Week 1 did not end the way that Columbus Aviators head coach Ted Ginn Jr. was hoping for his team, but they now shift the focus onto Week 2 of the 2026 UFL season.
The Aviators are coming off a disappointing 23-16 loss to the Orlando Storm on Sunday. Columbus stormed back into the game with 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, but was not able to get the job done at the end of the contest.
Going into their Week 2 matchup against the DC Defenders, the Aviators show they have the confidence to be competitive in a game after having some success against Orlando. Ginn spoke with the media just two days after the loss to the Storm to talk Week 2 preparation.
Ted Ginn Jr. talks Storm game and Week 2 preparation against the Defenders
Ginn discusses want went wrong for the Aviators for them to take the loss. While there were some plays they would have liked to have back like the opening kickoff fumble, Columbus' head coach felt his team was right in the game.
"We came out and we had to fumble earlier and we overcame that. But, all in all, when you look down at it, it was a couple plays away from winning that ball game and a couple plays away from actually having a bigger deficit than we see. But just coming in, putting it back together, getting ready for Week 2, playing against a great team, DC defenders. They were just the champions last year and, you know, just doing the little things to make sure that the picture is right."
One aspect of the game that the Aviators did well was get the running game going as they had 120 yards as a team, but actually led the league in average yards per rush with 5.5. Most of that was helped by Zaquandre White, who had 48 yards rushing for the game with 42 of those yards coming off of one play.
Columbus also had a solid outing from starting quarterback Jalan McClendon who completed 65.6% of his passes for 212 yards and added another 30 yards on the ground. UFL News Hub asked Ginn about his assessment of McClendon's play and his ability to use his legs to help move the offense.
"When you always got a running style quarterback, it's always good when play ain't going too well for you, that he can just put it down and get you out of it, or they get to heating you up and he can escape from it. I think that's what happened, especially going into the second half. You know, we were in a situation where you're behind the sticks, you're behind the scoreboard, and everybody pretty know that you got to pass this thing around to get back into the fight. And I think his critical runs at times showcase us getting moving to change, but showcasing that he's some type of runner. I know he's a sit-in-the-pocket type guy. And if it break down, I can just use my shoes. And I think that's what we've seen this weekend."
The Aviators have a short week with just five days to prepare to face the defending UFL league champion Defenders, who are coming off a 16-10 loss to the St. Louis Battlehawks. UFL News Hub asked Ginn about what the team is doing about preparation for this week since it is a short week.
"Just trying to get as much rest as I can for the young men, figuring out how to put installs in with rest and not killing them and coming off of a big-time camp. So just trying to continue to get the legs back so we can continue to go on in season. And I think with this turnaround right now, the only thing you can do is, is rest them."
Despite the opening weekend loss, the Defenders have been one of the favorites to win the league title again as they are the only team in the league to have their head coach, Shannon Harris, back from last year as well as multiple key starters from the 2025 championship team. Ginn shared with UFL News Hub his early evaluation of DC going into the game.
"Have a championship mentality. The whole organization they knew who they wanted through drafting. So, they got a lot of the guys back from last year. The quarterback is amazing. They run the ball tremendously and they're going to cover you from head to toe. They ain't going to give you no space there. They're more of a cover one type team and try to blitz you up and try to heat you up. So we just got to go out and I think if we're able to shut some of that stuff down and just control some of them, some of them blitzes and beat man press and things like that, we'd be able to have a chance."
Columbus will be hosting their first home game ever from Historic Crew Stadium against the Defenders on Friday at 8:00 pm EST on FOX.