason to conclude to see the Commanders back in action, last weekend gave them reason to celebrate. This past Saturday, the DC Defenders of the United Football League (UFL) defeated the Michigan Panthers to win the UFL Championship, the first in franchise history.
The UFL is the latest of several attempts to establish a spring football league to capture the attention of football fans during the NFL offseason. In 2024, two existing spring leagues, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Dany Garcia’s XFL and Fox Sports’ United States Football League (USFL), merged to create the UFL. The existing leagues evolved into two conferences within one league, the XFL Conference and the USFL Conference, respectively, the winners of each conference playing in the UFL Championship game, similar to the winners of each of the two conferences in the NFL.
This season, the DC Defenders posted a 6-4 record, coming in second in the XFL Conference. They played the first place St. Louis Battlehawks in the XFL Conference Championship and won 36-18.
The Michigan Panthers also went 6-4, coming in second in the USFL Conference. They defeated the defending UFL champions Birmingham Stallions in the USFL Conference Championship by a score of 44-29.
In the UFL Championship Game, held in St. Louis, the Panthers took an early 13-6 lead at the end of the first quarter, but a turnover and several long drives led the Defenders to score 25 unanswered points in the second quarter.
With 1:30 left in the first half, the Panthers managed to score a 71-yard touchdown, but the Defenders quickly answered back with a 73-yard touchdown of their own, giving DC a 37-19 lead at halftime.
After an interception leading to a score in the third quarter and a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, DC extended their lead to 52-19. However, Michigan converted two 4th-and-12 attempts to retain possession in the UFL’s alternative to an onside kick, scoring on three consecutive drives without the Defenders getting the ball to bring the score to 52-34.
The Panthers attempted to convert their third-straight 4th-and-12 to get the ball back, but the Defenders’ defense held strong. The DC offense took the field to score one final touchdown before the game concluded, bringing the final score to 58-34.
Jordan Ta’amu, the Defenders’ quarterback, was named UFL Championship Game MVP, going 21-28 with 4 touchdowns and a UFL record-setting 390 yards. Malik Turner, wide receiver for the Pathers, set a UFL record with 168 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns. The 58 points scored by the Defenders also set a UFL record, marking the first time in UFL history and the second time in modern era spring football that a team scored more than 50 points.
The Defenders have partnered with CUA and other universities in the greater DMV area through their College Series, which allows students who purchase tickets to receive limited edition Defenders hats in their school colors. The UFL presents an entertaining and affordable football alternative during the NFL offseason, and with a successful local team, CUA students should certainly try to take advantage of this exciting league and check out a game!
