The Columbus Aviators (2-4) travel to St. Louis after a gritty 24-17 home win over Houston in Week 6. The Aviators have some positive momentum and will face a Battlehawks team that is looking extremely dangerous and are getting a massive upgrade at quarterback as Luis Peres, the King of Spring, was named the team's starter earlier this week.
Game Details:
Date/Location: Friday, May 8 / The Dome at America's Center, St. Louis, MO
Kickoff Time: 8:00 PM ET, 5:00 PM PT
Channel: FOX
Odds:
Spread: Columbus +4.5 (-110), St. Louis -4.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Columbus +190, St. Louis -230
Over/Under: 43.5 (Over -110, Under -110)
Columbus Aviators (2-4):
The Columbus Aviators are coming off a strong 24-17 victory over Houston that saw the Aviators’ offense rely on a strong rushing attack that had their running backs rush 33 times for 144 yards (4.36 average) and 2 touchdowns. Columbus dominated in total yards, having 367 to Houston’s 160 yards. Columbus also dominated in time of possession with 39 minutes to Houston’s 21.
The Aviators will have a much stronger test this week as they head to St. Louis, where the fans create the hardest environment for visiting teams in the league. Columbus will need to win the majority of their final 4 games to make the playoffs, as they are currently tied with 4 teams in 5th place, sitting 1 game out of the playoffs.
St. Louis Battlehawks (4-2):
The St. Louis Battlehawks have been undeniably one of the best teams in the league despite having very inconsistent play at quarterback throughout the season. Last week saw a decisive St. Louis victory over Louisville, 16-3, where they allowed only 166 yards of total offense. The defense’s pass rush was overwhelming for the Kings, and in run defense, they allowed only 12 rushing yards.
Now St. Louis will have quarterback Luis Perez, starting at quarterback, who has been a QB2 for 2 different teams so far this season for unexplainable reasons. Now St. Louis will have the King of Spring at quarterback, making them the most complete team in the league, provided his sudden and surprising time as a backup for 2 teams hasn’t decreased his mojo.
Aviators Keys to the Game
Protect the Football
Columbus did not have a turnover last week, but we did see Jalen McClendon nearly have his 7th fumble of the season if not for video review proving that his knee was down just before. On the road against a strong opponent, they will need to avoid turnovers.
A Strong Game From Jalan McClendon
The last few weeks have seen the Aviators be a strong rushing team, they are up against a very well-defending run defense this week. It will be critical for McClendon to have a very strong game distributing the football to help keep the offense balanced and the defense honest.
Early Pressure on Luis Perez
Luis Perez is likely the best passer in the UFL but hasn’t thrown a pass since he was named the backup quarterback for the Renegades ahead of the season. Columbus needs to prevent him from getting comfortable again and finding his rhythm.
Lockdown Pass Coverage
The Aviators' secondary will need to be on their toes to prevent big plays from what should now be the best passing team in the UFL. Luis Perez and WR Hakeem Butler are poised to be a dangerous combination.
Aviators to Watch
8 QB Jalan McClendon
McClendon has completed 115 of his 166 passes (69.3%) for 1,072 yards and 6 touchdowns with 3 interceptions over 6 games.
RB John Lovett
Lovett leads the team in rushing yards and is 4th in the league after rushing 55 times for 230 yards (4.2 average) and 2 touchdowns. RB Zaquandre White is 7th in the league, and Toa Taua is 8th in the league in rushing yards.
WR Tay Martin
Martin is 4th in the league in receiving yards, having caught 28 of his 32 targets for 341 yards and a touchdown.
48 DE Kenny Willekes
Willekes had another strong game last week with 6 total tackles, including a sack and 4 shared run stops with 1 additional pressure past a blocker. Defensive end Ron Stone (56) also had a sack last week and had 4 additional tackles, and was in on a solo run stop and 2 shared run stops.
96 DT Caveon Patton
Patton had 5 tackles last week, including 2 solo run stops and 3 shared run stops.
Battlehawks to Watch
13 QB Luis Perez
Perez will make his first start this season after leading the UFL in passing in each of the last 2 seasons.
RB Jarveon Howard
Howard leads the league in rushing yards after rushing 66 yards for 296 yards (4.5 average) over 6 games.
WR Hakeem Butler
Butler is 2nd in receiving yards after catching 16 of his 34 targets over 5 games for 405 yards and 2 touchdowns.
7 DE Pita Taumoepenu
Taumoepenu is coming off a 2 sack performance with an additional 11 plays with pressure generated past a blocker by my count.
56 DE Travis Feeney
Feeney had 4 tackles last week, including a sack, a solo run stop, and a shared run stop. He also had 8 additional pressures generated by my count. The Battlehawks bring one of the most dangerous defensive end duos in the league in Feeney and Taumoepenu.
Depth Charts, Injuries, Inactives
Score Prediction:
St. Louis was already fierce before naming the Spring King as their starting quarterback, and has a very hostile environment for visiting teams. I predict St. Louis to win 30-17.